Metal Urge (23 page)

Thom knocked softly on her bedroom door expecting a terse reply.

“It’s not locked.”

He pushed the door open and stepped into the darkened room.  Deanna was laying on the bed with her back to him, sniffing and wiping her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, baby.  I never meant to hurt your feelings.”

“You didn’t.  You just pissed me off,” she sniffed and tried to laugh.

Sitting next to her on the bed, Thom began to rub her shoulder gently.  She sat up and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her wet face against his neck.  “I’m sorry I got angry with you. I guess I’m freaking out because I’m so afraid to tell my parents we’re getting married.”

Her admission took him completely by surprise.  “Why, Deanna?”

She pulled back and wiped her nose with a tissue.  Staring down at her hands she began to cry harder.

“C’mon love, it can’t be all that bad.  You told a little white lie about our living together, but I don’t think they'll find it odd that you fell for your flat mate.  Just look at me!” he teased.

She tried to smile at him but only managed to look more miserable.  Winding her fingers through his hair, she sighed as though she bore the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.  “Yes, just look at you: so beautiful and so obviously not a student at a boring business college.”

“Well…I…,” Thom stammered, and Deanna put her fingers to his lips.

“You don’t know them, Thom.  They're lovely people but they make the Quakers look like party animals.”

“Good God, Deanna!  What haven’t you told me?”

“Everything,” she sniffed.  Taking his hands in hers, she squared her shoulders and started to explain.  “My parents are devout Christians.  They raised me to love, respect, and fear the Lord, and the two of them as well.  I was forbidden to wear make-up, fashionable clothes, or to date boys, even Christian boys from our church.  My mother was the only one who could trim my hair because it was a sin for a woman to wear her hair above a certain length.  I was the laughing stock of every school I attended; the freak, the weirdo, and a bully magnet.”  She paused for a moment to wipe away a fresh batch of tears.

Thom felt his heart breaking for her.  “You don’t have to go on, my love.”

She caressed his face and smiled, “Oh yes I do.”

She told him about Maggi being both her tormentor and protector, depending on her mood.  She went into detail about her ability to act the part of the “pure as the driven snow” daughter even after having her first bumbling and horrid sexual experience with a football player she’d had a secret crush on who had made a bet with his teammates that he could score with the freak.  She recalled changing clothes in the school bathroom every day of her senior year, putting on make-up, drinking booze and smoking pot with Maggi under the football bleachers after their last class.  It was a desperate attempt to feel like a normal teenager although none of those things really ever made her feel accepted by her peers.  She felt forced to lead two separate lives which is why she jumped at the chance to enter a work
study program in London; a city she was certain would allow her to be the “real” Deanna.  And it had, but not always with the best outcome until now.

“I lied to you, Thom.  I never told my parents about my miscarriage.  I don’t think they could have survived such shocking news.”

He nodded, understanding why she would keep that painful secret from them.

Deanna brushed her fingertips down his cheeks and along his jaw line.  “It hurts me to say this to you, but my parents will condemn you for playing what they call the devil’s music.  They will never accept your long hair, or your clothes, and they’ll never accept you as their daughter’s husband.”

“Are you trying to say that you’ve changed your mind?”

“No, absolutely not!” She hugged him tightly.  “I love you, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”

“So, let’s get married this weekend,” he blurted out impulsively.

“But we haven’t made any plans…”

“Why mess about?  We can get a license in London tomorrow, arrange for a vicar in Bilston, get married at my dad’s house, and perhaps spend a couple of days in Brighton after.  If you fancy a proper wedding we can plan that later.”

“But, my parents...,” she whimpered.

He cupped her chin and smiled. “All your parents need to know is that I love you with all of my heart and soul.  I’ll take care of you, protect you, and do everything in my power to give you the life you’ve always dreamed of and deserve.”  He smiled at her and shook his head.  “That sounded like a rehearsed speech, but I meant every word of it, Deanna.”

