Chapter Fourteen
Drake
I laughed as I watched Chloe stick her head out of the car window. “What are you doing?”
“Pretending to be a dog,” she deadpanned, “What do you think? I’m letting the wind blow my hair!”
“The dog excuse sounded better.” I said as she smacked me.
“Shut up! This is the first time I’ve felt free in a long time.”
“Go right ahead, but when you eat a bug don’t come crying to me.”
She stuck her tongue out as I gunned the engine and flew down the interstate, passing the tour bus. She flew backwards into her seat cursing and clutching her side. “Damn it, watch the ribs!”
I instantly felt guilty. “Sorry babe.”
She grinned as she leaned back out the window. “Just kidding!”
I frowned. “Not funny.”
I took the next exit to fill up on gas and make a pit stop. As I drove down the exit ramp, she stuck her body further out the window. Her ass was the only part of her I could see and I grinned to myself before smacking it. She squealed and sat back down in her seat.
“Stop it!”
“What? You had it right there in front of me, what did you expect me to do?”
She rolled her eyes as I pulled in next to the gas pumps. I sent a quick text to Jade, letting her know that we would be right behind them once we filled up. As I stuck my card in the machine, Chloe got out and walked into the store. I watched her go, smiling to myself. It was good to have her back with me, especially now that I knew everything Kadi told me had been a lie.
I finished filling up and walked into the store to find the bathroom. Chloe was standing in line and I pointed to the bathroom in the back of the store, letting her know I’d be just a minute. As I walked in and locked the door, I was relieved to see that it was a single stall bathroom so I knew I wouldn’t be interrupted.
The bag in my pocket felt like a lead weight as I pulled it out and stared at the white powder inside. What the hell was I doing? Everything was fine between us now and I didn’t need to do this. I debated on dumping it down the toilet, but quickly shoved the thought aside. There was no reason to just throw my money away; I would finish this bag and then be done with it all.
I pulled the mirror and dollar bill out of my pocket and set them on the sink. I dumped a small amount out and made a line, snorting it quickly. Just as I finished, someone started beating on the bathroom door.
“Hold on!” I shouted as I stashed everything back in my pocket. My heart was beating out of my chest as I looked around, making sure that I had left no evidence behind. I threw the door open to see Chloe standing there waiting for me.
She smiled brightly as she handed me a soda. “You take longer than a girl. Hurry up or we’ll never catch up with the bus!”
I wiped my nose to make sure there were no traces of powder as I followed her out of the store. I started to feel the effects as we walked back to the car; it had been a couple of hours since my last fix and I instantly started to relax as I felt the rush running through my veins. I stopped Chloe just as she started to open her door and kissed her hard on the mouth. She sighed and her lips parted as I ran my tongue along her bottom lip.
I pulled away and she stared up at me, breathless. “What was that for?”
“Because I felt like it. Do I need a reason?”
“Nope, you can kiss me like that anytime you want.” She said as she slid into her seat.
I closed her door and walked around the car to get in. As I sat down, I noticed her sifting through the massive bag she called a purse. I refused to ever stick my hand in that thing; I had seen her pull her hand out cursing from some kind of injury far too many times to feel safe sticking my own hand in. How would I play guitar if I lost a hand to some unknown purse beast?
“What are you doing?” I asked as she continued to dig.
“Ha! Found them!” She pulled out a pill bottle with a triumphant look on her face. “My ribs are starting to hurt so I was trying to find my pain pills.”
I watched her wearily as she popped the top and pulled out a small white pill. I didn’t want that temptation around me as well. “Do you really need those?”
“Um, yeah. If I don’t take one every couple of hours my ribs and face start throbbing. What’s the big deal?”
“Nothing, I just don’t want you stoned and trying to seduce me while I‘m driving.” I joked, hoping she wouldn’t notice my discomfort.
“Pretty sure I’d have to take more than one to make me do that while you’re on the interstate,” she smiled at me playfully, “Although, we’re not on the interstate just yet.”
She reached across the console and ran her hand across my leg. I bit back a groan as I pushed her hand away. I was trying to be the good guy and she wasn’t helping me any.
