Tragic Soul Page 6

  “We should go, too.” Chad winked at Natalie, which I tried to forget as soon as I saw it.

  That encouraged everyone to call it a night. I made sure to get a hug and kiss from all my bandmates. It was one of the best birthdays I could remember. Paulie hugged me from behind, and we waved goodbye to everyone from the hallway.

  “So.” Paulie walked back into the apartment, still holding me. He closed the door and continued to guide me to the bedroom. “Now that we’re alone, finally—” He stopped when we reached the bed.

  The back of my knees touched the mattress, and I looked back at him. “Yes?”

  “Time to test out that hardware inside you.” He gave me a wicked grin. “Can’t wait to feel you.” He growled then let me go. I stayed still as he unzipped my dress. When it fell to the floor, he skimmed his hands down my sides. “You looked so hot tonight.” He hummed. “So glad I bought this set for you. It makes me so hard.” He pressed his erection into my ass cheek. “So hard.”

  I didn’t know what he wanted me to do. Being naturally submissive in the bedroom, I waited for his direction. It didn’t take long.

  “Get on the bed.”

  I crawled up and lay on my back. He undressed while I stared, licking my lips. Each piece of his clothing was stripped off slowly, like a tease. My pussy moistened more with every passing second. I bit my lip when his boxers dropped. He stood at the edge of the bed, naked. His cock was stiff as a board.

  He got up onto the bed and stalked towards me on hands and knees. “You have on entirely too many clothes.” He knelt between my legs. “Sexy as hell isn’t even close to describing what you look like in that set.” He glanced down then met my gaze again. “It’s a sin to take it off, but it’s hard to make love to you with it on.”

  My breathing sped up with anticipation. When his hand traveled up my left thigh, I shivered. I stared as he moved up to the edge of my panties. Then he slid it over my hip unexpectedly. It was not what I wanted him to do. Rarely did I tell him what I wanted, though.

  “I see you’re wet and ready for me.”

  Our eyes met as he smirked. Then I gasped as his other hand cupped my mound, its heel pressing into my clit. He pushed harder, making me moan. The fingers of his other hand slipped under the strap of my underwear.

  “You want me?”

  I nodded, pleading with my eyes as my hips lifted.

  “Then say it. Tell me what you want.”

  Nervously, I replied, “Make love to me.”

  He grinned. “Oh, I will.” Quickly, he tugged my panties off and tossed them aside. “That’s what I want.” He gritted his teeth. Obviously, his slow seduction was getting to him, as well. “Enough of this.” Ever impatient, he pounced on me. “Gotta lose the bra, though.” He popped the clasp and set my breasts free. “Much better.”

  My eyes opened wide when I felt the head of his cock nudging my entrance. I was expecting a bit more foreplay, although I wasn’t going to get any wetter.

  He pushed the tip into me. “Fuck. So wet.” He buried his face in my hair and sighed as he slowly thrust in more. “God, feels good.” He grabbed my thigh. “Wrap around me, baby.”

  My body shuddered from feeling him bare. I lifted one leg at a time. Then I locked my ankles at his lower back. He gripped my shoulders and moaned. A longer stroke made my back arch. It felt so different. We hadn’t gone without a condom in six months. I had forgotten how amazing it was. His breath in my ear added to the pleasure of him sliding into me.

  “Need to take this slow,” he mumbled. “I feel like I’m gonna cum already.” He stilled his hips and held me close. “I love you, Crystal.”

  I fought lifting my hips to him. “I love you, too.” My nails dug into his arms. “So good.”

  Paulie breathed deeply, clinging to me. Only about half his length was inside me. “Was it like this last time?”

  “I think you were too excited. And then we got interrupted.”

  He groaned. “No talk about Chad.” He lifted his head and kissed my lips. “Just me and you.”

  My eyes closed when his next kiss was harder, more passionate. Then his tongue slid between my lips, and I let him in. We moaned as our tongues circled. My pussy clenched, holding his dick tightly.

  “Fuck. Don’t,” he muttered.

  I tried to stop the reaction, but my body was craving friction. “I can’t.” On the edge of my first orgasm, there was nothing I could do.