“I know you did, my love.  It’s just that I really want my parents to be here to see their only child get married to the most wonderful man in the world.”  She hugged him tightly, “Despite what I've told you, I really love my mom and dad, and I miss them like crazy.”  She straightened up and wiped her eyes.  “You've obviously thought a lot about this.  I love that you’ve planned it all out in such perfect detail even if it is a bit spur-of-the moment.  I just wish...”  She stopped herself from saying the hurtful words that would bring more pain and tears and leaned into his embrace.

“I’ve been planning for you all my life, sweet girl,” he whispered against her soft curls.  “Don't you know that?”

Chapter 30

The five men were talking quietly from their makeshift seating on the stage when Thom entered the rehearsal hall.  Andy Trent called out a greeting as he trotted up to meet him, draping his arm around Thom’s shoulders.  “We thought something had happened to you.”

“Sorry about that, lads,” Thom said as he made his way onstage.  He laid his guitar case down and undid the clasps while everyone watched him curiously.  It was completely unlike Thom to be late for rehearsal.  Especially an important rehearsal meant to gear up for recording their next single, “Beyond the Darkness” at Glaston Hall before they were off to America.

“Well?”  Brad asked him.

Thom set the guitar on its stand and looked at each one of his band mates, his gaze lingering on Nigel’s puzzled face, dreading the fallout from what he was about say.  “I was
talking to my dad about a rather important matter…you see I'm getting married at his home tomorrow.”

“Deanna said yes!” Jayson shouted and ran over to give Thom a congratulatory thump on the back.

Alistair and Brad looked at each other in surprise, and then at Nigel who got up from his chair and left the stage.

Andy stared helplessly as Nigel headed for the entrance of the rehearsal hall and disappeared through the door without a word on whether or not he planned to return.  “What…?”  Andy sputtered.

Alistair shook his head, finger pressed to his lips.  Andy shrugged and stared at the door wondering if Nigel was going to walk back in with a bottle of champagne to celebrate or what.  This could not be happening now---not on the eve of the band recording their new single and their first tour.  Brad patted Andy's shoulder and steered him toward Thom who was shaking Alistair’s hand and grinning from ear to ear, obviously chuffed.

“It'll be alright, mate,” Thom assured a sweating and trembling Andy Trent. He directed Andy to a chair before apologizing to his band mates for being unable to invite them to the nuptials.  “It’s just a family affair because the wedding's taking place on such short notice.  When we get back from our tour of the States I promise we’ll have a blow-out party so Deanna and I can properly celebrate with our friends.”

Everyone assured him that they understood completely and when it became apparent that Nigel was not coming back they decided to rehearse as best they could without him.  It wasn’t the ideal situation but what choice did they have?

The band played for almost two hours before Nigel returned sporting his mirrored sunglasses which he didn’t remove for the rest of the evening.  The smell of alcohol wafting from him was strong, but he performed flawlessly, his vocals driven by a raw, razor-edged emotional power that he had never possessed before.  His band mates reckoned that he must be hurting, but he forged on with a professionalism that would have knocked the skeptical Trevor Hampton on his arse had he witnessed it.  They were all proud of him, especially Thom.  He'd been knocking about the idea of having a talk with Nigel so they could try and mend the rift between them---they were no longer rivals after all.  He didn’t want to rub his old mate's face in his victory, but Nigel would probably feel that he was doing just that.  Although Nigel had broken it off with Deanna, he still acted as though she should be hanging about like a love-sick puppy.  Stupid, juvenile behavior for a bloke who always liked to be in control---there was no doubt about that.  Still, he wanted his best mate back, and he was willing to wait until Nigel came to terms with losing Deanna once and for all.

