Ember by Madison Daniel
“We’re not done Max!” She grabbed my arm. “You owe me an apology.” My mouth flew open in disgust.
“What?” She was talking crazy.
“And a thank you!” she added with venom.
“For what?” I almost screamed.
“For cleaning up your mess!” Now she was up on her toes, pushing her emerald eyes into my face. Kai smacked one of his drums and she lost it.
“Kai! Not now!” Her curls were shaking. Kai’s eyes were sad and he stumbled off stage, throwing his sticks to the floor.
“Devon and his buddies got exactly what they deserved! And for you to stand at his side when I needed you most is unbelievable!” I stepped back from her.
“Max…please…” She reached for me.
“And after the night we spent…” My hands flared to life. “Sam, please leave,” I begged through my teeth.
“No!” she snapped. She was so damn stubborn. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“Yes, you are,” Asia said walking up. She had a bottle of water in one hand and my guitar in the other. Sam stood her ground even though her confidence was fading now.
“Max…” Sam begged.
“Don’t make me say it again!” Asia warned. The thunder pushed itself against the walls, making the kids in the audience nervously cheer. My head was spinning as my inner core came alive. I wanted to run outside into the rain and scream.
“Don’t push me away,” Sam pleaded as her hand found mine and when she felt the heat it was generating, she pulled hers back quickly. She was still scared of me…and with that, I snapped.
“Leave!” I yelled so loud that everyone back stage turned and looked at us.
“Bye bye Goldie locks,” Asia smirked. I gave her a dirty look and she gave it right back to me. Then I saw the fear and hurt wash over Sam’s face and my inferno engulfed me.
“Ahhh!” I screamed. I swung my guitar around my neck and twisted the volume knob to the max as my lips pushed against the cold steel microphone. Kai and Marcus were caught off guard and ran for their instruments. Lightning crashed outside when I grabbed the mic and howled.
“...ALL YOUR METAL ARMOR!”
The crowd was taken by surprise and so was the young man running the giant curtain. The crowd roared to life as the curtain stuttered open. My hand came down on my strings, unleashing a gut wrenchingly loud chord that split the air.
“...NOTHING HURTS…” My eyes caught Sam’s. “…LIKE YOUR MOUTH!”
The audience screamed holding their arms in the air as the green and red lights from the stage washed over them. Kai’s drums came crashing in behind me. My chest thumped with every beat. Marcus and his bass crawled across the stage and slid to life, filling everyone’s ears with the pulsating hum of the music. The groove was undeniably sexy and my guitar cried to the rafters. The music was born from us and the crowd bounced with every twist and turn of its rhythm.
Sam disappeared off the stage clutching her camera and crying. I pulled my eyes from her tears because it hurt me too much. Asia danced near the end of the stage, never taking her eyes off of me. I was raw and breaking but she was my rock in this sea of pain. I used her strength. I used her beauty to not fade into this abyss of doubt. My eyes locked with hers as she moved to the music, mesmerizing me. I sang to her. I sang for her.
Halfway through our set I spotted Lucy in the crowd. She was dancing and swaying at the back of the theatre. She genuinely looked happy in the moment; even though I was sure her first priority was Asia. She had spotted Lucy seconds after I had and the rain slashed at the venues dark windows.
We finished our set after about an hour and it took another hour for the crowd to fade to about twenty kids, the band included. Some kids wanted autographs and others just wanted to talk and we obliged as best we could. It felt good to be adored for the music we loved. My body was spent when we started to pull our gear apart.
“You guys were so good!” Asia said sweetly as she snuggled around my left side. She kissed me hard and inhaled the heat coming from my body.
“Thanks,” my voice was scratchy and fading. “We’ll probably be another twenty minutes or so.”
“No hurry,” she purred and walked away from me quickly. All three of us watched her hourglass slither away and for about half a second I was happy; completely content in the satisfaction that we put on a phenomenal show. That was until I saw whom she was heading towards.
