How to Catch a (Rock) Star (The Dead Hour #1) (14 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

In her window seat, Lillie stared out at the tarmac, trying not to cry. Leaving Kate behind had been more upsetting than she could have ever imagined. She couldn’t stop thinking about Chris running back to kiss Kate one more time when they had finally parted ways. She choked back a sob and Jed squeezed her hand. She couldn’t look at him. She knew she would give in to the tears if she saw the concern in his eyes.

Up in the air, Jed ordered two neat Jack Daniels, putting them both on Lillie’s fold down table. It was ten o’clock in the morning. She downed them both and put on her eye mask.

Eventually, she fell asleep, Jed waking her up for lunch a couple of hours later. She ate automatically without tasting it, which was probably a good thing. Jed suggested she watch one of the comedy films but she didn’t want to be cheered up. Instead, she chose an intense sounding romantic tragedy so she could blame the crying on that.

Finally, they were touching down. Lillie switched on her phone as soon as the plane stopped and a text from Kate came straight through. Lillie smiled through a haze of tears and texted her right back, blinking rapidly. She was glad that Kate’s parents had picked her up from the aiport, taking her back to their house for a big lunch made up of all her favourite foods. Kate wouldn’t have time to think about Chris when all her extended family were vying for her attention.

As they came out into the arrivals area, Lillie smiled as an attractive, dark-haired, slightly plump woman ducked under the rope and ran towards Jed, shouting his name loudly. Lillie watched as Jed dropped the hand luggage on the floor and lifted her up into a hug that swept her feet off the floor.

‘Hey Mom! It’s so good to be home,’ he said, kissing her cheek as Lillie hung back, unsure what she was supposed to do.

The woman turned to look at her, a big grin on her face, not too dissimilar to her son’s.

‘You must be Lillie! I’m Jed’s mom, Sandra,’ she exclaimed, holding out her arms.

Lillie stepped into her embrace and Sandra squeezed her tightly before stepping back to look at her properly. Turning to Jed, she said,

‘She sure is a pretty little thing. I take it you’ve got it all sorted out with - ’

Jed didn’t give her time to finish her sentence, slinging an arm around each of them and telling her not be embarrassing.

They left the airport and made their way to where Jed’s dad, Martin, waited with a huge minivan. Shaking his hand, she noticed how unlike him Jed was. Martin, although tall and well-built like his son, was fair haired and had hazel eyes hidden behind tortoise shell glasses. He looked a serious sort of man and Lillie remembered Jed telling her that he was a professor of English at Columbia University.

The drive to Jed’s parents’ house was loud and overwhelming. Everyone except Martin and Eddie talked at once and Lillie couldn’t keep track of any of the five conversations going on. She sat back and let it all wash over her, texting her parents to let them know she had arrived and then Kate and Tess to tell them about Jed’s parents and their surprise pick up at the airport.

It took about forty-five minutes to get to the house, a large American timber-built home, painted a soft mint green, with a large, immaculately manicured front garden, bordered with beautiful, bright flowers in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Lillie raised an eyebrow at Jed who grinned back at her before jumping down from the van and lifting her out. A huge hand-painted ‘Welcome Home’ banner hung across the porch with black and silver balloons strewn from the porch beams.

‘This is the third time we’ve had that banner out,’ Sandra said to Lillie, passing out the smaller bags to her. ‘I guess there’ll be plenty more times too.’

‘Your house is beautiful,’ Lillie said, still shocked at the size of it. She had thought that Jed came from a more modest background but, looking at the house, it was obvious his parents were pretty comfortable. The nagging thought that they didn’t know much about each other flitted through her head before she squashed it back down and followed Sandra into the house, dumping the bags in the spacious hall and taking in the paintings crowding the walls.

‘Wow, these are fantastic,’ she said, staring at a large, aggressively vivd painting that dominated the stairs wall. ‘God, this one is so - ’ She struggled for the right word. ‘Intense.’ It didn’t do it justice but she couldn’t think of a better word. It was incredibly vibrant with strong, broad brushstrokes and radiated hope, happiness and an almost desperate feeling of love.

Jed came to stand next to her.

