by E. L. Todd
After knowing Uncle Mike my whole life, I knew he was someone I didn’t want to cross. Sending that picture to him would have dire repercussions for Trinity. I would hate to be the recipient of his wrath.
I snatched the phone away and stuffed it in my pocket. “You guys are both adults now. If Trinity wants to dress like that at her party, that’s her right. Tattling on her to Uncle Mike isn’t fair.”
“Thank you.” Trinity gave me a look of gratitude.
“How would you feel if your sister was dressing like that?” Conrad demanded.
“I wouldn’t like it one bit,” I said honestly. “And I would ask her to change. But I wouldn’t tattle on her to my dad. That’s not cool.” I returned the phone to his hand. “Do the right thing, man.”
Conrad growled then stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Then he looked at his sister. “When you dress like that, the only thing guys want is sex. They don’t give a shit about you and they don’t respect you. If you want to parade around like a whore, fine. But don’t expect me to be there for you when the guy doesn’t call you ever again.” He headed to the booze table and poured himself another beer. Roland went with him.
“He pisses me off sometimes.” Trinity crossed her arms over her chest.
Slade kept eyeing her, not bothering to be discreet about it.
I wasn’t related to Trinity, but I didn’t see her that way. As far as I was concerned, she was a distant cousin.
“You like what you see?” Trinity asked him.
Slade drank out of his cup and said nothing.
These two made no sense. They argued like they hated each other, and now they seemed like friends again. Wanting to stay out of their feud, I trailed away and searched for Skye. I knew she would appreciate my costume…unlike everyone else. And I sincerely hoped she went with the Kill Bill outfit.
I moved through the house until I spotted a man wearing a Batman costume. He didn’t wear a mask, and I recognized Zack the moment I saw him.
So fucking cliché.
Against the wall was Skye. She was wearing a Wonder Woman outfit, her chest prominent and her legs long and thin. Zack was pressing her into the wall, his face near hers. Then he kissed her, groping her like he wanted her then and there.
Just watching it made me sick. Like a horrific accident that you couldn’t stop staring at, I continued to watch their affection. She sucked his bottom lip then kissed him again, her eyes closed. The passion on her face made my stomach turn into uncomfortable knots. The way his hands hugged her hips made me spiral down, making my heart beat slower with every passing second. I was watching my worst nightmare.
“What are the odds you would be here?”
The voice was familiar but I didn’t recognize it. “Sorry?” I turned to see Jasmine standing beside me. She was wearing a slutty Native American costume. A tube top with fringe was around her chest, barely containing her voluptuous breasts, and she was wearing a short skirt that barely covered anything. She wore a black wig that was pulled into a braid.
She studied my face, probably seeing the horror in my eyes. I couldn’t hide my pain. I’d seen Skye kiss Zack before, but never like that. It hinted at their sex lives, something I found so disgusting it made me want to hurl. I felt alone. I felt hurt. How could I be so in love with someone who didn’t even notice me? How could she prefer him over me? Why couldn’t she kiss me like that? It wasn’t fair. I was better than him in every way.
Jasmine glanced at Skye, seeing her make out with Zack, and then turned back to me. “Now I understand.” Pity was in her eyes.
Seeing them together took a toll on my heart. I was sick of feeling this way. It was heartbreaking and exhausting. At this age, I should be dating and having fun. I shouldn’t feel this strongly for another person. Sometimes I wished I never met Skye so I could be normal just like everyone else. The pain was digging into my marrow, scarring the bone. “You want to get out of here?”
She smirked. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter Six
Skye
Sex with Zack was…okay. When he was drunk, it was worse. It lasted a long time but he was sloppy and bouncy. It took him forever to get off. He made me climax every now and then, but it was hit or miss. But that’s how sex was and I didn’t complain about it. He seemed to enjoy it more than I did. Every time we fooled around, he was harder than a rock. And as soon as he was inside me, he moaned like he’d never had sex before.
I tried not to think about it too much. Real relationships weren’t fairy tales where the guy swept you off your feet and solved every problem you ever had. They were work and time-consuming. There were days when I didn’t want to put the work in and there were days when I did. But sometimes I wondered if he was worth it.
I’d been in relationships before, and I never felt the all-consuming love they referred to in novels and movies. My heart didn’t stretch so wide that I thought it would give out. My stomach didn’t fill with butterflies when he was around. I used to be that way in the beginning of our relationship, but that quickly faded. Now all it seemed like we did was argue and have sex.
Was that normal?
I didn’t see Zack much the next week. I had an exam on Friday and I didn’t feel prepared for it. Zack was majoring in political science because he wanted to get into politics. I knew he had a long road ahead of him. Honestly, I couldn’t see him being a senator or congressman. He just lacked charisma. Perhaps law school was better for him.
After I finished my exam on Friday, I finally relaxed. I had the whole weekend to sit around in my pajamas and do nothing. I had a date with a pint of chocolate ice cream and my TV.
