Drez let out a chilling laugh. “You didn’t interrupt anything, mate. I was too snockered to have done much. Ready to leave, pet?” He leaned down and purred in my ear. His voice held a slight bite to it that sent a chill up my spine.
I bit my lip pushing a lock of hair behind my ear and nodded. What the hell was going on in that head of his? I smiled briefly at Scott and Hunter who had finally caught up to us. “Bye, Scott, Hunter.”
Drez grabbed my elbow and steered me away from them. I turned my head and saw the two of them frowning after us. When we got to the van, I unlocked the doors, placed the bags in the back of the van and climbed into the passenger seat. I put the keys in the ignition then buckled up before sitting back in the seat. I was just waiting for him to get in the car before I unloaded on him.
My knees started bouncing as my agitation rose. He finally opened the door and buckled up. “So wha’ da hell is ya problem?”
He sat immobile with his hand on the ignition closing his eyes briefly before settling that flinty silver glare on me. “My problem is you, pet.”
“Excuse me?” I sputtered out. I knew he was mad at me. Damn. Why did I have to be right.
“Are you like this with every guy or is it just me? Do you get some kick out of getting a guy so worked up and then discarding him like he is a mere annoyance to you or is this your way of punishing me for helping your brothers get you to go along with this ruse. I really want to know.” He snapped at me as he waved his hand in front of him.
“What?” I was stunned at the sudden attack. Was he calling me a whore or something? “What I do has nothing ta do wit’ my brothers.”
“Oh great you’re just a prick-teaser. Not like being around you isn’t difficult as is.” He ran his hand through his hair before narrowing his eyes at me. “How many other guys have you done this to or are doing this to? Actually, no, I don’t want to know.”
I slapped him across the face leaving him just as stunned as I was feeling. My hand stung from the contact as I barked at him. “How dare ya! I have done nothin’ wit anyone but ya. Believe me I wish I hadn’t done any of dat. Unlike da girls ya might be use ta I am not a whore, slut or wha’ever. I wan’ ta wait fo’ da right guy, no’ da right here guy. Someone who I know will be dere fo’ me fo’ da rest of my life, no’ some bad boy who’d hit it and quit it. And ya are no’ dat kind of guy.” I leaned back in my seat with my eyes brimming with unshed tears and stared out the window. “Wha’ happened in dat dressing room should never have occurred. It scares me dat I didn’t have enough sense ta stop it fo’ it went dat far in da first place. Same wit’ last night.”
We sat in silence for a few moments before he started the van. I kept my gaze trained out the window. I spotted Scott and Hunter standing a few cars down from us watching the scene. I rolled my eyes and sighed brushing a stray tear from my cheek. Shit, just how much of that did they see.
As we pulled out of the mall, I heard Drez whisper, “I’m not what you think I am, pet.”
*****
On our way home, I stared out the window still fuming. How dare he insinuate that I was like that with any guy around me? He’s lucky all I did was slap him. Lord knows I wanted to do way more than that. The jackass.
My cell phone chirped in my purse startling me. I pulled it out and checked my message.
Luke: Mom wants U 2 hurry up. The twins are in prime form and she needs the extra hands.
I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw. Just what I needed. Me: K
Luke: U ok? U’d normally bitch bout it.
Me: Yea.
I put my phone back in my purse and leaned my head against the window. It’s times like this that I really wished I had a best friend I could rant to, someone who wouldn’t freak over what I’d done or threaten to kick someone’s ass. My brothers are fine and all but, I doubt any of them would be comfortable with me talking about sex stuff. Roxy’s still grounded, Jess I don’t know well enough and momma would just freak. I sighed heavily as my phone rang. Great, the Imperial March from Star Wars.
I pulled the phone back out of my purse and answered it. “What Luke?”
“You never answer texts with just one syllable responses. What the hell is wrong?” His voice was filled with so much concern it made my throat close up and tears build.
