As soon as she closed the door, I rushed over and locked it. I turned back to Roxy and admitted. “So I lied to her. I didn’t actually see it but I heard him getting a bit of quality time with himself. And I kinda picked the lock to get in there in the first place.”
Her eyes widened as her cheeks turned red. She started laughing so hard, tears formed in the corner of her eyes. “Are you serious?” I nodded my head biting my lip to keep from smiling. “Does he know you were in there?” Again, I nodded my head. “Holy shit! What’d he send you?”
“That ‘Locks are on doors for a reason, pet.’ What should I send him back if anything?” I stared down at the phone in my hand, my thumb hovering over the touch keyboard.
She bit her lip and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Well, does he know that you know he was… you know?”
My lips scrunched together as I thought about it. “I don’t think so.”
“You do still want to be with him right?” She asked. I nodded my head at her. “Well, it’s simple send something back like… Sorry. Oh, maybe next time I could give you a hand.”
“No! There is no way I could say that even if it is just in a text, plus what if he was thinking about that chick from yesterday.” I groaned at that thought. What if he was thinking of her as he did that. “I mean I was a bitch to him yesterday and kinda made it clear that I was possibly moving on. What if I pushed him to do the same?”
She frowned at me before she bit her bottom lip in thought. “You won’t know for sure until you try then huh? Just what exactly happened between you two anyway?”
I put my phone back in the bag as the first bell rang ignoring her question. “Here I’ll help you to class or at least back to Luke.”
She sighed as I unlocked the door and held it open for her. Luke was already on his way over to us. She leaned close to me and asked again. “What happened?”
I sighed and admitted before he reached us. “I fell in love.”
*****
I decided right before lunch to send him back a quick text. I opened my locker and took my phone out of my bag. Ever since I got caught with it in math class, I’ve been leaving it in my locker until lunch or the end of school. I pulled up his message read it over once more and typed out what Roxy had told me. Well, kind of.
Me: Sorry I was in a rush and didn’t want to wait for you to finish.
Me: Oh and maybe next time I could give you a hand…. My finger hovered over the send button on the keyboard. Do I really want to send something like that? I chewed on the inside of my cheek debating it.
“Mar-ie.” Someone crooned from across the locker banks. I turned my head to see Hunter walking toward me. Shit! Great just freaking great.
“What do you want Hunter?” I sighed at him.
“So whatcha doing?” He leaned against my dented locker and tried to look at my phone. “Sexting are we?”
“No.” I squeaked jerking my phone away from him. He smiled at me and took my phone out of my hand.
“Hmm, just what would you give him a hand with, my little Cajun Queen?” He smirked making an obscene hand gesture.
My cheeks flushed. “None of your business. Now give me my phone.” I tried to grab it from him but he quickly shifted away from me.
“Ah! So it is something sexual. Here let me fix this for you.” He quickly typed something out. A small chirp sounded as it got a reply. He smirked at the phone and typed something else back. He then handed me back the phone. “Don’t be mad at me for that. See you at Frank’s.” He chuckled as he left.
I looked down at my phone in dread. What the hell did he put?
Me: Oh and shug maybe next time I’d be able to join you.
Drez: What?
Me: I said maybe next time I’d join you. It’d be a shame to have THAT much fun by yourself.
Okay that was bad. Real bad. I quickly shoved the phone in my bag and ignored the chirp of the incoming message. I rushed down the hall to catch up with Hunter. I grabbed his arm stopping him from walking down the few steps to the parking lot.
“Why did you do that?” I hissed at him as we walked to the parked vehicles.
“Because I kinda want to help you. Scott told me some stuff last night that actually has me liking that British shithead. Since it’s obvious to both of us that there will never be anything here, I plan on helping you get your man back. Though I still want to kick his ass for almost breaking my nose and sucker punching me at my party.” He grinned at me before jumping in his Jeep. “You want a ride?”
I shook my head at him. “No that’s okay.”
