E. K. Blair - Fading -(ang)

Copyright © 2013 by E.K. Blair
Cover Design by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations
Editing by Lisa Christman, Adept Edits
Interior design by Angela McLaurin, Fictional Formats
Photography by Maxim Malevich
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of
the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual
persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various
products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without
permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated
with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-578-12543-5
prologue
chapter one
chapter two
chapter three
chapter four
chapter five
chapter six
chapter seven
chapter eight
chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
chapter fifteen
chapter sixteen
chapter seventeen
chapter eighteen
chapter nineteen
chapter twenty
chapter twenty-one
chapter twenty-two
chapter twenty-three
chapter twenty-four
chapter twenty-five
chapter twenty-six
chapter twenty-seven
chapter twenty-eight
chapter twenty-nine
chapter thirty
chapter thirty-one
chapter thirty-two
chapter thirty-three
chapter thirty-four
chapter thirty-five
chapter thirty-six
chapter thirty-seven
chapter thirty-eight
chapter thirty-nine
chapter forty
chapter forty-one
acknowledgements
For Gina
I've never been more pleased, and it's all your fault.
"What do you mean they cancelled? They've been on the books for weeks."
"I don't know. I didn't take the call, but we've gotta fill that slot in the next
couple of days. Classes at U-Dub started today, so this weekend is gonna be busy
as hell."
"Shit!" I pause for a second, frustrated as fuck. "It's too late to do anything
about it tonight. I'll make some calls tomorrow and try to get another band booked.
Oh, hey, if those fuckers call back, tell them to find another bar to play."
"Right, boss. You heading out soon? It's past midnight already."
"Yeah, in a little bit. I need to finish this paperwork and I'll be gone. Go ahead
and go."
"See you tomorrow, man."
"See ya."
I try working on the inventory supply sheet that I need to get in to our liquor
distributor, but my mind is elsewhere. I really need to call Gina and tell her to not
come over tonight. She's starting to become so damn clingy. I can't stand chicks like
that. The last thing I need to deal with is her needy shit. Gavin had warned me
about her, but fuck if I listened. I was just looking for a one-night thing, but her
stopping by my place and calling me all the time is getting annoying.
A clatter outside snaps me out of my thoughts. I look down at my watch to see
it's nearing one in the morning. Shit. When I start packing my things up to head
home, I hear more commotion from outside. I shake my head knowing it's probably
just some drunk guys heading back home from a party. People are always cutting
through the back alley.
I start locking everything up and make my way downstairs to the back door.
"Crap," I whisper to myself, realizing I left my cell in my office. Walking back up
the stairs to my office, I grab my phone off my desk. Then I hear screaming. A girl
screaming.
"Fuck!"
Bolting out of my office, I quickly run downstairs to the back door and out to
the small employee parking lot in the alley.
"God, please! Stop!" a girl shrieks.
Before my mind can process what I'm seeing, the bastard smashes his fist into
the girl's face.
Adrenaline courses through my body, and I run. Yanking the guy off her, I start
slamming my fist in his face over and over. I completely lose control of myself and
relentlessly whale on him. My knuckles start to burn as the flesh begins to split
open. He manages to get a few swift hits to my jaw and ribs, which allows him a
quick moment to work out of my grip and flee.
Before I can charge after the guy, I catch a glimpse of the girl. It doesn't take but
a split second for me to refocus. She lies there, completely unconscious, bare, with
her clothes ripped off of her. My stomach clenches and my chest tightens as I
slowly approach her and kneel down on my knees. Too scared to touch her, I take
off my shirt and cover her naked, battered body. Her face is scratched and covered
in blood and dirt. The side where the fucker's fist landed is already starting to swell
and bruise, and her knees are ripped open and covered in gravel. My heart pounds
and my gut is in knots.
I pat my pockets for my cell but it's not on me. I must have dropped it as I ran
out here. Not wanting to leave her, I look around and spot her purse. I lean over
and grab it in search of her phone. When I find it, I swipe the screen and dial 911.
As I sit next to her, she lies there, breathing peacefully. Whatever is running
through her head right now has to be a million times better than the hell she's going
to wake up to.
What the fuck just happened? I stare at her. I don't know what else to do. She is
so small, and when I look at her tiny hands, there is bloody flesh under her nails.