I squeezed my eyes shut to keep from showing any emotion. “I’m fine, frère. Just really tired. We walked all over that mall.”
“Bull shit! Shopping usually energizes you. Tell me what happened or I will assume the worst and get Beau involved.”
“Can’t really talk ‘bout it right now.” I admitted clenching my fist on my lap. Damn him for pulling the Beau card.
“So it’s about Drez. What did he do? Did he hurt ya?” He demanded his accent more pronounced in his rising anger.
“Not like that.” I sighed tilting my head back on the headrest. “Look, I’ll tell you later okay?”
“Give him the phone. Now Marie Noëlle!”
I growled at him and stuck the phone out to Drez. “Here! Luke wants to talk to you.”
He took the phone out of my hand as I leaned my head back on the window.
“Yes?” He hesitantly spoke. “Whoa, wait a minute. I have not done anything to her.”
I snorted drawing his speculative gaze to me. I glared back at him almost daring him to say something.
I saw his jaw clench and fingers tighten on the steering wheel. “We just argued, mate. Your sister has a nasty little slap on her. Believe me that’s the last time I want to experience that.” He paused briefly. “Yes. I noticed that. Yes she is still fuming.” I narrowed my eyes at him as his eyebrow raised. “You think so huh? I’ll give that a try. Okay. We will see you in a few.” He handed the phone back to me.
I snatched it out of his hand and deposited it back in my purse. “Give what a shot?”
He made the turn by the greenhouse shaking his head. “Admit that I overacted and give you my sincerest apologies.”
I snorted shaking my head. “That’s not going to work. You basically called me a slut, suggesting that I do that with every freaking guy around. There is no amount of groveling that is going to make me forgive that.”
“I did not call you a slut.” He mumbled under his breath.
I gaped at him resisting the urge to shove him. “That’s bull and you freaking know it! You said that I was a prick-teaser and then suggested that I was like that with everyone. You even asked me if I was doing….” I held up my hand and stuttered a bit. “T-t-that with anyone else. Oh my god, you are so frustrating. Just because you discard girls like they’re trash doesn’t mean I do that with guys.”
“I do not throw women away.” He growled at me as we pulled into the driveway.
I snorted again grabbing my purse. “Yeah right. We all have heard about you getting Trina pregnant then making her abort it.” I opened the door to get out when he grabbed my wrist.
“What are you talking about?” His face scrunched up in confusion.
“Last year, you got Trina pregnant and then drove her to that clinic to kill the baby.” I jerked my arm away from him and slammed the door in his face.
“Marie!” He shouted after me grabbing all the bags from the back of the van. He ran up the sidewalk. “Dammit Marie! Stop!”
I stepped inside the house, put the credit card in mom’s purse along with the receipts and proceeded to walk upstairs. He burst through the front door just as I was halfway up the staircase. He dropped the bags and grabbed my elbow. “Marie. Talk to me.”
I turned around to face him jerking my arm away and hissed. “Vas te faire encule.” I smirked at his stunned expression then raced up the steps and down to my room slamming my door just as I heard my mother yell my name. Shit busted for swearing.
*****
Drez
As I stood at the bottom of the steps in her wake, I narrowed my eyes up the stairs and mumbled after her door slammed. “Fuck you too.”
A small gasp sounded
to my left. Eva stood at the entrance to the kitchen her face ashen with her hand to her throat. “What’s going on?”
I ran an agitated hand through my hair and picked up the bags. “I have no idea.”
“Well, young man, I will tell you this. No one uses that language in my house. No one.” She placed her hand on her hip and wagged her finger at me.
I ducked my head and mumbled heading down the hall. “She started it.”
“Marie Noëlle!” She shouted up the stairs before heading up there.
