Chapter Nineteen, Turn Around
Posted by DiF on Saturday, August 13, 2011
Title: Don’t Look Away: Chapter Nineteen, Turn Around
Rating: NC-17 [very offensive language, alcohol]
Summary: The band is back in NYC to record for a week. Cady runs into an unsavory someone on the street. Blood is spilled.
Lying on his side, Pete traced over Cady’s curves. She giggled softly and rolled towards him. Her eyes went to his and she grinned. After a quick kiss, she climbed over him and headed towards the bathroom. He folded his hands under his head and smiled. In that loft, in a part of New York they technically could not live in, he was the happiest he had been in a very long time, perhaps ever. Cady was absolutely perfect. From the way she moved to the way she kissed him to even the way she breathed, he could find no fault in her at all. Every little thing she did was magic.
His eyes flicked to the bathroom as his nude lover slowly walked towards him. He wanted to be like this forever, content, happy. No stress, no worries, just Cady’s love and affection. That was all he needed in the world.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reached to him and caressed his cheek softly, “What are you thinking?”
“That you’re all I’ll ever need,” he declared softly.
She smiled and leaned over to kiss him, “Is that so?”
“Absolutely,” Pete confirmed before their lips touched.
“So if the band called right now and wanted you to come and play…”
“They wouldn’t do that. The studio isn’t even open.”
“Not true,” she declared, leaning back up. “Look at the windows, Pete.”
He glanced over at the bank of sheer curtained windows. His eyes widened slightly at the realization why he could see his girlfriend so well. The sun had risen at some point, likely when he was so immersed in loving Cady he had not noticed.
“Fuck. What time is it?”
“I thought I was all that you needed,” she teased as she crawled over him and slid under the blanket.
“Baby… you know that’s true.”
“But?”
“… the band…”
Cady kissed him quickly, “The morning has come and you need to get down to the studio. I know that. After this night… I could use some rest.”
He chuckled, “I don’t have to leave just yet…”
She shifted over him, her short nails lightly scratching his chest, “Oh really now?”
Pete quickly sat up and kissed her. With his hands one her ass, he quickly pushed her onto her back, his mouth still connected to hers. Cady squealed and quickly wrapped around him. They loved quickly and loudly, making Pete grateful the walls were thick and soundproof. As she shifted to the other side of the bed, pulling the blanket tightly about her naked body, Pete stood, glanced at her once more, and headed to the closet. He dressed with a sigh and headed out of the apartment to meet with the band at the studio.
Staying home with Cady would have been so much better. Instead, he pulled up gate at the elevator and stepped into the lift. As he began to lower the gate, James trotted up, asking him to hold the elevator. Waiting for the young artist in garish makeup to join him, Pete dropped the gate and pressed the button. He glanced sideways at the man next to him, wanting to speak up and ask why he lied to him on the phone. And yet all of his glances seemingly did not encourage the other man to speak up and he stepped out of the elevator without saying anything else to Pete at all.
“James?” he trotted after the actor.
The man stopped and turned, looking at Pete through a curtain of vibrant fake eyelashes, “I’m sorry. Do we know each other?”
Pete blinked, remaining silent for a minute, “Um, yes. My girlfriend is Cady?”
“Cady?”
“Your cousin?”
“Oh right, her. What about her?”
“Why would you tell me those lies about her father raping her?”
James stared blankly, “Excuse me?”
“On the phone… you told me… you told me…”
“I’ve never spoken with you on the phone.”
“Are you sure?”
James nodded carefully, “Whatever you’re on, you should share, man.”
Pete remained silent, blinking. With a half-smile, the made-up man turned and headed out of the building. Standing in the middle of the naturally lit corridor, he turned over the conversation in his head. Cady had claimed James to be a liar. So either he was lying about the conversation or… fuck, he was confused. He wanted nothing more than to step back into the elevator and head back up to Cady, wake her, and ask her to explain everything. But he was expected at the studio and a car was waiting outside. Perhaps over lunch they could discuss her family…
Heading down the street towards the subway, Cady paused, feeling a familiar chill shoot down her spine. Her blue eyes glanced around, trying to locate the source. As she stood on the streets of New York City, there were two likely sources of the feeling, neither of which she wanted to interact with. Her heart stopped as she spied Jimi a block away. She instantly turned, deciding she would find another route to Talentmasters. Taking two steps, she froze again, her eyes trained on a young woman’s face. She was trapped, completely trapped. On one hand, Jimi was likely to press something sexual towards her, proclaiming his love or possession of her. On the other hand, facing the bitch who sold her out at art school was not any more appealing. Perhaps, though, the girl would not remember Cady.
