Title: Love Runs Deeper: Chapter Nineteen, Hatchet
Rating: R [language, sexual situations, violence]

Summary: Now moved in with the band, a routine has settled in... but doesn't really last





Only a couple of days passed before Lily and Lindsey settled into a routine.  He spent the evenings and nights with the band, mostly working on the new album; she spent the days ironing out band business and fetching random desires for the band’s individuals.  She did not mind the work at all; it gave her far more free time than she ever had before, which she often spent at her mother’s side or in conversation with the local baker, butcher, and produce manager who inspired her to experiment more in the kitchen.  She felt more fulfilled in that week of work for the band than she had in years.  She owed it all to the handsome man curled around her in bed that late morning.

Most mornings he crawled in bed with her, not willing to sleep at the studio like Mick and John, though a few times he passed out on the couch, only to be woken by Lily later in the day.  After noon, the women began to surface in the condo, becoming more and more grateful for Lily’s cooking in the small kitchen.  By the end of the week, whispers of her cooking reached the rest of the band.  Mick and John soon slipped into the condos on the waterfront on occasion for food.  The band seemed to become just as reliant on the skinny waitress as she was them.

Even Stevie was truly warming to her, not just faking it.

But neither Lindsey nor Lily thought about the singer as they snuggled in bed early Sunday afternoon.  She briefly considered pulling away from his bare chest and slipping to the kitchen to cook something for breakfast.  Yet as the thought crossed her mind, Lindsey shifted closer to her.  She smiled and kissed his shoulder, sliding her foot down the inside of his leg to reach his toes.  Loving how her leg curled around his, pressing her body even closer to his, Lindsey sighed contently before kissing the top of her head.  She instantly pivoted her face up to his, giggling softly when he kissed her mouth.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he muttered softly.

“Good afternoon, handsome,” Lily responded, her golden eyes meeting his in the dimly lit room.

Lindsey kissed her again, “It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, you’re still beautiful.”

“I don’t understand what you se—”

He cut off her protest with a kiss, “Just trust me, Lily.”

“I do, Linds.  You know I do,” she replied.

“Good,” he breathed, his lips once more touching hers.

Shifting slightly in the bed, Lily’s leg rubbed against Lindsey’s as they continued to kiss.  Her thigh pressed against his, dangerously close to his thickening cock, but she remarkably did not pull away.  Emboldened by her relaxed demeanor, Lindsey gently rubbed her back before reaching down to cup her ass.  She gasped but did not pull away, but rather allowed him to shift her even closer to him.  As she continued to meet his kisses, returning as much passion as he poured into them, Lindsey’s hand continued to wander about Lily’s body.  He fleetingly cupped her left breast, smiling as a soft moan left her lips.

Perhaps it was because she was on top, but the warning bells had yet to ring in her head, even when she shifted more fully on top of him and felt how aroused he was.  Ever aware of her past and resulting fear, Lindsey resisted the urge to strip the borrowed shirt off her small frame and toss it aside.  Instead, he kept his hands gently rubbing her body with the soft cotton barrier blocking him from her creamy skin.  He wanted her to believe the trust she blessed him with but he also really wanted to fuck her senseless too.

“Lily,” he breathed huskily, his breath dancing on her flesh before he kissed her neck.

“Lindsey… we should…”

“I know,” he sighed, turning to meet her eyes.

“But…”

Both hands reached up and cupped her face, guiding her into a sweet kiss, “I love you, Lily.”

Her eyes looked down into his, easily reading the desire in his eyes.  Even if she could not feel his clothed erection pressed against her panties, Lily would have known from his eyes alone.  But he was not pushing, leaving it all up to her.  The power was in her hands; that alone silenced her fears.  With a slight smile, she leaned down and kissed him, muttering she loved him too.  Smiling in the kiss, Lindsey gently traced down her slight curves with both hands, cupping her ass again and pressing her against him.

Even though he believed she was giving him permission to go further than they ever had in the two months of knowing each other, Lindsey did not quickly flip her over and part her legs.  Instead, he continued to kiss and touch her, gently beginning to grind his body against hers.  Lily tensed briefly, but soon began to meet his gyrations with ones of her own.  Lindsey could hardly believe it was happening.