‘That one’s mine,’ he said. ‘I did it in art school. It was one of my final pieces.’ He turned around, gesturing at the others. ‘Most of the others are Mom’s but there are some more of mine too.’ He started pointing out some smaller paintings.

‘I didn’t know you painted,’ Lillie said, staring at the collection. The majority of Jed’s were dark, melancholy pieces apart from the big one.

‘Yeah, well, I used to. I don’t really do it anymore.’

‘Why not? These are really great,’ she said, thinking that if she could paint like that, she would do it all the time.

‘I guess I don’t really have the time anymore. Plus, I didn’t really feel like it for a long time.’ He avoided Lillie’s eyes, taking her hand and leading her down the hall to the kitchen. ‘C’mon. Let’s get something to eat. Aren’t you hungry after the flight?’

She certainly was and as they neared the kitchen, she could hear music and the hubbub of chatter. Loud barking greeted them as they opened the door, and Lillie was rushed by two giant dogs as soon as she stepped into the crowded kitchen. She had time to take in the fact that there were about three times more people in the room than she had expected, before the dogs were all over her, fighting for paw space on her shoulders and trying to lick her face. Jed pushed them off and Sandra shouted at them to get into their beds. As the dogs slunk off, Lillie realised that everyone was staring at her. She blushed and looked at Jed, edging nearer to him.

‘Mom,’ he admonished Sandra quietly and she widened her eyes at him. ‘Lillie, this is, well, everyone. Pretty much all the families of the band and a few extras. Everyone, this is Lillie.’

Lillie forced a smile as they all chorused hellos, some of them coming forwards for hugs and handshakes. If she’d thought the drive here had been overwhelming, then she didn’t have words for the evening that followed.

There must have been forty people in the house and they all stayed for a massive barbeque in the back garden, which was even bigger than the front garden, with a lake at the bottom of it. The evening was one big drunken party, where Lillie was subjected to the curiosity of the band’s various family members. She must have told the story of how she met Jed and became a member of the band at least twenty times. She rather wished that Jed had had his mum type it up and distribute it to the entire neighbourhood.

She couldn’t remember any names apart from Chris’s sister, Marie, and Johnny’s parents, Hal and Denise, who were some of the loveliest people she had ever met. Denise introduced herself and immediately began giving her tips on how to handle Johnny, most of which were hilarious. His father was just like him, in looks and personality minus the tattoos. Lillie loved them instantly. They were completely non-judgmental and accepting of all their son’s choices.

Marie was just like Chris, funny and easygoing. She was a music journalist and gave Lillie a lot of handy advice about what to say and, more importantly, what not to say in interviews.

The only person missing was Jed’s sister, Kristen, who was in LA and had promised Jed she would take time off work to spend with them when the tour got to the West coast.

By midnight, Lillie was exhausted and went to find Jed to ask him where she was sleeping.

He took her up to his childhood room, still crowded with leftovers from his teenage years. Band posters were still blue-tacked to three of the walls with the remaining one completely covered in doodles, lyrics, quotes and messages. Lillie was too tired to read it all but promised herself she would have a thorough look at it tomorrow. She gratefully climbed under Doom Patrol sheets and fell asleep quickly, hoping that tomorrow would be a quieter day.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

When Lillie woke up, Jed was gone. She rolled over in the big, half-empty bed and stared up at the ceiling for a while before reaching for her phone to text Kate. Her eyes widened in shock as she realised it was only half past seven. Why was Jed up so early? She sent a quick text to check in with Kate and had just dragged herself upright when the door opened and Jed appeared with a tray.

‘Hey, you’re awake,’ he said. ‘I brought you breakfast in bed. Actually, it was Mom’s idea. She thought you might want some quiet after yesterday,’ he said, putting the tray down on the bed and sitting carefully beside it.

‘Oh my God, pancakes!’ Lillie pulled the tray over to her and began cutting up the stack of pancakes, drenched in maple syrup.

Jed smiled and reached out to pick up the other set of cutlery on the tray. Lillie half-jokingly smacked his hand away. ‘No way,’ she said through a mouthful of pancake, ‘these are mine. Did your mum make them?’

