UnTouch Me

by Dawn Martens

  “What’s your problem? Am I not allowed to check out other guys?” I throw at him.

  “Yeah, as of now you are,” he says, putting my phone on the kitchen counter and storming out of the house.

  I place my hands on the counter and lean in. “Damn it,” I say to myself.

  He’ll come back. He always does—it’s our thing.

  Two years later

  Lounging on the main area sofa, beer in hand, I see Jasper come out of his room. It’s been exactly two months since he got off the drugs, but not the whores. At least it’s somewhat of a step in the right direction.

  And the strange part about that shit is that he and Monica got clean together. Those two, as weird as it seems, shared something, something huge, but because of the drugs, they lost it. So they decided to get clean together and remain close.

  He’s even helping her out with schooling. For some reason Monica wants to surround herself with a shit load of kids. I always felt bad for any teacher I ever had; Mason and I used to terrorize them. Monica should have fun with that. I might need to install some cameras when she starts working. Be funny to see some little shit prank her a few times.

  As Jasper grabs his beer¸ I notice Lacey, one of the club girls, come out of his room, smirking. I shake my head.

  Jasper spots me on the couch and comes over, sitting closely beside me. Before he starts talking, I do. “What’s with that? Thought you and Monica were a thing now?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “No, don’t feel that way about her, but when I feel like her, I go to her.”

  “You sound as bad as your dad right now,” I say, smirking.

  “Ah, fuck, I guess you’re right,” he says with a little laugh. “I guess Dad ain’t so bad after all.”

  “Yeah, tell yourself that. Just don’t be like him in that way. Don’t get married or go steady with someone if you’re still gonna fuck around,” I tell him.

  “Don’t worry about it. Trust me, I still have hope Eden will come back to me one day, hence why right now I wanna talk to you about something,” he says.

  “What’s up?” I ask confused.

  “Heard Big Willy talkin’. They have a handover coming up, down in Drayton Valley,” Jasper tells me. We’ve been talking on and off for the last month about how we hate this club, how he has tried to see if there was a way to bring the club down.

  “I never heard of that one,” I say.

  “We’re not in on it, and it’s going to stay that way. I think we should plan a set up, have Big Willy and Pres go down.”

  “You want to put your own father away?” I ask. He’s been talking for a long ass time about cleaning up the club, but it’s usually when he was high as fuck, so I always brushed it off. But over the last few months, he’s been talking more and more about it.

  He nods. “This club wouldn’t run this way if it wasn’t for him. He’s also the one that drove my mom away. Needs to pay for that shit.” Gloria moved away a few years back after she learned of all the screwing around Vic was doing. It wasn’t a marriage she signed up for.

  “What about Mason?” I ask hesitantly.

  “He’s making the run with them. He’s in too deep with the big players. I already asked him to join our side, and he said no. He’s happy the way shit is. Ever since Hilary left him, he’s hard—harder than ever. He was my best friend since diapers, and now I don’t even know the guy. Goes by fuckin’ Reaper now.” He shakes his head in disgust.

  “You ain’t no fuckin’ angel yourself, man. Just last night you were partying with the whores,” I point out, nodding my head in the direction Lacey just went.

  Sighing, he says, “I know. Fuck, I know. Eden leaving without so much of a note is eating at me. I let it get to me last night.” He scrubs his face with his hands. “I feel so fuckin’ dirty.”

  “You sound like a pussy, you know that? Monica’s the last person I would ever push on you, considering the bitch has always hated Eden, but since she started getting clean and since she got away from her cunt of a cousin, she’s different. You should go for it,” I tell him.

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

  Vinny and I are in the middle of another break up, this time because he caught me talking to Hilary on the phone. He said I shouldn’t interact with the enemy, and when I told him to kiss my fat ass, he stormed out. It’s been four days, and I still haven’t heard from him. I’m starting to lose hope that this relationship will ever last. Seems like every time I think we are headed in a good direction, we wind up making a left turn somewhere.

