Stained, p.23
Stained, page 23
“You don’t know that, Zach.”
“Then why,” Zach screamed and looked at Harper, “Your hold on him is the same as his is on her, don’t you see? You can fix this, make up your mind to be selfish or…”
“That’s enough, Zach!” Brody snapped
Maddox walked out of the bathroom his eyes were blazing red, “She is not the problem here, Zach! She doesn’t have to make any decisions. It rests on my shoulders, not hers.”
“Then see that you do the right fucking thing!”
“Surge, get him the fuck out of here,” Brody growled.
“You can all leave; give me fifteen minutes with Harper please.”
Harper felt her face burning, and she swallowed hard. Maddox closed the door behind Brody and turned to her. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before walking over and sitting on the couch. “Come sit with me, please,” Maddox looked up at her quickly and then back down to the ground. She sat next to him and folded her hands nervously on her lap. His eyes closed, and he took several slow deep breaths in and then out. “Apparently we have poor timing.” Maddox looked at her. She looked up at him and forced a smile. “I did not expect this, Harper,” his voice was low and steady, and he took another breath, “It is possible that Zach is right in why I feel drawn to you.”
Harper swallowed hard and looked up into his face, “What?” She whispered, and the pain in her voice shredded him.
He closed his eyes tightly and let out a deep breath, “I’ll never regret that you were the first person…” Harper stood up and he stopped talking. She walked to the bedroom and put her things in her bag. “Do you need help?” Maddox’s tone was a little less steady.
“Nope, thanks though.” Harper walked past him into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush.
“Harper…”
“Maddox, I know what you think you have to do. I’m not angry at you at all. I get it.” Harper felt her body begin to shake. And she took a deep breath, “I really hope she is okay. And I pray you will be as well.”
“I did not expect this, Harper,” Harper turned around and he put his hands against the wall blocking her from leaving.
“I know,” Harper looked up at the ceiling trying to stop the tears from falling, “Maddox, please let me go.”
“I don’t know how, Harper,” Maddox jaw tightened and his eyes burned.
“It’s easy, just put your hands to your sides, step back, and let me walk away,” Harper forced a big smile.
He looked at her and blew out a slow breath, “Damn it Harper, I…” Harper pinched her fingers around his lips closing his mouth, just like he had done to her several times and then slowly ran her thumb across his lips. He pushed his face into her hand and rubbed it back and forth against her gentle skin. His stubble tickled her hand and wrist.
“Take care,” she pulled her hand away and started to walk quickly towards the door. Tomas held the elevator.
“Deep breaths, Miss Harper. Just a few more minutes until we get into the car; deep breaths.”
Harper pulled the baseball cap out of her bag and pulled it down over her eyes, the elevator door opened, and they walked out on the street full of reporters. “Congratulations… just one picture…What is your name…. Congratulations,” was all she heard until she was in the limo.
She sat silently wondering why they were not moving when the door opened, “Thanks for waiting.” Harper looked up, and Emma sat next to her and pulled her into her arms.
Harper cried softly, and Emma did too.
Maddox walked out of the bedroom, and Brody stood waiting for him, “She is not your responsibility.”
“Yes she is,” Maddox looked away.
“Maddox…”
“Dad, I can't walk away from her,” Maddox snapped.
“But you can walk away from Harper?”
Maddox looked at him emotionless, “She’ll be fine. And Dad, not another mention of her name, ever.”
“Can you live with that, Maddox?”
“Yes.”
Harper spent the week after Emma and the girls had left to join Brody and Maddox on tour, in her bed. Her phone was in her hands at all times, and her mother was by her side. Her father had said very little to her since she had come back to the Cape. Every night Collin did come in to hug her, kiss her cheek, and hold her until she told him goodnight.
Two days before they were to leave for South America she walked outside and sat on the deck next to Tessa. She smiled and pulled her black sunglasses over her eyes and smiled.
“It’s a beautiful day.”
Tessa smiled, “What should we do today?”
“Shop?”
“Sure.”
“I want to drive.”
“Sounds good, the Jeep?”
“Yes, I have only driven it a couple times. Where is Dad?”
“He and your brothers are on the boat.”
“Does he hate me, Mom?”
“No Harper, of course not.”
“Okay.”
The Abraham family spent the next three and a half weeks in Africa and returned for a week to their home upstate. Harper had worked hard: she was focused and un-emotional. She was able to avoid everything that she assumed was being reported on in the media.
They pulled down the long driveway leading to the house, and Harper saw Liam’s truck and smiled. Tessa looked at Harper and smiled feeling a twinge of relief.
Harper jumped out of the SUV and ran and hugged Liam, “I missed you!”
“I just saw you four weeks ago, girl.”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s do something,” Harper smiled and stepped back.
“Alright like what?”
“I don’t care, anything!”
“Movie?”
“No,” Harper smiled.
“You said anything,” Liam laughed.
“I want to eat. Bad food, greasy, fattening, food.”
“Okay, let’s go get something to eat. Aunt Tessa, Harper and I are going to grab some lunch.”
Tessa smiled and nodded her head.
They walked into her favorite diner just outside of town and sat in their favorite corner booth.
