“I’m trying really hard not to worry about Jesse and what he might do. You know he’ll find out.” I’ve told my family everything. Unfortunately, most of it’s been over the phone. We have to talk about it without Ethan being around; and Mom is right, he loves his grandparents so much that the minute he sees they’re here, he’s running straight to them.
“I think the asshole knows not to show his face around here. Riddick isn’t a little boy any more than you’re a little girl. He’s a cop, sweetheart. Former Army. If he can protect his country and this community with his life, can you imagine what he would do if the man who took you from him showed up here? He’d kill him.” Right, I think to myself. That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Not that Jesse doesn’t deserve to die. He does. It’s the repercussions of what will happen to Riddick if he does that scare me.
“You’re right,” I express enough to appease her worry.
“Of course I am. I have to go. I love you. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Love you, too.” I’ve been blessed with them. “Be safe. I’m worried about us all,” I whisper to the door when she shuts it behind her.
“Is Mom gone?” Vivian asks when she enters the kitchen all fresh-faced and showered. Her eyes are searching for that fly on the wall that isn’t there. What is she up to?
“Yes, she went home to start the roast she’s making for dinner. You know how she is,” I answer her question, which seems to be loaded. My sister has something to say, and she does not want our mother to know it.
“Are you okay?” I ask, a bit bewildered and concerned. Whatever is running through her head has her not wanting to look at me.
“Vivian, what the hell is going on? Mom may not have caught on to how you went from being you to being a complete stranger, but I did,” I bid, giving her the opportunity to spill it before I have to pry it out of her. It’s more out of worry than anything.
“You’ve met Riddick’s friends, right? Jude and Tyson, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” I answer, more mixed up than ever.
“Do you promise to be open-minded when I tell you this, because you know I had no idea, right?” I take a seat, my mind telling me I’m going to need it. I’ve never seen her like this. Devastated. Depleted.
“Vivian, what is going on? You had no idea about what?” I reach for her hand, pulling her down in the chair next to me.
“I slept with Jude,” she announces loudly.
I try to swallow and speak at the same time, my face forming that surprised look I get when reading the prologue of a book. Shocked.
“When?” I gasp.
She stares through me, her eyes are not blinking for several drawn-out seconds. I’m not sure what to think of this, except watching her face convert into a traumatizing expression has me wondering if there’s more to her story than the two of them sleeping together.
“Last Friday night.” My jaw goes slack. If there truly were a fly on the wall, it would have no problem at all finding its way into my wide-open mouth. I snap it closed. Quickly.
“He’s the dirty, rotten asshole you told me about? The one who called you a hooker after you had sex?” I mumble around a subdued laugh; this really isn’t funny, yet it kind of is. It was only a week ago when this happened. I won’t forget how Vivian reacted when she came into my room at four o’clock in the morning, shaking me out of my sleep and ranting and raving loudly enough that I had to shake her to calm her down, tell her to lower her voice before she woke Ethan, whose room is on the second level in the front of our house. Far away from mine. That’s how out of control she was.
“The one and only,” she quips.
“Wow. I’m thrown here. The man I met is laid back, extremely down to earth,” I imply. I love this woman dearly, but, and this is a big but, one I’ll keep to myself in this vital moment for her. Vivian can be dramatic at times. She’s independent. She’s also not looking for a relationship. She was burned once; claims men are good for one thing, and half of them aren’t even good at that. However, she claimed Jude was. Even sputtered it out several times during her raging rant with her hands flying all over the place, pulling at her hair, eyes bugging out of her head, while I sat in my bed holding in my laughter so forcefully that I thought my stomach would burst.
“He’s a prick. One I hoped I’d never see again,” she clarifies.
“I take it you saw him the other day at Riddick’s?” I ask.
“Yes. No. Kind of, I guess.” Her words are trailing off in a bit of a panic. “I was walking to my car when he was pulling in. I thought maybe he tracked me down, came to apologize or some shit. Pulled into the wrong drive. I don’t know. I stood there staring at him like a gaping fool, waiting for him to say something. He didn’t say a fucking word. Just cocked his head to the side and smirked. He fucking smirked at me, Cora. Then he took off his sunglasses and replaced them with those stupid glasses he wears. He acted as if he didn’t know who I was. Then he just knocked and walked right into Riddick’s house. I had no idea he was one of his partners, not until Ethan told me about him and his other friend, Tyson. I’m so sorry. I just, well, I wanted you to know.”
“I’m so sorry, Vivian. Listen to me. Men are assholes, okay? And now, well, now you’ve told me. If you’re worried this will cause issues for Riddick and me, then stop right there. We’re all adults, Vivian. If the two of you can’t get along, then talk to him or at least be cordial. Kill him with kindness. People hate that. Or pretend like nothing ever happened. As far as him not acknowledging you, you didn’t say anything to him either.” I’m not sure what else to say about the situation. I know the man I met the other day was head over heels crazy about Ethan and me. He loves Riddick as much as Vivian loves me. He’ll keep whatever happened between them to himself. I have no doubt about that at all. It’s Vivian with her big mouth and her quick temper I’m going to have to keep my eye on.
