Beautifully Undone (The Beaumont Brothers #3) (9 page)

Melody

Sitting on stage with Ash was a bit surreal. I’d been watching him up here for the past six months, always wishing I could be up here with him. And now I was. 

The club was packed, and my stomach felt a bit uneasy. I hadn’t eaten much over the past several days, and Ash had made me eat a cheeseburger earlier. It was probably the first solid food I’d ingested since the horrible morning I found out about Ted. I still wasn’t able to eat much, but Ash said if I didn’t eat, he wouldn’t let me sing. So I gave in and ate half of the burger. Now I regretted every bite because I felt as if I might lose the entire meal.

I took a deep breath. Stage fright was not something I ever thought I’d have, but I was nervous as hell.

We started out with two of my favorite songs, which made it easier on me. The first was a soft ballad; the second was a rock song. When we finished the second one, I took a sip from the bottle of water sitting next to me. I looked at Ash with a smile gracing my lips, searching for a clue as to the next song he wanted to do. He began strumming, and I stopped smiling. I didn’t think I could do that song.

“Come on, Mel. You can do this,” he whispered and sang the first line of Elton John’s
Your Song
. I swallowed to try and dislodge the ragged rock stuck in my throat. This song had too much meaning. It was too soon, and I shook my head. How could he do this song? Wasn’t it too soon for him, too? His mother had died not so long ago, and then Ted, but Ash kept on strumming the chords, waiting for me to join in. It didn’t seem like he was going to back down.

I sang the first line, a bit timidly, staring at Ash the entire time. Then the second verse. By the end of the first chorus, we were singing to Teddy together. This was his song. 

It was probably the most difficult thing I’d ever done, but I managed to get through it. And I felt better for it. Ash pulled me in for a hug when we finished singing it. I wondered if he realized how much his hug meant to me. How much I needed it from him. He’d been keeping his distance, and I was completely confused. He was my best friend, and yeah, he’d been around me almost constantly since Ted died, but he hadn’t been close. Not like before. Before the sex.

We were well into the fourth song when my heart skipped several beats. Alex Clayton sat down at the table directly in front of me and he had some woman with him, of course. It wasn’t that I was upset about that, I didn’t really care who he was with, but it was just disturbing that he would sit right in front of me and stare directly into my eyes as if to say, “Fuck you, bitch. I don’t need to pop your virginity.” At least, that’s what his stare said to me as he smirked before turning to kiss the woman briefly on her lips.

I glanced at Ash, and he was frowning at Alex. No surprise there. I knew how he felt about the jerk. I hadn’t talked to Ash about what had happened between Alex and me, or should I say, what
didn’t
happen. I was a bit embarrassed to admit that he’d been right, and I didn’t want him gloating or saying, “I told you so.”

This was the first moment I’d actually had a chance to think about Alex since the tragedy that stole my brother. But now that I saw Alex again, I was glad that I hadn’t given in to him. I was actually sort of relieved that he’d revealed exactly what his true intentions were with me. He could have just lied about his feelings toward me and continued with his seduction. Told me how much he liked me, how he couldn’t get me out of his head. A number of romantic lines came to mind. Not that I would have given in to him, no matter what. But he could have played the “Oh come on’s,” a little longer until he took me home. I had to commend him on quickly ending the date so I didn’t need to keep saying no.

The song we were in the middle of ended, and I picked up my bottle of water, ready to start the next one, but was grateful when Asher spoke into the microphone.

“Thank you all for coming out on this cold night. Melody and I will be right back after a short break.”

We propped our guitars against our chairs and headed backstage.

“You okay?” Ash asked.

“Yeah.”

“You sure? Because I can have that asshole removed if you’d like.”

“No. I’m fine. It’s okay.” I thought of telling Ash right then that I hadn’t had sex with Alex, but for some reason, I didn’t think it was any of his business and decided to keep the entire night to myself.  Let him think what he wanted. He didn’t care anyway. He hadn’t bothered to even ask me about that night. If he cared, he would have asked.