Life was good.
When I got home, I got a text from my mom.
What are you doing this weekend?
Eating ice cream.
I do that every weekend.
I know. I’m your daughter. Did you have something in mind?
Next weekend your father and Uncle Mike are hosting a gala for the company. He would like it if you and Roland came. I thought I could drive up there tomorrow and we could do some shopping.
Gala? Is it for charity?
Yes. And it would mean a lot to him if the two of you came.
Of course we will. Does that mean Cayson is coming too?
I’m not sure but I would assume so.
Cool. I love to shop.
Great. I’ll pick you up at noon.
Sounds great.
Okay. I’m excited to see you.
Me too, Mom.
My mom and I were close. She was my first girlfriend and now she was my best girlfriend. I told her everything without feeling judged. And I knew she wouldn’t tell my father anything if I asked. She would keep my secrets unless she was concerned for my well-being. She knew how psycho he was.
I texted Cayson next. He didn’t come in on Wednesday night like he usually did. Actually, I hadn’t seen him all week. We didn’t cross paths at the Halloween party either. Not talking to him felt odd. Hey stranger.
He didn’t respond.
Normally, he returned messages within seconds. It was like his phone was always in his hand. Half an hour went by before he responded.
Hey wiener girl.
Don’t call me that in front of my dad. He might get the wrong idea.
And I want to keep my head.
My mom told me there’s a gala for the company next weekend. Are you going?
I would never let my father down.
Cool. My mom is coming down tomorrow so we can go shopping.
Tell her I said hi.
I will. There was nothing else to say but I wanted to keep talking to him. I missed him. It was weird not having him around. You want to carpool?
May as well.
We can take my car.
Cool.
This was strange. I had to keep the conversation going. Normally it just flowed. It seemed like he was being short with me. Want to get pizza? I finished an exam a few hours ago and I’m s
tarving.
I have a date. Maybe next time.
A date? Who?
Some girl I met a while ago.
Oh. He never mentioned that to me. Since he was so secretive about his private life, I wasn’t sure why he mentioned his date at all. Okay. Have a good time.
Thanks. See ya.
See ya? He never said goodbye over text messages. The conversation was always left open—indefinitely. Cayson, is everything okay?
Yeah. He said nothing more.
I put the phone down, unsure what to think.
***
My mom arrived at my door right at noon.
“Hey, Mom.” I moved into her arms and gave her a big hug. The scent of vanilla came into my nose, a smell I remembered from my youth. My mom was the kindest person I knew. She had a heart of gold but she was also strong. She stood up to my dad no matter how protective he was.
“Hello, dear.” Her hand touched the end of my hair, feeling the softness. “You look beautiful, like always.”
“You’re only saying that because I look like you.”
She pulled away and smirked. “Well, I’m sure it helps. Are you ready to go?”
“So ready.” I grabbed my purse and we walked out the door.
As soon as we reached the car, her phone rang.
I already knew who it was before she pulled her phone out.
“Dad?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know your father well.” She looked at the screen then took the call. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby.” His voice carried to my ears. “You made it to the apartment?”
“You have a tracker on my phone so I’m sure you already knew that.”
He chuckled. “I just wanted to check in.”
“Well, I’m fine.”
“Call me when you get back to the apartment.”
“I’ll think about it.” My mom liked to make him squirm.
“Call me or I’ll drive down there. Your choice.”
“Hmm…which is the lesser of two evils?”
I rolled my eyes while I listened to them.
My dad’s voice became firmer. “I’m already going crazy without you so any excuse to drive down there is welcomed.”
“I guess I’ll call you then.”
“I love you.” Every time he said those words, his voice sounded the same. It didn’t matter if he was angry or tired. He said it the same way every time. The emotion came from his throat, echoing long after he said it. It was almost like he was desperate, like he wanted my mom to know he meant it every single time he said it. While they were gross and disgusting, they also made me long for a love like that. But I doubted a man would ever love me the way my dad loved my mom.
“I love you too.” She hung up and returned her phone to her purse.
“He’s intense.”
“Your father is…there are no words.” She started the car then headed to the mall.
When we arrived, we hit the stores.
“When I had dinner with dad a few weeks ago, our waitress practically threw herself at him.” I rolled my eyes. “It was totally disgusting.”
My mom smirked. “Sounds about right.”
“It doesn’t make you mad?”
She shrugged. “I have one of the best looking men in the world as my husband. Unlike women, men get better looking with age, and your father has definitely become even more handsome. Plus, he’s one of the richest men in the world. I’m not ignorant to the intents of other women. They’ll want him. But that doesn’t matter because they can’t have him.”
“Wow. You really trust Dad.”
“I have no reason not to.”
I’d like to say the same about Zack but I wasn’t sure if I could. “How did you guys get together?”
“We met in college, like I said.”
“No. I mean how did you hook up?”
