Freeing Asia

by Abel, E. M.

  When I got back to our towels, Marcus and Shaun were sitting in the middle of a group of giggling girls. I rolled my eyes and tossed down my board as I nudged a few out of my way to get to my towel. Marcus’s eyes were on me as a girl whispered something into his ear, lightly rubbing her finger over his tattooed arm.

  I made my way out of the circle and walked to the edge of the water with my towel wrapped around me. Am I really up for this? I couldn’t imagine sleeping with Marcus and then seeing him with another girl perched on his shoulder like that. It was hard enough seeing it now. There was no way I would just be another one of his groupies. If I wanted to get my kicks, I would have to go somewhere else. Marcus put too much pressure on the walls around my heart.

  I walked down the beach for a while, contemplating what to say to Marcus, before turning around to head back. When I looked up, I saw him running toward me on the wet sand. It was like a hot bad-boy version of Baywatch.

  Jesus, does he have to do that?

  “There you are. Shaun’s ready to go.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled as I kept walking.

  Marcus turned to walk with me, not saying anything, as he watched his feet sink with each step.

  “I can’t do it, Marcus,” I murmured before glancing at him.

  He nodded, and his eyes flicked up to my face and then back down to his feet. “I understand. It’s probably smarter that we don’t.”

  I took a deep breath and straightened my back as we made our way to Shaun’s car. I saw a blonde with huge boobs standing behind Shaun, smacking her gum while looking at her fingernails, as he strapped our boards to the roof of his car.

  The guys got in, and I eyed the blonde as she opened the door behind Marcus to get in the backseat. My eyes narrowed, and I smiled to myself as I got an idea.

  When Shaun pulled out onto the main road, I saw him making eyes at the girl beside me through the rearview mirror.

  “So,” I said loudly, surprising the girl next to me, as I turned to face her. “You’re not planning on fucking my brother, are you?” I asked as I glared at her.

  Her mouth fell open as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. Marcus turned his head to watch me. His eyes were bright, and his lips were twitching as he held back a smile. Shaun must have been amused or shocked because he didn’t say anything.

  “Well, just so you know, if you lay as much as a finger on my brother, I will personally kick your ass.”

  The blonde gasped as Shaun slammed on his brakes at a red light. He turned around in his seat to look at me.

  “What the fuck?” he yelled, looking like he wanted to kill me.

  Marcus started laughing.

  Shaun quickly turned to him. “What’s so fucking funny?”

  Marcus just kept laughing while shaking his head.

  “What’s wrong, Shaun? I’m just looking out for you,” I said, glaring at him.

  Shaun turned back in his seat, and sped off when the light turned green.

  When he stopped in front of my apartment building, Shaun glared at me as Marcus unstrapped our boards from the roof of the car.

  “You’re lucky he lives with you, or I would have left your ass on the side of the road,” he sneered as the blonde moved to the seat next to him.

  “Have fun!” I shouted, faking a smile, as I took my board and waved at him.

  Marcus and I stood on the sidewalk, watching Shaun’s Jetta peel out into the street.

  “Oh, you did it now.” Marcus chuckled.

  “Whatever. He can kiss my ass.”

  On my way up the stairs, I realized I had gone back and forth all day about Marcus. One second, I was sure I wouldn’t go near him, and the next, I was praying he’d try to kiss me again. In my head, I knew it was a bad idea. He was my brother’s best friend, and he obviously had a hold on my heart. I was really trying hard to keep it out of reach. Unfortunately, my heart didn’t care. It still called to him and skipped a beat whenever I would look at him. I bit my lower lip in frustration as I unlocked my door.

  “I need to get one of those,” Marcus told me as he eyed the key in my hand.

  “Oh yeah. Hailey still has it. I’ll call her and see if she can drop it off.”

  “Did you tell her that I moved in?”

  I shook my head, trying to figure out how I would break it to her. I was not looking forward to that conversation, and there was no way I would tell her about the kiss. She would freak out and try to throw Marcus out herself. When I got inside, I took out my phone and called Hailey.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, girl. Do you think you could drop off your key at the apartment today?”