Shit. I notice a little heart tattoo on her lower hip that is still exposed. Sliding the
shirt over a little to cover it, I finally hear the sirens.
"Thank God," I whisper.
"Where did you meet this guy?"
I stare at my hazel eyes reflected in the mirror and apply a little mascara to my
already dark, thick lashes. "I ran into him at the country club."
"What the hell were you doing there? You hate all those pretentious tartlets,"
she says with a dramatic eye roll.
"I know, but my parents wanted me to meet them for brunch."
"How did that go?" Kimber asks.
I turn around to face her, "Oh you know, the usual. Mom is still up my ass for
majoring in dance. Thinks I'm throwing my life away. I swear to God, the woman
has got to get a life and stop trying to control mine."
Lying on my bed while I browse my closet for something to wear, Kimber says,
"Ugh, forget about her. So tell me, is this guy hot, or is he a loafer-wearing, country
club douche?"
Sliding on my favorite white pants and grabbing a sleeveless navy blouse, I shoot
Kimber a smirk. "Hot, no loafers, clean cut, and a total mama's boy. So yeah, a bit
of a douche."
"Seriously? Why did you agree to go out with him?" She rolls off of my bed and
starts rummaging through my shoes. Kimber is like my sister. I met her my
freshman year when we were randomly paired together to share a dorm room. She's
very outgoing and has a flair for dramatics. Although her sense of humor can be a
bit brash, her heart is sincere. After our freshman year, we ditched the dorms and
moved into this house, which her parents own. The past three years have really
bonded us, and I couldn't imagine my life without her.
"Because my mother was standing right there, and I just didn't want to deal with
any more of her nagging. So, he asked, I said yes. We are just going out for a drink,
that's all. No biggie."
"Here, wear these shoes."
"Thanks," I say as I slip on my gold Tory Burch sandals. I run a brush through
my long, thick brown hair and give myself one last look in the mirror.
Smearing on some lip-gloss, I make my way toward the kitchen. When I grab my
cell off the bar to check my texts, I see I have one missed call from Jase. I met
Jason around the same time I met Kimber. I immediately connected with him and
can tell him anything. I love Kimber, but for some reason, I'm able to let all my
walls down with Jase.
There's a knock on the door, and I yell for Kimber to answer it. Quickly, I type
out a text for Jase.
Heading out for a few hours. Come by later. Dying to see you.
Tossing my phone in my purse, I walk into the living room to meet Jack.
"Hey, Jack."
"Hi, Candace. You look great," he says, and I hear Kimber let out a tiny snort. I
shoot her a look over my shoulder and mouth 'be nice!'
I hop into Jack's car and we head to Prescriptions, a trendy upscale bar in
downtown Seattle. Jack parks and then swiftly makes his way to my door to open it
for me. Taking my hand, he helps me out of his small Audi.
When we walk inside, the bar is dimly lit and scattered with sleek leather
couches and leather-upholstered coffee tables. The main bar runs along one of the
walls and is made of a rich chocolate wood. Spanning the length of the wall behind
the bar of lit-up bottles is a solid black chalkboard with the word 'Prescriptions'
written across it with all the drinks listed below in a unique, artistic script. As we
settle onto one of the couches, a waitress comes by; Jack orders a beer, and I order
a glass of red wine.
Lifting his knee, he angles himself toward me on the sofa and asks, "So, how
come I've never seen you at the country club before? I see your parents often, but
never you."
"Not my scene, I guess. My mother serves on a few committees, so she
practically lives there."
Jack narrows his dark blue eyes at me, and the edge of his mouth lifts into a
slight grin. "You don't get along with your mother, do you?"
"It's complicated," I sigh. "We have very different views on life. She's really into
appearances. Looking the part. Playing the role. I just don't see the point."
The waitress arrives with our drinks, and I take a generous sip of my wine. I
can't help but notice how sexy he looks as he tilts his head back to take a drink
from his bottle of beer. Maybe I was wrong; maybe he's not a douche. I let out a
small giggle at my thought.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how maybe I had gotten the wrong impression
of you the other day." I take another sip of my drink. "So, Jack, tell me about
yourself."
"What do you want to know?"
"Hobbies? Major? What do you plan on doing after you graduate?"
"Well, I play on the lacrosse team, and I'm studying Political Science." He takes
another swig of his beer and clarifies, "I'm pre-law. So after this year I plan on
going to Stanford for law school. What about you?"
