Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
**The following is a work of fiction. No offense intended to anyone, it’s all meant in good fun. Strong language, semi-adult themes
Chapter Thirty-two
“Larry if you’re going to be like this for the whole time I think I may have to smack you upside that pretty head of yours.” Alyx grumbled when Larry told her, for the fifth time, that maybe she ought to sit down and rest. He scowled at her harsh words.
“I was just trying to help.” He mumbled, and Alyx felt her heart ache for him. Damned hormones were already trying to get the best of her, she thought. Even so, she leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek, nuzzling his ear with her nose, her breath tickling his skin.
“I know.” She told him softly, his scent in her nose igniting a desire to be closer to him. She sighed as she breathed him in, freshly showered and shaved; it was the best scent in her world. One hand rested against his chest, against his heartbeat. Her other hand slid up the back of his shirt along the smooth skin of his spine and made him jump in surprise. She nipped at his earlobe with her lips and the taste of his skin made her want more.
“What’re you…?” Larry started to ask, obviously shocked by her behavior. Neither of them were given to displays of affection in public. What they had between them was theirs and they weren’t about to share it with anyone. Or, at least, that had been the truth until that moment. Larry heard Bono snicker and turned to scowl at him, but his friend had already turned his back and started paying attention to the guitar in his hands instead.
“Alyx, luv, let’s not…” Larry said, taking her by the shoulders, ready to firmly but gently put some space between them. Alyx had other intentions. When he turned to address her, she caught his mouth with her own and kissed him deeply enough to take his breath away. She moaned a little as she broke the kiss, and then kissed him briefly again, tasting his lips without submerging herself in his mouth.
She could feel the way his heart was racing, the palm of her hand still pressed against his chest. She pulled back far enough to peer up at him from beneath half lowered eyelids. She felt a swell of love for him fill her chest until it ached, her eyes threatening to spill tears of joy.
“I’m sorry.” She told him, laughing at herself. She rested her head against his shoulder and drew in a deep breath to steady herself before letting him go.
“Alyx, are you alright?” He asked, genuinely concerned about her strange behavior. She laughed again, this time she laughed so hard that her whole body shook.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry. I’m fine, I’m just… pregnant.” She said, her mood finally seeming to stabilize as she stepped back. “I think it’s got me all fucked up in the hormone department.” She explained, running a hand through her shaggy blonde hair. Larry eyed her nervously. Was she going to be like this for several months? He cringed inwardly at the thought of trying to keep up with her moods for that long.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked, and she seemed to sense his fear. She smiled at him, rolling her eyes.
“I’m fine. I’ll get a handle on this. It’s just new.” She promised. Larry smiled shyly at her, and wondered if he would ever be able to look at her without the blood rushing to his skin and his heart racing. The thought that she was in love with him and carrying his child inside of her was almost overwhelming. It also reminded him of the things they’d done together which led to this child being created, and the fact that others would know that made him feel both a bit shy and at the same time proud. This was his lover, his love.
“Think Adam has let the cat out of the bag yet?” Larry asked, looking across the room at the others as they helped the roadies set up the stage with their instruments.
“I don’t think so, no.” Alyx replied, glancing over her shoulder at them. “I don’t believe Bono would’ve been able to contain himself this long if he knew.” Larry laughed out loud at her theory, and he had to agree. Bono was one of the most open, expressive people he’d ever known. These were the things he both loved and hated the most about him.
“Shall we?” Alyx asked, holding out her hand and nodding toward the stage.
“I don’t suppose it’s something we can keep a secret too much longer.” Larry replied with a crooked smile. “Bono tends to be a bit oblivious but I think even he would notice when you get to the eighth or ninth month.” Larry took her hand and she was happy to let him lead the way to the stage. They were his friends and co-workers first, after all.
She had already decided she’d simply opt out of informing her own family, but she hadn’t told Larry that yet. It was her decision, and she was going to stand by it no matter what he thought of it. If Larry’s family was the only family the baby ever knew, that would be alright with Alyx.
“Hey, can you guys come over here for a minute?” Larry asked the others as he and Alyx reached the stage. “Paul, can you come here as well?” He called, spotting their manager and friend as he came aboard the riverboat. “Where’s Natalie?” Larry asked, looking around for their usually accessible tour manager.
