by Jacqwin Hess
“No doubt.” Sebastian moaned and beginning to get tired from it. He ate too much. So he decided they were going to walk it off—he looked up as Adri sat across his stomach, holding the camera to her eye and he slipped his arm under his head, giving her a good picture. She pulled the camera back, smiling down at him and then finished his wine for him.
“Ooh, yuck, expensive wine.”
“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes, dropping back down and relaxed in the sun. He opened his eyes when she laid on over, putting her head on his chest. He gently caressed up and down her back, gently played with her long strands of her hair and after about fifteen minutes, he nudged her up and got them to their feet. Adri stopped and ran her hand along the car as they passed the Rolls and he stopped, leaning in the window and turned the dial up on the radio that was on, looking back at her smiling. Her hands flew to her smiling lips and shrugged as he rose, putting out his hand for her to take. The romantic tune of Al Bolly – Did You Ever See A Dream Walking. “I did.” He sang to the song and then step forward grasping her hand and pulling her into his arm, dropping his lips, kissing her cheek, holding her closer as he began to sway.
“So you dance too—”
“Shhh,” he whispered and started singing the song to her, twirling them and loving her smile and laughter. It had been at the end of the song and he kissed her as Fred Astaire came on next – The Way You Look Tonight. “Ooh, even better.” He didn’t sing that song, but kept his lips busy kissing her lips, loving the feel of her in his arms and the scent of her body mingling with his own. It was intoxicating! He was about to stop and take her on up to tour the gardens, but she sudden jerked out of his arm, spinning away and shaking those wild hips of hers as the Ray Gilbert’s Muskrat Ramble came on and he did his best to keep up, but actually only ended up standing there while she shook her cute ass all the way around him, but held her hand as he spun her around and guided her under his arm and back. She then kept a hold of his hand and pulled on his hand taking off in the direction he’d originally been head. He left out of the side of the foundation ruins, walking to where the grassy incline was that lead out of the foundation and back up into the lands. It was how his servants got the car and picnic down there.
“We have to work on your hip-shaking skills.”
“Pfft! My skill is in moving them forward and backward,” he bragged and she laughed out, playfully slapping him on the arm.
“Whatever. Gotta say, I love that car. I can’t get over it. How many cars do you have?”
“Um…ah…”
“Never mind. Too many, I’m sure.”
“Nah, never too many. Come on, I’ll show you the rest.”
Adri was just overcome by the beauty of that place, over and over again, stepping around one corner and finding something new and stunning to see in nature. The way the stone structure and nature mingled was nothing short of a miracle, one needing the other to survive and grow and maintain. It was all fixed up into a garden, statues placed here and there, some of the statues apart of the original structure. She gasped when he jerked her over to him.
“Okay, turn around.”
She turned and looked under the arched bridge they were standing by.
“The other way.”
She looked back and up at him, loving his smile and she turned, facing him. What in the world is he doing—what’s he want? She watched him point upwards and gasped when she saw that they were standing under a mistletoe. Her heart instantly tightened, his hand gently holding her jaw, lifting her lips to his and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her very gently over and over and then slanted his mouth over hers. It was delicious, he was delicious and she automatically opened her mouth for his tongue, licking up into his mouth, making love to his mouth. It was beautiful, slow and soft, long. He pulled her closer to him, pressing her fully against his body, but it wasn’t filled with intentions and she fully relaxed into him, slipping her arms around his back. It had been so sweet.
Neither one spoke after they stopped and he kept his arms around her back, walking under the bridge and along the wooded trail to the next set of ruins. She could easily see he was hard with need and wanted her, but wasn’t making any moves to have his way with her and she didn’t want to ruin the chance to know him better either.
“Up for dessert?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
“It’s at the house.”
The house was a massive sprawling mansion.
Sebastian’s mother stopped in the kitchen and sneered as she looked over Sebastian and some floozy sitting across the table from him. They were eating pie, sharing out of the same dish. Her stomach tightened in rage watching them smiling and laughing.
“…And ah…yes, about your ‘thrusting’ abilities over the shaking, you do have it down to a fine art, Mr. Darvaine. I’m wondering when I’ll get too—” Adri saw Sebastian’s eyes suddenly widen on her, his body instantly tense.
Collista Darvaine smiled when she saw Sebastian still and then looked over at her, instantly infuriated just at the sight of her.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I could say the same you piece of shit. I don’t need permission to be in my own home.”
“It’s not your home.”
“Because you forced me out and took it from me! I see you brought a friend. Have to bring them here to impress her to make her like you no doubt.” She stated and Sebastian smiled and nearly choked on his pie had in his mouth, swallowing it and barked out in laughter.
“Oh my god, if only that would work. Oh shit, it would make life so much easier.” He took another bite of pie and then tossed the fork down, looking over at her in a way that told her she had better be careful or she’d pay for it later—and dearly.
“Hello,” Adri stood up and put out her hand, but Sebastian grabbed it back, a bit too roughly, but ignored her gasp and came to his feet.
“Leave. Now.” Sebastian pushed Adri through the kitchen door and his mother immediately started to follow.
