Hated (Rock Star Trilogy) (2 page)

Too late to ask now, I guess.

“I know,” I tell Bob. “Trust me, it won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” he scolds, then turns to Stephan. “Same goes for you, Mr. Montgomery. You’re a public figure now yourself.”

Stephan snorts. “Yeah, right. I’m a high school senior from freaking Hope, Florida. I’m nobody.”

“You’re Scarlett Ryan’s boyfriend.” Bob pulls out his phone and plays a video from a news clip. The whole clip is talking about “Scarlett’s new boy toy”. The reporters obviously know what they’re doing. They show Stephan’s house, the high school, and they talk a little about the documentary. They have video of Stephan and me together from our day in Miami. I don’t remember seeing anybody film that.

Suddenly, I feel worried.

What if somebody recorded us in Vegas?

The thought is pushed to the back of my mind quickly. If somebody would have seen Stephan and me, it would be all over the news already. Nobody knows that we’re married, and I plan on keeping it that way.

“I’m famous by association?” Stephan asks me.

“Pretty much. Why wouldn’t you be? Everybody is curious about you. I’ve never really dated before. Like I said, I have a few fake boyfriends for publicity sake, but the media has never seen me like I am with you. And you’re appealing because you’re
not
a celebrity. Nobody has ever heard of you, and suddenly we’re dating. You’re like a boy version of Cinderella to them.”

Stephan puts his head back against the leather seat in the limo. “Wow, Scar. This is…”

“Crazy? Overwhelming?” I finish for him.

“Both,” he says. “I can’t believe that this is your life. You’re a freaking celebrity. It’s still sinking in. I guess I just always thought of you as my girlfriend. I mean, I knew you were special… But this feels unreal.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to run?” I have to ask one last time.

He looks at me and shakes his head. “
Nothing
could ever make me run away from you. I love you.”

I will never get tired of hearing him saying
I love you
.

“I love you, too.”

“Always?”

“Always,” I confirm.

6:51 PM

This is me reminding you.

“This house is huge,” Stephan comments, as I give him the
grand tour
of my L.A. home. He turns to me and gives me a mischievous smile. “Where’s the bedroom?”

“You’re so impatient. We will get there.” I try to keep my voice nonchalant, but my heart speeds up. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, and now I’m nervous. Why am I nervous?

“I think I’ve been very patient. But I want you. Now.” Stephan picks me up like I weigh nothing, and throws me over his shoulder. “Where is your bedroom?”

I scream and kick playfully. “Stephan, put me down right this instant!”

“I guess I will just have to find it myself.” He ignores me, as I squirm against him.

With me over his shoulder, Stephan walks up the stairs. I’m trying not to scream too loud, because I don’t want to disrupt Bob.

“Last door on the right,” I tell him in defeat.

Stephan opens the door, and walks me to the bed. He throws me down, then shuts the door and locks it. As he walks towards me, he has a huge smile on his face. “I have waited far too long for this moment.”

I playfully slap his arm. “Don’t ever do that again!”

“You don’t like it when I take charge?” He raises his eyebrow and gives me a playful smile.

Damn, he knows how to work it. And I
do
like it when he takes charge. He takes off his shirt, and then slowly climbs onto the bed beside me. I’m vaguely aware that he is saying something, but right now I am too busy checking out his body to care.

“Scarlett?”

I force myself to look away from his perfect chest. “Hmm…”

“I said it’s your turn.”

I am confused for a second, and then I realize what it is he wants me to do. He wants me to take off my shirt too. “If you want my shirt off, you’re just going to have to take it off yourself.”

Stephan puts his hand on the small of my back, and gently pulls me closer to him. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

“Not today.” I smile. “But please, feel free to continue telling me.”

He puts his hands around my hips, and pulls me on top of him. “Well, you are drop dead, fucking gorgeous. And I plan on telling you every day for the rest of our lives.” He slowly pulls off my tank top and tosses it on the floor. He then proceeds to kiss my neck slowly, making sure he kisses ever inch.

I reach down to unbuckle his jeans, and he pushes my hand back.

“So impatient…”

This makes me laugh. “Says the guy who picked me up and carried me in here.”

