The Beats in Rift (12 page)

“A movie? Really? You expect me to believe that’s what you want?”

He grasps my shoulders. “I just want to watch a movie, and spend time with you without there being tension. For old time’s sake. Do this for me.” The knock at the door makes him scowl.

I prod his chest with my finger. “Room service, calm down. Your acting like a jealous boyfriend Jared, don’t make me remind you how long it’s been since that’s what we were. Can you get that while I go get dressed?”

He grins and looks down at my dressing gown. “Don’t get dressed on my account.” I slap his chest and point to the door.

I open the bathroom door to find Jared laid out across the bed, my burger half eaten in his hand. “I left you the chips and the pickle from the burger. I can’t believe you stay at a fancy ass hotel and order burger and fries, Beats,”

“Hey, this hotel wasn’t my choice and I’ll probably have to starve for a month to pay off the dent it will leave in my credit card. And for your information nowhere is too fancy for burger and fries. It’s all the food groups in one.”

“I must admit, it was a good burger.” I smile at how easy things are when we’re just two friends sharing a meal. “So, what film, Beats? Tell me you still love action flicks. I can’t watch that Ryan Gosling bullshit.”

I fake a shocked face. “Actually, he stars in my favorite movie.”

He grimaces. “Shit, what happened to you? You really are one of the girls now. I can’t watch that Notebook film again.”

I let out a full belly laugh, hunching over and holding my stomach. Once I regain my composure, I swipe at the tears trailing down my cheeks. “I can’t imagine you ever watching
The Notebook
.”

He grins and it’s beautiful. “I watched it with Mom.”

My smile falls and so does his. We stare at each other for a few minutes, and then he breaks the silence. “I’ll watch it if that’s your favorite movie.”

My smile returns. “Actually I was referring to one of his many other movies.” I raise a mocking brow at him for assuming it would be
The Notebook
. “
Drive
, have you seen it?”

“The one where he’s the getaway stunt driver that kicks mobster ass in the end?” he asks. I smile and nod. “What’s your favorite part?” He smirks like he thinks I’m lying.

I shift so I’m propped up next to him on some pillows and I sprinkle salt on my fries. “Promise not to laugh?” He nods, the sexy smirk still in place. “Okay. It’s when he’s driving the getaway car, the jet black Ford Mustang. The purr of the engine as it begins to accelerate, getting faster and faster until the engine’s roaring. It just gets me the same way Jared Leto’s voice does, you know? Builds from a purr into a panty- wetting roar.” I pop a fry into my mouth and sneak a look at him. His mouth is open and his eyes are smouldering.

“That’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

I laugh and shake my head. “It’s the truth. So, you want to watch it?”

“I don’t know if I can now, knowing your panties are getting wet during that scene. I’m hard just thinking about it. Knowing it’s happening a foot away will drive me fucking crazy.”

I choke on my fry. “Jesus, Jared!”

“Let’s see what’s on their pay per view instead.” He gets off the bed and slides the cabinet door open, revealing a flat screen TV and coffee making facilities. He flicks the remote and the TV comes to life. “How about a Die Hard marathon?”

I look at the clock. “Haven’t you got anywhere to be?”

He smiles and throws himself back on the bed. “Nope.”

I FEEL HER warm body curled up next to mine. Her scent is intoxicating, filling my senses and driving my cock into overload. She’s so beautiful, funny, loving and I’ve missed her so much.

I keep getting flashes of seeing her naked after spending the night with Justin and it’s eating away at me, but not enough to stay away from her. I can’t believe he told her I wasn’t coming here after he asked me to. I knew I shouldn’t have left him my number, I should have just taken off, cutting everyone off like last time. The fact he was so willing to stay with the woman-beating prick instead of leaving with me and Mom still tears me up inside.

Seeing them both looking their ages, enjoying being young in college makes me realize how different my last few years were to theirs. I had to find a place to live, drop out of school and find work. Mom quickly spiralled further into depression and if it wasn’t for meeting my now brother and best friend Razor, in a bar one night, I wouldn’t have survived. He gave me a new family, money, a home and introduced me into a new life.

So why do I always end up back here, hurting over this woman, her always picking Justin over me?

God, I’ve tried everything to get over her. Fighting her out, drinking her out, and fucking her out. Nothing works. That girl is in every cell of my body and only a body bag will release me from her thrall. Even then, I think my ghost will haunt her.

Her ass shifts back into my groin, pulling my focus into the now, and fuck, I can’t help but grind forward. I hear her sharp intake of breath and then feel the cold emptiness as she jumps from the bed.

“Shit, we fell asleep together.”

I can’t help but laugh. “We’re grownups, Beats. We can spend the night together if we want to.”

She grimaces. “I know, it’s just… I feel slutty.”

“Why? We didn’t do anything.”

She nods, running her hand through her hair then begins pacing up and down.

“I know. It just doesn’t look good, me spending the night with Justin then you.”

“Nothing happened, and who’s going to know anyway?”

She smiles. “You’re right. I don’t know why I care. Justin really screwed me over.”

I slip off the bed and go to where she’s pacing. I reach for her shoulders to stop her. “He’s fucking crazy bringing that robot type woman here when he had the chance to be with you. Don’t let him see how much he got to you.”

Her lips lift and my heart skips a beat. How can I still love her like this, after so long without her?

“Let’s go get breakfast,” I say, trying to stop myself from leaning in to claim her lips.

“I need to shower and change.”

“Okay, well I’ll go back to my room to shower and change then I’ll pick you up after.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

When I get back to the suite, Justin immediately gets in my face. “Where the hell have you been?”

I push him away. “What’s it got to do with you?”