Deciding the girl to be the better option, she headed forward, keeping her shoulders straight and her gaze. She nearly thought she had managed to pass by the bitch unscathed, but clearly luck was not on her side that day. A cold hand touched her wrist, causing her to stop instantly. Her blue eyes met cold gray eyes and she forced a smile.
“Cady, how nice it is to see you,” the blond woman said in a falsely cheerful tone.
“Alicia,” she struggled to keep smiling, “I trust you have been well.”
She held up her left hand, showing a glittering ring, “You could say that.”
“Ah, who is the… lucky man?”
“Well you know the sculpture teacher at school?”
Cady stared at her blankly, anger beginning to boil in her veins.
“Four months pregnant too,” she placed her sparkling hand on her belly to draw Cady’s attention.
Unable to help herself, Cady hissed, “Does your husband know who the father is? Do you?”
Alicia was struck speechless for a long moment before spitting back, “How many niggers have you slept with now?”
Unable to stomach such a comment, Cady instantly took a step back – and punched Alicia. People around them gasped, a young man instantly jumping in to restrain Cady. Remaining silent, she glared at her former classmate, straining against the man’s grasp.
The other woman stepped closer and whispered, “Did your nigger teach you to hit like that, whore? Pity that slumming it strips you of all your manners. But then again, it’s not surprising you lose your manners when you lose your panties.”
Cady attempted to twist free, growling to be released. Smirking, Alicia stepped away, tossed her hair, and waved her fingers at Cady. With her attacker still restrained, the former classmate turned and headed back down the street, a smirk of satisfaction on her face. Once the crowd consumed Alicia once more, the young man released Cady.
Turning around to face and berate him from stopping her, Cady froze, “John?”
“As sexy as it is to see two birds fight, I don’t really think you needed to get into a row with her, Cade,” the bassist declared, a twinkle in his eyes.
“But you didn’t hear what she said!”
“Doesn’t matter,” he responded. “It wasn’t worth it.”
Cady sighed, “I’m not going to let you live this down for a very long time.”
He smiled crookedly, “Whatever you say, Cade.”
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the studio?” she asked.
John’s arm slipped around her shoulders, turning her back in direction of the studio, “Pete kicked us all out to work with… Kit on something. So I went on a walkabout and luckily spied a vision of beauty.”
“That you just had to stop from fighting?”
“Oh I didn’t mean you. There was this beautiful bird with short … okay, I meant you,” he teased.
She shoved him playfully, “Did you see Jimi too?”
John sighed, “Yeah. I’m glad he didn’t see you though. I’d hate to have to step in on a repeat of ‘Cady, come back to me, baby. I’ll make you happier than Pete ever could.’”
“Ugh. And to think I just kinda defended him when I punched Alicia.”
He remained silent for a moment, weaving through the crowd with her, “What did she say that incensed you so? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get so… fired up before.”
Cady paused, her blue eyes going to his, “She called… she said… ugh… Not only is she a fucking stuck-up, backstabbing snob, but she’s a fucking racist too.”
His eyes flicked to the pavement before meeting hers again, “Who is she, Cade?”
“The very reason I left art school,” she answered darkly.
“Um… okay then.”
“The short of it is she spread a bunch of nasty rumors about me only being at the school because I slept with the admittance panel and that my highest aspirations in life was to be the nude model who slept with all of the faculty,” she quickly stated. “None of it was true. My parents didn’t even b – beg for me to go, so it was all bullshit. I was there because of my portfolio, which was much better than all the other girls. Anyways, she spread the rumors about school and no one… I took the chance coming to the city on an arranged outing. The other girls couldn’t tell me no. And they returned without me.”
John remained silent for a long minute, “While that does sound rather… nasty and very much unfortunate, in a roundabout way it helped bring you to us. And that is a good thing.”
She smiled crookedly ,”Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Come on, love. Let’s get to the studio and make Pete come to lunch with us. That will put a smile on your face.”
Setting the table, Cady glanced at the large wall clock and sighed. It was forty-five minutes past the time Pete and John swore they would be home for dinner. She did not think her simple dinner would be any good now that it had been sitting in the oven, trying to stay warm. Waiting a minute longer was stupid. Dinner was already ruined and they were likely too caught up in something to actually come home on time. Sighing she headed over to the oven and yanked open the door. Nearly forgetting the hot pad, she pulled out the hot plate of food and headed directly to the garbage can. Throwing it all away, plate included, she slammed the lid down before tossing her hot pad on the counter and kicking the oven closed. She then turned and began to collect the plain white dishes, slamming them together. One shattered in her hands, instantly slicing her palm.
