Heavy Metal (A Badboy Rockstar Romance) (25 page)

“What about friends?”

She shrugged.  “I did have friends but my boyfriend – I mean my ex – didn’t like any of them.  Now I only see them in class.”

Biting my lower lip, I briefly considered the options available to us.  Then I made up my mind. 

“You should have somebody with you when you go back to your place to pack up your stuff.  I’m in town for one more day,” I told her.  “I can be there with you tomorrow if you want.  It won’t be as bad as you think, promise.”

She looked unconvinced, as though she
wanted
to believe me but couldn’t quite do it.  “You’ve really been through something like this before yourself?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“That guy over there isn’t the one who did it, is it?” she asked, nodding toward Brandon.

“What?  No!  Definitely not,” I assured her.  “He’s a good guy.  He’s a great guy, actually.”

“He’s your boyfriend?”

“Yeah, he is.  Hey listen, I’ll give you my number and you can text me a time and address for tomorrow.  Do you have someplace safe to sleep tonight?”

“I...I could probably stay with my friend Sonia.  Well, we used to be friends, anyway.  We were best friends, actually.  I think she’ll let me stay with her for a while if I tell her what’s going on.”

“Do you want to call her now?  I can wait over there and give you some privacy,” I offered.

Jessica shook her head.  “It doesn’t really feel like a conversation to have over the phone, if that makes sense.  I think I need to talk to her face to face.  I’m just going to stop by her place.  She has an apartment a block from campus.”

“My boyfriend and I will walk you there,” I told her.

“Thanks,” she said gratefully, not protesting.  “You’ll really come help me tomorrow?” she asked a moment later, as though she could hardly believe a total stranger would do that for her.

“Yes,” I assured her.  “I promise.”

“You promise what?” Brandon asked as we rejoined him.  He had removed the top part of his costume, but his identity was still concealed due to the shadows.  “Is everything alright?”

“It will be,” I replied.  “Tomorrow I’m going to help Jessica break up with her boyfriend.”

“Is that safe?”

“It’s safer than her staying with him,” I replied.  Then I added, “I’ll take pepper spray with me.”

“And me,” Brandon said.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked him as the girl looked at us in confusion. 

Of course she had no idea why I was hesitant to accept Brandon’s offer.  She had no clue that she was in the company of a world famous musician who played in one of the most popular heavy metal bands there was. 

“Um, what am I going to do about my stuff?” Jessica asked tentatively.  “I don’t have a lot, but if I leave tomorrow I don’t know where I’m going to put everything.  I don’t know how long Sonia will let me stay with her or if she even has room...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Brandon interjected suddenly, sounding very determined and very in charge.  “Do what you can to find new living arrangements, but I don’t want you stressing over it.  If all else fails, I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, perplexed.

Instead of answering, he said, “I forgot to introduce myself what with everything else that was going on.  I’m Brandon,” he told her, extending his hand.

“Hi,” she said, shaking his hand.  “Thank you for helping me.”

“Of course, I’m just glad you’re alright.” 

We were approaching the perimeter of the campus, and the closer we got to the intersection, the brighter and better the lighting was.  For a moment I wondered if Brandon was too distracted to notice that his cover was about to be blown. 

I was about to open my mouth and say something when I saw the way his jaw was clenched in determination.  I realized at that moment that he was still very much in control of the situation.  He knew exactly what he was doing.

He was about to blow his own cover – on purpose!

Perplexed, I silently looked on as he stepped into the light and let the young woman get a good long look at him.  I watched as she glanced at him and then her eyebrows shot up. 

She gave Brandon another look and tentatively said, “I don’t know if you listen to heavy metal at all, but you look
so much
like a guy in this band everyone at my school like, worships.  You two could be twins!”

“Maybe he’s my evil twin,” Brandon grinned.

Her eyes widened.  “You’re...you’re him!” she exclaimed in disbelief.  “You’re Brandon!”

“Yes, that is my name,” he replied, neither confirming nor denying her observation.

