Brian’s POV

Cleaning vomit out of my car hadn’t really been on my bucket list. How much do you actually have to drink to puke in the fucking car. I mean, open the door and lean out or something. We weren’t even moving at that point for crying out loud. And who’s smart idea was to leave the car in the dreadful state overnight, anyway?

I sighed angrily as I hosed Riley’s yesterday’s dinner out of my leather seats. Well, clearly, nobody’s gonna drive this smelly piece of shit in the next couple of hours.

„Hey, you busy?” I leaned out of the car to see Jude coming through the front door, her plaid flannel shirt dangling around her thin body.

„Nah, just finishing up,” I said as I threw the hose to the ground and took a cloth from the roof of the car to dry off my hands. „What’s up? How’s Riley?”

„Dying.” She shrugged as she shoved her hands deep in the pockets of her denim shorts. „She hasn’t really moved from her spot, so maybe she in fact is dead...”

I shot her a questioning look. „You did check on her, right?”

„Chillax, man...” She waved me off, coming forward and resting her forearm on the top of the open door. „This is not the worst hangover she’s had.”

„Okay?” I picked the water bottle from the ground and took a sip. The sun was up in the sky and I really had picked the best hour of the day to stand in the sun and clean my fucking car. Note the sarcasm. „So what did you want to talk about?”

„Yesterday. The studio.” She spoke as if she was savoring the waters, trying to figure if the sea was calm enough to sail in it. „What the fuck happened, man?”

I sighed. „Look, Jude... You know what happened. Jen dropped her and she figured it’s a good call to get fucking hammered.”

„It’s my daughter we’re talking about, Brian.” Her eyes squinted slightly. Yea, I know. The same fucking daughter who left her overcooked spaghetti over my leather seats right after I kissed her. A real piece of work. „Jennifer must’ve said something and I bet you know what. Man...God knows I’d kick the bitch from the label,” Her icy blues shifted to the ground as she spoke, before they fixed back on me, „So you better spill the beans. I know you’ve been rocking the boat with her...”

„Rocking the—„ I frowned. „Look, my private life is none of your—„

„Don’t you fucking dare,” She warned, pointing a finger at me. „I have been all but patient with you, but, man, you know what, my patience is up to fucking here,” she raised her hand to her neck. „So don’t you fucking start with me, junior. I’m old, cranky and I have a daughter who’s fighting a severe depression for the last ten fucking years...”

What? How come I didn’t know a single fucking thing about Riley’s depression? Maybe because I had been nothing but an asshole to her and she hated my gut? Think, Haner, why would someone who hates you open up to you?

Shit.

„Fuck... Hell seems a better place to stay in when she gets her panic attacks combined with the sweet hysteria. So start talking why exactly my daughter is back to singing and why your bitch of a girlfriend put her face all over the internet.”

„I don’t fucking know!” I roared back, suddenly fed up with everyone always blaming me for everything. How the fuck could I’ve known why the stupid bitch uploaded the video? Probably to feel superior, when in all honesty Riley sounded amazing. I don’t fucking know why Jen dropped her since all I do is fuck her and occasionally take her drinking. I don’t analyze the shit that Jen does. As if I didn’t have enough with Michelle trying to take everything from me via divorce. I sighed, before I spoke in a calmer manner. „I don’t know, Jude... I don’t know why Jen decided to record with a different producer, I don’t know why your daughter decided to sit behind that fucking Steinway and sing and I clearly don’t know why I care so much for her after all these years.”

I could feel Jude’s eyes burning a hole in me. I turned against the car, bracing my elbows on the roof of the BMW as my hands anxiously rubbed over my face.

„I’m a fucking mess, Jude... I mean... Just fucking look at me,” My forearm rested on the roof as my other arm boosted up my head and my hand ran through my hair just moments later. I looked back at her, „The only girl I’ve ever loved I fucked over with my soon to be ex wife who’s trying to rob me of my last dime and you’re giving me a lecture about patience.” I took a breath as I turned away to look over Matt’s house. „I’ve been waiting for ten fucking years to see her face, so all do respect, Jude, but don’t you start lecturing me about fucking patience.”