Swearing she dropped all three back onto the table and stomped towards the bathroom. Running her hand under the water, she did not hear the men arrive until the door slammed loudly. She leaned back in the bathroom long enough to glance out the open door and see Pete and John stop and look around. Eyes narrowing, she leaned back over the sink, inspecting her hand.
“Cady?” Pete stepped into the doorway. “Oh god, what happened?”
Her eyes flicked to his as she turned off the water. Saying nothing, she snapped the towel from the ring, pressed it to her palm, and stalked out of the bathroom. She shot a glare in John’s direction before heading directly to the fridge, not even noticing the bouquet of flowers on the table. The men watched as she pulled out a bottle of vodka and then struggled to open it with her towel-covered hand.
Closer to her, John stepped over and covered her hands, gently pulling the bottle from her fingers, “Let me do that, love.”
Saying nothing, she remained where she was, her eyes not daring to look up at the two men. Pete slowly approached, his eyes glancing at the cracked and broken dishes on the table next to the arrangement of flowers he brought home for his girlfriend. Instantly connecting the dishes to her hand, his heart stopped and he stepped forward. John stepped aside as Pete reached for Cady’s arm, lifting it so he could inspect her hand.
“Baby,” he gently pulled the towel off and looked at her wound, which no longer bled, “what happened?”
“You were supposed to be here over an hour ago, Pete,” she declared softly.
“Did you break the plates because you were upset I was late?”
Her eyes flashed to him, “Fuck no. I’m pissed that I worked hard to cook the both of you a decent enough meal, but I didn’t break my dishes on purpose because of that.”
“Cady, I’m sorry we got caught up in–”
“I don’t care,” she pulled her hand free of his and attempted to step away, but he blocked her against the counter. “You could’ve called.”
Pete glanced at the phone and sighed, “I’m sorry. We should have called. I’m sorry.”
“Cooking isn’t easy for me, Pete. You know damn well that I’ve never really been a kitchen girl, that we had a cook when I was growing up. I went out of my way for you. And you didn’t even have the courtesy to call me and say that you’re running la–”
He quickly kissed her to silence her words, “I’m sorry, Cady. I am. Let’s go out for a nice dinner and I’ll try to make it up to you.”
“No,” she pushed him away. “You two can go eat wherever you want. I’m not hungry.”
Pete’s shoulders slumped and he turned with her. Cady took a couple of steps away, her eyes falling onto the flowers on the dining table. Stopping in her tracks, she slowly turned to Pete. He smiled weakly, reaching forward with one hand. She frowned and took a step closer, remaining just outside his reach.
“Flowers don’t make everything better, Pete.”
“But do they help at least?”
She glanced back over at the brightly colored arrangement and smiled slightly. Turning back to him, she nodded once and stepped closer. Her gaze flicked very briefly to John before her arms slipped over Pete’s shoulders. She kissed him once, chastely, before leaning back.
“I understand why you were late. I get the whole being sucked into your art, but…”
“It won’t happen again.”
“Mate,” John cautioned.
“I know it will,” Cady responded. “But at least try to think of me, Pete.”
“I promise to try.”
She kissed him quickly before glancing at John again, “I suppose we better figure out where to go for dinner now. So much for a home-cooked meal.”
Sitting in the lobby of the studio, Cady flipped through another magazine. She sighed, tossed it onto the table, and leaned back against the couch. Twisting a lock of hair around her index finger, she glanced at the large clock behind the receptionist. She sighed again and crossed her legs the other direction. At that very moment, she preferred touring over recording. Granted she did not have to be as tied to the studio as she currently was, especially since they were in her city. But after the night before, she elected to meet Pete at the studio. They would attempt to cook dinner together.
Or maybe breakfast at this rate.
As the door to the studio opened, her eyes flashed up, hoping Pete or John stepped out of the musical room. When only Roger stepped out, she was a bit disappointed but figured at least it gave her the opportunity to better know the singer. He headed towards the doors out to the street, causing Cady to jump to her feet and pursue him.
“Hey, Roger,” she greeted as he reached for the door handle.
He glanced over his shoulder at her, “Wotcha, Cady. ‘a ‘re ya?”
She slowed her thoughts down to muddle through his accent, “I’m doing all right. How’s recording going?”
“Oh, ya kna, it is garn okay. Pete ‘as complete control over everythin’ again.”
“Do you think… you’ll be done anytime soon?” she asked.
He shrugged, “I am done for tha night. John and Keif will prolly leef soon. ‘oo knows abaht Pete. Ya aint waitin’ for ‘im, ‘re ya?”
“Yeah. We were going to make dinner together.”
“I doubt ‘e will surface any nickle and dime soon. Wanna ‘ave Jim Skinner wif me instead?”
