by Autumn Sand
“Looks like we are going to have a wet Christmas instead of a white one,” I murmur into her hair.
“I used to be afraid of the rain when I was a kid.”
“The thunder and lightning would scare you?”
She nods her head. “Yeah. Trevor would let me crawl into the bed with him, and he would talk to me, or read me a story, to get my mind off of it.”
“Want to crawl into bed now? I don’t know any fairytale stories, but I do know of other ways to distract you.”
Turning around, she pushes at my chest. “I’m no longer afraid of thunderstorms, thank you very much.” She smiles at me.
Taking a step closer, I pull her into me. “You sure? I was hoping to distract you for a bit.”
“You’re incorrigible,” she says and places a quick kiss to my lips. “Listen, we should go down for dinner. Dad is very punctual.” Grabbing my hand, we walk out of her room and head down the stairs to the dining room.
Everyone is seated, as Favor and I take our seats. Kyne says grace over the table and our meal begins.
Everything starts out pretty normal, with light conversation around the table. Kyne and Jameson are keeping most of their discussions confined to each other. That is, until they hear the conversation between my mother and Birdie.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear wedding bells soon for these two.” Birdie points to Favor and I.
Instantly, Favor hangs her head down, her hair covering her face like a veil, no doubt hiding some very red cheeks. For me, it starts the wheels turning in my head.
My mother’s eyes dance with excitement. If Favor and I got married, I would be the first in her family to do so. “You know, she’s the first girl that Brice has ever spoken to me about. And when Egon grabbed the phone from him to chime in, I knew then and there she would be the one. Now that I’ve met her, I second that.” My mother gabs on as if the subjects of her conversation were not sitting just mere inches away from her.
Favor slides down in her chair further, while I sit up straighter. Instead of feeling trapped, it feels right, this conversation with our two mothers. I look over at Egon, who isn’t paying any bit of attention as he scoops a second helping of stuffing on his plate. He burps loudly then mutters his pardon, reaching for a hot buttered biscuit.
“I can’t wait to start dress shopping,” Birdie announces, clapping her hands together.
“Mom. You’re going to scare Brice off,” Favor says in a flustered voice. I honestly think she would have banged her head on the table if it wasn’t for her plate being in the way.
“It takes a lot more than that to scare me off, baby,” I cajole.
“Wedding? What is this I hear about a wedding?” Kyne, who for the better part of the day has done everything in his power to make myself, Egon, and my mother feel as uncomfortable and as unwelcomed as possible, finally speaks.
The table instantly quiets, with the exception of Egon, who is still chewing, loudly and apparently oblivious to what is about to go down.
Birdie looks across the table at her husband and, without missing a beat, plasters a smile on her face. Not the same one that she had for my mother; no, that one was genuine. The smile she gives her husband is strained, her tone no longer holding the warmth it had a moment ago. “I was talking about the possible wedding between Brice and Favor.” She dabs her napkin on both sides of her mouth and carefully folds it, placing it on the table. Anyone looking in would probably think this would be a gesture of giving up. After my talk with Birdie last night, I know this is a declaration of war.
Slamming his hands on the table, the crystal glasses shake, their sound reverberating through the air like the tensions coming from all of us. “I do not approve. No daughter of mine will…”
“I thought I was no longer your daughter. Didn’t you make that declaration weeks ago?” Favor’s head still hangs low, and her voice sounds dead. Not defeated, but not full of life either.
Kyne glares at Favor, but she doesn’t lift her head. I reach under the table and grab her hand to let her know that I’m here with her, no matter what. I wait for her to return the squeeze, but she doesn’t. And, in this moment, I’m scared.
He throws his napkin on his plate and rises from his seat. “You do everything in your power to embarrass this family and me. Everything. If your brother were alive, he would know how to handle you to make you behave yourself like a member of this family.”
I think back to the conversation we had with Birdie on her surprise visit to the campus a few weeks ago. She spoke about how Trevor hated football, but played it to get his father’s love. I wonder how would Trevor react to this. Would he protect his sister, or sit silent and say nothing, the way it seems this entire family behaves.
