Say Nothing... (The Speak Series Book 2)

by Roth, T. A.

"I am calling her phone," she says laughing. "Are you feeling okay?"

  I pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it for a minute.

  "Shit! You're right. I just bought her a new case. She kept dropping her phone, so I got her a shatterproof one that looks like mine. I must have grabbed hers by mistake."

  "No worries. Is she okay? She didn't look so hot after she fainted. She said she was fine, but I know her." I'm not sure how much Ari has told Vonne about her nightmares. Knowing Ari, she probably hasn't told her at all.

  "She was shaken up a bit, but she's okay."

  "All right. You sound busy, so I'll let you go. Can you tell her to call me?"

  "Yeah, no problem."

  "Cool, thanks."

  The workers are done just a few minutes later. I lock up the house and head back to Ari's.

  Meghan Trainor's “Like I'm Gonna Lose You” is blaring from the speakers as I walk through the front door. The sound of her hairdryer carries down the hall.

  "Babe," I call out, making my way to her bedroom.

  I lean against the doorframe and watch as she sings along to the song. Wrapped up in the emotion of it, she really does have a beautiful voice. Her eyes are closed as she rakes her hands through her damp hair. I rap my knuckles against her bedroom door to get her attention.

  She startles. "Shit! You scared me."

  "I'm sorry, but you couldn't hear me over the live performance you have going."

  She smiles and shakes her head as she walks toward me. I pull her to my chest, and she rests her head against my shoulder letting out a sigh.

  "You sure you're okay?" I ask. She nods but doesn't answer.

  "Vonne called. She wanted to see how you were doing. I accidentally took your phone." She tenses and pulls away from me.

  "Yeah, I know. I answered yours by accident too. Um . . . your uncle called."

  She turns away from me and heads toward her closet. The sound of sliding hangers begins to fill the room.

  "Oh, yeah. What did he want?"

  "He was getting ready to board his plane and wanted to say good-bye. He also wanted me to tell you he was sorry he would miss your graduation, but he'll call you as soon as he can."

  I'm hiding in my closet. Forcing myself to have a neutral reaction when he mentions his uncle is something I'm going to have to work on. He's really good at reading me and the conversation is still too fresh. The music helped to distract me. He approaches the opening of my closet, resting his hands on my doorframe. I peek up at him briefly then go back to looking for something to wear.

  "Are you sure that's all he said?" I'm taken aback by his question.

  "Yeah. Why?" I ask nervously.

  "I don't know. You're just a little jumpy. Just wanted to make sure. He wasn't being rude or anything?"

  I fidget with the hem of my shirt unable to meet his eyes.

  "No . . . um. He, he was just surprised to hear me answering your phone. He was fine. That's all he said."

  "You would tell me, right?"

  He's staring a hole into the side of my face, and I can't bear to look at him. He'll see it in my eyes that I'm lying. I pray for my closet to swallow me up. Just then, my phone rings. He slides it out of his back pocket and hands it to me. I give him a weak smile as he places it in my hand. I move past him and back into my room. The screen is flashing my sister, Alba's, name.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey, hoochie! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she teases.

  "No, I'm just getting ready to head over. What's up?"

  "Nothing. Mom just wanted me to give you a call and ask what time you were coming over."

  "We'll be out of here in about twenty minutes. I just need to change. So in about an hour."

  "Cool. I'll tell her. Hurry up, I'm starving and Mom wants us to wait for you before we start eating," she says whining.

  "All right, drama queen, let me go so I can finish."

  "Bye."

  Ben is standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the opening of my closet. I felt his eyes on me the whole time. He's waiting for me to answer. I meet his eyes and grin.

  "I better get changed. The natives are getting restless," I say waving my phone.

  I attempt to move past him and back into my closet when he grabs my wrist, stopping me.

  "Ari." Fuck. I know that tone, and I can't look at him; I’m afraid of what I'll see in his eyes.

  "You know I would do anything to protect you, right?" There it is; the fear and concern are evident, and it forces me to look up.