Cady considered it for a moment. As she was fairly certain that Roger was not fond of her, at least he had not given her any indication otherwise in the two weeks of touring, it would give her the opportunity to make friends with him and that could be very beneficial with the band’s schedule. However, she could not help but think that he had some other motive behind his request.
“Where were you thinking?” she asked, trying to buy herself some time to make up her mind.
“’eaven and ‘ell, wif a bird loike ya as company, coytanlee sum place very sugar and spice.”
“Oh well… that sounds delightful. I will grab my purse and we can head out,” she responded.
As Cady turned around, Keith barreled down the hallway from the studio. His eyes landed on her and a devilish grin stretched across his face. Her eyes widened with realization she suddenly became his end goal. Glancing over her shoulder at Roger quickly confirmed he was not going to help her. That quick glance was also her first mistake for it allowed Keith the opportunity to sprint forward and scoop her up. The drummer flopped her over his shoulder, one arm curled around her waist, the other trying to keep her hands from flailing too much. He headed directly towards the door, which Roger happily opened for him.
“STOP RIGHT THERE!” John’s voice bellowed. “DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER BLOODY STEP, KEITH.”
The drummer quickly whirled around, carelessly smacking Cady’s head into the doorframe. Had the blow not knocked her unconscious, she likely would have screamed. Instead, she went completely limp on his shoulder. All three men froze in shock. Even the studio receptionist who watched it all unfold was momentarily struck silent. She recovered the quickest and snatched up the phone, calling for help.
“CALL 999!” Keith shouted as he eased her down onto the floor.
John instructed the receptionist to get a towel or something as he hurried to Cady’s side, “Pete is going to kill you.”
“Oh fuck,” the drummer muttered and began to pace.
“An ambulance is on the way,” the young woman stated, holding a towel out to John.
He gently pressed it against Cady’s bleeding temple, glancing towards the hallway leading to the studios, “Someone go get Pete.”
“No no no,” Keith mumbled. “We don’t need Pete. He’ll just–”
“Go get him. NOW,” the bassist ordered.
The drummer jumped and quickly disappeared down the hallway. John turned his attention back to Cady, silently hoping she would wake up before Pete entered the lobby. His right hand enfolded hers, his thumb rubbing her knuckles gently. His left hand gently lifted the towel to see if the bleeding had stopped. Frowning, he pressed the towel back down and glanced up at Roger. The singer motioned towards the hall with his eyes, causing John to glance over his shoulder. Pete barely glanced at John before seeing Cady unconscious on the floor.
He rushed to her side, quickly kneeling, “Oh god. Cady… what happened?”
“’ell, keif thought ‘e would chore your Lemon but only gotta the door. ‘e ‘it ‘er ‘ead into the doorframe and... and ‘ell... she is just ‘a ya clock ‘er na,” Roger explained.
Pete looked to the drummer, rage filling his eyes. He tensed and moved to get to his feet, but John reached out and touched his shoulder. Instead, the guitarist glared at the drummer, his eyes promising to pay him back for what he did to Cady at a later time. As he turned his attention once more back to Cady, she mumbled incoherently.
“Cady? Baby?” Pete grasped her free hand and squeezed it. “Baby, can you hear me?”
Before she could answer, paramedics swooped into the studio, pushing the men aside to get to Cady. Pete instantly began to pace, wishing to be next to his girlfriend but respecting that the paramedics needed to do their work. As he paced near Keith, the drummer muttered a half apology. With little thought, Pete’s fist flew through the air and connected with Keith’s chin. John instantly jumped between the two men, his hands going to each of their chests.
“Mates, now is not the time. We need to focus on Cady,” the bassist declared.
Pete sighed and turned back towards Cady. One of the paramedics stood and looked around. Wordlessly the guitarist stepped forward, his eyes focusing on Cady. Her hand instantly reached out to him. Enfolding her hand in his, he knelt once more beside her, his eyes dancing over her face.
“You’ll need to keep careful watch on her,” one of the medics declared. “She has a bit of memory loss and that could indicate a greater injury than we can see. If anything changes in her behavior in the next twenty-four hours, rush her immediately to the hospital.”
Pete nodded, gently reached to touched the butterfly bandages on her brow, “How do you feel, baby?”
“Who are you?” she asked softly.
He stared at her blankly.
“Like I said, a little bit of memory loss.”
Pete frowned at the paramedic, “How long?”
The man shrugged, “Don’t know. It would be best to get her home where she can rest and feel comfortable.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
After helping her to her feet, Pete guided Cady out of the studio, completely ignoring anything anyone said. Once the ambulance pulled away, the couple eased into a cab, bound for Cady’s flat. About a block away from the building, Cady leaned over and kissed Pete’s cheek, drawing his eyes to hers.
“I remember everything, Pete,” she claimed.
