Battlescars: A Rock & Roll Romance Page 9

  I went to shower. I dressed in a pair of red skinny jeans and a white sweater. I tied my chucks and walked into the bedroom. Jake was waiting for me right outside the door. He picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I repeatedly smacked his ass and told him to put me down to no avail. He walked out of our hotel room and went next door to Brett’s room. He placed me on my feet. I looked up and saw an elderly couple walking down the hallway. They looked like they were about to have heart attacks. Jake knocked on the door, and Brett answered. He was already dressed in his signature suit.

  “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Aubrey Thompson.” He beamed proudly.

  “About fucking time.” Brett laughed and gave him a knock on the shoulder. I guess that was their caveman-ish way of saying “congratulations.”

  “Pack your shit dude.” Jake yelled. He handed over the airline confirmation.

  “You serious?” Brett beamed.

  “Absolutely. Get going! You have a flight to catch.” Jake patted him on the back.

  Brett was clearly a devoted dad. It had to be hard for him being away as much as he was. I was lucky that my dad took over the business for his dad. It afforded him the luxury to be around while I was growing up. Since he was self-employed, he had a little more leeway. Some days during the summer he would take off just so we could go to do something fun like go to the beach or a zoo. Sometimes we would even take a plane and fly somewhere just to get lunch. I used to feel like I was a princess.

  We didn’t come from money. My grandfather, George Thompson, started the business from nothing. It thrived until the recession when companies started doing cutbacks. They still manage to stay afloat, but I know that it’s more expensive to run the business too. He passed away in his sleep three years ago. I missed him terribly. Thankfully, Granny Jean was still full of piss and vinegar and would most likely make it to a hundred. We grabbed our luggage and headed to the airfield. Soon we were in the air and on our way to Smithville. I filled Jake in on the who’s who. He was already familiar with names, and there weren’t too many people, so he got it right away.

  We touched down at home base. Mark lowered the stairs, and I knew that he was happy to be home for a few days too. I practically skipped down the stairs with Jake on my heels. My dad was standing there waiting for me. I jumped on him and hugged him tightly. I realized how much I missed him.

  “Aubrey Bean.” He cooed.

  “Daddy! I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Jake Parker.”

  Jake reached out his hand.

  “Timothy Thompson, nice to meet you!” He said like a drill sergeant. I knew for a fact, he was squeezing Jakes hand way too tightly.

  “You too, sir. Thanks for having me.” Jake flexed his hand.

  “Sure. A friend of Aubrey’s is always welcome.” He smiled. Then he leaned in to Jake. “If you hurt her, I’ll break your fucking neck. You understand?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Understood.” He swallowed audibly.

  “Good. Your mom’s waiting for you at home. She’s making a ham and all the fixings. I’ll see back there later.”

  I kissed my dad goodbye and led Jake over to my car. He was grinning from ear to ear about meeting my family. I knew it meant a lot to him since he didn’t have any real family of his own. I just hoped that our trip wouldn’t end in catastrophe.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Home Sweet Home

  We loaded our luggage into my trunk and climbed in the car. I started the engine and watched Jake’s eyes bugged out of his head.

  “Baby, I think there’s an animal under your hood or something.” He teased.

  “No, it’s the muffler.” I said feeling slightly embarrassed. “I’m working on getting something quieter.”

  “At least it’s a stick. I think the fact that you can drive a manual is super hot.”

  Jake was looking around at everything as I drove the ten minutes until we arrived at the little ranch that I called home.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  “Definitely.” He grinned.

  I grabbed his hand, and we walked up the flower-lined walkway to the red door. I opened the door. My mom was in the kitchen working on dinner. Her entire face brightened when she looked at me, and then our entwined hands. I felt my cheeks flush. I knew that my parents were worried that I would end up alone, especially since it’s been a good two years since I even went out on a date. I think Jake could have had a third eyeball, and they still would have been happy. She looked beautiful in a floral wrap dress and flats. Her light-brown hair was freshly styled. She smiled brightly waiting for an official introduction.

  “Mom, this is Jake. Jake this is my mom, Caroline.”

