by Meka James
“Mom’s been a bit overzealous in her need to take care of me.” I held up my arm, which was partially covered in the brace. “It’s a sprain, but she’s been acting like it’s broken, and I’m unable to do anything for myself.”
“Ah, well she’s just worried.” He paused. “We all are.”
I focused on my ice cream. “I know.”
I took another lick of my ice cream before getting up to throw it away.
“Didn’t like it?”
“Not really. I really should stick to what I know instead of trying new things.”
“Trying new things isn’t always bad,” he replied with a smirk.
“Are we still talking about ice cream?”
“If you like,” he answered, taking another lick of his.
Watching him do that gave me a feeling I’d not experienced in a long time, an instant warming sensation between my legs. I pressed them together as I inched away from him. Malcolm sat with his arm lying on the back of the bench, his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankle, and he was completely unaware of how his innocent actions were bringing to life feelings I’d thought were dead and buried.
Malcolm continued to enjoy his ice cream as he looked around at the other patrons scattered about. He even started humming while taking slow, long licks. While his attention was on our surroundings, mine was on his mouth. The way his tongue curled just a bit right before it retreated back into his mouth. The way his lips puckered when he moved to catch a falling drip of his treat. The memories of the few kisses we’d shared made their way to the forefront, and I found myself actually wanting to experience one right then. What the hell was wrong with me?
“So,” he said, turning his attention back to me, but his words stopped and the most delicious smile spread across his face.
Mine heated up in response, and quickly diverted my eyes. Longer hair would have been ideal in that moment, so it could help hide my embarrassment.
Malcolm slid closer to me. “Would you like some?”
I shook my head.
“Are you sure?” he teased. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him take another deliberately slow lick of his ice cream. “I think you picked the wrong flavor. Seems to me you are most certainly a lover of chocolate.”
“Chocolate is actually kind of plain for my liking,” I countered, looking up to see the playful gleam in his eyes.
“Chocolate is never plain,” he said, lowering his voice. “It’s flavorful, rich, and…deeply fulfilling.” That last part made me shudder involuntarily.
“And here I thought you might be a vanilla type of guy.”
The smile on his face got wider. “I do love vanilla just as much. Sweet, creamy, and an absolute delight on my tongue.”
I shifted on the bench and crossed my legs. “How do you make eating ice cream sound so sexual?”
“I’m merely commenting on the flavors I enjoy. If you’re picking up any sort of double meanings, it’s not my fault your mind is in the gutter.” He winked and held the cone closer to my mouth. “Try some, you know you want to.” A wicked smile played on his lips.
The lower half of my body contracted, and I pressed my lips together. What the hell was it with this man that managed to affect me in such a way? The idea of sex, of wanting it, used to make my stomach turn. Being vulnerable to someone in that way was something I’d told myself I’d not do again. Too many times I was a slave to my traitorous body. Never again. But being near Malcolm was messing with my head, and I found myself responding to him.
Taking a deep breath, I placed my hands over his as I leaned forward to sample the ice cream. The smile on his face widened.
“It’s very good,” I said and licked my lips.
Malcolm smiled and gave me another wink. “See, Ginger, I know exactly what you like.”
Those words were like a bungee snapping me back to reality. “I’ll be back.” Quickly, I retreated to the bathroom at the back of the small building.
I was glad it was only a one-person space. Leaning against the locked door, I took in large deep breaths. My hands trembled, and my heart rate sped up.
“Not now. Please not now,” I whispered.
Those words, that name. Malcolm had called me by that name for years, yet it took Seth less time to take something that was once meaningful and turn it into something twisted.
I walked over to the sink and splashed some cold water on my face. “You’re mine, Ginger. You’ll always be mine!” Seth’s angry declaration that night replayed in my head. Gripping the edges of the sink, I worked to force the memory away before it took control. A knock at the door startled me.
“Calida? Are you okay?”
I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I snatched a few paper towels from the holder on the wall. I blotted my face and continued to take in slow breaths.
“Yeah. I’ll be out in a sec.”
Chapter 15
Malcolm
When she opened the door, Ginger looked like she’d seen a ghost.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded but wouldn’t look at me. “If you’re done, can we go? I’d like to be back to put Shawn to bed.”
She started walking toward my truck without waiting for a response. I tossed my remaining ice cream into the trash before jogging over to join her.
“Hey, what happened?”
“Nothing,” she replied, pulling at the door handle. “Can you unlock it please?”
“Can you tell me why this change? One minute we’re chillin’ and the next you’re running off and can’t get away from me fast enough.”
“I didn’t run off,” she snapped, turning back to face me. “I had to go to the bathroom.”
“Got it, so you think I’m stupid and you didn’t have some major mood swing just then.”
