One Penny: A Marked Heart Novel

by M. Sembera

  Stepping to the side when the door opened behind her, Penny heard Liv say, "Go home."

  "No," Kieran insisted.

  Liv poked her head out of opening between the wall and the door saying, "Why not?"

  Kieran's eyes were soft as he answered, "Because you're not there."

  "So?" Liv spouted at him.

  Leaning his head down with his voice low, he said, "I'm sorry. I made a mistake."

  "Just one?" she snapped.

  Resting his head against the door frame, Kieran admitted, "Anything I did that hurt you was a mistake. No matter what mark I have, you're my heart. You're everything to me Liv."

  "Can you give us a minute?" Liv asked as she opened the door to let her husband in.

  As Kieran closed the door behind himself, Penny shouted, "Okay, I'll just be out here. On the balcony. In my pajamas."

  Standing there, she looked around before settling on Seth who was standing there with a puzzled look on his face.

  Penny smiled as she thought to herself, 'Welcome to my world'.

  "Good morning," she cheered.

  Seth smiled back as he shook his head saying, "Interesting morning."

  "You should know, as far as Caffrey situations go, that was like a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10," Penny laughed.

  Raising his eyebrows, Seth asked, "Really?"

  "I feel since we're friends it's only fair to warn you, it gets worse."

  Seth glanced back at his door before asking, "Would you like to come in and maybe have some breakfast?"

  Caught off guard by his invitation, she replied, "Umm, okay."

  "You know, so you don't have to stand out here in your pajamas."

  Penny nodded with a smile before following him into his apartment.

  Glancing around Seth's apartment, Penny saw a black leather couch against the wall opposite from a medium size flat screen TV on a stand. There was a small square table in the kitchen that looked like it could have been a butcher block with two chairs next to it. And that was about it.

  "Are you hungry?" he asked walking into the kitchen.

  Without thinking twice, Penny replied, "Wow, it is really boring in here."

  Seth quickly turned around and asked, "What?"

  "You spend so much time in here, I thought it would be more interesting. Even doctor's offices have pictures on the walls."

  "You think my apartment looks like a doctor's office?"

  Shaking her head, Penny replied, "No, it's worse."

  Seth scowled at her saying, "Oh," before walking back to the kitchen.

  Thinking she may have hurt his feelings, Penny followed him and sat down at his table.

  Seth pulled three boxes of cereal out of the cabinet and set them on the table in front of her before grabbing a carton of milk. Placing it on the table too, he walked back grabbed a bowl and spoon then set them in front of her.

  Pushing the bowl away, Penny crossed her arms against the table asking, "Did I hurt your feelings?"

  Seth sat down in the other chair replying, "No."

  "Are you gonna eat?"

  Shaking his head he informed, "I only have one bowl."

  "You're kidding me right."

  "I'm the only one that lives here why would I need more?"

  Stopping for a moment to think, Penny hopped up from the chair.

  She could feel his eyes on her as she opened his silverware drawer. Inside the drawer there was a butter knife and one with a serrated edge, a salad fork and a dinner fork, and a soup spoon. Grabbing the soup spoon out of the drawer, she closed it and walked back to the table.

  Sitting back down, she pushed the bowl between them asking, "Which one is your favorite?"

  Seth hesitantly pointed to the coco puffs.

  "Ah, good choice," Penny complimented as she poured the cereal into the bowl.

  After adding milk, she handed him the soup spoon.

  "We're sharing," she insisted, urging him to eat.

  It took him a few minutes of her nodding and smiling as she ate before Seth decided to share the cereal with her.

  Once the bowl of cereal that they were sharing was empty, Penny started to take it to the kitchen when Seth took it from her. He immediately washed and dried it along with the spoons and put them away.

  Smiling at him, Penny couldn't help noticing his messy hair. Trying to run her fingers through her own, she started to laugh.

  "What?"

  "I just realized my hair's not even brushed."

  Seth smiled back at her saying, "You do look like you just rolled out of bed."

  Nodding at him she shared, "That's because I did."

  As Seth continued to smile at her, Penny couldn't help the warm and fuzzy feeling it created inside of her.

  Realizing it wasn't a friendly feeling, she said, "I better get back next door."

  "Okay," he replied appearing slightly disappointed.

  "Thanks for breakfast," she said turning to leave.

  When she reached the door and started to open it, Seth asked, "Do you really think it's boring in here."

  Giving him a sympathetic expression, she said, "Yea," then smiling she offered, "On the plus side though, if you have a girl over you're definitely the main attraction."

  Seth bit his bottom lip as he smiled and looked off to the side as Penny gave him a little wave and walked out.

  Taking a deep breath when she stepped out onto the balcony, Penny headed to her apartment thinking, it may not have been the best idea to befriend someone as cute as Seth.

  Eleven

  Rigid in his chair, Seth waited for his father to speak. When Leonard demanded he come for lunch, Seth had no idea it would be just the two of them. With no buffer or anyone else to concentrate on, he started to feel his chest constricting.

