Trinity (Moonstone Book 1) (2 page)

When I looked back to the guy he was gone. Disappointment swirled for a minute in my stomach before I pushed it away, shaking my head to clear the emotion I was oh so familiar with.

****

The next few songs went by in a frenzy of energy. I was hot and sweaty, perspiration dripped down my back and I took a moment to drink deeply from the water we kept on stage. My whole body tingled with adrenaline.

Gwen stepped up to the microphone as I took a breather. “Let’s hear it for our very own Trinity!” she cried.

The crowd went wild, screaming and whistling. I grinned and took a little curtsey for them which only made them scream more.

“We are gonna change it up a little,” Gwen continued, “and play something for you that our fantastic drummer has written. A bit of a change of pace so grab someone you love or just someone you wanna fuck and enjoy!”

I giggled as I stepped up to the microphone. “Thanks, you are a fantastic audience,” I told them. “This one is called
For Me
. “

I closed my eyes and listened as Shawna tapped her drum sticks counting us in. I had my earpiece in for this song, as I needed to concentrate a little more. Olivia joined in on the keyboards and then Molly and Gwen followed suit. I loved this song, it was a rock ballad, with a pretty deep base that contrasted with my voice. I tried to lower the range I sang in for this song.

I held onto the microphone stand as the lyrics poured out of me. I didn’t hear the audience anymore, or even the individual instruments, I just heard the melody and the lyrics.

Opening my eyes they immediately went to the back of the room where that guy had been, but he must have left as I hadn’t seen him for a few songs. A bad taste filled my mouth, that disappointment again, but I blinked it away instead, lowering my eyes to scan over the crowd.

There he was.

He hadn’t left, he’d just moved. Butterflies swirled in my stomach as my eyes settled comfortably on him. He was tall, that much I’d already surmised, with broad shoulders. He wore a gray t-shirt and denim jeans that hung low on his hips. Dark hair was cut short and neat around his face, gelled and styled. He was a styled kind of guy that much was clear. A very nicely styled guy. I bet he lived with his mom and dad and had a little sister and a dog. He probably went to college and played weekend sports. I bet…

He grinned at me. It was so unexpected it caught me off guard and I stumbled over my words for a second. His grin got wider and I heard Molly sing a little louder in back up in my ears. I pulled,
dragged
, my eyes away from him. What was wrong with me? He was just some guy.

I didn’t look his way for the rest of the song, which was more difficult than it sounded. I wanted to look and my eyes kept inching their way back but I wouldn’t allow them to go there, even if I was completely aware of him the whole time.

When the song ended and the audience began their applause amid a whirl of whistles, I cheated and let myself glance over at him again. He was clapping and he was still watching me. His eyes latched onto mine and held them, and then he grinned, a slow sexy grin that made my knees weak and made me wonder how I was going to get through the rest of the set.

Chapter Two

Luke

This chick was amazing. Incredible. Awesome. Beautiful. I couldn’t think up enough adjectives, or the right ones, to describe her. From the moment she stepped on stage and began singing, I’d been completely and utterly mesmerized.

It’d taken a moment for me to realize it was the same chick from the car park. With the tight skinny jeans and black tank top, plus the thick makeup and heavy black stuff around her eyes, she looked completely different. But she was still tiny, and her face was still pixie shaped even if her hair was now gelled and teased and her ears were dotted with silver studs. I let my gaze suck her in, taking in every detail and committing it to memory. Tattoos. Her arms were covered in tattoos. Not something I’d expected. But then I hadn’t expected to see the bruise on her face either, although it was now hidden under makeup.

My insides hardened at the memory. I watched her dance around on stage, she was very bouncy and she giggled regularly, which delighted the crowd. She was enchanting and her voice was incredible. She sounded almost like she should be singing opera but instead she was using it to sing rock, sometimes punk rock and sometimes a little pop. But when she sang their own song,
For Me
, and closed her eyes…

I couldn’t take my eyes off her and her voice, the way she moved and the words she sang had done things to my body which were embarrassing to admit. I wasn’t a fifteen-year-old guy with no control over his erections anymore. I was a twenty-one-year-old with more control. Or so I thought.

And don’t even get me started on when she dropped that rosebud down her pants. I couldn’t even let my mind go there.

Swallowing hard I realized my throat was dry and my beer was warm. I’d barely touched it. Pushing my way through the crowd I headed back to the bar where I ordered another beer. I was driving, but one wouldn’t hurt and no doubt if the band came back on again I’d be too hypnotized to even touch it.

“Hey, buddy! You made it!”

I snapped my head to see my roommate Toby. He back slapped me and shook my hand before introducing me to the girl hanging over his shoulder. Kyla I think her name was, but it didn’t matter. Toby and I had only been roommates for a few weeks now but I knew him well enough to know that I might see Kyla once or twice, but that would be it. There was no point getting to know her.