After our short break, we went back on stage and played until ten. There was a larger band starting at ten-thirty that was more for the dancing crowd, suited more for those late-night want-to-find-someone-to-take-home-and-fuck singles. Like Alex.

“Want a shot to celebrate our first performance together?” Asher asked.

“Sure.”

We strolled to the bar, and Asher ordered two shots of Patron Silver. He handed one to me.

“Thanks.”

“To us,” he said.

I gave him a weak smile, knowing he was talking about the performance, wishing he were talking about our relationship. Whatever it had become wasn’t the same. Now it was more of an awkward, walk-on-eggshells kind of friendship, with us avoiding the sexual tension that I knew was one-sided. I dreaded the conversation about Alex. 

I downed the shot the same as Asher had, but something felt horribly wrong in my stomach. I ran to the bathroom and made it just in time for the vomit to land in the toilet. God, I felt sick. I rinsed my mouth out and pressed some damp, cool, paper towels against my cheeks and forehead. The coolness felt good on my skin, and some of the pink color in my cheeks came back. I wiped the black smudges of mascara from below my eyes from the tears that came automatically while I’d been throwing up. The door to the restroom opened and two women walked in. One was the woman who had been sitting with Alex.

“I can’t believe I’m finally on a date with Alex,” she said to her friend as she entered one of the stalls. “He is so yummy, and the way he kisses, wow! That was by far the best kiss of my life. I hope it doesn’t seem awkward tomorrow at work.”

The best kiss she’d ever had? And she worked with him? Yuck. I wanted to throw up again as I listened to her go on about him. I thought about warning her of what his intentions were, but decided that might not be received as well as I would hope. And they might just think I was eavesdropping and that I should mind my own business. Besides, if she worked with Alex, then she probably already knew that he’d been making his way around, sampling all the women at the office as well as at the club. I left the bathroom, not wanting to hear any more.

“You okay?” Asher asked when I came back to find him still at the bar.

“Yeah. After not eating or drinking much over the past week, I guess my body just isn’t ready for food and alcohol.”

“Hi, Ash. Great performance tonight.” Lisa, the one with the big boobs, sashayed up close to Asher’s chest. Too close, if you asked me. She gave me a curt glance then resumed her attentions toward Ash. “What are you doing later?”

Ash smiled. I looked away. I couldn’t watch. She was all over him. I wanted to shove her away. No. I wanted to shove my fist down her dainty throat. Ash whispered something back to her. I couldn’t hear since the music had started up again.

Lisa smiled and walked away, winking at Asher as she did.

I felt sick. Again. I placed my hand over my stomach and cringed at the discomfort I was experiencing.

“Maybe we should go,” Ash said.

“I think that would be a great idea. Did you talk to Stan about leaving yet?” I asked as we walked backstage to grab our equipment.

“Yeah. I told him I’d be gone for about a month.”

“You’re planning to go for that long?” I was shocked.

He nodded.

“And Stan is okay with that? I thought we’d just take a vacation, go see your brothers and then come home,” I admitted as we headed for the door, our guitar cases slung over our shoulders.

“Yeah, he’s good with it. I thought about taking a short vacation, but what’s the point of just meeting them and leaving? I decided it would be good to just play it by ear. In case the meeting goes well and I want to stick around for a while, get to know them better. Are you under pressure to be home sooner? I have the money my mom left to live on for at least the next ten years. I think I can spend a little of it for this. I think she’d want me to.”

I smiled as Ash held the passenger side door of his truck open for me. “No. I agree. I think that’s a great idea.” I didn’t really have any reason not to stay with him for that long. I didn’t have a steady job. I did temp work in different offices around the city, but none of them were any place that I’d ever wanted to pursue a permanent position. I was glad to hear Asher sound so positive about the situation. It was nice that he’d come to terms with things and wasn’t so bitter about having half-brothers. Teddy’s death must have affected Ash in ways that I hadn’t realized, but I understood completely. Ted and Asher had been as close as brothers could be. I guess that made me somewhat like a sister, though my mind would never go there. Especially now that we’d had sex. Even if it was just that one time.