“She’s uh… she’s not feeling too well.” Bono said, sitting down on the edge of the stage beside Edge. He swung his legs like a hyperactive child who could not stand to be still.
“It’s not serious, I hope?” Paul asked, having heard the conversation as he approached. He leaned one hip against the stage next to Bono, who shook his head dismissively.
“Larry?” Edge prodded the drummer to speak up after a moment passed in silence.
“Right. Well, there is something I need to tell you, and I guess I’m going to have to ask you to work around me a bit.” He started, running a hand through his hair and leaning against the stage on the other side of Edge, facing them all. Adam stood behind them, smiling knowingly at Alyx. “First I want to say that I don’t want this to be a public thing. It’s nobodies business, and has nothing to do with the band as far as anyone on the outside should care…”
“What’re you saying, mate?” Edge asked with a frown of concern. This sounded serious.
“I just need to know that what I’m about to tell you stays private. No talking about it in interviews or that sort o’ thing.” He saw them nod in understanding and focused on Bono. “I mean it. No one needs to know about it but you guys and my family.”
“What are you looking at me like that for?” Bono asked, more offended than he usually would have been, given the fight he’d had with Natalie over the same subject just the night before.
“Are you pregnant?” Paul asked, looking over Larry’s shoulder at Alyx, whose face turned beet red instantly. She gave a small nod and both she and Larry found themselves swept up in cheerful embraces from the others. Adam stood back and waited until last, but did step down from the stage to give Alyx a hug as well. Larry smiled like a little boy who’d just gotten everything he wanted for Christmas.
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Bono was happy for his friend. Really. The timing of his announcement was just like salt in an open emotional wound. He had somehow convinced himself he was close to having those things, things he wanted just as badly as Larry did. Marriage, children; Family. He had really believed that Natalie would come around and that they would be together forever. He wanted her to be the mother of his children, the person who ran the house he called home and the woman in his bed at night. He had thought she wanted that, too.
He was grateful that Larry mistook his teary eyes as a sign of emotion for his situation, and so didn’t ask a lot of questions when Bono got choked up on his words. He excused himself as Larry and Paul discussed the ways his new life direction would affect the business of the band. He stepped out onto the deck and rested his head on the rail.
“You alright?” He heard Edge’s soft voice ask. He managed a small nod, but knew his voice would give it away if he tried to speak. “How angry was she, about last night?” Edge asked, coming to stand beside Bono at the rail, his eyes cast down at the water of the Mississippi. Bono sniffed a bit, fighting his emotions back down to a manageable level before he replied.
“She said she can’t trust me.” He told his friend. His jaw thrust out in a pose of anger and irritation. Edge knew it was more of a defensive posture, to keep the hurt at bay. Anger was easier to feel than sorrow. “She, uh…” He chuckled bitterly here, and Edge saw him wipe a tear away quickly with the sleeve of his shirt. “She says it’s over. She can’t see me anymore, it’s too hard.”
“Do you think it might help if I talked to her?” Edge asked, sighing at the bitterness in Bono’s voice. It was the tone of voice he usually used when he talked about his father.
“Too fucking hard. For her! She was the one calling all the fucking shots, but it was too hard for her.” Bono started to rant, shaking his head in disgust.
“I’m sorry, Bono… I don’t know what to say…” Edge told him with a sigh.
“I’ve kept this secret from almost everyone despite the fact that it was killing me inside, and Natalie loses it because I told you. She told me she fucking loved me, when we were alone, but I was nothing more than some silly little boy to her when anyone else was around.” Bono ranted, grabbing his hair with both hands as if he would start pulling it out by the roots.
The sound of someone inside calling orders out to the roadies on stage made them both turn to look instinctively. Neither of them expected to see Larry standing in the doorway looking as shocked as if he’d just stumbled into a secret meeting of leprechauns and unicorns. They didn’t have to ask how much he’d heard. He’d obviously heard at least the one word Bono wished he hadn’t even spoken. Natalie.
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“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Natalie heard Edge’s soft voice ask. She’d been avoiding him as much as she could all day, and had thought herself safe this close to show time.
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She told him coolly.
“Natalie, I have always respected you.” Edge told her, cornering her so she could no longer avoid this conversation. “But I’m having a hard time doing that right now. Bono seems to genuinely love you, and from what I can tell, all you’ve done is use that fact when it’s convenient and hidden it when it wasn’t.”