I had to take Jessica’s arm and guide her across the street.  She was so busy staring at Brandon that I was afraid she might otherwise walk into oncoming traffic!  Her adoration was cute, and when we dropped her off at her friend’s apartment he hugged her.  She looked like she was on cloud nine.

I, on the other hand, was puzzled.

“Why did you blow your cover like that?” I whispered curiously as he and I left.  “Aren’t you worried about security?”

“Yes, a little,” he admitted.  “But I figured I can’t live my entire life under wraps, you know?  And I got a good feeling about her.  I have no idea if my intuition is worth a damn.  But you’ve gotta start trusting people sometime, right?  Hopefully when we show up tomorrow there won’t be a whole hoard of screaming fans on the street.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” I agreed, simultaneously proud of him and mystified by the change that had come over him.  More than anything, I just hoped Jessica wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag. 

I knew it had taken a lot for Brandon to trust her and the last thing I wanted was for him to be betrayed by an overzealous fan yet again.

“What do you know,” Brandon remarked the next morning as we went to pick Jessica up at her friend’s apartment.  “No one’s around.  I guess Jessica didn’t tip anyone off after all.  Either that or they just don’t give a shit about me,” he joked.

Despite his lighthearted demeanor, I could tell that Brandon was genuinely pleased to find the street empty and quiet, devoid of screaming fans and cameras.  So was I. 

Immediately I felt a sense of gratitude toward the young woman for keeping her mouth shut.  Brandon had trusted her and she hadn’t betrayed that trust.  Maybe that tiny little act would help give him some small sense of normalcy back.

Jessica was waiting for us outside.  She looked nervous but happy to see us.  She ran over to the car and climbed into the backseat, thanking us profusely for actually showing up as promised.  Then she gave us directions to the apartment she had shared with her ex.

Despite my outwardly calm demeanor, I was growing more and more anxious by the minute.  Had I bitten off more than I could chew?  Sure, I had pepper spray in my purse – and the man who had punched Carl in the face by my side – but what if things went sour?

“Your ex doesn’t have any firearms, does he?” I asked, swallowing hard as I envisioned one of the many ways our mission could potentially go very, very wrong.  Were we being reckless?

“No, nothing like that,” Jessica assured me.

“If he has a big, vicious dog, this would be a good time to mention it,” Brandon chimed in. 

While he was being supportive, I knew deep down he thought I was insane for involving myself in something that could turn messy.  And though he kept his tone light so as to not worry Jessica, I knew him too well to be fooled. 

He was every bit as nervous as I was.

“There’s no dog,” Jessica replied.  “Oh, and I have good news!  My friend Sonia said she’d love to have a roommate.  Last night we talked for a bit and then stayed up rearranging furniture to make room for my stuff.  She’s at work right now, but she gave me a key.  I can move in today.”

“That’s great!” I exclaimed, genuinely happy for her.

“I guess you were right,” Jessica told me shyly.

“I was right about what?”

“There’s always a way out, even if you can’t see it right away,” she replied.

Right then I happened to make eye contact with Brandon.  I saw so much pride on his face that I had to look away, my face reddening. 

“This is the place,” Jessica said suddenly, leaning forward and pointing.  Her eyes were glued to the building we were approaching.  For a moment I was concerned she might lose her nerve – talking about leaving and actually doing it were two very different things.

But then her eyes lit up.

“His car isn’t here,” she informed us.  “He always parks right over there.  He’s not home!”

“And there’s the moving truck I called, right on schedule,” Brandon observed as it rounded the corner and backed up to the building’s entrance.  “It looks like we’re off to a good start.  Let’s get moving and hope we get out of here before that asshole comes back.”

“You can park over there,” Jessica told Brandon helpfully as she pointed to a spot down the street.  “But can you let me out here first?  I’m going to go check for mail.”

When she had left the vehicle, Brandon turned to me.  “Do you think she’s going to be alright?” he asked, looking concerned. 