  “Are you breaking up with me?” Hailey asked with a fake gasp.

  I laughed. “No, I just…I got a roommate, and he needs a key.” I winced, waiting to hear the barrage of questions.

  After a long pause, she started. “He? Who is he? How did you get a roommate so fast? You didn’t even tell me you were looking. Do you even know this guy?”

  When she paused to take a breath, I blurted out, “It’s Marcus.”

  I realized Marcus was standing behind me, watching, so I cupped my hand over the phone and walked into my room.

  “What! Are you high? Why the hell would you live with Marcus?”

  I sighed as I walked into my bathroom and turned on the shower. “I was.”

  “What?”

  “I was high when I asked him to move in. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, but he’s here now. It’ll just be for a couple months. After his shop opens, he’ll get his own place.”

  “I’m not stupid, Asia. I’ve seen the way you guys look at each other. It’s only a matter of time before he makes his way into your bedroom. Don’t forget how things went last time that happened,” Hailey snapped.

  I realized my decision to keep my make-out session with Marcus a secret was a very good one.

  “You’re overreacting, Hailey. Can you bring the key by or what?”

  “Whatever. I’ll drop it off later tonight.”

  “Okay. Thank you, sweetie pie!” I teased.

  “Oh, shut the fuck up,” she clipped before hanging up.

  I laughed to myself as I stripped off my sandy wet clothes. After getting into the hot shower, I coated my hair with shampoo, and then I heard my bathroom door open.

  “Hello?” I quickly covered my breasts with my slippery hands.

  “It’s me.”

  Marcus’s voice sounded so close, and when I heard it, my body tensed. I could feel my heart pulling again.

  “I’m heading to the store. You want anything?” he asked.

  “Oh. No, it’s okay. Thanks.”

  “Are you sure? You might get the munchies later.”

  I laughed. “No, I better not.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back.”

  “Okay.”

  I stood there, waiting to hear the door close, but it didn’t. I peeked out of the curtain, and Marcus was standing in the crack of the door. When our eyes met, my mouth went dry. He gave me a wicked grin as his gaze slid down to my bare shoulder. I closed the curtain.

  “Out, Marcus.”

  He chuckled as he closed the door.

  Lord, please help me.

  I pulled on a pair of jean shorts and my red V-neck shirt. Marcus walked in the door while I was sitting on the couch, buckling my wedges onto my feet.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to go to Dad’s and say bye to Rob and Alexis. You wanna come?”

  “Nah. I’ll let you guys have some family time.”

  I smacked my lips. “You know they all consider you family.”

  Marcus smiled but shook his head.

  “Okay. I’ll be back later then. If Hailey stops by, will you tell her I’m sorry I missed her? And make sure you get the key.”

  He laughed as he put his bags on our kitchen counter. “I bet she was ecstatic when she heard I moved in.”

  “Yeah, thrilled,” I deadpanned as I grabbed my pu
rse and made my way toward the door.

  “Hold on. How are you getting to your dad’s?” Marcus asked, poking his head around the corner.

  “Cab.”

  Marcus shook his head as he headed toward me with his hand in his pocket. “She’s my baby, so be careful.” He dangled his car keys in front of my face, giving me a stern look.

  My eyes lit up. I’d chosen not to buy a car to help save money and keep myself in shape, but I loved driving, especially when it was something fast. I gave Marcus a bright smile as I slowly reached for the keys.

  “I will! I promise!” I squealed, jumping up and down, when I had the keys in my hand.

  Marcus leaned against the wall, smiling at me, as I bounced around in my shoes. “Your excitement is starting to scare me a little. You do remember how to drive, right?”

  I glared at him as I put my purse strap on my shoulder. “Yes. Hold on, which one’s the brake again?”

  Marcus started walking toward me, and I ran out of door.

  “Thanks, Marcus!” I yelled as I sprinted down the stairs.

