Whisky Melody: Rock Star Romance, New Adult College Romance (Tennessee Romance Book 2) (2 page)

Prologue

Risk of Falling

By Whisky Lullaby

You can’t jump if you’re afraid to fall.

Might as well never leap at all.

There’s a past behind all of us,

coming up in the rearview…broken loves.

There’s a risk here.

There’s a gamble to take.

There’s a leap and fall coming near.

Is it one I can take?

The risk of falling,

the risk of hurt,

the risk of starting,

the risk of getting burned…

When I look at you, I feel alive.

Your arms around my body bring me to life.

I know I could lose out on more than my time.

You could take my heart and give me a goodbye.

There’s a risk here.

There’s a gamble to take.

There’s a leap and fall coming near.

Is it one I can take?

The risk of falling,

the risk of hurt,

the risk of starting,

the risk of getting burned…

There’s a risk here.

There’s a gamble to take.

There’s a leap and fall coming near.

Is it one I can take?

The risk of falling,

the risk of hurt,

the risk of starting,

the risk of getting burned…

The Cave exploded with noise, with cheers and applause and words shouted so loudly she could barely hear what they were saying. From the stage everyone looked different, smaller. The darkness hid their faces as a sudden thrill—equal parts fear and exhilaration—shot through Ashley.

So different,
she thought,
and it really was. Playing in a band was a far different experience than playing her cello for a small, intimate audience. She wasn’t used to rowdiness, nor had she ever felt such a sudden, feverish onslaught of emotions running through her body during a performance.

Music always made her feel so many things, but chief among them at that moment was one burning sensation: complete and utter desire, so strong it was almost crippling. She turned to look at Logan. His eyes were heavy-lidded, and his mouth turned upward in a devastatingly wicked smile that was as sexy as it was reassuring. Her heart pounded and her body, slick with the beginnings of sweat, trembled as heat flushed up and down her thighs at the mere sight of his alluring smile.

They left the stage and made their way into the back. After they cased their instruments and stored them away, Logan grabbed her hand and took off into the din and swelter of bodies that occupied The Cave.

Hands hit her back. People shouted at her and Logan. Her fear returned when a sudden riptide of people came between them, threatening to sever the tenuous connection of their joined hands.

“Man, you guys are gonna rock the Rock Star Royale!” That came from a willowy blonde with a set of pouty lips on her pretty face and perky breasts that jutted up from her thin body.

Jealousy seethed as the blonde grabbed Logan and tugged, pulling him to one side so hard his hand slipped out of Ashley’s. She gritted her teeth, trying to decide between acting like the crazy girlfriend or taking it in stride. She looked around and spotted Kaylee in the crowd, her face lit up and her eyes little more than slits.

Drunk again? Crap
.

Logan managed to disentangle himself from the blonde’s possessive grip. The other members of the band were lost in the milling crowd. Sweat pooled under Ashley’s hairline, and she felt a sudden, almost panicky need for fresh air.

Logan obviously enjoyed the attention, admiration, and acceptance from the crowd. Ashley was okay with it to a degree, but she was torn between liking it and wanting to get as far away from it as possible. The storm of emotion she’d released onstage had left her feeling terrifyingly hollow, yet simultaneously too full, so off-kilter and unbalanced she could barely breathe.

Kaylee staggered up and wrapped her fingers around Ashley’s shoulder. Her eyes were open wider this time, but they were too bright, and her mouth was too loose. She peered closely at Ashley. “You’re wearing red lipstick.”

“Um…yeah. It was Lisa’s idea.”

Waves of liquor-scented breath washed over Ashley’s face and assaulted her nostrils as Kaylee let loose with a little squeal, hugged her hard, then shouted proudly, in liquor-exaggerated fashion, “Hey, everyone! She’s
my
cousin!”

Ashley managed a smile, but emotions spun through her again, too many to process. Logan had been swallowed up by the crowd, and she couldn’t see him anywhere.

More people surged toward her. She spun through the horde, pushed along by dancing people and arms that clapped her back. Hands grabbed at her, then sent her spinning farther from the spot where she had last seen Logan.

