Love Rock'ollection: The Brutal Strength Rock Star Trilogy, books 1-3 (21 page)

Marcus stumbled clumsily to his feet, and turned around. “Avery,” he whispered.

All the color drained from Avery’s face, and her breath got stuck in her lungs. Her crushed heart felt like it stopped beating as her crestfallen gaze slid back and forth between Marcus’ bare chest and the woman’s lipstick smeared face.

She gently placed Marcus’ guitar case down on the foyer floor. “You forgot this,” she managed to say swallowing back the threat of tears. “Sorry to interrupt.” Quickly turning on her heel, she hurried back to the elevator. As soon as the door closed, Avery fell back against the elevator wall and slid to the floor, covering her face with her hands.

Marcus knew that he couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer, that he couldn’t do this anymore. Seeing Avery again had doused whatever dwindling interest he had in the blonde. He felt instantly unpleasantly sober. He turned back around to face her, eyes hooded, hair falling forward, shadowing his face. “Sorry. This just isn’t working for me.” All he wanted now was her to pick up her stuff and get out.

Once she located her purse, he herded her unceremoniously toward the elevator. “I’ll have my driver meet you in the lobby. He’ll take you wherever you need to go.” He breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she was finally gone. A wave of nausea washed over him. He wished he had a do over switch for the whole wretched day.

AVERY SAW RAY when she exited the elevator. She waved him off.

“Avery, let me take you home. It’s wet out.” He frowned at her, but looked down as his cell phone buzzed.

“No, thanks, Ray. I’m ok. I want to walk.” As she set out on foot, it started to rain. She chided herself for building such a stupid little fantasy world around Marcus and herself. The idea that somehow the two of them could have worked things out with a fairy tale ending was a joke.

In a daze, Avery walked, watching intermittent fat drops of rain fall and splash one by one like sparkling crowns onto the dark pavement beneath her feet. Halfway back, the rain started pouring down in sheets, and by the time she got to her hotel, she was soaked to the skin and freezing.

Shivering, she let herself into her room. She went straight to the bathroom to shed her saturated clothing. Angrily, she kicked the piles of wet heavy clothing aside, tears dropping steadily down her cheeks. She swiped them away and stepped into the shower. Plunging her head under the steaming hot water, Avery pounded her fists on the shower tile in frustration. She had really blown it. She was disgusted with herself, with him, with the whole situation. She tipped her face up under the spray and prayed for the strength to see the thing through to its inglorious end.

AT BLACK CAT Records the next morning, Avery paced back and forth, brimming with nervous energy as she waited for Dwight and JR. She’d stayed up all night finishing the lyrics for “Love Evolution.”

Hopefully, Marcus would be too hung over to show up. Even though she knew she had no right to, she’d felt acutely betrayed when she’d seen him with that woman. There was no way she’d be able to focus and get through her part of the vocals with him in the room.

“You and Marcus missed a great Thanksgiving meal,” Dwight informed her when he and JR arrived. He looked frustrated. “What’s going on with the two of you anyway?”

“Um, we kind of had a disagreement.” Avery stared down at the floor. “I’m really not sure if he wants me to stay in the group anymore.”

“Bullshit. Let me call him right now, Avery. I’ll straighten this out,” Dwight insisted pulling out this cell.

“No, Dwight.” She laid her hand on his arm. “Don’t. Not right now, he…” She trailed off.

“Why the hell not?” he asked, studying her face. “He’s not doing drugs again is he?”

“No. No, I don’t think so.” Though his place had reeked of booze and cigarettes, she hadn’t noticed any drug paraphernalia. “Listen, please don’t tell him I said anything. Things are bad enough between the two of us… I just want to lay down this last track. We’ve been struggling with it, but I was able to finish it last night.” She handed the music to Dwight. Picking up her Ibanez from the stand, she strapped it on.

Dwight picked up his bass, still apparently reluctant to drop the subject. He shrugged at JR, who had settled down behind his drum kit. Reading over the lyrics, Dwight looked at her quizzically. “It’s a beautiful song, Avery, but it’s a duet between a man and woman. How are you and my brother going to pull that off?”

“Yeah. About that.” Stepping back, she unzipped her hoodie, revealing a form fitting t-shirt sans ace bandage.

“What the hell!” JR exclaimed, eyes bugging out as they lingered on her curves. He whistled appreciatively.

“Holy crap!” Dwight shouted at the same time grabbing a fistful of hair like his brother was apt to do. “Does Marcus know? Is this what you guys were arguing about?”

“No, he doesn’t know. I… It’s complicated. I planned to explain everything this weekend but Marcus… he left before I could. Now with us leaving for LA tonight, and the Grammy concert tomorrow, I figure I better wait till after.”

