Chapter Twenty Four

I pull up in front of our apartment building coming from the millionth meeting at Capitol Records this week. They want me to go through media training and I've met with a few different managers. I have to head back up there on Friday and I'll be there all weekend to record Hollow for my debut album.

Can I just say that again? MY DEBUT ALBUM! That's crazy! Things have been moving so fast that my head is spinning. Dad isn't happy that I'll be in L.A. all by myself for the weekend but agreed with the stipulation that he'd be tracking my phone and possibly the ship he had implanted in my molar.

Walking into our apartment I set my keys in the bowl and call out, ' I'm home "!

Dad isn't here but I saw Ronnie's LeBaron in the lot. I can't wait to tell her about recording Hollow. Seconds later, her bedroom door opens and she rushes out.

" I'm glad you're back. You were already asleep when I got home last night and I wanted to tell you... " She says almost out of breath. " I found mom. "

And just like that, my mood is soured. " Oh, yeah? " I ask as I take my jacket off. " Where? "

She hesitates before saying, " At a dive bar. "

Of course. Once a drunk, always a drunk. I shake my head in judgment but say nothing about it.

" She said she misses us. " She says while pretending to busy herself in the kitchen nook.

You. She misses you, Ronnie. The woman never gave a damn about me. " That's... Nice. "

" I signed her into rehab. " She says and I feel the anger rise at an alarming rate.

" Excuse me? " I damn near spit. " How and with what money? "

Her eyes hit the floor realizing she shouldn't have said anything.

" Are you fucking serious, Ronnie? " I yell at her. " That woman ran out on us and you spent the money you've been saving for college on rehab? Dad's going to kill you! "

Her eyes go wide and she starts pleading. " You can't tell him, Vic. You have to promise. Don't you want mom to come home? "

" Come home for what? " I ask seriously. " So she can ignore me in the confined space of this apartment instead of running around doing God knows what? "

She looks away guiltily knowing exactly what I'm talking about.

" I know you didn't have the best relationship. " She tries looking thoroughly scolded.

If that isn't the understatement of the century. " I get why you want her around but can we just cut the bullshit and call a spade a spade? She never looked at me as her daughter and probably never will. "

" That's not tru- " She goes to defend but I put my hand up.

I won't allow her to downplay how I feel. " It is. And it's fine I'm over mother's disappointing me. It's gotten to be too much of a habit. "

First I was abandoned by my bio mom and then by my adopted mom. Ronnie might know what it's like to have one mother abandon her, but two? She'll never know how that feels. As if there was something wrong with me that two women decided I wasn't worth the effort.

Giving me a look of understanding she says, " well, since you bring it up... I found your bio parents. "

" You did? " God, it seems like forever ago that I asked her to find them.

The topic is officially changed and my anger is quelled... For the moment that is. I'm still majorly pissed that she just messed u her future by trying to help someone that hasn't hit rock bottom. That money is going to be wasted and Ronnie is going to not only end up hurt but without a college fund to boot.

Nodding to her bedroom we head in and she takes a seat at her desk. " It took me weeks to find them and once I did, it made sense. " She says typing on her laptop keyboard.

" Who are they? " I ask before plopping on her waterbed.

Coming over with her laptop she sits next to me. " You'll never believe it. "

What's with the suspense? Just let it out already! Anxiousness fills my entire being just thinking of finding out who my real parents are.

" What are you waiting for? " I ask feeling my stomach knot up.

Hesitating she sighs before saying, " it's just... I don't think you should reach out. "

" Just tell me. " I snap.

Turning her laptop around my eyes fall on an unfamiliar, beautiful face.

" This is your mom, Sally McLaughlin. Born in Scotland. " She says before pausing. " There isn't much else known about her except... "

Looking up from the screen I ask, " except what "?

" I believe the proper term for her career is " adult movie star ". " She ays slowly.

Bile rises in my throat at the information. " You mean... My bio mom is a porn star? "

Nodding she turns the laptop back toward her and then clicks on something else before turning it back to me again. " And this is who I'm ninety-eight percent sure is your father. "

Oh. My. God.

" No. There's no way. " I say shaking my head in denial.

She gives me a look of understanding. " Yeah. They met on the set of the Sweet Child Of Mine video and were together from eighty-seven to early eighty-eight before breaking up. You were born prematurely according to the hospital records so the timeline matches. "

" This is crazy. When I asked you to look into my real parents I never expected anything like this. " I say before something hits me. " Wait, if she's a porn star, how do we even know he's my real dad? "

Shrugging she says, " there's only one way to know for sure. Get a paternity test ".

And now it makes sense why she doesn't want me to reach out. I can only imagine how many times he has had someone claim to be his long-lost kid.

" This just doesn't make any sense. " I say getting up from her bed to pace. " What are the odds of me meeting my bio dad before finding out who he is? "

It's so confusing. Why on earth would a woman give up a rock star's baby? Most would shout it through the rooftops and put him on child support.