“That’s not fair. You don’t know the whole story, and frankly it’s none of your business.” Natalie told him through clenched teeth.
“That’s not true. Bono is my business. He’s my best friend and one quarter of my band. When he’s hurt, I’m hurt. Adam and Larry feel it, too.”
“He’ll be fine, just wait until he gets out on stage and has a couple hundred women throwing themselves at him. He’ll forget about me in a matter of minutes.” Natalie sighed. Edge frowned at her, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied her expression.
“You don’t really believe that shite, do you?” He asked, and Natalie rolled her eyes.
“Come on, I’m not stupid or naive. I’ve been around in this business enough to know what it means to be the lead singer’s girlfriend. It’s a temp job, not a full time position.”
“You don’t know him at all if you think that.” Edge shook his head in disgust and turned away. “But at least you and I agree on one thing.” He told her, turning to look back over his shoulder. “He’s better off without you.”
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“What’s wrong?” A’marie asked as Edge returned to sit beside her backstage. “You’re really upset about something tonight.” Edge sighed and looked at her for a long moment in silence.
“How is it that you know me so well already?” He asked, his exotic eyes smiling at her with a happiness born of newfound love. She smiled back at him, her heart doing somersaults in her chest. “I don’t know. It’s just… I love what I do. I love making music; I love performing on stage, I love the music itself, the people the travel… but it’s hard. The lifestyle isn’t exactly conducive to being a Christian for one thing.”
“Why not?” A’Marie asked. “What are you doing that is so unchristian? I don’t see it. I haven’t heard it in your stories or your music. Being Christian doesn’t mean you have to be boring.” She chuckled, reaching out to brush a lock of his hair out of his eyes. “Besides. If God didn’t approve of the way you live, why would he reward you as he has?”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re young men and look at how far you’ve come already! And you haven’t given up your beliefs to get here. You wear them like a sign for everyone to see! I can’t think of what more God would want of you.” She assured him, and as she watched his face, she could see him considering her words. He mulled them over, turned them inside out and could not find enough flaw in them to argue with her.
“I don’t know where you got that sort of wisdom at your age, but I’m glad for it.” He told her finally and she smiled broadly at him, proud to receive his praise.
“It’s a gift.” She joked, reveling in his laughter. Had she really only known him for three days? How was she supposed to live without him now that she knew him? She forced the thought out of her mind. Not tonight. Tonight she still had his company, and she wasn’t going to waste it by worrying about the future.
Paul and Natalie escorted her out into the audience a few minutes before show time, and she got the distinct feeling that Natalie was not happy to see her. Thankfully, Natalie, Paul and everyone else around her vanished from her mind as soon as the band took the stage. She’d listened to their albums earlier in the day, not wanting to be totally unfamiliar with their music, and found herself excited when she recognized a song as it began.
Edge was larger than life, it seemed to her. He was capable of drawing such emotion out of his guitar when he played, and the intensity on his face as he watched his hands on the strings was hypnotizing. What she loved most, though, was when he looked up into the crowd and smiled. He pranced around on stage with a swagger she hadn’t imagined he was capable of, his hips moving with the beat of the song.
Her pulse was racing and she was jumping, screaming and dancing along with the others in the audience as if she’d been a fan since the beginning. Bono was every bit as entertaining as Edge had painted him as in his stories, and Adam and Larry performed exactly the way she’d imagined. But Edge became a new man on stage, and if she hadn’t already been attracted to him she would have by the end of the concert. As it was, she was so infatuated with him she thought she might die if he didn’t kiss her that night. The desire to know what it was like to be that close to him was so strong it made her chest ache.
They said goodnight for the second time at the end of ‘The Ocean’, the river boat had just settled back in at the dock. It was bittersweet for her, the end of the concert. As much as she’d enjoyed it, and didn’t want the evening to end, it also meant she would have the chance to be with him again soon.
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“So, what did you think?” He asked once they were in the back seat of the cab, taking her home.
“You guys have something special.” She told him with a smile. “I’ve never heard or seen anything quite like it.”
“Is that good or bad?” Edge laughed, and A’Marie playfully hit him on the shoulder.
“It’s good.” She assured him with a sigh, both of them falling into silence as they studied each others face in the shadows cast by streetlights as they passed. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the world around them lost importance as they memorized the moment and made a mental picture of the other to hold on to after they said goodbye.