  “Mrs. Thompson, it’s a pleasure.” Jake said kissing her hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Jake. Aubrey, I’m finishing up supper and just realized that I don’t have any marshmallows. Can you please go ask Granny?”

  As soon as Jake turned my mom mouthed an ohmigod. I knew that my face turned bright red.

  “Alright. Come on Jake.”

  I tugged him back out the door. We walked across the street. I opened Granny’s door and called out a hello.

  “In here, dammit.” She yelled from the den.

  “Jeez Granny, I have company.”

  “So?”

  “Granny, this is my boyfriend Jake. Jake, meet Granny Jean.”

  “Good thing I have my library card, ‘cause I’m checking you out.” She catcalled.

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Thompson.” Jake laughed.

  “Don’t give me that Mrs. Thompson shit. Call me Granny Jean, or at least Jean. Damn Aubs he is mighty fine.” She appraised him.

  “Granny!” I scolded.

  “What? Just keeping it real. Isn’t that what you kids say nowadays?” She snubbed her smoke and stood up.

  “Mom wants to know if you have marshmallows.”

  “What do I look like? A quickie mart? No, I don’t. Grab my bag, we’ll go to the store. I need smokes anyway.”

  I grabbed her purse and handed her the car keys. Jake was about to get his first real Granny experience. He climbed into the back of her ancient Cadillac. I told him to make sure that he put his seatbelt on. She started the engine and burned rubber pulling out into the road. We went to Main Street where all the shops were. Some guy was gawking at her at a red light, so she stuck her tongue out and gave him the middle finger. He quickly snapped his head back. I heard Jake chuckle. She mumbled something about him being an asshole and pulled into a parking spot. She climbed out and slammed the door behind her. Jake and I followed her into the store. I grabbed a bag of marshmallows and went to pay. There were a group of teenagers hanging out by the check out. I knew that they recognized Jake. I tugged his hand and pulled him with me. We had been in the press some lately, but I didn’t want any unwanted attention. They were still speculating who I was, and they didn’t have a name yet. Granny noticed the crowd.

  “What are you little fuckers looking at? Ain’t you ever seen a rock star before? Scram!” She yelled.

  They took one last look and took off. Jake looked dumbfounded. I told him that this was what she was like all the time. We paid and practically ran back to the car. I was hoping that the news of Jake’s presence in town wouldn’t get spread around. It was very unlikely though. It was a small town after all. I just wanted a couple low-key days with him. I texted Piper and asked her if I could come into the shop after dinner. I didn’t tell her that Jake was with me. She didn’t even know that we were officially an item yet. She said of course. We headed back home, and I gave my mom the marshmallows. We collected our luggage, and I took Jake to my room.

  I turned the knob. Thankfully, my mom must have cleaned after I left. It wasn’t anything fancy, but I did have a window bench that I adored. It was filled with funky pillows I found over the years. It was my nook. My room had white wainscoting and trim. The top of the wall was painted hot pink. My furniture was white, and I had a queen size bed with pink shee
ts and a zebra comforter. It was girly with a funky edge. Mostly it was very me. Jake seemed to be taking it all in. He walked over and picked up the picture on my dresser. It was of Piper and me at the beach last year. Mitzy came over and started rubbing up against his ankles. I walked over and picked her up.

  “Your room is cute.” I shrugged. “What’s the matter, baby?”

  “Nothing.” I lied.

  “Then why do you look all pouty?”

  He ran his thumb over my pouting bottom lip. I bit down. He groaned and moved his hand. He crashed his lips to mine and stalked forward until the backs of my knees hit the bed. He kissed me fervently, and I could feel him hard pushed up against my thigh. He felt huge. I wanted to reach out and touch him. I quickly decided that I wasn’t ready to go where that would lead. Especially, not with my mom is the next room. He pulled back and bit my neck.

  “Now what’s the matter, baby?”

  I never liked terms of endearment, but I actually liked when he called me baby.

  “I’m just worried now that you’ve been spotted that word will get out.” It was the truth by omission.

