Bella
I didn't want to go. I mean I did want to go. I wanted to see him again. And I wanted to see him play, but I knew Rosalie was going to embarrass me. I loved my roommate but she was anything but subtle. The simple fact that she'd slipped that damn lingerie into my laundry bag was evidence of that. I was so embarrassed.
By the time I got home that night she was already investigating their website.
"Oh my God," she sighed, pointing to a picture. It showed some guy playing a bass guitar. I guess he was kind of cute, just not my type.
"That's Emmett," I said, remembering that Edward said he played bass.
"How do you know? This one plays guitar too." She pointed to another picture of a blonde guy strumming a guitar standing up to the microphone.
"Because you strum them different. The hand position is usually different." I pointed out their hands. I turned around and went to the kitchen so I could grab a bottle of water.
"I don't know I'm kind of partial to this one," she smirked, pointing to another picture.
I spit out my water when I saw she was looking at Edward's picture. He was sitting behind his drum set, slamming his sticks down on the drumhead. I'd thought he was gorgeous since the moment I met him, but this was a whole other level. He was fucking hot. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his perfectly defined muscles in his arms as he played or the sweat glistening across his face. Don't even get me started on the way he was biting down on his lip.
"Never mind, I think he's taken." She laughed and kept scrolling through the pictures.
"Rose you need to stop with that. We are not…" I shook my head.
"You will be. I could see the way he looked at you. He thinks you're hot shit."
"No he doesn't. Besides I don't think I'm the kind of girl a guy like that would go for."
"And what kind of girl is that?"
"I mean sure I like the music. But I'm not a hardcore rocker chick. I don't have any tattoos, no piercings, definitely don't sleep around. Isn't that what rock stars like that usually like?"
"Bella he likes you. I promise."
"I'm not holding my breath." I took another sip of my water and went to bed.
Laundry the next week wasn't the same without him there. I'd only known him for two weeks and I missed the easy conversation and the way he bit down on his licorice. I had way too many left over and it felt weird.
Edward texted me the information for the gig on Saturday and said he was excited to see me. Of course Rosalie teased me for it, but I didn't take it too seriously.
"He probably just missed my licorice."
"I bet he did," Rose said suggestively. She ran her towel through her damp hair one last time and started combing it out. I had to admit I was a little nervous about going tonight, but I hope it didn't show. I didn't need another reason to be mortified in front of him. I'd probably stumble over my feet like usual, but with my luck I'd pull the plug on their equipment or something.
I pulled on an old Boston concert t-shirt and tied it up to the side.
"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Rose asked, taking in my appearance.
"I am dressed."
"Okay," she sighed. We never agreed on clothes. She liked all that girly shit and I was fairly laid back. It wasn't that I looked like a chump, but we were just different. I slipped on my sneakers and went to wait for her out in the living room.
"Oh I forgot to tell you I made us posters. Or I made them posters!" She stuck her head out of the bathroom and smiled.
"Rose I'm not holding up a stupid poster. The last time I did something like that I was ten and was at a Backstreet Boys concert."
"I'm bringing them anyway."
I waited another half hour while she did her hair and makeup before we took off, posters in hand. I didn't even bother looking at them. I wasn't going to hold it up anyway so there was no point.
There was a slight line to get in, but it wasn't too bad. We waited about ten minutes before we were ushered inside. It was more crowded inside, but we made our way to the middle of the pack a little off to the side. They had taken most of the tables out to make room for a mosh pit type of thing so it was mostly just an open space. There were a few tables smattered along the perimeter of the bar.
Rose and I went straight to the bar and got a drink. We hung around there while people started shuffling in. I kept peeking my head up, thinking maybe I would get a glimpse of him but I didn't.
About a half hour before the show was scheduled to start, I saw a few people step out onto the dark stage. I held my breath and ran my finger around the rim of my glass. One of the shadows walked to the mic and started speaking into it, testing the levels. Another started strumming on a bass guitar so I assumed that was Emmett. Another sat at a keyboard and I remembered from the website that there was another band member that played with them just for certain songs. I think his name was Jake. I may have looked at the website a few times in the last couple of days. The last shadow walked to the drum set, sat down and started testing the sound.
My body was buzzing. I was nervous. I was excited. I was fairly sure I was about to vomit before the night was over.
"Two shots please," I mumbled.
"Oh I love shots," Rosalie said. She clapped her hands together and smiled.
"Those are both for me, get your own." I downed the two shots and winced at the nasty taste.
"A little nervous are we?" She cocked her eyebrow.
"Just a little," I said sarcastically.
I almost curled up in the fetal position and hid in the corner. This was a bad idea.