“Don’t even think about it.” I said as I pulled out of the parking lot and up the ramp to merge into the three lanes of traffic.
She pushed my hand aside as she cupped me through my pants. I bit my lip as I tried to focus my attention on the road in front of me. I wasn’t doing a very good job paying attention.
“If you keep that up, you’ll be sorry.” I groaned.
“That was the plan.”
“Not happening, I don’t want to hurt you Chloe.”
She pouted. “You’re not going to hurt me. I’m starting to feel like I’m not wanted.”
I grabbed her hand and pressed it against my hard on. “Now tell me you’re not wanted. All you did was touch me through my pants and I’m about to bust my zipper. Wanting you isn’t the problem.”
“Well I don’t see the issue then. I bet I can change your mind tonight.”
I sighed as I pushed the gas harder when I noticed the bus in the distance. “You’re not going to make this easy are you?”
“Nope, I know you’ll cave eventually.”
We spent the next two hours catching each other up on everything that we’d missed by being apart and fighting over what CD to listen to. As the miles crept by, I started feeling restless and debated pulling over again but I couldn’t think of a reason to. I smacked the steering wheel in aggravation; feeling weak.
Chloe looked up at me in surprise. “What was that for?”
I took a deep breath to control my temper. “Nothing, just tired of driving.”
“We can switch if you want.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I just want out of this car.”
I was not going to let this get to me. I had spent years staying away from drugs and I wasn’t about to relapse after only a few days of using again. I controlled my own actions, not some f*cking powder.
Chloe helped to distract me by singing along to the songs she had blaring from the speakers. I laughed as she did as much of a car dance as her ribs would allow. My laughter soon died as I noticed two guys driving next to us watching her. Chloe was oblivious to the attention as I flipped them off and sped up. I had never been the jealous type, not that I had ever cared enough about anyone to get jealous, but with Chloe anytime a guy looked her direction, I wanted to rip his head off. It made life difficult when she was around, since she always seemed to catch men’s eyes without even trying. Her innocence when it came to the opposite sex was cute and all, but sometimes it became annoying when she acted like I was blowing things out of proportion.
Before I knew it, we were following the bus down an exit ramp. We drove through a small town before stopping at a bar just past the city limits. The bar looked small from the outside, but it was a lot better looking than some of the ones we had played in recently. The parking lot was free of any liter and the bar itself looked like it had just recently been painted. I hoped the inside was just as nice, it would be nice to leave a gig without needing to shower right after we finished.
I parked the car next to the bus and got out to stretch my legs. The long ride had made Chloe stiff and I had to help her out of the car. As I pulled her out and shut the door, Jordan and the band stepped off the bus and walked over to us.
Jordan was instantly by her side. “Are you ok? Did you take your pill?”
I felt my temper flare again as I watched him look her over. She didn’t need him to take care of her anymore; I was back around to do that for her. And it wasn’t like I couldn’t take care of her for the couple of hours since he had last seen her.
“I’m fine, and yes I took my pill. Stop acting like you’re my mom.”
He snorted. “Gee thanks, that’s who I was trying to be.”
“Oh, you know what I meant.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders as I glared up at Jordan. “You can back off now; I can handle her from here on out.”
I knew I was being an ass, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. Whatever truce I had with Jordan had disappeared when I looked at those pictures. I knew now that they were innocent, but I didn’t like that he had curled up in bed with her while I was away. It was taking the whole friendship thing a little too far.
“Drake, don’t.” Chloe pleaded.
I ignored her as I continued to glare at Jordan. “Chloe explained the pictures to me, but I still don’t appreciate the fact you had your hands on her more than once when I was gone. She’s mine and I’m making that clear right now. If you don’t like it, I’ll be glad to go another round with you.”
Jordan laughed, which only infuriated me further. “It’s not like that with us, but she is still my friend and I’ll take care of her if I need to. You need to tone down the jealous boyfriend thing; you’re making yourself look like an idiot.”