  “Fine.” His legs shifted slightly. Then he withdrew to the tip and slowly thrust back in, making progress. “Damn it.”

  I gripped him harder, panting. “Paulie… Paulie… Paulie!” I screamed, my head going back and my back arching. The relief was immense.

  His lips brushed my throat as he caressed my face. When my body relaxed, he whispered, “Did it hurt?”

  I blinked a few times before meeting his eyes. “Hurt?”

  “Yeah.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “The thing in you. Does it hurt when you cum?”

  I shook my head slightly. “No. The pain is gone.”

  “Could I hurt you when I push all the way in? Or if I fuck you hard?”

  Then I understood his hesitation before then. “My doctor said I shouldn’t feel it at all.”

  “OK, good.” He sighed with relief and collapsed over me. “I was so worried. The look on your face had a hint of pain.”

  I stuck my bottom lip out a bit. “I don’t know why. Except maybe ’cause it‘s been so long.”

  “True.” He took a deep breath. “Back to it, then.” After that, his rhythm was not as timid. He burrowed deeper with each pass. As soon as he had bottomed out, he asked, “OK?”

  “Yeah.”

  He ground into me, his hips going in deliberate circles. Each pass created more pleasure than I could imagine. An eyebrow rose as my mouth opened. The head of his cock rubbed my sweet spot within as he used his pubic bone to put even more pressure on my clit. Then I cried out again. His eyes rolled back, making me glad I gave him pleasure with my own.

  “Two.”

  I looked up at him. “You’re counting?”

  “Just making sure you’re taken care of before I blow.” He groaned loudly as he began to drive in and out again. “So close.”

  It took seconds for me to hit another peak. I clawed at his skin and shouted his name. Then he stopped and grunted.

  “Gonna cum.”

  He started to throb within me, triggering another climax. I gripped him inside and out, crying out several times. I could feel his release flowing into me. It was odd and comforting at the same time. I was not prepared for the emotional result, though.

  “God, feels so fuckin good.” He shuddered. “Always wanted to cum in you.” He sighed, telling me he finished. “I fucking love you.” He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine.

  I had no words. Tears streamed down my cheeks. My love for him had grown. The feelings flowing through me were unexplainable.

  “Don’t cry.” He kissed my tears away. “Please don’t cry.” He nuzzled my neck. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” I managed. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” He sighed again. “It was so much better than I expected. I can still feel you pulsing.” He didn’t pull out as usual. Instead, he carefully turned us to our sides. “I wanna fall asleep still inside you.”

  I closed my eyes and treasured feeling his skin against mine. His hand rubbed wide arcs over my back. It lulled me into oblivion, and sleep came over me quickly.

  Chapter 9

  “To Chad! May you have many more birthdays surrounded by women.” Daniel laughed, and then drank his shot.

  Chad sucked down the one that Daniel had bought him. I hoped they weren’t caught at it, since Chad had only turned 19 like me. We were playing at a bar in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, not far from home. It was a sort of a rough crowd, but they had been receptive to our first set.

  Our break was almost over. Chad accepted a beer from Andy and downed
half of it. I shook my head. At least Chad looked over 21. That was most likely why no one questioned him. Natalie put an arm around his back. He reacted by doing the same to her. She didn’t seem too pleased he was drinking, either.

  “Time to go,” Andy announced after a bit.

  Before we hit the makeshift stage, Paulie tugged me aside. “The look on your face tells me we’re in for an early night. You OK?”

  I nodded. “Just some cramps. I can handle it. The first day is never bad.”

  “So you’re only bleeding a little?” He swallowed, looking uncomfortable.

  Again, I nodded. “Yeah. Really, I’m fine.” My period had started almost an hour before we left for the gig.

  He pulled me into his arms. “Chad mentioned something about holding you when the cramps get real bad. Does that help?”

  “Yes. If I need you, I’ll let you know.” I smiled and kissed his lips. “It’s usually nothing. Stop worrying.”

  The stage, if you could call it that, was a section of floor cordoned off by blocks of wood. They were wide enough for Andy to stand on, so he used them as much as possible. I threw my bass strap over my head and closed my eyes.

