Page 24 of Another Postcard

In all thetime since Stone Butterfly became a rock sensation, the meet-and-greets with fans never bothered me. I won’t pretend I didn’t appreciate the boost to my ego, but I also loved the way those people were about music. The passion with which they responded to our art made it all worth it. But after that first concert with Brooklynn.After that kiss.All I wanted to do was grab her and get the hell out of there. I did my duty, though, smiling and charming the crowd, taking pictures and signing autographs. Around two A.M, they shut the party down, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Although we were just outside the city, and the concert the next night was in Boston, it was decided that we’d go ahead and travel there in the tour buses overnight. It would be less stressful than going home for a few hours, then loading, driving, doing sound check, and performing a concert, all in one day. It also meant I knew exactly where to find Brooklynn after we were done loading out of the arena.

Technically, the girls had their own bus, but Kristi’s husband traveled with the band as often as possible, so she was usually with him. Sheryl had stayed on the chick bus with a couple of female roadies, but Sasha had spent most of her time with Matteo, Simon, and me. Especially since we did a lot of writing on the road, and it was more convenient to be together in one vehicle. Eventually, we shuffled everything around and she moved in permanently. We reconfigured the top level of the bus, which used to be a second living room type space and bunks. We added two walls to create three separate “bedrooms.” A back room with two twin beds for Sasha and anytime Sheryl or Kristi wanted to stay there, I had the bedroom at the front, and Simon and Matteo used the center area and bunks as a room. On the first level, we turned what used to be a large bedroom into a music room, soundproofing it and hanging acoustic wall panels, as well as bolting down a drum set, a piano, several stools, and music stands. When Brooklynn joined the group, I made sure Noah didn’t give her any other option than to be on the same bus as me. I had hoped she’d be sleeping in my bed by the time we hit the road, but at least she was on my bus, even if she was sharing a room with Sasha.

I was the last one to climb on board. Everyone was sprawled around on the couches with the TV on, though they were chatting and looked half asleep. Brooklynn was curled up on one side of the padded bench seat in the kitchen area. I plopped down into the empty spot beside her and twisted my body so I was facing her. Grabbing her legs, untucking them from underneath her, I settled her feet in my lap. “You really were brilliant tonight, baby,” I praised her softly.

She grinned and stuck her arms above her head to stretch, which thrust her tits out, and I quickly moved her feet over an inch before she felt me getting hard beneath them. “We did kick ass, didn’t we?” She wiggled her toes a little and looked at me hopefully. Rolling my eyes playfully, I grabbed one foot and pushed my thumbs into the soft underside. She moaned in delight and I stifled a groan. I was dying to hear her make those sounds while I moved inside her.

“I’m beat,” Sasha announced and waved before climbing the spiral staircase to the top level. I dug my hands into Brooklynn’s feet a little deeper, hoping to entice her to stay downstairs with me a little longer. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed that both Simon and Matteo were conked out on recliners in front of the flat screen mounted in the back of the bus.

“Have lunch with me tomorrow,” I murmured when I turned back to my companion.

She sighed and dropped her head to the side, resting it on the back of the seat. “How many times are you going to make me tell you that it’s not a good idea?” Her eyes were on her hands as she toyed with the hem of her shirt, so I leaned across and gently lifted her chin.

“As many times as I need to before you say yes. But”—I lowered my voice into a warning tone—“I’ve decided it’s time to step up my game.” I eased the threat with a wink and kept rubbing her feet.

She lifted her head, eyeing me warily. “You haven’t been at the top of your game already?” she asked sarcastically. “Ok, so what does that mean, exactly?”

I sighed in mock disappointment. “I’m not giving away my secrets. How else will I keep you on your toes?” I finished with a little tickle to the sensitive arch of her foot and laughed when she jerked her legs back with a shriek. Both slumbering guys jumped up from their seats, startled and looking around wildly. Brooklynn and I both lost it, laughing riotously until they’d grumbled their way up the stairs and out of sight.

I stood up and grasped her hands, pulling her up as well. Then kept ahold of them and led her over to a wider, longer, and much comfier couch. Without letting go, I lowered myself down and urged her to join me. She resisted a little at first, but I smoothed my thumbs tenderly over the backs of her hands and it seemed to drain away her tension. After she sat, I gathered her into my arms and stretched out onto the couch, settling her beside me. She laid her head on my chest and an arm over my stomach, finally relaxing completely.

With slow steady strokes, I ran my fingers through her long, dark hair, letting the silky strands fall through my fingers. “Baby?”