  I finish packing up my suitcase and lug it out to my car. My flight leaves in two hours. As I’m shutting my trunk, I look down the street and see Vinny driving down. He pulls in the driveway just behind my car and shuts off his engine.

  “Where you going?” he asks.

  “I’m going to see Hilary,” I lie. What’s one more with all of the lies I’ve told to keep Eden’s secrets over the years. I’ve lost track at this point. I swear, some days I don’t even know the difference anymore. If Vinny ever finds out, he’ll hate me. There is nothing he hates more than a liar.

  “And you didn’t think to tell me?” he growls. He pulls out his smokes from his cut. For once, he actually has the same lighter he had when he walked away from me four days ago.

  “Nope, sure didn’t, not since we’re broken up and all right now,” I shoot back at him. He hasn’t given a shit about me all week. He doesn’t get to start now.

  His head drops down. “Will you be back?” he asks so quietly that I almost don’t hear. What’s his problem? He should know by now I’m not the one always taking off and leaving. He’s always the one getting pissed and leaving me hanging. I’m not Eden or Hilary. I wouldn’t just leave and never come back without an explanation.

  “Yeah, I’ll be back in about a week,” I tell him quietly. I should be a bitch and tell him I’ll come back when I damn well feel like returning. As mad as I am at him, though, I love him and don’t want to hurt him. Even if he is being a dickhead.

  His shoulders sag in relief, and he nods. “Good, that’s good. I guess it’ll give us some time. We’ll talk when you get back.”

  “Yeah,” I say to him. He snuffs out his cigarette, and an awkward silence stretches between us. Both of us are too stubborn to make the first move; it’s like a Mexican standoff.

  Not giving in, he turns his bike back on and leaves, doesn’t even kiss me goodbye- nothing. That hurts. I slide into my car and back out of the driveway.

  My phone rings on my drive to the airport, and I put it on speaker. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Lilly-pad, you still coming down?” Eden asks.

  “Sure am! I can’t wait to see you. I miss you so much,” I tell her.

  “Yeah, me too. It’ll be nice to see you again.” We chat for a few more minutes about the kids. This trip to Eden is just the distraction I need to get my mind off Vinny and his stubborn stupid ass. I click my phone off and crank up the radio. There is a new Maroon 5 song playing. I love them. I belt the lyrics out, already feeling better to be leaving my problems behind, as I speed toward the airport.

  When I saw Lilly throw her suitcase in her trunk, I was terrified she was leaving—just like Hilary and Eden. Relieved the fuck outta me that she was just going away to visit. I stop at the grocery store to buy a pack of smokes before I head to the club.

  As I’m walking out of the store, a girl walks into me. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  I look down at her. “Kayla?” I ask, shocked.

  It takes her a moment, and she smiles big when she sees me. “Vincent. Wow.”

  “Didn’t know you were back.” I haven’t seen her since she left for college. She looks good. Really good. Better than I remember. I try not to openly check her out, but I can’t help it as my eyes roam over her cantaloupe shaped breasts. Shit, they are peeking out the top of her shirt at me.

  She nods. “Yeah, I finished school and came home,” she
says with a smile. “Heard you were dating Lilly Mayer.”

  I nod. “Yeah, few years now.” Thinking of Lilly, I feel guilty for looking at Kayla’s tits just now.

  “That’s good. Lilly’s a great girl,” she says quietly, looking at me, almost trying to figure something out. “We should catch up sometime?” she asks.

  I don’t see why we can’t. “Yeah, that would be okay. We can meet up at the bakery or something,” I tell her. It’d be nice to catch up, hear about her schooling and shit. Don’t think I’ve heard shit about her since she left.

  She pulls out a pen and a piece of paper, jotting something down, then passes it to me. “That’s my number. Text me or call whenever. I should get going, though. It was nice seeing you again, Vincent.” She gives me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then saunters off.

  Shit, I don’t think anyone ever knew we dated, and right now, I think I want to keep it that way. Otherwise, it might cause more issues between Lilly and I, especially when she finds out I made plans to hang out with Kayla.