“Yeah, I think so.  I’ve been texting her on and off since 5 a.m.” I said, stifling a yawn.  “We’ve worked out a plan and we’ve made a list of steps she’s going to take.  I think it’s really important right now that she doesn’t feel isolated, so I’ve been encouraging her to reach out to friends and family.  She needs a support system.  Reconnecting with her friend Sonia is a great first step.”

Brandon was giving me a look I didn’t immediately recognize.

“What?” I finally asked.  “Do I have something stuck in my teeth?”

“No.”

“Then why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m just...really impressed,” he told me.  “I’m angry too, because I know exactly why you’re so good at helping Jessica through this.  It’s because you’ve lived through it yourself, and I
hate
that!  But at the same time, I’m so proud of you, Hayley.  What you’re doing for that girl is a million times more meaningful than anything I’ve ever done in my entire life.”

“That’s not true,” I protested as I recalled the way Brandon had stood up to Carl at the diner – and helped me learn to love myself.  “Besides, what I’m doing is nothing,” I mumbled, averting my eyes in embarrassment.  I still didn’t do well with praise.

“It isn’t,” Brandon told me firmly.  “It’s something. 
You’re
something, you know that?”

I smiled.  “We’d better get going.  Jessica is going to be wondering why we’re taking so long.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Well today went a lot smoother than I thought it would,” Brandon remarked.

We were lying in the grass staring up at the sky, my head on his chest.  He was toying with a lock of my red hair, which looked extra fiery in the midday sun.  I was idly playing with a hemp bracelet he had tied around his wrist, tracing my fingertips over it.

I was tired, but content.  The day had gone well, and I felt good about the direction Jessica’s life was headed.  Smiling to myself, I gazed upwards and attempted to read the clouds as though they contained all the universe’s secrets.

After a long – but thankfully uneventful – afternoon of helping Jessica move into her friend’s place, Brandon and I were both exhausted.  After saying goodbye to her, we had stopped by a drive thru for smoothies.  Then, on the spur of the moment, we had decided to walk across the street to relax in a lovely little park rather than return to the hotel.

It felt so good to be out in the sun!

Brandon’s baseball cap was pulled down low and we were keeping to ourselves.  We had deliberately chosen a spot devoid of other people in the hopes that Brandon wouldn’t be recognized.  And so far, our plan had worked.

It felt glorious to finally get to spend some time together as a normal couple doing normal couple things.  The past 24 hours had been wonderfully ordinary...and they had been a long time coming.  And if I felt that way, then I could only imagine how Brandon must feel.  He seemed more at ease than ever before, relaxed and laid back and quick to smile.  I loved it.

But I also hated that we had to steal moments like this...moments that other couples took for granted.  I knew any career choices Brandon made had to be his own, but I was really concerned about the toll being in the spotlight was taking on him.

Even getting away from his security detail had been an ordeal.  I didn’t know the details, but I had overheard him and Steve arguing heatedly in hushed tones in the early hours of the morning.

“Do you think Jessica is going to be okay?” Brandon asked, stroking my hair as we watched the big, fluffy white clouds leisurely float across the sky.

“I hope so,” I replied.  “I have to admit, I see myself in her.  I see my past in her circumstances.  And hey, things have turned out pretty amazing for me,” I reasoned, turning my head so I could give him a wink. 

“You’re like a different person now,” Brandon marveled. 

“I am?”

“Yes.  I mean that in the best way possible.  I’ve been crazy about you all along, but it’s like the longer you were away from Carl and that toxic situation, the more you came into your own,” he tried to explain.  “You’re more outspoken now.  You don’t mind making your opinions known.  And you’re so incredibly sexy,” he growled.  “You always were, but now you own it.”

I chuckled.  Then, abruptly, I stopped.

“What is it?” he asked, noticing the change in my demeanor.

“I think I’ve found it,” I blurted out as the realization hit me.

He furrowed his brow in confusion.  “Come again?”

