Conflicted in Paradise Ch. 03

Kelsey laughed at the image as she grabbed hold of the mic. They both stood in front of the crowd, smiling at the cheers of adoration that came their way. The DJ quickly hooked up another microphone, handing it to Ryan before going back to his console. He gave them a quizzical look, and Kelsey and Ryan both looked at each other for several seconds before they both snickered.

"I guess we really should figure out what we want to sing, huh?" Kelsey giggled.

"It'd probably help, yeah." He nodded with a devilish grin. "Why don't we just ask the crowd what they want to hear?"

"I don't know all that many songs," Kelsey said a little hesitantly. "At least not well enough to sing them."

"I doubt they do, either!" He turned towards the crowd, speaking into his mic. "Hey, pipe down! Quiet! Okay. This incredibly beautiful and talented girl and I will do a duet for you guys, so what do you want to hear? It's gotta be a girl and guy thing, so no asking for Akon and Eminem or shit like that, okay?"

Dozens of people yelled songs at once, making it impossible to make out. Ryan held up his hands for silence, then pointed at a hot-looking girl near the stage. "What did you say you wanted?"

"'Written in the Stars!'" the girl replied loudly.

Ryan looked doubtfully at Kelsey, and Kelsey shook her head. He turned back to the crowd. "Neither of us know that one, sorry. Anyone else?"

"'Deja Vu!'" a voice in the back yelled.

"Ah, Jay-Z," Ryan said, nodding in approval. Another glance at Kelsey turned that request down as well.

"'Time of my Life!'" Carynne said before anyone else could cut in.

"Oooh yes!" Kelsey said elatedly. "Let's do that one, c'mon!"

This time, however, it was Ryan who had to beg off. "Never heard of it."

"You've never heard of it? Have you never seen 'Dirty Dancing?'" Kelsey asked, stunned.

"Sorry," he grinned, somewhat insincerely. He turned back to the crowd. "Anything else?"

"What's the point? You guys don't know anything!" someone yelled good-naturedly, eliciting quite a lot of laughter from the crowd.

"Hey, give us a break! Up until ten minutes ago I didn't even know she could sing!" Ryan countered with a roguish smirk, which earned him a gleeful punch in the shoulder from Kelsey.

"Do some Roxette!" a girl from the back row shouted.

Kelsey and Ryan looked at each other, each of them sporting a look that said 'why didn't we think of that?' Almost simultaneously, they said, "'The Look?'"

With a laugh they got ready, and the DJ quickly looked up the song. As the familiar guitar riff started blasting out of the speakers, Ryan grabbed Kelsey's hand and started singing.

Kelsey smiled at Ryan while he sang, then she joined in, feeling her mind soar with joy. She'd always loved singing, but she'd never before realized it could make her feel so... alive! There, with the crowd cheering her on, she almost felt happier than she'd ever been before.

The crowd was cheering and singing along with the song, happily belting out, "She's got the look!" whenever the refrain came up, and everyone was dancing, drinking and laughing. The entire place was rocking as Ryan and Kelsey entertained everyone, both of them delivering another fantastic performance.

When the song ended, they both bowed, and the roar of the crowd was again absolutely deafening.

"Great job, Kel," Ryan said encouragingly.

"Thank you," she said softly, giving him a demure smile.

"You ready to go be a part of the crowd again?"

She thought it over for a few seconds, throwing a longing glance in the direction of Damon and Amanda, both of whom were smiling at her and giving her a thumbs-up. "Actually, I..." she began, then stopped.

"What?"

"I'd like to do one more song, if you don't mind? I just thought of it."

"Alright. Which one?"

"'Listen to Your Heart.'"

He gave her a bit of a surprised look. "You heart-broken over someone?"

She shook her head. "Not really... well, I guess. Sorta. It's a long story, and I don't really want to go into it now. Will you sing it with me?"

He shrugged. "Sure. There's not much for me to sing in it, though. She sings basically the whole song."

"I know. I was hoping you could play it for me on the guitar?"

"You want to do it acoustic?"

"Yeah."

"Man, those butterflies of yours sure left in a hurry, didn't they?"

She giggled. "They're still there, but this song is just for a few special people, and they won't mind if it doesn't sound quite as good. Can you play it for me?"

He scratched his head, giving her a bit of a dubious look. "I don't really know it that well, but I guess I can probably muddle my way through."