“Yeah, well, it’s one of those easier said than done type of things. He treated me like a whore. Basically called me one. I’d never do anything to hurt you or Ethan. But if that son of a bitch even looks at me wrong, I’m not sure what I will do. Probably pull out his gun and shoot him in the head with it.”
“That would be a crime. The guy has a pretty head. Not to mention he is a cop, which means federal prison for you, sister; and you do not look good in orange. That’s your worst color.” I cringe just thinking about the bright, gaudy color. Yuck. I’m also trying to loosen her up. This is really bothering her.
“I’m kidding. I’ll play nice. You may want to give that man of yours the heads up, though. I doubt numbnuts will tell him,” she expresses with a slight grin.
“Numbnuts?” I titter, then grab my book from the table, stand, and drag her up to me.
“I told you I kicked him in his balls before I walked out the door. The asshole fell to the ground. I had on those pointed-toed red Louboutin’s of yours. You know, the ones you had to have but never wear.”
Oh, that’s right. I forgot all about that tidbit of information. She blabbered on so much the other night that all her words started blending together. I lie to appease her, though. “I remember. I will need them back, please. Soon. Riddick asked me on a date.” I grab the opportunity to change the subject now that I can see the worry draining from her face.
“Oh my God. This is your first date together. I bet he takes you to the drive-in.”
“Go to bed, Vivian,” I say, clutching my book to my chest. Rolling my eyes.
“Are you sure you’re not mad? I was kidding about the shooting him part.”
“Why would I be mad? You’re a beautiful single woman, Vivian. The man owes you an apology for what he said. Maybe he was just as shocked to see you as you were him. Give it a rest. Everything will be fine,” I lie once again. She won’t let this go. I know she won’t. Not until she makes him pay for humiliating her.
“Okay then. If you’re sure, then I’m going to bed. Good book by the way. Second chance romance. Fitting.” Sh
e winks, kisses my cheek, and then heads up to her room. Our rooms are identical. I would have chosen that one with it being on the same floor as the one Ethan chose, but it’s all pink and white. Frilly and girly. Like her.
“Vivian,” I call out to her.
“Yeah,” she replies.
“I appreciate you telling me. I love you, don’t forget that.”
She forces a smile. I can tell it’s still troubling her. I can’t help her with that. She has to deal with it on her own. Maybe this will be a lesson learned to not pick up random men at a bar. “I love you, too.”
I sigh, content and overwhelmed at the same time. At ease, because I know my sister; she may have a mouth on her, but she would never do anything to cause me pain. I’m overwhelmed, because I grab my phone off the counter and start walking toward the door. I need to call Seth, and even though it’s been a while since we were together, it wasn’t a sordid fling or a casual hookup, not that I’ve had one of those. I haven’t. I genuinely cared about Seth. He just wasn’t Riddick. When Ethan was younger, I didn’t have time to date, let alone think about sex. Whenever I did think about it, my mind wandered to Riddick. I couldn’t help but feel as if I would betray him in a way if I allowed another man to touch me. It couldn’t be helped. My heart simply didn’t allow it.
It wasn’t until I started dating Seth that I realized my life was fading away, that the man I loved was never coming back to me, so I told him everything. He respected my limitations, stopped when I asked him to; and when I was ready, he made me feel alive. But not like Riddick. And definitely not like last night.
After gathering my beach bag by the door, I hoof my bare feet across the grass and onto the warm sand. I spread my blanket down, pull my shirt over my head, shimmy out of my shorts and toss them to the side. I take my phone, sit down, and draw in a shaky breath as I start to dial his number, jumping out of my skin when I hear Seth’s voice saying hello from behind me instead of through the phone.
“Oh my God. You scared the hell out of me.” I gasp as I take all of him in. The genuine smile on his face, the constant look of I-wish-we-could-have-worked-out that stems from his eyes. His tanned, muscular chest.
“Sorry. I should probably start calling first,” he says, stepping in front of me to block the sun from hitting my eyes. That’s when I realize I’m squinting. I have so many pairs of sunglasses, yet I left them all in the house. I blame Vivian and her surprising confession for forgetting them. Which still hasn’t quite sunk in. It’s ironic as hell that she and Jude hooked up. The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that a bomb is going to go off between the two of them before the chance of their predicament settles down.
“Have a seat,” I tell him, patting the spot next to me. I need to forget about her situation and deal with my own problems first.
“I only have a few hours to hang out, thought maybe Ethan and I could hit the waves.”