He shrugged and left the lot. I hugged my bag to me as I headed to Beau’s truck. Charles stood by the passenger door waiting for me. I jogged over and climbed into the backseat next to Jess as he jumped in the passenger seat.
Jess was busy talking to Charles about how he put together the welcome back for Roxy and was trying to get pointers from him. Beau started the truck shaking his head at them. I decided to look at the text. I opened my bag and pulled out my phone. My hand shook as I brought up what he sent.
Drez: Are you serious, pet?
“So who ya texting?” Jess asked shaking me out of my stupor.
“I’m not texting anyone. Just reading over what Hunter texted someone on my phone.” I shoved it back in my bag and clutched it to me.
Beau frowned as we pulled into Frank’s beside the R8 and Grace. “Why did Hunter have your phone?”
We climbed out of the truck. My legs trembled as I neared the table ignoring Beau’s question. Drez was seated beside Scott and Payne talking. He looked up at me, those eyes met mine causing my heart to flutter.
Beau repeated his question as he took a seat next to Payne. “Why did Hunter have your phone?”
I sat down across from Drez. “He jerked it out of my hand at my locker before lunch.”
Jess sat down next to me. “So what’d he text and to who?”
Drez narrowed his eyes at me and raised his eyebrow. I blushed ducking my head and picked at the table. “Nothing that concerns you, Jess.”
Roxy sitting on Luke’s lap leaned away from him. “Well was it something you’d actually put or what?”
I looked up and met those silver orbs glaring daggers at me. I shrugged my shoulder and ducked my head not really wanting to answer her. Yes of course, I wanted to put something like that, but I could never really bring myself to do that.
I sighed to myself and placed my normal order just as Hunter walked over to our table. Shit, what does he want? He gave me a mischievous grin over Drez’s shoulder before he rounded the table to me.
He sat down next to me and draped his arm over my shoulder. He leaned his head down to my ear and whispered. “Play along.”
I glared up at him and tried to ease the tension in my body. “Would you like to tell my brothers why you swiped my phone from me earlier?”
He chuckled pulling me closer to him. “Just to pick on you and see those cheeks turn pink when you read them.”
Through my lashes, I saw Drez stiffen. I lowered my voice and grumbled. “Just how is this supposed to help me, if you are making him believe we really are an item?”
He laughed removing his arm. “Watch and learn.” He looked over at Drez with that smirk still hinting at his lips. “So, everyone I just wanted to invite all of you to my Halloween party this Friday since we don’t have a game. It is a costume thing. No costume, no entry and you, my little Cajun Queen, if you swing by early I have the perfect thing for you to wear.”
“Like… oh my god really?” I snorted and rolled my eyes at him.
He laughed and hugged me before he got up from the table. “Oh Scott, if you puke in the washer again my mom will beat you. Drez, I’d appreciate it if you’d come too.”
“I’ll try to make an appearance.” Drez ground out between clenched teeth.
“Sweet. Marie, make sure he does.” He stopped halfway back to his table and turned around. “Scott I’m serious. She will beat the hell
out you if you do that again.”
Scott ducked his head chuckling as Hunter walked off. “She can beat me anytime she wants.”
Payne blanched. “Dude, that’s nasty. She’s like three hundred pounds easy.”
Scott sighed. “I know and she is gorgeous.”
*****
Around eleven-thirty that night as I laid in bed. I tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. Drez’s expression from lunch still haunted me. The heat he had in his eyes when I first walked to the table was quickly replaced by a cold indifference when he learned I hadn’t sent those texts. Every time I closed my eyes, I would see those chips of granite staring at me in disappointment then anger.
I sighed and kicked off my blankets. I sat up and thought about going downstairs to talk to him but quickly changed my mind when I saw that the hall light was still on. I reached for my phone and sent him a text message.
Me: Are you up?
I waited awhile before the phone vibrated in my hand.
Drez: I am now. What do you want?
I cringed at the tone. Me: Are you going Friday?
