Sarah and Kevin 44

June

The music festival was only a week away. Kevin opened his eyes. Sunlight was sneaking in around the drapes. He stretched and rolled over. He was alone. Sarah must be downstairs already.

He got up and straightened the bed covers. Then he went into the bathroom to take a shower.
When he came out of the bathroom, he found Sarah seated at her desk, writing.

"Good morning," she said over her shoulder.

"Good morning," he said and tucked the towel around his waist. He walked up behind her and kissed the top of her head. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. She was warm and smelled faintly of sweat. The scent of her turned him on. He kissed her neck and ran his tongue up and around the outside of her ear. She shivered. He grabbed the back of her chair and swiveled her around to face him. His desire was reflected in her eyes. There was something else there today, but he was too aroused to stop and ask her about it. He took her hand and tried to pull her out of the chair. She hesitated.

"I'm all sweaty," she said.

"Good. Come on," he said. She blinked at him a couple of times and then followed him. Outside the bedroom door, he stopped.

"Dress code" he said and pointed at her. He crossed his arms and watched her undress. She took her time removing each piece of clothing As soon as she was done, he dropped the towel from around his waist and pulled her into the bedroom.

***

He kissed her deeply and rolled off of her. She rolled away from him and lay on her stomach. She raised herself up on her elbows and sighed. Kevin frowned and rolled onto his side, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She bowed her head and didn't answer.

"C'mon, Sarah." He scooted closer to her and put his arm around her. She shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," she said quietly. "I'll tell you before the end of the day. I promise."

"Is there something I can do to make you feel better?" he asked.

She turned to him and tried to smile. "You already make me feel good every day. I'll be fine."

Kevin watched as she sat up. He smiled. Everything about her fit him perfectly. Her milky white skin was almost transparent. She was well rounded, maybe just this side of being too chunky.

But you could see that she had strong muscles underneath. Kevin moaned to himself as he thought about those strong muscles wrestling with him under the covers. Sarah stood up and walked around the bed. She put her glasses on and smiled at him.

"What?" she asked.

"You're perfect," he said.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"You're perfect for me."

She blushed and lowered her eyelashes. "Thank you." she said.

Kevin watched as she left the room. There was a little ache in his heart because she wouldn't tell him what was wrong. He heard the shower turn on. He got up, got dressed and went downstairs.

Sarah and Kevin 43

When it was over, he kissed her softly. She brushed his hair back over his shoulders.

"Did I tell you I love you today?" He asked.

"Only today?"

"Still today," he murmured. She smiled at him.

"I love you today and tomorrow," she said.

"Is this 'I love you' one-upmanship?" he asked smiling back at her.

"They really are looking for you downstairs," she said.

"Why? It's too early."

"I'll let them tell you."

He rolled off of her and sat up. After putting on his glasses he stood up and located his clothes. Sarah had rolled up on her side and was watching him pull them on.

"What are you going to do today?" He asked, not wanting to leave.

"I have work to do. I'll see you later. Just leave the door unlocked. She smiled at him again.
He went downstairs.

"Hey, Valentino," Peter greeted him as he walked into the kitchen. Kevin was having a hard time keeping his face arranged. He poured himself a cup of coffee, but the smile forced itself to the surface while he was putting sugar in it.

"Look at him," Peter said to Scott and Tom. "He's practically glowing." Peter batted his eyelashes. Scott and Tom both laughed.

"Shut up," Kevin said, still smiling. "So, what's up? " He took a sip of his coffee.

"Nothing as good as what happened to you last night." Peter teased. "Just a slot at the music festival."

"No way," Kevin nearly dropped his coffee cup.

"It's true." Scott said. "But it must pale compared to last night's experience." Tom just snickered.

Kevin walked over and sat at the table.

"That's so awesome," he said and took another sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, yeah. So are you gonna tell us how you ended up in her bed?" Peter asked.

"No," Kevin smiled into his coffee cup.

"You didn't use the L-word, did you?" Peter asked.

Kevin frowned. "I didn't use it," he said.

"You meant it?" Peter asked.

"Are you kidding? It's been all over both their faces since the day we moved in." Scott said. Peter looked Kevin in the eye for a moment. Kevin felt his cheeks heating up.

"Jeez, look at him blush like a girl!" Tom laughed.

"Shut up!" Kevin laughed. "Just tell me about the music festival."

Scott filled Kevin in on the festival and they ate the muffins that Sarah had made.

After they finished, Kevin put the coffee cups in the sink and went to his room. He sat at the desk with his acoustic guitar and worked on a song he had been playing with for a while.

"Hey," Peter's voice interrupted him. He turned around in his chair.

"Hey," he said.

Peter licked his lips. "You got a minute?"

"Yeah." He leaned the guitar against the wall and turned around so that he was straddling the chair backwards. Peter came in and closed the door. He sat on the edge of Kevin's bed.

"I had no idea how you felt about her. You never act like you care about anything but your music. I thought you were just looking to pick more fights with me."

Kevin looked into Peter's eyes. "It's OK, man. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks." Peter said quietly and got up and left the room.

Kevin exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair before turning back to his desk.

***

That evening after practice, Kevin went upstairs. Sarah was already in bed. He went into the room and she rolled over to face him. He crawled onto the bed and kissed her cheek.

"Can I use your computer?"

"Sure, why?"

"I want to send an email to my mom.

"OK." she smiled at him.

"Hi Mom,
Everything is going fine all of a sudden. Peter is talking to Sarah again. He and I called a truce today. Sarah's face is healing up and
WE GOT INVITED TO PLAY AT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL!
Wish us luck.
Love,
Kevin"

Sarah and Kevin 42

Sarah looked at the clock. 7:00 am. Ugh, I'm late. She rolled over and looked at Kevin. He was breathing deeply. She kissed him softly on the cheek and got out of bed.

As quietly as she could, she left the bedroom, got washed, brushed, clipped and dressed for the day and rushed down the stairs. She made a conscious decision to leave the door unlocked.

Once in the kitchen, she quickly whipped up a batch of muffins and put them in the oven. She started a pot of coffee and cleaned up the kitchen while it brewed. When the dishes were done, she poured herself a cup and sat alone at the kitchen table, waiting for the muffins to finish baking. She took a deep breath, feeling happy and full for the first time in what felt like years. Maybe it has been years, she thought.

The timer dinged. As she was removing them from the oven, the phone in Scott's room rang. Odd. She located a basket and dumped the muffins into it. She could hear Scott's muffled voice.
Suddenly, there were excited voices and scrambling noises coming from their room. She heard their door open and then the door to Tom and Kevin's room. Oh, boy.

She tried to quickly sneak back upstairs, but a half-dressed Peter saw her and gathered her up into an excited hug.

"Well, good morning to you, too," she said. Scott then arrived, also half dressed, and hugged her, laughing. Tom was the only one with both shirt and jeans on. He took her hand and squeezed it, smiling.

"Jeez, I feel so special. What's going on?" she asked, laughing.

"We got chosen to play at the summer music festival," Scott practically yelled.

Sarah clapped her hands. "Oh, congratulations!"

"Where's Kevin?" Scott asked.

Sarah felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She looked over at Tom who gave her a funny look. He smiled at her and then looked at Peter.

"He's in your room?" Peter spluttered, eyes wide.

Sarah covered her face with her hand. "I"ll go get him," she said and slipped through the door, locking it behind her. She ran up the stairs.

She went into the bedroom and sat down next to Kevin on the bed. She kissed his temple.

"Hey," she whispered in his ear. He rolled over and stretched.

"You forgot the dress code," he said and started pulling at her blouse.

"Wait. Your presence is being requested downstairs." she said.

"I don't care," he said and pulled her down to him, kissing her until she didn't care, either.

Sarah and Kevin 41

"That's OK." He said and leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets.

"OK. Me first, then?"

"Shoot."

"I know that you think I'm tainted goods..."

"Sarah, I never said that..."

She held her hand up to silence him. "I'm not. And since I didn't go to the hospital, I can't prove it to you. You'll have to trust me. Also, the honest truth is that Peter has kissed me with the intent of going farther, but I stopped him then, too." She took a deep breath and exhaled hard. "I'm in love with you Kevin. I..." She held her hands out, palms up, unable to find any more words.

Kevin felt his heart skip a beat. He swallowed hard and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. She raised her face to him and he kissed her lips. She held his hand in both of hers. He could feel her trembling. When they broke the kiss, he had to lower his head and catch his breath.

"Sarah. I'm sorry that I made you feel like you were 'tainted'. I don't feel that way at all. I love you." He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then her mouth again. She met him with her lips slightly parted and he answered her invitation.

He sat back to look at her. Her lashes were lowered and her face was red.

"You're blushing," he laughed.

She smiled a little, then raised her eyes to him. "You're laughing because you don't know what I'm thinking," she murmured.

"I'll bet I can guess," he said, the smile gone from his face.

She took a deep breath and stood up. She took his hand and led him to the french doors toward the front of the attic. She stopped before opening them.

"There's a dress code for this room," she said, grasping the waistband of his jeans. She unbuttoned and unzipped them, pushing them off so they fell around his ankles. "Off with the shirt," she ordered. He couldn't pull it over his head fast enough. He dropped it on the floor and stepped out of his shoes and jeans.

She turned to open the door. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. What about you?" Without turning around to face him, she untied her belt and let her robe slip from her shoulders. Then she opened the door and led him in.

Sarah and Kevin 40

Her face crumpled and she started crying. Hard. So hard that as she tried to leave the room, she stumbled into the door jamb.

"Shit," she said between sobs and grabbed her shoulder.

"Sarah, wait," Kevin said and ran to catch her before she went upstairs. She was fumbling with the key when he got there. He grabbed both of her shoulders to stop her.