I stepped forward and shoved him. My body was tight with anticipation as I waited for him to shove me back. That’s all I needed to start punching him again. I willed him to hit me, but he shook his head and stepped back.
“You need to get your shit together or she’s going to dump your sorry ass,” he growled.
Chloe stepped in between us and put her hands out. “Enough! What’s wrong with you Drake?”
“Nothing.” I spat as I turned away from them to look at the band. “Let’s carry our stuff in and start setting up.”
Eric watched me closely as we unloaded the instruments and carried them inside. I tried to ignore him, but I could feel him staring at me as I helped Jade set her drums up. Out of everyone, Eric was the one who I was worried about. He was always so quiet, but I knew he spent that time observing people. He had an uncanny ability to see things that others missed, and if anyone caught me, I knew it would be him.
We finished setting up and started walking back out to the bus. Jade had forced us to stop a couple of towns back to pick up real food from the supermarket because the constant fast food was starting to get to her. I knew there had to be something microwavable in there and I was dreaming of macaroni and cheese as we entered the bus. All thoughts of food left me as I saw Chloe sitting at the table with Jordan, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder as he ran his hands through her hair.
I saw red as I stomped over to stand in front of them. “What the f*ck?” I shouted.
Jordan held a finger up to his lips and pointed to Chloe. I looked down at her and noticed that she was asleep. I felt like an ass as I watched her stir in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes. They landed on me and she smiled up at me, until she noticed the look on my face.
“What’s wrong?”
I motioned between her and Jordan. “Sorry, I just came in and saw you two all cuddled up together. Again.”
She must have realized that she was still leaning on him and pulled away instantly. “I must have fallen asleep, I didn’t mean to make you mad Drake.”
I ran my hands through my hair and turned to start digging through the cabinets for food. “It’s alright, I jumped to conclusions again.”
Unable to find any macaroni and cheese, I settled for the next best thing – Pop Tarts. I pulled a pack from the box and ripped them open. Chloe stood and walked over to me, wrapping her hands around my waist.
“I’m sorry, I really am. But you promised to always ask before you jumped to conclusions again, remember?”
I nodded as I stuffed food in my mouth so that I didn’t have to reply.
She sighed and walked back to the bunks. Either she was good at guessing or she noticed the picture of us I had hanging against the wall, because she laid down in my bunk.
“I’m going to sleep until it’s time for you to go on. Just wake me up when you’re ready.”
I pushed away from the small counter and walked into the bathroom. After double checking to make sure the door was locked, I pulled my stash out of my pocket. If I didn’t do something, I was going to rip Jordan in two. Or at least I would try; I didn’t see myself coming out on top in that fight.
After snorting a couple of lines, I put everything away and sat down on the toilet with my head in my hands. I had no idea what I was doing, but I did know that if Chloe ever found out she would freak and possible leave me. I sat up and punched the wall beside my head, trying to release some of the anger that was radiating from me. I jumped as someone started beating on the door.
“Dude, hurry the f*ck up or I’m going to come in there and piss on you!” Adam shouted.
I grinned as I stood up; leave it to Adam to lighten the mood. I threw the door open, still grinning.
“I don’t want to see that little dick of yours, so have at it.”
Adam started unbuttoning his pants as he blocked my exit. “Want to compare them? I’m sure mine is bigger.”
I busted out laughing as I pushed him out of the way. “I think I’ll pass. I don’t have a magnifying glass with me anyway.”
He punched me in the stomach as I walked by and I grunted. “Whatever, not my fault you can’t handle all of this.”
With that, he shut the door in my face. I was still laughing as I walked to the front of the bus and Eric raised an eyebrow at me.
“Should I even ask?”
I shook my head. “Adam was trying to get naked with me in the bathroom. He was kind of upset when I turned him down.” I said it loud enough to carry back to the bathroom, hoping Adam would hear me.
I heard a muffled “F*ck you” and started laughing all over again.
Eric shook his head as he motioned toward the door. “You got a minute?”
I felt uneasy as I nodded and followed him off the bus. If he wanted to talk to me alone, it couldn’t be anything good. I leaned against the side of the bus and waited for him to speak. Instead, he just stood there and studied me as I fidgeted nervously under his watchful eye.