“I think I know what it is that I want to do – vaguely, anyway.  I think I’ve found my calling,” I excitedly explained, sitting up and speaking animatedly.  “I want to help women like Jessica.  I want to help women who are in the same position I used to be in.”

Brandon sat up too.  “Yeah?” he asked.  “So you want to what, counsel them?”

“Mentor...and be a friend,” I nodded, unable to contain my enthusiasm.  I was talking a mile a minute and thinking even faster than that.  I had suddenly found myself inspired, and the ideas were flooding in faster than I could process them.  A light bulb had switched on and I was, it seemed, having a “eureka!” moment.

“The grip Carl had on me was pretty ironclad.  Years of being controlled and put down day after day can wear on a person after a while,” I told Brandon, the wheels in my head turning.

Brandon scowled, clearly enraged by the thought.

“No, I mean, it’s a good thing,” I tried to explain.  “It can help other women. 
I
can help other women because I’ve been there.  I know how they feel.  I know the horrible thoughts that are running through their heads.  And I can help.  I think I know what to say to them.  I think I know how to listen and be a friend to them.  I think I know what to do.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you like this,” Brandon told me, unable to tear his eyes away.  “Your entire face is lit up right now, you know.  You’re so beautiful.  And if this is what you want, then okay.  I think it’s an amazing cause to get behind, so just let me know what you need.  I want to help any way I can.  I’m so proud of you!”

“It
is
him!” a shrill female voice suddenly squealed.

Brandon and I spun around to see a group of young teenage girls descending on us.

“It’s Brandon!” another one squealed into her phone.

He stood up and dusted off his jeans.  Then I saw him take a deep breath before forcing a smile.  “Hi ladies,” he greeted them cheerfully, acting as though he was genuinely happy to be accosted by them.  “How’s it going?”

I stood up too – and then was nearly knocked over by one of the young women.

“Sorry,” I said automatically, even though she had been the one who’d bulldozed me.

She barely even glanced in my direction.  Her gaze was focused on Brandon.  In fact, all of the young women were acting completely obsessed with him.  They were fawning all over him, giggling and flirting as he generously agreed to pose for pictures and sign t-shirts.

I wasn’t jealous. 

They were teenagers who were trying to act sexy, but in all honesty they were only embarrassing themselves.  I watched with a touch of amusement as they bombarded Brandon with nosy personal questions and tried to convince him to go for dinner with them while all the while ignoring me.  He, of course, politely declined.

Then my amusement faded.

After some whispers and giggles, one of the girls stepped forward and brazenly asked, “Brandon, will you sign my boobs?”

I was staring at her in disbelief, but Brandon’s reaction was much calmer.  It probably wasn’t the first time or even the hundredth time that sort of request had been made.  He kindly replied, “I actually have to get going now.  Ladies, it was great meeting you all.  Have a good day!”

Then he gave me a look to silently signal that we should start moving.  We began to walk back to his rental car at a brisk pace.  But we were fooling ourselves if we thought making an escape would be that easy.

“Wait!” one of the girls called out.

“Come back!” another shouted.

Before we knew it, they were chasing us.

Brandon looked at me.  Then he uttered one simple, yet terrifying word.  “Run!”

The two of us made a mad dash for his car, which was parked across the street from the park.  But the girls were operating on pure adrenaline, and it quickly became apparent we wouldn’t be able to outrun them.  Every time I frantically looked over my shoulder, I was dismayed to see that they were gaining on us.

It seemed absurd to be running from a group of excited teenage girls as though they were predators.  To me, it felt like a bit of an overreaction.  They were, after all, fans of the band...or at least fans of Brandon.  What was the worst they were going to do, try to hug him to death?

As it turned out, I underestimated them.  They were capable of worse than I expected.

When Brandon didn’t stop running, their excitement suddenly turned to anger.  They felt entitled to getting a piece of him, as though he was public property and he was obligated to cater to their every whim.  It was probably nothing more than teenage ego that was to blame.  At that age kids think they’re the center of the universe, right?