"Please. Don't go yet. I need to talk to you." he said to the back of her head.

"Not now," she gasped between sobs. She unlocked the door and handed him the key. "After practice." She was crying hysterically. She opened the door, stepped up and closed it behind her.

He stared at the door and listened to her lock it. He heard her footsteps and sobs retreating. Looking down at the key in his hand, he took a deep breath. He stuffed the key in his pocket and went down to the basement.

"What the hell was that all about?" Peter asked with a smile.

"Nothing." Kevin snapped.

"It didn't sound like nothing," Peter snickered. "It sounded like she told you where to get off."

Kevin shot him a dirty look.

"Tansara, shut up." Scott said. "Let's just play, huh?"

***

It was about midnight when they finished practicing. Kevin unplugged his bass, put it on the stand and took the basement stairs two at a time. He didn't want Peter seeing him going into Sarah's room.

He quickly unlocked the door, stepped in and closed and locked it behind him. He looked up the stairs. Wondering what the hell he was going to say when he got there, he slowly walked up them.

At the top of the stairs there was a landing with a small window overlooking the back yard. To the left there were two more stairs, left again and there was a short corridor. Heart pounding, he walked down the hallway.

Sarah was seated at a desk with her back to him. She spun around in her chair. She raised her chin and stood up. Her hair was loose. She was wearing a short, flannel robe and he noticed her red painted toenails as she walked past him. She sat down on one of the love seats and drew her feet under her.

"Have a seat," she said and gestured to the empty space next to her and the other love seat and chair.

Sarah and Kevin 39

After practice that night, Kevin took out his mother's engagement ring and laid down on the bed to look at it. Sarah. Why are you falling for Peter? He raped you for Christ's sake. I care about you so much. But I'm not gonna get in your way. If Peter is what you want, then you should have him. You deserve whatever you want.

If I offered you this ring, what would you do? Laugh at me? Throw it back in my face? Or would you take it and marry me after all? Damn. Why are you doing this?


May

Finally, Monday night they did not have a gig. All through dinner, Kevin fought with himself. Should I help with the dishes or not?

After dinner, Peter looked like he was going to linger. Kevin pressed his lips together and was preparing to go downstairs when Scott said, "Hey Peter. Come down so we can work on the phrasing in that new song."

"OK" and Peter headed downstairs. Scott turned and looked at Kevin. He nodded in Sarah's direction as if to tell Kevin to talk to her. Kevin waved weakly at him. Scott raised his eyebrows and walked downstairs after Peter.

Kevin went to the drawer and pulled out a dish towel and tucked it into his pocket. Then he helped her clear the table. They worked together in silence. She was filling the sink when she covered her mouth to hide a huge yawn.

Kevin reached out and took her chin, turning her face toward him. She looked into his eyes briefly and then lowered them. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles beneath them which showed even darker against her paler than usual skin.

"You're not sleeping, are you?" he asked roughly.

She looked up into his eyes again. She jerked her chin out of his hand.

"No. I'm not. Nice of you to notice," she snapped.

"Why not?"

She turned toward him, arms akimbo. "Gee, I don't know. I had a traumatic experience in March. Mark is not talking to me. Peter wasn't talking to me and now you're not talking to me. I'm on a bit of an emotional roller coaster these days. Why do you care anyway? I'm still taking care of you guys fine."

"Some of us better than others." Kevin snarled.

"Oh, get over it. You act like you walked in on us having sex."

"How much different is it?"

"It's a lot different! He didn't even kiss me on the mouth."

"He was going to."

"But he didn't."

"Your sink is gonna overflow."

Sarah turned off the faucet. She drained a little of the water and began washing the dishes.
They didn't speak while they finished the dishes. Kevin felt his blood boiling hotter with each dish he dried. When they were done, he leaned against the sink and crossed his arms.

"Why don't you ask Peter for help with your insomnia? I'll bet he'd find something for you to do while you're lying awake in bed." he sneered.

She stared at him open mouthed for a moment. When she blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why don't you go to hell?" she yelled.

"Because I'm already there!" he yelled back.

Sarah and Kevin 38

Thursday night, Sarah finished the dishes and started drying them.

"Peter," she called. "I'm done with the dishes."

She heard Peter's footsteps coming up the stairs. He came up next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He kissed her temple.

"Are you showering before we go?" she asked.

Peter released her. "Yeah", he said and went into the bathroom. She waited until she heard the door close before she resumed drying the dishes.

She finished and sat at the table, waiting for Peter to come out. She put her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands. There was a sick feeling in her stomach and she could feel the tears stinging behind her eyes. Why did I ever let him kiss me?

There were footsteps on the stairs again. Sarah took a deep breath and looked up to see Kevin emerge from the basement. Their eyes met for a moment. Kevin looked like he was going to say something, but he didn't and walked out of the kitchen.

Sarah gritted her teeth so she would not cry and put her head in her hands again. She heard Kevin rummaging around in his room. When he walked into the kitchen again, she didn't bother to lift her head. She heard him stop for a moment before continuing down to the basement.
She heard the bathroom door open, so she sighed and got up from the table. Peter walked into the kitchen.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and they left.

As they drove to the meeting, Peter sang. For the next fifteen minutes, Sarah immersed herself in Peter's voice and tried to forget the conflict roiling within her.

"You have a beautiful voice, Peter." Sarah sighed as they pulled into the parking space behind the church. He smiled and leaned over. He kissed her on the cheek before she could protest. He hopped out of the truck and walked into the church.

Sarah laid down on the seat and stared up at the ceiling of the truck. What am I going to do? If I give in and sleep with Peter, I will lose Kevin forever. But when Peter touches me, it feels so good. Of course, when Kevin touches me it feels even better. And what if Kevin hates me and I turn Peter away? Then I've lost both of them.

Peter doesn't love me. He just wants to have sex with me. Before Peter attacked me, I thought Kevin felt the same way about me as I felt about him. I'm afraid that he thinks Peter really did rape me and that I'm tainted goods. Why would he want me after Peter has already had me?
Yeah, I'll definitely lose Kevin if I sleep with Peter. The question is, have I lost him already?

Sarah woke up to the feeling of warm lips pressing against hers. She gasped and her eyes flew open. Peter smiled down at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Sarah answered and struggled to sit up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Peter slid into the seat next to her. "That's OK. I got to kiss you without you trying to stop me for a change." He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before closing the door and surrounding them in darkness. Sarah sighed and started the engine. Peter hummed and caressed her shoulder the entire way home.

Fifteen minutes later, they were in the semi-dark kitchen. The moon shown through the window over the sink.

"Thanks for driving me," Peter said.

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow." she said and started to leave the kitchen

Peter took her arm. Sarah stopped and felt her heart fluttering wildly in her chest. He pulled her gently toward him and put his arms around her. She put her hands on his chest.

"Sarah." Peter whispered. She looked up at him. The lust in his eyes made her knees feel weak. He bent down and kissed her lips. Sarah relaxed and returned the kiss. Peter kissed her cheek and then her neck, sending goosebumps running down her arms. He reached up and pulled the clip from her hair. He tossed the clip into the corner of the kitchen and gathered her hair into his hand so he could kiss the other side of her neck.

"I could make you feel so good if you'd let me," he murmured into her ear.

She sighed. "I know." she whispered.

"Please," he said, holding her tightly.

"Hey! Tansara! Are you coming down to practice or what?" Kevin's voice rocketed up from the basement.

Hearing Kevin's voice, angry though it was, made her heart sing.

"I can't, I'm sorry." She looked up at him.

"Why?"

"Tansara!"

Sarah looked toward the stairwell. Why couldn't Kevin be holding her? Angry footfalls on the steps frightened her. She broke away from Peter and ran for the stairs to the attic.

Sarah and Kevin 37

Peter took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you"

"OK." She moved so the moonlight shown on his face. He turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry. For everything. What I did and how I've been treating you. I know you're just trying to help me." Peter's voice cracked and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Oh, don't cry," she said and reached up to wipe the tears away.

"I'm gonna work on this," he said.

"I'm so glad. It would be a shame for you to drown your voice before the world gets to hear it."

Peter pulled hands from his pockets. Gently, he took her face in his hands.

"I can't believe I did this to you." He leaned down and kissed her bruised cheeks and her eyebrow above her black eye. He was going to kiss her lips, but she placed her hand on his chest.

"Stop, please." she said quickly. Her heart was pounding and she didn't know if it was from excitement or fear. She reminded herself that he hadn't treated her so sweetly before.

"OK," he said, quietly and took a step backward. They walked into the house in silence.

When they entered the kitchen, the sound of a chair scraping against the tile made Sarah jump.

Kevin stood in front of Peter.

"Ya know, I just realized that you won, man." Kevin's voice was snotty.

"Won what?" Peter asked sharply.

"The competition, remember?"

"What competition?" Sarah asked.

"He bet me he'd be the first to have you on your back, screaming his name. And he did.
Technically, anyway." he sneered. He turned to Peter. "Congratulations."

Sarah felt her heart sink. "Kevin, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to give credit where it's due."

"Whatever. He's just pissed because he saw me kiss you." Peter said. She could practically hear him roll his eyes.

"But it wasn't...I didn't...ugh, Kevin..." she pleaded.

"You coming to practice?" Kevin ignored her and spoke to Peter.

"Yeah," Peter said and walked own the stairs.

"Kevin?"

He turned to look at her and then turned to walk downstairs without another word.

Sarah and Kevin 36

Kevin did not get a chance to do dishes with Sarah again until Monday night.

"He just really hates me, doesn't he?" Sarah asked Kevin after Peter went to the basement.

Kevin shrugged. "His ego is just bruised. He'll get over it."

"At least he's still singing," she said as a haunting wail floated up from the basement.

