Miles of Pleasure (20 page)

Minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of her house. She threw some bills up front and ran into the house. She really hoped that no one was there, because she just wanted to be alone and she definitely didn't want to talk about what had gotten her so upset.

Luck was with her, because she was able to make it into her room without anyone seeing her. She slammed the door and fell onto her bed crying.

Lately it felt like all she did was cry. She felt so much emotion, both good and bad. It was overwhelming. She used to be such a strong person.

Not wanting to stay in the same dress for a minute longer, Kaylee got up and put her pajamas on and went to the bathroom to wash the makeup from her face. She looked in the mirror and found herself trying to figure out how she measured up to the other girls...was she just as pretty? The mere thought made her cry again. She washed her face with water cold enough to make her gasp.

Just as she lay back in her bed, someone pounded on her door.

"Kaylee! Let me in!" Ashton yelled through the door. He sounded out of breath.

"Go to hell, Ashton! I'm done with you!" she yelled back at him.

There was a loud cracking noise, and her door flew open. "Well, I'm not done with you!" he growled after kicking her door open. "Why the hell did you leave like that?"

She sat straight up in bed. "I'm surprised you noticed I was gone. Looked to me like you had plenty to keep you occupied. The tears were gone, replaced with anger.

"They were fans, Kaylee! It's not like I can be rude to them. For God's sake, we're having enough trouble with the band without pissing off any more fans!" he yelled.

"You don't have to be rude, and you don't have to enjoy it so much either!" she shot back. "I felt like I was a voyeur, getting ready to watch you have sex with one of them or something! They were all over you, and you let it happen! We were supposed to be on a date!"

Ashton threw his hands up into the air.

"You know what, maybe I was enjoying the attention. That's a part of being in a band, and it's something that you're going to have to get used to. I'm sorry that it happened while we were on a date, but you need to get over your insecurities and realize how in love with you I am!" he shouted at her.

Kaylee's jaw dropped to the floor. She couldn't believe what he had just said.

"Well, that certainly came out at the wrong time," he sighed. He looked over at her shocked face and smirked. "It's true though, and wasn't nearly as hard to say as I thought it'd be." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Don't lie to me just to get me to forgive you," she pleaded, feeling the tears resurface.

"I'm not lying, Kaylee," he said, and moved to where she sat on the bed. "Kaylee Miles, I never thought it could happen, but I am so in love with you," he told her as he knelt before her and grabbed her hands in his. "Those girls meant nothing to me, and for the first time, I saw everything so clearly. I love you and only you. You're the one that I want to be with."

"You're wrong, you don't love me. Stop messing with me because I really can't handle you playing with my feelings right now," Kaylee demanded.

"I'm not wrong. I love you! I can't believe that is so easy to say when you really mean it." He grinned at her. "You better get used to hearing it. I've never said it before, and now that I have, I don't plan on stopping."

"You really love me?" she asked softly, a small smile appearing through the tears.

Ashton nodded. "More than I ever thought possible."

Kaylee launched herself at Ashton and tackled him to the floor, assaulting his face with kisses. Both of them laughed as they rolled around on the floor, kissing and tickling. The girls at the restaurant were forgotten. At that moment, everything was right in the world again.

K
aylee felt like she had been floating since Ashton had made his declaration. She hadn't expected it, and it still didn't feel quite real. like In some ways, she felt it was too soon, but then she realized they had had feelings for each other long before they ever got together.

"Don't worry. I meant what I said, and I'll never take it back," he told her, pulling her in for a steamy kiss.

"Oh yuck! Can't you two find somewhere else to do that?" Jayden asked as he walked into the living room.

"We could, but this is so much more fun," Ashton replied with a smile, taunting him by nibbling on Kaylee's neck a little more.

Kaylee giggled and smacked his arm. "What's up?"

"Just seeing if you guys wanted to hit a couple of clubs tonight. Colton and I were thinking about getting everyone together, maybe try to smooth things over," he told them, plopping down on the couch and kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

"I'm in," Kaylee said, anxious to try to get back on her brother's good side.

"I guess that means I am too," Ashton replied. "See you about 10:00 here then?"

"You got it." Jayden said goodbye to them as they went out the door, in search of some good pasta.

At ten o'clock sharp, Jayden, Colton, Kaylee, and Ashton sat in the living room waiting for Noah and Brittany to finish getting ready. Finally, after fifteen minutes, Noah and Brittany made their appearance in the living room, where everyone was not so patient.

She sneered when she walked into the room, and blatantly asked Noah, "Tell me again why we have to go out with them?"

"Brittany, they're extending a peace offering. The least you could do is accept it," Noah groaned, his impatience with her evident.

"Whatever. I forgot something. I'll be right back," she said dismissively and went back to her bedroom. Everyone in the living room looked at each other, but nobody said a word. Minutes later, she reappeared with a smile plastered to her face. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this night of fun underway!"