Drez: I wouldn’t want to disappoint your boyfriend.
Yeah, he was pissed. Me: He’s not my boyfriend.
Drez: Whatever. I’m going to sleep.
Great, the universal fuck you. I let out a huff of breath and set my phone back down on my bedside table. I laid back down and stared up at my ceiling. I’m tired of letting people try to fix things or taking their advice about my life. First it was with my brothers, then Jess, now Hunter. If I wanted to set things straight, I needed to suck it up and do things my way.
I tossed and turned for a few more hours before deciding to get out of bed. I glanced at the clock. Three-thirty. The hall light was off. Good, everyone was in bed. I opened my door and tiptoed down the stairs. I soundlessly jumped the bottom two steps that tended to squeak. I stood there for a few minutes with my heart pounding in my ears glancing back up the steps to my parents’ door.
Convinced that no one had heard me I made my way down the darkened hall to his room. I stopped in front of his door and took a deep breath before I opened it. The only light in the room was from the red digits on the alarm clock sitting on his dresser. It took my eyes a long while to adjust to the dimness.
He was sprawled out on his back, his arm over his face, and his other arm resting on his sheet covered stomach. I closed the door behind me and locked it. We were going to have this out once and for all.
I sat down on the side of the bed by his hip and touched his arm. “Marcus.”
He groaned and rolled over on his side. I grabbed his tattooed arm and gave him a slight shake. “Marcus.”
“What?” He sleepily muttered pulling the sheet up over his head.
I grabbed the sheet as frustration set in and jerked it down. He sat up in a start, his forehead almost hitting mine. I leaned back just in time to miss the impact. He turned those grey eyes on me and sucked in a harsh breath. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.” I gripped the sheet in my hand trying to ease my nervousness.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “No we don’t. Get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving, Marcus.”
*****
Drez
I ran a shaking hand through my hair and shook my head at her. I sincerely hoped this was just another dream of mine and she wasn’t really here. Otherwise, I’d be seriously fucked if her father caught her in here with me with only a sheet and her in a barely there tank top and small booty shorts. My body stirred slowly waking up at the shadowed sight of her nipples poking through the thin material.
I couldn’t take this anymore. After that text message earlier getting my hopes up and then her smashing them back to the ground at lunch, I had very little patience where she was concerned. “Marie. Leave before your father finds you here.”
She leaned closer to me causing me to back up a bit. “No. We need to fucking talk. I’m tired of everyone telling me what I should or should not do. You are going to listen to what I have to say. Marcus, I messed up big time. I was scared of what I was feeling for you, that’s why I broke it off. It had nothing to do with any other guy. I realized it that night but then you called us about Roxy and well everyone here was a zombie for days. This Monday I was being a bitch. I thought that you had moved on and I wanted to make you jealous. So I kissed Hunter after telling him that that was what I was doing.” She stopped talking and swallowed before capturing my eyes. “We then argued over something that never should have happened. I said some horrible things to you that I didn’t mean.”
She grabbed my hand as she continued. “I knew you were in the bathroom this morning. I just didn’t think you’d be….” Her cheeks turned pink. “Well, you know. I talked to Roxy about what I should do regarding your text about the locked doors. She said that if I wanted you back I should send you something sexy back. I was going to do that before lunch. But Hunter took my phone from me and sent you what he did.”
I shook my head trying to clear it. My voice cracked from the sudden rise of emotion. “Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know what his motives are. Not really.” She placed her hand on my cheek.
I savored her touch like a starving man would. Her palm caressed my chin sending a shiver of desire down my spine. I closed my eyes as I grabbed her wrist. This had to be a dream. Once I opened my eyes, she would be gone back safe in her room snuggled under her blankets. I opened my eyes to see her staring at my mouth.
She leaned forward and brushed her soft lips against mine. My body trembled as my breathing escalated. I tangled my fingers in her hair and tilted her head back burying my nose at her neck. I inhaled the sweet scent of her arousal and growled softly. My tongue flicked out to lick a wet path up her neck to her ear. I grazed my teeth against the sensitive lobe wringing out a gasp from her lips.