  Not like she has anything to be getting pissy about. I’m allowed to have friends, and there is nothing wrong with catching up with an old friend. At the thought of friend, her tits flash back into my mind. I shake my head. Getting on my bike, I pack my smokes and take one out, feeling for my lighter in my pocket. Fuck! I just had it when I left Lilly earlier. I head back inside the store to buy a new one. When I come back out, Kayla’s leaning against my bike.

  “Didn’t know this was yours. Take me for a ride.” She smiles and I nod. Why not.

  Getting off the plane, I immediately make my way through the terminal and locate the baggage claim area. Eden just started her business degree, so she’s at school. I’m to go straight to her place and grab the key from her neighbor. When Eden told me about how she was going to school to be a glorified secretary, I was shocked. I didn’t realize they had a school just for that.

  I walk out of the airport and get into a waiting cab. After giving him the address, we take off. I glance around at the scenery, taking it all in.

  At her apartment building, I pay the cab driver and grab my luggage from the back. I press the buzzer for Eden’s neighbor, and I’m instantly just let in. The woman didn’t even ask who I was; I don’t think that’s very safe.

  I climb the steps and get to the second floor landing, and go to knock on the door. An older woman pokes her head out and hands me the key before shutting the door. “Well, what if I wasn’t who you thought?” I mutter to myself.

  I open Eden’s door, instantly realizing the place is a little bigger than I thought. I also spot the over flowing laundry hamper. I know how Eden feels about laundry; she either let it pile up in hopes it would wash itself, or she’s putting it off because she’s so busy.

  I put my suitcase in Eden’s room and decide to start cleaning Eden’s place for her. Why should she come home after being in class all day to not only take care of her twins, but also slave away cleaning the place?

  I check out her fridge first, and see it’s practically empty. I go to the pantry and open that too, finding nothing but cereal. That’s it... what the hell? Is that all she eats? I shut it, decide to throw a load of laundry in the wash, then I head out to buy groceries. I go to call a cab as I walk out of the apartment, and that old lady opens her door as I pass.

  “You can take my car, dear,” she says, holding out her keys.

  “Um, thank you? Are you sure? I could be a total weirdo or something,” I say.

  She laughs a little and smiles at me. “You stock her up good. I try to send my son out sometimes for her groceries, but he hasn’t been able to lately, since he joined the army.”

  “Okay, well, again thank you. I shouldn’t be long,” I tell her and walk down the stairs. It doesn’t take me long to find her car, since I keep hitting the lock button so the alarm keeps sounding.

  I’m surprised; I was expecting an old car, not a newer Ford Fusion—old Lady has some taste.

  It takes me just over two hours, and I’ve got three shopping carts of groceries. I know I probably way over bought, but the girl is a nut job if she thinks all she has to eat is cereal.

  Getting back to the apartment, I pull up to the front. I’m not supposed to park here, but there is no way I’m walking all the way around the building and up the stairs over and over again.

  I load my arms up as full as I can without them falling off, and it ends up taking me a good sixteen trips. What a workout. I don’t know how people run stairs, because really- no, just no.

  I drive the car back into the parking space I took it from and hand the keys over to Ms. Kurts, whose name I learned from her registration in her car. Yes, I snooped—and thanked her.

  I got to work putting everything away and starting a stew for supper.

  While the stew was on, I started cleaning, scrubbing everything I could in the house, and getting laundry done, folded and put away. I’m just setting the table when I hear Eden come in.

  “Lilly-pad?” she calls out.

  I squeal and rush to her, hugging her tightly. “God, I missed you.”

  She hugs me tighter. “I missed you too.”

  I let her go and back up a bit, taking a good look at her. She still looks amazing, and has more curves than before. I start to step to the side to let her in her own home when I almost trip over one of the kids.

  “Oh, oops.” I let out a small laugh. Crouching down, I look at the little girl standing close to Eden. “Oh, my, aren’t you just adorable? I’m Auntie Lilly,” I say with a smile. She gives me a huge toothy grin.