“You said you wanted to talk?” I asked when I couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Yeah, I just don’t know how to say this without being a dick.”
I snorted. “Adam is the one who’s a dick, not you.”
“Fine, I’ll just say it. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you haven’t been acting right all day. I understood when you were pissed about Chloe, but since you guys rode here together, I’m assuming that was cleared up. Is something else bothering you?”
I knew Eric would be a problem; he was too smart for his own good sometimes. I looked around the parking lot, trying to figure out what to say. My eyes fell on Jordan who was standing across the lot, talking on his phone.
“I don’t like Jordan around Chloe. I know I’ve been an a*shole all day, but once he’s gone I’ll calm down.”
Eric nodded. “I figured it was something like that. Listen though; I really don’t think you have anything to worry about with him, so stop stressing. All you’re going to do is drive Chloe nuts and tick her off. She’s taking him home tomorrow isn’t she?”
“Yeah, not too happy about that either.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’ll drop him off and come back here with you. Problem solved.”
“Yeah I know. I’ll try to get my shit together.”
He clapped me on the back as he walked past me. “I know you will.”
We spent the next hour killing time by playing cards. I laughed as Jade repeatedly beat all of us. The woman was a damn card shark and we all knew it, yet we still played her like the idiots we were. After I all but gift wrapped and handed her a hundred bucks, I walked back to my bunk and started poking Chloe on the shoulder, trying to wake her up.
She groaned in her sleep and rolled away from me. I smiled as I reached down and picked her up, careful not to touch her ribs. The movement woke up and she jumped in my arms as her eyes flew open.
“What are you doing?” She asked, still groggy.
“Waking you up.” I sat her down and leaned in, peppering her face with kisses.
She smiled and tried to squirm away, but I held her tight against me. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Quit it, I probably have drool all over the side of my face!”
“I like drool, it’s sexy.” I said as I pulled away.
“Drool is sexy on no one, not even you. What time is it?” She asked as she stretched and winced.
“We go on in twenty. Go wipe the drool from your face so we can go in.”
I waited by my bunk as she walked into the bathroom to re-tie her hair and wash her face. I loved the fact that it didn’t take her an hour to get ready like most girls. With Chloe, what you saw was what you got and I found it refreshing. Sure, she dressed up from time to time, but most of the time she was in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Instead of it bothering me, I found it incredibly sexy.
She exited the bathroom and walked up to me, throwing her arms around me as she pulled my mouth down to meet hers in a hungry kiss. As her tongue slipped into my mouth, I groaned and grabbed her ass. If she kept this up, there was no way I could keep my vow to wait until she was healed. We hadn’t been together in weeks and a guy can only take so much.
“You’re going to kill me, you know that?” I asked as she pulled away. I took a deep breath, trying to distract myself from the raging hard on she had given me.
“I’m trying. Are we getting a hotel room tonight?” She asked breathlessly.
And there went any hopes of calming down before I had to go on stage.
I leaned down and brushed my lips against the corner of her mouth. “Yeah we are, but if you try anything on me, I’m tying you to the bed.”
Her eyes lit up and she grinned at me. “Is that supposed to make me behave? If so, you need to think of a better threat.”
I wasn’t a bondage type of guy, but damn. Picturing Chloe tied to my bed naked was enough to make me come in my pants. I groaned as I grabbed her hand and led her off the bus.
“I have to be on stage in ten minutes, please don’t do that to me.”
She laughed as we walked across the now full lot and into the bar. Jade and the guys were already sitting at a table close to the stage and I pushed through the crowd to them. I kept Chloe close to me, trying to protect her from anyone who might bump into her. We took the two empty seats left at the table, with Chloe ending up between Jordan and me. That grated my nerves, but I took a deep breath and let it go. Eric was right; if I kept acting like a jealous freak, all I would do was drive her away.