His smile is mischievous. “And now that I’ve got you in here, I’m going to take my time. We’ve got the rest of our lives. Why hurry now? I want our first time to be memorable. I want to show you just how special you to me.” He unclasps my bra, and then flips me over on my back. He slowly traces his finger around my nipple. “I am so lucky that I found you. How many eighteen year olds can say they found their soul mate?”

“How can you be sure that I’m it?” I ask. “Maybe I suck in bed.”

“I hope you suck.” He raises his eyebrow at me, and I laugh.

“Oh my God! You so know what I meant!”

Stephan ignores my comment, and puts his lips on my nipple. He begins to slowly suck, and I am getting so turned on that I can hardly stand it.

“Do you enjoy torturing me?” I ask.

Stephan sticks a hand up my skirt. I’m currently not wearing any underwear, so he has very easy access. He begins massaging my clit with his finger. “You consider
this
torturing?”

Unable to speak, I just nod my head
yes
. My breath is coming too fast.

“What would be less torturous?”

Stephan pulls his hand away, and I hear myself whimper. “You. Inside of me. That’s what I want,” I answer. I pull off my skirt and throw it.

“Why, Scarlett Ryan, I do believe that you’re naked.”

I nod. “Yes.
Why aren’t you
?”

He grins. “Do you remember when you told me
‘you will never see me naked. EVER.’
And then I said,
‘One day very soon, I will prove you’re wrong. And when I do, I am going to remind you of this very conversation
.’ This is me reminding you.”

Why the hell is he bringing this up right now? “Shut up and just kiss me.”

“I just want to gloat a little longer,” he says.

I sit up a little. “Stephan Montgomery! If you don’t make love to me, I am just going to get myself off.”

“That could be fun to watch…” He shakes his head. “Later. Right now, it’s my turn.”

His lips once again are on mine, and I reach down and unzip his jeans. I pull at them. I want every inch of clothing between us gone. He stops kissing me long enough to pull off his jeans, and then kisses me again.

“You are on the pill, right?” he asks.

I nod. “Definitely.”

“Good.”

Maybe we should have talked about this before now.

He starts kissing me again, as he massages my breast. I feel the length of him start to push inside me.

Sex for me before has always been just
sex
. But with Stephan, this moment feels different. It feels amazing. Not just physically, but emotionally. With every other guy, I always felt guilt. I knew that I didn’t want to be with them. But I do want to be with Stephan — forever. He’s my husband. He’s
mine
. And it isn’t just sex. We are making
love
, because this is what people in love do.

Stephan starts to move in and out of me as we continue kiss each other. With every kiss and every touch, I feel myself falling even more in love with him. He leaves a trail of soft kisses down my neck, and I can feel the pleasure starting to build. Stephan pushes in and out of me faster and harder. He gently pulls my hair, and I can feel myself going over the edge.

“I love you, Scarlett,” he whispers.

“I love you, Stephan.” I love saying that I love him. I intend to say it every day for the rest of our lives.

Saturday, November 8

5:47 AM

Follow you.

Alec bangs on my door way too early the next morning. He opens my door, and I realize that I’m laying in bed naked. I quickly pull the sheet over myself.

“What the fuck, Alec!” I yell. “Seriously? You’re supposed to wait until I say
come in
before you just barge in.”

He is smiling, as he looks over at Stephan, who is now sitting up. He’s naked too, but covered. “Well, I didn’t know you’d have company. I thought you two weren’t sleeping together.”

I throw my pillow at Alec. “Get out so I can get dressed!”

“Fine,” he tosses the pillow back at me. “We have to be downtown at 7:30. Which means we need to leave in like fifteen minutes. So hurry up and get ready.”

He shuts the door, and I get up. I’m glad Stephan and me took a shower last night before falling asleep. I quickly comb out my hair, leaving it wavy. I put on a short, black, A-line skirt, a blue tank top, and black bumps. When I come out of the bathroom, Stephan is already dressed.

When we go downstairs, Bridgett, Alec, Bob, Ken, and Larry are all waiting. Alec is grinning at Stephan and me, so I glare at him. He is seriously the most immature twenty one year old on the planet.