"I'm a Fine Arts major. Ballet. Another thing my mother doesn't approve of."
"So, what are your plans after this year?"
"Auditions, I guess. I mean, I'd like to dance professionally for as long as I can.
Eventually I want to teach."
We fall into easy conversation as we continue to talk and get to know each other
better. He seems genuinely interested in what I have to say. Jack isn't the typical
guy I go for; he's a frat boy and comes from an upbringing such as myself, but he's
really nice and for the most part, seems down to earth.
I tend to have a lot of first dates with guys but never find myself in a relationship
with any of them. I don't really know the reason for that; maybe I just haven't
found anyone that I care enough about to keep around. I'm not a slut by any means,
far from it. I've only slept with one guy, my high school boyfriend. We dated off
and on for over a year and wound up having sex the night of our graduation. I was
young and stupid, but that was three years ago, and I haven't heard from him since
that night.
After a couple of hours pass easily, I excuse myself to the ladies' room. I wash
my hands and search my purse for a hair tie. The wine is starting to make me feel
warm, and I need to get the hair off of my neck. I have always wanted short hair,
but as a dancer, it needs to be long enough to secure in a bun on top of my head. So
for now, I have long, thick, dark brown hair with natural golden highlights that
hangs a few inches below my shoulders. When I finally find a hair tie, I quickly
sweep my hair up into a ponytail.
When I return, Jack stands up and holds out his hand for me. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah," I say as I slide my hand into his.
Jack parks his car in front of my house, and once again, jumps out and opens my
door for me. He walks me up to the front door and says, "I really had fun with you
tonight. How about we do this again?"
"Umm, yea. That would be nice," I say as he leans in and lightly brushes his lips
against my cheek. My neck heats, and I feel slightly embarrassed by the gesture.
"I'll call you so we can set something up."
"Okay, that sounds good. Thanks for the drinks. I had a really nice time."
"Me too. Goodnight, Candace."
"Night, Jack."
I watch him walk back to his car, and I turn to open the door. Instead, the door
handle jerks out of my hand, and I stumble to my knees inside the house.
"What the hell, Kimber?!"
Nodding her head towards the door, she questions, "Mmm hmm...what was that
all about?"
Pushing myself off the floor to stand, I look at her with an annoyed expression
on my face, "What was what all about?"
"Him kissing you on the cheek. Lame." She scrunches up her nose in disgust.
"Who does that?"
"God, whatever. And you didn't have to watch him kiss me. I swear your
voyeurism knows no limits."
"Well?" she continues, staring at me with her way too curious, blue eyes.
"Ooh, leave me alone," I sigh. "I might have been wrong about him. He's a
pretty decent guy. I think we might try and get together again. We'll see." I walk to
my bedroom to change clothes, and Kimber follows me. She lies across my bed
while I put on a pair of cut-off sweat shorts and a cami.
I watch Kimber as she stares up at the ceiling in deep thought with her wavy
blonde hair fanned out around her. Kimber is beautiful, and she knows it. She's fit
but has been blessed with feminine curves, where I have more of a straight, lean
body. Typical ballerina form.
Still staring at the ceiling, she says, "Shit, Candace, do you realize that we are
about to start our senior year, and I have yet to come across any decent husband
material?"
I bust out into a fit of laughter. "Is this the crap that is constantly floating
through your head?"
"Well...kinda. I mean, I have never had to work a day in my life, and I'll be
damned if I have to work after we graduate. I mean, if I had a job, when would we
ever hang out?" She gives me an evil smirk.
"You're crazy, but I love you so much." I lay down behind her and give her a
tight hug.
"Hey, girls," Jase's voice booms through the house.
I jump up, run to the living room, and give him a big hug. Kimber quickly
follows me and steps in for her hug while I take the two wine bottles out of his
hands. I walk to the kitchen to grab a corkscrew and some wine glasses. When I
return to the living room, I set everything down on the coffee table and make
myself comfortable on the floor. Opening the wine, I pour myself a glass while I
watch Kimber and Jase talk as they sit together on the couch. Jase is a very
attractive guy. He has a hard, athletic build, and his skin is lightly tanned. He wears
his thick, brown hair, which has turned more of a blond over the course of the
summer, lightly gelled in a messy faux-hawk. His eyes are a unique shade of light
gold that stand out against his dark lashes.
"So, how was your trip to San Diego?" I ask.