"He sings better when he's emotional about something." he said. "Your bruises look better."

"Pineapple juice and warm compresses twice a day. In a couple weeks you won't even know they were there," she smiled at him.

He smiled back. The dishes were done. He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. He wanted to kiss her lips, but he held himself back. He went down to the basement.

Peter gave him a black look when he walked into their practice area.

"What's your problem?" Kevin asked.

"Why do you even bother?"

Kevin looked at him for a moment. This sounded remotely like the conversation they had before Peter attacked Sarah. Kevin sighed.

"You know what we were talking about? You. She's worried about you. And she thinks you hate her. Why don't you cut me and her and everyone else some slack. We're all cutting you some." Kevin punctuated his sentences with an angry index finger. He walked over and picked up his guitar.

"She's worried about me?' Peter asked.

"Yeah. Do you think she's making you go to these meetings to punish you? No. She's trying to keep you from self-destructing and taking all of us down with you."

Peter sat down on his stool and stared at the basement wall for a minute. When he came back to himself, he looked each one of them in his eye. He took a deep breath.

"What are we doing first?" he asked quietly and grabbed his microphone.

***

Thursday night came again. Peter still hadn't spoken one word to Sarah. She waited in the hallway outside her door while he got dressed. Kevin stood next to her.

"He hasn't said anything to me at all." She whispered to Kevin.

"Don't worry, he'll come around," Kevin whispered back.

"He's talking to you guys, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded.

"Well, then I won't worry about it, I guess." she whispered and shrugged her shoulders.

Peter came out of his room.

"I'll talk to you later," she said to Kevin and led Peter out to the truck.

Again, they drove to the church in silence.

"I'll be here when you get done," she said as she pulled into a parking space. Peter hopped out of the truck without a word. Sarah took out her journal and her flashlight and began writing.
A couple of hours later, Sarah saw everyone filing out of the church. She closed her journal, turned off the flashlight and looked for Peter. No Peter, but no Jason either. Maybe he's helping to put the chairs away, she thought.

Thirty minutes passed. The basement lights were still on and she hadn't seen anyone else leave. She had a sick feeling in her stomach. She got out of the car and practically ran to the church. She was reaching for the doorknob when the door opened, cracking her in the hand.

"Ow," she said.

"Oh, Sarah. I'm sorry. Are you OK?" Jason asked. Peter was right behind him.

"Yeah. Sorry, I was getting worried," she said.

"That's OK. We were just talking," Jason said and put his arms round her. He gave her a big hug. "Have a good one. I'll see you next week," He turned to Peter and held out his hand. "Peter. Take care." Peter shook his hand.

"You, too. Thanks." Peter said. Sarah had almost forgotten what his speaking voice sounded like. She looked at him, blinking for a moment. He looked like he had been crying. For the first time since the attack, he didn't turn away from her gaze.

"You ready?" she asked. He nodded.

They drove home in silence. It was an unusually warm evening, so Sarah had her window partially open. The night air smelled moist and muddy, like a spring evening should smell.

When they arrived home, Peter was out of the truck like a shot again. Sarah sighed and turned off the truck engine. She got out and closed the garage door. When she walked around the side of the garage, Peter was standing there, hands jammed into his pockets. Sarah felt her heart leap into her throat.

Sarah and Kevin 35

"Jimmy!" Sarah cried.

"Shut up. And let go of him. I won't touch him."

"Now who's lying?"

"I want to talk to you alone. Let's go." Jimmy said and stomped up the stairs.

Sarah turned her face and hid against Peter's chest. She felt his arms go around her and his head rest on top of hers. He took a deep breath. She gently pushed away from him and looked into his face. He looked down into her eyes for a moment. He looked beaten and tired. Then he turned his face away from her.

"I'll fix it. I'm sorry," she said and headed for the stairs.

Jimmy was leaning against the sink with his arms crossed when she stepped up into the kitchen. He shook his head.

"Jesus Christ, Sarah. Does the rest of you look like that?" he asked, pointing at her face.

"Not as bad as my face, no."

"And you didn't go to the hospital?"

"No. I was trying to prevent you and Mark from finding out. It didn't work." she admitted.

"I don't want a blow by blow, but I want to know what happened."

Sarah sat down in a chair and told him the story from the time Peter kissed her until she called him this morning.

"I want them out of here. Today."

"No. I told you, he's already gone to one meeting. If he stops going, then I'll have them escorted out. As long as he's trying, they stay. And you have to let them play at your bar. It's their biggest venue. If you want them out so bad, helping them will work faster than hindering them."

Jimmy looked at her open-mouthed. Then he shook his head, laughing grimly.

"You should have been a lawyer."

"So, can they play at your place?"

"Yeah. But if anything else happens to you, I won't worry about whether I dislocate your shoulder or not. Got it?"

"Got it."

"You're coming over next Sunday. I'll fill mom in so she won't freak out when she sees you."

"OK."

He left. Sarah waited until she heard his car pull out of the driveway before she went back downstairs.

She walked down the basement stairs and took a seat on one of them about halfway down where she could see them.

"It's OK. You aren't banned from Jimmy's bar or anything," she said.

Kevin let out a big sigh that was echoed by Scott and Tom. Peter sat on his stool with his back to her, silent.

"Peter, give me your shirt. I'll see if I can sew it." Peter stood up and took his shirt off. His muscles rippled as he pulled it over his head. He turned and handed it to Sarah. He did not meet her gaze. Sarah sighed and took it from him.

Kevin cleared his throat. "Jimmy dislocated your shoulder?"

Sarah smiled sadly at him. "Yeah. Jimmy is my cousin. After my folks died, I lived with him and my Aunt Jane.

"I was only 19 when David and I ran away and got married. When we got home from Las Vegas a week later, I honestly thought Jimmy was going to kill him. So, I protected him the only way I knew how, by making sure that I stayed between them. And what better way than to wrap my arms around David and hang on for dear life? Jimmy grabbed my arm and tried to pull me off David. He was so mad that he pulled too hard and he dislocated my shoulder. When he felt it pop and I screamed, that pretty much ended the fight. They worked together to get me to the emergency room. While I was being treated, they talked and then they were fine." Sarah laughed sadly, remembering the scene. She felt tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm going back upstairs, now. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She kept her gaze in her lap so they would not see her tears. She stood up and walked up the stairs.

Sarah and Kevin 34

Kevin sent a quick email.

"Hi Mom,
Just wanted to let you know that Peter's going to AA.
Love,
Kevin"

***

Sarah picked up the phone and dialed Jimmy's number. She listened to it ring.

"Hello?" Jimmy answered.

"Hi Jimmy. It's Sarah."

"Hey. What's wrong?" Jimmy's tone was worried.

"Nothing. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not coming over today."

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

"I'm just not feeling well..." Sarah jumped as Jimmy slammed the phone down on her. Oh, great. Now he's mad at me, too.

She sat down at her computer and worked on a short story she was writing. She was just beginning to commune with the muse when she heard a vehicle pull into the driveway. When she looked out the window, she saw Jimmy's pick up truck behind the garage.

"Oh my god," Sarah said aloud and rushed for the stairs.

When she reached the back door, Jimmy was storming up the sidewalk. Sarah ran out without a coat.

Jimmy's eyes widened when he saw her face.

"Je-sus Christ!" he bellowed.

"Jimmy, it's OK."

"Like hell it's OK!" Jimmy looked past her at the house. He moved her aside and marched to the door. Sarah stumbled behind him, shivering violently. He stomped into the kitchen.

"Tansara!" he roared.

"What?" came Peter's snotty reply from the basement.

Sarah was in the foyer. She ran downstairs ahead of Jimmy, jumping down the last three steps. Peter was standing in the middle of the basement floor. Kevin, Tom and Scott were standing by their instruments.

"What the hell?" Peter said as Sarah flew at him. She pushed him up against the basement wall. She wrapped her right arm around his waist and reached her left hand up behind his head. Peter's arms hung at his sides. She laid her head on his chest and watched Jimmy out of the corner of her eye. She heard Peter's heart pounding. The other members of MourningStar stood frozen in place.

"Sarah, let go of that son of a bitch!" Jimmy ordered.

"Jimmy, please, let me explain." Sarah said.

"Now!"

"No."

Jimmy grabbed Peter's shirt sleeves and tried to drag him away from the wall, but Sarah leaned into him so Jimmy couldn't move them. Sarah flinched as the fabric ripped. Peter's head was pushed back but Sarah's hand protected it from hitting the wall. She gasped a little as her knuckles scraped against the wall. Jimmy grabbed her right arm and tried to pull her off Peter.

"You'll dislocate my shoulder again!" she warned. Jimmy immediately released her.

Jimmy backhanded Peter across the face but also hit Sarah in the process. She cried out and held Peter tighter.

"Please stop," Sarah began to cry. "Please. Just let me tell you what happened."

"So you can lie to me some more?"

"I was just trying not to upset you. God damn it. Why is everyone pissed at me?" she wailed.

Peter sighed and tried to push her away.

"No." she said and looked up at him.

"You're in my way," Peter said, looking at Jimmy.

Kevin and Scott finally moved. They stepped in front of Jimmy.

"Come on, man." Scott said. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Where the hell where you while she was being raped?" Jimmy shoved Scott's shoulder.

"Dragging him off her," Kevin answered.

"I wasn't raped."

"Liar." Jimmy snapped.

"Why doesn't anyone believe me? Don't you think I'd know?"

"I don't think you'd tell me if he had."

"Ugh. I should have just gone to the hospital. Then all you assholes would believe me."

"Well, did you or didn't you?" Jimmy screamed.

"I don't remember," Peter said quietly.

"How god damn drunk were you?"

"At least two bottles of Jack." Kevin said.

