Queen of Kings

by RH Tucker

  It’s a first-rate place, and as Maddox has explained it, Mavin International wants to open more clubs around the country. That’s contingent on whether this location does well or not. No doubt that’s one of the reasons they brought Maddox in. He’s a fantastic DJ, but some other well-known artists were vying for this residency. Mavin International wouldn’t have lost out if they had gone with any of them. Still, I’m sure retaining Maddox Barkley will no doubt bring more eyes on their location simply by name recognition alone.

  “How’s the record coming along?” I ask Leah, the lead singer to Skye’s band, The Electrocutes.

  “It’s good,” she answers with a wild smile. “When are we gonna get you back in there?”

  “Maybe we can do that this week. Me and the guys are toying around with a few songs, but it’s still in the early stages.”

  “Perfect.”

  She turns to Roxie, their drummer, as she shows her something on her phone. Across the way, I see Derrik and Zoey laughing. To my left, Skye whispers to EJ, who chuckles and replies by tickling her. It’s little moments like these that no matter how much I don’t want to think about Austin, I do. It’s hard to believe sometimes that I was more affectionate with him than I was with Bret, given that I was with Bret months longer than Austin.

  “I’ll be back,” I tell Leah and get up from the crowd, heading down to Maddox.

  Seeing me approach his area, Maddox lifts his brows, then switches the song. Adam stands behind him with a petite brunette under his arm with a drink in his other hand. The music plays, and Maddox calls me over, as he checks for something in the headphone on one of his ears.

  “What do you think?” he calls to me, adjusting a level on his board.

  “It’s definitely a scene,” I reply. “Mavin International is pulling out all the stops in this place.”

  He nods. “I heard they want to open spots in select cities. New York and Miami are next.”

  “If it stays like this the entire time, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.”

  “It’s gonna be amazing, sis,” he says, smiling.

  Changing the song over, he slips his headphones over his ears and adjusts more levels. The dance floor is flooded, and the bar on the first floor is packed. There’s no doubt in my mind the resort is going to make a killing with this place. I’m happy for my brother, being able to shine on his own for this.

  “So, what are you doing down here?” he asks.

  Glancing over my shoulder at the second story, I can’t see our friends, but I shake my head. “A little too much PDA going on right now.”

  He laughs. “Adam told me once he thinks you’re hot. The only reason I didn’t punch him was that it was right after I told him his sister was hot. I could hook you two up if you want.”

  I shake my head, giggling. “Thanks, but I think he’s a little busy.”

  I nod to Maddox’s other side; he looks over and sees Adam still flirting with the girl I saw him with earlier. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you joining in.”

  “Gross,” I laugh, pushing his shoulder.

  Looking past me, Maddox lifts his brows. “Then again, there might be someone else here who’d be interested in you.”

  Confused, I turn to see what he’s referring to. At the end of the bar, Austin stands in nicer-than-usual jeans, and a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He scans the crowd, then sees Maddox and me on the stage, giving me a shy wave.

  I spin around, gaping at Maddox. “What is he doing here?”

  “I called him.”

  “You called him?” I ask, almost appalled. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because you like him.”

  “Liked,” I correct.

  “Right. That’s why you’ve been pouty and are now avoiding Derrik and EJ whenever Skye or Zoey are around.”

  “I am not. I’m just …” I wrinkle my nose at my brother. “It doesn’t matter. You know what he did.”

  “Yeah, and I know he tried apologizing to you. I also know you’re a stubborn bass player who feels burned by Bret.”

  “That has nothing to do—”

  “Yes, it does.”

  Pulling his headphones down around his neck, he takes a step away from his table, bringing me with him, locking his eyes on mine. Even though my brother likes to have fun a whole lot more than take things seriously, I know his earnest expression when he’s real. It’s the same one he’s wearing now.

  “You know how much I hated Bret,” he explains. “I know you liked him in the beginning, and I’m sorry you finally saw the type of dirtbag he was, but Austin isn’t him. I believe him, and I think you do, too. He made a mistake, Jade.”

