Chapter 18
Nix
I t's been a few days since Ender and Lane had their fight, and things finally seem to be getting back to normal. That was the first time things between them got physical, but I have a feeling it might not be the last. I really hope they find a way to work their shit out.
I also might have lied to Ender that night.
I told him I wasn't babysitting him by waiting in the hallway, but I was. I could see right through him, how broken he was. Instinct told me something bad would happen if I wasn’t there.
I can't say exactly what he would have done, but I'm glad he went back into his room.
"Olivia got her five extra minutes of fame," Lane says as he walks into the kitchen with River not far behind.
"Yeah, I saw," I reply before Ender has a chance to get worked up again. The two of us were peacefully eating. I’d like to keep it that way.
"We knew it was coming. She wouldn't miss the opportunity." Ender rolls his eyes, surprisingly calm about the whole thing. "It's who I am. Nobody is going to care. "
"I think you're right," River joins in. "People are dragging her in the comments."
“That's not right.” I shake my head.
It doesn't matter how shitty Olivia was to Ender or the band. Being attacked by a group of fans for the world to see has to take a toll on someone's mental health.
"She will be fine." Ender eyes me, like he can read my mind. "I talked to Glen before the articles came out, so he's got a whole campaign ready to retaliate if she tries to do anything dirty."
"What does that even mean?" River's innocent ass says. Sometimes it's crazy that he hasn't been eaten alive in this industry.
"If she tries to smear the band, he will destroy her first," I fill him in.
"Gotcha," he wearily breathes out while reaching for a coffee cup. “Let’s hope she doesn’t.”
I can't figure out if now is a good time to bring up his nightmares or not. He has dark circles under his eyes like he hasn't been sleeping, and if he's masking his exhaustion with caffeine, it's worse than Lane led on.
"I've been giving him too many workouts," Lane winks when he notices how I was looking at Riv. It's his way of telling me now is not the time.
"Yeah, we know. You suck each other's cocks. You don't have to keep broadcasting it," Ender grumbles.
“Maybe stop being such a dick all the time.” My eyes narrow .
“Maybe mind your own business and stop trying to tell me what to do,” Ender hisses, grabbing his plate and dropping it in the sink.
River and Lane filter out of the kitchen, leaving me alone.
I have things to do, and making sure everyone in this apartment is playing nice isn’t one of them.
I’m taking Alara to Vector’s Lounge tonight, and I need to hire security first. On the off chance she’s photographed with me, people will try to invade her personal space, and I want to know she’s protected when I can’t be with her.
I know the exact company for the job, and I’m on their calendar to meet with them early this afternoon.
They were able to fit me in at the last minute because my adopted father has worked with them a time or two.
While Alara isn’t exactly a high-profile kind of client, as long as someone is footing the bill, it won't matter.
Nobody needs to know the payment is coming from my account.
The day seems to fly by, and the meeting goes well.
The security company I've acquired has tasked a big, burly man named Mikey as her detail for tonight.
I told the company to watch from a distance, for now.
She isn't exactly aware of their presence yet, and I don't want to scare her. They don’t bat an eye at my request because I’m the one who hired them.
Tonight, my girl will get to feel what it’s like to sing on a different stage. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that a lot of musicians strive for. Being able to offer this to her fills me with pride. It’s one of the many times I’m grateful my path has led me to where it has.
There is one thing I hadn’t fully considered when setting all of this up. What if someone wants to sign her or offer her an opportunity before I have a chance to? It's possible. Her voice is amazing. It only took hearing her once for me to crave more. Others could follow suit.
No, I take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. Alara will have the time of her life, and later tonight, or tomorrow, I'll ask her to sing on tour with us. She will say yes, and everything will fall in place. I’m manifesting it.
Pulling up to her house, I can feel the nerves already beginning to flutter in my stomach.
I told Alara I would pick her up and had her text me her address.
She doesn’t need to know that I already knew where she lived, and that sometimes I follow her home from the bar to make sure she gets inside safely.
Reaching over, I grab the bouquet of roses before stepping out of the car to head for her front door.
I don’t know what kind of flowers are her favorite, but you can never go wrong with red roses.
After what feels like an eternity, the door opens, and I have to pick my jaw up off the floor.
My eyes trail up and down the length of her body, taking in every glorious inch.
It’s going to take everything not to push her inside and have my way with her.
The black hair that usually falls to her shoulders is pulled up into two space buns on the top of her head with little black and purple pieces hanging down in the front.
She has a solid black long-sleeve shirt tucked into a black jean skirt with rhinestones freckled along it.
A belt with a silver clasp accentuates the perfect curve of her waist, and see-through tights cover the bottom half of her legs.