I pushed open the door to my temporary room and set the bags on the floor before plopping down on the bed. I have never had so many emotions running through my body as I did right now. I was still horny as hell, pissed at being interrupted, jealous over the attention she got from those gits, frustrated from not being able to express to her exactly how discombobulated she made me and now utterly confused over being accused of getting someone pregnant. I fell back on the bed and placed my arm over my eyes.
A soft knock sounded on my door. I sat up just as it opened. Eva came in and crossed her arms in front of her. Shit, that’s the same look that Dev called the stink eye. “Do you mind telling me what you did to make her so mad?”
“I wish I knew. When we got out of the mall, she went on the offensive as soon as I got in the van. Next thing I know she slaps me. I tried to apologize but she just… well you heard.” I rubbed my face with my hands before settling my elbows on my knees. “Thank you, by the way, for the clothes. I appreciate it and I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
She sat down beside me and patted my back. “Don’t worry about reimbursing us the money. And Marie will get over it eventually. Just wait until her temper cools a bit then try to apologize.” She patted my back and stood up. “Now I can’t let the language slide. You’re going to have to do some chores around the house to make up for that. You can start by helping Marie clean and drain the pool. After that, you two will clean the ring and sanitize the equipment. Now head on out there. Luke will show you where we keep all the stuff. I’ll put away your belongings.”
I nodded my head to her before exiting the room. Clean and drain the pool? With my luck today, Marie will probably try to drown me in it. I opened the French doors in the living room and stepped onto their patio. Luke was already standing by the pool shaking his head at me.
“Damn, man. Marie never says anything like that. You must have really pissed her off.” He nodded over to the pool. “I’ve already opened the hydrostatic valve and connected the hose to the sump pump all you have to do is put that thing in the deepest part of the pool and turn it on. Once it is drained mom likes the walls scrubbed. I’m just glad it’s not me doing it this year.” He smirked.
“I thought you were only supposed to drain a pool if it had structural damage or something like that.” I scratched the back of my neck and looked at the pool in uncertainty.
“Mom likes to drain it so it doesn’t freeze in the wintertime and crack the concrete. At least that’s what she tells us. I think she does it to make sure we don’t get into her hair.”
“Can I ask you a question before your sister gets out here?” I sat down on a lounge chair and stared toward the woods behind their house.
“Yeah, go ahead.” He crossed his arms in front of him and glared at me.
“What’s this rumor about me getting someone pregnant?” I rested my elbows on my knees leaning forward.
He cleared his throat and coughed, his face turning a little pink. “Well, it started making the rounds last year. I don’t know how it started but apparently, you had a fling with this girl Trina and when she found out she was pregnant you took her to abort it.”
“I don’t even know anyone named Trina.” What else is being said about me? I shook my head in absolute horror. It’s no wonder the only girls who hit on me are complete slags. No decent girl would ever want to have anything to do with someone like that.
He must have seen my inner turmoil. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. According to the rumors, Beau’s been arrested four times, I’ve been in more fights than Muhammad Ali has and Charles is always in the principal’s office for something. Marie’s rumors are pretty accurate except the lesbian one. She fights, has a short fuse on her temper and reacts before thinking.”
I rubbed my cheek and grunted at that conclusion. “That’s true.”
“Well here she is. Have fun.” His laugh was a little on the maniacal side as he headed in the house. He obviously was having too much fun at my expense.
She had changed into a pair of tight sweat pants and a tank top. Her hair was pulled up back into a sloppy bun. I really wanted nothing more than to go up to her and take it down so I could see it flowing around her shoulders.
I sighed in defeat as I stood up. Until she forgives me for whatever it was I did, I won’t be able to do anything like that again. “Luke has already started things for us.”
She rolled her eyes at me and headed over to the shed. Fuck this was going to be a long day.
*****
The next few hours went by tortuously slow. She completely ignored me the entire time we were working side by side on the pool area. Yet at the same time, she kept glancing my way or brushing against me. It was so distracting. It wasn’t until I saw her smirk that I realized she did it on purpose.