But that didn’t make the blow to the back of my head hurt any less.

“Ouch!” I yelped seconds before Brandon and I made it to the car. 

I spun around in confusion to see what had hit me as I clutched the back of my head.  That was when I saw the girls were no longer chasing us.  Apparently enraged that Brandon had dared leave them, they had stopped to pick up small rocks from the side of the road. 

Overall, their aim was bad – pitiful, even.  But I quickly surmised that one girl had managed to hit me in the back of the head with a rock.  That little bitch!

Brandon must have figured out the same thing right as I did, because at that moment he cursed under his breath.  And then he immediately sprang into action.  He was back around to my side of the car in a flash, concern written all over his handsome face.

“Hayley, are you alright?” he demanded, stepping between me and the girls to shield me. 

“Yeah I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” I assured him.

“Get in the car,” he told me, handing me the keys. 

He looked absolutely livid.  He turned on his heel then and I immediately knew he intended to storm over there and have a world with the girls.  He had shown restraint – until they had hit me with the rock.  Now he was ready to go off on the little brats who stood a short distance away yelling rude things at us.

I grabbed Brandon’s arm, stopping him from going over there.  “Don’t do it,” I cautioned.  “No good can come of it.  Let’s just go.”

Reluctantly, Brandon did as I said.  We got into the car and he sped away, looking as though it was taking every bit of restraint he had to not mow the girls down.  He was staring straight ahead, his face contorted in a scowl.  He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.  He was fuming.

“Breathe,” I reminded him, trying my best to calm him down.

“They hit you in the head with a
rock
, Hayley!  It’s one thing for me to put up with all the bullshit that comes with fame, but when it starts to affect you?  When it starts to
hurt
you?  That’s too much.  I’m not doing it anymore,” he swore, practically spitting venom.  “I’m done!”

“No,” I protested, surprising even myself.  “You can’t let me be the deciding factor.”

“You’re the deciding factor in everything I do,” he informed me.  “All I care about is you.  I will give up the fame in a heartbeat if it keeps you safe.”

“I really wasn’t in danger,” I pointed out.  “It was an angry mob of hormonal teen girls.  And the rocks they were throwing were tiny.  Also, the curse words they used were ridiculous,” I added, trying my best to lighten the mood.  “I’m pretty sure one of them called you a twat waffle.”

Brandon didn’t even crack a smile, so I tried again.

“Is it wrong that it kind of made me crave waffles?” I joked.

“Yes.”

“Oh come on, you know you want to laugh.  Only teenage girls can go from fawning over a celebrity to
attacking
him in a matter of seconds.  Oh, to be that young and stupid,” I sighed melodramatically, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I can’t imagine you ever acting like that at any age.”

“No,” I agreed.  “I was never quite like...that.”  Then, sensing that Brandon was still on the verge of erupting like a volcano, I added, “I wonder if I missed out?  Maybe I should start acting like a bratty entitled little bitch now, what do you say?”

“No!  I don’t want to get hit in the head with a rock,” he replied, finally taking the bait.

“Okay deal,” I said sweetly.  “I can’t promise I won’t chase after you and ask you to autograph my boobs.  But I promise not to hit you in the head with a rock...it’s a sacrifice, but I will do it.  Oh, the things I do for you, Brandon.  You’d better appreciate me!”

He cracked a small smile at that, much to my relief.  “You’re amazing, you know that?  You somehow manage to cheer me up even when I’m on the verge of putting my fist through something.  Thank you.”

“Thank
you
for not putting your fist through anything,” I replied.  “If you did I would be stuck icing your hand for days.  Remember what happened when you smashed your fist into Carl’s big dumb face?”

Brandon’s grin widened.  “I do remember, very well in fact.”

I giggled.  “I wonder if he’s rebuilt the diner,” I mused.  Then I immediately shook my head.  “You know what?  On second thought, I don’t even care.”  Carl was so far in my past he was little more than a distant, unpleasant memory.  And I was more than happy to keep it that way.