She shivered when he raised his hand to touch her cheek and then chuckled shyly at her reaction. He smiled at her, his thumb stroking her cheek tenderly.
“I’m going to miss you.” He told her, and she felt tears sting her eyes.
“I know, so am I.” she whispered, raising her hand to cover his and turning to kiss the palm of his hand.
“Thank you. For … everything. I’ve had the best two days of my life here, with you.” He told her as the cab slowed to a stop in front of her house. He asked the cabbie to wait for him and climbed out, holding out his hand to help her out as well. He’d hardly been able to wait through that ride, but he didn’t want to kiss her for the first time in the backseat of a cab.
They stood beneath an old fashioned gas lamp, shadows dancing madly around them at the late hour. The wind had picked up and was catching in their clothes and hair in it’s hurry to wherever it was going.
“I’ll call you, and write.” He told her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, holding him as if she might never let go. Edge wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her close, nudging her face with his own until she leaned back far enough for his lips to find hers.
She drew in a sharp breath at the surge of electricity that shot through them both when their mouths met, then moaned as she let herself sink into the sensation and be swept away by it. The brush of his stubbled skin against her smooth was tantalizing, and the heat and softness of his mouth as she opened her own to him were overwhelming.
His lips and tongue danced across her own, teasing, caressing, promising more… until finally, panting for breath they drew apart just far enough to breathe. His forehead rested against hers and they looked into each others eyes.
“I’ll talk to you soon.” He promised, and she nodded silently, biting her lower lip. She didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say. She knew what she felt. But she couldn’t say it, not yet. Not now. Not like this.
“Soon.” She finally managed to say. “I’m looking forward to it already.”
“Goodnight.” He told her, his hand rubbing the length of her spine in slow, wide strokes. He didn’t loosen his hold on her, though. She nudged his nose slightly with her own, coaxing him into another kiss. This one was softer, sweeter but no less passionate.
“Have a safe trip.” She told him as he stepped away and started backing toward the cab. He smiled at her and sent her heart into a tailspin. She watched from her doorway as the cab pulled away, then sat down right there and wept for lack of any other way to deal with the overwhelming and conflicting emotions inside of her.
Chapter Thirty-two
“Larry if you’re going to be like this for the whole time I think I may have to smack you upside that pretty head of yours.” Alyx grumbled when Larry told her, for the fifth time, that maybe she ought to sit down and rest. He scowled at her harsh words.
“I was just trying to help.” He mumbled, and Alyx felt her heart ache for him. Damned hormones were already trying to get the best of her, she thought. Even so, she leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek, nuzzling his ear with her nose, her breath tickling his skin.
“I know.” She told him softly, his scent in her nose igniting a desire to be closer to him. She sighed as she breathed him in, freshly showered and shaved; it was the best scent in her world. One hand rested against his chest, against his heartbeat. Her other hand slid up the back of his shirt along the smooth skin of his spine and made him jump in surprise. She nipped at his earlobe with her lips and the taste of his skin made her want more.
“What’re you…?” Larry started to ask, obviously shocked by her behavior. Neither of them were given to displays of affection in public. What they had between them was theirs and they weren’t about to share it with anyone. Or, at least, that had been the truth until that moment. Larry heard Bono snicker and turned to scowl at him, but his friend had already turned his back and started paying attention to the guitar in his hands instead.
“Alyx, luv, let’s not…” Larry said, taking her by the shoulders, ready to firmly but gently put some space between them. Alyx had other intentions. When he turned to address her, she caught his mouth with her own and kissed him deeply enough to take his breath away. She moaned a little as she broke the kiss, and then kissed him briefly again, tasting his lips without submerging herself in his mouth.
She could feel the way his heart was racing, the palm of her hand still pressed against his chest. She pulled back far enough to peer up at him from beneath half lowered eyelids. She felt a swell of love for him fill her chest until it ached, her eyes threatening to spill tears of joy.
“I’m sorry.” She told him, laughing at herself. She rested her head against his shoulder and drew in a deep breath to steady herself before letting him go.
“Alyx, are you alright?” He asked, genuinely concerned about her strange behavior. She laughed again, this time she laughed so hard that her whole body shook.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry. I’m fine, I’m just… pregnant.” She said, her mood finally seeming to stabilize as she stepped back. “I think it’s got me all fucked up in the hormone department.” She explained, running a hand through her shaggy blonde hair. Larry eyed her nervously. Was she going to be like this for several months? He cringed inwardly at the thought of trying to keep up with her moods for that long.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked, and she seemed to sense his fear. She smiled at him, rolling her eyes.