I jerked away from her. What the hell was I doing? “Marie. Go back to your room.”
“What! Why? I want to be with you, Marcus.” She purred at me slowly crawling onto the bed.
I grabbed her shoulders putting a stop to her advance. “Your father gets up in an hour and I don’t want him catching you in here.”
She sent a frantic look at the clock on the bureau. “Shouldn’t that be long enough?”
My head plopped down on the pillow as I ran a shaky hand over my face. “We will talk about this in the morning, luv. Please, just go.”
She ducked her head biting her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Go, Marie.” I sat up and grabbed her hand. “We will talk. I promise.”
She squeezed it slightly before heading over to the door. She unlocked and opened it before looking over her shoulder at me. “Night, Marcus.”
As she shut the door, I let out a long stuttered breath. Fuck. I’m going to have to start locking that door. I let out a snort. That wouldn’t help she’d just pick the damn thing.
*****
Chapter Thirteen
The next few days I never had the chance to pull her aside to talk to her. I had to work Wednesday and Thursday then she was saddled with helping Eva take the twins trick or treating. We couldn’t really talk during lunch thanks to the watchful eyes of her brothers. So when Friday rolled around and Hunter’s party loomed, I thought that would be a good time to talk.
Nat and Eva told us to stay out as late as we wanted when they learned that they would have the evening to themselves. The twins were going to their first sleepover and all of us were heading to that silly costume party. I didn’t realize just how into masquerades the entire family was. Charles spent days working on his Halo inspired costume. Luke and Roxy decided to go as Gambit and Rogue from the X-Men. They even included a deck of cards and staff for Luke. Roxy streaked her hair with some type of white hairspray.
Beau surprised me by dressing as some sort of pirate. He had a long black wig on with a red scarf tied around his forehead, a white billowy shirt and black leather pants with swo
rd attached to his hip. It took every ounce of control I had not to laugh at him when he walked into the kitchen.
He glared at me when he noticed my shoulders shaking from my barely contained mirth. “I wouldn’t laugh too hard, cap. Scott gave this to me and said that you needed to wear it.” He tossed a bag over to me.
It landed at my feet something grey and fuzzy slid out and rested on the toe of my boot. My face dropped. What the hell? I gingerly picked up the white plastic bag and pulled out the contents. A set of grey fuzzy ears, a black box that contained customizable fangs and a grey tail littered the table. I raised my eyebrow at him. “What exactly is this supposed to be?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled revealing a fake gold tooth. “It’s your costume.”
Roxy grabbed the box with the fangs and opened them. “Wolf teeth?”
Luke sent Beau a confused look as he picked up the tail. Beau shrugged his shoulders. “Ils veulent qu’ils correspondent. Elle est le Petit Chaperon Rouge… rencontrer Le Grand Méchant Loup.”
Luke dropped the tail and sent a quick glance at me before he started laughing. “That’s brilliant. I take it she’s already over there getting ready?”
“Yeah, I dropped her off with Jess twenty minutes ago. Hunter’s mom is helping her with her outfit.” Beau looked over at me. “Well, Drez. Go change so we can head on.”
I snatched the items off the table and stomped to my room. So I’m the big bad wolf to her little red riding hood. If it wasn’t for the embarrassment of wearing ears and a tail, I might find this funny.
*****
After changing into my black distressed jeans, T-shirt and well-worn boots, I headed back into the kitchen. Roxy took one look at me and pursed her lips. She left the mix of adhesive for the teeth on the counter and motioned for me to come to her.
“We have to do something about your hair. Hmm, maybe the shirt too. Charles, go upstairs and get an old black T-shirt that you will never wear again.” She grabbed her hairbrush out of that massive messenger bag of hers. “Luke, baby, can you go get some of your gel? Drez sit down. I am not going to try to reach that head of yours.”
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