A long pause grew between us, which was the main reason behind me turning my head to look over Jude. She was smirking. „I knew it, man... There’s still hope.”

Riley’s POV

I didn’t dare to raise my head from the pillow as I replayed the video Jennifer had uploaded to her youtube channel. I couldn’t imagine what did she wish to accomplish by doing so... Show everyone how off key can I sing the whole song or how excessively drunk can I get? ‘Cause everyone already knew that.

„Ughh...” I grunted, letting my arm drop over the side of the bed with my phone still in my hand. I could faintly remember the amounts of liquor passed around yesterday. What I did and where I’d been was in a complete blur and I wouldn’t have even remembered puking in Brian’s car if my mum hadn’t announced it with a bloody grin on her face when she brought me some advil and lemon water.

Why was I in Brian’s car to begin with? I sighed as I rolled to my side, fighting off a wave of nausea. It felt like I had somehow landed in an episode of Game of Thrones where everyone was out to get me. A complete nightmare.

I shot a look at the closed curtains and even through the dark fabric I could see the sun setting. It was a late evening and after good six hours of absolute agony I was finally starting to come alive. I still felt like absolute shit, but at this point I could sit up straight and I wanted to kill myself only in three different ways by doing so.

I heard the muffled noise of the tv downstairs and the cat meowing at someone. Or something. I didn’t know. He was a crazy bastard. The darn animal could sit for and hour straight and meow at a spot on the wall. I still strongly believed mum had dropped it on his head five times out of four.

My eyes slid down my bare legs and the black lace underwear I had been sleeping in. Who the fuck undressed me, because, if you just switched on this lousy sitcom, I’ve been drunk out of my head last night and Brian had to carry me to bed. Oh so maybe... I shook the thought away as I covered myself in the duvet and slowly headed for the door.

I passed the cat who was sitting by a broken picture frame. Like hell I’m going to deal with it... I walked down stairs and the first thing that came to my view was Brian’s messy nape. He was lounging on the couch, surfing through the channels wearing a wife beater and some shorts.

I swayed myself over to the couch, the duvet nearly making me trip more times than I’d liked to admit, before I finally crashed on top of him. Hitting what seemed to be the last breath out of him.

„Jesus,” He gasped, trying to push me off him, but to no avail. I remained there... oh so gracefully laying on top of him like a fucking sea star. „I see you being too much alive...” Somehow he sat up in a way where only my head was left laying in his lap. I covered my half naked body with the duvet.

„I’d kill for some cheese nachos right fucking meow...” I spoke, my voice still hoarse. And probably a smoke. „Hey, can I bum a fag?”

His eyes shifted from the tv screen and down to me. „Can you be any more british?” He pushed himself up, my head still in his lap as he pulled a pack of Marlboro Red from the pocket of his shorts. „Here.” He threw the package on top of my little duvet cocoon.

„Muchas gracias, senior.” I thanked him as I tried to stand up, but instead I tangled in the duvet and fell to the ground, exploding in a very tasty laughter. Oh so this is gonna be that type of hangover. Good to know.

I could imagine him shaking his head in disapproval not even having to look at him. „You look like a fucking seal...”

„Did you just call me fat?” I arched my eyebrow right after I had wiggled myself out of the big duvet and was standing on my knees, looking for his smokes. The pack was just here... It was right there! The silence on his part made me tear away from the little scavenger hunt and look at him. His eyes seemed to be glued to my boobs.

„N-no...” I frowned as his eyes hesitantly shifted to the tv screen. Yes, I know, I have beautiful boobs, but what I didn’t know – why the hell was he acting like this? Like he hadn’t seen me in my underwear before.

I stood up and picked up the duvet, throwing it on the couch and finally, fucking finally finding the pack of cigarettes. „You coming?” I stopped midst my walk towards the door to the backyard, throwing him a glance over my shoulder.

With a heavy sigh he pushed himself up from the couch. „Yeah...”

„Oh and... I’m kinda sorry about your car,” I apologized as I opened the glass door and stepped out in the afternoon heat whilst fishing out the black lighter and a cigarette from the pack. Even the tiles beneath my feet had heated up during the day.

