Believed (My Misery Muse) (7 page)

Chapter 12

Jules

I didn’t remember going to sleep, but from the
hazy feeling running through my body, I knew at some point I’d fallen asleep. 
I felt someone’s arms adjust as they lifted me and my eyes fluttered open.  The
first thing I saw was a very hard, defined chest beneath a soft T-shirt that
made me want to rub my cheek across.  I forced myself to look up only to find
Sam looking down at me with concern in his eyes.  I did rub my cheek against
his chest at that point and smiled sadly up at him.

“I’m okay,” I murmured.

“You scared me, I mean us,” he said lowly.

“Didn’t mean to.”

He cleared his throat. “Does that happen often?”

“Not in the past few years,” I mumbled.

I noticed that we were moving and I looked around
to find that we were going down a non-descript hallway.

“Where are we going?”

“The bus, we’re done and heading out.”

“I can walk.”

“I, uhm, are you sure?”

I nodded.

He looked down at me and sighed before stopping
and gently standing me up keeping a hand on my arm to make sure I was steady. 
I instantly missed the feel of his body against mine, which is exactly why I
needed to walk out on my own.  I wasn’t sure if I would be able to handle
anything with Sam right now or worse a rejection.

“You need to stay close,” Seth said from behind
me.  “We’re not sure what it’s going to be like outside, Coop is going first,
then me, then you, then Sam.  You need to hold on to one of us at all times,
we’re going to be moving fast.”

An anxious feeling started at the pit of my
stomach. “Did something happen?”

X looked back and grinned at me. “Nah, this is
normal.”

“Line up,” I heard someone bark and I watched as
the guys quickly arranged themselves in a single file line with me snugly
crushed between Seth and Sam.  I grabbed a hold of Seth’s shirt in front of me
and felt Sam’s hand thread his fingers through mine.

“Don’t let go,” Sam whispered in my ear causing
the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

“I won’t,” I whispered back; he squeezed my hand
then the doors opened and we were moving.  It was pure insanity, women were
screaming while fans pushed on a fence that separated the parking lot from
them.  I would have been concerned about it falling if I wasn’t being pulled
into a fast walk while Sam kept his front to my back propelling me faster.  From
the corner of my eye, I saw Eli and X break off and head towards the fence to
sign autographs.  We quickly stepped up on the bus where the doors wooshed shut
behind Sam.

“That was insane?”

Seth chuckled. “No, that was tame.”

I frowned. “Are Eli and X going to be okay?”

“They’re fine,” Sam answered looking out the front
window. “They have a team of security with them.”

“Come on, I’ll show you around,” Seth said
grabbing my hand and pulling me farther in.  “This is the front lounge,” he
said gesturing to the room.

I looked around the lounge, there were couches
lined against one wall, the other side had two captain chairs with a table in
the middle.  All of it was decorated in creams except the dark grey table top. 
I had to laugh at the huge flat panel TV above the captain chairs.  The thing
that threw me off though was how clean it was. I thought coming in here where
four men were living it would be a disaster area.

“It’s clean and larger than I expected.”

Seth chuckled. “There isn’t much space so everyone
has to pick up after themselves or it becomes chaos.”

I nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Just because the lounge is clean doesn’t mean the
rest is,” Seth said with a wink.

He pulled me farther in. “This is the galley.”  He
then went to show me where everything was stored.  Where the refrigerator was
and stove, two things I’d never have found on my own.  Across from the galley
was a four-person booth.  Then there was the tiny front bathroom that didn’t
hold much more than a toilet and a sink.

“Now we have the bunk area, we have six bunks in
here.  Everyone has their own, that one’s yours.” He pointed to the left side
bottom bunk, which was basically a cot on the floor.  “It has an ipad built in
above so you can watch movies or whatever.  Also a curtain you can pull back
for the illusion of privacy, and there’s a little drawer over there for
personal belongings.”

I noticed that my three bags were lying on my
bunk, I’d have to give the guys the bag Devi packed for them after we hit the
road.  Also, there were clothes scattered around the floor in here so you
couldn’t see the tile floor beneath.