I relaxed back into my seat as a waitress brought me a beer and waited for the owner to introduce us. The crowd around us was already hyped up, and I let their excitement flow into me. I had no doubt that they would keep us going throughout the night with no problem. There was nothing I despised more than a crowd with no energy; it made it twice as hard to play and sing well, and we weren’t nearly as good when that happened. We might supply the music, but the crowd itself was who set the mood for the entire set.
I gave Chloe a quick kiss before standing and walking to the stage with the rest of the band as the waitress that had brought me a beer introduced us. Several people crowded around the stage as I spoke into the mic. “Evening guys. I’m Drake and we’re Breaking the Hunger!”
With that, Jade started us into our first song as the crowd shouted their approval. As I sang into the mic, I watched Chloe and Jordan out of the corner of my eye. Jordan was whispering something in her ear, but she was ignoring him as she stared at the crowd in front of me. I glanced down to see several women all trying to catch my attention.
This was where things got tricky for me. If I ignored them and pissed them off, we’d lose fans; if I smiled and flirted with them, Chloe would be angry with me. As far as I was concerned, it was a no win situation for me. I had been angry with Chloe for paying attention to Jordan when here I was, surrounded by women with lust filled eyes. Sometimes karma is a bitch.
I glanced over at Chloe and grinned as an idea struck me. For the rest of the song, I smiled and flirted with the women with my eyes. I caught Chloe throwing death glares my way and I hoped that my plan wouldn’t backfire on me.
When the song ended, I waited for the crowd to settle down before I spoke into the mic. “Thanks to everyone who’s out here tonight, you guys rock!” The crowd started shouting again, and I had to wait for them to calm down so that they could hear me. “Tonight is kind of a special show for me. There’s this girl that I happen to be crazy about, and this is the first show she’s been able to make it to. Now earlier today, she told me that I could kiss her anywhere I wanted, and I feel like kissing her right now. Why don’t you come up here with me Chloe?”
I looked at her expectantly, but she was hiding her face in her hands. I laughed as I pointed her out to the crowd; I knew she was going to kill me for this later. “She doesn’t seem to want to come up, think you guys can convince her?”
Jordan was laughing as the crowd started chanting her name and she smacked him. I couldn’t keep the stupid grin off of my face as she rose slowly and walked up the steps and onto the stage. She stopped beside me and tried to glare at me, but the small smile she was trying to hide gave her away.
I slid the mic back into its stand and pulled her close against me. “Am I embarrassing you?” I whispered into her ear.
“Just a little.”
I laughed as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and turned my attention back to the audience staring at us. “Do you think I should kiss her now?” I asked them.
The wolf whistles and cheering from the crowd gave me the answer I was looking for. I turned back to Chloe with a huge grin on my face. “We can’t disappoint them now can we?”
“I’m going to tie you to the bed tonight for this Drake Allen!” She yelled as I pulled her close and slammed my mouth against hers.
As soon as our lips touched, the fight in her evaporated and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Maybe it was because we were standing on stage in front of so many people and my body was feeding off of the energy that was pouring off of them in waves, or maybe it was because I had the added bonus of cocaine in my system, but for some reason the kiss was crazy hot. At least it was to me anyway and I was pretty sure Chloe felt it too from the way she was clinging to me.
I let myself be taken over by the kiss; as she moved her lips against mine, the screaming crowd and the band behind us faded away. I probed her lips with my tongue until she opened them to allow me access. A moan came from deep in her throat as she flicked my tongue ring with her own tongue. I pulled away before I did something we’d both regret later. Chloe opened her eyes and my resolve nearly caved as I saw the lust in them.
I forced myself to turn back to the crowd with an easy smile plastered on my face. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, who’s ready for some more music?” I shouted.
Chloe walked off stage as we started into the next song and I noticed several of the women in the front glaring at her. I was glad when I noticed Jordan watching them as well; I knew he would keep her safe until I was finished. I kept a close eye on her as we played a few more songs, just to make sure she was safe.
It seemed like I had only looked away from her table for a minute as we played out last song, but when I glanced up, both of them were nowhere to be seen. We finished the song and before the last note stopped, I was off the stage and looking for Chloe.