  "Of course," I answer before leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

  "I'm fine, okay? Stop worrying. It's just been a tough week, and I'm trying to sort it all out. I'm sorry for acting a little off." He doesn't answer. He keeps his eyes on my face assessing what I just said.

  I go in for another kiss, and this time, I deepen it. I just need a break from thinking. His body finally relaxes, and he begins to reciprocate. His hand slides up the back of my neck tugging at my hair as our tongues begin a perfect dance. I force myself to pull away a little breathless.

  "Okay . . . okay. You heard me on the phone. My sister is starved, so we can't start anything we don't have time to finish."

  He gives me a mischievous grin and pulls me in a little tighter. "Oh, I'll always make time to finish."

  "Yes, I know you'd have no trouble finishing," I say chuckling. "But we don't have time. Rain check?"

  He nods as I press another kiss to his lips and go back into the closet to grab something to change into.

  We pull up to my parents’ house an hour later. Poncho Sanchez “Yumbambe” is playing down the driveway. Ben looks over and smiles at me as I roll my eyes.

  "I'm just going to apologize now for whatever we're about to walk into.” He chuckles as I tug at his hand and walk us toward the front door. We walk inside without knocking. The music is too loud for anyone to hear us anyway.

  I follow my nose to the kitchen where my mom and dad are in full Dancing with the Stars mode.

  "Mija,” they both call out as I round the corner. Oh, God!

  They reach out their hands to us. My dad pulls me into a full spin. My mother, who is shimmying her shoulders, attacks poor Ben. Oh, what the hell. I give in and start shaking my ass to the music. I look over, and Ben is following along rather well for a frat boy who only listens to Jay-Z.

  The song finally ends, and my sisters are shaking their heads at us, clapping.

  "Hey Ari, he can dance pretty well. He's a keeper," my mom calls out over her shoulder as she goes over to the wireless speaker to lower the music.

  "Thanks, Mom. I think I will." Ben smiles, pulls me into his side, and kisses my cheek.

  The rest of the afternoon goes by like usual. We eat and we chat; only this time, my mom isn't asking if I've found Mr. Right. Today, he's sitting next to me. I avoid all conversation about yesterday's fainting spell. I can tell they're all still concerned, including Ben. So when the subject comes up again, I use the opportunity to excuse myself from the table.

  "I'll be right back."

  Ari squeezes my shoulder as she excuses herself from the table. The conversation was flowing nicely until her mother decided to ask again how she was feeling. She's been okay most of the day, even though she seems to be distracted. Her mother waits for her to leave the room before continuing our conversation.

  "How is she doing, really? I'm sorry. The question should be how you are both doing?" she asks.

  "It's okay, I understand your concern. She scared the hell out of all of us yesterday. I've been keeping an eye on her, and she seems fine, just a little distracted. It's been a rough couple of weeks, and she's helped me through a lot. If anything changes, I'll let you know. Deal?"

  "Thank you, mijo. I'm really glad she has you," she says smiling.

  "I'm lucky to have her."

  Ari returns a few minutes later. "Are you ready to go?"

  "The trial starts tomorrow, and I have some laundry to
do." I smile and get up from the table.

  "Sure, I'm ready. Thanks again, Anna, for having me over." It's still weird calling Ari's mom by her first name, but I'm afraid calling her Mrs. Muñoz might get me in trouble.

  "Of course, mijo, anytime." She gets up from the table and kisses my cheek then moves over to do the same to Ari.

  "Take care of our baby," Alberto, Ari's dad, says as he reaches out to shake my hand.

  "Always."

  We finish our good-byes and walk back to the car. Ari slumps into her seat keeping her gaze directed out the window. We pull out of her parents’ driveway without a word and head back to her apartment.

  "You good?" I ask, finally breaking the silence.

  "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just doing a mental rundown of all the stuff I have to do this week. Just getting a little overwhelmed."

  "Anything I can help with," I ask.

  "No, I got it. You're staying over, right?" she asks.

  "Yeah. Umm . . . I actually wanted to talk to you about that." I look away from the road, and she's staring at me with eyes full of concern.