“I’m fine. I’ll get a handle on this. It’s just new.” She promised. Larry smiled shyly at her, and wondered if he would ever be able to look at her without the blood rushing to his skin and his heart racing. The thought that she was in love with him and carrying his child inside of her was almost overwhelming. It also reminded him of the things they’d done together which led to this child being created, and the fact that others would know that made him feel both a bit shy and at the same time proud. This was his lover, his love.
“Think Adam has let the cat out of the bag yet?” Larry asked, looking across the room at the others as they helped the roadies set up the stage with their instruments.
“I don’t think so, no.” Alyx replied, glancing over her shoulder at them. “I don’t believe Bono would’ve been able to contain himself this long if he knew.” Larry laughed out loud at her theory, and he had to agree. Bono was one of the most open, expressive people he’d ever known. These were the things he both loved and hated the most about him.
“Shall we?” Alyx asked, holding out her hand and nodding toward the stage.
“I don’t suppose it’s something we can keep a secret too much longer.” Larry replied with a crooked smile. “Bono tends to be a bit oblivious but I think even he would notice when you get to the eighth or ninth month.” Larry took her hand and she was happy to let him lead the way to the stage. They were his friends and co-workers first, after all.
She had already decided she’d simply opt out of informing her own family, but she hadn’t told Larry that yet. It was her decision, and she was going to stand by it no matter what he thought of it. If Larry’s family was the only family the baby ever knew, that would be alright with Alyx.
“Hey, can you guys come over here for a minute?” Larry asked the others as he and Alyx reached the stage. “Paul, can you come here as well?” He called, spotting their manager and friend as he came aboard the riverboat. “Where’s Natalie?” Larry asked, looking around for their usually accessible tour manager.
“She’s uh… she’s not feeling too well.” Bono said, sitting down on the edge of the stage beside Edge. He swung his legs like a hyperactive child who could not stand to be still.
“It’s not serious, I hope?” Paul asked, having heard the conversation as he approached. He leaned one hip against the stage next to Bono, who shook his head dismissively.
“Larry?” Edge prodded the drummer to speak up after a moment passed in silence.
“Right. Well, there is something I need to tell you, and I guess I’m going to have to ask you to work around me a bit.” He started, running a hand through his hair and leaning against the stage on the other side of Edge, facing them all. Adam stood behind them, smiling knowingly at Alyx. “First I want to say that I don’t want this to be a public thing. It’s nobodies business, and has nothing to do with the band as far as anyone on the outside should care…”
“What’re you saying, mate?” Edge asked with a frown of concern. This sounded serious.
“I just need to know that what I’m about to tell you stays private. No talking about it in interviews or that sort o’ thing.” He saw them nod in understanding and focused on Bono. “I mean it. No one needs to know about it but you guys and my family.”
“What are you looking at me like that for?” Bono asked, more offended than he usually would have been, given the fight he’d had with Natalie over the same subject just the night before.
“Are you pregnant?” Paul asked, looking over Larry’s shoulder at Alyx, whose face turned beet red instantly. She gave a small nod and both she and Larry found themselves swept up in cheerful embraces from the others. Adam stood back and waited until last, but did step down from the stage to give Alyx a hug as well. Larry smiled like a little boy who’d just gotten everything he wanted for Christmas.
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Bono was happy for his friend. Really. The timing of his announcement was just like salt in an open emotional wound. He had somehow convinced himself he was close to having those things, things he wanted just as badly as Larry did. Marriage, children; Family. He had really believed that Natalie would come around and that they would be together forever. He wanted her to be the mother of his children, the person who ran the house he called home and the woman in his bed at night. He had thought she wanted that, too.
He was grateful that Larry mistook his teary eyes as a sign of emotion for his situation, and so didn’t ask a lot of questions when Bono got choked up on his words. He excused himself as Larry and Paul discussed the ways his new life direction would affect the business of the band. He stepped out onto the deck and rested his head on the rail.