“Almost done,” Seth said grinning at me.  He
opened a door and we stepped inside a bedroom that had a large bed along with
tons of storage space.  “These are your drawers,” he said pointing out two.
“Anything else you can’t fit, put in here.”  He pulled open what looked like a
closet but was instead a place with eight sliding shelves that held suitcases
and duffle bags.

“And last but not least…” He opened the last door
in the room where there was a bathroom, it was larger than I expected to see on
a tour bus.  There was a counter with a sink in it, a toilet in a corner but
the main feature.  A walk-in shower that looked like it could fit two people,
there were all kinds of levers and knobs that I had no idea what to do with. 
“Someone will show you how it works tomorrow, though I prefer to shower at the
arenas, it’s easier if you want to give that a try.  We switch out who gets the
big room each night, though you don’t have to take a turn if you don’t want
to.  Sam doesn’t and neither do I unless Devi’s here.  For now, why don’t you
get unpacked and come back out to the lounge.”

“Okay,” I said trying to take in all the
information.

“Hey, you don’t happen to cook do you?” He asked
with such a boyish desperate face.

“Mac ‘n’ Cheese and bacon is my limit.”

“I’ll take it,” he said grinning like he won the
lottery. “Better than frozen TV dinners and take out.”

He walked out heading back to the lounge and I
went to check out my bunk before unpacking my clothes.  It would be an
interesting couple of weeks, while the bus was larger than I expected, I had a
feeling that it wouldn’t take long before the walls began to shrink in.

Sam

“How is she?”

“She’s fine, putting her things away,” Seth said
sitting down on the couch.

“You’re sure she’s fine?” I asked biting my
thumbnail.

“She seemed fine to me,” Seth said eyeing me as I
paced from the lounge to the galley and back.  “If you like her, why not do
something about it?”

“I don’t like her,” I snapped.

“Sure,” he scoffed.

“I don’t and she’s Max’s girl.”

He tilted his head and looked at me. “Why would
you think that?”

“Haven’t you seen them together?”

“I have, and I’ve seen the way he looks at her
versus the way you look at her?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means talk to your brother,” Seth said then
turned on the TV.

I continued pacing while watching the doors for
Eli and X to come back from where ever they took their groupies.  I’d already
told them to stay clear of the bus tonight; I didn’t want Jules exposed to that
yet.  I’m sure they’d show up soon, we were leaving in half an hour and they
both knew I wouldn’t have a problem leaving their asses behind.  They could
catch a ride with one of the roadies’ buses; I’ve done it before when they were
late.

Stan, one of our drivers, climbed on and I nodded
to him while continued pacing.  What the hell did Seth mean talk to my
brother?  What was I supposed to say, so Max I know you’re in love with Jules
but hey do you mind if I make a pass at her?  Yeah, that would go over great. 
On top of that, I didn’t want a relationship, every time I tried to have one it
always turned out being a nightmare.  All women seem to want is my money or the
infamy that comes along with being with me, and they weren’t always particular
which person in the band they landed for their fifteen minutes of fame.  I
sighed and sat down on one of the captain chairs, this was getting me nowhere. 
I was better off just ignoring Jules, with that decided, I turned and got lost
in watching House of 1000 Corpses.

Chapter 13

Jules

I put as much clothing as I could in my allotted
two drawers then realized I forgot to pull something out to sleep in.  I sorted
through the drawers until I finally found a pair of black yoga pants. It was a
pair Max had gotten me for Christmas, down the pant leg it had Cranky Pants in
sparkly pink.  I pulled out the one pink shirt I owned, I couldn’t resist when
I saw it, it had Ariel from The Little Mermaid with gauged ears, tattoos, and a
pearl necklace and the best part—pasties.  I dropped everything on the bed and
quickly disrobed dropping things on the floor as I went.  After I was down to
my purple lace boy shorts, I reached down to grab my clothes off the floor and
heard, “Fuck me,” groaned behind me and I jerked up.

“What the…” I trailed off when I found Xavier
staring at me, lips parted and staring. “Xavier,” I snapped.

“Huh?”

“Uhm, naked here,” I groaned covering my small
breasts.

“That’s fucking amazing,” he murmured walking
farther into the room.

“Uhm, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen a naked girl
before,” I quipped, I knew I was blushing,  feeling the heat spreading through
my body.