“This is going to be a beautiful disaster,” I whined in a gravely voice. Kai and Marcus exchanged worried glance.
~Walking After You: Foo Fighters~
“Why did you come tonight?” Asia’s voice was cold. Her body blocked the lens of Sam’s camera that she was holding to her face.
“You almost ruined Max’s night.”
Quickly dropping her camera from her face Sam’s defenses went up. “I don’t have to explain my actions to you.”
“You’re hurting him!” Asia’s hands found her hips as she accused Sam.
“Am I? Or am I just hurting you?” she asked, standing her ground. Her eyes were on fire.
“Not possible, Blondie.” Her lips pouted as the thunder rumbled much closer to the windows; making a handful of people nervous.
“Do you even love him?” Sam fired back. “Because I do. Completely.” Sam stepped into her. Asia’s eyes flared with rage.
“That’s none of your business.” She leaned down towards Sam. “Besides, how could you possibly love Max when you’re scared of him?” Asia’s remark cut through her defenses a little and Sam hid her face and spoke softly.
“Not of him.” She looked my way and I pretended not to notice.
“Just what he’s capable of.” Her eyes whipped back to Asia’s. “And I think you make things worse.”
“His powers ARE who he is. Max IS fire.” Asia wasn’t holding anything back now. “Don’t you get it Samantha? You run from what and who he truly is.”
“You’re wrong!” Sam shouted but deep down she knew Asia was right. At least partially right. Her thoughts filled with guilt and she began to shrink away from Asia’s assault.
“And I don’t make things worse…you do.” Asia pointed her black painted finger nail in her face.
“But I think you know that,” Asia scolded as a lone thought bloomed inside her, causing her to relax her body a little. “If I hadn’t shown up during that fight and calmed him down…I…I…”
She turned back toward me with her eyes breaking, “I might have lost him.”
Asia fell quiet. She had spoken this as if the words were meant for herself and not Sam. Outside the rain raged on.
“I could have lost him too,” Sam said with a new confidence. “But I won’t. Not again.”
“It’s my turn Sam, you had your chance,” Asia said bluntly.
“You never answered my question…” Sam continued with a smile and to make a very tense moment even worse, Lucy walked up to them. Sam ignored her and added more fuel to the fire.
“Do you love him?” she asked again. Asia groaned through her teeth. Lucy stepped in with her own worries.
“Asia, I was hoping we could talk tonight,” Lucy said in shambles. Asia only looked at her coldly and then turned her anger back to Sam. She couldn’t shake Sam’s last question from her mind.
“Lucy this is not the time or place,” Asia declared.
“Please?” Lucy begged. Asia ran her hands up to the sides of her face and rubbed her temples as if she were fighting a headache. With her eyes closed she folded.
“Okay Lucy.”
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Sam said readying her camera in her hands. “Think about your answer Asia,”
Sam ran off towards me and the boys. She quickly clicked off a picture as she did.
“Lucy…this isn’t going to work anymore,” Asia said with steel in her tone.
“What are you saying? There has always been a you and me!” Lucy said shocked. Asia shook her head and placed her hands on Lucy’s petite shoulde
“I know but I think that is part of the problem. We haven’t been happy in a long time,” Asia said softly and then looked over her shoulder at me. “It’s time to move on.”
She gently raised Lucy’s face with her finger, “Both of us Lucy.”
“No!” she stomped her combat boots like a spoiled toddler. “I won’t! I can’t!” Tears rolled down her white cheeks.
“You are the most important girl in my life and always will be.” Asia’s eyes fell cold again. “But we can’t keep doing this, it’s time to move on.” Her eyes found me again.
“It’s time for me to heal. It’s time for me to be truly loved.” She paused and inhaled a shaky breath.
“But I’ve always loved you!” Lucy sobbed.
“And I have you but we’ve done it all this time…broken,” Asia’s voice barely spoke above a whisper.
