Chapter 46 Annalise
Annalise
Our last show in Los Angeles has been the best one yet.
Either way, morale is through the roof.
Backstage after the show, locked in the tiny en suite bathroom off the green room, Chase drives into me, my skirt bunched up around my waist, my underwear pooled around one stiletto, and my right leg lifted toward the ceiling, ankle gripped tightly in his white-knuckled fist. I’m pressed against the door, the frantic, frequent thuds a clear indicator of what we’re doing to anyone within earshot.
My eyes flutter shut.
He tilts my face up by the chin. “Hey.”
“I’m with you.”
Chase groans against my mouth, his jeans caught around his lower legs. “We should go somewhere else. A bed. Somewhere softer—”
“No. Keep going.” I dig my nails into his bare ass and shiver when he moans. The punch-drunk smile on my face grows wings as sweat pours down my neck and he sucks my tongue into his mouth.
Then my smile turns to dust when he changes the angle slightly, stabbing a spot that unravels me instantly.
Before I know what hits me, an orgasm tears through my body like a lightning storm.
He feels my scream before it leaves my mouth, and his hand flies up to smother it.
I bite down, the heady shriek dying against his palm.
Three more punishing thrusts, and he tenses, stills, and releases, shuddering violently, his face tipping back with pleasure through a tapered moan.
Pure bliss.
Blinking lazily in the aftermath, my smile returns. “Mmm.”
Chase takes a second to recover before lowering my leg to the floor. “Jesus…”
“I didn’t realize I was so flexible.”
He presses a kiss to my hairline, then disposes of the condom and drags his jeans up his legs. “Really?” he says, latching his belt buckle. “You gave me a full-on demonstration. Twice.”
“Okay. That’s valid.” I step into my underwear and slide the lace up my thighs, readjusting my skirt into place. “I guess I never realized it would come in handy so soon.”
Chewing on his cheek, he studies me through half-lidded eyes, as if making sure I’m okay. His hair is a chaotic mess, and his neck is glowing with red marks from my fingernails.
We’ve been insatiable.
After every show, I’m hauling him into a bathroom, a storage closet, any shadowed corner we can find. And when we’re back in the hotel, doors locked and time on our side, he slows down. Touches me like I’m fragile glass, even when I’m begging him to unleash.
He zips his jeans and steps closer, his thumb brushing soft over my cheekbone. “You sure you’re good?”
I bite my lip, leaning into his touch. “If I wasn’t good, would I be dragging you into broom closets every night?”
The heaviness leaves his eyes as he smacks me on the butt. “We should get back out there. Limo will be here any minute.”
We shuffle out of the bathroom with flushed cheeks and just-been-fucked hair. Unfortunately, my brother is the first person to spot us.
Tag sniffs, tossing us each a beer. “Shit. There you are. I had no idea where you two went or what you were doing.”
My face flames as I catch the can. “We were arguing.”
“I love arguing.”
Chase shoots me a wink before being summoned by Rock, who is dying to know Chase’s thoughts on whether drinking enough Monster Energy can make you immune to brainwashing.
I traipse over to the couch for my purse, avoiding all eye contact with Tag, and find Kenna deep in conversation with Zach about the cosmic energy of a corpse flower.
A perfect distraction.
“Oh! Annalise. I was just telling Zach how you guys should start a side project called Corpse Flower.”
Zach scrolls through Spotify. “Already taken.”
“Seriously? A metal band, probably. Typical.” She turns to me. “Those flowers actually represent growth and new beginnings. It’s a beautiful thing.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I sip my beer. “Are you ready for the drive home tomorrow?”
She perks up. “You mean a three-thousand-mile cross-country drive in a tour bus that smells like feet with your brother drooling in my cleavage? Absolutely. No way am I bailing on you guys for a first-class red-eye home.”
Tag scowls, storming past her toward the minifridge. “Safer that way. Can’t have you falling in love with me.”
“Please. I’ve had a better experience with airline neck pillows.”
“Neck pillows don’t give you tacos and orgasms at three a.m.”
My gaze ping-pongs back and forth. I’m expecting a witty comeback from Kenna, but she goes silent, sinking deeper into the sofa.
I have no idea what’s going on with those two. Nobody said a word about the awkward run-in in San Diego after I accidentally walked in on my worst nightmare. I still haven’t found bleach strong enough to scrub away the images that haunt my eyeballs.
To my surprise, Kenna has been uncharacteristically vague.
And I’d rather gargle glass and chase it with a beehive than press my brother for details.
After another ten minutes of decompressing, we’re all piled into the limo, headed back to the hotel to enjoy our final sleep on the tour. Come sunrise, we’ll be homebound, waiting to see what happens next.