  “But how can I be sure?”

  “You can’t.” Reaching over, he takes my hand. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Just go talk to him, one final time. If you really don’t believe him after tonight, I’ll never bring it up again. I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

  A soft smile hits my lips, but I’m also a little taken aback. I didn’t think I was that obvious about my lingering thoughts and feelings. “Like what?”

  “Like you are right now, writing nothing but songs about breaking up and being heartbroken.”

  “I-I am not,” I counter, but there’s no confidence behind my words.

  “Jade, yesterday I listened to you change a lyric from ‘heart that’s lost’ to ‘adrift among the tears,’ switching it around for thirty minutes. I’m all for artistic vision, but come on.”

  I scowl, but my smile stays in place because I know he’s right. The stuff I’ve been writing lately has been a little darker and more somber than usual.

  “Go.” He pushes my shoulder. “I already told you I believed him that day. If you still feel like you can’t trust him, then end it. For good. But I know you wouldn’t have tried to talk to him at all if you didn’t want to believe him.”

  It’s true, but I don’t know how to do that. Maybe if we try to clear the air, I can finally determine if he’s telling me the truth or it was all one big scam.

  Maddox slips the headphones back over his ears, returning to his table, and the song switches. It’s still loud and bass-filled, but the rhythm is a lot more upbeat than the previous song. Stepping down from his stage, I see Austin still waiting at the bar. His eyes never stop watching me.

  The nerves begin to creep up inside as I approach him. Offering me another slight wave, he smiles. “Hey,” he calls out, more timid than confident.

  “Hi.”

  The silence sits between us, but it’s overpowered by the loud music Maddox continues to play.

  “Can we go outside to talk?” he asks.

  “Sure.”

  He turns, and I follow him toward the side of the club. We’re sitting on the top floor of the hotel, and almost all of the walls are lined with thick windows, giving everyone a skyline view of the Malibu city lights and the beach. There’s one opening that leads out to a wide balcony, complete with glowing lights that line the walls and multiple standing tables. A glass partition sits atop a cement wall so you can still see the beach and city lights.

  Austin leans against the glass partition, resting his elbows atop the barrier, gazing out over the beach. Stepping closer to him, I lean my back against the wall, folding my arms. Glancing up at him, he keeps his eyes out toward the night sky.

  I don’t know if he’s waiting for me to start, but I don’t want to wait and have these confused feelings lingering much longer. “I didn’t ask Maddox to call you.”

  “I know,” he replies, nodding. Finally looking over at me, he sends me another smile. “He said he’s not sure what you’re thinking but that I should try again. That’s why he invited me here tonight.” I nod, unsure how to reply to that. “If I’m being honest, if he didn’t call me, I might not be here.”

  “Wow, honesty? That must be a new feeling.” I can’t help the sarcastic reply.

  He nods. “I deserve that.” Taking a deep breath, he locks
his eyes on mine. “Other than that one thing, I never lied to you, Jade.”

  “That’s a pretty big other thing, Austin. I trusted you.”

  “I know.” His head drops. He’s quiet for a moment longer, and I think our time is up, when he starts up again, keeping his eyes to the floor. “When I was eight, I lied to my mom that I ate all of my Brussel sprouts one night when I really fed them to our dog, Oscar.”

  He finally looks up at me with a weak smile. I quirk an eyebrow, confused. “What?”

  “In seventh grade, me and my friend snuck out to go to a party where these two girls we liked were going. I snuck back in before my mom found out.”

  “Um—”

  “In ninth grade, I told Candice Walker that I liked her because I thought she would get me into a party of the girl I actually liked.”

  “Okay, that one’s just low.”

  “Junior year in high school, I snuck into my dad’s liquor cabinet and stole three bottles of alcohol for a party that I never replaced. I think the only reason he never caught me was that he never pays attention.”

