Falling Stars (The B–Side) Read online

  “’Bout time ya’ll got here; the natives were getting restless. I was worried someone was going to chew an arm off or something.”

  My mother smacked a few hands away from the mound of freshly fried chicken while she pretended to be angry at our tardiness. As I gave her the biggest hug, relief washed over me in the way only a mother’s embrace can provide. Rounds of welcomes ensued as the family greeted us warmly. People were indeed ready to eat and immediately grabbed a plate after saying hello.

  “Hey, hey, hey. You better let me get in there right now!” Hunter protested as the pile got smaller before his eyes. Grabbing a plate, he snaked in between the children and filled it with mashed potatoes, fried hominy and multiple pieces of chicken before disappearing into the dining room.

  “Well, we know why he came back,” my mother jested while nudging me in the ribs with her elbow. She handed me a plate and I kissed her cheek as she loaded it with generous helpings of my favorite foods. By the time I made it to where Hunter and Eli were sitting, they had nearly inhaled the food and were both going back for seconds.

  “Oh my God, seriously? Did you even taste it?”

  With mouths full, they grinned and headed into the kitchen. With a more modest plate, Hunter sat next to me and rubbed my back affectionately. He was in absolute heaven and at complete peace. Eli’s wife Rachel joined us and immediately asked how Chicago was. Nervously I turned to Hunter and smiled, waiting to hear how he answered.

  His response was short and vague, but enough to sate her curiosity. Everyone was so excited, it was easy to avoid the topic. What wasn’t so easy was how we came to reconnect. My mother had walked into the dining room and guided the subject into a different direction. Knowing the truth, we looked to her gratefully for the diversion. Several more hours of lively conversation passed before Eli smacked Hunter in the back. “How does going to Vapor tonight sound? You up for it?”

  Hunter looked to me and raised his brows. I wasn’t really in the mood to go out clubbing, but if this was what I had to do to spend more time with him, I would. I knew that alone the boys would probably get into trouble, and Rachel would be super pissed having to deal with a hung over husband and new baby the next day. When I headed to my bedroom, Hunter followed behind me and quickly closed the door. Slamming my back against the wall, his mouth greedily found mine as his hands frantically roved my body.

  “We can stay here if you want. I promise to be really quiet,” he growled against my neck, biting my earlobe and squeezing my hips. Knowing I wasn’t able to have sex, I decided going out would be better than getting him riled up even more.

  “We can come back and see how quiet your drunken ass will be after hanging out with Eli. You know people are going to flip the moment you show up.”

  Pulling back slightly, he rested his forehead on mine.

  “Yeah, I do. Not looking forward to that part, but hey—comes with the territory, right?”

  Giving him another kiss, I lifted my shirt off and dropped to my knees. Swiftly unbuckling his belt, I reached into his pants, removed his semi-hard cock and brought it to my eager mouth. Looking into his eyes, I never broke contact, making him swell even more. He craved dominance and control. In this moment, he had both. Sliding his fingers into my hair, he made a fist and gently pulled my head towards his hips more aggressively, causing me to gag slightly as more of his length was pressed deep into my throat. I did not stop, pushing past the temporary discomfort to please him. Softly I hummed, relaxing my throat muscles, allowing me to take him in more. The vibrations served as extra stimulation, combined with the gentle massage of his testicles, and he came hard and fast.

  I stood and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and grinned without saying a word. He moved to my bed and crashed backwards, bouncing a few times.

  “Man, I remember breaking in this bed. I thought your mom was going to die the first time she walked in on us.”

  Peeking out of my closet, I shot a dirty look.

  “Well, you were violating me. No one wants to see their precious little girl tied to the bedpost, taking it in the ass while gagged.”

  “You were twenty-one!” he exclaimed.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “You told me to do it!”

  I laughed thinking about the conversation my mother had with me after that. How she purposely kept Hunter on edge for several weeks just to see how polite he became over fear she was going to force us to break up, with the thought her daughter would be corrupted.