Favor looks up, and I expect to see tears in her eyes, but there aren’t any. “Don’t you dare throw that in my face. You’ve done everything you possibly could to make me feel like I wasn’t worthy enough to be in your presence.” Her voice is tinged with something, but I can’t put my finger on it. It isn’t hate but something much deeper.
Birdie stands and has her hands out in a peace offering. “Now Kyne, please. Let’s just all calm down.”
I guess, because he’s done tearing his daughter down, he decides to turn on Birdie instead, pointing at her. “This is your fault. You forced this…this…down my throat. I didn’t want her here, or for her to be in my sight.” He now points in Favor’s direction, never breaking eye contact with Birdie. “She chose who she wants to be with. Her brother’s murderer. You, of all people, should have backed me up.”
“I was not going to lose another child.” Birdie’s voice cracks as she screams the words out. My mother jumps out of her seat, accidentally knocking her wine glass over. The crystal stem breaks and the red wine spills across the white table cloth. I stare at the red stain as it gets bigger and bigger; such a small glass and yet a large stain comes from it. She stands behind Birdie, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Another child? Since when did she ever act like a child of ours? Trevor knew how to behave himself, at least.”
“You never wanted me, did you? Because I wasn’t him.” Favor’s voice is soft.
Kyne looks at her. Actually, he looks through her, never saying a word. What feels like minutes or hours, in actuality was just seconds before we hear him say, “No, I never wanted you.” The silence around the table is deafening. Favor, receiving the answer to her question, stands to leave the table, but I hold her in place. I stand up instead.
“Mr. Hollister, you should be ashamed of yourself. You still have a wonderful daughter who wants, no, needs your love, and you are too selfish to give it to her. I never had the luxury of growing up with a father. When I was a kid, you used to be my idol, and I would pretend you were my father. It helped me in so many ways when I was growing up.” I hear my mother let out a sob. I turn to her and say, “It’s okay, Mom. You know why? Because even though I didn’t have a father, you more than made up for it in so many other ways.” My mother nods as she wipes tears away from her eyes. I focus back on Kyne. “I am embarrassed that you were ever my idol, or any other kid’s idol. You are the one who is an embarrassment to this family, and to Trevor’s name.”
“How dare you.” Kyne begins to walk towards me, but Egon stands and blocks his path. “How dare you. You don’t speak my son's name, ever. You’re not deserving of it.”
“You don’t ever call yourself Favor’s father. Ever. You’re not deserving of it.”
He pauses a moment before saying, “Well, that is one thing she will never worry about me calling myself to her again.”
“Kyne, no. Don’t say that. Please take that back. She’s our daughter. Our only child.” Birdie runs over to her husband and pounds her fists into his chest. He holds her hands in place as she sobs deeply, before releasing her hands and walking away. Birdie collapses to the ground, trying to stand but no longer able to.
We all sit in silence as his words still linger in th
e room like a black cloud.
Birdie, whose back is to the table, kneels on the ground, her body shaking. “He didn’t mean that. He’s just hurting, that’s all.” But from the sound of her voice, I can tell she doesn’t believe that lie herself.
Favor stands and runs out of the dining room. I look to my mother, and she shakes her head. “Give her a moment.”
“What kind of son of a bitch would say something like that to his daughter?” Egon asks as he stands next to me.
I’m about to answer, but Jameson responds before I get a chance. “She brought this on herself. She sided with Wayne. What do you expect?”
I begin to walk towards Jameson, but Egon beats me to it, punching Jameson in the face. “Don’t you say a word about her. She’s family, and we protect our own.”
Jameson lies on the ground, rubbing his jaw. I swear, why does he keep opening his mouth because that is where he ultimately ends up; the floor. Some people just never seem to learn.
Dinner is obviously over, so we all help to clear the table. An hour passes, but Favor still hasn’t returned. I stand by the window in the kitchen, looking out for her.