“Hell, yeah,” Dwight agreed. “Because he’s gonna totally freak.” He frowned. “You’re right. I seriously would be surprised if he keeps you in the group…” He trailed off, understanding dawning in his eyes. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “And I know I am
so
screwed.”

“Maybe it won’t be that bad.” Dwight sighed, putting his arms around her.

JR came over, sharing the hug. “It’ll be ok, kid,” he assured her.

“You think?” she asked, eyebrow arched in disbelief.

“No, probably not.” JR snorted. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still the best thing that’s ever happened to this band.” He glanced at Dwight for confirmation.

Dwight nodded. “If we can do anything to help, we’ll do it.”

“Thanks, guys. I just want to tell him myself. I appreciate the support, the kind words. It’s more than I deserve after this stunt. But I’m not getting my hopes up. I’m pretty sure I know how it’ll go down.”

Now that he knew everything, Dwight doubted things were quite as dire as Avery seemed to believe. He had seen how his brother looked at her. Now it all made sense. No wonder his mom had been so circumspect after she and Avery talked. Avery had clearly made some dumb decisions, but Dwight liked her and believed her heart was in the right place. He only hoped that after she apologized his pig-headed brother would have enough sense to forgive her.

“Hey, kid. Come on. Snap out of it,” Dwight told her. “Let’s get this beautiful ballad recorded.”

“Yeah, lets,” JR agreed, taking his place behind the drums again.

“Thanks, guys,” Avery said, forcing a cheerful smile.

It took a few tries for them to catch on to the rhythm, and for her to settle down to get the vocals just right. But when they’d finished, Avery felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. All Marcus had to do was overlay his vocals. Then the song and album would be complete. She was glad she had been able to express how she felt about him through the lyrics. Music had always been the shared language between their two souls. Sure the band would still have to find another guitarist to take on tour, but she could at least sleep at night knowing she’d done all she could to give the situation some closure.

MARCUS DRAGGED INTO the studio around noon, bloodshot eyes covered by mirrored sunglasses, hair pulled back in a rubber band, wincing at every loud sound. He wouldn’t have shown up at all if Mary hadn’t insisted he sign off on the “Brothers” video before the band flew to LA for the Grammy nomination concert. It had been a horrible night. Worshipping the porcelain god for most of it, he had only managed a couple of hours sleep.

He sat alone in the dark viewing room, sunglasses up on his head. The video was fantastic. It really made the members of BS appear approachable, like the guys next door. Avery fit in seamlessly, a definite asset to the group.

Marcus couldn’t keep his eyes off Avery in the video. He really needed to do something about this obsession. Just hadn’t figured out what, yet. If Avery was going to work out long term Marcus would have to keep a safe distance between them. He couldn’t keep trying to solve the kid’s problems. And whatever the hell had freaked Avery out so bad about that phone call was going to have to stay his own damn business. Definitely there would be no more sightseeing or hanging out together. From here on out, Marcus planned to keep their relationship strictly professional. After the events of this weekend, he was sure Avery preferred it that way, too.

AS THE CHARTERED Lear jet gained altitude, Avery could feel Marcus’ gaze boring holes into her back. She wondered if he thought she’d ratted him out about the previous night.
Not that it would have been necessary,
she thought. Anyone could tell that Marcus was unmistakably hung over.

Dwight had confronted him prior to takeoff, and he’d been predictably hostile and defensive. Their terse exchange had ended abruptly with Marcus telling Dwight in less than polite terms to mind his own business. Marcus had stomped onto the plane and crashed on one of the back seats.

Avery and JR had exchanged worried glances, taken their own seats, popped in ear buds, and pulled magazines up over their faces.

As soon as they leveled off, Marcus grabbed a beer from the fridge, chugging it, and then let out a loud protracted belch.

Dwight turned around and told him, “Oh, grow up, Marcus.” The tension remained high the entire flight.

The ride over to the Nokia Theatre from the airport featured more of the same. Marcus sat on the opposite end of the limo from Avery remaining in full sulk mode.

When they arrived at the venue, the planet-sized personality that was Miss V had just finished her own rehearsal. As the band entered the backstage area, the buxom beauty rushed over.

“Marcus! Marcus!” Squealing, she flung herself into his arms, nearly knocking his mirrored sunglasses off his face. “Hello, gorgeous,” she cooed. “I’ve missed you so.”

For a moment, Marcus was speechless. ‘
Amazing
,’ he thought. She was such a piece of work. Did she really expect him to pick up right where they had left off? She acted as if the last six months had never happened. On the other hand, maybe she was just the tonic he needed to get his mind off Avery. So far, booze and bleach blonde bimbos had failed to do the trick.