As her lips left his and kissed down his neck, Lindsey gently cupped her breasts.  He barely pinched her nipples, but she gasped huskily anyways.  As he continued to play with her covered breasts, Lily softly bit his shoulder, making him groan.  His hands left her breasts and once more moved to her ass.  This time, he pressed her close to him, gently forcing his erection to press her panties slightly into her body.  She tensed again at the gentle intrusion, but did not ask him to stop or push away.

At least not until the door suddenly burst open and the lanky drummer stumbled in, “Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiily!”

Squealing, the blonde quickly moved off Lindsey, clutching the bedcovers closing to her.  The instant panic consuming his girlfriend silenced Lindsey’s libido and he bolted out of the small bed.  Even though the drummer stood more than six inches taller than Lindsey, Mick had no chance against the guitarist’s rage.  Without hesitation, Lindsey pulled him out of the bedroom, growled obscenities at him, and stalked back to the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

“Lil?  Baby?” he cautiously approached the bed, pausing to turn the bedside lamp on.

Her wide eyes went to his, her chest rising rapidly in fear.  Recognizing her body language instantly, Lindsey held out his hands to her.  Her eyes darted from his hands to his eyes and back again.  Seeing the slightest of worries in her eyes, Lindsey silently cursed Mick once more.  Before he could turn away to go yell at the drummer again, who really should not have been drunk so early in the day, Lily bolted into his arms.  Embracing her at once, he focused on gently assuring her that everything was fine and she was safe.  She did not cry or tremble like he expected, but merely huddled in his embrace.

“He’s not going to hurt you, Lily,” Lindsey softly proclaimed. “Mick would never hurt you.”

“I know…” she responded, but kept her cheek pressed to his bare shoulder. “I just… I just… I’m sorry, Linds.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Lily,” he pulled back enough to catch her in a quick kiss. “Absolutely nothing.”

“But you’ve been so patient with me and…”

“This changes nothing, Lil.  I will still wait until you are ready.  Now, though it seemed right for awhile, was not our time.  It is not your fault,” he kissed her again.

“Linds, I’m still —”

“I love you, Lily,” he interrupted. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

His lips brushed hers, “We’ll be together like that and I will show you there is nothing to fear from I lovemaking, but not today, not right now.  Let’s get dressed and I’ll take you somewhere nice to eat — somewhere where Mick won’t interrupt us again.”

“Okay,” she nodded slightly.

Pulling away from her, Lindsey found his pants and quickly pulled them on, “I’ll be right back.”

Not waiting for a response, he left the bedroom, carefully closing the door behind him.  His intense eyes settled on the drummer sprawled across the sofa in the living room.  Wordlessly, Lindsey stalked over to Mick, still glaring at him, and kicked his shin.  The drummer’s head snapped up from the small throw pillow and glanced around blindly.

“Lindsey?”

“I don’t fucking care who you think you are.  Don’t you ever fucking burst into Lily’s room like that.  Ever again.  I don’t care if the building is on fire or there’s a mother fucking tornado down the street,” he hissed.

Though already more than half-drunk, Mick understood enough of what Lindsey was saying to mutter a rebuttal, “You should’ve locked the door if you were finally getting some.”

Lindsey continued to glare at the drummer, “If this was just about sex then —”

“Lindsey?” her soft voice interrupted him.

He quickly turned to her and smiled, glancing over her.  Wearing jeans that clung to her every curve and a green tank top that revealed nearly more than it concealed, Lily took his breath away.  Though he knew Mick had chased away their moments of intimacy, he could not help the stirring in his body.  Forcing himself to focus on her golden eyes, rather than her voluptuous body, Lindsey stepped closer to her.

“You look… amazing,” he muttered before kissing her softly.

“Um, thanks,” she flushed slightly.

“I’ll go grab my shirt and we can go.”

Sober enough to realize his manners, Mick sat up fully and tried to not stare at Lily as he spoke, “I’m sorry for ruining your… morning.”

“It’s okay,” she replied, refusing to look at him.

“I just thought you’d be… you know…”

Her eyes flicked to his, “Sleeping?”

