Chapter Twelve
Annie
Aston’s lips leave mine, and I’ve never seen someone get up so quickly. He jumps off me using lightning speed and stands on the floor at the end of my bed as Dad just plain gawks at him.
“Have you got a boner?” Dad yells.
Oh my God! I open my eyes wide in horror as Aston moves his hands to cover his groin.
“No, sir,” he lies, shaking his head.
“How long has this been going on?” Dad shouts again.
“I’m sorry. Nothing was going on. I swear,” Aston says, sounding terrified.
Dad laughs at him. “Kid, I just saw you snogging my seventeen-year-old daughter. To me, that is certainly something!” Dad is still glaring at Aston like he wants to kill him.
I sit up on the bed and fold my arms across my chest. “Dad, we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
“Annie, while you’re under my roof, you will abide by my rules. That means no boys in the bedroom… ever! Now get out, Aston, before your dad pulverizes me because I’ve hit you.”
“Dad, stop it! Aston, you don’t have to le—”
“Aston, if you want to stay friends with my daughter, then you will leave. And you won’t ever think about touching her in any way ever again, not even a hug, until she is at least… I don’t know… thirty. Then we can talk again, but for now, get out!” Dad yells.
I glance at Aston. He looks terrified, his body stiff as a board.
He meets my gaze and offers a half smile before walking toward the door where Dad is standing.
Dad turns sideways, and Aston edges past him, careful not to get too close in case Dad decides to lash out.
He squeezes by my unmoving father, then casts one last look back at me.
Dad’s head snaps toward him, and Aston flinches before hurrying down the hall and away from me.
“Are you proud of yourself?” I ask.
Dad looks back at me, brows furrowing. “Annie, you’re too young for thi—”
“You can be such an overprotective arsehole sometimes, you know that? That was my first kiss, and you ruined it. Just like you ruin everything. I hate you. Get out!” I yell, heat rushing to my face.
Embarrassment burns through me—being caught, sure, but mostly because Dad just kicked Aston out like he was nothing.
Tears sting my eyes before I can stop them.
Dad winces, shaking his head. “You might hate me, but it’s for your own good. I still love you anyway. Now stay in your room and don’t come out until Anna and Johnny have taken their grubby-handed son home.”
Anger surges through me. He’s taken something that felt beautiful, perfect, and twisted it into something I’m now embarrassed and ashamed of.
“Get out!” I yell, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at him.
He ducks, letting out a frustrated huff. “See? If you can’t act grown up when I reprimand you, then you sure as hell aren’t grown up enough to be doing whatever was happening between you two.”
A strangled scream rips from my throat. I snatch up my water bottle and throw it, then anything else I can reach. Some things hit, most miss, but I don’t stop. I keep going, blinded by the heat burning through my chest.
Dad stands there, taking it, glaring at me while I lose it.
When I run out of things to throw, I grab the last pillow and launch it at him. It smacks him straight in the face.
“Are you done now?” he asks.
The fight drains out of me all at once, and I collapse onto the bed, tears spilling over. “I hate you,” I choke out.
He huffs and tosses the pillows back onto the bed. “Get some sleep, Annie, and we’ll talk about this tomorrow when you’ve calmed down.”
I turn my back on him and flip up my middle finger. “Fuck off and get out!”
He huffs, and a second later, I hear his footsteps retreating before my door slams shut.
I roll over once I know he’s gone, relief washing through me.
I can’t believe he ruined everything. Aston will probably never come near me again, just as I realized that being near him is exactly what I want.
I reach down, grab the two pillows from the floor, and pull them back onto the bed before sinking into them.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out, and my heart stutters, then starts pounding when I see Aston’s name.
What if he doesn’t want to kiss me again?
What if Dad really did scare him off?
I swipe the screen, holding my breath as I wait for the message to appear.
Aston: Best kiss ever! A1 xo
Is all it says, and I laugh. At least he still cares. I hit reply.
Me: Sorry about Dad, I’m so embarrassed! A2 xxxx
I hit send.
Aston: Don’t be, he was just angry. He’s scary when he’s angry. A1 xo
I laugh and nod before hitting reply.
Me: He’s not scary, just a big grumpy old fart. Harmless really. R u still here? xxxx
Aston: No, just left. Ur dad said that they’d better take me home before I corrupt u or something.
Mum said that Colt was being a dick, and he got all huffy.
So sorry if he’s even angrier at u now. I told Mum to let it go, and ur mum was really good about it, but yeah, we left so it wouldn’t keep the arguing going. Dad just gave me a high five. lol A1 xo
I giggle and shake my head. Of course, his dad, Johnny, would high-five him. I hope his mum, Anna, is okay. I know her and Dad can butt heads sometimes over us. Anna is more… let us do what we want. Whereas Dad… is all rules, rules, rules.