“I need to talk to you. It’s important, Sebastian!”
“You seriously think we have anything to say—”
“Go on. I’m fine. I’ll go...look around.” Adri left and made it up the stairs in time to hear the terrible screaming and yelling that was coming from them.
“…thought to bring some light into the place after you being here and blackening it with your fucking evil! You’re not insane! You’re just fucking evil! I owe you nothing! I’ve paid already! The chunks of my skin missing from my back attest to that. I’ve scraped you off woman! I’m as finished with you as you were me the day you gave birth to me. So fuck off!”
It was so horrible, hearing both of them loud and clear and the things they were saying to each other. And she froze hearing a slap, a roaring and screeching, realizing they were literally in a physical altercation—running in to see the woman beating him, him trying to refrain from hitting her back and she was just crazy, grabbing his hair, pulling it so hard—
Sebastian finally had enough, shoving her away from him with one hand, not even flinching and sent her flying back and hitting her head on the buffet cabinet. He remained calm, his expression blank and controlled as she stared up at him in shock. She then gave that signature ugly sneer, having purposely attacked him to try and have him lose it—letting Adri see it—and as always, failed. “You’re fucked. You don’t win.” He swiped up the side of his head when he felt blood running down his face from where she’d slammed his head into the corner of the cabinet. “You didn’t win then when I was a kid and you’re not going to win now or ever. So, I’d appreciate it if you left or I’ll have the cops called and they can deal with you. Don’t expect to receive the Bishops garden party invitation when they hear of your arrest. You seem to forget it my name that affords you the lifestyle you have and what parties you’re invited too and who tolerates your shit. Otherwise, you would be fucking nothing without me. You better remember that. If I cut you off e
ntirely…so will everyone else. The End.”
His mother hissed four words at him that brought him to a halt. “Does she know Sebastian?” Collista Darvaine got back on her feet and glared at her son’s back. He only grinned darkly back at her, cocked that brow at her and walked on out—to find the woman he planned on sexually decimating. “Gotcha.” Collista said, realizing she just found her bastard son’s new weakness and one she could mess with, since her own grandchildren were off limits, even for her. However, this girl was different and actually meant something to him, knowing that by his newfound control over his temper and rages he was prone too.
Sebastian stepped around the corner and Adri bumped right into him, having been rushing to the kitchen—bless her heart—with a bat in her hand to rescue him. He grabbed a hold of it before she hurt herself, or him, and took it away from her. “Give me that! What do you think you’re going to do with that?”
“She hit you! I was going to get her! Oh Sebastian! You’re bleeding!” Adri tore off her scarf from around her neck and placed it against the back of his head where he had blood running from a wound. It was all down his neck and shoulder, on his white shirt, but he only grinned down at her and pushed her hand away.
“I’m fine. The bitch has taken far more skin than that from me before. Where’d you get this anyway?”
“The den, I think.”
“Well, come on.” Sebastian grasped her wrist and took her away from where his mother was no doubt still fuming. He saw one of the servants rushing towards him. “She’s in the kitchen. Get her out of here—by the roots of her hair if you have to. Just make sure she leaves. Now.” He called back from the landing on the stairs.
“Yes sir!”
Adri slowly walked behind Sebastian as they entered a bedroom, watching him set the baseball bat back up in its holder, like it was a very delicate and special. She looked around the room and was just shocked. The room only had a plain black metal bed, metal and glass furniture with nothing else on the walls or anything. “Sebastian? Is-Was this…your room as a kid?”
Sebastian saw the look of consternation on her face as she looked around his room. “Yes, why?”
“It’s just…so sterile looking. So…sad. The only sign of life is that baseball bat.”
“That bat was signed and given to my grandfather by Mickey Mantle himself.” He told her and knew if it was in the Den, then his mother had put it there, setting it down when she heard them in the kitchen. She’d been at the house to steal the bat and sell it, just to piss him off. She literally lived to try and set him off. She nearly succeeded today. Sebastian looked down at her and then noticed his shirt had blood all on it. “The place is a sterile and was a very sad place to live. Relax, Adri. It’s no big deal. She only went off like that to try and set me off, which she does every time we see each other. She did it so that you would see how horrid and crazy I am. I told you before, warned you, I have a temper and she knows it. Come on,” he walked out taking her with him and walking down the hall where he went into the master bedroom. It was now his bedroom and he went into the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and tossing it in the sink. He turned on the hot water and began unbuttoning his shirt, jerking it off his large shoulders and tossing it onto the floor. He wrung out the cloth, cleaned the back of his head, down the side of his face neck, and shoulders. He dried his body off, turning around to where Adri had a new shirt for him, taking it and putting it on.
“Are you…sure you’re okay?”
“Just another day in this place. Which is why I never visit here. She came to steal the bat and sell it, which is how it was in the den. She does shit just…to piss me off and…I am…so sorry you ever saw her.” Or more sorry mother-fucking-dearest ever saw Adriaunn. If she ever goes near her or does anything to her—Sebastian cut his thoughts off, afraid of how dark they were and what he’d do to her if she ever harmed Adri in any way to try and hurt him. It would be messy for sure. He sighed when Adri just shrugged, sadness and pity on her face. He hated that. “It’s over. Done. Never happened. Got it?”
