by Amanda Heath
Anyway, the house is two stories and built with brick. There’s a big front yard and backyard. The backyard was actually big enough that Nathan and I took apart my mini skate park and moved it here. I thought Rachel might have a problem with that, but she didn’t. She said it made me happy so I could put it wherever I wanted.
The house has four bedrooms and four and a half baths. The first floor has an open living room with tan walls and white carpet. We bought a tan sectional and brought my flat screen from my mother’s house. There are vases and paintings on the walls but I don’t care about that crap.
The kitchen is freaking huge and came with all new appliances. The floors are black and white checkered and the walls are white. The counters are black granite and the appliances are stainless steel. Rachel bought a huge black dining room table with matching straight back chairs and threw them in the dining room, which adjoins the kitchen. Well, Rach didn’t throw them in there; I would have spanked her ass if she did that.
Royal and Wes decided to stay with us this summer, so there is always someone in the house. They leave next month for college. Wes is off to Yale and Royal is off to Juilliard. I was planning on heading to Alabama State but I turned them down and got a late acceptance into The University of North Texas at Dallas. I want to coach football when I grow up and they have a decent education department. Though I’m aiming for college football instead of high school.
Rachel decided she doesn’t want to go to college. She said she had enough school for the past thirteen years. Then again, she wants to write romance novels. She can do that anywhere. And if anyone could write romance novels, it’s my girl. I didn’t realize she had an entire room at her parent’s house full of books. She told me that before she started hanging out with Paisley and Wes, she read all the time because she didn’t have many friends. She wasn’t lying.
Luckily, she has a kindle now, so we don’t have to waste all that room. Don’t tell Rach I said it was a waste. She’ll kick me in the balls.
“Court you are going to have to talk about it at some point. It’s going to fester inside you until you explode. And I, for one, don’t want to be around for that.” She leans down and kisses my lips gently before getting up and heading to the bathroom.
You can tell Rachel is her mother’s daughter. Mrs. Sanders is a shrink and Rach often channels her mother’s profession and throws it at me. I told her I stopped needing a shrink’s advice years ago. That didn’t go over well.
“Can you go make me some French toast? I’m starving and we have to be at your Uncle’s office in less than an hour,” she calls from behind the closed bathroom door.
She started punishing me last week because I won’t talk to my mother about what Channing said. She closes the bathroom door and locks it. She’s starting to win me over because I miss this part of our mornings. Though I don’t think I miss it enough for my mother to destroy my life.
I get up and get dressed for the day. I bump into Wes coming out of her room the same time I am. “You ready to talk today?” she asks, one eyebrow raised.
Yes, she knows, too. And she’s punishing me worse than Rach. That one sentence is the only thing she says to me every day. She refuses to have any kind of conversation with me until I talk to someone about it.
I’m starting to realize what the fuck I put Channing through. These chicks are impossible. Royal though thinks it’s funny. He would, the tool. At least he doesn’t ask me every day if I want to talk about it.
I roll my eyes and ignore her for once. They can push and they can shove but it’s not going to change my mind.
“You’ll regret this when I’m gone Pierce!” she hollers after me while I walk down the stairs. I just wave my hand at her, which makes her huff.
I hear a door open and then Royal’s voice say, “Duchess, leave the man alone. He’s not ready, just like Channing wasn’t ready. Ashley’s been sitting on this for years. She just didn’t know Channing was going to spill the beans.”
I stop in my tracks, my foot lowering to the last step. I turn around and race back up the stairs. “Ash knew about this? For how long?” I bellow at the top of the stairs.
They both wince, but I don’t care. Royal looks uncomfortable but answers me anyway. “She’s known since she got that box. She didn’t want to tell you because she didn’t want to ruin your life even more than it already was. You already put up with a lot when she got that box. You didn’t need any more pain. Then she waited too long and she didn’t know what to do. She told Channing when he showed up asking about Annabella.” Royal takes a few steps closer to me. Ever since Rach and I made up, he’s been decent. I’m still waiting for him to deck me in the face again. “Channing couldn’t hold that in. He had to tell you. He said he finally understood what the fuck you were doing to him. He didn’t want to force it on you but he didn’t like being in your shoes.”