  "What is it?" she asks nervously.

  "I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while." Her shoulders sag in relief, and she lets out a breath.

  "Of course. You didn’t have . . .” she starts to answer.

  "Wait, I'm not finished," I interrupt. She stops talking, so I continue.

  "I'm not sure what I want to do with my grandmother's house yet. It's weird being there alone. I'll pay rent. I'm not gonna be some mooch."

  "Will you shut up?" she interjects. "Of course, you can stay with me for as long as you want. It's weird when you're not there. I like having you with me." She leans over the center console and kisses my cheek.

  "Now, stop rambling and get us home." She sits back in her a seat with a wide grin.

  "Well, okay then, but I'm serious about helping out." She waves her hand at me.

  "Okay, we'll figure it out later."

  The conversation seems to have lightened her mood. I didn't want to spook her by asking to move in, but that's what I want. My grandmother's house is in a trust account in both my uncle’s and my name. We both have to agree before any decisions are made. It's not something I have the energy to think about now, and with him still traveling, I can’t do much anyway.

  As soon as we walk in the door, Ari rushes off to start a load of laundry. I change and sit in front of the TV while she finishes preparing for the week. I wake what seems like minutes later to the feel of her soft lips on my neck.

  "You fell asleep on me," she whispers.

  "Hmm . . . what time is it?"

  "A little after ten. Time for that rain check." A grin spreads across my face as she continues to trail kisses up my neck. She brings my earlobe between her teeth, and I'm done for.

  Monday always comes around so damn quick. I smack my hand blindly across my nightstand as the incessant foghorn alarm is screaming for me to get up.

  "Whyyyyyy?" I whine out into the dark room.

  "You need to get up," Ben answers. His voice is still gravelly with sleep. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to his chest. I snuggle into it and sigh.

  "You're not helping. I want to stay home."

  "I'm sorry. I'll make dinner while you're gone." That gets my attention. I lift my head off his chest to look at him.

  "You cook?" I ask, confused.

  He chuckles. "Yes, I cook. Why do you sound so surprised?" Amusement laces his tone.

  "Like real food?" He leans up on his elbows causing me to sit back on my haunches.

  "Yes, real food. What, did you think I lived off ramen and cereal? I used to cook at the frat house," he says getting off the bed. I follow him into the hall.

  "Really?"

  "You're starting to hurt my feelings," he says pressing a hand to his chest. "My nana taught me a few things. I'm no chef, but I can hold my own in the kitchen."

  I step toward him and wrap my arms around his waist.

  "Did I mention that you could stay as long as you want?" I say sweetly making him chuckle.

  "Oh, is that right?" he says kissing my neck.

  "Unless dinner sucks. Then I may have to change the locks." I pull out of his embrace, and he swats my ass playfully as I walk into the bathroom.

  "We'll see, funny girl."

  The whole morning seemed to move in slow motion. I had a serious case of the Mondays and was dragging ass. Ben filled my travel mug with coffee just the way I like and toasted me a bagel. I'm about three miles away from my exit when my cell rings. The radio volume lowers, and Vonne's name appears on the screen.

  "Hey, lady," I answer.

  "She is alive. Well, it's about damn time you answered your phone," she retorts sarcastically.

  "I'm sorry. Ben accidentally took my phone, and by the time we got that squared away, we were running late to my parents’. What's going on?"

  "Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. How are you feeling? You scared the shit out of me."

  It kills me that I've never shared this with her. She would go batshit crazy if I told her now. I wouldn't even know how to start that conversation. I'm sorry that not only did I never tell you, but the guy who used to torment me is back in my life, and oh, did I mention he's related to Ben. Yeah, that would go over real well.

  "I'm okay, really. I just got a little overwhelmed and didn't eat. I'm good."

  "All right. You better take care of yourself. Doesn't the trial start this week?"

  "Yeah. It got moved up. I'm scrambling to get everything they need for the week. I'll be up to my eyeballs in work for the next couple of days."