"How's everyone doing tonight?" Someone asked into the microphone. The lights on the stage went up and I was temporarily blinded.
Rose immediately jumped up out of her seat and started yelling, like most of the other people in the bar.
"Holy shit…" I murmured. I spotted Edward right away, behind the lights and the other two. He had a black Journey concert t-shirt on and some faded jeans. I could tell they fit in all the right places even though he was sitting down. I saw his eyes scan the crowd, but he didn't see me. His expression fell for the slightest moment before he slammed his sticks together and the music started. I instantly recognized the song, but couldn't move.
I sat completely frozen for the entire first song, completely mesmerized watching him play. His arms. This man's arms were perfect. And don't even get me started on the way his foot taps to the beat or the way he grips his sticks with those delicious long fingers of his. I didn't think like this. I didn't have thoughts like this. My brain is on Rose autopilot and I'm headed for disaster.
"Bella get your ass up and cheer for your man!" Rose yelled. She jumped up and down and made eyes at Emmett even though I knew there was no way he could see us back here. By the second song she'd pulled me up from my seat and I was feeling a little better…or less inhibited I guess, from the alcohol.
We pushed our way towards the front. I stumbled over a few feet and looked back apologetically. It was a group of girls and they looked like first class bitches. One of them eyed me and flipped me off. I instinctively stuck out my tongue at her and then reeled it back in, completely mortified. She was going to kick my ass.
She made it pretty close to the front and the next thing I knew I was jumping up and down and enjoying the music. Rose held up her poster and handed me mine. I didn't bother looking at it, just threw my arms up in the air and jumped. I casually glanced up at hers and laughed Nice bass. My eyes flitted at the sign in my hands and I panicked. Edward drop your sticks and bang me instead. I'm going to kill her.
I gasped, my eyes shooting towards the stage praying that he didn't see it. His eyes were focused directly on me and a lazy smirk spread across his face. He laughed a little under his breath before he turned his attention back to his drums
I yanked the sign down and gave Rose a hard shove. "Do you understand what you've done?"
"Yeah. I just got you laid!" She screamed.
She didn't care that I was epically mortified or that Edward probably thinks I'm a groupie. She just shook her ass and eye-fucked the shit out of Emmett without a care in the world.
The song eventually came to an end and Jasper stepped back up to the microphone. "Hey everyone, we're Hollywood Rebel and I hope you enjoy the rest of the show. I'd like to hand over the reigns to our drummer Edward for the next song."
Edward pulled the microphone next to his drum set closer to his face and cleared his throat. "This song is by a band called Bad Company. It's 'Feel Like Makin Love' and I hope you like it." The first guitar notes rang out and the lights dimmed a little. "And Bella I like your sign…" He mumbled into the microphone. My breath hitched in my throat and he winked at me before starting to sing.
I bit down on my lip and let out a nervous laugh. Rose elbowed me lightly and said that I owed her.
I didn't feel as nervous for the rest of the concert. I mean in all seriousness, the most embarrassing thing of the night has probably already happened. I hope.
They played their last song and said their 'thank yous' before the stage darkened and the music stopped. I spotted them walking off stage and I felt torn. Should I stay or should I go? I instantly smiled to myself and started singing The Clash in my head. I didn't even realize that the bar was starting to clear out, leaving only a few stragglers and partiers in its wake. I guess that most people came for the show.
I was shaking my hips to the second verse that was playing in my head when I felt someone lightly touch my shoulder. I screamed and spun around, finding Edward's body close to mine.
"Hi," I squeaked.
"Hi." He rubbed his neck and I noticed his forehead was dripping with sweat. God he was hot. "I wasn't sure if you were going to show up." He took a sip of his drink just as someone bumped into him. It sloshed out of the cup and spilled all over my shirt. "Shit. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." I brushed at my shirt and tried to laugh it off. "And of course I came," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"So what did you think?"
"Solid song selection my friend." I smiled and turned my head towards the snicker from behind me. It was the group of girls from before and they were eyeing me like I was a gazelle in the African desert.
"Sorry about them. They're a little….possessive."
"Possessive?"
"If we had official groupies, they would be it." He nodded towards the girls. "They don't take kindly to newcomers."
"Why would you hang out with them if they're so evil?" I asked.
"I don't really. I just kind of hang back and watch the mayhem unfold." He laughed and nodded towards the bar. "Listen I'm going to go shower upstairs, but will you wait for me?"
"Sure."
He led me towards the bar and I spotted Rose and Emmett making out in the corner. Oddly I wasn't surprised.