Jase finishes pouring his glass and says, "It was good. I hung out with friends,
went out to a few bars, and saw some bands. You know, the usual visit home."
I take a sip of my wine and smile, "Well, we're glad you're back."
"You have no idea how happy I am to be back," he says with a straight face, and
I can see a hint of tension in his eyes.
"Man, was it that bad, Jase?" Kimber asks.
"It's just not home to me anymore. Plus, I missed you bitches," he laughs, and
his mood instantly shifts. "So, what have I missed?"
I get the feeling that Jase is hiding something about his trip back home. I look at
him as he is downing his glass of wine faster than usual. Yep, he's definitely hiding
something. I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Kimber speak up.
"Well, Candace is dating a douche from Mommy and Daddy's country club," she
says as she winks at me.
"I am not!" I say. "We went out for drinks. That's all."
"Are you seeing him again?" she asks even though she already knows the
answer.
"You're seeing him again?" Jase questions, scrunching his eyebrows together.
"Wait, who's him? Who are you seeing?"
"No. I mean, yes. God, really, it's no big deal."
"Must be if he's getting a second date," Jase says as he takes another drink. "Is
that where you were earlier? On your date?"
"Uh huh," I nod.
"Where did you guys go? You never told me," Kimber asks as she folds her legs
underneath her.
"We went to Prescriptions."
"I love that place," Kimber says. "Anyway. New subject. What the hell are we
doing this week before classes start back up?"
"I have some serious studio time I need to put in. I also have to work."
"You always keep yourself so busy," Jase says. I don't even try to make excuses
because he's right. I just shake my head and take another sip of my wine.
After a while, Jase and Kimber decide to watch some trash TV. I move to the
couch and lie down with my head on Jase's lap while we all watch MTV. As he
combs his fingers through my hair, it isn't long until I doze off.
I wake up to the feel of my bed dipping down and I smell wine. Jase lies behind
me and wraps his muscular arms around my waist. I nestle back into his warm
chest.
"Did I wake you?" he whispers.
"Yeah, but it's okay," I mumble quietly. "What time is it?"
"Around two. You passed out, so I carried you in here and hung out with
Kimber for a while longer."
"Is she asleep?"
"Yeah, and snoring like a beast." We both laugh quietly at his words.
I roll over in his arms to face him in the dark, even though we can't see each
other. I lay my head on his chest, and he wraps one arm around my waist and the
other cups the back of my head.
"So, why did your trip really suck? I know something's bothering you."
Jase lets out a long sigh before saying, "I told them."
I wrap my arms tighter around him. "What did they say?"
"They threw me out."
My heart breaks and a quiet tear escapes my eye and rolls onto his bare chest.
"I'm so sorry. Why didn't you call me?"
"I don't know. I was embarrassed, I guess. I haven't told anyone what happened.
I don't want the pity."
"You know I don't pity you, right?"
"Yeah," he whispers and kisses the top of my head.
"I'm sad because I love you. When your heart hurts, so does mine. Your pain is
my pain."
We lie there together holding each other as my heart breaks to sync up with his
already broken one. I love Jase. He's my best friend. We have a deep connection
that runs through us and links us together. He has had a lot of pain in his life. He
had a sister that was two years older than him. They were extremely close, but she
died in a car crash the night of her senior prom. His parents still refuse to touch her
room, like they are expecting her to come home one day.
Jase was extremely confused with his sexuality in high school. He said he didn't
want to be gay and figured if he just slept with enough girls, maybe he would start
to feel differently. So he slept around. A lot. He told me that growing up, he felt
trapped as if he was living a lie—silently suffering on the inside as he held on to his
secret. Until he came to college, no one ever knew he was gay. I'm happy he finally
told his parents though. He needed to free himself of the secret he had been
keeping from them. I hate that they turned their backs on their own son and would
just toss him out of their home like he didn't even matter to them.
"You know this is your home, don't you? Right here with me. Kimber and I are
your home. And we don't give a shit that you like guys."
Jase kisses the top of my head, and I grip my arms tighter around him.
"Jase?" I whisper.
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
I wake up to the smell of bacon and coffee. "Thank God." I roll out of bed and
make my way to the kitchen where Jase is cooking breakfast. Just another reason
why I love him so much: he loves to cook, and I love to eat.
"Hey, lovely," he says to me over his shoulder as I pad i...