‘Lil! There’s at least twenty pancakes there and, yes, my mom did make them. For us.’ He reached for the extra knife and fork again.

Lillie raised her eyebrows at him and pushed his hand away again. He sighed as she hauled the tray onto her lap and passed him a mug of coffee.

‘Oh, thanks a lot.’

‘I’ll leave you some,’ she said, shoving another mouthful in. ‘Man, these are so good.’

‘Yeah, I bet they are,’ Jed muttered, edging closer to her.

Now it was Lillie’s turn to sigh. She cut some more pancake and held the fork up to his mouth. He gave her a look but leant forward to eat it anyway. Lillie fed Jed rationed forkfuls until she felt sick and couldn’t eat anymore. She relinquished the tray and lay back on the bed, rubbing her stomach and moaning about how full up she felt.

Jed didn’t have any sympathy for her, quickly eating the rest of the pancakes before she changed her mind about not having room for them. When he was finished, he took over the rubbing of her belly for a while, both of them silent until he slipped his hand lower. Lillie pulled it out of her pyjama bottoms with a quiet yelp and placed it back onto her stomach. He resumed stroking for a couple of minutes before trying his luck again, this time gliding his hand up her top.

‘Jed, no!’ Lillie grabbed his hand again and put it back on her stomach.

‘What? It’s been two days, Lil,’ he moaned.

‘I am not having sex with you in your parents house,’ Lillie hissed, stopping his hand from creeping down again.

‘Are you serious?’ Jed said, eyes wide with horror. ‘But we’re here for another two nights!’

‘We are?’ Lillie said, thinking it would have been nice to have been consulted on these plans.

‘Yeah, we’ve got some time off for a few days, you know, grab some R&R, see our families.’ Jed took advantage of Lillie’s momentary lapse in concentration to slip his hand low enough for his fingers to connect with her clitoris. Her hand shot out to grasp his wrist but he continued regardless, leaning in to kiss her neck.

Her resolve was undone as his fingers deftly caressed her to an orgasm before he pulled her pyjamas off and rolled her to face him, swiftly sliding himself into her. Lillie wrapped her top leg around him, pushing him in deeper as he kissed her, her moans of pleasure echoing in his mouth. They clung to each other as their hips crashed together and Jed came with a shudder, suppressing his usual groans.

‘You’re a very naughty boy,’ said Lillie, tipping her head up for a kiss.

‘Hmmm, maybe you’ll punish me later then?’ he suggested, giving her a kiss.

Lillie rolled away and got out of bed, giving him a dark look.

‘I told you, not in your parents’ house. What happened just now? That was a one-off.’

‘Fine, how about in a boat on the lake?’

Lillie rolled her eyes and went into his en-suite bathroom for a shower.

‘What if they’re not in?’ he shouted out. She switched on the shower and shouted back that maybe that would be okay.

‘Well, that can be arranged,’ she heard him say as she got under the hot water.

Two minutes later, the door slid open and he was there, crowding her in the shower cubicle, body pressed up against hers, even though the space was big enough for three people.

‘You are incorrigible,’ she said, laughing.

‘I know,’ he replied, a condom packet between his teeth. He poured some shower gel into his hands, lathering it up and rubbing his soapy hands over her breasts, fingers lingering over her nipples before dipping down between her legs. Lillie pressed herself back against him, parting her legs to allow him better access and bracing her arms against the opposite wall. She briefly marvelled at how he managed to get hard again so quickly as he guided himself into her, hands on her hips to hold her still. She tried to push back further as he slid in and out with exquisite slowness but he held her firm. When he seemed sure she wouldn’t move, he let go of her hips and wound her hair around one hand, tugging her head back and reaching for her breast with the other hand, rolling and tweaking her nipple as he slowly, teasingly plunged himself into her. Her knees trembled with desire and she fought the urge to move her own hips, even though she was impatient for him to increase the speed of his thrusts. She knew if she moved, he would pull out completely, teasing her to the very brink of desperation. She let out a tiny groan of frustration.

‘Jed? Are you in there?’

Lillie froze and looked at Jed in horror.

‘Oh my God, it’s your mum,’ she hissed, pulling away from him. ‘Say something before she comes in,’ she said, moving to stand behind him.