  “If anyone else, she would have put the fear of God into them. She kind of did; however, she is under no delusions as to what kind of woman I am in bed. She knows you loved me, and I would never do anything I didn’t want to. Also, she had the comfort of knowing Elijah would have beat the ever living shit out of you if you ever did hurt me, so you got off easy. Pun fully intended.”

  Hunter pulled me into his lap and massaged my palms with his thumbs.

  “I could have you a million times and it would never be enough.”

  Feeling the mood drop, I scooted off and back into the closet. Among the racks of clothes, I found a cute strapless sundress and pair of jeweled, high-heeled sandals I knew would meet dress code requirements. Hunter didn’t bother to change, knowing they would never deny him entry. Stepping back into the bedroom, he gave a low whistle and motioned his index finger around in a twirling gesture.

  “You look amazing,” he said while admiring me from head to toe.

  “Look at who I’m showing up with. You better believe I am going to look hot. If I can control anything, it’s this.”

  Giving a light slap to my ass as we walked out, he gave a warning. “I know I won’t be the only guy checking you out, so stay close.”

  I stopped before giving a smart remark. The comment rested on my tongue, and I knew it would only cause trouble if it came out. Hearing his possession surface made me wonder what he would tell people about us. Not everyone knew about our past, except those old school scenesters who were still around.

  “Yes, sir,” I purred seductively. He smiled back and held the door open to where Eli was waiting for us.

  “’Bout fucking time. It always takes you women forever to get ready. I swear, Rachel does that shit and it drives me up the wall.”

  Shrugging my shoulders, I offered a weak apology and crawled in the backseat of his SUV, which had juice boxes and crackers littering the floor. “Dude, your car is gross. I know you have kids, but damn, this is bad.”

  Eli raised a middle finger at my disgust and offered me a dollar to clean it out.

  “Um, I’ll pass, as nice as that offer sounds. Maybe in a few months I will hit you up for it.”

  We joked back and forth the entire drive downtown. Seeing the streets of my youth come alive with the two most important pieces of my past was bittersweet. I vowed to have a good time despite my feelings. Pulling up to the club, Hunter opened the back door and held his hand out for me.

  “Milady.”

  I curtsied and offered a quick peck on the cheek. His arm wrapped around my waist, and off into the night we went.

  The familiar rattle of brick pounding from within was a siren’s call to my soul. Boom, boom, boom. Eli cracked the glass door to the entrance of the club and the sound immediately spilled out along with a cool burst of air, colliding with the hot sticky night. Looking up at Hunter, I shimmied my shoulders and wagged my brows while pulling him behind me before stopping at the ID check. A young, muscular man in a suit lit up at Eli and Hunter’s arrival and immediately summoned a petite brunette to usher us up a roped-off stairwell onto the mezzanine. I had the feeling my brother had alerted them to our visit and reserved a table. Surely enough, a bottle of Grey Goose vodka was sitting next to carafes of juice and mixers.

  Looking down onto the open dance floor, I could see bodies dancing to the jazzy house music. I couldn’t stop my hips from shaking, despite my earlier reluctance at coming out. I leaned against the metal railing and smiled at how happ
y everyone looked. The intimate club was built with so many fragments of my past, it was hard to not truly feel at home.

  Hunter held out a small cocktail glass out to me, and I took it from his hand only to place it on the table. A part of me knew that when the boys got together they would be drinking themselves silly, and I wanted a few moments of sobriety to enjoy before the chaos ensued. With my right hand sliding along his neck and into his hairline and the left on his hip, we moved synchronously to the salsa-like beat. His smile was so bright, even in the darkness I could make out the white of each tooth in his broad smile. I closed my eyes, determined to make this moment a memory so permanent I would be able to recall it at will in my old age. Hunter’s mouth found the curve of my neck, his breath hot against my skin as we moved closer together. As our weight shifted from one foot to the other, time stood still and shrouded us in bliss. The sliver of happiness we had been seeking for so long manifested in our beating hearts.