He waved me off. “Not that, your back piece.  Who
did it?”

“Oh that? Cris, Max, and Devi.”

“All of them?”

“Yeah, Cris did the top, Devi did the black and
grey, and Max did the background.”

“Fuck, I knew you had something on your back I
just hadn’t realized.”

“Okay, can I get dressed now?”  I was really
beginning to feel uncomfortable, not so much because of X’s presence but
showing off this particular tattoo.  It was extremely personal, I allowed them
to take pictures and put it in their portfolios, but that was different.  In
their portfolio, I was anonymous, when you saw it on my back it gave too much
away about me.

He laughed softly. “Yeah sorry, uhm, lock the door
from now on.”

“Will do,” I said and watched as he walked out the
door and shutting it.  I quickly pulled on my clothes and shoved the clothes
I’d just taken off in my empty duffle bag.  The other duffle bag that had my
bartering items I’d shoved at the very back.  Well, minus the condoms, those I
plan to put in my bunk’s storage cubby.  I grabbed my slippers and hopped out
of the room trying to pull them on while still moving towards the lounge.  I finally
pulled on the first one and started on the second when I collided with a brick
wall.  I looked up and blinked. “Huh, not a brick wall,” I murmured.

“What exactly are you doing?” Sam asked amusement
laced his tone while his hands shot out and grabbed me before I fell.

“Drooling,” I answered without thinking.

“Not currently, but you do drool when you sleep.”
He quipped.

“Huh?” was my brilliant answer, my brain had
short-circuited.  He was standing in front of me shirtless, with a pair of low
hanging pajama pants.  I swallowed and swallowed again to make sure I didn’t
actually start drooling.  He was fucking ripped. I wanted to drop to my knees
before him and run my tongue along the indents of his abs.  Oh god, I groaned
internally he had that V, the one I thought was only a myth.  My eyes trailed
up his side where the logo for My Misery Muse was tattooed on his ribs. Fuck,
that was hot.  I wanted to bite his pecs, leave a bruise, and mark him as mine.

A hand appeared in my eye line screwing up my
visual perusal and then fingers snapped and my head jerked up. “Yes,” I
croaked.

“You okay?” he asked smirking.

“Not sure,” I mumbled and felt my face flame.

“What were you doing?”

Trying to decide where to bite first, I thought
but had enough common sense not to say aloud, maybe my brain was beginning to
work again. “Trying to put on my slippers.”

“Wouldn’t that be easier if you weren’t walking?”

“Probably, but not as much fun.”

He looked at me oddly then chuckled. “Come on,
Stan is about close up the wings.”

“The wings?”

“Uhm, they’re these things that slide out when
we’re stopped to give us more room.”

“So we’re about to have less room?” I asked
incredulously looking around the bunk area.

“Yeah, I hope you’re not claustrophobic.”

“Not usually,” I murmured looking at Sam’s chest
again.

“Well, come out to the lounge.”

“Just a sec,” I sat down on the floor on top of
the clothes.

“What are you doing now?”

“Putting my other slipper on” I pulled on my other
slipper, grabbed my kit, and the duffle bag Devi had filled for the guys from
my bunk.  I stood up and followed Sam while rethinking where to bite first, his
ass was looking rather scrumptious.

“I’ll introduce you to Stan,” Sam said over his
shoulder, and I was once again caught checking out his ass.  I decided though
it wasn’t my fault, if he didn’t want girls drooling over his butt he should
get a beer belly, scratch himself, and ask me to make him a sandwich.  Though
if he did that I may cry over the loss of eye candy.

“Sure,” I chirped.

He led me to where the driver was sitting, “Stan,
I’d like you to meet Jules, Jules, this is Stan, he’s been with us since the
beginning.”

I smiled and waved, “Hi.”

“Hello,” he said smiling warmly, “glad to have you
aboard, maybe you can keep the guys in line.”

I snorted. “That would take an act of god, or
Devi.”

“We’re not that bad,” Sam mumbled.

Stan and I looked at each other and both started
laughing.

“Keep telling yourself that, moody,” I teased. “It
was nice to meet you, Stan.”

“You too, Jules.”

I turned and walked back into the lounge, which
was a whole three steps.