  That comment makes me giggle. A soft, warm smile crosses his lips.

  “Aside from the lies I’ve told my father because I don’t care at all what he thinks of me or what I want to do with life, those other things I’ve felt bad about over the years. I don’t know why I remember them, but I do. But nothing hurt more than not telling you the truth. I was so close that day on the beach, Jade. I wanted to tell you then, but I was afraid of you reacting the way I knew you would. That day was perfect, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”

  After keeping his distance, he finally steps closer, taking my hands. “I’ll never hide anything else from you. If you give me a chance, I won’t ever hurt you like that again.”

  I believe him. I wanted to believe him when he first told me, and now I finally do. A smile slides over my lips, and I lift my arms, wrapping them around his neck. “You have to promise me one more thing.”

  “Anything,” he replies, leaning his forehead against mine.

  “Never stop telling me how amazing I am.”

  Catching on to my joke, his grin grows wider. Leaning closer, I feel all of the nerves finally vanish, and his arms wrap around me. He kisses me, and the moment his lips meet mine, my heart warms, finally having him this close again. This is the Austin I was falling for, and I’m glad to finally have him back.

  “I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

  Epilogue

  “They’re really good,” Austin calls over to me while we listen to The Electrocutes.

  Skye’s band is playing a show, and EJ invited us to come and check it out.

  “Aren’t you glad I changed your mind?” I ask him.

  Austin finished his second semester of school, but he doesn’t think it’s a big deal. He had to take half of the credits he took while attending the high-priced university last semester because he needed to work to pay for his half of the rent with Shawn and pay for his tuition. Ever since he walked out on his dad, they haven’t spoken.

  “I guess.” He lifts his shoulders, grinning. “I mean, anytime I get to be your arm candy, I can’t complain.”

  I laugh. “Right. I know all you wanted to do was finish the Big Ben Lego set you bought.”

  “It’s four thousand pieces, Jade.”

  I roll my eyes, giggling. I had every intention of starting again slow with Austin after the dust settled from his withholding of information, but after that night in the club, everything synced back up between us. He really is the same person that I was falling for all those months ago, and I’ve never been happier. Working with the boys, we’ll go out for a photoshoot or travel to some location for an interview, and sometimes Austin comes with us. Sometimes he doesn’t.

  He never invites himself, and some people might look at that like he doesn’t want to be around, but I know the truth. He couldn’t care less about the spotlight. He just wants to be around me, so when I do invite him if he doesn’t have class or doesn’t have to work, he happily comes along. It still feels great that I’m just a girl he wants to be with and not some superstar he’s dating. To him, I’m just Kristen.

  “You want to grab something to drink?” he asks as the song comes to a close.

  “Sure.”

  Heading over to the bar, I stand behind Austin as the bartender waits on the other side. Austin calls over to get his attention, but he ignores him. The small club The Electrocutes are playing in isn’t very full. I’ve had a few people come up to me and ask for an autograph or selfie, so has EJ, but it’s a small enough place that we’re not bombarded with requests. So the bartender isn’t busy, but there’s a pretty brunette at the other end who seems to be occupying his attention.

  “Hey, excuse me,” Austin calls over again.

  I watch as the bartender turns and looks, lifting a brow. He gives Austin a nod, but instead of coming over, he turns back to the girl, who starts laughing.

  Austin glances back at me. “We may be here a while.”

  I can’t help the chuckle that floats out. “Allow me.” He smirks, watching me step to the bar, knocking on it. “Hi, excuse me. Can I get two bottles of water?”

  The bartender looks back, still with the same uninterested face he had a moment ago. The second his eyes land on mine, they pop open, and he hurries over. Grabbing two waters, he hands them to us. I reach into my pocket, but he shakes his head at me.

  “On the house,” he says with a smile.

  I return the smile. “Thank you.”

  Turning back to Austin, I watch as he grins. “Show-off,” he says. He’s just about to lean in to kiss me when we’re interrupted by someone from behind.