“Glad I did make it,” I told him, “that band is awesome.”

“I know right? And I knew you would appreciate their music too, and not just that hot little piece of ass bouncing around on stage.”

My grin froze on my face and my insides hardened at his words. Toby was a good guy and this was how he talked, but I didn’t like him talking about Trinity that way.
Trinity
. I ran her name through my head liking the way it sounded. It suited her.

“Hey, afterwards we are headed to a party and the girls from the band are gonna be there,” Toby continued, “come along.”

“Sure,” I didn’t hesitate. I wanted to meet Trinity. More than anything else right now I wanted to meet her.

Suddenly the phone in my pocket buzzed and I pulled it out. Melissa’s name flashed across the screen as well as her text. She wanted to know if I was home. If she could come over.

“Something wrong?” Toby asked.

I quickly sent a message to Melissa.
Not tonight. I’m out
. And tucked it away. “Nope. Just Melissa.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Again? Whoa man I thought she was done with you.”

I shrugged. I didn’t want to talk about Melissa with him, she didn’t deserve that. “We’re still friends.”

“A text at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night is not what friends do.” He whistled. “That’s a booty call mate. You still up for the party? Or you want to go with a sure thing?”

I frowned at him and opened my mouth to tell him not to talk about Melissa like that. She might be my ex-girlfriend but the breakup was amicable and she didn’t deserve to be talked about like that. I needed to correct Toby and his opinion of her but then the music started up again and the band stepped out onto stage, and I completely forgot about Melissa. Trinity had changed and now wore a short, tight, tartan dress. It barely covered her ass and was sleeveless. Who knew a tartan could look so fucking sexy?

The phone in my pocket buzzed again but I ignored it. Trinity was on stage and she was all I could think of.

****

Trinity

“You gotta come, Trin,” Molly pleaded. “Please?”

“Molly I’m so tired,” I complained, “I just want to go to bed.”

“How can you sleep now?” she continued, her voice falling into that whine mode of hers, “aren’t you buzzed with adrenaline?”

I was, but I could still sleep. I hadn’t slept more than two hours last night and I was exhausted. My body might be wired right now but in about twenty minutes I would be aching to sleep. Only problem was, I had nowhere to sleep tonight, although I wasn’t about to tell Molly that.

“I tell you what,” she began in her no nonsense compromise voice this time, “you come to the party for half an hour. Thirty minutes. Come, mingle, be friendly, and then you can go. We need you. You are the
lead
singer, and people expect to see you at the after parties every now and again.”

I sighed. “I do go…”

“When? You haven’t been for weeks. Maybe months.”

I chewed my bottom lip thinking back. The after parties were at Tony’s house and I didn’t like going there. It wasn’t just the people from the bar and the band who were there but other guys too. Older, more streetwise guys who thought a rock chic was fair game. Last time I went I felt like I’d spent the whole night swatting hands away. I didn’t know how the other girls didn’t get tired of it.

“Please… You can drive your own car and then leave whenever you want.”

I eyed her. “Half an hour.”

She jumped up and down and clapped her hands before kissing me. “Yay! Trinity’s coming to the party!”

I had no room in my car for anyone else, but that was okay as they all piled into Gwen’s car and I followed. They didn’t ask questions but I knew that Olivia and Molly had both seen the pile of shit in my car. I hated that they’d seen that. I hated them feeling sorry for me. Even if they didn’t say anything I caught the glances they shot each other.

I followed them through the streets towards the “nicer” end of town. I mean nice, in a very loose term. It was further away from the trailer park and The Silver Den and was down near the lake. The houses were more middle class and the gardens were neat and manicured. There was a public school and a private school but everyone on this side of town sent their kids to the private school. I didn’t look at the houses as I drove past, didn’t want to know which one my dad lived in. I felt my shoulders and jaw stiffen from the effort of not looking but still I resisted.

Eventually we pulled into the driveway outside Tony’s house. He was there already, the lights were on and music spilled out the open and welcoming front door. Twisting the rearview mirror, I took a moment to examine my face. Some of the thick black eyeliner had gone but there was still enough actual makeup to cover my bruise. I applied some dark red lipstick and hoped that would detract further from any swelling that might still be showing. The girls and Tony knew not to ask questions but sometimes strangers weren’t so considerate. I thought of the guy earlier. He’d seen the bruise. I’d heard his sharp intake of breath and seen the pity flood his eyes. My stomach turned over and I pushed the rearview mirror away.

People could look at me with hate, lust, disgust, amusement, whatever and I could handle it. But the one thing I’d never learned to handle in all my nineteen years, despite my familiarity with it, was pity.