“You alright?” He heard Edge’s soft voice ask. He managed a small nod, but knew his voice would give it away if he tried to speak. “How angry was she, about last night?” Edge asked, coming to stand beside Bono at the rail, his eyes cast down at the water of the Mississippi. Bono sniffed a bit, fighting his emotions back down to a manageable level before he replied.
“She said she can’t trust me.” He told his friend. His jaw thrust out in a pose of anger and irritation. Edge knew it was more of a defensive posture, to keep the hurt at bay. Anger was easier to feel than sorrow. “She, uh…” He chuckled bitterly here, and Edge saw him wipe a tear away quickly with the sleeve of his shirt. “She says it’s over. She can’t see me anymore, it’s too hard.”
“Do you think it might help if I talked to her?” Edge asked, sighing at the bitterness in Bono’s voice. It was the tone of voice he usually used when he talked about his father.
“Too fucking hard. For her! She was the one calling all the fucking shots, but it was too hard for her.” Bono started to rant, shaking his head in disgust.
“I’m sorry, Bono… I don’t know what to say…” Edge told him with a sigh.
“I’ve kept this secret from almost everyone despite the fact that it was killing me inside, and Natalie loses it because I told you. She told me she fucking loved me, when we were alone, but I was nothing more than some silly little boy to her when anyone else was around.” Bono ranted, grabbing his hair with both hands as if he would start pulling it out by the roots.
The sound of someone inside calling orders out to the roadies on stage made them both turn to look instinctively. Neither of them expected to see Larry standing in the doorway looking as shocked as if he’d just stumbled into a secret meeting of leprechauns and unicorns. They didn’t have to ask how much he’d heard. He’d obviously heard at least the one word Bono wished he hadn’t even spoken. Natalie.
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“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Natalie heard Edge’s soft voice ask. She’d been avoiding him as much as she could all day, and had thought herself safe this close to show time.
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She told him coolly.
“Natalie, I have always respected you.” Edge told her, cornering her so she could no longer avoid this conversation. “But I’m having a hard time doing that right now. Bono seems to genuinely love you, and from what I can tell, all you’ve done is use that fact when it’s convenient and hidden it when it wasn’t.”
“That’s not fair. You don’t know the whole story, and frankly it’s none of your business.” Natalie told him through clenched teeth.
“That’s not true. Bono is my business. He’s my best friend and one quarter of my band. When he’s hurt, I’m hurt. Adam and Larry feel it, too.”
“He’ll be fine, just wait until he gets out on stage and has a couple hundred women throwing themselves at him. He’ll forget about me in a matter of minutes.” Natalie sighed. Edge frowned at her, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied her expression.
“You don’t really believe that shite, do you?” He asked, and Natalie rolled her eyes.
“Come on, I’m not stupid or naive. I’ve been around in this business enough to know what it means to be the lead singer’s girlfriend. It’s a temp job, not a full time position.”
“You don’t know him at all if you think that.” Edge shook his head in disgust and turned away. “But at least you and I agree on one thing.” He told her, turning to look back over his shoulder. “He’s better off without you.”
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“What’s wrong?” A’marie asked as Edge returned to sit beside her backstage. “You’re really upset about something tonight.” Edge sighed and looked at her for a long moment in silence.
“How is it that you know me so well already?” He asked, his exotic eyes smiling at her with a happiness born of newfound love. She smiled back at him, her heart doing somersaults in her chest. “I don’t know. It’s just… I love what I do. I love making music; I love performing on stage, I love the music itself, the people the travel… but it’s hard. The lifestyle isn’t exactly conducive to being a Christian for one thing.”
“Why not?” A’Marie asked. “What are you doing that is so unchristian? I don’t see it. I haven’t heard it in your stories or your music. Being Christian doesn’t mean you have to be boring.” She chuckled, reaching out to brush a lock of his hair out of his eyes. “Besides. If God didn’t approve of the way you live, why would he reward you as he has?”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean, you’re young men and look at how far you’ve come already! And you haven’t given up your beliefs to get here. You wear them like a sign for everyone to see! I can’t think of what more God would want of you.” She assured him, and as she watched his face, she could see him considering her words. He mulled them over, turned them inside out and could not find enough flaw in them to argue with her.
“I don’t know where you got that sort of wisdom at your age, but I’m glad for it.” He told her finally and she smiled broadly at him, proud to receive his praise.