  “Hey, Jade.”

  I look over and see Vic, the drummer for Skum Bucket. I give him an awkward smile while scanning the area, searching for Bret and Mitch to be close by. He must notice what I’m doing because he speaks up. “They aren’t here.”

  “Oh.” I blink, unsure how I’m supposed to react. I haven’t spoken to Bret, or any of them, since that final night at the club.

  Vic awkwardly looks around, then down at his feet, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. Gone is his cosplay rock star getup. He still has the long hair, but it’s not combed in front like Bret did. And while he’s wearing regular jeans and a T-shirt, his long chain necklaces and leather bracelets are nowhere to be found.

  “So, uh …” Shuffling his feet, he finally gazes up at me. “I wanted to apologize.”

  “Oh.” I’m not sure why he’s apologizing, so it catches me off guard. “Okay?”

  “I just wanted to say sorry for trying to leach on to you and the guys. Bret always thought it’d be how we get a big break and … anyway, I’m sorry.”

  I’m not sure how to reply, but I am touched that he’s apologizing. “Okay. Thank you. Um … how are things going?”

  He lets out a defeated chuckle. “They’re not.” I cringe, unsure what to say. “We tried recording our EP, and the third day in the studio, we got in a huge argument. Two weeks later, Bret kicked me out of the band.”

  “Oh, jeez. Vic, I’m sorry about that.”

  He lifts his shoulders. “It’s not your fault. He and Mitch never finished the EP, and then Mitch quit on him a month after that. Last I heard, Bret’s hanging out in Seattle, trying to find some solo gigs up there.”

  “What are you doing now?”

  “I’ve been with this new band, and we’re finding gigs here and there. It’s going good.” He pauses, then gives me a sad smile. “I just wanted to let you know that. After everything went down with our band, I realized how pathetic we’d been. I’d been. Every band has to make it on their own. I realized that after the crap hit the fan. Anyway, I’ll see you around.”

  I give him a wave good-bye, and he heads over to what looks like a group of friends. I watch, wishing things could’ve been different for his band. No matter what my ill feelings are over Bret and our relationship, I’d never
want their group to implode like it did.

  Austin wraps his arm around me. “You okay?”

  Nodding, I peer up at him, trying to smile. “Yeah, it’s just a bummer to hear that.”

  He chuckles. “You’re amazing.”

  “Why?” I knit my brows together.

  “Because you still care what happens to them after everything. I think that’s the thing I love most about you.” Yeah, we crossed over the L-word bridge a while ago. “You genuinely care about people and want the best for them. That’s amazing.”

  I giggle, leaning into him. “I’m glad you’re still holding up your end of the deal.” Pulling back a touch, he looks at me, confused. “To always tell me how amazing I am.”

  He laughs. “Well, it’s not like I can help that.”

  I lift my shoulders. “I guess not. I am pretty amazing if I do say so myself. I’m just glad your love for me outweighs your love for Legos.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he jokes.

  He bends down to kiss me, and as our lips connect, it all melts away. The static noise of people talking, the music playing, and everything else. It’s only us, and I hold him a little tighter, knowing that’s all he wants. Me.

  Breaking away, he stays close enough so only I can hear, whispering, “But between you and me, yeah. You’re way better than Legos.”

  Maddox

  The bass pulses through the room. Lights flash around my stage, but I block them out. It’s a mixture of people talking and laughing, cheers in the background as others toast, and the music I’m playing blasting through the speakers of the club.

  Two nights ago, one of my best friends, Adam Coleman, came to the grand opening of Luxe along with the rest of my friends and band. It’s a brand-new club in Malibu, which sits atop the Mavin International Resort and Hotel overlooking the city and beach, and I’m the DJ. One of the most prestigious and upscale hotel companies around the world, they’re test-marketing a new piece of their business. Luxe is the first of what they want to be several nightclubs sitting atop their buildings. I’m their resident DJ for the next three months.