Page 32 of On The Edge
“The morning. We can meet in the studio after lunch,” I relent, and Adam drops his head in frustration, but agrees.
I don’t like that they’re all looking at me with this reluctance. Like they’re all collectively done with me, with the band, with this. I don’t want that. All I’ve tried to do was protect them, and keep everyone happy. But it seems like I’m fucking that all up if they feel like this.
“It’s only because I want us to be the best. I don’t want us to lose what we have,” I say softly to the room.
“I know, man.” Adam nods, and pats me on my shoulder. “I know,” he says sincerely and sighs tiredly before making his way to the couch, and pulling an unconscious Melody into his arms.
“I’ll follow your directions tonight, Reis. But just know that when she comes to tomorrow, you’re in for it. And I’m not going to step in at all.” He cocks an eyebrow at me, and walks with her towards the spare room.
“Don’t I know it,” I mutter. Melody was a force to be reckoned with years ago, and if the brief encounter we’ve had is anything to go on, she hasn’t lost that spark.
It turns me on to be honest. Always has.
I like ‘em feisty.
Because once theysubmit, it’s so much sweeter.
I watch as Adam walks with her in his arms, her limp arms dangling over either side of him. Adam tries to keep her head from bobbing back painfully, but even I can see he’s one step away from her head falling and hurting her neck. Markus follows him quickly with a quiet, “See you tomorrow, man.”
“Then there were two,” Kai teases, pulling the handcuff from his wrist, and tossing it to the side.
“Fuck off, Kai.”
“I just want to know,” he says, coming to stand by the kitchen island where I’m still watching them walk away with Melody in their arms. I brace myself for the question he’s about to ask.
“Do you really hate her so much because of what we overheard that day? Or is it something more? Something that maybe has a bit more to do with you and your own…sharing issues.”
I turn to face him about to snap at him that I don’t have feelings for her, and I only feel this way because I’m trying to protect us, but Kai holds his hands up in surrender with an infuriating smirk on his stupid face.
“Just food for thought is all.” Kai walks backwards towards the bedroom areas, shrugging his shoulders. “Because if it’s really just about what we heard, I think we should maybe consider that those were words of a seventeen-year-old girl who was cornered…” He lets the words trail off like he’s some fucking psychology guru, and salutes me before turning his back on me.
My fingers crush the plastic bottle in my fist, and water sprays all over the marble floor.
Fuck him. He doesn’t know what I’m thinking. I’m too tired, too aggravated and on edge to deal with this right now.
Stalking towards my room, I do everything in my power to leave the door closed as I pass by. I keep my fists clenched tightly to make sure I don’t open the door, and make sure that she’s alone. I don’t… I don’t want anyone else to be in there with her right now. Not while we have so much bad blood between us. I force myself to walk past the door, and open my own a few feet down the hall. Taking a deep breath when I open the door, I feel my bones relax.
My room is my space.Myspace. The others don’t come in, and I don’t let anyone else in. It’s where I can be vulnerable, I can write, I canfeel. It’s dark; navy walls with a string of built-in lights around the perimeter of the ceiling. I have a California King bed in the middle of the room in a grand medieval frame. It gives off real Count Dracula vibes, and I love it. My PC is in the corner, and decked out so I can game and mix my own music.
Even with all that, all my comforts, my eyes are drawn to the door in the middle of the wall, the one right next to my closet. The one that connects to a bathroom… that connects to the guest room Melody is sleeping in.
Did they close it when they laid her down? Did they lock it? Is the door still open, and she’s sleeping obliviously to the fact that I have access to her now?
I feel my cock harden at the thought of her laying there, asleep and vulnerable, unaware of me watching her.
Almost involuntarily, my hand goes to the door to turn it, only to hear Adam tell Markus to close the door.Fuck.
The bathroom door on her end closes, and I hold my breath until I hear the door lock.
Fuck, I need a shower.
Going through the motions, I step into the shower, and turn the water to scalding. I need to burn this day from my skin.
I can’t believe she’s here. I can’t believe she came to one of our shows. I can’t believe we’re in this situation.
Melody. Mel Sullivan. The girl that stole my heart from day one.
My mind wanders to seeing her in the front row, how she looked at me before she passed out. She’s looked at me like that before, like I was her savior. Her knight-in-shining-armor. I loved it, and I never thought I’d get to see it again. Never thought I’dwantto see it again. But the moment her eyes met mine as she was being trampled, I swear, I stopped breathing.