“Baby?”
“But Keith doesn’t need to know that. For awhile.”
Rating: NC-17 [very offensive language, alcohol]
Summary: The band is back in NYC to record for a week. Cady runs into an unsavory someone on the street. Blood is spilled.
Lying on his side, Pete traced over Cady’s curves. She giggled softly and rolled towards him. Her eyes went to his and she grinned. After a quick kiss, she climbed over him and headed towards the bathroom. He folded his hands under his head and smiled. In that loft, in a part of New York they technically could not live in, he was the happiest he had been in a very long time, perhaps ever. Cady was absolutely perfect. From the way she moved to the way she kissed him to even the way she breathed, he could find no fault in her at all. Every little thing she did was magic.
His eyes flicked to the bathroom as his nude lover slowly walked towards him. He wanted to be like this forever, content, happy. No stress, no worries, just Cady’s love and affection. That was all he needed in the world.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reached to him and caressed his cheek softly, “What are you thinking?”
“That you’re all I’ll ever need,” he declared softly.
She smiled and leaned over to kiss him, “Is that so?”
“Absolutely,” Pete confirmed before their lips touched.
“So if the band called right now and wanted you to come and play…”
“They wouldn’t do that. The studio isn’t even open.”
“Not true,” she declared, leaning back up. “Look at the windows, Pete.”
He glanced over at the bank of sheer curtained windows. His eyes widened slightly at the realization why he could see his girlfriend so well. The sun had risen at some point, likely when he was so immersed in loving Cady he had not noticed.
“Fuck. What time is it?”
“I thought I was all that you needed,” she teased as she crawled over him and slid under the blanket.
“Baby… you know that’s true.”
“But?”
“… the band…”
Cady kissed him quickly, “The morning has come and you need to get down to the studio. I know that. After this night… I could use some rest.”
He chuckled, “I don’t have to leave just yet…”
She shifted over him, her short nails lightly scratching his chest, “Oh really now?”
Pete quickly sat up and kissed her. With his hands one her ass, he quickly pushed her onto her back, his mouth still connected to hers. Cady squealed and quickly wrapped around him. They loved quickly and loudly, making Pete grateful the walls were thick and soundproof. As she shifted to the other side of the bed, pulling the blanket tightly about her naked body, Pete stood, glanced at her once more, and headed to the closet. He dressed with a sigh and headed out of the apartment to meet with the band at the studio.
Staying home with Cady would have been so much better. Instead, he pulled up gate at the elevator and stepped into the lift. As he began to lower the gate, James trotted up, asking him to hold the elevator. Waiting for the young artist in garish makeup to join him, Pete dropped the gate and pressed the button. He glanced sideways at the man next to him, wanting to speak up and ask why he lied to him on the phone. And yet all of his glances seemingly did not encourage the other man to speak up and he stepped out of the elevator without saying anything else to Pete at all.
“James?” he trotted after the actor.
The man stopped and turned, looking at Pete through a curtain of vibrant fake eyelashes, “I’m sorry. Do we know each other?”
Pete blinked, remaining silent for a minute, “Um, yes. My girlfriend is Cady?”
“Cady?”
“Your cousin?”
“Oh right, her. What about her?”
“Why would you tell me those lies about her father raping her?”
James stared blankly, “Excuse me?”
“On the phone… you told me… you told me…”
“I’ve never spoken with you on the phone.”
“Are you sure?”
James nodded carefully, “Whatever you’re on, you should share, man.”
Pete remained silent, blinking. With a half-smile, the made-up man turned and headed out of the building. Standing in the middle of the naturally lit corridor, he turned over the conversation in his head. Cady had claimed James to be a liar. So either he was lying about the conversation or… fuck, he was confused. He wanted nothing more than to step back into the elevator and head back up to Cady, wake her, and ask her to explain everything. But he was expected at the studio and a car was waiting outside. Perhaps over lunch they could discuss her family…
Heading down the street towards the subway, Cady paused, feeling a familiar chill shoot down her spine. Her blue eyes glanced around, trying to locate the source. As she stood on the streets of New York City, there were two likely sources of the feeling, neither of which she wanted to interact with. Her heart stopped as she spied Jimi a block away. She instantly turned, deciding she would find another route to Talentmasters. Taking two steps, she froze again, her eyes trained on a young woman’s face. She was trapped, completely trapped. On one hand, Jimi was likely to press something sexual towards her, proclaiming his love or possession of her. On the other hand, facing the bitch who sold her out at art school was not any more appealing. Perhaps, though, the girl would not remember Cady.
