STONED (Wrecked Book 1) (22 page)

“Willow? Everything okay here? Is this a bad time?” Joaquin asks.

“If I say yes will you leave?” Stone questions, not taking his eyes off me.

“If Willow wants me to, yes. She’s a big girl, she can make decisions for herself.” JD’s voice is tight.

“I know what she is. More than you ever will.” Stone turns his head slightly, not bothering to face Joaquin fully. Before this can escalate, I step around him.

“Everything is fine, JD. Stone was just leaving,” I inform them both, turning to glare at Stone pointedly.

“Indeed I was. You two have a lovely fucking night.” He steps forward as if to leave and catches me by surprise with a kiss to my cheek, which ends up being more the corner of my mouth than the actual cheek. I jump from the shock of the kiss. The electricity that shoots through every limb at the feel of his lips on me and the actual jolt of him being so bold. Stone backs away, a smirk on the mouth that was just on mine, but I can see what that simple yet complex kiss did to him. “Bye, Birdie. I’ll see you later,” he says quietly before shouldering past Joaquin, hands deep in his pockets, whistling as he saunters loose limbed down the street, confirming my fear that the house he bought is too close.

Shaking my head, I turn my attention to a frowning Joaquin. “Is he going to be a problem?” he asks bluntly.

“Yes,” I answer just as bluntly, making him grimace, but then chuckle.

“At least you’re honest.”

“Always. I’ll never lie to you, Joaquin.”

Nodding, “I know it,
chérie
. It’s not who you are.”

I reach my hand out for him to take. “Come in, let me feed you.”

Dinner is a little tense at first, both of us thinking about the scene with Stone I’m sure, but everything is fine by the time we get everything cleaned up and settle on the couch. “You keep feeding me like that and I’m going to need to start hitting the gym,” he jokes. As he lays his head in my lap, the sound of James Bay quietly fills the room.

“He reminds me a lot of you,” I tell him. “He’s so soulful and his voice so pure. Just like you.” Running my fingers through his hair, I look down at him and smile. Content in this moment, the earlier debacle a distant memory. Until he speaks.

“What happened between you and Stone?” he asks quietly.

I look at him startled. “What?”

“You and Stone? What happened? It's obvious he still loves you and you yourself have told me that there's a part of you that will always love him—”

“JD—” I interrupt guiltily. I remember that very brief conversation early in our relationship.

“No,
chérie
, it's okay. I just want to understand your relationship with him a little better. Can you do that for me?” He shifts us so that it’s me lying down now. Blinking back the tears that are already forming, I nod. How can I deny him anything? He's been so good to me. So giving and understanding. And he deserves to know the truth. So with my head in his lap and him stroking my hair, silently brushing away my tears, I tell him. All of it. All of the pretty and the ugly. I tell him about the highs of loving Stone and the desperately low lows. And all the while he just listens. The only indication of his feelings is the tensing of his body underneath me. When I'm finished, and the tears are still flowing, I look up at him and expect to find pity or disgust on his face, but all I see are chocolate eyes shimmering with his own tears and pride, compassion, maybe even love.

“All this time you've said nothing. To anyone looking at you, they would never see the hurt, the pain, right under the surface. You're so brave, Willow.”

Embarrassed, I also feel a sense of relief. Like a weight has been lifted. So few know the whole story, the real story. I’ve shared a piece of me that I keep hidden from the world. It’s a testament of how much I trust this man. It’s a great feeling. One I’ve not had in awhile.

“Let me stay tonight. I need to be close to you,” Joaquin says softly, coasting a finger down the side of my face.

Without meeting his eyes, I start hesitantly, “JD . . . I—”

“Shhh, I just want to hold you. Nothing more.”

I don’t know how to explain to him that the thought of being in bed with him terrifies me. How many virile men can and would just “sleep” in bed with their girlfriend? None that I know. So I reach. “Lyric still doesn’t sleep through the night, she’ll end up waking you up.”

“Let her. I’ll get up and you can stay in bed. Let me do this for you. Hell, for me. I promise, I only want to be near you. I understand that you’re not ready for more. I can see it written all over your face right now, and I swear to you I would never push you. I’m happy to just be with you.” The sincerity in his voice is my undoing.