  “Are you worried about anyone in particular, or just in general? I can call in another security guy I use sometimes if you want. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself, but if you’re worried…”

  “It will be fine, we’ll just stay in. I wanted to take you to meet Piper at the shop in a bit. I’ll just tell her that I had a change of plans.”

  “We can still go. If it gets out of hand, then we’ll leave. Deal?”

  “Fine.” I gave in because I really wanted to see her.

  My mom yelled and said that dinner was ready. We all sat down at the table. She made ham, macaroni and cheese, candied yams with marshmallows and homemade biscuits. We didn’t say Grace or any kind of blessing. Instead, my dad spoke.

  “Let’s have a moment of silence for all those idiots on their way to the gym to ride stationary bikes while we’re here feasting on a delicious meal and getting plump.”

  “Screw the people riding stationary bikes, the joggers are the freaky ones. They’re always the ones finding the bodies. Coincidence, I think not.” Jake chimed in and my dad beamed.

  Jake’s sense of humor fit in with ours perfectly.

  I laughed, mostly because they were both true. Jake filled his plate and dug in. My parents kept looking at me and smiling. It was embarrassing, but I could tell that they were happy. I laughed again because if most kids brought home a guy that looked like Jake they would probably have an aneurism. Jake didn’t look scary, or weird, it’s just the stigma that he had attached to him. The same one I accused him of.

  “Jake, where are you from?” My mom asked.

  “I was born in Arizona. I lived there until I was twenty, then I moved to LA.”

  “Your parents must be so proud of you. You’re very accomplished for being twenty-five.” She boasted.

  “Actually, my mom passed away when I was eleven, and my dad isn’t in the picture. It’s okay, you didn’t know.” He quickly reassured, seeming unfazed.

  “What are you kids planning on doing for the next couple of days?” My dad asked.

  “Probably just hanging around here.” I shrugged. “We’re going to see Piper after dinner though.”

  “Tell her we said hello.” They said at the same time.

  We finished up dinner, and Jake demanded that we get to clean up since she cooked. I eyeballed him, but he dragged me to the kitchen. He washed while I dried. He kept splashing me with water, so I grabbed the hose and squeezed the nozzle soaking his shirt. After we cleaned up the mess, he changed his shirt, and we headed to TruInk. I warned him that Piper was somewhat of a super fan. He laughed, but he had no idea. I parked in the nearest available parking space, and we walked inside. I said hi to Josh, the owner, and went back to Piper’s room. She was flipping through a magazine when she looked up and saw me, and then Jake.

  “Holy fucking shit!” She screeched. “You brought Jake fucking Parker to my shop!!!!” She stood and jumped up and down. She threw her arms around me and squeezed.

  “Jake meet Piper. Piper, meet my boyfriend, Jake.”

  “Did you just say boyfriend? You did, didn’t you? Holy crap! You’re dating Jake Parker!”

  I looked at Jake, who was clearly embarrassed by Piper’s outburst. I just smiled and mouthed I told you so. He kissed my hair and smiled.

  “Are you done?” I teased.

  “Sorry. It’s nice to meet you Jake. I’m a huge fan. Your voice is like sin.”

  “Um, thanks.” He looked uncomfortable.

  “So what brings you guys here? Are you visiting? Aren’t you guys on tour?”

  “We are, but we had a few days before the next show in Pittsburgh. Since we were so close, it seemed silly not to come see where Aubrey’s from.” Jake shrugged.

  “Awesome! I’d love to see you guys some time.”

  “Why don’t you come to the show in Pittsburgh? I can get you a stage pass.” He suggested. It made me happy that he was doing something nice for someone that I loved like a sister.

  “Seriously? I would love to!”

  “I’ll take care of it. It’s on Friday night.”

  “Yay!” She squeaked.

  We hung out in the shop for a little while before leaving to go back to the house. We were on our way to the car when I heard my name being called. I halted and looked around to see where it was coming from.

  “Aubrey?” I heard again, this time it was Jake. “Do you know who that is?” He put his arm around my shoulder and pointed. I tensed. Before we could get to the car, Jeremy was walking over. I felt myself start to shake. Jake looked menacing.

