Storm Front (The Charistown Series) (Volume 2) (6 page)

Ashley lay sleeping on her bed. Her naked body, covered only
partially by the white cotton bed linens, was relaxed and beautiful. Ryan loved
how she fell asleep after he’d made her orgasm. Like everything else Ashley
Kynde did, when she came apart with pleasure she did it with her whole being.
It was the most amazing vision to witness and something he was sure he wouldn’t
ever get tired of seeing.

With just twelve hours left together before the band was to
leave for over three months of small bar shows and opening acts at bigger
venues, Ryan was trying to absorb every single detail of Ashley’s appearance.
She still had to complete her senior year of high school and while she may be
concerned with the women throwing themselves at him, he knew for a fact that
there were several guys who had been waiting for he and Leo to graduate so they
could finally hit on Ashley Kynde.

A shiver of jealousy ran up his spine. Barring a few quick
visits until early December, they would be doing the long distance thing. He
was going to miss her. Hell, she was lying right in front of him and he already
missed her.

Careful not to wake her, Ryan slipped out of her bed and sat
down at her pristine white desk. He felt an inane sense of happiness as he
perused the many pictures that covered the corkboard hanging above her desk.
Images of Ashley and Leo, he and Ashley, and those of the three of them at
different times smiled back at him—each one sparking a memory of a time filled
with happiness and love, times spent with the two of the most important people
in his life.

He stared at the Ashley in the photograph and then turned to
the one sleeping peacefully on the bed. She was so feminine and proper, so
fragile yet strong. There was so much substance and intelligence all wrapped up
in the beautiful gift asleep before him on the bed.

Her heart is stitched upon her sleeve for everyone to
see…

The lyrics practically begged to be written. This always
happened after he and Ashley were together and they hadn’t even had sex yet.
What would happen when they finally did? He would probably write an entire album.
Maybe even two.

She
flutters through my life sprinkling the magic of her love,

Her
heart is stitched upon her sleeve for everyone to see,

I
revel in her openness, her calmness, her desire, yet—

It’s
her striking hazel eyes that slowly unravel every inch of me.

Her
hazel eyes glow fire green that shock and hold me tight,

Golden
hair has become my torch;

My
beacon in the night,

She
is my princess, my angel—where the fairytales began,

But
it’s those brilliant hazel eyes of hers—

That
makes me thank God that I’m her man.

Tramps, Actually

“LEO, CAN I ask you something?”

Ashley sat crossed-legged on her brother’s bed, fiddling
with her hair and worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. Leo zipped around his
room, emptying his closet and various drawers of their contents and shoving the
items—unfolded—into the duffle bags that lay open on the bed.

The hair wound around her fingers bit into her skin, getting
tighter and tighter until the tip of the digit was bright purple. “My packing
method is making you physically ill, isn’t it Ash?” Leo didn’t wait for her
response. With laughter in his tone he said, “No worries, just take everything
out and feel free to fold it nicely and put it back it.”

A large and mischievous grin crept over his lips, revealing
his plan to have Ashley pack for him from the very beginning.

“Nope, Leo, your
method,
as you call it, is just fine
with me,” Ashley said through pursed lips. Organization was like breathing to
Ashley. In contrast, to Leo chaos was art. However, Ashley knew that Leo
counted on the fact that her need for things to be orderly always won out. As a
result, his bags, his room, hell, his life, were always perfectly organized. He
was forever claiming he didn’t know how he would get through each day without
his little sis. Ashley’s teeth continued to maul her bottom lip. She couldn’t
seem to stop the nervous twitch that had started earlier that morning when Ryan
slipped out of her room to go home and finish his packing.

“Ash.”

Leo stopped moving around and sat on his bed, weaving his
fingers through hers and bending his head until he was able to meet her eyes
with his own. “Ashley Beth, what’s going on in that overactive mind of yours?”

Unable to censor her thoughts, she just let them out. “There
are so many beautiful girls out there, Leo. Hot girls. Easy girls. Tramps,
actually…”

Ashley’s lips pursed, her brows pulled together and she
sighed in part confusion and part resignation. Her typically perfect posture
faltered and her shoulders slumped.

“Do you think…”—her voice faltered slightly—“do you think
he’ll cheat on me? We’ve never… had sex, Leo. Never! Do you think…? Do you
think Ryan will decide that there are better, prettier, sexier girls out there
and forget about me? Or worse,” Ashley pulled in a deep breath and closed her
eyes before continuing, “lie to me?”

