Phoenix Rising: Issue #2 (Pretty Boy Rock) Read online

  Phoenix Rising: Issue #2 (Pretty Boy Rock Series)

  Copyright © 2020 S.R. Watson & Ryan Stacks

  www.watsonandstacks.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. The publication of these trademarks is not associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the authors at [email protected]

  Cover Model: Shawn Dawson

  Photographer: Allan Spiers

  Editor: Editing4Indies

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Phoenix Rising: Issue #2 Playlist

  Other Books by S.R. Watson & Ryan Stacks

  About S.R. Watson

  About Ryan Stacks

  Prologue

  Sevyn

  2 Months Ago

  The catastrophic scene that just unfolded before me has left me rocked. I didn’t wait for Phoenix to give me the green light before showing up here, and now I may have ruined everything. The hurt. The disgust. The eyes never lie. Harlow made it blatantly clear that she doesn’t want to have anything to do with either of us. I watch helplessly as my brother paces frantically, running his hands through his hair. With each distraught step, I witness his regression back to a place I know well. I’ve seen it, so I recognize it. He hits the wall near the kitchen before resting his head on his forearm. The wall is the only thing holding him up. “Fuck this shit,” he mumbles to himself a few times. The Phoenix I grew up with is back, and it fucking rips my heart open. He let someone in, and in its brevity, he was truly happy. Somehow, Harlow reached him—two broken pieces mended each other. Now she’s gone because she feels betrayed. The thing is, Phoenix was going to tell her. He just needed time. Our story is not a pleasant one. Yes, we are identical twins, but there is a reason we are carbon copies of one another. A fucked-up reason, but necessary all the same.

  I want to go to him, but I’m to blame for this. I needed to talk with him, and I wasn’t getting through to him on his phone. My haste has unraveled our plan. I can’t even concentrate on the reason I came here in the first place. It will have to wait.

  “I’m sorry, brother,” I say from the sofa. I know these words are futile, but I don’t know what else to say. “Tell me what I can do to fix this.”

  “Nothing, Sevyn. There is fucking nothing you can do. You’ve done enough, don’t you think?” Phoenix hits the wall again, and pieces of sheetrock crumble to the floor. “I’ve fucking lost her.”

  “Phoenix—” I start, but he holds up his hand to silence me.

  “Don’t! It’s done. This is the reason I don’t fucking let anyone get close to me. You give them the power to hurt you. I won’t make that mistake again.” He walks over to the window with his hands still in a fist and just stares out into the distance. “I didn’t deserve her anyway,” he adds faintly.

  I can’t stand here and watch him self-destruct—become a shell of his old self. Knowing I did this is more than I can stand right now. In one instant, I’ve managed to wreck two people with my carelessness. I have to get the hell out of here. I can’t be here for Phoenix because he will not let me—not this version of him.

  “I’m so sorry, Phoenix. Just know, you do deserve someone like Harlow. She needs someone like you.” I get up from the sofa and head toward the stairs leading to the first floor. “I’ll be in touch. I hope things work themselves out. Give it time and then tell her everything. I think she will understand.”

  Phoenix turns to face me now. “What did you come for? What did you have to tell me that was so important it couldn’t have fucking waited until I called you back?”

  “Nothing that can’t wait now. I should’ve just waited. I know I fucked up,” I retort.

  Phoenix closes the distance between us in a blur. He’s nearly nose to nose with me now. “Are you serious right now? You just turned my damn world upside down, and now you want to leave without giving me an explanation as to why? Think again, brother.” His nostrils flare, and I know he is restraining himself from pummeling the shit out of me.

  “It’s about our father,” I start.

  “Your father, but continue,” he corrects. He is wound tight. His body is stiff, and those fists are at his side, ready to engage.

  “He’s dying!” I blurt out. I watch as the wind is knocked from his sails with that piece of news. His face falls before he works to school his features.

  “Good. At least one good thing came out of this fucking disastrous day.” His shoulders drop, and his fists loosen. His words are at odds with how he looks. He looks lost, and I don’t know how to fix it. I know he doesn’t mean what he just said. He has every reason to hate our father, yet at this moment, I’m not so sure that he does, despite his vile words.

  He turns on his heels and heads upstairs to the third floor. Our conversation is over.

  I’ll go for now. He needs time to digest this news and work his shit out with Harlow. Our plan can wait. As I walk through the bushes to the motorcycle I have hidden, guilt gnaws at me. The thing is, I had an instant connection with Harlow. I look toward the docks, and I remember the first time I saw her there. Everyone was out enjoying the lake, and she just sat there in the fucking August heat in baggy-ass jeans and a black T-shirt. I shouldn’t have been attracted to her, but I was. Something about her intrigued me. Then she opened her mouth, and her sass pulled me in further. Phoenix had already warned me about their little spat, so I would be armed with the info I needed to double as him, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let her stay mad. I didn’t change out of my clothes either. I sat my ass on that hot fucking dock with her and was determined to see her smile.