Geez, Alec, announce it to the whole world why don’t you?

“Peter and the rest of the crew will be here in five minutes,” Alec tells us.

I roll my eyes. “Joy.” My voice is full of sarcasm. For a moment, I had almost forgot about the stupid documentary.

“They are going to start airing the documentary in three weeks,” he informs me. “They usually don’t do it in such a rush, but they want your story told by them first. They have already started airing commercials. This afternoon we all have to go in for a photo shoot, and they are going to film some promotional stuff.”

I groan. “Are you serious?”

Alec nods.

“What about my
senior year
of high school?”

He shrugs. “I know you wanted to have a normal life. But right now, you have to choose. Your career, or your senior year of high school.”

Well, when he puts it like that…

“You know how I said you were going to be doing a Christmas tour?” Alec asks.

“Yeah.”

“I’m pretty sure that Barry is changing the tour. It’s going to start January third, and go to December first of next year… And it isn’t just the United States,” he says. “You’ll be touring Europe, and Japan as well.”

I look over at Stephan. He’s watching me, and I can’t help but wonder what he is thinking. I know what I’m thinking — what does this tour mean for Stephan and me? I turn my attention back to Alec. “So what about breaks? How much time off would I have during this
tour
?”

He clears his throat. “Well, you would do about fifteen to eighteen shows in a row, and then you would get a three day break. Then you do it all over again.”

“But that doesn’t give me enough time to fly to the US and spend time with Stephan.” I feel myself start to panic. I can’t lose Stephan, and if I left him for this tour I am not sure if our relationship would survive the distance.

“Like I said… You’re choice. Life or career.” Alec says it like it’s not big deal. But it is. I look at Stephan again. How is that fair? How am I supposed to choose between my
husband
and my
career
. I’ve waited so long for this moment. How can I pass it by?

“You could always take Stephan with you. You can get a tutor, and finish your senior year on the road.” Alec turns to Stephan. “Do you think your mom would let you do that?”

This makes Stephan laugh. “Alec, I’m eighteen. Not seven.”

“Are you willing to do that? For one year? Just pack up and leave?” I have to ask. I know that if it came down to Stephan or my career, I would choose Stephan. Always. Which I know would be stupid, but I can’t help it. I’m totally, and completely crazy in love with him. But I don’t want to chose. I want both.

He considers this for a second before replying. “You know how miserable I am there. Without you, I wouldn’t want to go to school anyway. I would follow you anywhere, Scar.” He gently kisses my lips. “I love you.”

“Aw!” I hear Bridgett. “You finally told each other!”

I kiss Stephan back, and ignore the audience until the front door opens. Peter and the camera crew just walks right in. Without knocking.

“Does nobody knock around here?” I complain as I pull back from Stephan.

“Nope,” Peter and Alec both say at the same time.

Just perfect
.

8:33 AM

Already wrote the song.

We are all sitting in Barry’s conference room. Peter has the camera on me, and one on Barry as he explains his plan. Basically it’s the same thing Alec told me. The tour will start on January third. The first half of the tour I will be in the U.S., and then I’ll be going to Japan for two months, Europe for three, and back to the U.S. to finish up the tour. My album will be recorded before I leave for the tour.

“I thought we weren’t recording until we knew my song was going to be a success…”

“We are very confident in the song, Scarlett,” Barry says. I can hear the confidence in his voice. He doesn’t like to take risks, so he must be one hundred percent certain. “And we have learned that MTV is going to document the whole experience. From recording the CD, and then they are going to follow you on tour. We very much have a lot of confidence in you. Don’t let us down.”

Right
.

“We have a lot of work to do. We plan on releasing your new single one week after the documentary airs,” Barry continues. “We want to have the video ready then. I know this is a lot of pressure, but I know you can handle it.”

I force a smile. I have just over two months to record the rest of my album, film a music video, promote my single, promote the documentary, and get ready for an eleven-month tour. Oh, and not to mention, I have a new husband who I have to spend time with. I’m tired just thinking about it.

Stephan squeezes my hand. He’s reassuring me. He thinks I can do it.