I hit the unlock button, and she stepped to the side when I went to open her door. I closed it harder than I intended after she’d climbed in, and Ginger flinched in response. Shit! Running my hands down my face, I let out a long exhale before walking around to get in. Ginger kept her attention directed out the passenger side window.
“Are you going to talk to me or are we going to play this game?”
She chewed on her thumb nail, continuing to stare out the window.
“Fine,” I said, cranking up the engine.
The short drive back was filled with tense silence; my attempts to engage her in conversation got no response. When we arrived back at her parents’ house, I killed the engine and waited for her to get out. Since her accident, Ginger had been more distant than before. Something I didn’t even think was possible. Tonight, I thought there was a crack in the wall, but how quickly it had been reinforced.
“I wish you’d tell me what I did back there that made this happen, so I’d know to avoid a repeat performance.”
She ran her hands through her short hair before letting out a forced exhale. “It’s not you, Malcolm, not really.”
“Not really? What the hell does that mean?”
“It’s me. I’m working through some…issues.”
“What issues?”
“Nothing that concerns you,” she snapped.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel for a moment as I digested her statement. There were so many things I wanted to say in response to her, but the only thing I could do is shake my head and laugh quietly to myself. I knew if we continued down this path, it would lead to an argument I didn’t want to have.
“All right,” I said, turning my truck on.
Ginger unbuckled her seatbelt, her hand rested on the door handle. With another deep breath, she looked over at me. “I never thanked you.”
“For what?”
“For staying at the hospital with me.”
“It’s what you do when you’re concerned about a person.” I couldn’t keep the sarcastic bite out of my tone.
Color crept into her cheeks, and she hung
her head at her words being thrown back at her.
“Malcolm, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“How exactly did you mean it then, Calida? Am I not to be concerned about you in general or not concerned when I see you’re obviously upset over something? Whatever I said or did upset you, and that is never my goal. But instead of you talking to me, you wanna cop an attitude and give me the silent treatment. How does that help either one of us?”
She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing. The light came on when she opened the door. She looked so fragile, so lost.
“Upsetting you isn’t mine either,” she replied quietly before exiting my truck.
I watched her walk up the drive and enter the house without giving a single look back. Fuck! That woman was going to drive me insane.
The drive home allowed me time to think, to try and uncover the mystery behind her change. Things were feeling more like a relationship at the tail-end of its life cycle instead of the beginning. Hell, she’d been avoiding me since she left the hospital. I still didn’t buy her excuse that she didn’t know why she blacked out, but she shut down any and all attempts to talk about it.
When Sandy had invited me to dinner, I’d thought about declining. If Ginger didn’t want to see me, I didn’t want to force her. But, at the same time, she couldn’t keep hiding. For the longest time, we all took on the stance of not pushing her. By doing that, we’d all enabled her to not move forward, allowing her to remain complacent in the shell of a life she was leading. All I wanted was for her to let me in, to talk to me so we could figure things out together. I didn’t think that was too much to ask, but my mole hill was seemingly a mountain to her.
Chapter 16
Calida
Dad loaded my bag into the back of my car and shut the door. “Are you sure you’re ready to be in that big ol’ empty house by yourself?”
I smiled at Shawn as I finished buckling him in. “Yes, Daddy. I told you I’m fine. Besides, I’m not alone. I have the best companion right here.” Shawn laughed as I tickled his belly.
“Still, what if something happens? What if you blackout again? We still don’t even know why you did.”
“The doctors didn’t find anything wrong. I’m fine. I promise. We’ll both be fine, and besides, Mom already gave me contact demands.”
As I said that, Mom walked out with a bag full of food containers. She’d been cooking up a storm so that I wouldn’t have to for a few days.
“Yes, Collin, I told her to call or at the very least send us a text message for the next few nights just to be sure.”
“Yep, otherwise Mom is sending out the National Guard. So, see, fine.”
He still looked unconvinced. Daddy was normally the rock of the family. Mom was the emotional one, but I could tell that he was hiding his concerns and fears behind his playful overprotectiveness.
Mom had been a wreck when they’d arrived from Greece, and he slipped back into that military man role of keeping focus on the task at hand to get us through the crisis. This time, he let his worry show, and that bothered me more than I thought it would. My parents should have been enjoying their golden years instead of worrying and taking care of me at this stage in my life.
I placed the food on the passenger’s seat before giving them hugs and kisses, then climbed into my car. I was looking forward to alone time again, although I already knew Macy would be by later; she’d said so after she learned I was going home. She’d visited right after I was released from the hospital, and stopped by again mid-week. While I’d appreciated her visits, I was also a bit skeptical. Macy was the only person that didn’t drill me on finding out what happened, and that was unlike her. I tried not to overthink it, and instead would enjoy hanging out with my friend while the kids played.