Disconcerted and a little dizzy, she gathered her courage and battled her way through the masses, pretending she was trying to traverse a jam-packed train platform in the city. Classical concerts didn’t have that kind of vibe; they were quiet, with only murmured chatter and muffled clapping. This, on the other hand, was beyond insane, and foreign to her. She’d never seen or heard such a reaction to the band before.
Crazy!
She had no other word to describe it.

When Ashley finally spotted Logan across the bar, a flare practically shot up, as red and bright and loud as the lipstick on her mouth.

The blonde was back, standing all too close to Logan, with her arm draped around him. She held a cup of something extended over her head, one tan arm lifted upward in an exclamation of triumph at having captured him.

Oh, no you don’t!
The words ricocheted around Ashley’s mind. She stalked over to them as inconspicuously as she could in a packed bar with people drunk and happy, then shouted above the noise, “Logan, can I see you for a minute?”

He gave her a grin and maneuvered his way out of the blonde’s grasp. “Yeah?” he said.

Ashley shot the other woman a death glare and took his hand, then guided him toward a small corner. The noise was deafening, and her panic rose another notch. Her lungs screamed for air, and her body itched with spent adrenaline.

“What’s up?” Logan asked, in a shout this time.

“I need some air!”

The party raged around them. Ashley could see that he wanted to stay, to take it all in, but he nodded and steered her toward the door. They ended up on the sidewalk, their bodies colliding with others as too many individuals entered and exited the doors all at the same time.

She charged down the sidewalk, moving fast, and Logan had to speed up to close the gap that was quickly forming between them. “Hey, Ash! Slow down, babe. What’s wrong?”

She drew an audible breath. “Not sure. I’m just on the verge of…a major freak-out. My nerves are shot, I guess.” Ringing echoed in her ears, so loud that she was willing to bet Logan could hear it if he leaned in close enough.

He nodded, and a glint of understanding illuminated his eyes. “Yeah, that can happen after a set. You okay?”

I would be if that stupid skank would stay as far away from you as possible.
Somehow, she managed to keep those words from coming out of her mouth; the last thing she needed to do was act like a jealous girlfriend. He wasn’t interested in that kind of thing.
Nobody is,
she reasoned. Even she hated jealous possessiveness, and she’d gone through enough of it with her ex. She wasn’t about to let that come between her and Logan. “I think so. I-I just needed a minute to process, I guess.”

He tilted his head. “It’s a far cry from what you’re used to.”

A statement, not a question.
She nodded. He reached for her, and she moved into his arms and snuggled against his chest. Her head ached slightly, and she wanted to just call it a night. She just wanted to take him back to the room and touch his body, feel his mouth pressing against hers. Logan was all the medicine Ashley needed.

She opened her mouth to say that very thing, but he spoke first. “Let’s get you cooled down and get back in there.”

“Can’t we just, you know…go?”

“Ash, our success at the Rock Star Royale depends on us having fans to back us. Nothing’s worse than a bunch of people cheering for bands other than yours. We need to pack the audience with people ready to rock and root for us, so we’ve gotta work at hard at making sure we have enough people to make that possible.”

She knew he was right. September 5th was just a few weeks away, and they’d just cemented the band. They might or might not stand a chance, depending on how much the crowd loved them. They could win new fans at the contest and hopefully win over the crowd that was there to cheer on others, but they had to have a solid corps of fans before they ever showed up on that stage for the competition. That meant not skipping out early, no matter how much she would have liked to—which was very much indeed. Ashley really, really wanted to get out of there and let her emotions stabilize, and she really, really didn’t want to see that blonde again, particularly all hugged up on Logan.

Her mood soured as she realized that Logan was well on his way to becoming a true star. With that would become the groupies and roadies, other blonde bimbos and women who just wanted to be on his arm for the prestige of it.
And where will that leave me?
Logan was a good guy, but their relationship was still pretty new, and nobody had ever said it would be permanent. It would be easy for him to walk away to something he presumed to be better, especially when girls were throwing themselves at him.

The awful realization tainted Ashley’s mood so much that she considered just walking away, but she knew how much all of it meant to him. “I’m good now, I think,” she finally conceded.

Logan nodded and grinned, then led her back to The Cave and into the crowd.