Helen walked up and smiled, “Hello kids what can I get for you?”
“Harper just got home from one of those trips Helen, and she is hungry,” Liam smiled.
“Oh, let me try to remember it’s been awhile. Cheeseburger deluxe loaded, fries, the greasier the better, chocolate milk shake, and a big old brownie sundae to finish it up?”
“Aw Helen… you remember,” Harper smiled at her favorite waitress ever.
“Of course I do, Harper. Same for you Liam?” He smiled and nodded his head yes. Helen winked and walked away.
“So let's hear all about it,” Liam whispered.
“You’re back!” Harper heard someone yell, and she turned to see Ava running towards her. Harper smiled when Ava jumped in the booth and hugged her tightly. “You haven’t called me. We have a lot to talk about.”
“We truly just pulled in about twenty minutes ago. My phone is dead I haven’t charged it in like…”
“Twenty one days?” Ava smiled.
“Ava,” Liam scolded her.
Harper looked at Liam and then back at Ava neither said a word. She sat back in the red vinyl booth and crossed her arms. “Okay spill it.”
“It’s a song, Billboard number one hit in the US and the UK this week. Guess who the band is?”
Harper felt her face turn red, “I don’t know who?”
“Burning Souls,” Ava beamed, and they sat quietly, “Look I don’t know exactly what happened, but that boy loves you and you love him.”
“Ava, enough,” Liam whispered sternly.
“Whatevs,” Ava rolled her eyes.
“Don’t you think she has been through enough?”
“I think that Harper lost her virginity and…”
Harper laughed out loud and covered her mouth.
“See she’s going to be fine. It’s not like a dirty little secret, Liam.”
“No, not a secret at all,” Harper laughed, “My first time was televised.”
Ava smiled, “Well at least we won’t have to make a scrapbook.”
“Nope we won't, it’s well documented.”
“Your ass looked fabulous by the way,” Ava giggled.
“Damn it Ava, shut up!”
Harper smiled looked at him and then back at Ava, “Thank God.”
“And the next morning he told everyone you were his wife,” Ava smiled sweetly.
“Sure did,” Harper shook her head.
“So tell me, was he any good?”
“Oh my God Ava, shut up!”
“Liam, I am fine. I have had a lot of time to figure out how to deal with this. I’ll be fine.”
“Seriously every woman in the world envy’s you. He sang to you, our prom theme for crying out loud. Then you danced, and he took you on a helicopter tour; and then to only the most beautiful hotel in the city…”
“Ava I swear to God I’m going to gag you.”
Harper laughed, and Helen brought their food to the table, “Can I get the same thing please?”
“Sure Ava,” Helen looked at Harper, “She causing trouble?”
“Yes of course,” Harper laughed and Ava rolled her eyes, “But it’s a particularly welcome kind of trouble.”
“See, Liam!”
“Yeah, I see Ava,” Liam scowled at her.
“So then what happened?”
“Well, I believe that was also caught on camera.”
“Oh yeah, balcony scene.” Ava smiled, “I do have to warn you though, if you keep eating like this your ass is going to be as big as mine.”
“Your ass is not big, Ava,” Harper laughed.
“I have my mom’s ass, Harper, and you have your mom’s. I’m not blind.”
“Some guys like round asses, huh Liam?”
“Well I suppose they’re better than those nineteen eighties music video girls sporting mono-kinis.”
Ava and Harper laughed, “My dad is apparently an ass man.”
Harper smiled, “How are they doing?”
“Disgustingly good,” Ava made a gagging sound, “So did you have the big O?”
“Alright Ava, I swear to God…”
“Yeah, I did, a few actually,” Harper smiled and looked at Liam who covered his ears and groaned, “And the next morning he took me out to show the world I was not a secret. We ate burritos, and walked back to the hotel, and less than thirty minutes I was doing the walk of shame.”
Ava smiled sadly, “What happened, Harper?”
“You know what happened Ava; it’s been all over the news.”
Harper looked at Ava, “Jazz?”
“Yeah…”
“Ava, she just got back leave it alone.”
“No, she deserves to know Liam!”
“I want to know,’ Harper looked at Ava.
“Helen, can we get some take out containers?”
“Sure thing Liam.”
They drove silently to the pond, and Liam put the Chevy into park, “I don’t think this is a good idea. You should just forget about it. Move on Harper.”
“I want to know!”
Ava opened the door and jumped out Harper followed her. Liam got out with the food containers in hand.
They sat on the dock in a circle, and Ava looked up, “He walked out of the hotel a few minutes later and looked just like you did, hat pulled down over his eyes, with his very beautiful daddy,” Ava giggled.
“Emma was with me,” Harper whispered.
“Always have to throw her in don’t you?” Ava smiled and took her hand, “Next were photos of the hospital and then the news of the keyboardist’s attempt at suicide. Then the video of them leaving the hospital being bombarded by reporters. One reporter asked where his wife was, and she went crazy,” Ava used her best British Accent, ‘Not with him, for Christ sake-- he finally broke his duck, he rose this morning as a man, not just a lollipop! That’s all it was, tell them Maddox, tell them’ and then she was basically shoved by a really big guy into the car and Maddox looked around and his face turned bright red, and he got in the car.”