His chest touches mine as he steps into me. “I know you were with her. Drew said you took off with her suitcase.”

My temper begins to blaze, a slow hum pumping through my veins. My mind raging war with the man in me against the brother. He took what was mine, If he was anyone else he wouldn’t be walking or talking right now. “Where’s your girlfriend, Justin? You know, the one you forgot to mention before bedding Beats. You should be worried if I took off with her, not Beats. She’s none of your business.”

His face turns in a snarl. “You son of a bitch, Jared. You fucking son of a bitch. How many times are we going to do this same routine?”

I shove him hard in the chest. “For as long as you continue to take things that aren’t yours.”

“She’s more mine than she is yours. You left her when we were kids. You had puppy love, nothing more. What we had was real!”

“Well, it didn’t feel like puppy love when I was buried deep in her pussy, Justin.”

His jaw tics and his fists fly towards me. I let him make contact; my tooth pierces my lip. I smile as blood trickles down my chin. He hits like a bitch …still. Max rushes over from the couch and grips Justin from behind. “God, you two! She’s not an object to fight over.”

I throw him a glare as Justin shrugs him off.

“Mind your business”

“You two are crazy. I’m going for lunch. You better get your shit together before Maria, gets back from the salon.”

I push past Justin and head down the hall to my room but he’s quick on my heels. “Where is she? I need to talk to her, explain.”

Anger boils in my veins, drowning me in rage. Turning, I pin him against the wall by his throat. “You fucking lied to her! You made her think I wasn’t coming here because I have a girl, just so you could make a play for her. What do you think’s going to happen with you two? You have Miss Stepford.”

His hands pull at my wrists, having no effect on the grip I have him in. “Her name is Maria George. Stop being a dick.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“I don’t need to tell you shit about me and Meadow. You have no idea how we feel about each other.”

I pull him forward then slam him back. His head cracks against the wall, making him wince from the impact. I release my hold. “You’re crazier than I thought,” I go to my room and close the door.

Once I’m showered and changed, I come out to an empty apartment. I waste no time hanging around here. Justin really is twisted up by Meadow, but the thing is she’s not his, she’s mine, always has been. Nothing can change that.

“Hey.” Meadow beams as she opens her door.

“You look good.” I return her smile, looking down at her sundress which is fitted nicely around her tits and flows to a stop above her knee. Lucky fucking dress.

“Thanks,” she murmurs. I guide her to the elevator with my hand on her lower back.

“So, where to?” she asks, her gorgeous eyes roaming my face. Shit, I’m becoming such a pussy because the butterfly chick crap is happening to me right now.

“I thought we could go to Jay Jay’s.”

Her cheerfulness falters. Jay Jay’s is where I bought her first guitar, we used to go there all the time to check out the instruments. “I don’t play anymore, Rift.”

I try to read the emotions that have taken over her face. “Why?”

She drops her eyes to her feet. “I just stopped. It hurt too much to play.”

My stomach turns over. I really messed her up when I left, and to be the reason she stopped playing and writing is a fucking crime. If I wasn’t me, I’d string me up by the balls.

I reach forward, stroking the tip of my finger down her cheek, grasping her under her chin and tilting her head to look at me. “I’m so sorry I left, Beats. I was in a bad place and it just kept getting darker. Please, let me take you to Jay’s. I want to buy you a new guitar. I want you to play again. Let the hurt go.”

Her eyes gloss over and a tear drops to her cheek. It breaks my fucking heart to be the reason for her tears. She sniffs and then giggles at herself for being unladylike. “You’re right, I need to let go.”

My stomach rolls at her words. Does she mean let go of the past or let go altogether?

Once we get to Jay’s, her face lights up. She lets her finger glide over all the guitars hanging on the back wall. I reach up and pull down a black acoustic fender and take a stool from a set up drum kit.

“She has unique colored eyes that can tell no lies,

She has the perfect nose,

Lips the color of a red rose,

And I love her from her top to her toes.”

She bursts into laughter. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

I lower the guitar and smile back at her. “Hey, I wrote that in under a minute when you asked me if I loved you.”

She’s smiling back at me, a hundred memories in her eyes. “You did.”

I hand her the guitar. “Your turn. Do you remember your reply?”

She bites her lip and shoos me from the stool then takes a seat. “Fine, but I’m beyond rusty nowadays.” She strums her hand down the strings.

“I love when we touch,

It can never be too much.

The way your fingers brush my skin,

You make me tingle from within.

The feel from your lips, the stroke of your tongue,

I’ll love you forever, you are my one.”

I’m completely solidified. Hearing her sing our stupid little song that she made up on the spot the day we told each other we were in love is keeping me still. Her eyes bore into mine as she strums the last note and I just want to grab her up and run away with her. How could I have left her?

“Well, fuck me sideways.” I turn to see Jay striding through the shop. He reaches his hand out and I gladly shake it. “Where have you been, man?”

I shrug my shoulders and turn back to Beats. She seems lost in thought.

Jay leans over me. “Shit, you’re both here. Come here, girl.” He pushes me aside and takes Beats by the hand, pulling her to her feet and kissing her cheek as he wraps her in hug. “You haven’t been here for way too long. We missed you.”

A smile touches her lips. “I’m sorry. I haven’t played in a while.”

“Well, that’s a crying shame because you kids had talent, you know? Drake’s band has been picked up by a record label.”

“For real?” I ask, impressed. Drake always had talent.

“Yeah, he’s leaving for New York next week. You should stop by and see him, he would love to see you guys. In fact, he’s coming into the shop later today.”

“Well, we’re going for food but I want to buy Beats a guitar so we’ll pop back in a bit.”