“Seth,” I say, compassion draining from my voice. I know he’s going to be happy for us, but it’s going to hurt him. It’s like tying one end of a string to a loose tooth, the other end to a doorknob, and then swinging the door back and forth in a nervous effort to slam it shut, thus ripping out the tooth with one fell swoop.
“Riddick is alive, Seth. My brother lied about everything. Now please, will you sit?”
13
RIDDICK
It took everything I had to leave her standing there this morning, with her damp hair hanging down her back, eyes peaceful, and a smile a mile wide. I put that smile there just like the one I’ve been wearing all day with my son; only mine disappeared the minute I walked through my door just now.
I meant it when I said she’s unmanned me. She has, and I could give a million fucks away and still not care who knows about it. It doesn’t get any more real than that.
I would give anything to go back to last night to where Cora and I talked, instead of me standing in the middle of my living room, where my two best friends wait for me like I asked them to. I owe them big time for risking their jobs by starting our own investigation.
I stand there for a minute thinking of last night and today. As strange as it may seem, Cora and I hashed out so much in one single night. She handed over her fears to me about Jesse, while I retained my anger. For now. I promised I wouldn’t keep her in the dark if she promised to stop being scared, to let me handle him.
Consequently, the reason why these guys are here. It’s time to get down to business, and we all know I’m not risking using the department’s time or their money to derive a plan on bringing these two slimy motherfuckers down. Not when I propose on making them wish they never knew my name to begin with. Slaughtering them like the foul-smelling pieces of shit they are.
I run my hands down my face and hold them there. Because good god, last night and today should be what life is all about. I should be coming home to them, not this shit.
Ethan and I should be giving each other all kinds of shit about the crazy bullshit we did today. The laughing while he told me how one of his friends literally pissed on another kid, who claimed he was stung by a jellyfish when in reality he stepped on a seashell; or when I reiterated about the shitters we had to use in Afghanistan. I never laughed so hard in my life, and those stories weren’t even the half of it.
I never knew a love so natural like that existed. Sure, my dad loved me, and I loved him; he put me above anything else. But the man was a criminal. He had duties to his club, his people, and he not once hid that from me. I grew up seeing some rough shit. Shit no kid my age should see. Drugs. Sex. Booze. Hell, I owned every kind of gun imaginable by the time I was sixteen. I’ve seen it all, loved and hated it at the same damn time. The bottom line is, you honestly don’t have a clue a love like that can fill your heart until it’s spilling over with pride, lapping up every word that spills out of their mouth. That life isn’t about you anymore. That his health and happiness are more important than your own. That you helped make him and the world around you stops in that instant, because nothing else means more to you than him. My entire life has changed, all because of a child who’s mine. I’m going to stand by his side and show him that what he wants to do or be is all right with me as long as he’s truly happy. As long as he knows how much I love him. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a changed man already. That my future with them is clear for the first time in my life.
Surfing is what makes him happy. He’s fucking good at it, too. His hand-eye coordination is flawless. His balance is perfect. The only thing he needs is to build his body strength, then to combine all of these things together. I’m thankful this is something I can help him with without stepping on his instructor’s toes. To show him some basic exercises, squats, and kicks that will strengthen his legs while allowing his muscles to develop and grow in the natural way they’re supposed to. We did all of that today while laughing, joking, and bonding, and fuck, now… Now, I’m about to delve into a past that’s going to fuck our lives up. I can sense it.
“Man, I’m almost envious of you. Almost,” Tyson confesses. I grin then quickly wipe it off of my face when I observe two open laptops on my coffee table, another closed, waiting there for me.
Chaotic heaviness thrums through me, knowing tonight could be another sleepless one. It sure as fuck won’t be as enjoyable or memorable as last night when I got myself reacquainted with my angel. The first night we were able to be in bed together for longer than an hour, and we didn’t sleep a wink. Not that I minded; neither did my dick or my heart.
I’m grateful she told me this morning that they were going to see her parents tonight, because whatever we find out about Jesse is going to strip her of relinquishing her fears of him; I know it is. He’s hidden something from her. Something she has a right to know, and I’m not giving up until we find out what it is.
“You wouldn’t know what envy is if it bit you in your fucking ass. The two of you will stick your dicks in any hole. I’m surprised neither one of you hasn’t had som
e out-of-her-mind psycho knocking on your door with a replica of you standing next to her,” I tease, shake my head, and make my way over to them, grab the laptop, and sit on the cool leather couch waiting to hear which one will fire the first smart-ass remark back to me.
“Fuck off, Riddick. This town could use a few more of me around here. And, for your information, the holes dig themselves around me. I can’t help the fact they want the pretty boy with hair like Goldilocks instead of the tatted-up bad boy in their bed with a chest the size of the Grand Canyon and a small dick that has every woman screaming that size really does matter.” Tyson leans back in the chair, places his unlit cigar in his mouth, and shakes his head.
“Brother, I am not going to sit here and talk to you about the size of my cock,” I retort.
Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection Page 20