“Broke his Duck?”
“Yeah, I had to Google it. Apparently it’s a British term for a man losing his virginity. Was he a virgin?”
“That’s not for me to discuss,” Harper looked up at the sky. “I wonder if he’s okay.”
“Call him.”
“No, she doesn’t need to,” Liam warned Ava.
“They have two more stops on their US tour.”
“Ava, it may take her a bit longer to get over her first than it does the normal girl.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ava shouted back.
“Exactly what I said, leave her alone.”
“Hey Harper, I fucked Liam in the barn at the farm a year and a half ago.”
“Jesus, Ava!”
Harper giggled.
“What we know about her first time she should know about ours. So your cousin is hot…”
“Ava, honest to God…”
“And safe, I knew I would be comfortable and we were both curious.”
“I’m leaving.”
“Sit down and shut up, Liam!”
“And this is why it will never happen again.”
“He is kind of big, so it was not really…”
“Goodbye Harper, please call me when she is done.”
Harper and Ava looked at each other and started laughing when Liam peeled out.
“Okay now that he’s gone…”
“Oh no, I wanna hear about this,” Harper laughed.
“No big deal, I just didn’t want to be uncomfortable when I did find the one.”
“Have you found the one?”
“Nope, tried another time though,” Ava smiled big.
“Who?”
“Your brother…”
“What! Which one?”
“Oh I couldn’t choose, so I took them both on,” Ava smiled.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Yes, but it made you smile. So look, Burning Souls played in Red Rock last night, they play in Noblesville, Indiana tomorrow, and in four days they end their tour in Jersey baby, Bader Field. You are going to go hang with me for a few days, and we are going to that concert.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Harper looked at her and tried not to smile.
“It’s a great idea, you should be off of the ‘I must love him’ high, so you go see him and if it’s still there we form a plan and if not we go out and find you a rebound bang.”
“Ava.”
“You’re twenty years old. They will let you go. Just be like, I need to clear my head so that I can move on, and they will let you. Come on, it’ll be fun!”
“Fine,’ Harper looked at her shaking her head.
“Really?” Ava smiled broadly.
“Yeah.”
Harper and Ava walked out of Ava’s grandfather’s house in New Jersey, giggling. They both wore Sweatshirts and mesh shorts. They had told Ava’s Grandparents they were going to the movies, then to dinner, and would be home late.
Harper called her mother when they got in the Jeep to let her know where they were going out. Tessa told her to have fun and to be careful. Harper hung up and banged her head on the steering wheel.
“Get over it,” Ava laughed.
“I know. Let's do this!” Harper pulled out of the driveway and the sped down the road.
They drove around looking for a glimpse of the band’s bus. They parked as close as they could get to it. When they got out they pulled off their sweatshirts and straightened their dresses. Both wore black tank style dresses and sandals. Not matching, but very similar. They threw their shorts in the Jeep, and Harper grabbed her small cross body purse.
Ava smiled and jumped up and down. The opening act was thanking the crowd of screaming fans when they walked through the gate. They showed their VIP badges to the security guard, and he let them pass and they made their way to their seats.
Harper looked around and recognized many of the crew members from the show at Madison Square Garden. She pulled her black shades over her eyes. She and Ava kind of stuck out from the crowd. They were the only ones not sweat drenched and the only ones in dresses.
“We over did it.”
“We look hot,” Ava yelled, and they heard tapping sticks.
Harper looked up and saw T, Zach, and someone who was not Jazz on the keyboard, “Have they mentioned anything about Jazz on the news?”
“Just that she was taking a break,” Ava scowled, “Stop worrying about her!”
“HELLO NEW JERSEY!”
Harper looked at Ava, and her jaw dropped she didn’t look at the stage, she couldn’t.
“This is one hell of a crowd to end our US tour with, thanks for coming out tonight!”
Harper turned and looked at the stage. He had a grey tank that revealed the lean muscles in his long strong arms. Arms that had held her, arms that moved her body to where he wanted it, arms that at this moment, she needed around her. He had Black cargo shorts that hit just above his knees leaving his muscular calves exposed, and his black military looking boots were undone. He grabbed his guitar and lifted the strap over his shoulder exposing the v, and the dark trail of hair that started just below his belly button and lead to his long, thick…
“Harper!” Ava yelled and snapped her fingers in front of her face, “What are you thinking?” Ava laughed.
“He is so beautiful,” Harper turned towards Ava and closed her eyes.
“Yeah he is, but what about the boy in the back? He is delicious!”
“T?”
“U, V W, X, Y I don’t care what his name is, you’re introducing me to him. T will be number three,” Ava laughed.
“Who was number two?” Harper asked as she watched Maddox sing, not really caring about the answer.
“Not your brothers, we’ll discuss that when you can concentrate,” Ava laughed at Harper.
Harper could not stop watching him; his voice seduced her, just like he said. He knew it, and she knew it now more than ever. She closed her eyes when he started to sing Stained and felt a tear fall down her face. She opened them at the last chorus and looked up. He was standing on the edge looking at her. She knew he could see her, and she smiled.