Noah smiled, relieved at Brittany's change in attitude. He just wanted everyone to get along. It finally looked like Brittany was going to make the same attempt that the rest of the group was making.

Kaylee was having a great night at the club in the VIP section. She stayed a respectable distance from Brittany without making it look like she was avoiding her. No matter how much she said she was going to try to be civil, she just couldn't stand to be around that woman.

Instead, Kaylee made sure she was busy on the dance floor. No one was safe from being dragged out there at one point or another. Colton was one of her favorite dance partners, so she spent a lot of time with him at the beginning of the night, until Ashton decided that he was getting tired of watching all the other guys grind against his girlfriend. From that point on, Kaylee had only one dance partner.

Just as one of her favorite songs was ending, Kaylee felt a tap on her shoulder. "Kaylee, can you do me a favor?" Noah yelled over the music. "Brittany's been in the restroom for a while. Can you go check on her?"

Kaylee looked to Ashton quickly, and gave him an all-knowing look before heading to the restroom. When she walked in, there were a couple of girls at the mirror, but she didn't see Brittany anywhere. She walked further into the restroom, toward the stalls, and called out Brittany's name.

When she got no answer, she called her name again. In response, she heard a faint moan at the furthest stall. Kaylee ran and knocked on the door to the stall.

"Leave me alone," Brittany slurred, weakly.

"Brittany, are you okay?" she yelled through the door.

"I said leave me alone!" she slurred again, a little louder.

Kaylee went into the empty stall next to Brittany's, and put her foot on the toilet to try to get a boost up so she could look over the partition. Just as she was pulling herself up, her stiletto heel slipped and landed right in the toilet bowl.

"Great!" she cried out, taking her foot and shoe out of the water, and shaking it. She looked down and breathed a sigh of relief. At least the person who had used it before she got there had had the decency to flush. The other girls were gone from the bathroom, so she had privacy after her blunder.

"Brittany, dammit!"

"Go away!"

"Fine! This isn't even worth it!"

She started to walk out of the bathroom, but thought back to her brother and wanting to mend fences. In the end, despite her inner struggle, Kaylee walked back to the open stall and hoisted herself up onto the toilet bowl again. She tightened her grip on the partition and slowly peered into the next stall.

Brittany sat sideways on the toilet, leaning her back against the partition opposite Kaylee, her head rolled to the side. Kaylee saw a rubber tie loosely hanging around her arm, along with a needle, spoon, and lighter sitting in her lap.

"Brittany! Are you okay?" she yelled and got no response. "Brittany!" she yelled louder. Brittany didn't flinch.

"Ah, damn!" She climbed from the toilet and an out into the hall, moving as fast as her stilettos would go on the marble floors.

"Someone call 911! There's been an overdose," she yelled out the door, then went back to be with Brittany.

Kaylee ran back to the stall and got on her knees. She tried reaching under the door to get to Brittany, but she was just out of her gasp. She knew what she had to do, but wasn't looking forward to it. She slid down on her back and wiggled her way under the door to the stall that Brittany was in. When she was far enough in, she sat up and unlatched the lock, swinging the door open.

Three women had just entered the restroom. They sized up the situation with one look. "Oh God...can we help?"

Kaylee didn't answer them. She stood in front of Brittany and slapped her face a couple of times, calling her name, and trying to get her to wake up. There wasn't a single movement on Brittany's part.

"This is bad," one of the women said.

Thankfully, the paramedics stormed into the restroom at that point. Kaylee turned to one of the women. "A man named Noah, in the VIP lounge...he needs to get here. Can you get him for me?"

The women were gone faster than Kaylee could blink. She heard Noah's name being called out. She watched the paramedics as if from a distance, as though she were completely detached from it all. She could barely believe this was happening.

"What the hell is going on?" Noah yelled, running through the doors. Kaylee knew he had to see this for himself.

"Your druggie girlfriend had an overdose," Kaylee explained. She pointed to where the paramedics were strapping Brittany to a gurney.

"She doesn't do drugs," Noah said. "There has to be some mistake."

"Does that look like a mistake to you?" Kaylee asked, pointing to the drug paraphernalia that the EMT's were packing up for the police. "She was shooting up in here, Noah. She's a drug addict."

Noah had confusion written all over his face. Nothing could mask the hurt, the anger, or the questions that were there. Instead of saying anything, he followed the paramedics when they took Brittany out.

Kaylee stayed behind, answering all the questions that the cops asked her. She said that she knew nothing of the drugs prior to this accident (mainly to keep the police from invading their house to search for a stash hidden somewhere by Brittany), and that she had just come to look for Brittany because her brother was worried. The police thanked her for her cooperation and left soon after.