Maybe we need to learn for ourselves once in a while? I hit reply.
Me: Sounds like I missed out, r u still coming over tmro? xxxx
Aston: Yep, of course. Apparently, there’s no school. We’re rehearsing all day for some reason. Not that I mind. I’ll be there at ten. Try and stop me :) A1 xo
I smile and wipe the last of the wetness from my cheeks before hitting reply.
Me: Okay, looking forward to seeing u. Guess I’ll try to get some sleep. Have a good night. A2 xxxx
I hit send and roll over, plugging my phone into the charger.
Aston: Night, Lennox, sleep well. I know I will. Might be dreaming of someone, but shhh, don’t tell anyone ;) A1 xo
I smile, biting my bottom lip as I walk over and pick up my 12GAUGE-Slayed T-shirt, pulling it on before climbing into bed.
***
The music plays like a symphony in my mind, notes flowing together in perfect harmony, building into something new. The rhythm is slow but steady, each beat pulsing in time with my heart. There are no words, only melody, and it feels… right like this could be something real. Something big.
An image of the willow tree drifts through my subconscious, slipping into the music without warning. I frown, even in the dream, unsure why it’s there. But it fades just as quickly, replaced by a swell of strings that lifts the entire piece, giving it a richer, fuller tone.
The song begins to wind down, the final notes stretching out as I try to hold onto them, willing it to repeat. But the sound fades, the world around me dissolving into black…
I wake with a start.
My room is still dark. I glance at the clock on my bedside table, three forty-seven a.m. I push myself up, switching on the lamp before pulling open the drawer and grabbing my notebook.
Pen in hand, I start scribbling down everything I can remember, the rhythm, the harmony, the melody, the strings…
all of it. Maybe later today, I’ll take Aston back to the willow tree, see if we can piece it together.
And maybe, just maybe… we will share another kiss.
The room slips back into darkness, and not long after, I wake again from the same dream, like it’s stuck on repeat. This time, I feel blissfully happy.
I don’t usually wake on my own. Mum always has to drag me out of bed, but today I feel refreshed and energized. It’s probably the dream… or maybe the realization that I actually like Aston.
And that kiss.
Oh my God. I never knew kissing could feel like that.
I stretch and yawn, sitting up and glancing at the time. Nearly nine a.m.—when I’m supposed to get up anyway. So I climb out of bed with a newfound spring in my step and head for the bathroom.
After getting dressed in tight leather pants and a black tank ripped across the shoulders and stomach, very rock and roll, I head downstairs. I’m sure Dad will hate it. And that thought makes me grin. Nothing’s breaking this mood.
The smell of coffee and bacon hits me as I walk into the kitchen, and it only makes everything better.
“Morning,” I chirp to Mum and Dad at the stove.
They both turn and stare at me like they’ve seen a ghost.
“What?” I ask, almost skipping to the table as I sit.
“Umm… who are you and what have you done with our moody, morning-hating teenager?” Mum asks with a wide smile.
“What? I’m not allowed to be happy for once?”
She shakes her head, still smiling, while Dad keeps staring like a good-girl clone has replaced me.
“No, of course, honey. It’s just… you haven’t gotten up on your own since you were about five.”
“Yeah, well… I feel good this morning, that’s all,” I say, opening the paper and flicking straight to the comics.
“Does this have anything to do with the kiss you and Aston shared last night?” Mum asks.
Dad huffs. “Let’s not talk about that right now, okay? I can’t shake the image from my head as it is.”
I roll my eyes while Mum beams at me, giving a subtle wink before turning back to the stove.
Not long later, Ella comes down, dressed perfectly as always. We couldn’t be more opposite when it comes to clothes. Ella wears her cute dress, smart shoes, and perfectly curled blonde hair.
We eat breakfast together, and soon enough I’m in the music room, waiting for everyone else to arrive.
But mostly… one person.
He hasn’t messaged this morning, and I’m bursting to see him. Dad’s going to be here all day, though, which means zero chance of any time alone.
Ella and Dad walk in as I tune my guitar, and the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it. Annie, stay here,” Dad says.
I frown, watching him hurry out.
“What was that about?” Ella asks.
I shrug. “Guess he’s going to be a dickwad today and try to keep Aston and me apart.”
She grins. “I heard Dad and Aston’s mum arguing about finding him on top of you, snogging your brains out.”
I try to hide my smile, brushing my fingers over my lips as I remember the kiss. “Yeah… that might’ve happened.”