She gave him a gorgeous smile, secretly enjoying how flustered it made him, after which she asked the DJ to bring out his guitar again. The DJ quickly complied, more than happy to have two such talented, young people entertaining the crowd for as long as they wanted to.

Ryan took the guitar and sat down on the stool again, strumming a few chords, trying to find the key. After a few moments, he said to Kelsey, "Okay, I think I got it."

She nodded and stood right beside him, clutching the mic in both her hands, almost touching her lips. Ryan started playing the song, and Kelsey joined in on his second run through the riff. She sang softly, almost hauntingly, pouring her entire soul into it. The crowd, which had been rowdy and loud as all hell during their previous song, again grew quiet as a whisper. Many of the lovers in the crowd hugged their partners, while all of them stayed focused on the beautiful teenager with the voice of an angel.

Kelsey's eyes were locked on Damon and Amanda throughout the whole song, and she sang it completely subconsciously. The active part of her mind was trying to figure out how to correct the mistake she'd made, and how to get the two of them back with her and Carynne. Amanda had taken the first step that afternoon, and she knew it was up to her to take the next one. She'd been miserable without them the past month, and though she absolutely felt that Carynne was worth it, she also fervently prayed that it wasn't necessary. If Damon and Amanda could make an exception for her, surely they could make one for Carynne also?

She had trouble continuing when Amanda started crying, and her eyes met Damon's right at the start of the refrain; it seemed like she was speaking directly into his soul as she sang the words. She had to swallow the sudden lump in her throat when she saw his normally stoic facade begin to crack. He wiped at his eyes several times and pulled Amanda closer against him, though he never stopped smiling at her.

Her emotions ran haywire through the remainder of the song. Feeling herself get torn apart by her love for Amanda and her brother, her tears were freely running down her face when she came up to the final refrain. Suppressing her turmoil for just a moment, she subtly changed the words, her voice ringing clear to the sky as she sang, "Listen to your heart, when they're calling for you. Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do. I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why. Listen to your heart, before... you tell them goodbye." Her voice cracked on the final word, and she started crying in earnest as she dropped the mic.

Ryan was looking at her in surprise and consternation, and she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, while the crowd erupted into another round of riotous applause. She snatched up her discarded jacket, jumped off the stage and ran over to the people she loved more than anything else in the world.

Both Amanda's and Damon's faces were wet from their tears, and Carynne wasn't doing much better. Kelsey gave them a huge smile, having trouble seeing them clearly through her own tears. "Come with us, baby, please," she said to Carynne, as she grabbed Damon and Amanda's hands and pulled them along with her. Before anyone could say anything else, Kelsey hurriedly led the three of them out of the club.

"Wow, are they alright? There's nothing wrong, is there?" Ryan asked concernedly when he rejoined Siara and Stacey, nodding polite thank-yous to random people who kept patting him on the shoulder or offered to shake his hand.

"No, there's not. Everything is just fine," Stacey said reassuringly. She felt practically giddy with what was happening; the prospect of having the four of them back together and possibly back with her as well nearly made her want to scream with joy.

"Okay. Do we want to stay, or just call it a night as well, or...?"

Stacey gave Siara a calculating look, the unspoken question in her eyes. Siara began to blush, but she nodded almost imperceptibly, and Stacey felt her stomach lurch a little as she grabbed Ryan's hand. "We can call it a night, but I'd like to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Can I stay with you guys tonight?"

"Huh?" he said, his expression baffled. He looked at Siara, but she was keeping her face carefully neutral—obviously she was content to let him decide. He returned his gaze to Stacey and asked, "Why wouldn't you go back with Kelsey and Carynne and stay in your villa?"

"Because they won't be there, I think. The four of them have a lot to talk about, and I really don't like sleeping all by myself in that big place."

"Oh. Well, I guess you can stay with us, but we don't have a spare bed in our little lodge or anything. You could sleep on the couch, or maybe—"

"I was kinda hoping I could sleep with you guys. In your bed," Stacey interrupted him with a teasing whisper. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the way his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"You... what?" he gasped. He looked at Siara again for help. "Sia, what's going on?"

"We... I have something to tell you, Ryan. Please let me finish all the way through before you respond or do anything, okay?" Siara asked.

"Okay," he said, sounding unsure.

