He lookedrather rough, one might say. Dishevelled might be a properdescription and he smelled heavily of stale liquor and a bit like awet dog. His multi-layered, shoulder-length, inky black hair wasall over the place. His eyeliner was smeared in an unflatteringmanner.
Worrying herlip, Becky suddenly gasped as the memory of his heavy breath in herear, the undeniable weight of him bearing down on her.
Her suddenintake of air alerted everyone, including the strange Goth of herpresence. He immediately looked in her direction. His sorrowfulexpression turned rather wolfish and unnerving.
“So, it wasn’t a wet dream after all,” he said with muchamusement in his gravelly voice. “There was a girl in my bed lastnight, and a very lovely one, too.” He raked his eyes over her fromtop to bottom with a suggestive lick of his lips.
Becky reddenedat his open perusal of her. She frowned, worrying over whether heremembered what she was doing when he’d come into her room lastnight. Judging from the mischievous grin on his face, though, shecould tell he did and that wasn’t good at all.
“And if I’m not mistaken, I might’ve interrupted…”
“Shut the fuck up!” Kell growled, immediately going to Becky’sside. He frowned and gazed guardedly at her flustered face. He’dalready heard Keegan’s rather explicit retelling of how he’d foundher touching herself. The last thing he wanted was for her torealize that they all knew about it.
“Shit…” grumbled Dorian.
“This isn’t going to end well,” Crispin added with a witheringsigh.
Seeing herthere still in her little nightie, Kell made sure to insinuatehimself in front of her, effectively blocking her irresistiblecurves from Keegan’s view. He’d just gotten used to Dorian andCrispin’s blatant appreciation of her loveliness. He knew they wereharmless enough, but Keegan, well, he was altogether a differentsort.
“Becky, maybe you should go up and get dressed,” Kelleysuggested, looking her over before ushering her away from thekitchen.
“Oh… okay.” Becky shrugged, self-consciously smoothing herhands over her nightie. She hadn’t given it much thought. It wasn’tunusual for her to go down to breakfast in hersleepwear.
“Why should she have to?” Crispin asked, appearing in thedoorway behind them. “This is her home. She should feel perfectlycomfortable walking about as she always has.”
Straighteningup to his full height, Kell gazed back and forth between Becky andCrispin. For once, Crispin had a good point. She shouldn’t be madeto feel ashamed for simply being her silly sweet self. “He’s right,love. Stay as you are.” With that, he ushered her back into thekitchen. With a welcoming smile, Dorian pulled out a chair for her.“Coffee, Becky?”
“Mmmm… yes, please,” she said as Kelley stood behind herchair.
Chapter 28
“Becky, is it?”Keegan smirked at her again. “So, you’re the little interloperwho’s stolen my room.”
“Your room?” she repeated, looking around for reassurances. “Idon’t understand.”
Kell pulled upa chair next to her and rested a hand on her knee. “Keegan used tolive here.”
“Keegan Fiendly, at your service, young miss.” He quirked asuggestive eyebrow at her.
Suddenly, itall made sense. The things she’d found in the bottom drawer of thedresser in her room must have been his. Then she recalled the racymagazine and blushed.
“What’s going to happen now?” Becky asked, realizing thatobviously he would want his room back. The worry must have soundedin her voice because she felt Kelley’s hand tighten around herknee.
“I suppose you’ll have to find other accommodations, Becks,”Keegan said flippantly.
“No…” she gasped, looking pleadingly around the room, her eyesresting on Kelley’s pained expression. “But…” She couldn’t leavenow. They were family.
Visions ofhaving to go back to the dorm swirled through her mind. Just thethought of leaving the House of Goths to go back to that soullessdorm made her nauseous. The very idea caused her to shudder.“Please… I don’t want to go.”
“Becky’s not going anywhere,” Kell affirmed, gently squeezingher knee, wanting nothing more than to wipe the worry from herlovely green eyes.
“Damn right, she isn’t!” Crispin hissed.
“Really, Keegan? You’re dreaming if you think you’ll be movingback in here,” Dorian snickered while Crispin shook hishead.
“You took off without a word! With no thought to your portionof the rent or the fate of the band. You know I can’t sing and playlead at the same time,” Crispin challenged. “Suddenly, you show uphere, hoping to take up where you left off as if nothinghappened?”
“Oh, come on. I’ve already said I was sorry,” Keegan argued. “Iwas wrong. I shouldn’t have left in the first place. Think of theband. With me back in, we’ll be awesome again. You can concentrateon your singing.”
“He’s only back because he got dumped,” Dorianscoffed.
“I was an idiot, okay? Yes, I got dumped. When Brittany askedme to move in with her, I just couldn’t say no. You guys wouldnever have understood.”
“Damn right, look where that got you,” Crispin spat.
“The minute I moved into her place, she started on about mechanging my hair, my clothes…”
“Ah, yes, the classic story of Goth boy meets mundane girl,they fall in love, then suddenly Goth boy has to change because hedoesn’t quite fit into her world. Blah, blah, blah,” Crispin saidwith a shake of his head.
“Listen to you,” Keegan argued, pointing his finger accusinglyat Becky. “My bed isn’t even cold yet, and you’ve replaced me withyour own little mundane girl.”
Becky flinchedat his tone. How was any of this her fault? Instinctively sheleaned in closer to Kelley.
“Hey!” Kell shouted, glaring angrily at the dishevelled Goth.“You point your finger at her one more time and you’ll never playguitar again.”
Fairly warned,Keegan sat up with his hands up in surrender. “Point taken, no needto get violent.”
Taking a deepcalming breath, Kell spoke next. “You can move back in if youlike.” Audible gasps of disbelief sounded throughout the room. Kellheld his hand up to silence his disgruntled housemates. “But youcan’t have your room back.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Keegan balked. “Where am Isupposed to sleep?”
“Basement, garage, front porch, I don’t care. It’s yourchoice.”
As relieved asshe was to