  When I pulled up to my dad’s house, Shaun was standing in the front yard, talking on his phone. His mouth dropped open when he saw me getting out of the driver’s seat of Marcus’s Chevelle. He hung up and sauntered toward me.

  “You’re kidding, right? He let you drive his car? Marcus doesn’t even let me drive his car.”

  “Well, maybe because you’re crazy.” I shot him an evil look as I walked into the house.

  Dad, Rob, and Alexis were sitting on the couch in my dad’s spacious living room, watching the hurricane on The Weather Channel.

  “Hey, guys,” I greeted. I set my purse on the table and went into the kitchen to grab a drink.

  When I came back into the living room, my dad and Rob were eyeing me with identical looks of suspicion.

  “So, I hear you let Marcus move in with you,” my dad remarked, raising his eyebrow.

  “We’re just roommates, Dad. Aren’t you always telling me to look for ways to save money?” I asked before I kissed him on the cheek.

  “Don’t you think it’ll be a little weird when he starts bringing all kinds of girls over?” Rob leaned back on the couch, pulling Alexis into his side, as he waited for my response.

  Before I could give him one, Shaun chimed in. “He doesn’t bring chicks to his house.”

  Everyone turned to look at him like he was crazy—well, everyone, except me.

  “What? Marcus doesn’t bring any of the girls he’s…seeing into his house?” Alexis asked, sounding confused.

  “It’s just easier that way. You know, so you can leave, and you don’t have to worry about any stalkers lingering around.”

  My dad shook his head in shame. “You boys have no clue what it takes to be a man, do you? Jumping in bed with every pretty thing that comes along doesn’t make you more of a man. It’s about having the balls to let someone in and taking the risk of falling in love. If it weren’t for your mother…” My dad leaned back in his seat and rubbed his hand through his hair.

  It was the first time I’d heard him mention my mom in years. I knew he’d avoided talking about her because it hurt too much, but I wished he would talk about her more. He was my only link to finding out more about her. My brothers had already told me everything they remembered, and I was sure they were tired of me asking about her.

  We ordered some pizza and talked for a while as The Weather Channel played in the background. The meteorologists all predicted the hurricane would hit us pretty hard tomorrow, and that probably meant I wouldn’t have to work.

  Before Rob and Alexis got in their car, we all gave them hugs and promised to keep in touch.

  “Take care of that baby!” my dad yelled toward them.

  When they left, Shaun did, too, and I stayed behind, sitting alone with my dad.

  “Why don’t you ever talk about Mom?” I asked, pretending to study my nails.

  My dad looked up with hurt in his eyes that quickly shifted to guilt. “I’m sorry, Ais. I guess it just hurts too much.” My dad got up and came to sit next to me. “Do you think about her as much as I do?” he asked, his eyes getting misty.

  “Of course, Dad. Probably more. I hardly know anything about her.”

  He leaned forward and put his face in his hands. “I’m sorry, Asia.” He peered up at me and grabbed my hands in his.

  My dad’s hands were something I could never forget. Their rough skin but gentle touch were burned into my memory. Through my mom’s entire funeral service, he’d held my hand as we both cried. Whenever I had pretended to be asleep, he would smooth the hair out of my face. He’d raised me the best way he knew how.

  “It’s okay, Dad,” I whispered, looking into his watery eyes.

  He leaned back and wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. “You know, your mom’s cousin contacted me not too long ago.”

  My eyes widened, and I turned to look at him.

  He was smiling and nodding at my reaction. “I know, I was shocked, too.”

  All I knew about my Japanese family was that they had disowned my mom because she’d left Japan with my dad without being married to him first. They had later gotten married and had three kids, but it hadn’t mattered. The connection had already been broken. I remembered my brothers had mentioned one of my mom’s cousins before. She had supposedly introduced my parents, and she’d tried to help convince my mom’s family to let her leave.

  “She asked me if you would want to come visit her.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because you’re your mother’s daughter, and because your brothers talked and decided you should be the one to go.”

