10. Chapter Ten
T he boys and I pull up at the front of Pinks’ Lounge after dropping off info at the clubhouse. Dacre’s Mom has been non stop texting him for the last hour demanding we hurry up and finish up our shit and get our asses to the club. Apparently, it's some kind of urgent surprise. Fuck knows what that woman has in store for us.
As I pull off my helmet, noise from inside travels to us. I hear the sound of one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard singing from inside. My interest instantly peaked. I know that the girls are playing tonight, and I love them but fuck, they could never sound like this chick does.
“Fucking hell, who is that?” My brother Nicky asks as he swings his legs over his Harley, putting his helmet on the handlebars. Nicky and I are what you call Irish twins. Born in the same year. Nicky in January and me in November. He never lets me forget that I’m the younger brother.
The other guys all get off their bikes and take their helmets off as they look up towards the club.
“Beats me but all I know is she can hum on my cock any fucking day of the week,” Sonny says as he grabs himself through his jeans.
I roll my eyes at him, snarling my lip.
“You haven’t even laid your eyes on the chick and you are already thinking with your dick,” I say smacking Sonny over the head.
“With a voice like that, how could she not be hot as fuck?” Pike butts in nudging Sonny.
“Fucking aye.” Sonny and Pike high-five. Fucking idiots.
We all turn our heads to the direction of Pinks’ like we have some kind of fucking x-ray vision and can see through the walls to whoever that voice belongs to inside.
“I need a fucking drink,” Dacre says as he storms into the club.
I sigh at Dacre’s retreating back.
He was alright there for the few months that we were in Australia. Like some of the light came back into his eyes. A pang of hurt goes through my chest as I remember leaving the only light any of us have felt in fucking years.
Having to leave behind someone that I know the each of us had a soul level connection with has fucked us all up just that little bit more. Not like we needed any more encouragement.
Fuck, Dacre is basically a shell of a human now. Worse than what he was before. He wears his heart completely on his sleeve. In the span of a few weeks, it was clear he began to fall in love, if he wasn’t already. I think we all were in some way.
Pinks’ is absolutely packed tonight full of members and non-members alike. Even though we live in a gated community, Pres wanted to make it a safe space for everyone. Not that any non-members can live in the community, but they can come in to get an education, shop and party. With plans to expand further, I have no doubt that in time, there will be a mix of members and non-members living and working here eventually.
With how many people are in here, it's near impossible to even see who is on the stage, so we head straight to the bar and each grab a beer.
We look around and find Dacre’s Mom, Shelly up on the bar singing her heart out into an empty vodka bottle. She doesn’t even notice us yet and by the looks of her, she isn’t going to any time soon. It wouldn't be wise to disturb her while she's in the zone.
The current song the band is playing soon ends and the crowd absolutely erupts in cheers.
“Come on, let's head back to one of the booths to get a better view.”
I nod towards a surprisingly empty booth. As we get to the table a familiar female voice sounds through the speakers. The five of us all snap and turn towards each other. There’s no fucking way.
“Thank you everyone! For our last song, this is for all of you Twilight lovers out there. This one is called Decode.”
We rush over to the booth, pushing each other to get there first. I need the highest vantage point. We are all well over six foot tall but there must be some giants in this room or something tonight. Visibility is shit house.
Each of our jaws drop as we finally get a glimpse of who's on the stage.
Scarlett.
What the fuck is she doing here?
How is she here?
Why is she here?
Holy fuck, that’s our girl on that stage.
Holy fuck, how didn’t we know that she could sing like that?
I turn to look at the other guys. I’m sure their shocked expressions mirror my own.
I glance around the room and spot Rhodes and a few of the other guys towards the front of the stage all singing back to Scarlett. It soon clicks that the girl we saw on the back of Rhodes' bike is Scarlett. Her clothes are exactly the same.
What the fuck is she doing with him? That motherfucker!
There has always been a bit of competition amongst all of us guys. Majority of the time it is just a bit of friendly banter, but sometimes it gets a bit messy. If that cocksucker thinks he can just slide in and steal my girl, he has got another thing coming for him.
“T-T-T-This s-s-song,” Dacre stutters out. His eyes are blown wide and filled with tears.
“What about it?” I ask, bewildered as to why it would bring him tears.
“It was h-h-hers.” His gaze never leaves Scarlett’s as she dances around on stage.
God, she is fucking beautiful.
I give him a confused look that also sits on Nicky, Sonny and Pike’s faces.
“Star.” A single silent tear rolls down his face.
I instantly snap my head back towards Scarlett on the stage.
No.
No.
No .
I instantly start shaking my head and an unhinged laugh escapes me.
“Fuck off dickhead,” I retort. How the fuck could he think that this Scarlett is the same Scarlett from when we were kids?
No, that Scarlett died after to succumbing to her injuries after being fucking taken by those bottom feeding cunts.
No, I won’t believe it. We met Scarlett Smith in Australia. Scarlett Crux was from right here in Rydell.