  Leonard leaned forward slightly in his chair before questioning, "How much longer do you plan on causing your mother and I this embarrassment?"

  "Pardon?"

  Appearing put out, his father replied, "I have always tolerated your inadequacies."

  Staring at his father, Seth tried to focus on the fact that he did not live there anymore as he felt bile rising in his throat.

  "What was it called? Stress induced anxiety?"

  "Yes sir," he forced out thinking, 'is' not 'was'.

  Leonard stood up and walked to a large china cabinet against the wall.

  Looking into the cabinet instead of at his son, he stated, "Your mother is organizing a hospital fundraiser in honor of my father. For some reason, unknown to me, your grandmother feels you should attend."

  "Would you prefer that I not?"

  Turning away from the china cabinet, his father turned his back on him assuring, "I would have preferred that you had not turned out to be the disappointment that you are."

  As Seth's breathing picked up speed he stood, sharing, "I need to go."

  When there was no response from his father, Seth walked past him on his way out.

  No matter how many times Seth had heard the things his father said to him, nothing dulled the sting of knowing his father didn't care for him.

  ~

  There was just enough time for Penny to change out of her pajamas after Liv and Kieran left before Charlotte stormed into the apartment with Auggie right behind her. Wondering if there was something in the air lately, now, they were at it.

  "Stop following me," Charlotte griped at Auggie who appeared equally furious.

  Without closing the door behind himself, Auggie fussed, "Quit tryin' to run things."

  Charlotte appeared offended as she snapped, "It was just a suggestion."

  Scowling back at her he swore, "It was a stupid ass one."

  Penny rolled her eyes at them and walked towards the door.

  Peeking outside, to make sure none of her neighbors were interested in what was going on, this was the second disturbance at her apartment today and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to file a complaint. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw her favorite
neighbor making his way up the stairs. Stepping out onto the balcony, Penny pulled her door closed. Not that it helped in any way. Neither Charlotte nor Auggie were quiet or subtle people and when they argued, they always tried to outdo each other.

  Wondering if Seth would invite her over again, Penny gave him a sweet smile when he reached the top of the stairs. She noticed him stop and stare at her for a moment before appearing to relax and then smiling back. Just as she was about to ask him how his day was going, the obviousness of how hers was, echoed from inside the apartment.

  Penny sighed and shook her head as Seth asked, "I thought they made up."

  "Apparently, it's Charlotte and Auggie's turn to argue."

  Nodding, Seth asked, "What level are we at?"

  "Everything with Auggie is a 5 or higher," Penny laughed just before the door flew open.

  Auggie stepped out onto the balcony instantly glaring at Seth.

  "You," he growled before questioning, "Should the woman get to make all the decisions."

  Penny chanted in her head, 'Don't answer. Please, don't answer' as Seth replied, "No. I thi..."

  Turning back to the apartment Auggie shouted, "Ha!" at Charlotte.

  Charlotte gave him a sarcastic smile saying, "Alright, forget about what I suggested." Auggie's expression started to soften until she narrowed her eyes saying, "It starts now," and slammed the door in his face.

  With a loud frustrated exhale, Auggie glanced at Seth saying, "Let's go," as he headed down the stairs.

  In shock, Penny stared at Seth while he looked back at her like he had no idea what to do.

  "You comin' or what?" Auggie shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

  To her surprise, Seth turned and followed her brother down the stairs, through the parking lot and into his truck.

  With a heavy sigh of her own, Penny walked into her apartment to see what was going on.

  The second Penny stepped in Charlotte griped, "That man is insane."

  She couldn't help but laugh as she questioned, "This something you just figured out?"

  Leaning her head back against the couch, Charlotte replied, "I wasn't even being serious."

  Penny sat down next to Charlotte asking, "So what happened?"

  "Okay, in one of the bridal magazines it said to build anticipation for the 'big night', couples should abstain from sex at least two weeks before the wedding."

  Instantly wishing she hadn't asked, Penny stated, "I'm uncomfortable with this conversation," as she started to get up.

  Catching her arm and pulling her back down, Charlotte stressed, "Too bad, you're my maid of honor and you have to talk me through things like this."

  Penny held up her hand saying, "I swear Charlotte..."

  "Anyways, I jokingly suggested we do that and he acted like I was asking to chop his hands off."

  Penny was well aware of the fact that her brother and roommate enjoyed each other. She'd even walked in on them once and what she witnessed was incredibly psychologically scarring. The fact of the matter was, friend or not, the subject of her brother and sex was never to be discussed.

  Frowning, Penny replied, "Please stop talking now."

  Charlotte gave a slight huff saying, "Fine, I'm going to call Liv."

  "Thank you!"

  As Charlotte stood up and walked to her room, Penny was relieved the conversation was over.