  “Hi,” she says loudly.

  I look over and see Eden helping Ethan take off his coat.

  “Oh, Eden, they’re just beautiful,” I tell her.

  She gives me a small smile. “They sure are. Did you cook? And clean?” she asks, shocked, looking around the place.

  “Yups. There was no way I was gonna have you to slave away when you got home. Plus, I didn’t want to eat cereal, so I bought a few things,” I say, winking at her.

  Grabbing the kids’ hands, we walk into the kitchen and sit at the table. God, I missed my friend. This is nice, good. I just wish I could convince her to come home.

  Six Months Later

  “Hello?” I say cheerily as I answer the phone.

  “Hey, Lilly-pad.” I hear a familiar voice.

  “Oh my God, Eden?” I ask excitedly. “You haven’t called in four months. I was starting to worry.” I haven’t really talked to her much since my visit six months ago. I can’t believe so much time has passed since I was there with her and the twins. I have so many great pictures of them hidden in the back of my closet. It kills me not being able to proudly show them off, but one look at those kids, and I’m sure everyone would know whom their father is.

  “I’m okay, just been extremely busy,” she says.

  “Yeah, I bet. Those twins are probably giving you a run for your money,” I say laughing.

  She laughs. “Yes, yes, they are. How’s everyone doing?”

  “Meh, you know. Jasper, I think, has finally given up on the search for you. Vinny every so often states he misses ya. As for Mason, I have no clue. Mason’s been sort of off the grid lately,” I explain, not wanting to get into too much about his issues. He isn’t my problem anymore since he and Hilary are no longer together. I also didn’t want to go into too much detail with Jasper, considering he’s now dating Monica, Eden’s enemy; I think that would really hurt her.

  “Really? I guess that doesn’t really surprise me. He was always a loner,” she says.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know. He’s different. When I see him around town, he doesn’t even acknowledge me. It’s weird.” I think back to that day he lost his cool with me, choking me. The Mason I used to know has disappeared. Now, he’s all about his club and the rough and tumble life of a biker.

  “Maybe this thing with Hilary’s really eating at him,” she states.

  If she only knew how Jasper
was still feeling. “How are the kids, anyway?” I ask her, changing the subject.

  “They’re good, actually- getting bigger every day, talking a mile a minute, running all over, and fighting. The joys,” she says, sounding like she has a smile on her face.

  I tell her, “Oh, I have news. I really don’t think your dad is looking for you, Eden.” I try to get information on his whereabouts when I can without coming off suspicious. I play it up to Vinny that I’m just curious because Eden is gone still.

  “Thank you for keeping me in the loop with that. It actually sort of surprises me he hasn’t tried to find me,” she says quietly.

  “That’s doubtful. He seems, at least when I saw him in town last week, happy you aren’t around.” I saw him out last week with some whorish looking woman snuggled up to him at the diner. He was all smiles, but I kept my distance. Her father creeps me out, and Vinny’s told me more than once that he is bad news.

  We make some more small talk, and I tell her about how I applied to beauty school. I can’t wait to be able to do something I’m already good at, but also have a chance to really make a career out of it. I hear little Jessica in the background, so I let her go, promising we’ll talk again soon. Hanging up, I feel the guilt creeping back up. I wish I could tell someone. Hilary and my mom are the only people besides me that know where Eden is, and since Hilary took off, I can’t talk to anyone about it.

  I feel so fucking lonely. Vinny and I have been fighting so damn much. Ever since I got back from my visit with Eden, he’s been detached. Our break ups happen more often than not. When we do fix our shit, he looks guilty for something, but what? I have no idea.

  At times now, I feel as if I should cut my losses. We used to have so many amazing times together, and now, I feel like all we have is sex and break ups.

  I decide that I need some donuts, so I grab my things and walk into town to Momma B’s. After getting a hot chocolate and a glazed donut, I take my seat at an empty table.