“Uhm, Jules, what the hell is on your feet?” X
asked.

I looked down and grinned. “Slippers.”

“Uh huh,” he said eyeing my feet. I walked over to
him and he snickered. “Did your purple unicorn slippers just wink at me?”

“Yep!” I grinned. “Aren’t they awesome?”

Eli looked down then back at me. “You’re an odd
duck.”

I shrugged. “This coming from a man with a
tattoo—”

Eli jumped up and slapped a hand over my mouth.
“Shut up,” he growled, I licked his hand and he yanked it away giving me a
dirty look.  

“What was that?” Seth asked eyeing Eli up and
down.

I looked over at Eli who was wiping his hand off
on his jeans giving me puppy dog eyes, I sighed. “Nothing.”  I leaned in
towards Eli. “You better be nice to me, or I swear I will out you.” He eyed me
for a moment then nodded slightly.  “Oh and I want the story sometime.” I
grinned when his face flushed and I flounced off to sit on the couch beside
Xavier.

Sam

“Seriously, what’s up with the slippers?” X asked looking
down at Jules’ feet.

“They’re Stompeez, why you don’t like them?”

X laughed. “They fit you.”

“Thanks, I fell in love with them when I went
shopping with Devi before meeting up with you.”

Xavier bumped shoulders with her. “What else did
you buy?” He asked wagging his eyebrows.

She pursed her lips and I wanted to punch Xavier.
“Pretty much everything.”

“What, why?” I asked.

She shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind
her ear. “Beau shredded most of my stuff when he broke into your apartment.”

“We’re heading out,” Stan called and the bus began
to move but I barely noticed I was too busy watching Jules fidget after
announcing that.

“Why would he do that?” Eli asked quietly.

“Probably because when he cornered me earlier that
day I didn’t have any money to give him,” she said like it was no big deal, but
I could see the pain flash in her eyes before it was gone.

“I always thought he was a douche,” Seth growled.
“Now I think he’s a douche with a death wish.”

“He was good to me at first,” she said quietly.

“No, sugar, he was always a boob,” Xavier told
her.

She giggled. “A boob?”

He nodded and I was tired of everyone talking
around what happened tonight.  Yes, her ex would have hell to pay soon, I’d
make damn sure of it.  For now though, I wanted to know what the hell happened
while we were on stage.

“What happened tonight?” I barked, I hadn’t meant
to sound so pissed, but I was.

“Just an anxiety attack,” she said quietly.

“Why?” I demanded.

“Tone it down, man,” Seth murmured.

“Sorry,” I said noticing how pale Jules looked. I
gentled my tone, “It was scary, I just want to know what happened so it doesn’t
happen again.”

“Too many people around, I couldn’t keep track of
everyone,” she answered quietly.  “Add in too many people touching me, I just
panicked.”

“You know he can’t get near you, right?” Eli
asked.

She nodded. “I know that.”

“Would you rather hang out on the bus or the
dressing rooms while we’re on stage?” X asked.

“No, I like watching you guys perform.  I’m not
saying I want to watch every show, but I also don’t want to be tucked away like
a china doll,” she said vehemently.

“How about we get one of our security guys to stay
with you during a show?” Eli asked.

“I’ll have Cooper with you,” I said. “He can give
you some space, and if you need to leave, he can escort you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she snapped.

“And I can’t handle walking off stage and seeing
that again,” I yelled. “You scared the hell out of me.”

Seth stood up and kneeled in front of her. “Hey,
do this for me, okay?  If Devi thought for a second you were in any kind of
trouble, she’d fly out here and beat me with a frying pan.  Please?”

Jules nodded and I let out the breath I’d been
holding.  My phone rang, seeming to break the tension in the room, I quickly
answered it.

“Hello?”

“Uhm, Sam?”

“Yeah, who is this?”

“Uhm, it’s Ian.”

“What do you need, Ian?”

“Well it seems you forgot me at the arena.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Fuck,
Stan pull off into a parking lot,” I called.  “Ian, I’ll call you with an
address, flag down a cab, and come meet us.” Then I hung up.

“We forgot Ian.” I announced to the room. 
Everyone sat there for a moment before the laughter started.