The whole look is topped off with black platform shoes that give her a few extra inches.
Even with the shoes, she’s still nowhere near my six-foot-tall stature.
"You look amazing," I breathe out, and her cheeks flush the perfect shade of pink.
"Thank you." She rubs one of her arms. "Are those for me?"
It takes a second to realize what she's talking about, but then I remember I have flowers in my hand.
"They are." I hold them out, passing them off.
She leans in, eyes falling closed briefly, before taking a whiff. "You didn't have to do this. Just give me one second to put them in water, and I'll be right back."
She disappears back into her house, and as much as I’d love to follow her inside, she didn’t invite me. I'm trying so hard to remain a respectful gentleman, even though my mind can’t help but wander elsewhere.
A moment later, she’s back in the doorway. Without a word, her hands find my waist, pulling me in. I lean down, and her lips crash onto mine. They’re warm and inviting as her body melts into me.
I slide a hand down to cup her ass, squeezing slightly before giving it a firm swat. When she moans against my lips, I shamelessly turn the two of us and back her against the door .
"How late can we be to this special event you have planned?" she breathes out, and I groan.
"Don't tease me."
"I'm not teasing." She pulls me closer, her hand sliding between our two bodies, grazing over the bulge in my pants.
"Alara," I warn.
"Alara? I thought I was your little sparrow. Will you call me Alara every time I'm being bad?" She grabs my cock again, and I have to reach down to stop her.
As much as I don’t want to, I pull her delicate palm away. "Should I punish you?"
"Maybe," she whispers.
I want to say to hell with this evening, throw her over my shoulder and ravish every part of her until she can’t walk, but there will be plenty of time for that later.
My balls ache in protest when I lean forward and press one last kiss to hers before taking a step back.
Patience is key here, even if that patience makes my dick feel like it’s going to explode.
“We have to go, little sparrow. Can I have a rain check?”
“I suppose,” she breathes out, heavy with disappointment.
“It’s good to know you like being spanked.” I wink as I place some distance between us.
She pulls her front door shut, turning to face me before saying, “When did I say I like that?”
“You didn’t deny it.” I wink. “Come on, we don’t want to be late. ”
She sighs, taking the hand I offer before letting me lead her across the street to my car.
When I open the door, I let her slide in before taking my seat on the other side next to her.
I’m not driving, so I take full advantage of her proximity, letting one of my palms rest on her thigh just above her knee.
"Alright. Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Her brow raises as my driver pulls off.
Here goes nothing.
"Okay, first, don't freak out."
"That makes me want to freak out." Her eyes go wide.
"No," I laugh. "Everything will be fine. I will be there the whole time."
"Just tell me. You're making me nervous."
"I don't know if you've heard of a place called Vector's Lounge, but we're heading there." I study her face for a moment, waiting for a reaction.
"Isn't that the place where people go to sing for record deals? That will be fun! Wait, are you singing there? Is that why you're worried about me freaking out?"
Of course she would think I'm singing and not her.
Maybe I didn't think this through. "I'm not singing."
"Oh, okay. That makes sense. You're a drummer. I don't know why I thought you would sing."
"You're going to sing," I finally toss out.
Her brows snap together. Seconds of silence pass, making me wonder if I should have given her more time to mentally prepare .
"I'm not singing," she finally says with a laugh. "Isn't that place super exclusive?"
"You are. I got you a spot, and I think you should perform that song."
"Whispered Words?" she questions, and I nod.
"Just think about it."
"I think I want to throw up. I’m not good enough to be on stage somewhere like that. That’s for professional musicians."
"You're more than qualified. You were born to be on the stage," I counter.
"I don't even have my guitar," she tries, but I was ready for that too.
"That's the other thing."
"What?" Her eyes narrow.
"I bought you a guitar. It's already tuned."
"You bought me a guitar?"
"Yes," I nod.
"And you want me to sing at Vector's Lounge?”
"Yes."
"Nix, this is crazy."
"I know, but I believe in you." My eyes soften, glancing into hers.
She pauses, absorbing my words. If she says no, I'll respect her decision, no matter how badly I hope she says yes. This has to be her choice. The silence stretches longer than I'd like as we pull up to the front of the building.
"I'll do it, but I'm scared, Nix. "
"I know, but you're going to do amazing. I'll be there the whole time. Just keep those gorgeous green eyes on me."
"Okay," she nods as my driver comes over to open my door.
"People might make a big deal about you being here with me. Before we get out of this car, I need to make sure you're okay with that."
"Might as well get it over with." She grins, and I shake my head as I slide out of the car.
I stretch a hand out, prompting her to place her palm in mine, and just like that, the two of us walk hand in hand into Vector's Lounge.