"Hey Ali!" Edward yelled. A short, brunette girl skipped down to us from behind the bar and smiled. She was the epitome of a Rocker chick. Piercings, tattoos, seemingly badass attitude. Everything. "This is Bella. Bella this is Alice, Jasper's girlfriend. She lives above the bar so I'm going to go steal her shower. Ali get her whatever she wants, it's on me." He turned towards me. "I'll be right back."
I nodded and pulled myself up onto a barstool.
Alice poured me a drink and slid it into my hands. "You know he wants to fuck you right?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well he wants more than that, but I thought that was obvious. You're not like the others…"
"The others?"
"The other girls that throw themselves all over him. He never takes the bait but for some reason he's smitten with you. You must be pretty special." She smiled and headed down towards the other end of the bar to get someone a drink.
I sipped nervously on my drink as the bar emptied out even more. I didn't even realize how late it was. Edward was back ten minutes later and ushered me over to a booth with Emmett, Rose and Jasper. He introduced me to all of them and they started talking about the show. I noticed his hand strangely found its way to the seat, right next to my leg. He wasn't touching it, but it was about as close as he could get without it.
"Alright everyone, we're closing up!" Alice yelled. I was a little sad that the night was over so soon and that I wouldn't get to spend more time with him. I glanced towards the door and back at the group, who didn't move an inch.
"Not for us," Edward whispered, finally placing his hand lightly on my thigh. He kept it there even though he turned back to the group. I smiled a little to myself and leaned closer to him. Rose noticed and winked at me. Her hands were nowhere to be seen and I didn't even want to know what was going on under the table. I glanced over towards the stage and lingered on Edward's drum set as they talked.
"Do you want to play?" Edward asked.
"I don't know how." I turned back to him. The rest of the group was completely absorbed in their conversation and paid no attention to us. It was like we were in our own little world. Just me and him.
"I'll teach you." He smiled and looked at me expectantly. I hesitated before sliding out of the booth. He followed quickly after me and led me up onto the stage. Everyone else in the bar had left by then and Alice took our spot with the group since she'd finished closing up.
Edward flipped on a dim light above the stage so I could see. He offered me the seat behind the drums and grabbed his sticks. He leaned down beside me and pointed out what each drum was, hitting them lightly so I could hear the different sounds. When handed the sticks to me, he surprised me when he didn't let go. He placed my fingers loosely around the sticks and wrapped his fingers around mine.
He guided my hands across the drumheads, flexing my wrists back and forth to make the sticks smack down onto them. My breath hitched in my throat when he sat down behind me on the seat, his legs straddling either side of mine. We played the drums together for a few minutes before I noticed that our group was no longer at the booth. We were completely alone.
I felt his breath on my neck and shivered knowing that he was that close to me. He must have noticed because he turned his head towards me and stopped his hands.
"Are you okay?" He whispered.
"Yes," I breathed. I turned my head slightly towards his and my cheek brushed against his skin. My eyes found his lips and traveled up to his nose. It flared briefly as he let out a huge breath. I continued up to his eyes and found myself lost in them. In that moment he reminded me of Gatsby again, seducing you into his very being with just one look.
He glanced down at my lips and a slight smile spread across his face as he slowly inched towards me. I held my breath a moment before his lips pressed against mine. His mouth moved in perfect sync with mine, nipping and sucking just enough to make my entire body melt. He moaned and lifted off the seat, spinning it and me along with it so I was facing him. He reached under my thighs and sat down again, pulling my legs over his.
He reached around to my ass and pulled my hips roughly against his. "You wanna get outta here?" He murmured.
"Yes." I nodded and started placing kisses along his neck. He pulled us up from the seat and I wrapped my legs tightly around his body so he couldn't escape.
I didn't remember leaving the bar, or the cab ride, or fumbling up the stairs to my apartment. All I remembered was his smell and his taste and the way his body felt pressed against mine.
The next thing I knew, Edward was shirtless and my bra was hanging from the doorknob of my bedroom.
"Bella," Edward mumbled. He pushed me down onto the bed and hooked his fingers around the belt loops of my jeans, tugging at them slightly.
"Stop teasing me." I shook my head and tried to catch my breath.
"Is this a tease?" He tugged again and smirked at me.
"Yes!" I protested.
He tugged harder and my jeans slid down to my knees, almost pulling my underwear down with it. I got mortified for a second time tonight when I realized I had boy shorts on. Definitely not sexy. He pulled my jeans down and off my legs before tossing them aside and collapsing on top of me.
"Can I make a confession?" He asked.
"Yes."
"I lied when I said that thongs were sexy. I think whatever you're wearing….is the sexiest thing I've ever seen." He ran his finger along the waistband of my underwear and slipped inside.
I screamed a little too loud as his fingers brushed against me. He slid roughly across me before pulling my underwear down in one swift move. I reached down for his pants and they quickly joined mine on the floor. I smiled as he placed his hands between us and I felt him…all of him against me.