“Thank you for protecting her,” Birdie says from behind me, startling me from my thoughts.
“Nothing to thank me for. I would’ve done that, regardless.” I shrug my shoulders and take a seat at the table.
“She needed the support. I had a feeling it was going to come down to this. I just didn’t realize it would’ve gotten this bad.” She hangs her head slightly.
“Do you know where she would have gone?”
“There is a place down the back pathway that leads towards the lake house. She and Trevor would go there when she and her father would argue. I would imagine she’s there.”
I stand up immediately. “I’m going to go there then.”
“Wait.” Birdie steps out of the room, and comes back moments later with a duffle bag, handing it to me. “Here is a blanket. She must have gotten soaked in the rain. This will keep her warm. There is a fireplace in the lake house, but she never did figure out how to light the darn thing, so I put some matches in the bag as well.” She smiles at me warmly. I take the bag and kiss her cheek, and go off in search of my girl.
The lake house is pretty easy to find. I open the door and see Favor sitting on the floor, shivering. Opening up the duffle bag, I pull out the blanket and wrap it around her shoulders. Looking at the fireplace, I debate lighting it.
“Don’t bother. Just sit next to me,” she says softly.
Doing as she’s asked, I sit next to her, silent.
“Thank you for standing up for me,” she finally says, as she takes my hand in hers.
“I am just sorry that it came to that.”
“It’s okay. I was hurt…still am, but…I realized that it’s okay. I have you, and I now have my mother. Oh, and I have Egon.” She smiles.
“We all have your back.”
“I know, and I felt it. So, thank you, Brice Walker, for being my rock.” She kisses my lips gently.
“My pleasure. Should we head back to the house?”
“No. Just you and I. No one else.” Placing her hands on my face, she pulls me to her and kisses me again. “You know, a great way to generate body heat is skin to skin.”
Smiling against her lips, I say. “Is that so?”
“Yep, I learned it in school. Never thought about it too much until now.” She murmurs against my lips as she undoes the buttons on my shirt.
Something tells me I’m going to enjoy this lesson on body heat.
Chapter 21
Favor
A few weeks have passed since the Winter break fiasco at my house. I was hurt by my father’s words and his actions, but I have Brice, my friends, and even my mom to lean on. After all this time, I no longer feel I am fighting an uphill battle by myself. I still can’t believe how Brice stood up for me at Christmas dinner. I never felt as loved as I did that day.
The Championship game is coming up, and the feeling on campus is electric. The Cougars have been training extremely hard for this game. Many nights, Brice has come back from practice too exhausted to do anything but sleep. I’ve gotta say, I can’t wait for this to be over because my libido is in overdrive.
Tonight, we are going to a frat party they are throwing for the Cougars. One of the perks of being on the team is everyone wants to throw them a party. Personally, I think they just want an excuse to party, that’s all. Brice and I haven’t been to one since the bonfire incident. I really need this night to be drama-free.
Me and Jana have just finished getting dressed. Because Brice loves to see his name on me, I decided to wear his team jersey, with a pair of black leggings and boots to finish the look. After debating for several minutes if I should pull my hair up into a messy ponytail, I decide to let my hair fall in soft waves around my shoulders. Jana helps me with my smoky eyeshadow look because, trust me, if it was left to me, I would have come out looking like a raccoon instead of a sex kitten. Jana and I pose in front of the mirror, giving ourselves a final approval, and I turn around to see how Brice’s name and number look on my back. It looks hot, just the way I thought it would. Secretly, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting his number tattooed on me as a surprise for him. Jana is wearing an ultra mini skirt, paired with tights and a form-fitting sweater. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun. When she went searching in her closet for a look, she said her options were “slutty” or “sluttier.” The fact that her skirt is a good six inches above her knee, I’m going with “sluttier.” But it’s a cute look that only Jana could pull off.
My cell beeps, and I grab it from my bed. I see Brice’s car downstairs and instantly know who the text is from.