  “Bre-bre.” Jeremy sneered. “Were you even going to say hi?”

  Seeing him brought all the horror I went through to the surface. It was like watching it happen again in slow motion. The cutting, the screaming, the pain. I felt myself gasping for air, just like I did when he choked me until I was unconscious. I felt my vision start to blur. Jake quickly moved me so that I was leaning up against the car. He looked torn. He took a step away from me toward Jeremy and glared at him.

  “Jake Parker, the guy who’s trying to bag my sloppy seconds.” Jeremy taunted.

  Jake raised his fist and punched him square in the face.

  “Jake Parker, the guy that’s going to fucking kill you if you come near my girlfriend again.” He roared.

  The whole thing was a blur. I watched as Jeremy fell to the ground. Jake helped me in the passenger side. He climbed into the driver’s side and threw the car in reverse. He sped back towards my parent’s house. When we reached my parents road, he pulled off to the shoulder. He leaned his head against the steering wheel and sucked in a deep breath. He turned to look at me.

  “Baby, are you okay?” He whispered.

  He hesitantly reached his hand over to touch my face, but stopped right before he made contact. He looked in my eyes for reassurance that it was okay. I closed my eyes and gave a slight nod. He touched my cheek with his fingertips. I found consolation in his touch. Tears slowly trickled down my face. I unbuckled my seatbelt, and he helped me climb into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed. My whole body hurt. I felt like I was going to shatter. I knew that I couldn’t go home like this and managed to choke out Granny’s name. He moved the seat back so he could drive without moving me. He parked in her driveway and effortlessly carried me to the door. He opened the door and walked in. Granny was sitting at the table on the phone. She hung up as soon as she saw me. Once I knew it was okay I went into self-preservation mode, or as I referred to it “robot mode”.

  “What happened?” She demanded.

  I looked at Jake and pleaded for him not to tell her. He ignored me.

  “We had a run in with Jeremy at the tattoo parlor. I punched him in the face. I’m pretty sure the cops will be here soon.” He whisper shouted, clearly pissed off.

  “That needle-dick bastard.” She pushed out the
chair and walked over to the curio. “I’m gonna kill him!”

  She opened the drawer and pulled out her .380 pistol. Jake sat me in the chair and went to perform damage control. He told her that it wouldn’t do me any good if she went to prison. She said she would be dead soon anyway. He managed to coax the gun from her. He slid the safety back on and put it back in the drawer. Granny huffed and went to light up a smoke. She put it in my mouth, and I took a long drag. Jake walked over to her hutch and poured a shot of Jameson. He tipped his head back and swallowed. He poured another one and brought it to my lips. I felt the warm liquid burn down my throat. It did little to soothe the ache burning inside me. He sat the glass on the table and lifted me up so I could sit on his lap. I leaned on his shoulder and breathed in.

  Jake

  Aubrey was still catatonic. I watched as the minutes ticked by like days. Being helpless has to be the worst fucking feeling in the world. I was trying to do anything that I could think of to make her come around. I was singing softly in her ear and rubbing lazy circles on her back and shoulders. Then I switched humming and saying little things hoping to try and make her feel better. I leaned in and kissed her forehead and used my fingertips to brush her hair out of her face. Granny Jean retreated to the den after the gun incident. She said that she couldn’t stand to watch Aubrey like this again. I could only imagine how hard it must have been to watch her in pain after what that fucker did to her. After an hour, I finally thought that Aubrey was starting to come around. She tilted her head to look at me. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.

  I wanted to go back and kill him with my bare hands. What kind of sick and twisted asshole does something like that? There’s no way he didn’t know what he was doing, he knew damn well. Aubrey’s scars were much more than on the skin, they ran deep. I experienced a little bit when she had that night terror, but this was something entirely different. It was like a storm brewing inside her. Her eyes told me much more than her words ever could. There was nowhere for her to hide, so she hid in herself. I only hoped that I was doing something to offer her solace. Her bottom lip was trembling.