The Bad Boy Next Door: Lance & Chastity (35 page)

“Thank you, Lance. Seriously,” she says.

Lance stands up and grabs a huge handful of more twenties.

Most of the crew who helped with the rave still mill around the office drinking from beer bottles. Someone brought a case with them after we broke down the rave. Several stand around the air hockey table playing a game and talking trash about who is going to win. More are out in the garage or in the street smoking in the sunrise. I follow Lance as he goes from group to group, paying out everyone for the work they did, helping him count out money. He has to go back to the pile on the coffee table twice to get more. It shrinks a lot faster than I would’ve expected. I guess paying thirty people costs a lot.

The whole time, Beaver guards the money with Lark by his side.

At one point, as we walk away from the table, Lance whispers to me, “What the fuck is Lark doing with Beaver?”

“I have no idea. But she thinks he’s cute. Fucking Beaver,” I giggle.

Lance grins at that. “He’s gonna fuck your friend’s beaver if she’s not careful.”

I glance back at them and Lark is giggling at something Beaver just said.

Holy ship.

Lance might just be right.

++++8++++

CHASTITY

“I’m done,” Lance mutters in bed back at his house, startling me awake.

“Huh?” My head is buried under my pillow on the mattress. I peek out from under it and see sun shining through the window. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know. Three?”

“a.m. or p.m.?”

“Shit, I don’t know,” he yawns.

Probably p.m., because it’s sunny.

What I can’t figure out is whether it’s today or tomorrow. My head pounds. I just slept for a long time and it feels like I didn’t sleep at all. “What did you say before that?”

“Huh? Nothing.”

“No. You said you were done.” My first thought is he means us. He’s done with us. My chest cements and I can’t breathe. I try to calm myself. He can’t mean that. After we had sex on stage last night? After he told Julian Whittaker off like that and called me his girlfriend? No, he can’t mean us. I pull my pillow beneath my chest and turn my face toward him.

His fingers are laced behind his head and he stares at the ceiling, his face slack.

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

He closes his eyes, his brow knitting together. “Everything is wrong.”

Now I’m worried. I push up onto my elbow, wide awake. “Lance, what’s wrong? Is your dad okay? Did something happen while I was asleep?” Visions of us going to the morgue to look at Mr. McKnight’s body flash through my mind. “Lance, tell me!” I whisper. “Please tell me.”

He opens his eyes and stares at me. His irises are that same dark brown around a ring of orange that circles the pupil, but they’re dull. The brightness is gone. The fire has died. “I’m broke, Chastity.”

“What? You had eight thousand dollars left over last night! How can you be broke?”

“All my credit cards are maxed out. I’m already two months behind on rent for the office. Not to mention this house. I never should’ve rented this place on cash advances from my card.”

“But what about the eight thousand? Won’t that cover things?”

“For a month. But what about next month?” He’s desperate.

“Take my paychecks back. You can have all of them.”

He snorts, “I can’t take your money. You earned it.”

“But you need it.”

“So do you. So quit pushing it,” he barks.

I want to insist, but I don’t want to start a fight. I’ve fought enough with my mom to fill a lifetime. I take a deep breath until I’m calm. I need to think, not lose it. A second later, my eyes light up. “What about throwing another surprise rave? You’d only have to do like ten more and you’d be able to pay for your video!”

“I wish it was that easy. You have a surprise show every night and it’s not a surprise anymore. We’d have to hit up ten or twelve big cities other than LA. It costs money to take a show on the road. And I doubt we’d pull in the kind of numbers we did last night.” He sighs. “I’m out of ideas, Pink. I already tried everything I could think of.” His desperation is catching and more than a little bit frightening.

“What are we going to do?”

“We?” The sarcastic way he says it breaks my heart.

“Yes, we.” I’m getting angry. “Aren’t we a we?”

His face softens and he runs a hand through my hair. “Yeah. We’re a we, Pink.” He sounds sad. “But I’m doing a shitty job of providing for you.”

“Providing?” I chuckle. “Be serious. I just found out we’re a couple yesterday when you chewed out Julian Whittaker. You don’t need to provide for me until we’re—”
married
. I stop myself from saying it just in time. “I mean, unless we’re—” I stop myself again. “Oh, I don’t know what I mean!” Yes I do. I just hope he didn’t figure it out. If telling him I loved him shut him down for weeks, what will the topic of marriage do?