“Oh my God,” Leo exhaled, grunted and then he started to
laugh.

Laugh!

“Leo!” Ashley shrilled, pushing against his chest with the
palms of both hands. “Leo, this isn’t funny. I’m being serious here. I’m scared
to death. I love him. I’m
in
love with him. Like, the kind of love that
makes me think about forever.” She exhaled in frustration. Trying to explain
her feelings was so much harder than it should be. “It’s the kind of love that
makes me use the word ‘like’ in a sentence where it doesn’t belong just to
drive the point home! I
Iove
love him, Leo! And I’m not naïve or stupid.
I know how groupies are. I just don’t know if I can put my whole heart into
this and then find out that I was a fool.”

Leo’s wide smile softened to a warm grin as he leveled his
gaze to hers and stared for the briefest of seconds. Appearing to find what he
was looking for in her eyes, he asked a question that would resonate with her
for years to come. “Ash, haven’t you
already
put your whole heart into
this?”

“Yeah, big brother, I guess I have. And it already hurts
that he’s leaving. I would never dream of asking him to stay. I would never
want that for you guys. I know
Storm Front
is your dream. But, I’m so
scared.”

Wrapping her in a tight hug, Leo stroked Ashley’s hair and
dropped a kiss on the top of her head. He chuckled lightly. Ashley felt his
grip loosen and she reluctantly pulled away from the comfort of his embrace.

With complete sincerity in his eyes, a rarity for the
fun-loving jovial one of the pair, he began to speak the words that would prove
to be the balm to Ashley’s soul for the next few months. “Ash, you must not see
what I see when I look at Ryan Baker. Because, what I see is a man who is
completely and totally in love with you. He worships you. In fact, if you
weren’t my sister, I would razz him for being completely pussy-whipped. But you
are, so I can’t. And sis, if that isn’t comfort enough, if I ever saw him
looking at another chick the way he looks at you, I would shove my drumsticks
straight up his pretty-boy ass.”

With his patented Leo Kynde wink, he gently placed his hands
on her shoulders, pulling her forward and placed his forehead against hers. “He
loves you. Ash. Trust me. Better yet, believe in
him
.”

Deep and meaningful pep talks were not something people
would usually associate with Leo, but as with everything between the siblings,
he was able to tap into how she was feeling and say exactly the right thing to
make her feel better. Despite the chill that had settled on her skin, she knew
he was right. The realization was both calming and unsettling. How was she
supposed to cope without Leo around to help her see clearly?

His face searched hers for signs that his words penetrated.
Meeting his gaze, she offered a wry smile before clipping him on the shoulder.
“My God, Leo, is this what you’ve stooped to? Stealing advice from fortune
cookies?”

“Ssh, don’t tell anyone,” he grinned. “I prefer it when
people underestimate me.”

“No one underestimates you, Le,” she confirmed with a smile,
placing a big wet kiss in the center of his head. She winked as she added, “at
least no one that matters. Now go to Ulta and get your three-month supply of
hair gel. We can’t have those locks going flat during one of your shows, can
we?”

With a look of concern that said he didn’t quite buy her
light-hearted demeanor, Leo ran his fingers through his hair. Forcing herself
to maintain her screwed on smile, she challenged him to question her further.
After just a few short seconds, Leo exhaled once again running his fingers
through his mussy hair. He peered at her from underneath his eyelashes before
giving a swift shake of his head and leaving the bedroom. “He is so easy,”
Ashley muttered, unpacking the disaster that was Leo’s bag and sorting everything
into neat, perfect piles.

Awful, Plastic Smile

AS THE PRE-DAWN sky changed from
black to shades of reds then burnt oranges and finally brilliant hues of golden
yellows, Ashley helped her brother bring his duffle bags and milk crates filled
with food to the driveway. Their parents had spent the night at a hotel in
Miami following a fundraising gala, so they’d phoned in their goodbyes and good
lucks the previous day. While Leo seemed to take their absence in stride, their
indifference was like a knife to Ashley’s gut. So, to fix what she felt was
broken in their family, she went into overdrive. She cooked all of Leo’s
favorites for breakfast, and packed a cooler filled with sandwiches and snacks
for all of the band members for lunch.

She rushed back and forth from the house to the driveway
dragging Leo’s boxes while he continued to break down his drum kit, getting it
ready to store in the small tour bus that was scheduled to arrive in just a few
minutes.