The noise and heat hit her like a wave. She fought the feeling and focused on staying near Logan, at least until Kaylee found her again. Kaylee was wobbling precariously atop her sinfully high heels, and her dress was askew, her lip gloss smeared and smudged. “Hey! Walk me to the bathroom,” she slurred.

It was the last thing Ashley wanted to do, as she had a feeling their trip to the ladies’ room would have her holding Kaylee’s hair while she vomited. Nevertheless she nodded and went, leaving Logan standing in a clump of people, all drinking fast and hard.

Of course there was a line at the bathroom door. Kaylee propped herself up against the wall. Her legs were trembling, and Ashley wondered if she would fall right off the sky-high pumps at any minute.

Kaylee slid along the wall as the line moved. Her eyes worked across the people nearby, and one shoulder lifted. “Charlie isn’t too happy with me.”

“Oh?” Ashley commented.
Has my cousin finally grown a backbone or a brain?
she wondered.

Ashley didn’t want to hate Kaylee, and she knew she shouldn’t, but she did think she was being far too stupid where Charlie was concerned. The guy was just a big, giant jerk, and Kaylee could do so much better. Not only that, but she deserved better. Charlie would never turn into some Prince Charming, ready to give Kaylee everything she wanted. He was a parasite; all he ever did was take what
he
wanted and needed, and he wasn’t going to change for her or anyone else.

Ashley’s forehead creased, and her mouth turned down in a frown as she thought about it. She couldn’t dismiss the fact that Charlie had some redeeming qualities. He was determined to make things right for the band, and he’d even come up with the money for the Royale. That was something, but Ashley wasn’t sure it was enough.
And at what cost? Heck, he probably weaseled the money away from Kaylee, giving her some kind of sob-story that ended with her forking over the cash,
she decided. Truth be told, pity and nurturing even to the point of ridiculousness were part of Kaylee’s M.O. That had always been the case. When they were kids, Kaylee equated love with the giving of gifts, and that had not changed over the years.

Ashley shook her head and let out a small groan. She thought about his donation to the Royale again and realized it had nothing to do with him being a good person. He simply wasn’t, and he’d said so himself. He wasn’t good to Kaylee, either, and she wondered when her cousin was going to see that.

The line moved again as several young women exited the bathroom, chattering and laughing. Ashley watched them go. One was in her advanced music theory class; her name was Heavenly, of all things, but she was certainly no angel. In fact, Heavenly was the one person she had to watch out for the most. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also incredibly talented. Anyone who didn’t know that only had to ask her, as she was always happy to talk about herself. Modesty wasn’t her strong suit at all, and Heavenly was as conceited as she was talented. In a tough program like the music industry, it was pretty much every man or woman for themselves. If any of them wanted a real career they had to work harder than everyone around them. Heavenly worked exceptionally hard at making sure everyone knew just how great she was.

Kaylee groaned and steadied herself, diverting Ashley’s attention momentarily. “Freakin’ A! My feet are freakin’ killing me! What’re they doing in there, dying? They need to hurry, before I have an accident!”

Ashley propped her up a little higher, and Kaylee wavered on her heels again. Her eyes went to the bathroom, and a yearning whimper escaped her mouth.

Ashley muttered, “Chill, okay? It’s a small bathroom.”

Kaylee groaned again, loud enough to capture the stares of a few turning heads. Kaylee shook her head, went pale, then tottered out of the line, heading for the door, and Ashley grimly followed her.

They only made it to the parking lot before Kaylee’s stomach let loose with its final protest. Ashley held her cousin’s hair back and tried to avoid puking herself as Kaylee emptied the contents of her stomach.

This crap has to stop,
Ashley thought as Kaylee gagged and heaved, depositing a soupy mess onto the pavement near her fancy heels. It was one thing to have fun and party a little, but Kaylee was rolling downhill at NASCAR speed. She did have one edge, though: Her education and college career didn’t depend on a scholarship. Her daddy would pay whatever bills came due, tuition included, and if Kaylee flunked he’d fix it somehow. It had always been that way, and it was part of the reason Kaylee equated money and gifts with love.

Kaylee finally straightened. Her eyes rolled back in her head and seemed to float in their sockets, the whites far too bright, almost fluorescent. Her hands were shaking something awful, flailing around like two dying fish out of water.