“No, cooking.  Normally you’re… cooking for us,” he stated.

“Oh.”

“Not that you have to,” Mick quickly added. “Or anything.”

“I—”

“All ready?” Lindsey interrupted, his hand on the small of her back.

“Uh huh,” she nodded.

Glaring once more at the drummer, who laid back down on the sofa and scratched his balls noticeably, Lindsey led his girlfriend out of the condo.  They did not speak as he guided her to the car before stopping suddenly with the realization he did not have the keys.  With a slight smile, Lily reached into her purse before he pulled fully away and dug out the keys.  Kissing her cheek, Lindsey accepted them and unlocked the passenger door for her.

Once they were on their way to whichever restaurant Lindsey had in mind, Lily spoke up, “Um… this really isn’t a big deal, but I’ve been meaning to mention to for like a week now…”

Lindsey glanced at her, “What, Lil?”

“All the clothes you bought me… kinda don’t fit well anymore.”

His eyes skipped down to her chest, stomach, and thighs, “Lily, that’s fantastic.”

“I… guess so, yeah.”

He grinned, “Then we’ll go shopping after we eat.”

“We don’t have to do that.  I can do it sometime during the week,” she quickly responded.

“I want to.  I like shopping with you.  I like spending time with you,” he declared. “Today is all about you, Lil.  No band.  No anything.  Just you.”



Dragging her feet as she entered the kitchen, Stevie glanced at the couch.  Seeing Mick passed out with half his body hanging off the sofa, she shook her head.  Rather than keep quiet, she purposefully ground coffee beans though none were needed.  Grumbling, the drummer rolled off the couch and onto the floor with a loud thud.  Pushing himself up, he dramatically did a few pushups before getting to his feet.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he declared, entering the kitchen to embrace the petite songstress from behind.

Stevie evaded his arms, “It’s like four in the afternoon, Mick.”

He smirked, “You’re the one who just got out of bed.  Busy night, last night?”

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh,” he grinned. “You can tell me about your shagging.  Hell I want to meet him.”

“There was no shagging,” she reached around him and opened a cupboard, pulling out a coffee cup.

“No?”

“I was alone last night.”

“Not even the girls?”

Her eyes met his briefly, “Why are you even here?  Shouldn’t you pass out in the studio?”

“Came for some of Lily’s flapjacks… but instead I interrupted their fuck so they’ve fled the house,” he declared.

Stevie froze briefly, “Their fuck?”

“Lindsey was rightly mad at me.  I burst in before he got his pecker in her,” he plucked an apple out of a nearby basket. “So I guess no one had sex last night.”

“Good afternoon,” Chris chirped as she entered the kitchen, stole the two cups of coffee Stevie just filled, and left again.

“Okay, maybe not no one,” Mick chuckled before biting his apple. “Who is she shagging?”

Stevie watched her housemate head back up the stairs, “I have no idea.”

“Better keep John away today then,” he declared. “Want to go out on the boat with us today?”

“Um, okay,” she agreed, pouring two more cups of coffee. “Lindsey and Lily aren’t having sex?”

“You really didn’t think his moodiness in the studio was just because the two of you finally called it quits, did you?” he opened up the refrigerator and retrieved the milk. “Man can only whack off so much.”

“Um, okay,” she glanced at him sideways. “I’m sure they’re doing something.”

“Nope,” he held out the milk to her. “Don’t know why, but they’re not.  Today was probably the closest he’s gotten to being inside he—”

“That is not something I need to know, Mick,” she stated, returning the milk to the fridge.

“Still hating on her?”

“She’s just his rebound.”

“Whom he isn’t fucking?  That doesn’t quite work out right, Stevie,” he sipped the coffee before deciding it needed something else, like whiskey.

Stevie said nothing in response.

“Give it up.  Lily is a good girl.  She has already done good things for this band.  If nothing else, she cooks for us,” he laughed. “But seriously, bury the hatchet, Stevie.”

“But she —”

“Bury the hatchet.”



Following directions from their waitress, Lindsey drove down the meandering road.  Keeping his gaze searching for the small garden, he did not notice Lily tense in the seat next to him.  Lindsey might believe he was doing something good, as there was no reason for him not to be.  He did not have any idea where he was; she was certain of it.  She just did not know how to tell him.