My stomach twisted in a knot. This sensation was different than pain. Suddenly, I hated the thought that I’d never be with Asher again that way. My mind visualized Lisa, and how just a few short minutes ago she’d pressed her chest up against his and breathed something into his ear, probably telling him where she’d be in about an hour. I didn’t relish the idea that she’d probably be sleeping with him tonight. One last fling before he left town. No, that wasn’t true. I hated it. Had to admit, ever since Ash and I’d had sex, I’d been jealous of the other women in his life. My feelings for Asher had only grown stronger since the sexual encounter, and I worried that they might not ever stop.

Asher

I walked Mel to her door. I wanted to caress her face between my palms and kiss the living daylights out of her. I hated that Alex had to show up at the club and ruin what would have been a perfect night. But he had to flaunt that slut in front of Mel, just as I knew he would. What an ass.

I’d taken Mel’s virginity so he couldn’t have it. And even though we’d agreed that it would only be that one time and only for the purpose of the sexual experience for her, I’d never want to hurt her by showing off another woman so soon afterwards. That was the big difference between Alex and me. I slept around, but I wasn’t out to break any records or add another notch to the bedpost. That’s what Alex had done in high school when I’d first met him. He was about a year older than me, and later, when I attended the same university for two semesters before my mom got sick, I’d been in the same fraternity house. I saw the notches on his bed, actual fucking notches. I shook my head at the memory. I’d heard him brag about every one of those notches and the girl they represented, in detail, one in particular that made me cringe. Even now. I hoped he’d changed since then and would keep his mouth shut about Mel. I didn’t want her to get a slutty reputation around the club just because she’d made a mistake and let Alex screw her.

Mel unlocked her door and turned to face me. “Thanks for inviting me to sing with you tonight, Ash. It was a great experience. I wish Ted could have been there.”

“Me, too. But if I know Ted, I’m sure he was there.”

“You’re probably right.” She smiled. “What time do you want to leave for, what is it? Turtle Lake?”

“Yeah. It’s about a four-hour drive. If we leave here by nine at the latest, we could stop for lunch somewhere, and then head straight to Turtle Lake. My mom told me they own a bar up there. I thought maybe we should go there first. That way, I can check them out if they’re there and see what they’re like. You know, before I go and ruin their lives.”

“You’re not going to ruin their lives, Ash. Don’t think that way. I bet they’ll be very grateful that you took the time and had the courage to find them. But,” she grinned, “that sounds like a good plan, going to the bar first. I think I can be packed and ready by nine.”

“Well, no pressure on the timestamp. We’ll shoot for nine and leave when we’re ready.”

As much as I wanted to kiss Mel, I stepped back and headed to my own apartment. She was going with me tomorrow. I was glad about that.

I spent the rest of the night packing my bags. One less thing to do in the morning. I decided one medium-sized duffle bag and one smaller backpack would be plenty for me. I didn’t need a bunch of clothes. A couple of pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts, and some long-sleeved tees. I threw in a couple of button down long-sleeved shirts, too. Just in case. Plus, I had my guitar. And I knew Melody would bring hers. Knowing her, she’d probably have another large suitcase. I grabbed the tarp out of the closet. I’d need to cover and strap everything down in the back of the truck to secure it all.

Within thirty minutes, I was all packed. I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and sank down on the sofa in front of the TV. I scrolled through the channels and found an old-time horror flick,
House of Wax,
starring Vincent Price.
Hmmm…perfect
, I thought. I loved these old movies. I sank back into the corner of my old sofa and nursed my beer.

I felt a kick on the bottom of my foot. I opened my eyes to see a very perturbed Melody standing above me with her arms crossed over her chest.

“I can’t believe you.” She shook her head. “You’re despicable, Asher Beaumont.”