Jimmy took several deep breaths. "You will never sing at my bar again, you worthless piece of shit." Jimmy said.

Sarah and Kevin 33

April

Thursday evening, Sarah leaned against the door to her rooms with her arms folded around a notebook. Peter had just finished showering and was getting dressed in his bedroom. Kevin was leaning against the door next to her, their arms touching.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Kevin asked quietly.

She looked up at him. "Positive. I'll be OK."

Peter came out of the bedroom. He ignored both of them and walked into the kitchen. Sarah saw Keith staring daggers into Peter's back as he passed. She followed Peter with Kevin on her heels.

"Ready?" she asked. He didn't respond. He just waited by the back door.

"See you later," she said to Kevin.

"Be careful," he said.

She smiled at him and led Peter out to the garage. When they got in the truck, Peter turned his head and looked out the window. Sarah sighed and started the truck.

They drove into town in silence. Sarah was not going to try to keep up a one-sided conversation. She found a parking spot behind the church.

"We're early. Come on and I'll introduce you to Jason." Sarah said.

They entered the back door of the church and walked down to the basement.

A man with striking white hair was setting up chairs in a circle in the corner of the basement.

"Hi Jason," Sarah said.

"Sarah!" He came over and gave her a big hug. "It's good to see you." He smiled at her and made no indication that he noticed her battered face.

"You must be Peter," Jason said and held out his hand. Peter hesitated, then took Jason's hand.

"My name is Jason. Why don't you help me set up the rest of these chairs?"

Peter nodded briefly and set to work.

"Thank you" Sarah mouthed at Jason. He winked at her.

"I'll be out in the truck when you're done, Peter." she said. He didn't respond.

She sat in the truck. God, I can't believe how angry he is with me. A week ago, he did everything he could think of to get in bed with me and now he won't even talk to me. She turned on her flashlight, opened her journal and began writing.

Two hours later, Peter opened the passenger door and got in. He didn't speak, so Sarah remained silent and drove home.

Peter was out of the truck before she even stopped the engine. She sighed and slowly followed him into the house.

As she entered the door, she heard Peter singing with the band. She smiled. At least he's still singing, even if he isn't talking to me. She sat on the top step and listened to them play. They really are good, she thought. I hope buying them time gets them the break they need.

After a couple of songs, she went up to her rooms. Her phone was ringing. She rushed to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Sarah. It's Jason."

"Oh, hi. Thank you so much for not making a big deal about my face," she said.

"I'm used to not noticing things, but that's why I'm calling you. Did you go to the doctor?"

"No."

Jason sighed. "I knew it. Girl, you need to stop being so stubborn. You should have been x-rayed."

"And what? Have Mark over here arresting my musicians? As it was, he came over with a whole team the next day and now he's not talking to me."

Jason laughed. "I can just imagine how that went."

"It was bad. Not as bad as it could have been, but bad." She hesitated a moment. "I know you're not supposed to talk about it, but was he OK?"

She could almost hear Jason carefully choosing his words. "He's about like most of them who come against their will."

She exhaled. "OK. I won't ask you anything else. And don't worry about me. I'm pretty sure nothing's broken and I'm doing everything the doctor would tell me to do plus some things he wouldn't."

"Alright, Sarah. See you next week."

Sarah and Kevin 32

"OK you guys, dinner is ready." Kevin was already at the table. He watched as Scott and Tom came in.

"Where's Peter?" Kevin asked.

"He says he's not hungry."

Kevin looked at Sarah. Her hands were on her hips and her lips were pressed together. She sighed heavily, dropped her arms and went toward the bedrooms. Kevin waited for just a moment, then he followed her down the hallway. Scott and Tom were right behind him.

She had left the bedroom door slightly ajar. They could see Peter lying with his back to the door. Sarah sat down on the bed behind him.

"I need an answer from you, Peter." she said.

Peter rolled over so he was looking up at her. He reached up and touched her cheek. Kevin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Sarah, I am so sorry," he said.

Sarah was silent for a moment. "Apology accepted. But I still need you to make a decision." Her voice was quiet and firm.

"I promise, this will never happen again." He ran his thumb gently over her swollen lips. Sarah quickly grabbed has hand and held it in both of hers.

"I'd like to believe you, but I don't think you have control over it, Peter. And I can't afford to take that chance," she said.

"So my apology and my word mean nothing?" Peter asked and pulled his hand away, turning to face the wall again.

"Peter, it's a yes or no question. Why are you making this so hard?"

"I don't need help. I can stay sober on my own."

"Maybe that's true. Maybe you just needed one more time to see how things go wrong when you drink. But maybe it's not true. We won't know until it happens again." Sarah sighed. "If you don't agree to go to AA every Thursday night from tomorrow until the day you guys leave here, you will be moving out first thing tomorrow morning." Sarah sounded like she was going to cry.

Kevin was barely breathing. "What's your decision?" she asked quietly.

"Fine. I'll go."

Kevin stopped breathing completely. His stomach knotted up and it was all he could do to stay in the hallway.

Sarah was silent for a moment. "You'll go where?" she asked.

"I'll go to the god damn meetings."

All of them exhaled at the same time. Sarah looked up and saw them. She frowned, but they could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. She brushed the tears away.

"Are you going to come and eat?" she asked.

"No."

"Do you want me to bring you a plate?"

Peter shook his head.

"OK" she patted his arm. He jerked it away from her. She stood up and came out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Scott put his arm around her shoulders. "You are god damn brilliant." he said quietly.

"He's not happy. At all."

"So what?" Kevin asked.

Sarah shrugged. "Anyway, the meetings are at 7:30 on Thursdays, so you'll need to keep those days open." she said. "I'll drive him to and from the church. He won't like that either, but I want to make sure that he goes."

Sarah and Kevin 31

"Sir. Wake up." Kevin heard a man's voice and felt a rough hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a cop standing over him. "I'll need you to put some pants on and come with me." He rolled over to see another cop at Tom's bedside rousing him.

Kevin got up, put on his glasses and pulled on his jeans. Sarah must have changed her mind, he thought. He walked into the kitchen in silence with the policeman in tow.
Four of the kitchen chairs were lined up along the counter.

"Have a seat."

Kevin chose one of the chairs. That's when he saw Mark standing in the doorway. Hate was written in big, black letters across his face. Kevin looked away as Peter, Scott and Tom all filed silently into the kitchen, police escorts behind them. They each took a seat. One of the officers took Mark's place by the door as he stepped into the middle of the room.

"Alright. Where is she?" Mark roared.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked. "Isn't she upstairs?"

"You tell me. The door is locked. And I've been trying to call her since yesterday afternoon." he said. "Which two of you were buying the pineapple juice yesterday?" Kevin and Tom raised their hands.

"Why?"

"Sarah asked us to." Kevin said. "What does that have to do with her not answering your calls?" Kevin asked.

"She reads all that natural healing crap. She thinks pineapple juice is good for bruises. All six cans can't be for you, you freak." Mark pointed angrily at Peter.

The back door opened. The policemen all whirled toward the door and put their hands on their guns. The cop by the door stepped aside to allow Sarah to come into the kitchen. Her hair was up like normal, and the swelling was down, but the bruises were brutally purple.

"What's going on here?" Sarah asked. She just sounded tired.

Mark's eyes widened. He stepped over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Jesus Christ, Sarah." She grimaced and he let her go.

"Stand up, turn around and put your hands on your heads. Now!" Mark bellowed. The other policemen began reaching for their handcuffs.

"Hold on! Mark, send the rest of them outside. This isn't what it looks like. Please."

"Like hell it's not. Are you going to try to tell me you fell down the stairs?"

"Yes."

"Bullshit. And what about him?" Mark asked, pointing to Peter.

She shrugged. "They're a bunch of hotheads. It's not my job to stop them from fighting with each other."

"Fine. Let's go to the hospital and have a rape kit done, then." Mark said and took her arm.

"Ow. Will you please stop grabbing me?" she asked as she pulled away. "A rape kit won't show you anything and I don't want to go to the hospital. And if you take them to jail, I'll just come and bail them out anyway. I won't press charges and if you do, I'll pay for their lawyer. You will accomplish nothing except to cause me more trouble. Is that what you want?"

Mark stared at her in silence for a few moments. He jerked his head toward the door and the other four policemen left. He turned to Sarah, angry.

"I've been trying to call you since yesterday afternoon." he snapped.

"I know." Sarah said, her voice rising. "Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to talk to you?"

"No shit. And where do you get off, lying to me? That's not from falling down the stairs and you know it. And this," He took her arm again, but more gently this time. "hurts because you're bruised here, too. A rape kit might not show any semen, but I'll bet you have finger marks on your thighs."

Sarah covered her eyes with her hand. "Look. Just leave me alone. I've got this under control and I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" She uncovered her eyes and poked him in the chest as she yelled the last four words.

"If that's how you want it, fine." He growled and looked at Peter who turned his face away. "Next time maybe you'll get real lucky and they'll all take turns with you. Don't bother calling me, just open your legs so they won't beat you to death." He turned on his heel and stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Sarah stood, both hands balled into angry fists, staring at the back door until they heard all three police cars drive away. She took a deep breath and turned around.

"I'm sorry. Are you guys OK?"

They answered in the affirmative and got up and returned their chairs to the table. Peter, Tom and Scott left the kitchen. Sarah began pulling ingredients and bowls from the cabinets. She quickly washed out the coffee pot and started some coffee. Kevin, still shirtless, seated himself at the table and watched her work.

"Aren't you going to go back to bed?" Sarah asked.

"No." Kevin said. He watched in silence as she mixed up the muffins and popped them into the oven. She ran water into the sink to wash the dishes from the previous day. Kevin stood up and grabbed a dish towel from the drawer.