“Oh…that’s a long story. There aren’t enough hours in the day.”
“You were friends first, right?”
We walked into a clothing store, eyeing the gowns on display.
“I knew your father for ten years before we had our first kiss. Actually, he was about to propose to another woman.”
“Whoa…what happened?”
“She cheated on him,” she said with a smile. “And then I got him.”
“How could you be friends for so long and not notice each other?”
She walked to a champagne pink dress and felt the fabric. “Well, sometimes it takes just a single touch or look to make you see them differently. I think I was in love with your father long before I realized it. The first time we were…together…I realized it.”
“Like, a booty call?”
Her cheeks blushed. “More like a drunken night.”
“Mom!”
She laughed. “Honey, I’m not a saint and I never said I was.”
“So, you guys hooked up and that’s it?”
She laughed again. “No, that definitely wasn’t it. We had a very rocky relationship. In fact, I moved to Seattle just to get away from him. In time, we figured it out and made it work. And it only made us fall in love even more.”
“So, sleeping with him made you realize he was the one?”
She shrugged. “Sean was always the one. I think having a night of really great sex just made me realize how passionate we were toward each other. Everything changed.”
It surprised me they could be friends for a decade but not start a relationship for so long. It was odd to me. Most relationships didn’t happen that way. “Did being friends first make you better lovers?”
“Definitely. What’s better than falling in love with your best friend? They know everything about you, every strength and every flaw. You never have to fear being yourself. You don’t even need to tell them what you’re thinking or what you want. They just know.” She felt the dress in her fingertips. “I like this one. I think it’ll look good on you.”
I eyed it. It was beautiful and classy. But it was a tube top. “I’m not sure it’ll contain my cleavage—thanks for that by the way.”
She smirked. “It will. It has padding inside.” She grabbed one in my size then grabbed a white shawl “It’ll look great on your skin tone.”
“You think?”
“I know. Let’s get it.”
“Okay.”
We headed to the fitting room and stepped inside together. I changed in front of her, unembarrassed about being practically naked in front of my mother. I pulled up the dress then fit the zipper.
My mom smiled. “It’s perfect.”
I looked at my chest. “They look like they are sitting on a platter.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t fight it. Besides, your husband will love them.”
“Every guy I pass in the hallway loves them.”
She laughed. “Sounds about right.”
I changed then we left the dressing room. At the register, my mom took out her credit card to pay for it.
“I can get it, Mom.”
“No,” she said firmly. “It’s a gift from your father.”
“You guys buy me too much stuff.”
“Just accept it.” She held out a gold bracelet. “Your father bought this for me twenty years ago and he spent way too much on it. I practically ripped his head off but he talked me down. So, you can accept this dress.”
“How do you put up with him?”
She handed over the credit card then took the receipt. “Because I love him like crazy.”
We headed out of the store.
“Lunch?” she asked.
“Pizza?”
“It’s like we have one mind.”
We went to the pizza parlor in the mall then sat down with our food. We both ordered slices of combination.
“Dad knows I have a boyfriend and I’ve had them before.” I took a bite then sipped my soda.
She nodded. “He told me.”
“Was he mad?”
“No. He understands you’re a grown wo
man that has a personal life. It’s just hard for him to accept it sometimes. He just cares about you, honey.”
“I know…but he’s so psycho about it. Did he ask you anything?”
“No.”
“Is he having a PI follow me around?”
She laughed. “No.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“How’s it going with Zack, by the way?”
I shrugged. “Fine.”
She eyed me. “Fine? Just fine?”
“Yeah…I don’t know. There’s not much to say.”
“No interesting stories?”
“None that I can think of.”
My mom ate her pizza quicker than I did. “It doesn’t seem like you really like him, Skye.”
“I do,” I said quickly. “He just gets on my nerves sometimes. He gets extremely jealous and argumentative. I feel like we argue just as much as we enjoy each other’s company.”
“What do you fight about?”
“Nothing, really. That’s the sad part.”
“You know how your father and I get.”
“Yeah, but then you guys are love bunnies for two weeks in between. It’s not like that with Zack.”
“Do you love him?”
I didn’t like it when people asked me this. “I’m too young to know love.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re twenty-one. What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. We’ve only been together for six months. I don’t think that’s long enough to know.”
“I disagree. You know if you love someone immediately. You may not acknowledge it, but that doesn’t make it untrue.”
“Zack and I aren’t that serious. We’re just having fun.”
“So, he’s good in bed?” my mom asked.
I shrugged. “He’s alright.”
She smirked. “I’m having a hard time understanding why you stick around.”
“Well, I used to have a really big crush on him. The moment I saw him, I was dumbstruck like a teenager. But I guess after I got to know him, that excitement wore off. Isn’t that how it is in all relationships?”
“No. I feel the same way about your father as the day we married.”
“But you guys are weird.”
“Then ask that question to any of your aunts and uncles. They’ll have the same response.”