She drew in a deep breath, quickly glancing at Stacey and feeling comforted when she saw Stacey's supportive nod, then she began to talk. Hesitantly at first, her voice grew in strength as she went on, relaying to him—in detail—everything that had happened that afternoon, up to and including the part where she was fingered and licked in both her holes by Kelsey and Carynne.

Ryan was utterly stunned by the time she finished talking, and he just kept switching his gaze between the two girls. His mouth kept opening, but nothing came out as he couldn't find the words. Finally, he took hold of Siara's hand and kissed it. "You're full of surprises, you know that?" he said softly.

She gave him a sheepish smile, still unsure of how he was feeling, but she nodded in agreement. "You wouldn't want me to get dull and predictable, would you?"

He shook his head. "Never that, Sia. Never that."

"Are you angry at me?" she asked, her voice vulnerable.

"No. Surprised, sure! I'm also quite jealous, but I'm not angry at you, babe."

"You're jealous?"

"Well, you did say you hated Carynne, remember?"

Siara gave him a puzzled look for a few seconds, then she smiled in sudden understanding. "Ah. You think she's beautiful."

"Yep," he grinned.

"And... you wouldn't mind getting in her knickers."

He shook his head demonstratively. "Nope."

"And I take it the same goes for Kelsey?"

"Uh-huh," he smirked.

"I'd call you a bloody dog, but I don't think I exactly have the high moral ground here," she giggled.

"No, you don't!" he laughed. "You know, this is actually quite awesome. I can be a dirty scumbag, and there's really not much you can say or do about it."

She smiled at him, but a small flash of pain tore through her. He immediately noticed it, and quickly grabbed her hands, bringing them to his mouth to kiss them. "I'm sorry. I'm just teasing you, Sia. You know the last thing I want to do is to hurt you."

She couldn't help herself, and several tears slid down her cheeks. "You're such a wonderful guy. I thank the heavens every day for you."

He gave her a bit of an embarrassed look. "Aww, come on, babe. I'm not that much of a catch."

"You are to me."

"I love you, Siara."

"I love you too."

Stacey, who had been patiently standing off to the side while the whole exchange was going on, chimed in. "You two are both awesome together."

They both gave her a quick grin and nodded their thanks.

"So, about her coming with us..." Siara said softly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"You've always wanted to have a threesome."

His heart began thudding louder in his chest. "Yeah."

"And I really enjoyed having sex with the girls this afternoon."

"Yeah..." he almost squeaked.

"And she'd love to join us, wouldn't you, Stacey?"

"Mmmm, yes," Stacey almost purred.

"Jesus Christ," Ryan said with a quiet moan. "Are you really serious, Sia?"

Siara blushed again, but she nodded confidently.

"I want you to be sure about this. I don't want you to feel as if you have to do it because of what happened this afternoon, because you don't. I don't want you to do this and then regret it a few weeks later. Please tell me that you're sure?"

"I'm sure," she said with a beautiful smile.

"Fuck!" he gasped.

"That's the idea, yeah," Siara giggled.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

She gave him a sultry kiss, nibbling on his lower lip for a moment. "I plan on making sure that this night is going to be the best thing that's ever happened to you," she whispered sexily.

"Oh God..." he moaned. He looked at Stacey. "Are you sure about this too?"

"Oh yeah," Stacey grinned. "I've wanted to get my hands on you both since the first time I saw you."

Ryan stood quietly for a few more seconds, still not quite believing what was happening to him. He finally shook his head a few times and gave the girls a big, elated grin. "I guess we'd better get back to our place then. Stacey, you want to come stay with us?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Stacey laughed.

*** ***

Kelsey sat in the wet sand, right at the edge of the surf, listening to the endlessly repeating sound of the waves hitting the shore. She loved feeling the refreshingly cool water wash over her feet. She was holding Carynne's hand, and her girlfriend was snuggled up close against her, while Amanda and Damon were there right beside them. All three of them were looking at her; she hadn't said much since she'd pulled everyone out of the club, but they were apparently content to wait for her to work her way up to it.

"I loved that last song, Kel," Amanda said softly, finally breaking the relative silence. "I thought you were going to break my heart with it."

"Thank you," Kelsey replied, giving her a beautiful smile. "I sang it just for you two. Well, I sang it for you too, baby, of course," she added, looking at Carynne.

"I know. But I also know what you were implying with it," Carynne replied, kissing Kelsey's hand.