“I don’t believe you!”
“Both of us. I didn’t realize how broken we were until recently.” A flood of memories hit her forcing her to stop talking. Memories of her family. Of meeting Lucy for the first time. Of the day on the beach when she woke in my arms.
“Stop saying we’re broken damn it!” Lucy spat with hate.
“You know it’s true but it’s time to heal.” She wiped the tears from Lucy’s face. “It’s time for you to find the one that heals you.”
Asia walked away trying not to cry. Lucy’s hands reached out for her but slowly fell down to her sides.
“I already have,” Lucy whispered. She stormed out the venues doors, into the pouring rain and ran down the street crying.
“This was the best night ever!” Marcus cheered as he slammed his bass into its case.
“We were pretty awesome,” Kai agreed while twirling his drumsticks. “Especially me.” We all laughed and for a second I was happy…again.
“Sorry for the attitude guys. I almost ruined a great set with my pouting.”
“It’s cool. We’re used to it,” Kai teased as he tossed a stick at me.
“Besides, that whole attitude thing worked tonight. Did you see how the crowd reacted to you? To us?” His eyes widened. “They would have done anything we told them to.”
“Yeah…we could have marched them into the sun and they would have gone with smiles on their faces,” Marcus laughed.
“Thanks guys but I think you’re exaggerating a little.”
“You were amazing man,” Kai said before softening his tone. “And I completely understand the drama.” He pointed towards Asia and Sam arguing. “But this isn’t gonna go away Max. You’re gonna have to make some kind of decision.”
“Soon,” Marcus added.
“For your own sanity,” Kai said before he nudged me with his elbow.
“I know.” I glanced at the girls talking. “What would you guys do?”
“I look at it this way…you have two amazing girls fighting for you. Whoever you pick…you win,” Marcus said as he tossed me a loose chord to roll up. He added with a grin.
“Personally...I vote for tall, dark and mysterious.”
“And you?” I shot Kai a quick glance.
“I wish it were that easy brother. Only you know where your heart lies,” he smiled. I let out a tired breath. He sounded like a fortune cookie.
“I’m kinda partial to blondes myself,” he pushed.
“Kai…Marcus…after tonight I officially consider you two my brothers.” I smiled at them. “We are blood now.” We shook each other’s hands.
“But boy do you guys suck at advice!” I laughed and they joined in. We would have probably still been laughing had Sam not walked up.
She snapped a quick picture and smiled nervously at us, causing my hands to sweat immediately. As she took a step closer to me, Kai and Marcus turned away from us awkwardly.
“Max, can we start over?” her voice was soft and sweet. I could feel my anger rising like a beast inside again. Obviously I wasn’t done pouting.
“Sam I’m tired,” I was but it was just an excuse and Kai knew it.
“Let’s give them a minute.” He nudged Marcus then pulled him off stage.
“You sounded great tonight…I think I got some really nice pictures.” She was stalling. My temper kept rising and as I glanced over at Asia with her hands on Lucy’s shoulders, the two year old in me escaped.
“Say what you need to say Sam!” I snapped coldly.
“I need you to understand that I am not giving up on you.” She reached for my bangs but I stopped her hand just before she touched them.
“On us,” she added with her rock solid confidence.
“What if I give up?” I said a little defeated. Her eyes pulled together in determination and her nose wrinkled slightly as she pushed her body into mine.
“I won’t let you.” Her green eyes searched mine for any sign that I still cared.
“Is that so?” It took every bit of strength I had to fight back the truth.
“Matter of fact,” she said still searching. The truth was I wanted her to reach for me. I wanted her to push her sultry little frame against me. I wanted to kiss her and I wanted her to kiss me back. But more than anything else…I wanted NOT to feel this way about her. About us.
“I’m done talking,” I said quietly. As I stared into her eyes I wanted to hate her for not standing by my side when I needed her most. I wanted her to feel bad for the nights she spent at HIS side and not mine. I wanted to be stubborn.