No.
No.
I guess the fact that they both had blonde hair could be classed a similarity.
No .
Nope.
I look back over towards where Rhodes is now right in front of the stage. Scarlett takes his hand and pulls him up onto the stage. Still facing the crowd, Rhodes puts his arm around her shoulders as they both sing into the microphone.
Fuck, his voice balances hers out.
How could I have forgotten that Twilight was little Scar’s favourite movie. That no matter where we went, she would sing this song at the top of her lungs, enough that after she was taken, none of us could listen to it again. I remember watching her as she sang. She’d get this look in her eyes.
God, her eyes.
I suck in a breath as I squint, trying to see them closer even from the otherside of the room.
No.
No.
Her eyes.
His eyes.
Their eyes.
I’ve never felt utter fucking disbelief like I do in this very moment. I don’t know whether to cry, scream or throw up. Maybe all three at the same time.
She’s alive.
Our girl.
Dacre’s Star.
Sonny’s mi estrella.
Nicky’s baby girl.
Pike’s Princess.
My girl.
My Scar.
My first and only love.
Right here. On that stage. Singing with her fucking twin brother.
I can’t stop the tears as they fall.
For over ten years, my heart has been shattered into a million pieces. Not a single day goes by where I haven’t missed her. Even at eight years old, I knew just how much I loved her. She just had this air about her. It was intoxicating. To be around her was like standing next to the brightest star in the sky. No one has ever been able to even amount to her.
I guess until we met Scarlett Smith in Australia. It played with me every day just how much this new person started to worm her way into my heart. Not wanting to let anyone back in again. Trying to protect my heart against damnation. There was no fighting with it. I was doomed from the moment I stepped foot on that beach. Fuck, from the moment I stepped foot on Australian soil.
Little did any of us know, it was our Scarlett all along. It makes me question how the fuck we were so oblivious? Rhodes and Scarlett are quite literally identical twins. God, we are dumbasses.
I turn and look at the other guys. I don’t see a single dry face. Their feelings are written all over them.
Devastation, disbelief, shock, relief, confusion.
“It's her,” Sonny chokes out. “ Mi estrella .” More tears fall down his cheeks as he turns back and looks at her.
“How? How the fuck did we miss that it was her back in Australia?”
Nicky turns to look at me. The look in his eyes breaks my heart just that bit more. If that was even possible.
I just shake my head. Not being able to find the words to answer him. I wouldn’t have any even if I tried. I’m terrified to look at Dacre. Not sure if the tiny bit of hold I have over my emotions will be able to handle what I might see.
While Sonny, Pike, Nicky and I were absolutely shattered when Scarlett was taken and eventually pronounced dead, Dacre was on a whole other level of devastation. Not long after her death, Dacre was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. He turned completely into a shell of the person he used to be. Losing Scarlett destroyed him.
He was right there when she was taken.
They had just gotten off the bouncy castle and headed to get a drink when everything went down. Once the men were all disposed of, his Dad found him sobbing and rocking in the foetal position repeating over and over again, “She’s gone. She’s gone.”
He was sedated for 3 days. Coming good for another few days until some dumb cunt told him of Scarlett’s passing where he was then further sedated for another week.
After he finally was able to calm down, he completely retreated on himself.
He was ten when he first attempted suicide.
I’ve lost count of the number of times the boys and I have had to shove our fingers down his throat to get him to vomit up the concoction of pills he took. The number of times we’ve gone searching for him, fearing the worst. Watching him try to pull a gun on himself.
The only thing that eventually seemed to help along with a heavy dose of medication, was music.
Specifically beating the living shit out of a drum set. Music was a deep-seated love we all shared with Scarlett. From as young as six, we would all gather our parents and put on shows for them.
It was obvious even from back then that Scarlett was the centre of each of our universes. We became her ultimate protectors. Wherever she was, we were right behind her. After losing her, we all steeled our hearts and honed our skills to become the ultimate machines.
We couldn’t lose anyone else the way we lost her. We wouldn’t allow it. We failed once before. We will never make that mistake again.
I gain confidence from fuck knows where and turn to look at Dacre. Utter disbelief is plastered across his face even as tears stream down his cheeks. What shocks me the most, is the raw happiness in his eyes. Something that is so foreign to see on his face after all this time.
Each of us stand there, stiff as boards as we watch our girl own the stage.
A multitude of questions and what the fuck’s run through my head. But all I can seem to do is just stand there admiring her.
She is fucking radiant.
Our girl.
She’s alive.
She’s home.
All of a sudden, the feeling of anger rushes over me as I come to my senses after the shock of her being home wears off.
I shake my head.
No .
She can’t be here. Not when the club is in the fucked up state it is. When it's not fucking safe. She needs to leave. To go back home.
I settle on my decision at that moment.
I don’t care about the relief I feel. I don’t care how the other guys feel. I don’t regret the thought as it comes to my head. I know it's the right choice.
Scarlett needs to leave.
I will make sure of it.