Chase the Road (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) (9 page)

“
You
with us?
”
Rockett asked
with a laugh.

“
He
’
s nursing a hangover,
”
Asher said.
“
Crazy rockstar night.
”

“
Yeah,
right,
”
Blake said.

“
Well,
hold up,
”
Rockett said.
“
I mean, we
’
re going from a couple local
radio plays all the way to worldwide status. Amazing.
”

“
Yeah,
”
Ryan said.
“
It
’
s
all the fans though. They watched the videos. They shared them. They bought the
songs. They demanded more.
”

“
They
buy concert tickets,
”
Tanner cut in.

“
And
that gives us the chance to live our dream up on stage each night,
”
Blake said.
“
Pretty wild.
”

“
Pretty
wild,
”
Rockett said.

The roar of a cougar sounded.

Rockett finished up right there. He
thanked the band, the studio cheered, and then he pointed to someone who took
them off air, replacing the live interview with what would be a
Rockett
Block of Rock
, meaning four songs by Gone by Autumn would air.

The band stood and Rockett jumped
up. They took a picture together and that ended the morning. Gone by Autumn
left the studio to some fanfare. The crazy loyal fans made a line outside the
gates of the station, hoping for a chance to meet the guys.

Blake took the lead and went to the
gate to start shaking hands, signing autographs and taking
selfies
by
grabbing fans phones, turning around, and just taking pictures. It was a great
feeling to have people want the band so badly. Plus, anyone crazy enough to
ditch work and stand outside a radio station in the hopes of meeting a rockstar
should have their wish granted.

The morning finally ended when the
band got into a waiting black car and were taken to the arena they
’
d play later that night.

The rest of the day was spent in a
blur as Blake went through a soundcheck, another call in at a radio station,
and then sat on the bus, lost in the last conversation he had with Maya. He
knew they were both holding back, which was stupid. Just plain stupid
…

(9)

Maya couldn
’
t stop herself.
Moving
up and down on Blake so hard and fast. Loving the way he dug his fingers into
the small of her back, bringing her forward, increasing the wild pressure within
herself. She had already climaxed twice and felt a third rushing over her. She
never felt like this. She never came like this. It was the most intense experience
ever.

Their bodies glistened with sweat
and when Blake started to climax, he groaned with each filling thrust of
himself, lifting hard to Maya
’
s
body while Maya crashed down on him, holding, rocking her hips, groaning as she
started to come again.

They remained just like that - Maya
straddling Blake, Blake deep inside her - for a  little while as they both
caught their breath and kept kissing. One thing was for sure
…
Maya wished they could just do
this all day. Maybe all day everyday.

Forever?

Seriously?

The idea of forever
…
that always seemed so dumb and
childish. But Blake changed all that. He made forever seem possible and feel
real.

Blake gently lifted Maya of him and
they both collapsed to the bed together. They stared at each other, and at the
exact same moment they both started laughing. Maya had no idea why she was
laughing, but it just felt right. It felt good. She never felt so comfortable,
yet vulnerable, around someone before.

When they stopped laughing, Maya
’
s stomach let out a deep growl.

“
We
better get you some breakfast,
”
Blake said.

“
Yeah?
You going to cook for me?
”

“
You
don
’
t want me to cook,
sweetheart,
”
Blake
whispered. He kissed her.
“
I
’
ll call and go pick something
up. Sound good?
”

“
I
’
ll be in the shower. Naked and
wet.
”

“
Keep
talking like that and we both won
’
t
eat. I
’
ll lock every door
and each window. I
’
ll turn
off the phones. It
’
ll just
be us forever.
”

Maya touched Blake
’
s face.
“
Yeah. I would love that.
”

“
Me
too. I
…
uh
…
this is really good. I mean it,
Maya. It
’
s not just
…
this
…
it
’
s
more.
”

Maya bit her lip. She
’
d be a lying fool if she didn
’
t at the very least admit to
herself that she was far beyond falling for Blake. The word
love
had
been swirling around for days now. And she never had used the word before. No
way. Maybe for her dog when she was a kid, but that was way different than
this.