Deciding the girl to be the better option, she headed forward, keeping her shoulders straight and her gaze. She nearly thought she had managed to pass by the bitch unscathed, but clearly luck was not on her side that day. A cold hand touched her wrist, causing her to stop instantly. Her blue eyes met cold gray eyes and she forced a smile.
“Cady, how nice it is to see you,” the blond woman said in a falsely cheerful tone.
“Alicia,” she struggled to keep smiling, “I trust you have been well.”
She held up her left hand, showing a glittering ring, “You could say that.”
“Ah, who is the… lucky man?”
“Well you know the sculpture teacher at school?”
Cady stared at her blankly, anger beginning to boil in her veins.
“Four months pregnant too,” she placed her sparkling hand on her belly to draw Cady’s attention.
Unable to help herself, Cady hissed, “Does your husband know who the father is? Do you?”
Alicia was struck speechless for a long moment before spitting back, “How many niggers have you slept with now?”
Unable to stomach such a comment, Cady instantly took a step back – and punched Alicia. People around them gasped, a young man instantly jumping in to restrain Cady. Remaining silent, she glared at her former classmate, straining against the man’s grasp.
The other woman stepped closer and whispered, “Did your nigger teach you to hit like that, whore? Pity that slumming it strips you of all your manners. But then again, it’s not surprising you lose your manners when you lose your panties.”
Cady attempted to twist free, growling to be released. Smirking, Alicia stepped away, tossed her hair, and waved her fingers at Cady. With her attacker still restrained, the former classmate turned and headed back down the street, a smirk of satisfaction on her face. Once the crowd consumed Alicia once more, the young man released Cady.
Turning around to face and berate him from stopping her, Cady froze, “John?”
“As sexy as it is to see two birds fight, I don’t really think you needed to get into a row with her, Cade,” the bassist declared, a twinkle in his eyes.
“But you didn’t hear what she said!”
“Doesn’t matter,” he responded. “It wasn’t worth it.”
Cady sighed, “I’m not going to let you live this down for a very long time.”
He smiled crookedly, “Whatever you say, Cade.”
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the studio?” she asked.
John’s arm slipped around her shoulders, turning her back in direction of the studio, “Pete kicked us all out to work with… Kit on something. So I went on a walkabout and luckily spied a vision of beauty.”
“That you just had to stop from fighting?”
“Oh I didn’t mean you. There was this beautiful bird with short … okay, I meant you,” he teased.
She shoved him playfully, “Did you see Jimi too?”
John sighed, “Yeah. I’m glad he didn’t see you though. I’d hate to have to step in on a repeat of ‘Cady, come back to me, baby. I’ll make you happier than Pete ever could.’”
“Ugh. And to think I just kinda defended him when I punched Alicia.”
He remained silent for a moment, weaving through the crowd with her, “What did she say that incensed you so? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get so… fired up before.”
Cady paused, her blue eyes going to his, “She called… she said… ugh… Not only is she a fucking stuck-up, backstabbing snob, but she’s a fucking racist too.”
His eyes flicked to the pavement before meeting hers again, “Who is she, Cade?”
“The very reason I left art school,” she answered darkly.
“Um… okay then.”
“The short of it is she spread a bunch of nasty rumors about me only being at the school because I slept with the admittance panel and that my highest aspirations in life was to be the nude model who slept with all of the faculty,” she quickly stated. “None of it was true. My parents didn’t even b – beg for me to go, so it was all bullshit. I was there because of my portfolio, which was much better than all the other girls. Anyways, she spread the rumors about school and no one… I took the chance coming to the city on an arranged outing. The other girls couldn’t tell me no. And they returned without me.”
John remained silent for a long minute, “While that does sound rather… nasty and very much unfortunate, in a roundabout way it helped bring you to us. And that is a good thing.”
She smiled crookedly ,”Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Come on, love. Let’s get to the studio and make Pete come to lunch with us. That will put a smile on your face.”
Setting the table, Cady glanced at the large wall clock and sighed. It was forty-five minutes past the time Pete and John swore they would be home for dinner. She did not think her simple dinner would be any good now that it had been sitting in the oven, trying to stay warm. Waiting a minute longer was stupid. Dinner was already ruined and they were likely too caught up in something to actually come home on time. Sighing she headed over to the oven and yanked open the door. Nearly forgetting the hot pad, she pulled out the hot plate of food and headed directly to the garbage can. Throwing it all away, plate included, she slammed the lid down before tossing her hot pad on the counter and kicking the oven closed. She then turned and began to collect the plain white dishes, slamming them together. One shattered in her hands, instantly slicing her palm.
Swearing she dropped all three back onto the table and stomped towards the bathroom. Running her hand under the water, she did not hear the men arrive until the door slammed loudly. She leaned back in the bathroom long enough to glance out the open door and see Pete and John stop and look around. Eyes narrowing, she leaned back over the sink, inspecting her hand.