"Yeah, I think we all did," Damon added, giving his sister a supportive squeeze on her shoulder.

Kelsey rested her cheek against his hand, closing her eyes. She hated how difficult the situation had become, but she knew she had to put an end to it right then and there, one way or the other. She gathered up her courage and opened her eyes, looking at the three of them in turn. Seeing their love for her reflected in their faces made her feel warm inside.

"We need to talk about some stuff, but first I think it's about time that we confess something," she said, surreptitiously glancing at Amanda.

Amanda, of course, immediately knew what she was referring to, and she let out a deep sigh. "Yes, I really should... Damon, this afternoon, I—"

"We seduced Amanda into having sex with us," Kelsey interrupted.

Amanda gave her an utterly surprised look, to which Kelsey quickly and almost imperceptibly shook her head to try to get her to be quiet. Amanda shook her head as well, and she said, "No, Kel. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm not going to lie about it. Not to him."

Amanda took Damon's hands between her own while looking him straight in the eyes; she felt her heart ache at the surprise and bewilderment she saw in them. "Kel and Carynne went into the fitting room in the bikini shop together, and Stacey came to talk to me. She kept hammering me about how we should make an exception to our exclusivity for Carynne, how it wouldn't hurt us to share our bed with Carynne as well as Kelsey, and eventually she... she convinced me to go join them."

"Stacey talked to you about that too? Us being exclusive, I mean?" Damon asked, surprised.

"Yeah... wait, she talked to you about it as well?" Amanda replied, equally as surprised.

"She said she wanted to talk to you both separately before talking to you as a couple, so she'd know where your thoughts were at," Kelsey explained, trying to sound as impartial as she possibly could. She felt bad for Stacey, and she didn't want Damon and Amanda to get angry at her.

"Why didn't you tell me she'd talked to you about it?" Amanda asked her boyfriend.

Damon let out a long sigh. "Because she was basically trying to seduce me, saying how much she wanted us back in her bed. I didn't want you to have to worry about that too, in addition to everything going on with Kel," he said quietly.

Amanda gave him a long, gentle kiss on his cheek. "You're so sweet for thinking of me like that, though I do sort of wish you'd told me."

"Would it have made a difference, you think? In your decision this afternoon?" Kelsey asked. "If you knew Stacey was trying to get you both back together with us?"

Amanda thought it over for a few seconds, then she reluctantly shook her head. "No, probably not. I... I missed you so much, and the thought of you being in there like that... I probably would have gone and joined you anyways."

"So what happened?" Damon asked, his face held carefully neutral. "What did you do?"

"Kelsey ate my pussy," Amanda said quietly, a hint of embarrassment, or perhaps regret, in her voice. "I came all over her face, then licked it off her. I guess what I'm saying is that I basically cheated on you."

"Cheated? What are you talking about?" he asked kindly. She was looking so sad that he felt his heart break. "How did you cheat on me if all you did was have sex with Kelsey?"

Carynne fidgeted restlessly in the sand, and before Amanda could reply, she blurted out, "I played with her ass while she rode Kel's face, and we made out pretty heavily. I'm sorry, Damon, I swear I thought that the two of you had decided it was okay. I'd have never done it if I'd known..."

Amanda's face fell, and she looked truly miserable, staring into the sand between her curled up legs. "I'm so sorry! Can you please forgive me?"

He cupped her chin and slowly lifted it. As he saw her beautiful eyes come up, wet with tears, he just felt himself going crazy with his love for her, and he bent forward to give her a slow, unhurried kiss. "Of course I forgive you. There's nothing to forgive, as far I'm concerned."

"But... I mean, we agreed we'd just have sex with Kel and each other, and nobody else..."

"Honey, remember what I said a few days ago? That you should just go be with Kel and Carynne? So why would I be mad if you actually did it?"

"You said what?!" Kelsey asked in astonishment. "Amanda, why didn't you tell us?"

"There was nothing to tell, because I refused. I love you, both of you, but I'm not going to be without Damon for anyone," Amanda said emphatically.

"What? Why would you be without Damon?" Carynne asked before Kelsey could.

"Because I told her to not worry about me, and to just go be with the two of you," Damon explained.

"No!" Kelsey cried out in dismay. She quickly leaned over and punched Damon in his shoulder several times. "Oh my God, you complete... idiot! The absolute lastthing I want is for you two to break up over something I did! Don't you ever dare say something like that again!"