Even Lovers Drown

Saylor stared at the hand held out in front of her. She didn't reach out to grab it, didn't make any moves to initiate touch between herself and Blake. Anxiety coursed through her veins. Her gaze trailed up Blake's arm, landing on her face. The sunglasses blocked her eyes, but the smirk on her lips reminded Saylor of the woman she didn't want to think about. She crossed her arms under her chest, the only thing she could do to mask her discomfort.

Her face flashed through Saylor's mind. Full, lipstick-coated lips, corners pulled up in a smirk, blue eyes deeper than the ocean, and black hair that appeared almost blue in the light. The feminine hand that had been held out to her on their first meeting, manicured fingernails and delicate appendages, and the melodious voice that flowed from her lips. "I'm Katie." Saylor held in a shudder, willing the memory away from her mind.

Feeling the tension radiating from Saylor, Davy grabbed Blake's hand, intercepting the handshake that would never happen, and pulled her against his body.

"I missed my favorite lesbian hooker," he exclaimed, the statement immediately met with laughter from the group.

Pain erupted in Blake's head, Davy's explosive voice pounding into her ears, the sudden jerking movement causing her stomach to flip. The bone crushing grip sent an ache through her body.

"Let go of me," she groaned.

Davy looked down at her, goofy smile stretched across his face. "Should stop drinking, you alcoholic," he teased.

"Get off my case."

"You got laid, too, didn't you? How was she?"

"Davy," Blake whined, "Please."

Saylor watched her brother pretend to think over his options, quietly laughing along with the rest of the group at his antics. Thankful didn't even cover how much she appreciated his distraction tactic. Despite her attempts to act strong, she hadn't emotionally healed. She didn't need anyone to know about her past, didn't need them to treat her like she was infant. She was a grown woman and she could take care of herself. So she needed more time to heal, was that such a crime?

"Fine," Davy sighed, releasing Blake, "But I expect a better hug from you later."

Blake rubbed her aching shoulders, mumbling a "jerk," and returned to her spot amongst her band mates. The redhead, whose name she still didn't know, seemed to have relaxed. She didn't know what her problem was. All Blake had attempted to do was shake her hand, a small interaction compared to what she wanted to do to her. No matter. She would get her eventually.

"So who are these lovely ladies?" Blake asked, charming smile gracing her features.

Despite the pounding in her head, she could manage keep up a poised façade. No longer leaning against Reese for stability, she kept her back straight, chest out. She looked at the three new merch workers, eyes staying on the redhead a few seconds longer. Hidden by the sunglasses, the redhead couldn't see her eyes grazing over her. Her body looked even better up-close, jeans fitting to her hips and accentuating the long shapely legs, the oversized tee-shirt indenting to hint at the hourglass shape underneath.

Before Davy could speak, one of the girls cut in. "I'm Sarah and this is my best friend Jenny."

"We love your band," Jenny chirped.

Blake chuckled. "That's always nice to hear." She nodded in the redhead's direction. "And what's your name?"

Attempting physical contact in the form of a handshake hadn't worked. Maybe she could at least get the redhead's name before getting on the bus, a small step in getting as close to the woman as she wanted.

"This is my half-sister Saylor," Davy said, draping an arm around her shoulder.

Blake's eyebrows rose. This was Saylor, the sister Davy bragged about? She wasn't what Blake pictured when Davy talked about her. His tales lead her to expect a scrawny brunette who was so painfully shy that she wouldn't go to their shows. The redheaded beauty with startling green eyes that stood before her was nothing like the Saylor she imagined. This woman wasn't scrawny, didn't appear awkward standing there next to Davy. Blake had to admit she was pleasantly surprised.

"No way," Hayden said, "You don't look alike."

"They're half-siblings, idiot. They don't have to look alike," Hunter said.