After we finished getting the debris and the remaining six inches of water out of the pool, we started on the ring. I hopped up on the outside of the ring and looked around. Faint dark stains littered the canvas. That looked like blood, holy hell do they really get that violent with each other?
I shot her a curious glance. “Do you four often draw blood in the ring?”
She rolled her shoulder. “Luke and Charles do.”
“What about you, pet?” I asked as I leaned forward on the ropes.
She hopped inside the ring with grace and sauntered over to a corner. “Want to find out?”
“No, thank you. I don’t hit women.” I ducked under the rope and joined her in the ring.
Her eyebrows rose up to her hairline as she chuckled. “Yeah right. That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“Is this another one of those rumors that are complete and total rubbish? If all of them were true, I’d constantly be fighting and shagging.” I gave a self-depreciating laugh.
“Well, I’ve known you what three or four days? In that time, you have tried to get in my pants three times and have gotten into a fight once. So it’s not that hard to believe that they could be true.” She shoved my shoulder in almost a playful manner.
“Wait a second. If I remember right, I tried once, succeeded once and you got into mine once.” Her cheeks turned pink before she ducked her head. Hmm, now might be a good time to try to smooth things over again. “Marie, luv, I really am sorry I acted like such a git today. I didn’t mean anything I said. I was just… hell I don’t know, frustrated, jealous and unsure of myself. I lashed out at you in a lame attempt at trying to make you feel as confused as I was.”
She stood there staring through me before she tilted her head to the side. “Why were you unsure of yourself or jealous for that matter?”
I turned to her and took hold of her hands. “I thought that you felt the same as I did in that dressing room and when you just shrugged it off. It kind of stung and it made me realize that you may not be into me like I am you. The jealously thing. I wanted to punch Scott in the face when he put his arm around you just because he was touching you.”
She pulled her hand out of mine and touched my cheek. “Marcus, this thing between us is fake.”
I rested my forehead on hers as I whispered. “It doesn’t have to be, pet.”
*****
Chapter Seven
Marie
Monday morning rolled around much too quickly. After we settled our argument in the ring and he floored me with his whispered declaration of possibly becoming a real couple, we were called inside for dinner before I could give him an answer. I still haven
’t answered him and he hasn’t mentioned it again. The rest of our weekend was very laid back. We played a game of monopoly with the twins, went to mass Sunday and relaxed in front of the TV until we had to go to sleep.
I found out that he could speak two other languages fluently. He hasn’t told me which ones yet, though I was beginning to suspect that one was French. When dad stepped on one of the twin’s Legos, he let out a string of obscenities in French that made momma blush. Drez turned his head away trying to mask his smirk. Now it could have been from the hilarity of the situation. I mean, dad was jumping around on one foot holding the other, but for some reason I don’t think that was it.
I also learned that he has a very dry sense of humor and he gets a kick out of teasing me mercilessly. Anything he could say or do to get me to blush he would do it, which was frustrating to say the least. I still had yet to get up the courage to ask him about the burn scars on his body. Though I suspected I already knew the answer to how he got them. If I’m right then that uncle of his had better hope that I never meet him or so help me, I’ll beat him within an inch of St. Peter’s Gates.
I decided to wear my pair of black soft faux calfskin pants and a tight brown turtleneck today with just a simple black boot. Since everyone’s bathroom time in the mornings was cut in half, I moved all my hair stuff to my room so I didn’t hog the bathroom. When we were at the mall, I made sure I picked up more make-up so I could play a bit more with different looks. That’s what I did after we were all ushered to our rooms. I hopped on YouTube and searched out different ways to make my eyes stand out. So this morning with my outfit I was able to achieve ‘the perfect smoky eye’.
My brothers thankfully had enough sense this morning not to complain about my choice of clothing. Though I could tell Beau was having a hard time keeping his mouth shut when I walked into the kitchen.
Lost in the Moment (A Savioe Family Novel) Page 14