Adri smiled up at him and tiptoed up kissing him while he buttoned his new shirt. “Got it. Agreed. I’m so glad to hear you say that. She’s not going to ruin this day for us, ruin our lovely trip here. I love this place, Sebastian. It’s beautiful. Just as you said, it’s done, over and never happened. So…how about you finish showing me around. This place is like a museum. It’s so incredible. You should think about opening it to the public for tours. Fix the gardens back up. That would be awesome.”
“Hmm. I’ll think about it.”
They were half way through the house when Adri stopped and looked up at Sebastian. “You can get her back.”
Sebastian’s eyes flashed wide in shock, staring over at Adri, who normally didn’t have a bad bone in her body.
“Um…create a charity for kids…with crazy parents, mentally ill parents and neglectful parents, rich or poor, black or white. Any kid with a parent with problems and giving them coping mechanisms and how to guides when dealing with them or…a place to stay if it’s too crazy. Make your mother the poster child on how not to treat your kid.”
“Holy shit.” Brilliant! My girl is brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that?
Adri twisted her lips and shrugged in shyness over the shocked stare he was giving her. “Well, it was just a suggestion. You tolerate her because…you still want her to love you and want you, to…be normal someday.” She looked down when he instantly lost his smile, mentally denying it or…she was exactly right, but either way he just shut down, mad and knew the tour was over. She huffed, scratching at the back of her neck and began walking away, stepping out onto the veranda and going to the golf cart that would take them back to the car he drove them in from the city.
Sebastian sat down on the cart, but stared out across the overgrown garden before looking back over at her. “No. You’re completely fucking wrong and it’s not denial. It will never…be normal. I have no mother, never have. We have no connection, no bond at all, not one day in our lives and we can’t stand each other. I hate her Adri. She hates me. The only reason I haven’t killed her is because everyone on the planet would know that I did it. I was raised by nannies, never saw her or heard from her, unless she came in, drunk and got lost in the house.
When I was an infant, I was told by my aunt that I had reached up to her face, for her glasses and she just…started beating me on the face and head. She then threw me down on the floor and my aunt just lost it on her, picked me up and screamed at her to get out. I’d wake up, when I was an infant and…just screaming and crying and that’s because I knew that evil devil woman was nearby and was coming. I lived…in terror, afraid to sleep and afraid to be awake. She came…and start hitting me for disturbing her, waking her up and beat me. Then father would come home and…they said I just dropped in exhaustion and sleep for hours and hours—because it was the only time I knew I was safe. She hated me because I was male. She hates men. When I was five and…I remember this, father was gone on business and it was Christmas time. She beat me, put sticks, rocks and mud in my stocking for me to find and told me I was a bad boy, Santa hated me and this is what bad boys get. And I didn’t have one present under the tree. Oh my god, that was when my grandmother got a hold of her and ripped her a new one, just…livid. I’ll never forget it; the fighting and screaming and yelling…was horrible. The worst Christmas ever, but the physical abuse stopped and I lived with my aunt and grandmother more than here and only stayed here when I knew my father was going to be home. I didn’t see Collista, mother, for over a month after that and I now know that my father beat her for it when he got back from his business trip. So, now you understand why…when I say I don’t want to talk about her, I mean it and I’m not in denial, pining for her love or want anything to do with her. It’s just….the way it is. She’s nothing to me and we…are never…to speak of her or of this, what happened in the kitchen…again. Got it, Adri?”
“Yes.” She whispered and h
e nodded his head, turned the cart on and took them back to the ruins. Adri’s heart was broken for him, but she’d be able to love them enough for the both of them, if he was capable of allowing people to love him. How he didn’t hate women was beyond her, being the opposite of his mother; first his mother abusing him and then his ex-wife doing what she did. She didn’t want him to hate anyone or anything—
“You’re dying to say something more. I can tell. You’re thinking too hard. What is it?”
“I just…don’t want you to ever let her win or your ex. You’re a good man, Sebastian. You really are…so amazing. You survived. No matter what she did to you and how awful it was, you survived. You’re brilliant and beautiful. Don’t ever give her power or let her win or let her get to you or change you. Don’t…hate, don’t live with resentment, bitterness and hatred and fury. She’s not worth it. When you live in fury…she wins. So, when you’re feeling the need to explode, feeling that…blackness inside of you, that burning anger you admitted to having a problem with do something worthwhile with it.”
“Worthwhile? Like what?”
“Like…cut wood!”
“What?!” Sebastian just stopped the cart and stared over at her.
“Yeah. Take your anger out on a stack of wood. Chop some wood and then give it to some poor folks or the elderly. You got your anger out, worked off your frustration and then did some good for someone else.”
After just staring at her for a full thirty seconds he smiled over at her and then laughed, throwing his arms around her shoulder. He gently cupped her cheek and kissed her hair. “Cut wood. I’ll try to remember that.” Though, whipping a pretty dame and fucking her raw is far more effective in alleviating my inner fury and far more enjoyable.