“Thanks for telling me. Guess I’ll be ignoring more people now,” I mumble, making my way down the stairs again and heading into the kitchen.
Betrayal. It stings the skin and tastes bad when you think about it. My mother, my sister, and probably my brother. They always seemed way closer to each other than they were to me.
I don’t know how to handle this.
***
“Congratulations, kiddos. You’re having a boy,” Uncle Grayson says happily while looking at the monitor that shows inside Rach’s stomach.
I honestly didn’t care what the baby was. As long as it is healthy and whole, nothing else matters. Rachel though, wanted a girl…badly.
I pick up her hand where it rests in mine and place a small kiss on the back of it. “Sorry, G.”
She looks over at me with tears in her eyes. “Oh, I don’t care. I’ve decided it’s better to have a little Courtney running around instead of a little Rachel. She’d be more spoiled than I am.” She beams at me, excitement shining in her eyes.
I chuckle. “Well then. Now we have to pick out names,” I tell her, squeezing her hand.
“I’ll let you get changed, Rachel. Make sure to stop by the reception desk and make your next appointment,” Uncle Grayson tells her before leaving the room.
I was going to wait until dinner tonight but since we found out it’s a boy instead of a girl, I want to do it now. I know she says she doesn’t care, but she has to be a tiny bit disappointed. She’d been going on and on about how she was going to buy our daughter every cute outfit and hair accessory she came upon.
Rachel gets up off the table and goes to stand behind the screen to change. I pick up the picture of our kid Uncle Grayson printed out and set it on the table Rachel just vacated. I pull the ring box out of my pocket and take the ring out. Believe it or not, the jewelry store takes special orders. I designed this ring just for Rachel. The band is white gold and shiny. The rock is shaped like a flower, the petals are small rubies and the middle is shaped like a skull and crossbones with tiny diamonds encrusted to make it sparkle. The stem of the flower is an emerald and it curves around the band. I think it’s fucking perfect.
I lift the picture up and place the ring down. Then I replace the picture on top of it. I can see Rach throw a leg out to pull on her jeans. I lean against the table while I wait. It’s a few minutes later when she exits from behind the screen. She picks up her huge red purse off the chair she set it on and walks over to pick up the picture. She doesn’t see the ring at first because she’s too busy admiring our child. I grin, waiting for her eyes to find the treasure underneath.
“We are going to have a little boy! I’m so-“ She cuts herself off as her eyes get huge. Her hand trembles while she reaches down to pick up the ring. Her mouth falls open when she gets a good look at it. “You…you put a skull and crossbones on it?” When she looks up at me, tears start falling from her eyes.
I thought she would like that. My heart sinks because I thought the ring was perfect. “Yeah, G,” I tell her, my voice shaky. I never factored in the chance she wouldn’t like the ring.
&nb
sp; She drops her purse on the floor with a loud thump. She runs around the table and jumps into my arms. Her legs go around my waist and she starts kissing me; my forehead, my cheeks, my chin and my nose. “Yes,” she whispers against my lips, answering the question I never got out of my mouth.
“I didn’t ask you yet, babe,” I whisper back, overwhelmed that she said yes. After her reaction to the ring, I didn’t think she would agree to marry me.
“I don’t fucking care. You got me the most perfect ring ever and I love you and we are having a baby and we moved in together. You can’t even take it back now, I’ll drag your ass down the aisle.” She kisses my lips, slipping her tongue into my mouth.
We make out for awhile until we hear a throat clearing. I look up to find Uncle Grayson looking like he’s trying to hide a smile. “I’m going to need this room, kiddos.”
I set Rach down softly but I don’t let go of her hand even when I bend down to pick up her purse. Rach has a blush rising up her neck and I want to laugh, but knowing her, she’ll want to hit me.
When we reach Uncle Grayson he throws his arms around both of us and says, “Congratulations,” before letting us go.