I threw my head back against the mattress as he pushed inside of me.
"Fuck," he screamed. He settled his elbows beside my head and locked his eyes with mine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and scratched down his back as he moved inside me.
I've never been very…vocal during sex, but something was different. I was pretty sure I was about to break all the glass in the apartment. I just hoped Rose wasn't home yet. I was a little preoccupied when we came in and didn't think to look.
Edward ducked his head down and flicked his tongue across my breasts. As soon as he took my skin between his teeth I shuddered beneath him and crashed over the edge.
"Stay with me," he said. "Ride it out baby…"
It was almost like I was his new instrument. He was manipulating my body like I knew he could manipulate those drums or his guitar. He was plucking, fine tuning every note, every chord, and every aspect of me.
I was riding my second wave as he found his release, a strangled moan escaping his lips. He leaned down and kissed me, pushing his tongue between my lips.
He rolled over to his side and pulled me close. I fell asleep to his soft humming as his finger traced down my ribs and my hip.
I woke up the next morning, feeling off before I even opened my eyes. When I did, I realized why. He was gone. My bed was empty. His clothes were missing from my floor. I was alone.
I fought back the urge to vomit. I couldn't tell if it was from the panic or my impending hangover, but I barely made it to the bathroom in time. I'd somehow managed to drag the sheet with me so I wasn't completely exposed and puking at the same time.
A pair of hands pulled my hair back over my shoulder and I thought for the slightest moment that maybe he'd stayed.
"Rough night?" Rose asked.
"Rougher morning," I mumbled. I spit into the toilet and flushed.
"I don't know about that. It sounded like a pretty…rough…night."
She was here. She heard. I'll never hear the end of this.
"I'm going to throw up again." I hurled into the toilet again and felt a tear slip down my cheek. "He left…" I whispered. I rested my head on the seat and turned towards Rose. "I slept with him and he left. I should have known the nice guy routine was an act. He's just a typical rock star."
"Honey I think you should talk to him before you make any assumptions. Emmett had to rush out of here this morning for something."
"Emmett?"
"You're not the only one who fucked a rock star last night. I'll get you some water."
Once I was feeling a little better and the world stopped spinning, I took a walk to sort out all my thoughts. I found myself drifting towards the laundry mat and I wondered how he did it. How could he be so charming and sweet one second and be the guy who leaves before you even wake up? It didn't make sense.
I was surprised when I looked through the window. I saw Carmen at her usual spot at the desk. And him. He was there. Just going on with his business like nothing had happened. I guess he knew he couldn't come do his laundry at the same time anymore because I would be there. He had to find some new unsuspecting prey. "Asshole," I whispered.
I stomped through the door of the mat, scaring both him and Carmen.
"Bella?" Edward said. He reached inside the dryer and pulled something out. "I thought you'd sleep…longer. How are you feeling?"
"How am I feeling? You fucking left me. I should have known. I should have known you'd do that. Just a typical musician right? Screw em and leave em." I crossed my arms.
"What the hell did you do honey?" Carmen asked Edward.
"You're right I did leave." He took a step towards me and narrowed his eyes. "Because I wanted…to wash your shirt for you." He held up the item he'd just pulled from the dryer and I instantly recognized it as my shirt. "I thought I'd make it back before you woke up."
I felt all the air fly out of my lungs with a whoosh. He was a nice guy. I was the bad guy right now. I felt like such a jerk.
"I…" I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I woke up and you were gone and I…"
"It's okay."
"No it's not. I'm really sorry."
"You might not be saying that after you get your shirt back. Was I supposed to dry this?" He held up my shirt again and now that I got a good look at it, it looked like it belonged to one of the seven dwarfs. He shrunk the shit out of it.
"Definitely not. I guess I'll have to teach you the ways." I took my shirt and smiled slightly. Edward rested his hands on my hips and pulled me closer.
"I'm sorry I shrunk your shirt."
"I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"Well I know how you can make it up to me later…" He leaned down and kissed me. Carmen started clapping and whistling, telling us how we'd have to have the wedding here at the mat. Edward laughed and grabbed my hand as we started towards the door. "See you on Thursday Carmen!" He pushed the door open. "Now let's see about getting you another shirt before I have to go to practice."
A/N:
I hope you enjoyed this little short story. It is now complete. I had fun writing it and it was a nice release from my heavier fics. Just in case anyone was interested I've listed the set list for the boys' show below. Thanks again for reading : )
Separate Ways by Journey
Hold On Loosely by .38 Special
Feel Like Makin Love by Bad Company
Hotel California by the Eagles
Carry On My Wayward Song by Kansas