  Above the others in the near empty balcony, we danced as if no one else existed. I held him closer knowing the moment was fleeting. Feeling my body tremble, Hunter pressed his forehead to mine, meeting my watery eyes, and continued to shift, back and forth slowly. Caressing my arms, his fingers laced through one hand as the other reached down and squeezed my rear, causing me to jump a little and giggle. Before I could think, he snapped away from my body and spun me around quickly, then pulled me back like a yo-yo. Grinding his hips into me, he smiled mischievously as he picked up the speed of our movements to match the music. Shifting my emotions as seamlessly as he would two records in the mix, he knew when and how to manipulate my feelings, knowing they were just that.

  “No sad face tonight, only smiles, Lila.”

  I nodded in agreement and swiftly bent my knees, dropping low, bouncing my ass a few times before slowly coming back up and rolling my abdomen and hips seductively. I loved to dance because it was one of the few things that helped me to get out of a writing funk. I would step away from the computer and turn up my speakers. It could be three in the morning or seven at night; it didn’t matter. Popping and twisting my shoulders, I dropped my gaze and attempted to initiate him into a dance battle. He turned to Eli who had been watching the entire spectacle, but he just shook his head in response. Hunter picked up my drink and took a brief sip before leaning against the rail to watch me dance. I smacked my ass and curled my index finger to provoke him.

  Surprisingly, Hunter started to maneuver his feet around in deft movements as if he had never stopped break dancing. His body popped and locked with impressive precision. Puffing his chest, he moved in mime-like motions towards me, pulling on an imaginary rope and pretending to coil it around my body. I laughed hysterically despite how good he still was.

  “Beat that, Lila,” he playfully teased.

  I knew I would be unable to dance the way I wanted to in my heels, so I slipped them off and set them to the side. Tapping my hand against my thighs, I waited for the right break in the music and let go of any thoughts. Rather than being serious, I mocked every former dance I knew, including the “tootsie roll” and the “Macarena,” while dramatically telling my own physical story. Eli was slapping the table as Hunter held his hand over his mouth to stop the smile from showing. I pretended to ride an imaginary horse and galloped around him in circles.

  “How was that, cowboy?”

  “I think you need to take the nineties back where you found them and leave them there,” he replied with a playful kiss.

  “Don’t hate my skills. You know they are awesome.”

  Eli piped in and gently patted my shoulder. “No, sis, they are not. Just stop.”

  I feigned disgust and picked up my drink with a pout. The boys laughed at my expense, but I had so much fun I didn’t really care. I was having fun, damned anyone else who saw my show and judged me.

  Eli headed down the stairs to the bar area, leaving Hunter and I alone.

  “You were cute. We are just messin’ with you.”

  “I know.”

  Turning his back to the dance floor, Hunter pinned me against the metal rails and kissed me hard. Thinking about how many times we had made out in dark corners of the venue made the butterflies in my stomach tumble.

  We were not alone for long before a small crowd ascended the stairs behind Eli.

  “It was nice while it lasted,” I whispered to Hunter, giving a half grin. The back of his fingers brushed my cheek.

  “It’s not over, yet.”

  I gave a quick peck and picked up my drink and shoes to move out of the way. I was able to be selfish with Hunter for the past few days, yet I needed to remember he did not belong to me. Choosing to explore the club and discover any changes, I descended the stairwell and rounded the corner into the brick walled area leading to the bar.

  Set against a massive mirror, illuminated by low recessed lights, the place was filled with bartenders scurrying to fill drink orders for the growing crowd. Simply observing those on the dance floor, I was taken off guard by a warm hand on the small of my back that did not belong to Hunter. Turning, I was face to face with an unexpected piece of my past.

  “Savion!” I squealed excitedly before jumping into his arms. “Oh my God. How are you?”

  He squeezed me back firmly before setting me back on my feet. “Lila Keaton. Damn. I never thought I would see you again. You look good, babe.”