“The boys are here.” I grab my coat and wristlet from the chair.
Jana, who was practicing her pout in front of the mirror, turns around and smiles. Yes, she practices that otherwise annoying facial expression that somehow looks good on her. She uses it to get guys to buy her drinks. I’ve even seen her use it to make sure a bouncer doesn’t look too closely at our I.D. cards.
I toss Jana her jacket, and we walk downstairs arm and arm. Wayne is already at the party, and Jana and I hop in the car for the quick drive to Alpha Sig house. Upon arriving, we can tell the party is in full swing. As we climb the stairs, we hear someone puking on the front lawn. Eww, gross. Walking through the doors of Alpha Sig, Brice is instantly swarmed by people. I give him a quick kiss and leave him to his adoring fans. There is no way in hell I am going to stand and watch girls eye fuck him, and try to touch him. He tries his best to maneuver around the skanks, but it is just too much sometimes. Jana and I move through the partygoers in search of Wayne. Finally spotting him in a corner, talking to some of his former teammates, his eyes light up as soon as he spots Jana. She, of course, bounces right over to him.
“Hey, Favor. How’s it going?” Wayne asks, drinking a can of soda.
“Good. Some party, huh?” I look around at the throngs of people dancing and talking.
“If I remember correctly, you never really liked parties too much.” He laughs.
“Still don’t. But I have to because the other half goes to them on occasion.” Truthfully, Brice has never forced the issue about going to parties. I just don’t want him to miss out simply because I don’t like to go. So, I try to compromise.
“Where is the man of the hour?” he asks, leaning against the wall.
“Oh, he is engaging in meaningless conversations with the ho bags.” Wow, did that just come out of my mouth? I guess the green-eyed monster just made an appearance.
Wayne throws his head back in a hearty laugh, and I have to join in because, quite frankly, I did sound extremely jealous. Not that I don’t trust Brice because I do wholeheartedly. It’s the ho bag brigade I don’t trust.
After a few hours of mingling, I let out an unexpected yawn, and I know it’s time to leave. I begin to search for Brice to see if he is ready, and Jana and Wayne join me i
n my search efforts. We search the entire first and second floors but cannot locate him.
Walking towards the basement staircase, we hear chanting going on. “Go. Go. Go.”
I look at Wayne and Jana, and they both shrug their shoulders, not sure what is going on. The fully-furnished basement looks like a type of rec room for the fraternity brothers. It reeks of pot and booze down here, mostly because of the poor ventilation, and I start coughing.
A group of guys is in a circle still chanting. “Go. Go. Go.”
My curiosity gets the best of me as I push through the crowd. My mouth drops open as I see Regan on her knees in the middle of the crowd, giving a blowjob to Kevin Shore. I turn to look at Jana and Wayne, who have turned away, unable to watch this scene unfold. Kevin ejaculates in her mouth, and she licks it up like ice cream. She stands up on wobbly legs as everyone cheers her on.
“Who's next, boys?” she slurs, and several hands go up.
No fucking way. This has got to stop. She has to be drunk out of her mind to be doing this. I push past the guys and make it to the middle of the circle. One of the guys shouts out, “Sweet, some girl on girl action.” I turn around to see if I can figure out who said it. Focusing my concentration back on Regan, I reach for her arm, but she backs away from me.
“Regan, I think you should come with me. You’re drunk and trust me, you are going to regret this in the morning,” I plead with her.
She stares at me, unable to focus. Kevin walks over to her and pulls her into him. “Yo, leave her alone. She’s just having some fun.”
“She is drunk, you asshole. She needs to come with me.” While Regan is not one of my favorite people, especially after her antics with Brice, she is clearly very intoxicated. As much as I don’t like her, I don’t want any harm to come to her.
“Fuck you, bitch. Just because you’re Brice’s girl, you think you’re in charge? You don’t run shit around here,” Kevin shouts out, holding his beer up in the air. He receives some cheers but, for the most part, the guys keep quiet.