“
Okay,
I better get moving,
”
Blake
said.
“
Or I
’
ll never get out of this bed.
”

Maya enjoyed the sight of Blake
getting out of bed naked and getting dressed. The firmness of his ass, defined
muscle in his back, the thickness of his arms when he turned and pulled up his
jeans. He threw on a shirt and left the bedroom and apartment. That
’
s when Maya climbed from the bed
and went to the shower. As the water cascaded along her body, she took a moment
to appreciate herself. It was a strange and almost tender moment. Nobody made
her feel like Blake did, and that included how she appreciated her own body.
The way he clung to her, thrust at her, the way he groaned and came
…
Maya soon caught herself
blushing in the company of just herself.

By the time she got out of the
shower, she was completely turned on again, ready to go. Her needs were on fire
and there was no stopping it. Maya dried off and heard voices. She wrapped the
towel tight around her body and opened the bathroom door.

“
Dude,
it
’
s amazing
…
it
’
s just
…
this is the start
…”

That was the voice of Asher. And he
sounded a little buzzed already.

Maya grinned. Asher was simply
crazy. Never in a million years could she imagine some woman taming him.

“
We
just have to keep cool,
”
Ryan said.
“
Hang tight and
keep plugging away.
”

“
Think
other stations will pick it up now?
”
Gabe asked.

Maya left the bathroom and cleared
her throat. All the guys looked at her - in just the towel - and they all
instantly stopped talking. Their eyes were wide. Asher slowly stood up, jaw
almost on the floor.

“
Maya,
”
Ryan said.
“
Are
…”

“
Wait,
”
Gabe said.
“
Is Blake going to come out next?
”

“
Holy
shit,
”
Asher said.

“
Good
morning,
”
Maya said.
“
Congrats on the radio play.
”

That
’
s
when the apartment door opened and Blake came walking in carrying a bag of food
and coffee.

“
Hell
yeah,
”
Tanner yelled.

The band attacked Blake, ripping
apart the bag of food. They bitched that there wasn
’
t enough bagels for everyone. And there were only a
handful of hashbrowns. Blake did manage to keep the coffee in his hands and
walked to Maya.

“
Giving
a show?
”
he asked.

“
Thanks
for the coffee,
”
she said.

Blake kissed her.
“
Sorry about this
…”

“
Don
’
t be. Go be a rockstar.
”

Maya turned and walked to the
bedroom. She looked over her should and made sure nobody but Blake could see
her. She then dropped the towel and winked at him.

In the bedroom, she shut the door
and felt a little tug in her heart.

She kind of already started to come
to terms that there would never be just her and Blake. It would always be the
band. And eventually they would end up on the road. Blake would be a rockstar
…
but would he want to be tied
down?

Maya stood at the door, holding it
open for Hunter. He had his cell tucked between his ear and shoulder as he
carried two bags toward the door.

“
Yeah,
I
’
m leaving right now. We
’
ll figure it out, Bob. I give
you my word. Hey, if I could swim or grow wings, I
’
d already be there. Maybe next time we can convince
Carmen to send a private jet, right?
”

Hunter laughed and wiggled his cell
from his shoulder. It started to fall and Maya caught it.

“
Thanks,
”
he said.
“
I
’
m
so sorry I have to leave like this.
”

“
Business
calls,
”
Maya said.

The lump in her throat was still
there.

He leaves early for his job
…
yet I
’
m here
…
missing out on the road.
The shows. The tour. The band. Blake.

Maya had tuned into the radio
interviews, streaming them on her laptop. The new song sounded really good. It
was the first time she heard a new song like that. Usually she was front row
and center to hear the new music from the band.

Hunter kissed the top of her head.
“
I
’
ll
be back before you know it.
”

Hunter left the apartment and Maya
called for him. He stopped and turned.