When I got to the house, I sat outside the gate, staring at it. My beautiful prison. When I’d first seen this place, it had made me happy because it was somewhere different. A different location made it easier for me to lie to myself, to pretend my life was something other than what it was, to pretend Seth wasn’t who he really was. Pretending. I’d gotten good at that over the years. Thought I’d had it perfected. Obviously, I needed to do better.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror brought a smile to my face. Shawn slept in the backseat, not a worry in the world. If only we could all have it that easy. Pressing the home-link button in my car, the gate croaked to life, opening slowly with a squeal. The second button was pressed to open the garage door. I pulled into my spot. Same place I’d parked since day one. These walls held a lot—fear, anger, sadness, but most importantly they held familiarity. I knew what to expect within these walls. I took comfort in the solace they afforded me.
We were home about an hour before the call button buzzed. Picking up Shawn, we headed to the front door, expecting it to be Macy, but it wasn’t. A low groan passed my lips as I watched Dorian’s little blue sports car come up the drive. Why was I cursed with two unannounced visits in such a short time span? Shawn, however, started kicking in his excitement. I took in a quick breath, as his excited movements caused discomfort of my sore ribcage.
“Why are you here? And why didn’t you call first?”
Dorian reached out to take Shawn, who was fighting to get to her. “At least he’s happy to see me.”
“He’s too young to know any better.”
No rebuttal came as she walked into the house, pretending I hadn’t spoken. “I called Mom and Dad,” she finally said. “They told me you’d left their house and had gone home. You might want to consider some concealer for that bruise by the way. People might get the wrong idea.”
She sat Shawn down next to his toy box before taking a seat on the sofa. I sat opposite her on the loveseat, waiting on an answer as to why she was here.
“I don’t really care what people think, but I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” Despite my words, my hand went to the bruise. Even a week later, it still remained dark purple and angry looking.
“I know. Our parents kept me informed when I called. You fell down some stairs. Did you expect me to drop everything and come running to keep vigil at your bedside?”
“Of course not. I know better than to expect you to go out of your way for me unless it somehow benefits you. Even then, the chances are still slim to none.”
Shawn walked over to me with two of his books in hand. Reaching down, I lifted him up, and grimaced as pain shot through my side. I placed him on the sofa beside me, but he quickly climbed into my lap before he started flipping through one of the books.
“You still haven’t said why you’re here.”
“To stay until I find a place. We haven’t finalized the divorce, or sold the house, but since you came to your senses and got me hired, I gave notice at my firm. I still have a few cases to tie up or hand off, but for the most part my move is in the works.”
“Did you…wait…what? To stay? Here?”
“Yes, here. It’s not like you don’t have the space. I was going to stay with Mom and Dad, but I’m too old to be living with my parents, even temporarily. So, this is a better option.”
I moved Shawn off my lap onto the couch. He quickly scrambled back to his spot, frowning at me in the process. I knew, I knew that getting her on at Jokobi Enterprises would come back to bite me in the ass. No good deed goes unpunished. I should have gone with my gut and made her hunt for a job like normal people, but no, I had to be the old me and give in and be nice. Look where that got me.
“No! No, no, no. You can’t decide to move into my house without first asking me if that’s okay. You were going to stay with Mom and Dad. That was your plan, so stick to it.”
“No, no, no,” Shawn repeated, wiggling in my arms until I put him down. He toddled over to Dorian, wanting her to read the book since I hadn’t. She ignored his request, making him cry in the process.
I walked over to pick him up. “Ow! Crap!” Too much of his weight was put on my bad arm. Dorian put
her hands out quickly, catching him before he fell from my arms.
I took a seat, rubbing my tender arm through the cumbersome brace. Dorian sat Shawn down on the couch beside me. He climbed into my lap, and wrapped his arms around my neck.
“Sorry, kiddo.”
“Maybe you should have stayed with our parents longer.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “I’m fine. Just a little distracted by your announcement. Do I ever factor in with you? You make this decision about staying at my house without even asking me first.”
“Stop acting like me staying here is the end of the world. It’d only be a couple of months at best.”
The callbox buzzed, and Macy’s voice came over the speaker asking for entry. Dorian mumbled something under her breath, but she had no right to say anything about guests coming to my house. Ignoring her, I adjusted Shawn in my arms, and walked into the kitchen to open the gate before heading to the front door. Macy parked her SUV next to Dorian’s car, and gave me a quizzical look as she got out.
“Dorian.”
“Shit? Really? What the hell does she want?”
“To move in.”
“You’re kidding?”
“I wish. Where’s London?”
“Having father-daughter time with Mitch. They were snoring on the couch when I left.”
She reached for Shawn, who happily transferred into her arms. Dorian came walking toward us as we headed to the living room.
“I’m going to go visit Mom and Dad. Do you have a remote or something for the gate?”
“I do, but I’d have to find it. You can buzz like every other guest.”