“But I want to.”

He wants to what?

Marry me?

My heart bounces all over my chest. He’s been providing for me since the day we met, so that only leaves… Don’t tell me he’s really thinking about marrying me. If he is, I will literally die of happiness right here in this bed.

The fire in his eyes suddenly burns.

The girl sprinklers between my legs go off, ready to quench his flames. “Oh, Lance…” I purr.

He caresses my cheek. “Provide for you. That’s what I meant.”

I just fell in love all over again.

His face says the opposite. It drags and the fire goes out of his eyes. “Only problem is I can’t even provide for myself. Julian Whittaker was the last chance I had. I’ve asked everyone I know to hook me up with every investor they know. Everyone has said no.”

Julian didn’t. But there were those strings… I heave a sigh. “Screw Julian. You don’t need him. There has to be someone else. Or some other way. We can find your money somehow.”

“There’s no one left. I feel like an idiot, Chastity. You’ve had a front row seat to my failure. I fucked everything up. Right in front of the woman I love.”

My heart opens wide for him, a blossoming in my chest that sweeps through me in a warm comforting wave. I cup his stubbled cheek with my palm. “Don’t be an idiot, you gorgeous man. You just made everything right.”

I snuggle into his arms and we kiss. Lips, tongues, everything is perfect. When I’m breathless from the exhilaration of it, I hold him tight. “I love you, Lance. Love you, love you, love you!!!!” I squeal with glee and shake a little happy dance in his arms.

He chuckles and hugs me hard.

That’s when I realize I’ve been wanting to tell him I loved him since the day he moved in next door. At first, I thought it was just infatuation. Nothing more than a girlish crush. I mean, I was an innocent kid back then. I still am, but I know I can trust my feelings because he feels the same way.

I am on Cloud ten thousand right now, which is way
way
high up in heaven.

Lance grins at me, his eyes bright. Not with his devil’s grin. This grin is different. This grin is innocent. Angelic. He combs his fingers through my hair. He whispers, as if he’s afraid to say it out loud, “I love you too, Chastity.”

We make love and the world is perfect.

Chapter 26

CHASTITY

“I can’t believe I had to sell the air hockey table,” Lance says morosely several weeks later. “I’m gonna miss this place,”

“Me too,” I sigh.

Movers roll furniture outside on dollies. Lance’s downtown office is half empty already.

“How long were you here for?” I ask.

“Two years.”

“Wait, didn’t you move here from Vegas a few months ago?”

“I didn’t. Dad did. But I was back and forth between here and there all the time, keeping tabs on him. It got to a point where there was too much bullshit for him in Vegas and I knew it would be easier with him here. So I moved him. He didn’t care. They sell booze in LA too.” His face is grim.

“Oh.” I say thoughtfully. “It seems like he’s doing better.”

He shrugs. “It’s hard to tell. He hides it so well. I never know for sure and I can’t babysit his ass twenty-four seven. He’s not dead, so that’s something.”

“Yeah,” I mutter. I can’t imagine having to deal with Mr. McKnight like Lance has for who knows how long.

Considering we spend so little time at the house, there’s no way of knowing what Mr. McKnight does when we’re not around. It’s not like he’s a prisoner. He comes and goes whenever he wants and pedals to who knows where on that mountain bike of his. I don’t really want to think about it because this day is dreary enough as it is. I look around the office for something that might cheer up Lance. “You know, we never got to have sex on the garden patio outside your office.”

“Yeah,” he says, depressed.

I wink, “We still have time.”

“Let’s wait till the movers are gone.” He doesn’t sound into it.

I try not to worry. We’ve made love every day since he told me he loved me. Not sex. Not crazy on stage fucking in front of crowds. We made love. Tender, wonderful love. Every single time. And we’ve told each other we love each other so many times I’ve lost count.

Despite the demise of this office, I am in heaven. As long as I have Lance by my side, the world could be crumbling around me and I’d be okay. Not that it is.

For the most part, things in my life are okay at the moment.