We both say our thanks and make our way home.
Chapter Sixteen
“You’ll forgive me. You’ll always forgive me.”
I sit up on the couch and try to catch my breath. Yes, that bitch is still haunting me. Rach says I still talk in my sleep but now I only say “shut up,” which is a relief. Even my unconscious wants this shit to stop. I get tired of waking up like this.
“Who are you telling to shut up?” Nathan asks from the floor of my living room. He’s got the PS3 controller in his hand and “Fallout: New Vegas” on the screen.
“When did you get here?” I rub a hand over my eyes trying to wipe the sleep away.
He shrugs, never taking his eyes away from the TV. The dude is serious about his video games. “Rachel called this morning and said I had to be here for wedding shit. I’m not sure what that means, because I thought I was only going to be attending.
“No, you’re my best man,” I tell him, laying my head back down. Annabella’s voice still rings in my ears like she screamed in them. What I wouldn’t give to have a witch show up and erase that bitch from my memories.
Nathan drops the controller in the middle of a fight. He turns to me with his eyes wide. “Are you kidding me?” he bellows, standing up and throwing his hands in the air.
I laugh and sit up on the couch. “Channing, Royal, and Van were fighting over it, so I gave it to you. Sorry, I should have told you by now, but I forgot.”
“Are you sure you’re not the pregnant one? Sleeping in the middle of the day, having weird dreams and forgetting shit, while Rachel runs around like she doesn’t have a bigger belly and all the energy in the world.” He finally brings his hands back down and glares at me. “Dude, I’m not wearing a penguin suit. I refuse. I have to wear that shit once a week for my dad, and I don’t love you like I love him.”
I laugh again, this time, for awhile. I even fall back down on the couch. When I’m done, I look up at him and grin. “You love me, bro? How sweet! We can make our own love child if ya want. I don’t mind being a baby daddy twice in one year.”
Nathan scowls at me and flips me off. “You don’t just skate with anyone, dude. You have to trust the other person or you’ll end up dead when they don’t pay attention and slam into you, breaking your neck when you land on the rail.”
“I’m fucking with you Nathan. We have a perfectly normal bromance. You tell me how crazy the women in my life are, and I make fun of you for not trying to get laid. Then we eat something, go skate, rinse and repeat,” I tell him, standing up and clapping him on the shoulder.
“Fine. I’ll wear a suit. But only because you love me, too.” Then he turns toward the kitchen and walks in, saying, “I’m not writing out a speech, Rachel. I’m not my father, public speaking is not my thing.”
“Nathan Rivers! You will do whatever I tell you to or I’ll post a picture of you without your shirt on, on Facebook. Then you won’t have a choice. The girls will be all over you,” Rachel throws right back at him.
I walk into the kitchen to find Wes, Royal, Channing and Paisley with looks of humor on their faces. Nathan looks to Royal and Channing for confirmation and they both nod their heads.
“Fuck. My. Life.” Nathan spits out slowly. He turns to me and glares yet again. “I knew when I first met you, that you would ruin my life.”
I laugh again and walk over to pat him on the shoulder. “You have Asperger’s Syndrome, Asperger’s doesn’t have you.” I’ve been around Nathan and his parents a few times and they are great people. So I don’t know the reason why he is so insecure about his condition. Yeah, he misses some social cues and says weird things, but that isn’t him.
“Way to drop the bomb, Pierce,” he tells me while pursing his lips. “And I know it doesn’t define me, but you tell a girl you’re Autistic and they look at you differently.”
Paisley chews on her lip before walking over to him and putting her hand on his arm. “If you want my opinion, not all girls will care. We just need to find you a nice, really smart girl. I’ve seen the dumb shallow girls at school trying to get your attention. The smarter the girl, the better. She’ll be able to handle it because she’ll be able to understand.” Then she smiles at him and I see why Channing fell in love with her. “I’m smart, I know these things. Besides, I couldn’t even tell you have Asperger’s. You act normal to me.”