Hayden sneered at Hunter, who responded with an identical sneer. Reese sighed, and Blake shook her head. Saylor noted that even Sage's intimidating demeanor broke enough to show her irritation. The woman had been staring at her and the other merch girls with cold appraisal, as if she were deciding whether or not they worth her time. The look was unnerving, far worse than the sympathetic ones she had gotten when she returned home a year ago.

"We don't have time for your bickering," Andy snapped, "Get on the bus so we can leave."

"Chill, Andy," Hayden said.

Andy took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. The action did nothing to ease the tension in his shoulders. Irritation remained in his eyes when he opened them. Davy placed a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder and squeezed gently, giving the manager a sympathetic smile.

"It's going to be alright," Davy said.

Smiling wearily back, Andy nodded. Not even a day into tour and he was ready to kill each of the band members. This had to be a record for him. His patience had snapped when he realized the band members "forgot" they needed to be at the lot that morning to leave and he would need to pick them up from their homes in order to get them there. They were like teenagers, not adults in their mid-twenties. At least they didn't need to be at the venue till the next day. The trip would take most of the night, but they would get there.

Andy glanced at his watch. "Get on the bus. We're already late."

"Sir, yes, sir," Hayden said, saluting him.

"Grow up, Hay," Hunter said.

"Now, now, children," Reese said, "There's no need for arguing." He smiled at the merch girls. "It was nice meeting you."

"You, too," Sarah and Jenny said in unison.

Sage said nothing but did offer the girls a very small smile. The gesture warmed her eyes considerably, and Saylor didn't feel quite so intimidated anymore.

The band headed towards the buses, Andy in the lead, but Blake stayed behind for a moment, eyes hooked on Saylor. Smirk playing on her lips, she said, "Bye Saylor." Not waiting for a response, she turned and followed her band mates to their bus.

She wasn't sure if Saylor's eyes followed her or not, didn't know if she was wasting energy walking properly and adding a little extra swing to her hips, but she kept it up anyway until she walked up the stairs of her bus. The door slid shut behind her, and her posture fell, her body complaining about the mistreatment and demanding she lay down.

She shuffled into the main area of the bus, where her band members were settling in, a scene that she had grown used to. Andy had already made himself comfortable at the dining booth, booting up the laptop in front of him. Hayden attempted the setup the gaming system, Reese by his side to fix his mistakes. Sage and Hunter lounged on the couch together, watching Reese and Hayden work on the gaming system.

Without looking in her direction, Sage said, "Hung over and you still try to flirt."

Hayden looked up from the multitude of wires in his hands, smile ridiculously broad. "Don't forget the part where she got denied a handshake. It has to be the first time in history that's happened."

"It's only a matter of time before she gives in," Blake stated, shrugging off the teasing comments and shuffling through the room.

Denied small physical contact or not, Blake would find a way to get the woman to agree to, at the very least, one moment together. Saylor, whose green eyes had burned into Blake's memory, would be a fun chase, something to make the time on tour a bit more entertaining.

"You can't get every girl, Blake," Reese said.

"Do you know who you're talking to? I can get any girl I want."

"Look," Reese's tone became serious, "I don't think you should mess with her. She is Davy's sister, and Davy is our friend. You don't want to get on his bad side."

Blake could hear the insinuation loud and clear in her throbbing mind. She wasn't planning on hurting Saylor. All she wanted was a little fun, the same thing she asked of every woman she had sex with. There would be no attachment, no feelings to hurt.

"If you do anything to offend Saylor or Davy, I will kill you, chop your body into pieces, sell your mutilated meat to the fast food industry, and allow them to feed you to their customers," Andy threatened.

No one so much as flinched at the statement. Andy, agitated as he was, would never go through with any murder plot, though he made threats often enough.

"I always knew you were secretly a psychopath," Hayden said.

The statement earned a few chuckles, keeping the mood from giving way to stern lecture. Sighing with relief, Blake continued her shuffle across the room to the bunk area. Her body was still begging for some relief. She might as well attempt to get some rest in the cramped bunk area, refresh herself in preparation for the next day.