Her eyes go wide. “So? How was it? Kissing, I mean. Is it as amazing as in the movies?”
“Better,” I say.
She practically bounces. “So what does that mean? Are you and Aston a thing now?”
Before I can answer, Aston, Caleb, and Dad walk in, cutting the conversation dead. My eyes find Aston straight away. He glances at me, gives me a quick, awkward smile… then looks away.
My heart starts racing. Somehow, he looks even better today. Heat prickles along my arms, that familiar tingling shooting through me as my breathing picks up. My palms dampen, and I swipe them on my pants just in case he reaches for my hand.
Which I really hope he does.
“So we’re just waiting on Chad, then we can rehearse, and I can tell you all your exciting news,” Dad says.
Aston walks straight past me without acknowledging me.
My stomach twists.
Something’s off.
I watch him go, my chest tightening. I want to be near him so badly it hurts, but he’s doing everything he can to stay away.
I glance at Ella. She shrugs, wincing slightly—she obviously feels it too.
“Right, instruments, everyone,” Dad says, breaking the tension.
I huff and strap on my guitar, still tuning as Aston picks up his bass and slings it over his shoulder.
God, I wish I were that bass right now—pressed up against him like that.
Someone clears their throat, and I realize I’ve been staring at Aston’s stomach. I glance up to find Dad watching me. I roll my eyes and go back to tuning, sneaking sideways looks at Aston—who isn’t looking at me at all.
Unease settles in my chest.
Maybe he doesn’t want me anymore.
Maybe Dad scared him off.
Either way, I’m getting nothing from Aston right now except the cold shoulder, and I have no idea how this rehearsal is going to go.
The doorbell rings, and we all look to Dad, waiting to see if he’ll answer it. Instead, his gaze flicks between Aston and me.
“Ella, sweetheart, will you let Chad in, please?”
We all raise our eyebrows.
“But I’m tuning my guitar,” she says.
“You’ve got all day for that. Just go answer the door.” Dad’s tone is sharp.
“Okay, sheesh. Don’t get your panties in a twist.” She unstraps her guitar and heads out.
“Don’t talk to me like that, Ella,” Dad calls after her, obviously still on edge.
I huff quietly. This is definitely about me. About making sure I don’t get anywhere near Aston again.
Not that it matters.
Aston won’t even look at me.
I glance over at him. Nothing. He’s deliberately avoiding me.
This is not how today was supposed to go.
He was meant to walk in, come straight to me, wrap me up in those strong arms… maybe even kiss me again.
Instead, I’m being shut out, and I don’t even know why.
I swallow hard, forcing down the lump in my throat as Chad walks in with Ella. Dad lights up, chatting to him about some new hair wax he’s trying. Chad’s hair looks exactly the same as always—a blond mess, more like a nest. I’ve never met anyone who looks so effortlessly scruffy.
“Okay, now that we’re all here,” Dad says, clapping his hands together. “I can tell you what’s happening today and tonight. We’ll rehearse, and then tonight a band’s pulled out of a three-band lineup, so Rob’s lined up your first live, paid gig…”
“Holy shit!” Caleb and I shout at the same time.
“Seriously?” Ella asks, while Chad stands there, stunned.
I don’t look at Aston.
I can’t risk it.
“Yes, seriously. So today I’m going to coach you on performing live. I know you’ll be fine, but it’s different playing to a real crowd instead of your family.”
“We can handle it,” I say. I know we can. We’ve all been around crowds—this will be easy.
Dad launches into a long talk about stage presence, working the crowd, living in the moment… and I tune out before he’s even halfway through. My attention drifts straight back to Aston.
We’re sitting in a loose horseshoe, and he’s two spots away, close enough to see, but not close enough. Not anymore. He looks intense, focused… closed off. I can’t tell if he’s concentrating or if something’s wrong.
If it’s me.
If it’s everything.
I just want a minute alone with him. Just enough to figure out what’s going on behind that guarded expression.
But I don’t get it.
Even when we break and start practicing, he keeps his distance. We always lean into each other when we play. Always. But every time I shift back, silently inviting him closer, he stays where he is, with his head down, fingers moving over his bass like I’m not even there.
We still sound amazing.
But I don’t feel it.
Not like I usually do.
Dad doesn’t leave the room all day. Not once. And every time I step out, he follows.
I get it. He’s making sure Aston and I don’t end up alone.
But he doesn’t need to worry.
Aston’s already doing a great job of that by himself.
He hasn’t said a single word to me. Not even hello. And the longer it goes on, the more this heavy feeling settles in my chest.
Like whatever we had last night…
Is already over.