“That’s because you’re strange too, Paisley,” Royal says and gives her a sincere smile. I can tell he was moved by what she did for Nathan. Looking around, I think we all are. Even Nathan.
“Well, if you ever realize what a tool Channing is, look me up.” Nathan winks at her and walks out of the kitchen. I assume he’s going back to the living room to play his game.
Rachel walks over to me and bumps her way under my arm. “He doesn’t have to speak if he doesn’t want to. I didn’t know about him. I always kind of wondered why Corey was always so protective of him, so that makes sense now.”
I kiss her hair and smile down at her. “Corey didn’t ever want him to feel left out or stupid. And if Nathan missed a social cue or said something off, he didn’t make a big deal about it. Corey’s the one who told me about it.”
“You have actually spoken to Corey Rivers?” She doesn’t give me time to answer when she exclaims, “I know a girl who went on a date with him and didn’t even hear him speak!”
I feel my eyebrows furrow before I say, “When Nathan started skating with me, Corey brought him over. He wanted to see if I could handle Nathan the right way. He’d had some trouble at school, nothing major. When he realized I wasn’t going to be freaked out over anything, he took me to the side and explained. I told him that I didn’t care he is Autistic. No reason to be a jackass to him.” Then I shrug.
Rachel beams up at me and kisses my cheek. “I knew I loved you for more than your looks.”
I raise an eyebrow and smirk. “That’s funny, G. I only like you for your ass.”
She scowls at me before hitting me on the shoulder. “You’re an asshole.”
I take my arm off her shoulder. I wrap both my arms around her waist and stare down at her. “I love you because you make my world go round. I love you because you tell me how it is and you don’t play games. I love you because I want to see your face first thing in the morning and hold you close so I know you’re real. I love you because no one in my life has ever made me this happy.” I kiss her nose and place my forehead on hers. “And I love you because you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Inside and out. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you. God made you perfect. God made you an angel.” I kiss her softly and then lift my head.
Rachel looks soft and compliant, and I wonder if I could get her upstairs right now for a quickie. That’s when I look around at the other four and want to burst out laughing. Channing an
d Royal look like they haven’t ever seen me before. Wes and Paisley are near to tears. “That was so fucking awesome, Pierce. You are my favorite cousin,” Wes says, smacking Royal on the shoulder.
He looks down at her with a stern expression. “I wrote you a damn song. Not only that, I courted you like a damn Regency era man. Don’t even start with me.” Her frown turns into a smile and she laughs at him.
Channing looks down at Paisley. She looks back up at him and grins. “You are you. That’s all I need.”
Nathan pops his head into the kitchen and sneers at us. “That right there is why I stay away from girls. I don’t want to become a lovesick idiot.”
Chapter Seventeen
“I have nothing to worry about. You’ll always come back to me.”
Someone shoves my shoulder before I start bouncing around on the bed. I slowly open my eyes to see my favorite cousin jumping up and down on the bed. Her blonde hair flies up and down with her body. Her green eyes sparkle and her smile is infectious. “You’re getting married tomorrow! I can’t believe it! And it’s not to a crazy person!” Then she promptly falls down on top of me.
“I don’t know about that. Rach is kind of crazy,” I state, rubbing the sleep from my face.
Wes rolls off me and props her head up in her hand. “Well, yeah, but she’s not going to be with you and then sleep with your brother. She has more class and morals than that.” Then she gives me a wicked smile. “Besides, she loves you like crazy. She was telling me yesterday she couldn’t believe that you’re still with her.”
Surprised by that, I smile. “I can’t believe she’s still with me. She’s too good for the likes of me,” I tell Wes, hiding my smile. I’m totally fishing for compliments.
She huffs and rolls off the bed. “You are perfect for each other. Royal says he hasn’t seen her so happy in all her life. He used to make her sing with him. Now she just sings all the time. And she is constantly smiling.” She leans over the bed to kiss my cheek. “He feels even more bad now about all the things he said. He wants to lay the world down at your feet because you make her so happy.”