  I had lied. The cramps were worse than I let on. Gritting my teeth, I resolved to ignore them and play my heart out. A hand on my back made me turn. Paulie had his guitar slung over his shoulder and a look of concern on his face.

  “I’m fine.” I forced a smile and checked around me.

  We started with “Scarred.” Then we played “Her Desire.” After that, we did cover songs from Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, Stone Sour, Seether, Three Days Grace and a few other popular bands. Some venues didn’t react to original material in a good way. They wanted to know the songs. We went with whatever the crowd wanted. They were singing along, which was always a good sign.

  By the time we had packed up, I was ready for bed, but the rest of the band had other plans. It was Chad’s birthday and a Friday night, so although it was two in the morning, I didn’t complain. When we arrived at Chad’s, a party was already in full swing. It seemed his roommates started celebrating his birthday without him.

  “Still fine?” Paulie asked when he led me with a hand on my back into the kitchen.

  I nodded. Then I grabbed a glass and filled it with water. He hovered over me as I drank it. I told him, “Go have fun. I’m good here.” I pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. “Have a beer if you want to, but please be careful. You’re driving.”

  “I will.” He kissed the top of my head. “If you wanna go home, say the word, and we’re outta here.” He planted another kiss on my forehead. “Seriously.”

  With another nod, I watched him leave the room. The kitchen was an open design. I could see the entire party, for the most part. Paulie walked over to Chad, who had another drink in his hand. They laughed together. I was glad they worked things out, and the tension had ended.

  An hour later, I still sat in the chair. Both Paulie and Chad had come to check on me several times. Two trips to the bathroom told me the bleeding had gotten worse. I didn’t want to spoil Chad’s night, so I stayed silent, suffering alone. When I laid my head on the table, I wished Chad could hold me like he often had before when I was in pain.

  “Time to go,” Paulie said as he entered the kitchen.

  I looked up, surprised. “Huh?”

  “You were sleeping,” he explained. “I called your name like five times.” He put out a hand and tugged me up.

  I groaned and clutched his arm when my knees buckled.

  “Got ya.” Paulie lifted me up. “I’m sorry we stayed so long.”

  I laid my head on his shoulder and held on to him. We moved towards the front door. I held in a groan of pain, grimacing.

  Chad was suddenly at our side. “What happened?”

  “She’s half asleep.” Paulie rubbed his nose against mine. “I’m gonna take her back to my place.”

  His voice filled with concern, Chad said, “Call me tomorrow, baby.” His fingers threaded through my hair. “Hope you feel better.” With his lips pressed to my temple, he whispered, “Love you.”

  “See ya tomorrow,” Paulie told Chad.

  I woke up as Paulie laid me on his bed. Shocked at my surroundings, I grabbed at his shirt.

  “Hey. Hey. Hey.” His hand cupped my face as my head hit a pillow. “It’s OK. We’re home.” He met my frantic gaze. “You fell asleep again in the car.”

  Sighing with relief, I nodded. “Oh.” I turned to my side, but Paulie sat next to me, his arm holding me to the bed gently. “I need to change.” I glanced at him, unsure if he wanted to know why. He still shied away from talk about my cycle unless it was necessary. “I, uh, need the bathroom.”

  “Oh, sorry.” He stood, getting out of my way. “Can I do anything?”

  I gathered a clean T-shirt and panties to sleep in and my purse. Then I closed myself into the bathroom. “Can you get me a glass of water, please?”

  “Sure thing.”

  When I was done, I came out and sat on the bed just as Paulie walked back into the room. “Lay with me?” I asked.

  He set a glass of water on the right nightstand and stood in front of me. “Anything.” He took my hands in his. “Whatever helps, I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks.”

  He said, “Just let me take a leak.”

  “OK.”

  I soon fell asleep wrapped in his arms and legs. Sometime later, I awoke to blinding pain. I screamed, clawing at Paulie’s shirt beneath my fingers. He was talking to me, but I couldn’t understand him. I felt the bed move, and his hands traveled my body somewhat.