When the timer went off for the muffins, Sarah pulled them out and dumped them into a cloth-lined basket. She returned to washing the dishes.

When they were finished, she looked up at him for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, hiding her face in his chest. He held her tight, willing her pain away.

She pulled away from him. "Thanks for all your help."

"Sure." he said.

She grabbed a muffin from the basket and returned to her rooms.

Sarah and Kevin 30

It was after dark when Kevin walked into Peter and Scott's room and picked up the cordless phone. He didn't even look at Peter, much less talk to him. Taking it into his room, he closed the door and laid back down on the bed. He took a couple deep breaths and dialed his Mom's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mom." His voice cracked.

"Kevin, what's wrong?"

"Mom" Another deep breath. "I think Peter raped Sarah this morning."

"Oh, no! Is she alright?"

"She looks like hell. And she says he didn't rape her, but Peter doesn't remember anything about it. I think she just told us that so we wouldn't take her to the hospital."

"Honey, don't assume she's lying. It's not fair to her and she's had enough trouble for one day."

Kevin sighed.

"You really care about her, don't you, Kev."

"Yeah," he cried.

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry."

Kevin rolled onto his side and cried into his pillow. It took him several minutes to regain his composure.

"Sorry, Mom."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. So what happens now?"

"She told him that if he doesn't go to AA meetings, we all have to leave."

"Good."

"No. He hasn't agreed to go. She gave him 'til tomorrow night to decide. I swear to god, I want to kill him."

"If she's willing to give him a chance after what he did to her, rape or no, then you should do the same."

"I guess so." Kevin sighed again. "I don't know how to help her."

"All you can do is be there for her if she wants you. It's not just her body that's bruised and it may take a long time to heal the hurts you can't see, ya know?"

"OK. I'll let you know what happens."

"Alright, hon. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Sometime after midnight, Kevin took off his clothes and went to bed. He was looking forward to sleep because he didn't want to think about anything anymore. His head and heart hurt and he wanted a break from both of them.

Sarah and Kevin 29

Kevin stared after Peter. He couldn't believe what was happening. Peter, he knew, loved to sing. He didn't just enjoy it, he loved it. When Peter sang, people stopped to listen. And yet he's willing to throw it all away because he's too stubborn to go to AA meetings. Kevin shook his head and went downstairs.

There were two old chairs and a beat up sofa near the bathroom. Kevin grabbed an acoustic guitar and walked over to one of the chairs. It was an old swivel rocker. It was soft and comfortable and allowed you to lean way back in it. Kevin lay back in the chair, staring at the ceiling, holding the guitar.

Kevin heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Tom flopped down on the sofa.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

Several minutes passed in silence.

"This is like a nightmare," Kevin said.

"At least she's OK," Tom said.

Kevin sighed. "If you can call that mess OK, I guess that's true."

"Yeah," Tom agreed. "You wanna go into town?"

"Yeah. You coming with?" Kevin asked and turned to look at him.

Tom nodded.

They got up. Kevin returned the guitar to it's stand and they went out to the van. There were two empty bottles of Jack Daniels on the floor. Disgusted, Kevin threw them in to the garbage cans on the side of the garage. They checked under all the seats and made sure there were no other open alcohol containers in the van before they left.

They drove into town in silence. Kevin pulled the van into a parking space at the grocery store and they got out.

They quickly found the six cans of pineapple juice and brought them to the check out counter.
The cashier was a short, fat woman with red hair. She looked at them over the top of her glasses.

"Hey, aren't you the boys living at Sarah's place?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kevin said.

"How is that working out for you? Are you getting work again?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kevin just wanted her to shut up and ring up their juice.

"Six cans of pineapple juice!"

"Sarah asked for it." Kevin responded.

"Well, what's she going to do? Bathe in it?" She laughed at her own joke. Kevin smiled politely.

Finally, she gave him the total. Kevin handed her the money. "You tell Sarah that Sharon said 'hi', OK?

"Sure." Kevin said. Tom took one bag and Kevin took the other.

"She was obnoxious." Kevin said after they got back into the van. "Do you get the feeling that the whole town will know we bought six cans of pineapple juice before the end of the day?

"Yeah." Tom laughed.

When they arrived at the house, Kevin put two of the cans in the fridge. Then he went over to Sarah's door and knocked. He heard her footsteps coming down the stairs. She opened the door for him.

"Hey," Kevin said. "I brought your pineapple juice."

"Thanks," she said and took the bag from him.

"Sharon said to tell you 'hi'," he said quietly.

"Oh."

"Do you need anything?" he asked. Sarah, let me be with you, please.

She looked into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head.

"Can you close the door for me?"

He nodded and pushed the door closed. He heard her lock it and the sound of her footsteps retreating up the stairs. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the door for a moment. Then he walked into his bedroom and laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Sarah and Kevin 28

She stood leaning against the door jamb, arms crossed, hair down and looking like she just ran her fingers through it. Peter's eyes widened when he saw her face. Her lips were swollen to double their normal size. Her right eye was black and her right cheek was purple on the cheekbone and on her jaw. There was a bruise on her left cheek as well.

"I'd show you the rest of your handiwork, but you've already seen more of me than I ever wanted." she snarled. :"Anyway, I'm glad you're all here so I won't have to repeat myself.

"I've spent the morning thinking. I figured I only had two choices, evict you all immediately or pretend it didn't happen and hope it never happens again." She went to the freezer and swapped her warm ice pack for a frozen one. "But then I realized that I had a third option. So I made a couple of phone calls and this is what I've decided." She walked over and stood right in front of Peter. Her hands were shaking.

"There's an AA meeting in town every Thursday night. It's at the Presbyterian Church and I'm friends with the guy that runs it." She poked Peter's chest with her index finger. "You will be attending those meetings, Mr. Tansara. I will drive you myself. And don't think you can sneak out the back door, because Jason will tell me if you don't show up. You miss one meeting and everyone gets escorted off the property.

"Have I made myself clear?" She looked up at all of them. They nodded. She looked down at Peter. He wasn't looking at her. She put her face right in front of his.

"Are you with me?" she asked through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes. She did not move. "You've got until suppertime tomorrow to make your decision.

She gently took his chin and turned his bruised cheek toward her. She sighed, stood up and pulled some money from her pocket. She handed it to Kevin.

"When you get a chance, go into town and pick up six of those big cans of pineapple juice, please. Make sure he drinks two of them and give the other four to me." Kevin nodded. "I'm going upstairs. You guys will have to cook for yourselves tonight. I'll get back on schedule tomorrow, OK?" Her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek. She turned and walked quickly to her door, leaving them stunned and silent in the kitchen.

"Did I rape her?" Peter asked without opening his eyes.

"She says no." Kevin answered.

Peter took a deep breath and slumped down in the chair, covering his face with his hand.

"What are you gonna do, Tansara?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know."

"What?" they asked in unison.

"I don't need no 12-step program." Peter said.

"You're kidding right? You saw what you did to her. And you may have raped her, too. We'll never know for sure because you don't remember and she could be lying. How can you say you don't need help?" Kevin was yelling again.

"The survival of the band depends on you going to AA, Peter." Scott said.

"I've got until tomorrow night to decide. Leave me alone." he cried and grabbing a couple more apples, he went back to his room.

Sarah and Kevin 27

Kevin, Scott and Tom sat at the kitchen table with the remains of breakfast and lunch around them.

"What if she kicks us out?" Tom asked grimly.

"Then we're back where we were in January." Kevin said. "My mom wants me back home anyway."

"You need to convince her otherwise," Scott said.

"Why me?"

"Are you kidding? Have you seen the way she looks at you?" Scott asked.

"Same way you look at her," Tom said with a little laugh.

Kevin just looked down at his hands.

They heard a bedroom door open and close closely followed by the closing of the bathroom door. They sat in silence and looked at each other.

"What the hell!" Peter's voice came from the bathroom.

"What?" he snarled as he walked in and they were all staring at him. His left eye was black and his left cheek swollen. He pointed angrily at Kevin. "You probably had something to do with this." He pointed at his face.

"Don't even act like you don't remember, you prick!" Kevin yelled .

"I don't even remember coming back here," Peter snapped.

"You're full of shit!" Kevin stood up angrily. Peter took a couple of steps toward him but Scott and Tom sprang between them.

"Let me refresh your memory, asshole. You came home this morning at about 4:30 and tried to rape Sarah. You're lucky all you have is a couple of bruises." Kevin was yelling.

"Yeah, right," Peter said and sat down in the nearest empty chair. He grabbed an apple out of the basket on the table. As he raised it to his mouth, Scott grabbed his arm.

"He's not lying, man. Kevin pulled you off her. Her face is a mess and we thought we were gonna have to take her to the hospital." Scott said.

Peter pulled his arm away. "What is this, some kind of intervention? Scare Peter straight day?" He took a bite of apple.

"She's on Kevin's bed. Go look." Tom said.

Suddenly, Peter looked frightened. He swallowed the piece of apple and looked up at Scott. "No shit?"

"No shit." Sarah's voice came from behind them.

Sarah and Kevin 26

Kevin put his hand over hers and leaned down. "Sarah, did he...ugh." Kevin bowed his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't even say it. He felt her hand on his cheek and he looked down at her.

"No. He didn't." she said, shaking her head.

He pressed his lips together. "You're just saying that so we won't take you."

"No. Honest. Please."

An odd sense of relief passed over him. "Do you think you can sit up?"

"Yes."

They helped her sit up. Kevin put his arm around her shoulders for support.

"Don't you think you should go and get some x-rays taken?" Kevin asked.

She shook her head. "Better if no one sees me."

"Want to try to stand?"

She took a deep breath. "OK."

She staggered a little when she first stood up. Kevin put his arm around her waist. She leaned heavily into him as she tried to walk.