“
Did
the other night
…
I mean
…
did you understand how that
made me feel?
”

“
I
obviously offended you. I didn
’
t
intend to do that. I
’
m not
leaving my apartment and downgrading how I live. Sorry.
”

“
That
’
s a real rude thing to say,
”
Maya said.
“
That hurts me.
”

“
It
’
s the truth.
”

“
The
truth? Maybe nothing of mine will be here when you get back, Hunter. Including
me.
”

Hunter
’
s lip curled.
“
And
this is how I want to leave for London?
”

“
This
is how I want you to leave?
”

“
You
’
re picking an argument, Maya.
”

“
You
’
re being an ass.
”

“
I
’
m leaving,
”
Hunter said.
“
You don
’
t want to be here, give your key to the doorman. I
’
d sooner trust him with it than
you.
”

Maya gasped.
“
That
’
s it? You want to leave like that? Just
…
that
’
s it for us?
”

Hunter lifted his bags again and
turned.
“
Goodbye, Maya.
”

Hunter left and Maya didn
’
t go after him. She told herself
to chase him down. Fuck him if he missed his flight, right? She deserved a
conversation and answers. But Maya stood there, maybe wanting Hunter to go. To
be gone. To have thousands of miles and an ocean between them.

Within the hour she was back at her
apartment. She still had Hunter
’
s
key, for whatever that was actually worth. She tossed the key (now taken off
her key ring in some kind of high school act of defiance) to the end table next
to the couch and just kept walking until she was in her bedroom. She sat on her
bed, feeling the comfortable sheets, covers, and chillness of the bedroom.

Is it really over that easily?

Maya wasn
’
t sure how she should have really felt in that
moment. She could be upset. Cry. That would be the normal thing. After all, she
did tell Hunter she loved him. More than once. Each time was like a little stab
to her own heart, knowing it wasn
’
t
the same kind of love he had for her. Then again, was there such thing as more
than one kind of love?

The questions kept swirling around
her mind, again and again, right up until her phone started to ring. Half of
her wanted it to be Hunter, calling to figure this mess out. The other wanted
it to be Blake, calling to save the day, like he always did.

But it was neither.

It was a phone call she had been
dreading for a long time.

Her grandfather - the man who
basically raised her - was about to die.

*

Another amazing show. Blake
’
s body and mind were definitely
ready for a little break soon. He
’
d
seen a lot of guys and bands burnout on the road. The same thing, over and
over, the intensity of it all, it adds up really quick. Top that with personal
issues (that everyone has in life) and it didn
’
t
take much to take the baddest rockstar and make him topple over, desperate for
air and a decent night
’
s
sleep.

Blake wiped his face with a towel.
He took a few deep breaths and watched the guys already convening to a back
room corner for a drink. By now, most of them were going for water instead of
booze. At least, for the first drink.

Willow Son were simply amazing on
tour. They fit with Gone by Autumn perfectly, and the last two shows they
started coming out on each other
’
s
sets and jamming a few songs. It was fun. Simply put. Fun.

The fun, however, was being on the
stage, playing drums, guitar, trying to sing, and seeing thousands upon
thousands of fans cheering and screaming. That
’
s
the reason why some bands stayed out on tour too long and got burned out.
Because the fans were their chance at peace and hope. They were the ultimate
distraction to the lives waiting behind the stage and off the road.

For Blake, it was the nagging
feelings from his conversation with Maya. He wanted to call her and make it
right. But he feared what that would do. If he put himself out there and got
kicked over, he
’
d lose it
for good. And then if something started to happen
…
again
…

“
Blake!
”
a voice boomed.

Ryan was waving him to the back.

Blake gave a nod and didn
’
t move.

Ryan waved again. Then Sam
appeared, charging down the hall with a cell phone in his hand.

“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Blake called out and started to run toward Sam.

“
Take
the call,
”
Sam said. He put
his hand tight around the phone.
“
It
’
s Maya. There
’
s an emergency. She won
’
t talk to us. Just you.
”