Charity has started high school. She seems to be adjusting. Things are mostly back to normal with her and Mom. Since I’m next door, I see Charity almost daily. She’s holding up. I think half her problem is being in high school for the first time. I remember how hard my freshman year at North Valley was, and how long it took to get used to it. Charity will adjust. She’s strong.

As for Mom, I avoid her. I talk to her now and then, but I feel like I’m done with her. Now that I’m eighteen, maybe I sort of am. Am I going to miss seeing her? I really don’t think so.

“What now?” I ask Lance.

“After everything is sold or back at the house, I need to regroup. Figure out what the fuck to do next. You should probably look for a job.” It pains him to say it.

“Do you think Mr. Molton would hire me back?”

He snorts, “I doubt it.”

“I was just kidding. I’m done with serving ice cream.”

His devil’s grin curls. “You miss the hot caramel sauce, don’t you?”

I flash back to the memory of our ice cream sundae Sunday sex. My first time.

“You’re blushing,” he chuckles.

“I guess I am.” I try to only think about the good parts. Not the disaster that followed.
Whir.
“Can we talk about ice cream later?”

“Sure,” he grins. “I’ll have my banana waiting for your split the second you’re ready.”

“Your
what
for my
what
?” I giggle.

“Bananas? Splits? I think you can figure it out.”

Despite the down mood of the day, I can’t help but get wet.

Lance is perfect.

No matter what happens with his music career.

I’m never leaving him.

++++8++++

CHASTITY

“Mom is crazy!” Charity screams, barging right through Lance’s front door, which apparently was unlocked. She slams it behind her.

“Jesus!” I jump off the couch and the course catalog from Pasadena City College that I was reading tumbles to the floor. “Please don’t do that.”

“Sorry.” She’s furious.

I pick up the rumpled catalog and set it on the couch. “What happened?”

“I can’t do it, Chaz.” She throws her hands up and lets them slap against her legs. She starts pacing, shaking her head and making her long blonde ponytail wave down her back. “I can’t wait for Dad’s lawyers. I have to go to Illinois now.”

“Calm down, Chair. Sit down. Tell me what happened.”

Lance comes walking out of our bedroom, which is now our office. Actually, office is a bit of an exaggeration. We added a folding table and a folding chair for each of us next to our mattress. It’s cramped but it’s cozy. Lance says, “Is everything all right?”

Charity throws her arms in the air again. “My mom is insane!”

Lance chuckles, “What else is new?”

Charity smiles and turns to me, “See? He knows.”

I’m grateful Charity has stopped blowing her top. I hope she’s just here to vent. I pat the cushion next to me. “Sit down, Chair. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can figure it out.”

She slumps and trudges to the couch and plops down next to me. “Mom is so annoying.”

“What happened this time?”

“I was studying in my room, listening to Katy Perry. NBD, right?”

“Right. I mean, if Mom didn’t hear. Did she?”

“Maaaaybe I had the music a little loud…” she rolls her eyes and flicks her tongue on the L in loud.

I wince. “You know how Mom is about pop music.”

“I know! But it’s stupid! Katy Perry isn’t Satan! I mean, what the fuck?”

I repress a laugh.

Charity catches it and smiles. “See? Mom is ridiculous!”

As long as Charity is smiling and not having a meltdown, that’s all I care about. I would hate to think what would happen if she ran away again. Something tells me it would end much worse than last time. “Maybe you should wear headphones. So Mom doesn’t know.”

“Yeah, but then she asks what I’m listening to. I’m sick of lying and saying it’s gospel music. I shouldn’t have to lie about something so
stupid
.” She spits out the word stupid. “You know?”

“Oh, I know.”

“I can’t deal with her any more. What’s taking Dad and his lawyer so long?”

I sigh. “I don’t know, Chair. It takes a while. Dad told me they have to get everything ready before they talk to Mom’s lawyer. Cross their T’s and dot their i’s. You know she’s going to freak when she finds out.”

Charity groans. “I know. I wish we could just get this over with.”

I don’t. The sooner it happens, the sooner I’ll be forced to make a decision between her and Lance because something tells me Lance needs to stay in LA to resurrect his music career, not move to the midwest. I sigh, “You just have to be patient, Chair.”

“You should talk. You live here. With the cool people.” She grins at Lance.

He sits down on the armrest next to her and smiles back, “Don’t forget to count your sister.”