"Here," he said and picked her up like a baby, carrying her into his bedroom. He laid her on his bed and sat down next to her.

"Tell me what you need." he said.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Ice pack, shirt and the phone."

"One of my shirts OK?"

She nodded.

He helped her sit up and take off her torn shirt. She kept her eyes closed until his shirt was on her. He laid her back down and left to get the ice pack and the phone.

When he returned, she took the ice pack and asked, "Which side needs it more?" He gritted his teeth and gently touched her right cheek. She rolled onto her right side, putting the pack under her face. He handed her the phone. "Can I be alone?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." He grabbed a t-shirt and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Sarah and Kevin 25

Kevin sat up in bed, his heart thudding, and looked around wildly. Tom was already struggling to get his pants on. Kevin shoved his glasses onto his face and dragged his blue jeans on. Tom scrambled over Kevin's bed and ran out the door. Kevin nearly slammed into Scott as he bolted for the kitchen.

Peter was lying on top of Sarah in the middle of the kitchen floor. She was screaming and pulling his hair, trying to free herself. Kevin grabbed the back of Peter's shirt and picked him up off of Sarah and dropped him next to her. She rolled away from them. Kevin jumped on Peter and punched him in the face. Peter struggled beneath him, trying to throw Kevin off. Kevin pulled his fist back again, but Scott caught his arm.

"Sarah. Sarah. Are you OK?" Tom spoke softly to her. She lay on her side, curled up, facing the cabinets. She didn't respond.

"Tom, come help me with Peter," Scott ordered. "Kevin, go take care of Sarah."

Kevin stood up with Scott's help and dropped to his knees next to Sarah. His hands shook. He put his hand on her shoulder and spoke in her ear.

"Sarah. Can you hear me?" He couldn't stop his voice from shaking.

She nodded a little. Kevin sighed in relief. He pulled on her shoulder.

"Here, roll over so I can see you," he said quietly in her ear.

She grimaced as she rolled onto her back. Her lips and nose were covered in blood. It looked like she was going to have a black eye and there were already angry red marks that were turning purple on both her cheeks and her jaw. Her blouse was torn open so he could see her underclothes.

"Oh, my god." Kevin said, his voice cracking. She pulled at her blouse, trying to cover herself.

Kevin pulled the sides together as best he could.and she grabbed the edges, holding them together.

"Stay here." he said and stood up. He got a dish towel and wet half of it in the sink. He knelt down beside her again and gently wiped the blood from her face. Tears poured down her temples and she took choking gasps between her silent sobs. Kevin's heart hurt. He tried to dry her tears with the clean part of the towel.

"Jesus Christ," Scott said from behind him, holding Sarah's glasses over Kevin's shoulder. He took them and gently put them on her. "Should we take her to the hospital?" Scott asked.

"Oh my god! No!" Sarah cried.

Sarah and Kevin 24

Sarah rolled over and looked at the clock again. Now it said 4:16 am. Oh well, I might as well get up, she thought. She hadn't really slept but there was no point in trying now.

She got up and got dressed. She brushed her hair and braided it, twisting the braid into a bun. She put on a little eye liner and blush and went downstairs.

I can't believe he's not back. There aren't even any bars around here that are open this late.
As she walked into the kitchen and turned on the light, the back door opened. Peter fell in.

"Oh, my god. Are you OK?" She went over to help him up.

She got him on his feet and into the kitchen. That's when his expression changed. It went from blank to cruel as if he had just remembered his threat from the evening before.

"Bitch," he said and grabbed the front of her blouse. He pushed her back against the sink and pushed a knee between her legs. Grabbing her shirt with both hands, he ripped it open, sending the button's flying.

"Don't do this!" she cried.

Grabbing her arms he forced her to the floor and held her down by straddling her hips. He sat up and slapped her, sending her glasses flying. She cried out.

"Like that?" Peter mocked and backhanded her on her other cheek. She started to scream but he hit her again. She covered her face with her hands.

"Shut up!" Peter moved down and tried pulling up her skirt.

"Stop!" she screamed, trying to squirm away. She took a deep, choking breath. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" she screamed as loud as she could until Peter's hand came down on her mouth, silencing her.

Sarah and Kevin 23

"What do you help her for? We lose an hour of practice every night because of you," Peter snapped.

"Because I think I owe it to her to help her. She does a pretty good job taking care of us," he said, quietly.

"Bullshit. You're just trying to get in her bed. When she starts opening her legs, let me know so I can get my share."

Before Kevin could move, Scott and Tom were between them.

"Ya know, the competition is still on. And I'm going to be sleeping with her before the end of the month." Peter snarled over Scott's shoulder.

Kevin laughed at him. "Yeah, right. She was on to you from day one. You don't have a snowball's chance in hell with her."

"I'll have her on her back by the end of the month. You watch."

Kevin just laughed again and turned to pick up his guitar.

***

A couple weeks passed and Peter seemed to be calming down. Maybe he's not going to binge this time.

"OK, you guys. Dinner's ready," Sarah called them to the table. Kevin got up and went into the kitchen.

Peter was the last one to arrive. Sarah had a bowl of fruit salad in one hand and a bowl of green beans in the other when he stalked in. He stepped in front of her, took her face in his hands and kissed her full on the mouth. Kevin stood up, but Tom did, too and blocked his way.

"Peter, what the hell..?" Scott began.

When Peter released her, she stepped around him and set the bowls on the table. Then she turned around and slapped Peter in the face. His head spun around and welts appeared instantly on his cheek. Kevin snorted derisively.

"You bitch," he snarled and grabbed her arms, yanking her toward him. She gasped.

Kevin pushed past Tom and tried to get in between them, but Peter would not let her go.

"What the hell are you doing, you asshole?" Kevin yelled in his face.

Peter released her, shoving her, and she fell backward onto the floor.

"That was your last mistake, bitch," Peter said and pushed past Kevin and stormed out, slamming the back door behind him.

Kevin was torn between wanting to kill Peter and comfort Sarah. He took a deep breath and knelt beside her. She sat, legs stretched before her with her hands over her face, breathing hard.
Kevin tugged her skirt down to cover her knees.

"Sarah. Are you OK?"

She nodded and looked up into his face, eyes wide.

Scott and Tom came over and helped her stand up. She stumbled a little and Kevin put his arm around her waist. He helped her to a chair and then pulled one over and sat in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"He's going out drinking, isn't he?" she asked quietly. Kevin nodded.

"Oh, my god, you guys. I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault. He was looking for an excuse." Kevin said,

Sarah bowed her head. "I wish I hadn't been the one to give it to him."

Sarah and Kevin 22

March

It was shortly after the beginning of March when Kevin noticed the change coming over Peter. Kevin had seen this several times before and it usually ended with Peter going out, getting drunk and getting in trouble.

Peter started sleeping later and later into the day. When he was awake, he was irritable and restless. He got into an argument with someone every chance he had. Twice in the last week, Scott and Tom had been forced to pry Peter and him apart.

It was a Monday night when Sarah asked him about it.

"What is going on with Peter? He's like a testosterone bomb about to detonate." she asked.

"Yeah, I know." Kevin said. He wasn't sure if he should tell her what he knew or not.

"Why?" she asked.

Kevin sighed and picked up a glass to dry.

"He hasn't had a drink in almost two months."

She stopped washing and turned to look at him.

"And?"

"And he probably feels like he needs one. Or...ten," Kevin said.

"Ten? Anyway, I never said you guys couldn't drink. I just said you can't drink here," she said, pointing at the floor.

Kevin shook his head. "Peter has been doing this ever since I've known him. He'll stay sober for a while and then he'll start getting agitated and then he'll go on a binge. Usually, he gets in trouble, gets mad at himself and stays sober for a while again. Moving in here has made him stay sober, so..."

"So what you're telling me is that he's some kind of alcoholic?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Sarah looked down at the dishwater for a moment and then looked back at him.

"How do you guys deal with it?"

Kevin shrugged. "We usually just try to keep him out of trouble and if that's not possible, we just bail him out of whatever mess he's in."

Sarah exhaled, blowing her cheeks out. "Well, at least I know what his problem is. I think I liked him better when he was coming on to me all the time."

"I didn't."

Sarah's cheeks reddened. "I didn't really, either. I..." she stopped, shook her head and returned
her attention to the dishes.

When they were finished, Kevin went downstairs to practice.

Sarah and Kevin 21

Their lips met. Kevin couldn't believe how soft her mouth was. She returned his kiss. He sat back and looked into her eyes again. He wasn't sure what he read in them, but he pulled her so that she was laying on him. He kissed her again. Again, she kissed him back. She rested her head on his chest but then took a deep breath and sat back away from him.

"I'd better go upstairs," she said so quietly he barely heard her. She stood up, hooking her shoes over her fingers.

"Are you staying up?" she asked.

He shook his head. She walked to the fireplace then turned to look at him before she turned it off. In the darkness, he heard her door open and close and her footsteps up the stairs.
Kevin leaned his head on his arm. Should I have kissed her? Should I have tried to follow her upstairs? I don't know, I don't know.

There was a hollow pain in the center of his chest. He knew what was wrong. He wanted to knock on her door and tell her how he felt about her. She was his angel, his muse and he couldn't believe she was so close and so far away at the same time.

He started imagining what it would be like to be with her. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He knew Peter would laugh in his face if he knew what had just happened. Peter would have pressed his advantage and would be in bed with her right now.

Kevin relaxed, his body slumped on the couch.

Sarah, can't you see how I feel about you?

He got up and went to bed.

Sarah and Kevin 20

"Sure," he said. She walked ahead of him, turning off the kitchen light. She sat down on the sofa and unbuckled her shoes, sighing. She pulled the comb from her hair and let it fall down her back. Leaning forward, she stared into the fire for a few moments and then began talking.