  By the time I felt him get off the bed, tears were falling down my face, but I had stopped screaming. I couldn’t open my eyes. The cramps were overwhelming. I balled into a fetal position, moaning and whimpering. It didn’t help enough.

  “I know you had a long night, but what do I do?” Paulie had come back, and his body was against my back. I could hear someone else talking, as if on speakerphone.

  Chad’s voice startled me slightly. “Uh… Wait. What’s wrong?”

  “Her period. She’s crying in pain. Woke up screaming.”

  I heard Chad sigh. “Give her two of her pills.” The sound of his voice calmed me somewhat.

  “What pills?” Paulie sounded confused.

  Chad must have been moving on his bed or something. “Oh, shit. You’re at your place. I’ll go get ’em.” He paused. “Did she bleed through her clothes? That happens if it’s real bad.”

  The bed moved, and Paulie turned me away from him slightly. “Damn it, yeah.”

  “Help her wash off. Then put clean clothes on her. Try not to be squeamish. You’ll make her feel bad. She can’t help it. The doctors tried everything to help her. There’s just nothing out there that works yet.”

  Paulie kissed my temple. “Thanks, Chad. I’ll unlock the door. Just come in.” He brushed the hair from my face. “Let me get you in the shower.”

  Within a few minutes, I was hanging onto Paulie’s neck as he washed my body. I was in too much pain to be humiliated. At least the water hid my tears. He talked to me in a soothing voice, not showing an ounce of disgust. When done, he helped me into fresh clothes. He lifted me up and carried me to the bed.

  “Hey,” Chad said from close by. “I have them.”

  I groaned as Paulie laid me down again. Chad met my gaze and smiled. I tried to smile back, but I failed. He moved around the bed toward me.

  “Maybe the pills will help.” Chad pulled out a prescription bottle from his pocket.

  Paulie carefully climbed over me and lay on my other side. “Wish they could find something to make this better.”

  “Me too,” I mumbled.

  Chad helped me take two pills, and then knelt next to the bed. “Should I stay?”

  I nodded and whispered, “Please.”

  Paulie stiffened behind me. “Why?”

  “Please,” was all I could say. I reached out as the pain gr
ipped me again. My entire body shook while I whimpered. I was terrified it would never stop.

  “It’s never been this bad.” Chad lay down in front of me and loosely held me. He looked over my shoulder. “I don’t understand. Why is it this bad?”

  I could do nothing but cling to Chad as they talked.

  “Uh…” Paulie sighed. “She got an IUD put in. Could that be causing an issue?”

  Chad sighed and hugged me when I started crying again. “Yeah. They can cause things to get worse. She might haveta get it out.”

  “Anything to make it better.” Paulie pressed against me from behind. “I’m sorry, honey.” He kissed my temple.

  They both slowly rubbed my arm and back. When the pain medicine kicked in, I started to relax. I heard them talking in a hushed tone, but I drifted off again.

  “Shit!” Paulie cried out sometime later.

  My eyes shot open.

  Chad shifted, startling me. “What?”

  “She bled all over my shorts.” Paulie pulled back from me.

  My face heated up. I closed my eyes and start to cry. The hormone swings were not to blame this time.

  “Hey, it’s OK,” Paulie assured me. “Let me get you cleaned up again.” He tugged me back. “Think this will last longer than a day or two?”

  Chad shrugged. “I don’t know. This is new territory.”

  Chapter 10

  The next Thursday afternoon, Chad and I went to Barry’s, a local music store. Chad knew a few of the guys that worked there from school. It was odd to me that he had friends I didn’t know, but he hated it when they hit on me.

  “Hope Rosario’s not here,” Chad mumbled.

  I was looking at a Metallica guitar tab songbook for Master of Puppets. “Who’s Rosario?”

  “No. You’re not meeting him.” Chad slapped his thighs. “He’s basically a man-whore. No way is he gonna get his hands or eyes on you.”

  I knew not to argue, so I let it go and looked at a few more songbooks. Then I checked out a rack of used acoustic guitars. Barry’s had almost everything music-related you could think of and more.

  “Chad. What’s up?”

  I turned to the voice and smiled. The man who had appeared behind the counter was handsome, with long hair and a full beard.