„Are you? Really?” He cocked an amused eyebrow as we both sat down by the glass garden table.

„You’re right.” I agreed, lighting up the cigarette and passing the lighter to him along the pack, „I’m not.” I said as I quickly exhaled the smoke, starting to think maybe going for a smoke on an empty stomach and freshly out of a hangover wasn’t the brightest idea.

„So you and Brooks, huh...” He mused as he took a drag.

„What are you talking about?” I retorted, turning my head to look over his sun-kissed face. He was looking out in the distance, his jawline tight. „Brooks is a great guy, but he’s just too... sane for me.”

His head jerked to the side as his eyes fixed on me. „So you...”

„Oh you’re asking if we made Rosemary’s baby?” I chuckled, moving the cigarette to my lips. „Even if we did do the dirty, which we didn’t, it would be none of your concern mister Gates.” I blew out a thin cloud of smoke, before continuing, „You have your Jennifer and I have my private life. It’s called ‘private’ for a reason you know...”

„I just—„

„Listen, I have these words floating inside my head and if I don’t let them out I’m gonna go crazy,” I cut him off, changing the subject completely. I didn’t wish to indulge in what and who we both did.

„Shads used to tell me that’s how the best songs are born,” Brian spoke thoughtfully, taking the last drags of his cigarette in between the words. „So... Lay it on me.”

„Maybe you have a phone on you? You know, write it down, maybe it turns to be something decent,” I suggested. Brian held up his index finger, gambling for a moment, before he pulled his iPhone from the back pocket of his shorts as he dropped the cigarette butt in the ashtray. „Ready?”

„Whenever you are...” He motioned for me to start.

I took a deep breath, trying to think back to everything that led me to the point where I was. „You don't know about this life I've lived, all these roads I've walked, all these tears I've bled...” I paused for a moment to give him some time to type it down, „So how can this be? You're praying to me... There’s a look in your eyes and I know just what it means...” And just like that his typing came to an abrupt halt as his head raised hesitantly, a frown on his face as his eyes connected with mine questioningly.

I smirked as I took the last drag of the cigarette, before putting it out against the side of the ashtray. I knew exactly what he was thinking. And maybe... just maybe he was right and it was about him.

Unfortunately the moment was ruined when his phone started ringing.

I can be your everything.

I slowly stood up from the chair, seeing how his eyes fixed on the screen of the phone. On the single word blinking right back at him. Jennifer.

„Yeah...” He sighed into the phone right after he had pushed it to his ear. I watched him take another cigarette and raise it to his lips. „You wanna go out tonight?”

I walked around him, stopping behind the chair he was sitting in and resting my hands on his shoulders. He tensed up instantly, bringing a naughty grin on my lips.

„I’m... I’m kinda busy tonight, Jen...” He said as my hands slowly slid from his shoulders down his chest and moved back up, my nails leaving invisible trails on his skin under the black shirt. A moan left his insides as he tilted his head back, resting it against my bare stomach. „Yea-no. Not tonight...” the words were barely louder than a whisper. He ended the conversation, closing his eyes and inhaling the nicotine filled smoke right after he had thrown the phone over the glass table.

The anticipation was slowly building in the pit of my stomach. I had no idea what I was doing, what I knew- I was really fucking horny when I was hungover... To a point where I couldn’t control what I was doing.

His free hand rested on top of mine, drawing circles with his thumb on the surface of my palm. A single second later, he held my hand and guided me around the chair, straightening himself in the chair, before leaning over and leaving the half smoked cigarette in the ashtray. His hands rested on my hips, before he got up from the chair and with a single movement – placed me on the table.

Brian’s eyes were glazed with desire... lust... His fingers took my chin, holding our faces just inches apart. His signature smirk pulled at the corner of his lips.

„BRIAN?! Get off that fucking whore!”

Notes

I can't thank you all enough for all the feedback and simply for the love!
I'm running out of time for today, so I won't be able to answer each and one of your comments, but truly warms my heart when you say you like my style of writing or the sarcastic expressions I come up. I really truly appreciate it. THANK YOU.


here you have the cocky smirk we all know and love.