Rocked (Rock & Romance II.)

Chapter 31. - New Beginnings

He winked. "Don't knock it until you try it. We are working on something fresh." He said, confidently making his way toward my kitchen to grab a clean glass for himself. "Besides, I bet you won't mind listening to the lead singer's unedited, raw voice on a cold, lonely night!"

He wasn't wrong there. Which reminded me. "I'm expecting a guest soon." I started, keeping the emotion out of my voice. "I don't mean to be unwelcoming, but you did kind of show up without an invitation."

"No, you're not." Jesse smiled confidently as he handed me a fresh glass of wine and motioned to my spot on the couch, next to Neuro. "He sent me to cheer you up."

"Cheer me up from-" I trailed off. "He told you about my dad." The realization dawned on me, and my stomach squeezed. I didn't want anyone to know about my father and his new bride just yet. I wanted to harbor the pain and wallow in it for a little while longer before I'd share it with my friends. I hated to be vulnerable and emotional in front of others - which is why I allowed myself the extra time to come to terms with certain aspects of my life.

Jesse nodded, his expression shifting to sympathetic. "Do the girls know?"

I shook my head. "No. Just us three then, I guess."

Jesse winced, sensing the shift in the air around me. "He was trying to help."

"It's fine," I replied, curtly.

Jesse sighed. "I can tell it's bothering you."

I shook my head in response, my eyes focusing on the movie. "I told you, it's fine. It's not like it's a secret."

He leaned forward. "Look, Ash was always the bigger, stronger brother. He's older than me, so I think it's natural. He is the protector, stable in his own insane way. But he tends to think with his fists... He probably doesn't realize that he doesn't have to be talkative or charming to comfort a girl, he just has to be there." Jesse reached out to touch my hand. "Don't hold that against him."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not expecting him to show up and comfort me. It's not his job. In fact, if I wanted comfort, I would've called London and Callie. Or you."

"Well... I'm here anyway." A small smile played on his lips as he pulled out his phone. "So have you tried looking her up?"

I grinned. "No, but I bet you have."

He opened the browser on his phone, to a page of a scientific newspaper. "Julianna Hart, Ph.D., and leading chemist of the-"

I ripped the phone out of his hand. "Let me see!" The picture loaded a moment later, showing a woman with pale blonde hair, and warm, brown eyes, smiling at the camera from behind pink-framed glasses. She looked every bit the genius her title suggested, and not at all the evil stepmom I was imagining in my head. "She looks-" I hesitated. "-nice."

Jesse agreed. "And she's smart too! I bet you two would have a lot to talk about."

I scrunched my nose up. "I wouldn't go that far just yet. We don't know what she's like." Something just occured to me, and I turned to one of my best friends with wide eyes. "I have a weird favor to ask you, and I need you to promise not to judge me before I say it out loud."

Jesse nodded. "Shoot! Wouldn't be my first favor of the day."

"What are you doing two weeks from now, and would you be willing to take a road trip upstate?"

He thought about it for a moment, before his lips pulled into a wide, knowing smirk. "If you're asking what I think you're asking, the answer is fuck yes! I want to meet your dad's mystery bride!"

"It's settled then," I replied, the unease in the pit of my stomach disintegrating at the thought that I would have someone by my side.

***

*Ash*

Pow.

My fist connected with a shoulder and Damon's muscles quivered from the hit. I grinned. "Don't get cocky, asshole." He growled, but the fucker's blue gaze shone with excitement as he swung out.

I ducked, missing his fist by an inch before I swung my leg out. Damon effortlessly side-stepped my attempt and moved to attack the side I left open. I blocked and swung with an uppercut, grazing his chin.

"Not bad for a show pony!" Damon praised, landing a punch so hard to my side the wind was knocked out of me.

"You old fuck!" I growled. "I'll show you."

We continued sparring with each other, ducking punches and kicks and taking some of it. Contrary to what I said to him, Damon was still in fighting shape, and if it weren't for his little darling, I bet he would've still been out there.

But now that fun and exciting life was over for him, and these days the only adrenaline he got was from chasing his wife and his daughter around.

"You're wearing out!" Damon warned, landing a combination so quick and precise, I barely got a fistful of it in my face. "Did something keep you up at night?" He asked with a shit-eating grin as he lowered his fists. "Let's take five."

"It sounds to me like you're the one who's tired." I shot back but was thankful for the chance to grab some water. My throat was burning like hell and I was fuck-all out of breath. "Livy learned to walk yet?" I asked, referring to his blonde little daughter.

"Not yet." He shook his head. "But she crawls like it's nobody's business. We're terrified of the day she'll just take off running. Although, Savannah might take it as a sign that she's ready to learn the quickstep or some shit."

I laughed, shaking my head at the image his little family made up but stopped short when I noticed Damon eyeing me.

He wasn't laughing along. Instead, he looked at me with a suspicious expression. "You're never this cheerful. What's up with you?"

"Fuck off!" I growled, my good humor fading. "I'm smiling at the way I'm beating your ass right now."

"I think it has more to do with a busty redhead than the fact you accidentally waved your fist in my direction," Damon noted, pointing at me with his water bottle.

I rolled my eyes. "Redhead, blonde, brunette... I don't discriminate." I said, the words tasting sour in my mouth.

"Sure." Damon nodded. "And where exactly did you disappear last night, then?"

"I didn't disappear. I just didn't know I had to check in with you before leaving." I snapped, tightening the wrapping around my fists as I hopped back into the ring. I bounced from one foot to the other, keeping my body warm while I waited for him.

"Neither did the birthday girl! And the two of you just happened to vanish at the exact same time." He shrugged with an impish grin. "I'm not the only one who noticed."

"There is nothing to notice, X. Just because you decided to hand your balls over to a chick, doesn't mean the rest of us have to give up our principles." I nodded my head to the empty ring around me. "How much longer are you going to take?! I'm starting to think you really are getting too old for this."

His eyes practically sparkled as he hopped on next to me. "I'm going to make you eat your words, pussy." Damon promised, before aiming his fist right at my face.

"You can try!"

***

A/N: Alright. So men are not always the most intuitive creatures. But we'll see if Ash can bring it back around!

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