"David was a fireman. He died trying to save a little girl from a burning house. She had hidden in a closet and the house collapsed on both of them before he could get her out." Sarah took a deep breath.

"Mark and David were close. Their bond was almost like the one twins have. When David died, Mark was devastated. I was six months pregnant at the time. I think Mark was taking consolation in the fact that I was carrying David's child.

"Well, three days after the funeral, I miscarried. It was pretty bad and they ended up taking me into surgery. I had to have a partial hysterectomy and the baby died. It was a little boy." Her voice cracked. "We buried him next to David." Kevin watched a tear roll down her cheek. She ran her fingers through her hair. It hung halfway down her back. She leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

"Anyway, Mark was with me through it all. He stayed with me in the hospital and took care of me after they let me come home. He helped me sort out all the financial crap that you have to deal with after a spouse dies. He really was a godsend."

"Eventually, we ended up sleeping together. At first, it was OK. He kept telling me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. But, I only wanted David back. Finally, about six months after David's death, I had to break it off with him.

"Don't get me wrong. Mark is a good man. He'll make a good husband for someone. Just not me. He's not what I want." She frowned.

"Do you know what you want?" Kevin asked.

She turned to face him and looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly.

Kevin felt the hot blood rushing around in his veins. A shiver ran down his spine and his heart began thudding in his chest. He leaned forward, reached out and laced his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. Gently, he pulled her toward him. She came willingly.

Sarah and Kevin 19

They did not have a gig that night, so after they ate dinner, they went downstairs to practice. At 10:30, they decided to call it a night and went their separate ways.

Kevin went into the living room and turned on the fireplace. He sat on the floor and leaned against the couch, staring at the flames. I wonder when she'll be home. He thought about how she looked when she left. He felt heat in his veins that had nothing to do with the fire before him.

An hour later he heard the back door open. He was going to stand up, but he heard them talking and decided not to make himself known.

"Thanks for taking me. You know I love weddings."

"Thanks for coming with me. Hey, your fireplace is on."

"Oh, that's OK. I'll turn it off before I go to bed."

"Those assholes are going to be the death of you."

"Oh, they are not and I'm tired of hearing that shit from you."

A heavy sigh. "Sorry. Sorry." Extended silence. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"No. I told you that the day you invited me and I reminded you today on the way to the church. Did you think I would change my mind?"

The sound of a kiss. "Alright, that's far enough, Mark."

"Please. It's been so long."

"Damn it, Mark. Stop!"

That was all Kevin waited to hear. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, flicking on the light.

Mark had her arms in a death grip and his face buried in her neck. His head snapped up.

"Everything OK, Sarah?" Kevin asked, looking at Mark. He released her and she moved closer to Kevin.

"Everything's fine. Good night, Mark."

He shot them both a dirty look and turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Sarah looked down, hand on her neck where Mark's mouth had been. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Are you really OK?"

"Yeah. Or I will be, anyway." She tried to smile up at him.

"Are you going upstairs?" he asked.

"No. I'm going to sit down here for a while."

"Do you want me to stay up with you?"

"Only if you want to listen to me complain." she laughed a little.

Sarah and Kevin 18

Sarah started getting ready for the wedding. Mark was supposed to pick her up at one o'clock. She could hear her musicians moving around downstairs. She smiled to herself. God, am I lucky or what? Other than having to fight Peter off, this experiment is going pretty well.

She went into the bathroom and plugged in her curling iron. While she waited for it to heat up, she put on her make up. Uninvited, a thought popped into her head. I wish Kevin was taking me to this wedding instead of Mark. She blinked at her reflection. Yeah, I really do. What would it be like to have Kevin's arms around her as they slow-danced? To feel his hands against her body? A familiar tingle ran through her. She sighed and brushed her hair.

When she was finally dressed and her hair was piled and pinned and curled, she looked at herself in the full length mirror by the closet. I look alright. She smiled at herself. I wonder what Kevin will say when he sees me. Her face turned red at the intruding thought. She took a deep breath and went downstairs.

***

Although he had heard her walking around upstairs, Kevin did not see Sarah until about one o'clock on Saturday. He heard her walking down her stairs and so he nonchalantly made his way into the living room so he would be around when she came out.

When Sarah stepped into the living room, Kevin's mouth went completely dry.

"Whoa," he said.

She was wearing a black suit jacket with a red satin blouse underneath and a skirt that stopped about three inches above her knees. She had on black nylons and high heeled black sandals. She wore a black pearl necklace and her hair was pulled back into a roll and pinned in place with a black and red comb. A strand of hair at each of her temples was loose so it hung to her shoulders. Her lipstick was red and her eyes were made up much more than usual. She still wore her glasses. She blushed as Kevin looked her up and down.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said with a smile and walked into the kitchen. The heels made her legs look awesome.

Peter, Scott and Tom came up from the basement and came into the kitchen. All three of them wolf-whistled at her and she blushed clear to her hairline.

Peter stepped over to her and took her hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it. "You are beautiful," he said and kissed her hand again.

"Well, thank you," she said. Peter still had her hand against his lips when Mark walked in.

His face turned as red as Sarah's. "Are you ready or do you have something to take care of before you go?" Mark snapped.

"I'm not going to grace that with an answer. Goodbye you guys."

"Bye" they said. Mark turned and gave them all a black look before following her out the door.

Peter started laughing after the door closed. "What an asshole." They all laughed and nodded in agreement.

Sarah and Kevin 17

Sarah's eyes filled with tears. She blinked hard and they ran down her cheeks. Kevin took her face in his hands and brushed the tears away with his thumbs. He resisted the urge to kiss her trembling lips. Instead, he kissed her forehead. He took a deep breath. She smelled like a warm summer day. Biting the inside of his cheek to keep his libido in check, he took a step away from her.

She smiled up at him. "Thank you," she whispered. She patted his cheek and slipped past him, out of the kitchen and up to her rooms. Kevin went to the computer to send a quick note home before going down to practice.

"Hi Mom,
Scott got us lined up for a few gigs. He thinks we'll get more as it gets closer to summer. We're also going to send a CD in to be considered for the music festival. If we get chosen to play there, we'll have a good chance to be heard by someone from a recording studio.
Peter is still after Sarah constantly, but she keeps blowing him off. I've never seen a woman who could hold him at bay like she has. She's pretty amazing. Unfortunately, it's just making him try harder instead of discouraging him.
Hope everything's OK with you.
Love,
Kevin"

After practice that night, Kevin went into his bedroom and turned on the bedside lamp. He pulled the top drawer of his nightstand open. All the way in the back there was a small, blue velvet box. He pulled it out and opened it. His mother's engagement ring sparkled at him. He laid down on his bed and stared at if for a while. What would Sarah say if I offered it to her? We hardly know each other. A lot of people get engaged when they hardly know each other. God, I've never felt this way about a woman before. He smiled and closed the box, returning it to it's hiding place in the drawer.

Sarah and Kevin 16

February

"OK, you guys," Sarah said one evening as they sat down to dinner. "Saturday is Valentine's Day and I have a wedding to go to. So, I'd like to trade Sunday for Saturday. I'll cook on Sunday instead, OK?"

"Are you going alone?" Peter asked.

"No. Mark invited me. That's why he was here a couple weeks ago," she said to Kevin. He nodded.

"Mark is your brother-in-law, right?" Peter asked.

"Right," she said and took a bite of her roll.

"He seems really protective of you," Peter said. Sarah nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Is there something going on between you?" Peter asked.

Kevin could see her carefully weighing her answers.

"That's a little personal don't you think?" Sarah asked.

"I just want to know where I stand," Peter answered with a slow smile.

Kevin gritted his teeth. Scott and Tom looked like they had stopped breathing. All eyes were on Sarah.

Sarah's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. "My relationship with Mark has little to nothing to do with where you stand, Mr. Tansara. But for the record, no, there's nothing between us." Her tone dripped like water from a melting icicle. The smile fell from Peter's face. He raised his hands.

"Alright. Sorry. Didn't mean to piss you off," he said. He didn't sound sorry at all.

"Apology accepted," Sarah said. "So is Saturday OK with everyone." They all answered in the affirmative.

Kevin couldn't keep the smile off his face for the rest of the meal.

After dinner, Peter couldn't get downstairs fast enough.

Kevin waited until Peter was at the bottom and turned to smile at Sarah. "You really put him in his place." he said, laughing.

Sarah sighed. "I didn't want to, but he left me no choice. Why does he have to talk to me like that?"

"Don't feel bad. His ego is plenty big. He'll recover fine." Kevin said, ruefully.

"I suppose," Sarah answered.

They finished the dishes quickly and in silence.

Kevin turned to her. "You know why he talks to you like that. He's trying to wear you down so that..." Kevin couldn't finish the sentence.

"I know. I keep trying to make my purpose clear and it's like he doesn't even hear me." She sighed again. "Maybe I went about this mentoring thing all wrong." She looked down at the floor.

Kevin reached out and grabbed her shoulders. She looked up at him, startled. "Sarah, don't say that. You have no idea how thankful we all are for you. Even Peter.

"I thought my life was over. I was going to go back to Madison and get a regular job and never get what I really wanted. You came out of nowhere like...an angel and saved me. Even if we never get the break we need, even if I still end up going home and getting a regular job, I will always be thankful for what you have done." He had to whisper to keep his voice from shaking.

Sarah and Kevin 15

After practice, Kevin went into Peter and Scott's room and sat at the computer. Scott had just got them online earlier that afternoon. He typed a quick note.

"Hi Mom,
Scott got the computer set up and we scraped together the money to get online.
Sarah's a really good cook and we're all still alive and well.
I wrote another song and Scott is getting us work again.
I'll keep you updated.
Love,
Kevin."