A cold, familiar chill crept through Ashley’s veins. She
knew this feeling. This was the sadness that had settled into her gut when the
guys had been away this summer—the figurative cold teeth of complete and utter
loneliness that had eaten away at her soul. While she was thrilled that her
brother, Ryan and the other guys were getting the chance to live their dream,
the dreaded state of invisible always threatened to choke her when they were
gone.

Sure, school would be starting in just a couple of days, but
without her brother, who would she be? She’d always had a label:
Leo’s
sister
, or
Dr. Kynde’s daughter
. Although known for her academic
achievements, she didn’t relate to the other people in those groups. She
thought of them as stuffy, boring, and two-dimensional, basically nerds.

Without her brother and Ryan around she couldn’t even relate
to the people who followed
Storm Front
because, well,
Storm Front
was no longer around. As Ashley stacked her brother’s things in the driveway,
the weight of her impending solitude sat heavily on her shoulders.

“Princess.”

Ryan wrapped his strong arms around her waist, rotating her
until her face was buried in his chest. He needed to hold her tighter, to make
sure she knew he loved her beyond all reason.

“Ashley, you looked so sad just now. It’s like your body was
here, but your mind was miles away. You didn’t even hear me calling you. Talk
to me, Princess.”

The deep emotions unfolded like the plot of a play on
Ashley’s face, but in true Ashley form, she tried to pull the curtains down
before he could see the final act. Nope. No way was he going to allow her to
hide behind the mask of perfection for one more minute. He was setting off in
less than an hour and he couldn’t leave his girl with the lost and broken look
that he had just seen on her face.

Lacing his fingers through hers, he guided her to the back
porch where—aside from the soft sounds of the birds waking from their slumber
and the gentle lapping of the pool water—it was perfectly quiet.

Stroking the backs of his fingers lightly down her jaw, he
tipped her chin so her eyes were facing his. “Princess, please tell me what is
going on in that beautiful mind of yours. I know you’re sad that we’re
leaving—I hate leaving you too—but I can tell there’s more going on than just
the physical distance. If we’re gonna make this work between us—”

Ryan watched as Ashley’s eyes quickly rounded when the word
if
left his mouth and he quickly corrected himself. “I meant in order for us to
make this work between us, baby, you have got to be open with me. Please, tell
me what’s going on. Let me help to ease whatever is making you so damn sad.”

The anxiety rolled off her in waves and for the first time
in their relationship, Ryan was nervous. In that brief second a small flash of
doubt sparked through his mind.
What if she was choosing this moment to
break things off with him?

He had never, not for one second, given that any
consideration at all. He’d always known that he was in love with Ashley Kynde
and he’d assumed the feeling was mutual. After all, she told him and showed him
often enough, but now he was leaving. What if the distance was enough to make
her end things? A sick feeling began to churn through his gut. That feeling
must have shown on his face because Ashley squeezed his hand tightly while
stroking his cheek.

“Does that make it easier for you?”

Her voice startled him. Looking up he saw the sadness that
had loomed in Ashley’s eyes replaced by ambiguity and fear. Ryan’s thoughts
were buzzing like a fluorescent light bulb…just before it finally gave out. A
single tear drifted slowly down her cheek and stopped at her upper lip.
Wait.
What happened? What had she just said to him?

“Ashley, baby, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.” His tone was
sharp but his eyes bled pain. “Is what easier for me? What are you saying?” A
jab of panic struck his gut as he saw the crumbled look marring her beautiful
face.

Trying her best to keep her mask of perfection solidly in
place, she simply stated, “I was saying, Ryan, that maybe it would be for the
best if … well, if we broke up while you were gone.” Another traitorous tear
escaped her stormy eyes. “I don’t want to hold you back, Ry…I don’t want to
keep you from…living.” With those words, Ashley stood up from the cozy outdoor
loveseat and began to walk away.

“Princess. Do. Not. Take. Another. Step.” Ryan unfolded
himself from the small sofa and took long strides to meet Ashley right where
she stood.

“Look at me, Ash, look me in the eyes.” The eyes are so
often referred to as the window to the soul and while Ashley was one to keep
her window covered with the loveliest curtains around, for him, the glass was
always clear. His heart faltered in his chest as he felt—yes, actually felt—her
pain…just from looking in her eyes. The sadness overtook him, making the air
around them heavy and even harder to breathe. He could feel each pump of his
heart as he waited on the answer to his next questions. “Is that what you want?
You want to end this? End us?”