“Cady?” Pete stepped into the doorway. “Oh god, what happened?”
Her eyes flicked to his as she turned off the water. Saying nothing, she snapped the towel from the ring, pressed it to her palm, and stalked out of the bathroom. She shot a glare in John’s direction before heading directly to the fridge, not even noticing the bouquet of flowers on the table. The men watched as she pulled out a bottle of vodka and then struggled to open it with her towel-covered hand.
Closer to her, John stepped over and covered her hands, gently pulling the bottle from her fingers, “Let me do that, love.”
Saying nothing, she remained where she was, her eyes not daring to look up at the two men. Pete slowly approached, his eyes glancing at the cracked and broken dishes on the table next to the arrangement of flowers he brought home for his girlfriend. Instantly connecting the dishes to her hand, his heart stopped and he stepped forward. John stepped aside as Pete reached for Cady’s arm, lifting it so he could inspect her hand.
“Baby,” he gently pulled the towel off and looked at her wound, which no longer bled, “what happened?”
“You were supposed to be here over an hour ago, Pete,” she declared softly.
“Did you break the plates because you were upset I was late?”
Her eyes flashed to him, “Fuck no. I’m pissed that I worked hard to cook the both of you a decent enough meal, but I didn’t break my dishes on purpose because of that.”
“Cady, I’m sorry we got caught up in–”
“I don’t care,” she pulled her hand free of his and attempted to step away, but he blocked her against the counter. “You could’ve called.”
Pete glanced at the phone and sighed, “I’m sorry. We should have called. I’m sorry.”
“Cooking isn’t easy for me, Pete. You know damn well that I’ve never really been a kitchen girl, that we had a cook when I was growing up. I went out of my way for you. And you didn’t even have the courtesy to call me and say that you’re running la–”
He quickly kissed her to silence her words, “I’m sorry, Cady. I am. Let’s go out for a nice dinner and I’ll try to make it up to you.”
“No,” she pushed him away. “You two can go eat wherever you want. I’m not hungry.”
Pete’s shoulders slumped and he turned with her. Cady took a couple of steps away, her eyes falling onto the flowers on the dining table. Stopping in her tracks, she slowly turned to Pete. He smiled weakly, reaching forward with one hand. She frowned and took a step closer, remaining just outside his reach.
“Flowers don’t make everything better, Pete.”
“But do they help at least?”
She glanced back over at the brightly colored arrangement and smiled slightly. Turning back to him, she nodded once and stepped closer. Her gaze flicked very briefly to John before her arms slipped over Pete’s shoulders. She kissed him once, chastely, before leaning back.
“I understand why you were late. I get the whole being sucked into your art, but…”
“It won’t happen again.”
“Mate,” John cautioned.
“I know it will,” Cady responded. “But at least try to think of me, Pete.”
“I promise to try.”
She kissed him quickly before glancing at John again, “I suppose we better figure out where to go for dinner now. So much for a home-cooked meal.”
Sitting in the lobby of the studio, Cady flipped through another magazine. She sighed, tossed it onto the table, and leaned back against the couch. Twisting a lock of hair around her index finger, she glanced at the large clock behind the receptionist. She sighed again and crossed her legs the other direction. At that very moment, she preferred touring over recording. Granted she did not have to be as tied to the studio as she currently was, especially since they were in her city. But after the night before, she elected to meet Pete at the studio. They would attempt to cook dinner together.
Or maybe breakfast at this rate.
As the door to the studio opened, her eyes flashed up, hoping Pete or John stepped out of the musical room. When only Roger stepped out, she was a bit disappointed but figured at least it gave her the opportunity to better know the singer. He headed towards the doors out to the street, causing Cady to jump to her feet and pursue him.
“Hey, Roger,” she greeted as he reached for the door handle.
He glanced over his shoulder at her, “Wotcha, Cady. ‘a ‘re ya?”
She slowed her thoughts down to muddle through his accent, “I’m doing all right. How’s recording going?”
“Oh, ya kna, it is garn okay. Pete ‘as complete control over everythin’ again.”
“Do you think… you’ll be done anytime soon?” she asked.
He shrugged, “I am done for tha night. John and Keif will prolly leef soon. ‘oo knows abaht Pete. Ya aint waitin’ for ‘im, ‘re ya?”
“Yeah. We were going to make dinner together.”
“I doubt ‘e will surface any nickle and dime soon. Wanna ‘ave Jim Skinner wif me instead?”
Cady considered it for a moment. As she was fairly certain that Roger was not fond of her, at least he had not given her any indication otherwise in the two weeks of touring, it would give her the opportunity to make friends with him and that could be very beneficial with the band’s schedule. However, she could not help but think that he had some other motive behind his request.