  I knew she could never be mine, but each time I doubled as Phoenix in the house, my will was tested. Together, Phoenix and I had a plan, and she wasn’t a part of it. When Phoenix fell for her, I knew I needed to close the door on the possibility of Harlow and me. I know what my brother is feeling as far as Harlow is concerned because, sadly, I feel it too. I wanted to run after her just as much as he did. She managed to get through to both of us, and now she’s gone. Now I don’t have to pretend or keep my feelings to myself. I should be relieved, but instead, I hate that I squandered a chance at happiness for my brother. I really do hope they work it out, even at the expense of my own happiness.

  Chapter One

  Harlow

  I stare into the full-length mirror in the dorm room that I used to share with Irelyn. The spring semester here at the University of Alabama starts in a few days, yet all my cl
asses are online. I stare at the reflection of the dumbass looking back at me in the mirror, who might be about to make yet another mistake she’ll regret. I can’t believe I agreed to go on tour with Phoenix Rising. When I walked—no, when I stormed—away from the lake house two months ago, I swore I would never see Phoenix or his twin brother ever again. Phoenix nearly destroyed me. He let me fall for him while he and his twin brother substituted in and out of my life at their fucking convenience. Was any of it real? Hell, I don’t even know who my feelings were for.

  I desperately wanted to escape Alabama at that moment, but my life was here now. I had school obligations. Not to mention, I was in Irelyn’s car at the time. These things kept me from running, but it was Irelyn who helped me keep my sanity. She wouldn’t let me go back to being the insecure girl who hid behind dark makeup and baggy clothes. Every day was a struggle to just exist, but I took it one day at a time. Although I still hurt, the pain fades a little more with each passing day.

  “Are you having second thoughts?” Irelyn asks as she comes in and catches me staring blankly in the mirror.

  “Well, it’s not like I’m anxious to be around Phoenix again. That part sucks, but this is not for him. I can’t let him fuck up this opportunity for me.” Irelyn nods approvingly.

  “Smart girl,” she replies. I’m glad somebody thinks so.

  Asher invited me last month to join their tour for a month or so. He thought it would be a great experience to continue documenting their journey. This is a valuable opportunity for my aspirations as a music journalist. My peers would kill for the chance. Textbooks and the classroom can only teach so much. Because of this, I told him I would think it over. Asher never found out about my brief fling with Phoenix, if you can call it that. He would have kicked his ass, and the band’s dream of a record deal would have probably been over before it started. No, Phoenix came clean about who Sevyn was and left the explanation at that. He never told the guys that he and his brother exchanged places in the house. He simply told the guys he had a twin brother, but it couldn’t be made public for personal reasons. Nobody outside the band was allowed to know. The guys all respected his need for privacy, especially since it was Sevyn who connected them with Desiree. Of course, Asher wanted to keep me in the loop, so he told me after swearing me to secrecy. If he only knew how I really found out. I stayed quiet for the sake of keeping the band intact.

  Surprisingly, it was Irelyn who talked me into saying yes to joining Asher on tour. She pointed out that I didn’t have to stay the entire time. I only needed to stay long enough to get the gist of life behind the scenes. She pleaded with me not to let Phoenix ruin this for me.

  “I like this strong woman standing here next to me,” she continues. I snap out of my reverie. I don’t know how strong I am, but we’re about to see.

  “We’ll see,” I begin. “Besides, it will give me a chance to get to know Lily. She and Asher are getting kind of serious, I think. He didn’t tell me this, but he asked her to join him on the tour as well. That’s huge!”

  “Yeah, it is. It means no groupie pussy for him.” Irelyn snickers. I don’t want to even think about seeing Phoenix with all the groupies. I just have to keep telling myself that chapter of my life is closed.

  “Asher’s not like that anyway. He’s always been a one-woman kind of guy. At least from what I’ve seen.” I’ve never witnessed him having player tendencies, so that’s all that matters.

  “Wish more men were like him.” Irelyn huffs. “Most guys just want to see how many bitches they can bang.”

  “What about Mike?” We met James and Mike at the club while the guys were performing one night. She and Mike have been seeing each other for about three months, a change for Irelyn. She doesn’t usually keep the same guy around long. She gets bored with them quickly.

  “Oh, I’m sure he’s a dog like the rest of them. He just hasn’t shown his true colors yet. I have my eye on him, though. Any sign of bullshit and his ass will get benched.” She winks.

  “You can’t look for stuff, woman. Give the guy a chance.” Fancy me trying to give someone relationship advice. I couldn’t even sniff out if I was being played. Whatever, we can’t both be pessimistic.