“I’m not,” she paused. “We’ll get through this Max.”
“Not tonight,” I said angry. I swallowed everything I felt for her and pushed her away.
“Not ever.” I couldn’t believe how cold it sounded as I said it. The rain outside scratched at the walls as Asia walked up slowly. She glared at Sam as she walked up behind me and slid her arms around me. I had to look away from Sam’s face as the pain hit her.
Sam nodded in defeat slowly, at least for the moment but her eyes seemed to say that she wasn’t done yet. She carefully placed the cap on the lens of her camera and walked away without another word. But she did give Asia a curious glance as she left. It felt like I was missing some kind of inside joke between the two. What had they talked about? It was probably best that I didn’t know.
Forbidden_27
~Love Bites: Def Leppard~
11:22 p.m.
Driving home with Asia I felt guilty and I didn’t say much as we drove. She was just as quiet. Half way home I could tell that she was just as uncomfortable as I was. The rain was still falling but much softer now. She pulled the Jeep over to the side of the deserted road we were on and I became very uneasy. The rain intensified as she sat quietly for a minute with the radio serenading us.
“What’s going on Asia?” I asked but I was scared to hear the answer.
“Max I ended it with Lucy tonight.”
“Ended what?” I didn’t quite understand.
“Everything.” She pulled her warm curls of hair back behind her shoulder and peaked at me. “Her friendship…our sisterhood.”
“I never meant for you to do that,” I spoke concerned.
“I didn’t do it for you.” Her eyes smiled at me with the pouring rain reflecting in them. “I needed to let go of her. I had held our relationship in this weird sacred box of emotions. In the past I had needed Lucy’s strength and I will always care for her because of that.” She paused and looked at me petrified. Lightning flickered outside, stealing the dark away and burning every beautiful line of her face into my memories.
“Go on,” I said mesmerized.
“But we have only been hurting each other by the bubble that we had built around ourselves.” She began to shake. My hands closed around her perfectly smooth jaw.
“What are you trying to say?” I asked.
“I don’t want to be alone anymore.” The rain was falling so hard now on the Jeeps roof, that I could barely hear her next words.
“I want to be happy. With you,” she said as a tear ran down her cheek. I took
“I want that too,” I whispered and continued to kiss her. I kissed her hard and long, with every bit of energy I had left. The storm outside had now grown so heavy that the visibility was zero and the heat I was giving off made the Jeep feel like a sauna.
I had so much to say to her, so much I wanted to hear her say to me but I couldn’t stop kissing her. The fire in my chest was filling my head with wicked thoughts and my hands started removing any piece of clothing that was in their way. My skin was on fire and her cool skin seemed to call to me on an instinctual level. I was beginning to expel heat much too hot for this confined space but she didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy ripping my shirt in pieces as she climbed on top of my lap. The radio filled with a pulsing fuzz, drowning out the music.
I had to get myself under control before I hurt her but my mind ran from that thought as my hands found the lines of her bare back. My head felt fuzzy and a dizzying wave overcame me as the thunder shook her tiny truck. Asia felt it too as both our ears filled with a deafening ring and the hair on our bodies stood on end. The cab of the Jeep filled with white light that strained our eyes. My head was buzzing like a fire alarm now as she held me tighter. The truck started to shake like an earthquake when our eyes finally focused on the giant blinding arc just outside the driver’s side window. It vaporized the torrent of rain all around us and cut through the asphalt violently. Twisting and buzzing right for us so fast that I barely had a chance to understand what was happening. A giant twister of lightning was shredding right toward us.
“Asia!” I yelled and her fingers slid into the hot flesh of my back. As fresh blood trickled down my skin she closed her eyes and exhaled. In a split second the light vanished, leaving only the sound of pouring raindrops on the roof. The radio was silent now too and my head was still spinning. Thunder laughed in the distance and we slowly caught our breath and said nothing.