Turning on his blinker with a grin on his face, Lindsey prepared to turn into the garden’s small parking lot.  He glanced over his sunglasses at her.  With only a half-glance at her, he knew something was wrong.  However, another car merged into the turn lane behind him, meaning he had to turn into the parking lot, regardless of Lily’s body language.  He quickly turned into the parking lot, parked in the first available space, and turned to her.

Slowly her eyes went to his, “Can we just… go?”

“I thought… I thought you would like this,” Lindsey responded.

“Normally… I would.  I do like gardens.  And I appreciate the fact you’ve noticed that,” she replied.

“But?”

Her eyes left his, darting around outside the car briefly, “My mom used to… turn tricks in this parking lot.  And I haven’t exactly paid all her debts to the guy whose area this is.  So if he sees me…”

“Lily,” Lindsey spoke sternly, drawing her eyes back to him, “I think it’s time you told me what’s going on.”

“Linds, there isn’t much to tell you.”

He stared at her without speaking.

“My mom used to sell herself in order to pay for all the drugs and booze she thought she needed.  A few times I was even… um… there when the deed happened.   But… she wasn’t really a reputable whore, I guess, you could say, and had a tendency to short her pimps lots of money…” Lily glanced out the car. “Lindsey, can we please talk about this somewhere else?  I don’t want him to—”

“Let him come.  I’ll deal with him,” he stated darkly.

“Lindsey, no.  This isn’t your—”

A knock on her window interrupted her protest.  Slowly Lily turned away from Lindsey and glanced at the person standing next to her door.  Her heart caught in her throat as it began to pound.  It was too late.

He knocked again, indicating she should roll down her window.

“Don’t do it, Lil,” Lindsey instructed, reaching for his door handle. “In fact, keep your door locked.  I will handle this.”

“Lindsey, please.”

“I will handle this,” he repeated before getting out of the car.

Lily covered her face.  She did not want to see this.

Heading towards the back of the car, intending to walk over and force the man away from Lily’s door, Lindsey became more irate with each step.  Her quick, unfinished explanation as to why she disliked this particular garden instantly blossomed into something greater.  He did not even know if this pimp had known his prostitute brought her Johns back to wherever Lily was, but this man was going to pay for it.

“I don’t want no trouble,” the man turned towards Lindsey, holding his hands up. “I just want what I am due… which is probably more than you paid her.”

While he had merely intended to threaten the man, the moment he hinted that Lily was a prostitute Lindsey saw red.  Not a word he uttered before his fist flew, instantly connecting with the man’s nose.  The man snarled and swore, one hand reaching up to touch the trickle of blood from his broken nose.  He muttered something about Lindsey’s actions not being worth however much he paid “the whore.”  Again, Lindsey reacted angrily and punched the man twice more, causing him to fall against the passenger door mirror, breaking it from the car.

Inside the car, Lily’s eyes were frozen in both fear and awe.  Part of her wanted to push open the door and stop Lindsey, yet she did not.  Her eyes remained focused on the action, watching Lindsey kick the man to the curb and growl at him, feeling slightly vindicated by his actions.  It was only one of at least a dozen men she wanted out of her life, but it was a start.

“The sins of the mother are not the sins of the daughter,” Lindsey seethed through gritted teeth before kicking the fallen pimp one last time.

“Linds…” Lily muttered as he climbed back in the car.

Without saying a word, he leaned over the middle console and quickly kissed her.  He trembled slightly in the kiss, making her worry, but she did not question him.  Instead, she continued to kiss him, letting that show him how she felt.  Ending the kiss with one more soft one, Lindsey pulled back and started the car.  His intense eyes glanced at the man as he struggled to get up.  As Lindsey backed out of the parking space, the bloodied brute staggered towards the car, attempting to kick it but falling back onto the pavement instead.

“Linds…”

“I love you, Lily.  And anyone who fucking threatens you again…” his hands tightened on the steering wheel, making his knuckles turn white.

“Lindsey, you don’t have to—”

“I will fucking kill anyone who hurts you — or has.  Anyone.”