I blinked. “What?” I glanced around my apartment. It was morning. “I must have fallen asleep.” The TV was still on, and I looked to my left. The beer I’d started was still full and standing on the table beside me, but at least I’d had the sense to put it down before I’d fallen asleep.

“I’ve been waiting for thirty minutes for you. It’s nine-thirty. You said you wanted to leave at nine. I’ve been ready since eight forty-five just in case you wanted to get an earlier start, and here you are, sleeping on your sofa. You didn’t even go to bed, did you?”

“I’m sorry. I’m all packed. I just need to take a quick shower. Give me fifteen minutes. Go get some coffee, will you?”

“Sure. I’ll be your damn waitress. Next time you say nine o’clock, make it nine o’clock.”

“I said I was sorry. It’s not like we’re on a set schedule or anything. We have plenty of time. We’ll get there when we get there.” What the fuck was she so pissed off about?

I jumped in the shower and quickly scrubbed down, letting the warm water flow over my head to help wake me up. Why was Mel so upset about finding me on the couch? I’d fallen asleep there plenty of times, nothing new about that. But this time, I hadn’t even been drunk. Passing out on the sofa was something I sometimes did after coming home from drinking or a date. I hated getting into bed without a shower after a night out, so if I wasn’t in the mood to get wet, I’d fall asleep there.

Great fucking movie. I didn’t remember much past the opening credits. I must have been tired. The entire week of always being on alert because of Mel’s fragile state must have drained my energy. I hadn’t been sure of anything that she might do while mourning Ted.

I placed my hand on the wall and let the water flow down the back of my head when I heard Mel’s voice. I jumped. Startled.

“Here’s your coffee.”

I hadn’t expected her to bring the coffee to me in here. She set the coffee down without looking at me. Acting very shy, she quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. Why was she being so timid? She’d seen me naked before. Just a few weeks ago when we’d…had sex. I thought of her standing here with me in the shower. How soft her body had been, how firm her tits were, and suckable. How sweet she’d tasted on my fingers after I’d dipped them inside of her and then let her take a taste of herself from them.

“Asher, get a move on!” Mel’s voice yelled from the other side of the door.

Fuck!

I had my cock in hand, ready to come. I hadn’t had a release in days because I’d been taking care of Melody. Well, she was better now, and one thing was for sure, I needed to get laid. I should have taken Lisa up on her offer last night. But for some reason, I didn’t feel like being with her. Since when did I get so choosy?

My mind drifted back to Mel. She’d been so willing to do whatever I’d suggested that night. The memory of the pleasure of sinking my dick inside of her sweet, tight canal and hearing her moan with excitement had me so completely undone, I’d had a hard time holding out long enough to give her the experience she deserved. The way she’d accepted me after the first initial pinch of losing her virginity, she’d turned into a sexy vixen with the way she moved. Circling her hips under me, bucking them up when I’d thrusted in. I closed my eyes and pumped my hand against my cock hard, managing to stifle the moan that begged to escape with the much-needed release that finally came.

I pressed my forehead against the shower wall and waited for my heartbeat and breathing to return to normal. I couldn’t believe I’d just jacked off thinking about Melody. While she was right in the next room. Ted’s words came rushing into my mind.
Look, Ash, you and Mel…you belong together. Everyone else sees it, why don’t the two of you?
Could he have been on to something? Could Melody and I ever be in that kind of relationship? Would Ted have endorsed such a relationship? It sure seemed as if he’d been headed in that direction from what he said. I’d been blind to it all, even while he was spelling it out for me. Even after Mel and I’d had sex together, I’d still been blind to the possibility. Mel had grown into a very sexy woman, and I’d been denying my feelings and desires for her. The question now was; would she want me? I didn’t think she would, considering she’d made a big deal about experiencing other guys, too. Guys like Alex fucking Clayton.

I grabbed the towel off the hook and stepped out of the shower, ready to hit the road. This was going to be an interesting trip.