Pulling in a deep breath, Ashley continued to stare, the
tears had slowed but her cheeks bore a well worn path from the wet pain. “Do
you want the truth, Ry?” Those words felt like a dull blade in his gut.

“Yeah, Ash—the truth would work just fine.”

“Ryan, the thought of you and Leo leaving for such a long
time makes me ache deep down clear through to my bones. I love you both so much
and your presence in my life brings me true happiness and joy that goes beyond
what any words can say. But, Ryan, having
you
in my life—as my friend,
my boyfriend, as my everything…well you touch my soul. Do I want to break up?
Heck no! I love you. I want to be with you always, forever. But I understand
that your life is about to change.”

He watched as she rubbed the edge of her thumb deep into her
sternum, he knew the words she was giving were to benefit him. Each syllable
was cracking the veneer she worked so hard to keep polished, but he let her
continue. “I see the way the girls, heck, the women look at you, like they want
to eat you alive. People tell me that women, groupies, will do anything to hook
up with guys in a band, Ry…” Ashley let out a small humorless laugh that
punched Ryan in the gut at the same time it eased the band around his lungs
allowing him to breathe.

“You are so much more than just a guy from a band. You are
beautiful and sexy and…gah…everything! I just don’t want you to look back on
this time and resent me for holding you back.”

Ryan stared at the girl in front of him—only seventeen, but
more of a woman then most women ever grew to be.

“Princess, don’t you understand yet? You’re it for me. I
know we’re young. I know my life is about to get crazy. But you…are…
it
.
You are what most guys spend their whole lives trying to find. I just got lucky
enough to find you at nineteen. And if you think I’m crazy or dumb enough to
ever jeopardize that then maybe you aren’t as smart as we all think you are.”

Ashley gazed into Ryan’s eyes filled with determination,
love, and respect, eyes that were staring intently at her, begging her to
believe in him…in them. All of her fears melted away like snow cones in August,
as he continued.

“I love you, Ashley, only you. You need to trust me and
trust that I will take care of your heart even when I’m not physically with
you. Can you do that for me?” She felt her smile stretch over her mouth as she
nodded her agreement. This felt good. This feeling was the kind of good that
pumped through her veins, the kind that would keep her warm while he was gone.

“You know, you and Leo are a lot more like brothers than
friends,” she mused just before his lips took hers in what began as a simple
kiss, but quickly turned into a hungry passionate embrace.

Ryan’s strong hand moved swiftly from the back of her head
where he had been holding her close, down her neck and over her back. His
fingers spread wide covering most of her narrow frame as his thumb caressed the
exposed skin where her tank top had risen up. The raw groan that rumbled deep
in his throat was swallowed whole by the deep penetrating kisses Ashley
bestowed upon him. She couldn’t get enough of him. His scent, his tongue, his
touch.

“Ahem, sorry to interrupt this adorable, yet nauseating,
moment,” Leo snickered, not looking at all sorry for the interruption, “but we
really have to get going. Jayson just got here with the bus and we still need
to get Zane and his two tons of shit and hit the road if we are gonna make any
headway today.”

Pulling in a deep breath and silently begging herself for
the strength to hold her emotions in for just a few minutes longer, Ashley
plastered on what Leo often referred to as her “Barbie doll” smile. “Okay,
boys, travel safely and kick some serious concert ass!”

“Wow, sis. Did you just say
ass
?” With a hearty
laugh, Leo embraced her tightly, making her feel as safe and loved as he always
did. “I don’t know, Ry, do you think it’s safe leaving my little sister here
without us watching out for her? We aren’t even gone yet and she’s already
using profane language.”

Leo’s laughter felt like a warm sweatshirt wrapped over her
body. She absently ran her hands up her arms, savoring the warmth before it
faded away.

“She’ll be fine,” Ryan confirmed, his voice more confident
than his face looked. From the corner of her eye, she stared at Ryan, wondering
if he didn’t have fears of his own piling up behind his shield of confidence.
She knew that he had nothing to worry about in regard to her, but did he? She
gave herself a mental head shake. Of course he knew, she told him often how
much she loved him. She’d make sure to continue while he was gone.

“Hello,
she
is standing right here! And
she
is
trying really hard to keep it together while
her
two favorite men in the
entire world leave her behind. So please, rip off the Band-Aid and go so
she
can cry in peace and then get ready for work.” Ashley poked both her brother
and her boyfriend in the chest as she tried to bring her point home. All the
while repeating to herself,
“Do not cry, do not cry.”