****

The drive to Bilston was tiring in the cramped little Mini.  Thom made a few stops to get out and stretch his legs.  Deanna had never attempted to drive in England and had no English driver’s license so she couldn’t give him the much needed breaks he required.  Part of the problem was his desire to put as much distance between them and London as possible making it difficult for him to relax and enjoy the drive.  Visions of Deanna demanding that he turn around and take her back to London plagued him.  It was irrational, but he still felt terrified that she would change her mind.  He feared he might never shake off the feeling that she would bolt at the first opportunity because she was still in love with Nigel.  He had
watched the two of them closely during the weeks Nigel spent at their flat co-writing “Beyond the Darkness” with him.  There was never any indication that anything covert was going on between them.  They were polite to one another, but they never engaged in any lengthy conversation or stole secretive glances when they thought he wasn’t looking.  It was all business and apparently no pleasure was involved.  It was during those weeks that he realized how much he missed Nigel’s friendship, and on the rare occasions they shared a joke or looked at each other in complete synchronicity regarding their new song, Thom realized what an absolute bastard he had been.  He regretted his behavior even though it had been necessary at the time, and wondered if Nigel would ever be willing to forgive him.

It took a moment for him to realize that he was seeing the hazy lights of Wolverhampton in the distance.  He reached over to gently prod Deanna’s arm to wake her.  She had fallen asleep a couple of hours earlier and he reluctantly let her sleep while he wallowed in his dark, paranoid thoughts.  That probably wasn’t the best idea but he knew she was tired after working extra hours this week so he let her slumber on while his mind spun round and round until he was almost dizzy.  Thom left the M6 motorway heading towards Bilston where his father still lived in the house he and his sister grew up in.  He was anxious to see his dad but the awful memories of the tragedy that tore their family asunder in that house sent chills up his spine.  It was so much easier to ignore what had happened to his sister, and soon after to his poor grieving mum when he was miles away.  As he pulled up in front of the perfectly manicured front yard an iron fist squeezed his heart until the pain became almost unbearable.

Deanna stirred and stretched her arms, smiling sweetly at him.  “Are you okay?” She looked at him with concern as he clutched the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

“Yeah, of course,” he said, willing his death grip on the steering wheel to relax.  She didn’t know how his mum or his sister died or why, and he wasn’t about to tell her on the night before their impromptu wedding.  Instead, he pointed at a light shining brightly in the downstairs window of the house and laughed.  “No matter how old I was, dad would leave a light on so the house wouldn‘t be dark when I got home.  I reckon old habits die hard, yeah?”

The front door opened and a very handsome gentleman who looked much younger than his fifty years came bounding out to meet Deanna and Thom as they unloaded their luggage from the boot of the car.  The similarity between father and son was immediately apparent, and Deanna realized that she was looking into the face of her husband-to-be roughly twenty-five years in the future.  Ian McCordy’s blonde hair had only a touch of gray at the temples, his physique was still fit and toned, and when he gathered her in a tight hug, she could feel his vigorous strength.

“So lovely to meet you, darlin’.”  Thom has told me so much about you, I feel as though I’ve known you all my life.”

Ian McCordy’s voice still carried traces of his Irish heritage, the country where he was born and raised until age thirteen.  His blue eyes sparkled with genuine welcoming warmth and Deanna took to him immediately.  She watched as father and son embraced, her eyes filling with tears at the love she saw in Ian’s eyes when he pulled back and looked at Thom.

“My boy, it is so good to have you home again.”

“It’s good to be home, Da,” Thom said reverting back to the Irish term for “dad.”

Thom gathered up their luggage, and Ian offered his arm to Deanna.  She smiled shyly and slid her arm through his as they walked up to the house.  Once inside she couldn’t help but smile at all of the knick knacks so lovingly placed all around the rooms.  The house was immaculate.  Not a speck of dust anywhere and nothing out of place.  It was obvious Ian McCordy was house proud as the British would say.  Considering the man’s good looks, his clean and tidy personal habits, and his charm, she found it hard to believe he had never re-married until she spotted a picture of a stunningly beautiful woman with perfect golden hued skin, huge doe eyes, and long, dark hair, so thick it almost overpowered her tiny frame.  Deanna suddenly understood that no other woman could ever compete with Thom’s mother.