  "Well, now that I'm done with school, maybe we can meet up for lunch."

  "Sounds good. I wanted to take you to get a mani-pedi for your graduation. My nails are trashed. I'll know what my schedule is when I get in today."

  "Yay. Sounds good. It's a date so keep me posted."

  "Will do. Okay, I'm getting close, and I don't want to miss my exit. I'll text you later."

  "Sure thing. Talk to you later."

  I HEAD OUT ABOUT AN hour after Ari leaves for work. I drive toward campus with graduation on the brain. It's a week away. I only have a few things to wrap up before I'm a free man. At least from school, anyway. I took the internship in L.A. with my dad's old firm. You're looking at the new office bitch of The Law Offices of Loya, Rudd, and Rummel. My mother wasn't too happy I passed on the London opportunity. She was even more pissed when I added I was also staying at USC for law school. She blames Ari. God, that woman will never change.

  Her ears must be ringing because my phone vibrates in my pocket the minute I park the car. I say a silent prayer that it's Ari. My thumb hovers over the screen as soon as I see her name. If I send her to voicemail, she'll just call me until I answer. I hit accept and face the music.

  "Mother." I try to keep my tone pleasant, but I'm fooling no one.

  "Do you always have to sound so bothered when I call you?" Here we go. I release a breath.

  "You just caught me at a bad time, Mom. Sorry." The truth is it never is a good time. The woman exasperates me.

  "I'm sorry, but it never seems to be a good time," she says, relaying my thoughts.

  "I just got to campus. Can I call you when I'm done here?"

  "Oh. Well, I'll be quick. I just wanted to see if you were free after your graduation. Andrew and I would like to take you out to dinner if you don't already have plans."

  The question hangs between us. If I say no, she'll start the waterworks. I roll my eyes and hold in the frustrated sigh I'm dying to release.

  "Ari is welcome to join us," she adds.

  "That should be fine. Her work schedule is all over the place this week, so we haven't made any definite plans."

  "Perfect. Well, then it's settled. I will make the reservations."

  You can hear the excitement in her tone. I've pleased her because, for once, I didn't put up a fight. I just don't have the en
ergy this week.

  "Okay. I'm walking up to my advisor's office. I will give you a call tonight."

  "Okay, sweetheart. Have a good day. I'll talk to you tonight."

  It takes about an hour for me to finish up on campus. I had forgot to fill out a few forms, and with everything that happened with my grandmother, I completely forgot to pick up my cap and gown. I slide into the driver's seat and head back to the apartment. I dial Eli's number before taking off, and he answers after the first ring.

  "What's up, bro?"

  "Do you ever answer like a normal person?" I ask.

  "Not when I see your ugly mug on the screen," he says chuckling.

  "Shit just got real. I just picked up my cap and gown."

  "Same here. I can't believe we're finally done. I've been packing up my apartment. I leave for New York in three weeks."

  "That's nuts. So are you staying at your parents’ place out there?"

  Eli's parents are stupid rich. They have a huge penthouse in New York. Let's not forget their properties in Paris, London, Italy, and the one they just got in Hawaii. His father is in publishing. He runs one of the largest publishing houses in Los Angeles; the larger one is in New York. He was groomed to be his father's successor from the time he learned to read.

  "Yeah." He sounds distracted. Talking about his family, his dad, in particular, always seems to be a sore subject.

  "Hey, I don't want to keep you. I was just calling because my mom wants to make reservations for dinner after my graduation ceremony. You're still coming, right?"

  "Umm . . .” He pauses briefly. "I planned on it."

  "Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming?" I ask.

  "Vonne invited me too," he says, letting out a sigh.

  "And? It's the same ceremony, and we have the same major. What's the problem?"

  "I don't want to lead her on, man. I slipped up on Sunday, and I'm leaving."

  "Wait. What do you mean you slipped up on Sunday?" He lets out a resigned sigh. I knew it would only be a matter of time till he cracked. A slow grin spreads across my face.

  "You're worse than a girl sometimes, you know that," he says annoyed.