***

The next evening after dinner, Peter lingered in the kitchen while Sarah and Kevin cleared the table. As Sarah filled the sink, Peter came over and stood next to her. Kevin felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"How long ago did he pass away?" Peter asked gently. Sarah stopped what she was doing for a moment.

"Four years ago," she said quietly, not looking up. She continued to fill the sink.

"You should have told me. I wouldn't have come on so strong," Peter said.

"I don't like to talk about it," she said, still keeping her head down.

Kevin bit his lip as he watched Peter and Sarah. He wanted to tell her what a phony Peter was. That he didn't give a crap about her husband, or her or anything except getting her in bed.
Peter reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"If you ever do want to talk about it let me know, OK?" Peter said.

Sarah nodded without taking her eyes off the dishwater.

Peter squeezed her shoulder and gave Kevin a look of triumph as he walked out of the kitchen and down the basement stairs.

Sarah bowed her head even lower and clenched her fists. When he was out of earshot, she looked at Kevin.

"He thinks he's got me all figured out doesn't he?" She spit the words out in a low growl.

"Yeah, he does." Kevin agreed.

"He doesn't know the half of it." She snarled and began washing the dishes like she was trying to scrub the glaze off the plates.

"Peter's just used to the kind of women who hang around after a show. Not a lot upstairs, ya know?" Kevin felt he should explain, even though Peter didn't deserve it.

She turned and looked at him. "You don't have to make excuses for him. It's obvious where he thinks he's going with this." She frowned and returned to doing the dishes.

They worked in silence for a few moments.

"So," Sarah said and sighed. "Do you all write music together or does just one of you do that?"

For the rest of the time they spent cleaning up the kitchen, Kevin filled her in on the creative processes of MourningStar. She asked questions and expressed amazement at Kevin's ability to write music.

Too soon, the dishes were done.

"Thanks for your help again," Sarah said and smiled at him.

Kevin smiled back. She turned and went to her quarters.

Sarah and Kevin 14

After dinner, Peter stomped downstairs. Scott and Tom followed him but Tom gave her a shy smile before going down to practice. Kevin stood up and helped her clear the table.

"How long did it take you to write all of that?" Kevin asked.

"About a year and a half for each. I also write a weekly column for the local rag." She sighed. "I think Peter wanted me to say that I wrote erotica so he could 'help me with my research'." Sarah mocked Peter's sexy voice.

Kevin laughed. "Most women melt at his feet when he talks like that."

Sarah nodded. "I can see that. I'll bet he can be persuasive. And persistent."

"Yeah." Kevin said sourly. "He always gets what he wants."

"Oh well. There's a first time for everything." Sarah said and filled the kitchen sink. Kevin smiled as they washed dishes together.

The next two weeks passed quickly. Scott got them some work and Sarah kept them sheltered and fed. It was a Wednesday night when Kevin met Mark again.

Kevin had taken to doing the dishes with Sarah every night. Thankfully, Peter left them alone while they did this. Wednesday night, Kevin was drying dishes as usual when the back door opened.

"Sarah Jane," said a voice. Kevin turned to see the red haired cop in his civvies stepping in the back door. He gave Kevin a withering look.

Sarah lifted her head and looked out the window over the sink into the darkness. "Yes, Mark?" her voice was flat.

"You still mad at me?" he asked.

She sighed. "I'm over it. But I hear you were harassing my musicians. Wanna explain?" She turned around and leaned against the sink, arms crossed.

"Just watching out for my own," he said.

"Kevin, this is my brother-in-law, Mark. I imagine he didn't introduce himself when he pulled you over."

Kevin nodded at him. He nodded back coldly.

"Can I talk to you alone?" Mark asked Sarah, obviously ignoring Kevin.

"I'll see you later," Kevin said to Sarah and walked past Mark and down the stairs. He heard Sarah sigh as he left the kitchen.

"Man, you look pissed." Peter said when Kevin reached the bottom of the stairs.

"That cop with the red hair that stopped us is here. He's her brother-in-law." Kevin said.

"Her brother-in-law?" Peter asked. "Did she call him that?"

"Yeah, why?" Kevin asked.

"Because if she called him that, she must be widowed. If she were divorced, she would call him her ex-brother-in-law." Peter told him.

"Congratulations, Sherlock," Kevin said. "So what?"

"So, no wonder she's been giving me the brush off. She must be still mourning him. I just need to change my tactics and, boom, I'm in. If you know what I mean." Peter was very proud of himself.

Kevin felt sick to his stomach. Peter was like an unstoppable force when he was after a woman. Most of them did not stand a chance once he turned on the charm. Kevin had been impressed with Sarah's ability to blow off Peter's advances. But now that Peter thought he had her figured out, maybe she would succumb just like the rest.

"Do you ever not think with your dick? Seriously?" Kevin asked.

"Um. No. Besides, I'm doing this for all of us. Once I am 'in' we can do whatever we want." Peter sneered. Kevin clenched his fist and took a step toward Peter. He was envisioning how Peter would look with a fat, bloody lip.

"All right. Shut up and get ready to play." Scott said.

Sarah and Kevin 13

The next night Sarah made some kind of chicken and broccoli casserole. They sat down to dinner and ate in silence for several moments.

"So, what do you do upstairs all day?" Peter asked between bites.

Sarah looked at him for a moment. "I write." she said as if she was unsure of how they would receive that information.

Kevin lifted his head to stare at her. "You write?" he asked.

Sarah nodded at him. "Yeah."

"Do you have anything published?" Scott asked.

"Two novels and a book of short stories." she said.

"Damn," Scott said appreciatively.

Kevin continued to stare at her. Not only was she a good cook and cute as hell, she was an artist, too.

"What kind of novels do you write?" Peter asked.

"Oh, dragons and swords and maiden's in distress."

"Really. Anybody ever get together in your books?" Peter raised his eyebrows suggestively. Kevin gritted his teeth.

"Of course." she said matter of factly.

"Ever do any research?" Peter purred. "I'd be interested in helping you in any way I can."

Sarah put her elbows on the table and folded her hands in front of her mouth. Her eyes glittered like she was trying not to laugh. "Really? When was the last time you slew a dragon? And exactly how did you do it?" Kevin smiled and Tom nearly spit out his pop.

"Forget it," Peter said, exasperated.

She nodded and they finished dinner in silence.

Sarah and Kevin 12

After dinner that night, Kevin lingered behind when the rest went downstairs to practice. He was debating whether he should offer to help with the dishes or not. He knew if he asked, she would tell him no. Instead, he just started helping her.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she said.

"What if I said I wanted to?" Kevin asked her, a plate in each hand. She cocked her head to the side and looked at him for a moment.

"Far be it from me to stop you from doing something you want to do." she said and filled the sink with water. She started piling dishes in the sink.

Kevin brought all the dishes to the counter for her and then took the table cloth outside and shook it. He put it back on the table.

"Where are your dish towels?" She pointed to a drawer. He opened it and pulled out a towel.

As she washed, he dried the dishes and stacked them on the counter for her. They worked together in silence. Occasionally, their arms would touch. Kevin felt comfortable. He had washed dishes with his mom for as long as he could remember.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked.

"Almost nine years."

"And before that?

I lived with my Aunt.": she said and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "What about you? Are you from around here?"

"I grew up near Madison. I moved to Chicago to find a band to play with. My mom still lives up there. She was expecting me home this week.

"What did she say when you told her where you were?" she smiled as she scrubbed at a pan.

"She told me to be careful." Kevin laughed a little.

"Yeah. I'll bet she did." Sarah laughed back.

They finished the dishes in silence.

"Thanks for your help," she said and began putting the dishes away.

"No problem." He watched her for a moment and turned to go downstairs.

Sarah and Kevin 11

Sarah stopped and turned to look at him. She had a can in each hand. Kevin looked into her eyes and for a minute he felt like he was drowning and he didn't want to come up for air. Then, suddenly, the gates came down in her eyes and he was shut out. She turned back to her groceries. "If you think of it, you could put me in the "Thank You" section of your multi-platinum CD," she said with a little laugh. Kevin thought her cheeks were a little pinker than before.

Kevin heard footsteps on the basement stairs. Soon, Peter was standing in the kitchen leaning against the kitchen sink so that Kevin and she were separated from each other.

"What kind of good stuff are you cooking up for us tonight?"

"Sloppy Joe's, beans, and potato salad."

"Sounds good. I thought about you a lot today."

Sarah turned and looked at him. Kevin could see her expression. At first she squinted at Peter. Then her eyes opened wide and her cheeks reddened. She quickly turned back to putting her groceries away. When she finally finished, she began pulling out pots and pans. She put a large pot on the stove and she put some hamburger on to brown. Peter watched her, looking her up and down the entire time. Kevin felt his heart thudding in his chest. After breaking up the hamburger with a spatula, Sarah turned around and looked Peter in the eye.

"You know, Mr. Tansara, that I invited you here to help resurrect your musical career, right? I expect you to treat me with respect and to stop acting like I owe you sexual favors as well as financial ones." Her voice was very quiet, clipped and cold. There was no mistaking the anger in her eyes. Kevin watched in delight as Peter seemed taken aback for a moment. He just stood and blinked at her like he was not sure of what he was seeing. "Have I made myself clear?" she asked.

Unfortunately, Peter regained his bravado pretty quickly. He gave her a slow smile and walked toward her. Kevin stood up, alarmed.

"Actually, I was hoping to grant you some sexual favors." He was so close to her that she tried to take a step back, but the oven was behind her. "But, I'll ease up for now, as a favor to you."

Without touching her, he turned and walked toward the bedrooms. Sarah pressed her lips together and shook her head. She took a deep breath and went back to her ground beef. Kevin sat back down in the chair and echoed her sigh.