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Okay.” He smiles.

And just like that, I invite another man into my bed other than Stone for the first time in . . . ever.

Stone

SITTING ON THE BACK PORCH
of my new place with the guys, who have all moved out of the hotel and into the house, I listen to Judge making a to-do list . . . out loud.

“Okay, Addy is helping your sister pack up some of your stuff now, the moving truck will be there tomorrow to pick it up and pack up the other things you wanted,” he says.

“Did you tell Addy where to find the box of letters?” I ask, inhaling from the cigarette clamped between my fingers.

“I did. And the picture and your Fender and your truck keys.”

“Oh, good. I love my Martin, but now that we’re out of the hotel, I need to shred. We’ll have to get someone over here to work on a studio.” Nobody says anything. They don’t tell me that I’m getting ahead of myself, or that I might not be here that long. Judge just nods and lets his fingers fly over the iPad. I’m glad. I don’t want to have to drop the bomb on them that I’m here to stay just yet. As long as Wills is here, together or not, this is where I’ll be. “I also want you to find a decorator and have them turn one of the bedrooms upstairs into a nursery.” Again, a nod and flying fingers. I don’t dare look at Law or Arrow because if they even hint at the possibility of Lyric never being in it, I’ll wig the fuck out.

“Have we heard from the label yet with the dates for the promo tour?” Arrow asks, looking up from his phone.

“Addy is going to fax that schedule over to me this afternoon. They were trying to come to an agreement with a couple of the talk shows on dates. One is going to be an outdoor show in New York.” Judge puts the tablet down and leans back in his chair. I take another drag and go to flipping my lighter open and closed. It’s becoming an annoying habit. The last time I was in New York was the day that Willow walked away. I need another reminder of that night like I need a fucking hole in my head.

“Speaking of dates, we have the award show next month. I just got the email confirming our presence and your performance. I’m sure that Law told you while you were in Paradise that we were nominated for Group of the Year again.” When he doesn’t say anything more, though I can tell that he wants to, I glance up at Judge and see him watching me.

“Yeah, he did.” I wait and still he just looks at me. “What, bro?” I ask on an exhale of blue smoke.

“Joaquin will be there. He’s been nominated. He’ll also be performing . . .”

“Do you know which song?” Gut churning, I pray to whoever the fuck will listen that it’s not Willow’s song. I’m sure it is when Judge doesn’t say anything. “We’re doing a song off the new album then,” I insist.

“Stone, be reasonable. You guys haven’t been in the studio in weeks, and you haven’t rehearsed any of them enough.”

“We don’t need a lot of time to rehearse,” Arrow interjects. “We know them. Plus, we’ll be doing them all on this promo tour, so we need to be ready.” He turns to me. “We can do any song you want. I’m pretty sure I know what your choice is, and I’m fine with that.”

With raised eyebrows I look over at Law. “I’m down for whatever, bro. You know me.”

“See how easy that was, Judge?” I smirk. “You just leave the music to the professionals.”

He flips me the bird and then sighs heavily. “You guys are a pain in my fucking ass.”

“We can’t just let him have her, Judge. He didn’t just take Willow away from Stone, he took her away from us too. Fuck that French prick,” Arrow curses. He’s usually the laidback lover-not-fighter type. To see him so riled up is almost funny.

“Nobody is taking anyone. She’s not his hostage, Ro,” Judge reminds him.

“Whatever. It’ll still be fun to fuck with him, and playing any of the new stuff is bound to piss him off.” I take a drag from my smoke. He’s so damn right. It might also piss Willow off, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Over and over again. I’ve never fought fair or played by the rules in my life. I’m not about to start now.

Law chuckles. “When the hell did you become so mean?”

“I’ve been hanging around with you assholes too long,” Ro answers, shrugging.

“Now that that’s settled, anything else you want to throw at us?” I ask Judge who still doesn’t look happy about the plan for the award show.

“The label wants to know why Koa isn’t here with you and why you left Dane in Austin,” he answers calmly.

“And what did you tell them?” I’m not quite as calm. It’s none of their business what the fuck I do and who I have with me.

“I told them that who you have with you and when isn’t their concern,” Judge tells me. Not even batting an eye.

“Good.” He’s not finished.