‘Hey, Mom. What’s up?’ Jed shouted out.

‘I was just wondering if you and Lillie wanted any more coffee? And also, Johnny’s on the phone.’ There was a pause. ‘Shall I tell him you’re busy?’ she added, a smile evident in her voice.

Lillie widened her eyes at Jed as the inevitable blush crept up her entire body. Jed laughed,

‘No thanks, Mom, we’re good for coffee.’

Lillie hit him in the arm.

‘Ouch. Tell Johnny I’ll call him back.’

‘Okay, honey. Morning Lillie!’ she called through the door.

Lillie’s eyes bulged with embarrassment as she called out a strangled good morning back.

‘Oh my God, I am mortified. Your mum knows, oh my God.’ Lillie stared at Jed in dismay. ‘Right, that’s it. Get out.’ She fumbled for the door, sliding it back and shoving him out into the cold bathroom. He struggled to stay inside the cubicle, laughing.

‘C’mon, Lil, she already knows. Chucking me out now won’t change that!’

‘I know that but I don’t want you in here. Now get out!’ She succeeded in pushing him out and shut the door. She watched him wrap a towel around himself and sit on the closed toilet. He shouted something out at her but she sang loudly to drown him out whilst she washed her hair. After standing under the hot spray for an eternity, she finally emerged in a cloud of steam, cleansed and feeling a little bit less appalled at the fact that Sandra had caught them having sex.

Jed grinned up at her and asked if she was feeling better. She replied haughtily that she was still mortified and asked him how she was supposed to face his mother now.

‘Well, I think she knows that we’ve been having sex for the last few months. I mean, we are adults, right?’

Lillie pressed her lips into a thin line and stalked past him into the bedroom. She dried and moisturised in a minor rage, dragging a comb through her hair as she contemplated how she was going to look Sandra in the eye. Thank God for Paris, she thought as she lifted out a pair of slim legged black trousers and a charcoal grey fitted t-shirt. Together with some black flats and next to no makeup it would look totally non-slutty.

She sent Kate another text, recounting the shower story, knowing she would laugh about it, as Lillie supposed she would some day. She folded her clothes whilst she was waiting for Jed to come out, no way was she going downstairs without back up, even if that back up was Jed.

Jed came out of the bathroom just as she was starting to read some of the messages on his wall.

‘Oh God, don’t read that crap,’ he said, quickly coming over and standing in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders and marched her backwards towards the bed, sitting her down.

‘Why not?’ Lillie said, perturbed by his insistence. She started to get up to go over to the wall again.

‘Lil, I said no,’ he said in a low, flat voice, stepping in front of her, anger in his eyes, his mouth set in a determined line.

Lillie sat back down quickly and his eyes cleared as he suddenly grinned at her, the same fake grin from their first day in London.

‘It’s embarrassing kid stuff. I just, I don’t really want you reading it. It’s all a load of shit. Really embarrassing shit. Bollocks, you might say,’ he said, in a rubbish attempt at an English accent.

‘Okay, if you really don’t want me to, then I won’t,’ Lillie said, disturbed by his behaviour.

He swooped down to kiss her.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. There’s just some really stupid things on there, you know, about girls, stuff like that.’

‘It’s okay. I won’t read any of your embarrassing love poems.’ She attempted a laugh but it fell flat and Jed got dressed in silence as she watched him, not daring to even turn her head towards the graffiti wall.

‘C’mon, let’s go walk the dogs. Get some fresh air,’ he said, holding out his hand and Lillie reached out to take it. He pulled her into him, holding her tightly and she put her arms around him, frowning into his shirt.

‘I love you so much,’ he said into her hair.

‘I love you too,’ she said automatically, confused by all the mood changes in the last five minutes.

He released her from his grasp and she caught an anguished look in his eyes before he flashed her a quick smile.

‘C’mon, Axl and Slash will be frantic for their walk by now,’ he said and she rolled her eyes for the twelfth time at the awful names.

She followed him down the stairs, dragging her feet at the thought of seeing Sandra after the shower incident and dragging her heart at Jed’s odd behaviour and his reaction to her reading his wall.