  “Come on, girlie. We can’t just stand here talking about these guys. You have a bus to get on tomorrow, and we have some shopping to do before then.” She’s already grabbing her purse off the bed.

  “I do need to get a few things,” I agree.

  “Girl, you are going to be on tour with some hot-as-fuck men. I’m sure you’ll get to go to some awesome celebrity parties and meet some new prospects. We can’t have you looking plain Jane,” she says with a giggle. “Just so you know, every break I get, I’m joining you. I’m inviting myself.” We both laugh, but I know she isn’t kidding.

  “I like plain Jane,” I tease. “It’s better than being skanky. There will be enough of that, I’m sure.”

  “True. Okay, we’ll find you a happy medium. Now come on, woman,” she says, pushing me out the door.

  Phoenix

  I take in the sweetness of this bus, and I feel like I need to pinch myself. Desiree spared no expense because we’re hitting the road in style. It’s like we have a luxury hotel on wheels.

  “I take it you like?” Desiree appears behind me. I’ve been so busy checking out all the bus's cool features that I didn’t even hear her get on. The guys are outside, loading the last of their equipment and waiting for Harlow to arrive.

  “Hell yeah, I do!” I grin. “But can we afford all this? This fucker is huge.” I don’t even want to think about what this is hitting us for.

  “The tour is sold out. You guys touring with Wild Silence is the best move we could have made to get your name out there. Trust me, you guys can afford this, and if everything works out as planned, you all will be climbing the charts in no time.”

  Wild Silence is the rock band we will be opening for on the tour. They are killing the Billboard charts right now. Desiree is definitely impressing me. I have no doubt she will help get us to the top.

  “I’m looking forward to it.” She puts a hand on her hip, and my eyes follow. She always wears these sexy pantsuits that make it impossible for a man not to appreciate her curves. She clears her throat, and I know I’ve been busted.

  “Your first stop is in Los Angeles, so you guys will have a long drive ahead from Alabama. You’ll get there with enough time to rehearse before your first show, though. You’ll also meet Ivy and the guys at that time. I’m flying there, so I’ll see you guys in a few days.”

  “We’ll be ready. I’m glad there is an area set aside for us to rehearse. I swear everything we could possibly need has been thought of.”

  “Yeah, I might have added some specifications for them to include.” She smiles. “Just make sure you and the guys behave. Ivy is off-limits. Don’t fuck this up.” Before I can respond, she waves me off and heads off the bus.

  Ivy performs backup vocals for Wild Silence, and she is the fucking epitome of sexy. She has short red hair and green eyes that pierce through you. She has a tattoo sleeve on her right arm and perky little tits that make every dick within a mile radius stand at attention. Not to mention, her vocals are the shit. Desiree has every right to put that warning on the table, but I don’t really have any plans to smash that. That’s like shitting where you sleep. My three-fuck rule has been back in full force since my incident with Harlow.

  I broke her. Not intentionally, but it doesn’t matter. Shit was better when I stuck to my rules. Now that I’ll be on the road, one-night stands are all that I can offer. It’s better this way. No attachments or expectations. It’s been two months since I’ve seen or talked with Harlow. We never made contact after that day she walked in on Sevyn and me. I tried to call and apologize a few times before I finally gave up. She needed to move on—to heal. I was surprised when Asher proposed that she join us on the tour for a bit. He thought it would be a good experience for her music journalist major and a bonus for Lily s
ince he had already invited her. How in the hell could I object to that when the rest of the guys were okay with it? I would look like the biggest jerk! I finally came clean, letting them know I had been hiding the fact that I had a twin, and that was enough, so I just kept my opinions to myself.

  I’m going to be me. I’m going to fuck bitches, and I can’t be worried about Harlow’s feelings. The truth is, her leaving the way she did hurt me too. I fucking opened up to her—broke all my rules for her—and in the end, she didn’t give me the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t give me a chance to explain or fix it. It wasn’t easy to let her in, but I did. She made me feel again and then ripped my damn heart open. No woman will ever get that chance again. The past two months have been hell, so, no woman will ever get that chance again. I didn’t stop until I fucked her out of my system, and I have no intention of going back down that road, so I hope she has moved on as I have.

  The Honda Accord pulling into the driveway interrupts my thoughts. She’s here. She gets out of the car, and the feelings that rush through me are indescribable. I’m glad I’m alone on the bus so I can get a good look at her. Her waist-length hair is brown now—I’m guessing it’s her natural color. I prefer brunettes anyway. She is wearing fitted jeans that make her ass look even more perfect. It makes me think of the last time I was balls deep in her tight pussy while my hand gripped her delectable round ass. Fuck! I can’t let my thoughts go there. It was so easy to put her out of my mind when I didn’t have to see her. She’s no longer mine. I need to get a fucking grip. We need to hurry and get this bus moving. The sooner I can get my dick into some new pussy, the better.