House of Goths

Chapter 15

"Not that I care, but what's with you pushing Becky onto Jax, all of a sudden?" Kell asked as they set up for band practice.

Crispin scoffed incredulously. "Because he likes her?"

"So what if he likes her?" Kell insisted. "What's in it for you?"

"Peace of mind," Crispin said with a shrug.

"That way he doesn't have to worry about Becky coming in between you and the band." Dorian chuckled. "Isn't that right, Crisp?"

"Really?" Kell asked with a scowl, wishing his nosy housemates would stay out of his business.

"Well, if you must know, yes," Crispin answered belligerently. "The last thing we need is another Yoko on our hands."

"What the hell are you getting at?" When no one answered, Kell couldn't help but frown at both his meddling housemates. "How much do we know about Jax anyway? Do you even trust him with Becky?"

Crispin shrugged, unbothered. "How bad can he be? We've known him for quite a while now. He comes around enough just to hang out. Besides, he likes her. Isn't that enough?"

The truth was, although he'd never admit it, Crispin had gone to great lengths to investigate Jax's past with the ladies. Amongst the lanky blonde's ex-girlfriends, he found nothing out of the ordinary. "I don't sense any malice in his personality. He likes a lot of the same music we do, and he's Goth. What more can she ask for?"

"I just don't think you should pressure her into it if she's not interested," Kell said, tuning his bass guitar.

"What makes you think she's not interested?" Crispin asked, gesturing towards the garage door.

Becky stood quietly by the door and waved her fingers at her three housemates. Not wanting to miss another chance at watching them play, Becky had snuck out of the house, eager to see the band.

"Becky..." Kell groaned, wondering how much she'd heard. "What are you doing in here?"

Becky's face fell as a result of his question and the harshness in his tone. Kicking himself, Kell quickly rephrased his words and softened his voice. "It's dark out. You shouldn't wander out here on your own."

"Come on, Kell." Dorian chuckled. "It's only a few feet from the garage to the house. How much trouble can she possibly get into?"

"Besides, I'm not alone," Becky said indignantly, looking over her shoulder as Jax stepped in behind her. How dare they talk to her like she was a child, especially in front of company! "Jax came by just now. He was looking for you. I thought it would be fun if we could watch you practice."

"Gentlemen." The smitten blonde nodded in greeting, looking quite chuffed with himself. Finally, he must be getting through to her. Surprisingly, Becky hadn't run off the moment he arrived at the house. He'd been trying to get her attention for quite some time. Ever since that first night he'd discovered her napping on Crispin's lap, he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. At first, he'd assumed that she and Crispin were a couple, but Crispin had only laughed when he'd inquired. When he had explained that Becky was simply his housemate, Jax's hopes soared.

She was the cutest little thing. She obviously wasn't Goth which is how he usually liked his women, but he could work with that. She seemed quite comfortable in their midst. At least, around her housemates.

So far the little waif had avoided him, though. Perhaps he'd scared her a bit. Understandable, since he was quite extreme in his Gothness. Most women liked the way he looked, but then they were usually Goth themselves.

Tonight, though, much to his delight, Becky hadn't shied away from him. In fact, she'd been quite welcoming, even offering to escort him to the garage. Even though he would have been more than happy to make his own way, since he'd always done so in the past. "Mind if we join you?" he asked, placing a possessive arm around Becky's suddenly tense shoulders.