  I blushed slightly. Savion Winters was another one of my brother’s best friends. He was older than Eli by seven years, ten more than me, yet it did not stop me from having the biggest crush on him growing up. No matter what party I was at, even if Eli was not playing or there, I was taken care of by Savion. He made sure I never waited in a line and always had water or a comfortable place to rest. He used to run the lighting rigs and taught me how to use an argon laser system to project displays against sheer screens at events and do laser scans with the bright green lights. Before I started dating guys in the scene, I was always available to help them haul gear around and help set up. I was thankful for people like Savion who taught me to love the music and the culture before the drugs became part of the picture. I remembered his sore disappointment and the brush off I gave at his concern. Knowing he didn’t approve, I simply stopped coming around him.

  “Thanks, Savion. So do you, old man.” I winked to indicate I was kidding. Even being a decade my senior, he was still hot as hell. He scoffed and held out his arm to guide me into the club.

  “I won’t be offended by that if you let me get you another drink.” He laughed before ducking under the bar. I curled my brows inquisitively.

  “You work here now?” I asked.

  His smirk was hidden beneath the shy smile. “I own this place now. I have for a few years. Someone had to keep it going.” His fingers slid a small black cocktail napkin towards me. “What can I do for you, Lila?”

  It felt like a loaded question with the way his gaze was becoming more invasive.

  “Make me something tasty. I trust you.”

  Savion rubbed his palms together and picked up a metal shaker, filling it with ice, rum, various juices and berry liqueur. Setting it aside, he rimmed a martini glass with a lemon and dipped it in a small plate of pink sugar crystals. He smiled as the foamy violet concoction swirled in the glass and settled quickly, leaving a thin white layer at the top. Skewering a cherry on a toothpick, he rested it gently in the glass before placing it before me.

  “Wow, it looks so girly.”

  Timidly I took a sip and quickly puckered. Savion laughed as he came back from under the bar and took a seat next to me.

  “It will knock you on your ass if you’re not careful. Take your time and enjoy it.”

  I sipped the strong cocktail as requested, savoring a truly crafted drink. His attention to detail never vanished.

  “So Lila, Eli told me you were moving back. I know what I read on the Internet. How about you telling me why you’re here?”

  I paused for a moment, smiling before swiping a bit of
the sugar crystals off and licking them from my finger. With a deep breath I made it as simple as I could.

  “I wasn’t going in the direction that I wanted to, so I came back to gain my bearings and find out where I need to be.”

  The answer did not sate his curiosity, yet he did not pry any further. However, I should have known the grilling of Hunter would surface.

  “Please tell me your plan does not include him.” Savion’s face fell to stone asking the question.

  Knowing that Hunter was not his favorite person, I decided to push a little and get my own answers. “What’s your deal with him? What did he ever do to you?”

  Savion looked at me and then to the balcony before answering. “It’s not so much me but you. I never could forgive him after the accident. Everyone seemed to turn a blind eye, even Eli. He and I were never the same after that. I know you saw how that incident shook a whole lot of folks up.”

  My teeth grit forcefully as he chose to stir up something he had no business doing.

  “It wasn’t Hunter’s fault, it was mine. It was my idea, my choice. I was stupid for suggesting it. I was the one who got hurt. He saved my life.”

  Savion dropped his head and brushed an unseen particle from his pants, appearing to be thinking carefully of how he wanted to respond.

  “He should have stopped you. Even he knows that. Only way he could handle it was shooting up to numb the guilt.”

  “Savion, stop! That was a long time ago. If I have the ability to forgive him, I think you should, too.”

  Giving me the most austere glare, there was not an ounce of affection to be found.

  “Lila, two years ago I booked Hunter here at the club. The house was packed. He showed up an hour and a half late for his set, drunk off his ass with an entourage of whores. He train-wrecked nearly every track, and I busted him getting head in the DJ booth. Hunter Michaels is a piece of shit. I am shocked, to say the least, that he even showed up here tonight after that.”