“Hmmm?”

“All games aside, why won’t you let me take you out?” I asked seriously.

She sighed and turned her face into my shirt for a second, then lifted her head so our gazes collided. There were equal parts worry and wistfulness darkening the chocolate pools. “My life…” she trailed off, seeming to be searching for the right words. “It hasn’t been—well, I’ve never been a part of anything like this before.”

“A band?” I knew her professional history, so I was confused as to her meaning.

She shook her head. “Well yes, but that wasn’t what I was talking about. Stone Butterfly is more than a group of people who make great music. You’re one entity, a force to be reckoned with, friends, and a family. I was always working toward my goals and never really took the time to nurture friendships. You all pulled me right in and made me feel as though I belong, that I’m part of the family. It’s a new experience for me, and I don’t want to lose it.”

“What about Baylee?”

Her face went soft and she murmured, “Baylee is the best family, don’t get me wrong. The thing is, our childhood. . .well, it’s mostly just been she and I for our whole lives, and it’s more like a mother-daughter situation. I love her more than anything and would never wish for her to be any different. I’ve never minded taking care of her. I enjoy it.” She paused and took a breath before letting it out in a long, slow exhale. “It’s so different than the way I fit with you guys,” she murmured. “I’m not responsible for all of you. We support and care for each other.” She shrugged and gave me a crooked smile. “It’s nice to have people I can lean on for a change, to not always have to be the strong one.”

Brooklynn had been pretty tight-lipped about her personal life, and I carefully contemplated what to say, hoping she’d continue to open up to me. “Your mom wasn’t around to take care of your sister?”

Her eyes darkened ever more and became turbulent, exhaustion showing in the lines of her face. I had a feeling her state of weariness might be the reason her walls were lowering. Our connection was deepening with everything we learned about each other, and I hoped for more. Plus, it might give me an advantage, some insight into her, so I knew what my next move should be.

She contemplated me for a few minutes, chewing on one side of her plump, bottom lip. I used my thumb to pull it from between her teeth and then tucked some wayward hairs behind her ear. “Talk to me,” I encouraged softly.

She scooted down and laid her head back on my chest. I was afraid she’d shut the door and I wouldn’t get anything more. Then she spoke, so quietly I had to lean down to hear what she was saying.

“My mother and father were never happy together.” I managed to stay relaxed instead of tensing in anticipation. I returned to running my fingers through her hair, and when she settled even more against me, I expelled a little sigh of contentment. “She’d gotten pregnant at sixteen, and their deeply religious parents forced them to get married, then promptly washed their hands of them”—she paused to take a long breath—“and me. Why they stayed together after that is beyond me. Anyway, from what I can remember, my mother tried to take care of me, but she suffered from a darkness that no one wanted to admit was there. My father least of all, and he was a loose cannon with a raging temper. I learned from a very young age to be as invisible as possible and to never, ever cry.”

It took a shit ton of self-control for me to remain relaxed, to remain passive, and to simply listen. I barely kept my hand steady as my fingertips dragged over her scalp. But, I was afraid that if I spoke, she’d climb back behind her walls, and I’d have to start all over again, breaking them down.

“I was three when my mom found out she was pregnant again. She cried and cried, and I didn’t understand it because I was overjoyed to be getting a brother or sister. My father was pissed as hell, though. It was the first time I ever saw him hit her. He backhanded her so hard, her feet left the ground and she flew backward into a wall. I’m not sure my three-year-old mind had any real comprehension of what had happened, other than being aware that my dad made my mom cry.”

Brooklynn’s hand was twisting my shirt in a tight grip, and I put my free hand over it, silently attempting to give her comfort. “My mother was never light-hearted. I rarely saw her crack even the smallest smile. But, I did find it particularly odd that she was always sobbing when she had to care for my sister, Baylee. My father never let anyone in our house but he worked long hours, and for a couple of years, my mother got away with hiring someone to come in and help us during the day. Then I got old enough to care for myself and Baylee, and one day, the lady she hired left and never came back.”

My heart was aching. I placed a kiss on the crown of her head, before resting my chin there. I felt the muscles in her face shift against my chest as they formed a small smile.

“It wasn’t until I was a pre-teen that I started to comprehend just how different my home life was from other people’s. It never occurred to me that Baylee wasn’t my responsibility. I loved taking care of her, and since my mother spent most of her days locked in her room, there was no one else to do it. When my father was home, he ignored us. Which I preferred anyway.”

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