  I sat there in shock, thinking about going to Japan to meet part of my mom’s family. I’d lived in Japan for a few years when I was younger, but I couldn’t really remember too much of it.

  A smile slowly curled on my lips. “I’d love to go!” I hugged my dad, and then my face dropped. “Wait, how am I going to afford that?”

  “Miko said you could stay with her for as long as you want, and I’ll pay for the airline ticket. She wants you to come in September, so that gives you a while to save up.”

  I smiled again and gave my dad another squeeze.

  “You’re just like her, you know? In every way, she was the bravest woman I’ve ever known.”

  I drove Marcus’s car, grinning, as I sang along to the songs on the radio. I finally wasn’t thinking about Jay or Marcus. I was too excited about my trip to Japan. I had so many questions to ask and so much I wanted to do during my visit there. I wondered what Miko looked like and where she lived. I wondered if she looked like my mom or if she would see my mom in my eyes the way I did. I felt like this trip was exactly what I needed—something to look forward to.

  After parking Marcus’s car, I strutted into the apartment with a smile stretched on my lips.

  “Hey. My car okay?” Marcus was lounging back on the couch in a white T-shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts.

  “Yep. Well, except for the small scratch.” I walked into the living room with my arm stretched out, dangling Marcus’s keys in front of me.

  He whipped his head around to me. When I smiled brightly at him, his body relaxed.

  “What are you so happy about?”

  “I’m going to Japan!” I could hardly contain my excitement as I clapped my hands in front of me.

  “Really? Wow! When?”

  “In a couple of months! I’m so excited! I’m going to meet my mom’s cousin!”

  “That’s awesome, Ais.” Marcus stood up to give me a hug.

  My face relaxed against him, and I started to feel guilty for talking about my mom. Marcus never spoke about his parents. I pulled away from Marcus, and as I looked around the apartment, I noticed candles laying on my dining room table and a few gallons of water lined up on the floor.

  “What’s all this?”

  “For the hurricane. Looks like Edward might hit us pretty hard tomorrow.”<
br />
  I laughed. I always thought it was funny that hurricanes were given names.

  “What? There’s nothing wrong with being prepared.” Marcus went back to his spot on the couch.

  I shook my head, still smiling, as I took my phone out of my purse. “I wonder if work has been canceled tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure it is. The news said all the schools will be closed.”

  I sent a text to Nick, asking if he knew anything, and he quickly replied, confirming the good news.

  “Yep. Looks like I have an extra day off!” I called out as I made my way to my room.

  After pulling on my favorite plaid boxers and a blue tank top, I put my hair up into a sloppy bun on top of my head. I went back into the living room and stood in front of Marcus, blocking his view of the TV.

  “So, what do you wanna do?” I asked with my hands on my hips. I couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off my face. My day just kept getting better and better.

  Looking at me, Marcus smiled when he saw my expression, and then his eyes swept over me, stopping at the bottom of my shorts.

  “New rule,” he stated as his expression hardened.

  “What?”

  “New rule. You need to stop dressing like that when I’m here.”

  I wrinkled my nose and glanced down at my pajamas. “What are you talking about? These are my pajamas!” I declared, holding my arms out to display my clothes.

  He cocked his eyebrow with a slight smile. “It’s hard enough controlling myself around you, Asia. The last thing I need is you prancing around here in little shorts and tank tops.”

  My jaw dropped, and I narrowed my eyes. “I do not prance.”

  “The hell you don’t. You might be able to surf like one of the guys, but trust me, you don’t walk like one.”

  I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

  “Don’t you have some kind of muumuu or something? A potato sack?” he asked, smiling up at me.

  “Whatever.” I turned toward the kitchen, making sure to sway my hips as I walked away.

  I sipped my water as I made my way back into the living room. I promptly spat it back into my glass when I saw Marcus standing there in nothing but his boxers. His muscles were flexed, displaying his chiseled six-pack, ripped arms, and sexy tattoos. He had a smug grin on his face when I met his gaze with wide eyes.