Climbing out of the car I slammed the door shut and locked it. All my stuff was in my car, I couldn’t afford to lose a thing even if none of it was particularly valuable. Then I hoisted my bag up over my shoulder and made my way into the party.

Thirty minutes. I only had to be here for thirty minutes.

****

“Here you go.” Shawna handed me a lemonade. “Do you know how hard that was to find? I could get you any type of spirit, any type of wine or beer, but you want just plain old lemonade. Lucky Tony has the most amazing bar and he needs the lemonade to make some equally amazing cocktails.”

Shawna sipped her beer as I swallowed my lemonade and glanced around the party. We were out the back by the pool, which was illuminated by lights dotted along the floor of the pool. A few girls were in there already, squealing with delight as they bounced around in just their bikini bottoms. I looked away. This was how Tony’s parties generally were and it was still only early.

Molly, Gwen, and Olivia had all scatted throughout the house, mingling with people. Shawna was only slightly more social than I was and preferred to hang back a little. I appreciated that about her and it gave me someone to loiter in the shadows with.

I glanced at my watch. I had twenty minutes left before I could skedaddle out of here. Not that I had anywhere to go. I couldn’t go home, that much was sure. My cheek began to throb a little just thinking about going home and I touched it. It was tender but would be fine in a few days. And that was also how long I needed to stay away, give my mom a chance to calm down. Then hopefully, I could go home, if only for a little while.

“You okay?” Shawna asked now. “You look a little worried.”

I smiled up at her. “Fine. I need the bathroom though. Be back soon.”

I pushed off from the wall and made my way across the lawn and back up toward the house. I could waste another ten minutes in the bathroom hopefully. I kept my eyes down as I walked, winding my way through the crowd. Tony knew a lot of people.

Suddenly a chest appeared in my way and I was forced to stop. I made to step around but they chose the same direction and we did that awkward little dance you do when you bump into someone.

I looked up.

It was him. His eyes were green. Very green. And there was a streak of hazel in them. They were quite mesmerizing and they were staring down at me.

He grinned. “Trying to run me down again?” he asked, his voice light and teasing.

Heat flooded my face and I was thankful for the thick makeup which hid the color in my cheeks.

“At least this time I should be thankful you haven’t got a powerful engine,” he continued, “and I doubt
you
could do much damage.”

At that he dropped his eyes and let them roam over me from head to toe. The skimpy tartan dress suddenly felt even skimpier. I squared my shoulders as heat laced through me, following everywhere his eyes touched.

Suddenly, he thrust out a hand. “My name’s Luke,” he said, “Luke Morrision.”

I eyed his hand and felt the snappy words on the tip of my tongue. I didn’t care what his name was, I didn’t need to know. Then I stopped myself. There was no reason to be hostile.

“Trinity,” I said and slid my hand into his. His hand was big, completely dwarfing mine, and warm. Strong and masculine. I shivered.

“Cold?”

“No,” I replied, pulling my hand away.

“I watched you up on stage tonight,” he said, his voice lowering as he kept and held my gaze, “you were amazing.”

His words pleased me. “Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

“I’d heard about you from my roommate,” he continued easily, “he told me about this amazing chic band and nagged me to come see. I’m glad—
very glad
—I went.”

Someone bumped into me from behind, pushing me forward and into Luke. My chest squashed up against his and for the briefest moment I smelled him. Strong, clean, and masculine. I tilted my head to look up, an apology on the tip of my tongue, only to find my face inches from his. My hands were braced on his chest.

His eyes were darker now, almost an emerald green, and they dipped to my mouth, the pupils slightly dilated. Was he going to kiss me? Here? Now? In the middle of the party? Was I going to let a complete stranger kiss me?

My heart was hammering in my chest and the butterflies were going crazy in my stomach. I licked my lips.

I
wanted
him to kiss me. Suddenly I was very glad that I had come to this party after all.

He reached up a hand and brushed it over my cheek, his touch warm and gentle. Then he held my face, examining me, his eyes searching. “Who hurt you?”

His words were like a bucket of cold water to my inflamed desires. A coldness settled in the pit of my belly and I stepped back, confused. I was so good at reading people normally. I rarely got it wrong. But the look I’d thought was desire in his eyes a moment ago was nothing more than pity.

“Excuse me,” I muttered and pushed past him as I continued to make my way to the bathroom.

I glanced at my watch. Ten more minutes. Ten more minutes and then I was free to leave.

****

Luke

I ran a hand through my hair and cursed. I’d scared her off.
Damn it.
I hadn’t meant to do that, but I wanted to know what happened to her. Who gave her that ugly purple bruise on her cheek? Who had hurt her?