“Where were you thinking?” she asked, trying to buy herself some time to make up her mind.
“’eaven and ‘ell, wif a bird loike ya as company, coytanlee sum place very sugar and spice.”
“Oh well… that sounds delightful. I will grab my purse and we can head out,” she responded.
As Cady turned around, Keith barreled down the hallway from the studio. His eyes landed on her and a devilish grin stretched across his face. Her eyes widened with realization she suddenly became his end goal. Glancing over her shoulder at Roger quickly confirmed he was not going to help her. That quick glance was also her first mistake for it allowed Keith the opportunity to sprint forward and scoop her up. The drummer flopped her over his shoulder, one arm curled around her waist, the other trying to keep her hands from flailing too much. He headed directly towards the door, which Roger happily opened for him.
“STOP RIGHT THERE!” John’s voice bellowed. “DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER BLOODY STEP, KEITH.”
The drummer quickly whirled around, carelessly smacking Cady’s head into the doorframe. Had the blow not knocked her unconscious, she likely would have screamed. Instead, she went completely limp on his shoulder. All three men froze in shock. Even the studio receptionist who watched it all unfold was momentarily struck silent. She recovered the quickest and snatched up the phone, calling for help.
“CALL 999!” Keith shouted as he eased her down onto the floor.
John instructed the receptionist to get a towel or something as he hurried to Cady’s side, “Pete is going to kill you.”
“Oh fuck,” the drummer muttered and began to pace.
“An ambulance is on the way,” the young woman stated, holding a towel out to John.
He gently pressed it against Cady’s bleeding temple, glancing towards the hallway leading to the studios, “Someone go get Pete.”
“No no no,” Keith mumbled. “We don’t need Pete. He’ll just–”
“Go get him. NOW,” the bassist ordered.
The drummer jumped and quickly disappeared down the hallway. John turned his attention back to Cady, silently hoping she would wake up before Pete entered the lobby. His right hand enfolded hers, his thumb rubbing her knuckles gently. His left hand gently lifted the towel to see if the bleeding had stopped. Frowning, he pressed the towel back down and glanced up at Roger. The singer motioned towards the hall with his eyes, causing John to glance over his shoulder. Pete barely glanced at John before seeing Cady unconscious on the floor.
He rushed to her side, quickly kneeling, “Oh god. Cady… what happened?”
“’ell, keif thought ‘e would chore your Lemon but only gotta the door. ‘e ‘it ‘er ‘ead into the doorframe and... and ‘ell... she is just ‘a ya clock ‘er na,” Roger explained.
Pete looked to the drummer, rage filling his eyes. He tensed and moved to get to his feet, but John reached out and touched his shoulder. Instead, the guitarist glared at the drummer, his eyes promising to pay him back for what he did to Cady at a later time. As he turned his attention once more back to Cady, she mumbled incoherently.
“Cady? Baby?” Pete grasped her free hand and squeezed it. “Baby, can you hear me?”
Before she could answer, paramedics swooped into the studio, pushing the men aside to get to Cady. Pete instantly began to pace, wishing to be next to his girlfriend but respecting that the paramedics needed to do their work. As he paced near Keith, the drummer muttered a half apology. With little thought, Pete’s fist flew through the air and connected with Keith’s chin. John instantly jumped between the two men, his hands going to each of their chests.
“Mates, now is not the time. We need to focus on Cady,” the bassist declared.
Pete sighed and turned back towards Cady. One of the paramedics stood and looked around. Wordlessly the guitarist stepped forward, his eyes focusing on Cady. Her hand instantly reached out to him. Enfolding her hand in his, he knelt once more beside her, his eyes dancing over her face.
“You’ll need to keep careful watch on her,” one of the medics declared. “She has a bit of memory loss and that could indicate a greater injury than we can see. If anything changes in her behavior in the next twenty-four hours, rush her immediately to the hospital.”
Pete nodded, gently reached to touched the butterfly bandages on her brow, “How do you feel, baby?”
“Who are you?” she asked softly.
He stared at her blankly.
“Like I said, a little bit of memory loss.”
Pete frowned at the paramedic, “How long?”
The man shrugged, “Don’t know. It would be best to get her home where she can rest and feel comfortable.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
After helping her to her feet, Pete guided Cady out of the studio, completely ignoring anything anyone said. Once the ambulance pulled away, the couple eased into a cab, bound for Cady’s flat. About a block away from the building, Cady leaned over and kissed Pete’s cheek, drawing his eyes to hers.
“I remember everything, Pete,” she claimed.
“Baby?”
“But Keith doesn’t need to know that. For awhile.”
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