" The only thing I can think of is that he maybe knows about you. " She says putting her hand up to stop me from speaking. " That's a big maybe, Vic. Sally was the one to drop you off at the station that night. It could just be a coincidence that he was in that guitar shop at the same time. "

I hold my hands together to keep them from shaking. " This is too much. I gotta go. "

Of course, you know where I ended up. Right outside the Navarro residence. I know, I must be stupid to think he'd want to see me, but he's who I need right now.

As I'm walking up I almost run back to my car but the door swings open to reveal a mean-looking, Eli.

" I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now. " I say trying to control my pulsating emotions. " I didn't know where else to go. "

He gives me a hard look before letting me in. " Make it quick. "

" Okay, " I say taking a deep breath. " So remember when Veronica was digging up dirt on students' parents? "

Huffing he says, " yeah, so "?

" She... She found my bio parents. " I finally get out.

The energy in the room changes immediately. " Oh. "

" I know you're mad and you have every right to be. I just... " I try to get out before finally breaking down.

His eyes soften for the first time since I told him it was me that bugged his bike. " Come here. " He says pulling into his arms.

" I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. " I cry out as he holds me closer.

" Cálmate, está bien, Tori. " ( Calm down, you're okay, Tori. ) He tries to soothe me by speaking Spanish.

Lifting me up by my thighs, he carries me into his bedroom and sets me on the bed. Kneeling down he wipes my tears away with the pads of his thumbs. " Tell me what happened. "

" My mom. " Is all I can say before breaking down again and covering my face with my hands.

Pulling my hands away from my face he places a soft kiss on my cheek. " Tell me. "

" It's so messed up! Ronnie spent her entire college find on putting mom in rehab and then she tells me... " I say not being able to finish.

He rubs my shoulders soothingly. " She tells you what, querida. "

" My real parents... One's someone you'd never guess and the other... Oh, god. " I sob from the depths of my soul. " She's a porn star! She left me so she could go and have sex on camera for money. How fucked is that? "

At that, he's rendered speechless.

" I know it goes without saying, but please don't tell anyone. " I plead while still knowing that he'd never do that.

Sitting next to me he says, " it stays between us and V. No one else needs to know. "

And just like that, the energy shifts again. The fact that he's being so understanding after everything... Looking into his eyes, I see all the emotions he has been feeling written in them. Leaning in, I place a kiss on his lips hesitantly. I pull back and study his face once more. It's almost magnetic the way we both meet each other halfway to kiss again. His hands grab onto my arms and lift me onto his lap.

Pushing him flat on his back I lean over his and deepen this kiss. His hands slide down and cup my ass. I moan into his mouth and he slips his tongue inside. Our tongues wrestle sensually against one another making heat pool in the bottom of my stomach. When I start grinding against his hardening shaft he breaks the kiss and tries to push me off of him.

" Please. " I damn near plead with him.

Sighing, he sits up with me still in his lap and says, " we shouldn't be doing this. I'm still mad and you're upset. "

" I just want to forget today. You're the only one I want this from. Please. " I whisper in his ear.

Pushing me gently off of him, he gets up from the bed and goes over to the door. He opens it and looks out both ways before closing and locking it. Heading back over to me, he slips his hoodie over his head, comes back over, and gets back in bed.

" We're not going all the way, but if forgetting is what you need, I have no problem helping. " He says before slipping my leggings and panties down my legs before climbing between them. " You gotta stay quiet. "

I try to ask him what the hell he's talking about but before I can his face gets closer and closer to my center. Is he really gonna- " oh God, " I moan with the first swipe of his tongue.

" Shhh. " He lets out before going back to tasting every inch of me.

My legs shake as he explores my folds seeing what kind of reactions he could get out of my trembling body. " Eli, ohhh. "

When the flat of his tongue flicks across my little button I damn near scream. One of his hands snakes up to cover my mouth but his tongue never leaves my button. Breathing heavily through my nose I focus on the sensations his talented tongue is giving me.

His lips wrap around it and with one suck of his mouth, my hips start thrusting into him. Feeling wetness pooling onto the mattress beneath us I ride a huge wave of pleasure as he gives me my first-ever orgasm.

" Damn girl, that was a river. " He says before rolling over and laying on the dry side of the bed.

Laughing, I scoot over and lay my head on his chest while trying to regulate my breathing. That was the most intense feeling I've ever experienced. Part of me wants to ask how he learned that but the other part knows that I don't want to know.

" Remember when we both promised each other that we'd be there for each other no matter what? " I ask after a few minutes.

He hmms before saying, " yeah ".

" Thank you. " I say softly.

I feel his head turn toward me. " For what? "

" For keeping that promise and not telling me to leave even though you're mad at me. " I tell him as I feel my heart swell.

His arms wrap around me and squeeze. " I love you, Victoria. Yeah, I'm pissed off at what you did, but that hasn't changed. "

" The trust we built has been broken I know that... " I say feeling and hearing my voice tremble. " I became a crazy girlfriend and lost my mind. I was wrong and I'm sorry. "

Kissing the side of my head he says, " just don't do anything like that again and we'll be okay in time ".

" I promise. "

Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. This book will be wrapping up in the next chapter or two. Don't worry there will be a sequel. I'm planning books for seasons 2, 3, 4, and possibly a short one for the movie. Victoria and Eli's story will be tumultuous, but worth it in the end.