As I march into the hotel lobby, Chase gives my hand a squeeze. “I’m gonna hit the shower. You have your key?”
I pull it out of my pocket and shimmy it around. “I’ll meet you up there.”
He sends me a panty-melting smile, and I watch as he saunters toward the elevators, a cupid’s bow lodged inside my heart.
I’m mid-sigh when Tag rams his elbow into my ribs. “Ow!”
“Love to see it.”
“Me in pain?” I glare at him, rubbing away the sting.
His face softens, his head canting to the side. “You in love.”
I blink at him through a swallow. Then a smile blooms, warm and tender. “Thanks. Me too.”
He shoves a hand into his pocket. “I have a surprise for you. Hope you and Chase already got your plans out of the way for the evening.”
Heat scorches my cheeks, and the glare returns. “Please never speak of that again.”
“Gladly.”
“What’s the surprise?”
Unable to tamp down the grin, Tag takes a large step left, disappearing from my sightline. “See for yourself.”
Frowning, I glance around the lobby, looking, searching…until my gaze lands on the unexpected.
I gasp.
Tears wash over my eyes.
Not a moment later, I’m running across the emerald marble floor, my hair whipping around my face, my heart nearly bursting through my chest.
“Daddy!” A sob escapes as I launch myself into my father’s open arms.
“Angel,” he says, squeezing me tight. “God, I’ve missed your hugs.”
With wet cheeks, I pull away and fall against my mother, burying my face in her shoulder. “Mom. Oh my God.”
She strokes my back, shaking with her own tears. “Oh, honey. We’re so proud of you. Both of you.”
In my periphery, Dad pulls Tag into a bruising man-hug, slapping his back with his eyes squeezed shut. It’s beautiful. It’s wonderous. It’s everything and more.
As I wipe away the tears, Tag hauls an arm around my shoulders and pulls me against him. “Surprise, sis.”
***
“I cannot believe you’re wearing those T-shirts.” I’m grinning like a fool as I scoop a tortilla chip into a stone bowl of guacamole. “You look absolutely ridiculous, and I am so here for it.”
Mom boasts a colorful mural of Tag’s face.
Dad wears one of Kenna’s sneak-attack shirts that reads, “Honey Moons Made Me Cry and I Paid for It.”
My brother cringes. “Kenna’s fired.”
“Kenna has single-handedly paid off the rest of your credit card debt.”
“She’s rehired.”
My mother scarfs a steak taco, sour cream dribbling out the side. “We’ve watched every single show. They’re all on the YouTube station.”
Dad’s cowboy hat dips forward, nearly falling off his head.
“Our town has been in a tizzy over you guys after your mother broke down into tears at a board meeting,” he says, dabbing his face with a napkin.
“Now there are posters taped to light posts. Flashing marquees and signage that say, ‘Congrats Honey Moons.’ We’ve heard Rutland is even bigger. Even brighter.”
My heart skips, imagining my hometown basking in the excitement along with us.
“This feels so surreal. One minute Tag is playing at coffee shops while I’m collecting napkins with half-assed lyrics between waiting tables, and the next minute we’re here.
Playing in front of thousands of people who know every word to every song. ”
“You’re making a big impact,” Mom says. “It’s more than music. People recognize that.”
“That’s all Annalise.” Tag shoots me a warm smile. “Her lyrics are golden. They hit.”
“It’s all of us,” I counter. “You guys bring the words to life in ways I never imagined.”
Mom sighs dreamily. “You’re all so talented. And Chase is quite the presence onstage. What a voice. Where on earth did you find him?”
My brother and I share a glance, speaking at the same time.
“He accidentally kidnapped me.”
“Lucky karaoke break.”
Our parents frown, eyes narrowing as they flit between us.
I laugh awkwardly. “Right. He gave me a ride home one night, and we got completely lost. Ended up in some hole-in-the-wall bar on karaoke night.”
“Best wrong turn he ever took,” Tag says, an earnest look sent my way.
“You have a lot of chemistry onstage.” Mom eyes me. She’s definitely fishing. “Are you still in contact with Alex?”
“Oh…no,” I murmur, dragging a chip through the half-eaten guac. “But I think he’s doing better. We both are.”
“For the best,” Dad adds. “I never thought he was the one. Something was a little off about him.”
“And it was well before the accident.” My mother leans forward on her elbows, two gold earrings feathering against her cheeks. “I know you blamed it on that. On yourself. But it was always there. The anger. The control.”
I swallow, fiddling with the sleeve of my dress.
For years I carried the guilt like a second skin, as if leaving him was a betrayal. Instead, by staying, I was only betraying myself, settling for less than what I deserved.
I remember Tag standing in his kitchen, voice rough with frustration: “He didn’t change. You just stopped pretending it didn’t scare you.”