“It’s a gift.” She joked, reveling in his laughter. Had she really only known him for three days? How was she supposed to live without him now that she knew him? She forced the thought out of her mind. Not tonight. Tonight she still had his company, and she wasn’t going to waste it by worrying about the future.
Paul and Natalie escorted her out into the audience a few minutes before show time, and she got the distinct feeling that Natalie was not happy to see her. Thankfully, Natalie, Paul and everyone else around her vanished from her mind as soon as the band took the stage. She’d listened to their albums earlier in the day, not wanting to be totally unfamiliar with their music, and found herself excited when she recognized a song as it began.
Edge was larger than life, it seemed to her. He was capable of drawing such emotion out of his guitar when he played, and the intensity on his face as he watched his hands on the strings was hypnotizing. What she loved most, though, was when he looked up into the crowd and smiled. He pranced around on stage with a swagger she hadn’t imagined he was capable of, his hips moving with the beat of the song.
Her pulse was racing and she was jumping, screaming and dancing along with the others in the audience as if she’d been a fan since the beginning. Bono was every bit as entertaining as Edge had painted him as in his stories, and Adam and Larry performed exactly the way she’d imagined. But Edge became a new man on stage, and if she hadn’t already been attracted to him she would have by the end of the concert. As it was, she was so infatuated with him she thought she might die if he didn’t kiss her that night. The desire to know what it was like to be that close to him was so strong it made her chest ache.
They said goodnight for the second time at the end of ‘The Ocean’, the river boat had just settled back in at the dock. It was bittersweet for her, the end of the concert. As much as she’d enjoyed it, and didn’t want the evening to end, it also meant she would have the chance to be with him again soon.
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“So, what did you think?” He asked once they were in the back seat of the cab, taking her home.
“You guys have something special.” She told him with a smile. “I’ve never heard or seen anything quite like it.”
“Is that good or bad?” Edge laughed, and A’Marie playfully hit him on the shoulder.
“It’s good.” She assured him with a sigh, both of them falling into silence as they studied each others face in the shadows cast by streetlights as they passed. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the world around them lost importance as they memorized the moment and made a mental picture of the other to hold on to after they said goodbye.
She shivered when he raised his hand to touch her cheek and then chuckled shyly at her reaction. He smiled at her, his thumb stroking her cheek tenderly.
“I’m going to miss you.” He told her, and she felt tears sting her eyes.
“I know, so am I.” she whispered, raising her hand to cover his and turning to kiss the palm of his hand.
“Thank you. For … everything. I’ve had the best two days of my life here, with you.” He told her as the cab slowed to a stop in front of her house. He asked the cabbie to wait for him and climbed out, holding out his hand to help her out as well. He’d hardly been able to wait through that ride, but he didn’t want to kiss her for the first time in the backseat of a cab.
They stood beneath an old fashioned gas lamp, shadows dancing madly around them at the late hour. The wind had picked up and was catching in their clothes and hair in it’s hurry to wherever it was going.
“I’ll call you, and write.” He told her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, holding him as if she might never let go. Edge wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her close, nudging her face with his own until she leaned back far enough for his lips to find hers.
She drew in a sharp breath at the surge of electricity that shot through them both when their mouths met, then moaned as she let herself sink into the sensation and be swept away by it. The brush of his stubbled skin against her smooth was tantalizing, and the heat and softness of his mouth as she opened her own to him were overwhelming.
His lips and tongue danced across her own, teasing, caressing, promising more… until finally, panting for breath they drew apart just far enough to breathe. His forehead rested against hers and they looked into each others eyes.
“I’ll talk to you soon.” He promised, and she nodded silently, biting her lower lip. She didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say. She knew what she felt. But she couldn’t say it, not yet. Not now. Not like this.
“Soon.” She finally managed to say. “I’m looking forward to it already.”
“Goodnight.” He told her, his hand rubbing the length of her spine in slow, wide strokes. He didn’t loosen his hold on her, though. She nudged his nose slightly with her own, coaxing him into another kiss. This one was softer, sweeter but no less passionate.
“Have a safe trip.” She told him as he stepped away and started backing toward the cab. He smiled at her and sent her heart into a tailspin. She watched from her doorway as the cab pulled away, then sat down right there and wept for lack of any other way to deal with the overwhelming and conflicting emotions inside of her.
You are awesome!
rightclick and save to Carmel's baby U2 photos
his huge heart broken badly... 