“That’s what I told
them,
now I’m asking for me.”

Law shifts in his seat and Ro clears his throat. Both waiting for me to lose my shit.

“Because I don’t need them here,” I answer flatly.

“You don’t need your sobriety coach or your bodyguard? The
band’s
bodyguard?”

“No, bro, I don’t. I’ve been fine without Koa here. You or Law go to meetings with me if I feel off, and these Canadians don’t care who the fuck we are. It’s not the same as the States,” I try to reassure him. When he just stands staring at me, much the way he’s been doing all damn day, I raise my hands in question. “Do you want me to call Dane, see how soon he can fly here? Will that make you feel better?” I ask sarcastically.

“Yes, actually it would, asshole,” Judge says. “Now that you’re living here, you’ll create more of a buzz. I think we need him here. You need him here. Especially if you’re going to be spending time with Lyric.”

He should’ve just led with that. All he had to do was mention her name. Pulling out my phone I shoot a text to Dane. He’s been our bodyguard since high school. He followed us to all our gigs without us even asking, just a solid, scary as fuck presence.

Me: Get here

Dane: See you tomorrow

Me: Pack your long johns

Dane: You’ll keep me warm

Me: Damn right

“He’ll be here tomorrow.” I grin and slide my phone onto the table.

Ro and Law snicker at our standoff. Before I can bust his nuts anymore, the doorbell rings.

“Who knows where you live?” Judge asks suspiciously.

“Just you guys. Who the fuck am I gonna tell?”

While Judge and I stare each other down, Law goes and answers the door.

Moments later Law comes back with our visitor, a smile on his face. Shit’s about to hit the fan, and if I didn’t know better—which I do—Law is excited about it.

Joaquin steps from behind Law, and I can see that there’s something new in his eyes today that wasn't there before. Malice and hate. For me.

“Well, well, well. To what do I owe this honor?” I ask jovially, kicking back on two legs of the chair and lighting another cigarette. He doesn't say anything at first, just watches me watch him through the haze of my smoke. The guys all sitting, watching this play out, letting me handle him.

“Why don't you do us all a favor and just go back to wherever you came from,” Joaquin bites out. Cutting right to the chase. “Do Willow a favor and leave. You've put her through enough already. And I'm sure your friends would like to go home,” he says, glowering down at me. Letting the chair legs slam down, I stand.

“You don't know shit about shit. I'm here for my girl, and I'm not leaving.”

“You're not wanted here, Stone. She’s not going to just come running back to you. You lost her loyalty long ago.” His stupid fucking accent grates on my nerves, the words even more so, and I snap.

“She’s my girl!” I yell, jaw clenched and pulse in my neck throbbing. Joaquin grins lazily, goading me with a shrug.

“That's your first mistake. You call her 'your girl' all you want because she's not that young, naïve, faithful to a fault girl anymore. She's a woman.
My
woman. And you need to accept that.”

“The fuck I will.” I stand exhaling in his direction, hoping he can't see the tremble of my hands from the need to beat the shit out of him. “She’s your woman? That’s cute. Has she ever sung for you? In the middle of the night, sitting there, naked, singing like a damn angel in the moonlight. Voice so pretty it’ll make your dick hard.” I smirk at the tightening in his jaw. “I’m guessing that's a no. Come talk to me when she has. Until you've met
that
Willow, you don't know her and she's not yours.” Pointing my cigarette at him, I narrow my eyes. “Those are my memories. The Willow I've had the privilege to know and experience. That side of her belongs to me. Without that you only have pieces of her. I'm the glue that puts all her pieces together. All of those beautiful broken pieces are mine to fix. You're just a bystander. Wishing and hoping he had the same bond that we do.” Taking a slow, calming drag from my cigarette, I blow the smoke from my nose before releasing the rest in a gray stream from the corner of my already upturned mouth. “You can never be me, and therefore Willow can never be yours,” I inform him matter-of-factly. Joaquin's breathing is labored, his fists clenched. My own muscles are bunched in anticipation. When he spits at my feet, and says something snidely in French, I have to put an arm out to stop Law from taking his ass to task. “Nah, leave him, Lawson. The truth hurts like a motherfucker sometimes. Doesn't it, Joaquin?”