  ~

  Twenty minutes into their drive, Auggie pulled down a gravel road that led to an old country house with a wraparound porch. Wondering where they were, Seth hadn't had the nerve to interrupt Auggie's shouting to ask where they were headed. Unsure if Auggie was talking to him or to himself when he banged his palm against the steering wheel saying things like 'That woman is gonna kill me' and 'She is outta her damn mind'.

  When they pulled up to the house, Seth saw Liv and Kieran sitting on a porch swing. As they got out of Auggie's truck and headed toward the house, Seth was almost certain Liv was on the phone with Charlotte. She took one look at Auggie, cursed at him and walked inside with her phone to her ear.

  Without getting up, Kieran laughed, "What'd ya do?"

  Auggie reached down and shook Kieran's hand griping, "Stood my ground," before sitting down on a chair next to the swing.

  With a wide smile, Kieran shook his head at Auggie before giving Seth a nod saying, "Pull up a chair, man."

  Glancing around the porch, Seth found a chair and pulled it closer but not too close to them.

  While Auggie and Kieran seemed to discuss what happened earlier that day without giving any details, Seth felt a little out of place. He was dressed to have lunch at his parents' house. Not that it was a whole lot different from what he normally wore, but between his crisp button down tucked into his khaki's with a perfect crease down the center of each leg and dress shoes, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Although Auggie wore a button down also, his sleeves were rolled halfway up his forearm and it looked like it had never seen an iron. And Kieran wasn't even wearing a shirt, making an awkward situation more uncomfortable than it already was.

  It wasn't long before Liv came back outside carrying a bottle of whiskey and four glasses. The three of them watched as she walked to the round wooden table next to them.

  As she set them in the center of the table, Auggie teased, "Comin' around to our side?"

  "Your dumbass brother's on his way," she shared before laughing, "You boys can't hang with me."

  "Is that a challenge?" Auggie questioned.

  Liv blurted, "Ha!" before saying, "Not with you."

  Auggie shot her the finger as she winked at him and headed back inside.

  Kieran was the first to stand and pull up a chair up to the table before sitting down. After Auggie did the same, Seth followed suit. They sat there silent for a moment. After wondering why they were just sitting there, he assumed they were waiting for Braden when a brown El Camino pulled up next to Auggie's truck. Shuffling up to the house Braden made his way onto the porch. Before he reached the table, Kieran held his hand up.

  "Go apologize to Liv."

  "For what?"

  Kieran shrugged, saying, "Doesn't matter. You pissed her off. Now go apologize."

  With a loud sigh, Braden turned and headed into the house as Seth noticed Kieran nudge Auggie and smile.

  There was instant shouting and cursing inside the house before Braden ran back out onto the porch. Auggie and Kieran started to laugh.

  Seth couldn't help but laugh too as Braden moved his shoulder around complaining, "She hit me with the damn broom."

  Their laughter subsided as Braden took notice of Seth and pointed at him with a curious expression on his face.

  "Boyfriend Graveyard," Auggie informed before Seth had a chance to introduce himself.

  "No way," Braden exclaimed then reached his hand over to shake Seth's assuring, "I'd have been nicer to ya had I known you were gonna outgrow me," with a laugh.

  "Seth," he corrected shaking Braden's hand.

  Nodding Braden asked, "What brings you here?"

  It was a good thing Auggie answered, "He's Penny's neighbor," because Seth wasn't entirely sure.

  "Wait. Are you the Seth that works for Jacks?"

  "Yes."

  "Ah, you're practically family then," Braden announced before asking, "Are we drinking or what?"

  Kieran gave a nod and reached for his glass.

  Much like with the chairs, Seth noticed Auggie and Braden waited for Kieran to go first. After he filled the bottom of his glass they picking up their own and passed the bottle around. When Braden set the bottle in front of Seth, he did the same thinking he had never drunk on a Sunday let alone before seven o'clock any day of the week before in his life.

  Twelve

  At two thirty in the morning, Penny pulled up to her cousin's house. When Liv called and said she was bringing Seth back because everyone else had passed out, Penny offer to come get him. In a way, she was irritated with her brother for stealing away her new friend but on the other ha
nd, it made her happy that Seth had survived a night of drinking with them.

  The second she got out of the car, Seth was there to greet her.

  Noticeably having had too much to drink, he leaned against the hood of her car announcing, "You're here," then looked back at the house shouting, "Penny's here!"

  Liv hollered back from the porch, "'Night Seth," before asking, "You sure you got it, Penny?"

  "Yea, need me to take anyone else?"

  "Nah, Braden and Auggs passed out on the porch, they'll be fine until morning."

  "Thanks Liv. 'Night," Penny said before Liv shared, "Call me when you make it home."

  Holding her hand high in the air, she waved before Liv stepped inside her house.

  Focusing on Seth, Penny tried to be direct with him but found it hard to be serious while he kept smiling at her.

  "You're pretty drunk."

  Nodding at her, he stumbled closer saying, "You're pretty...Pretty."

  Clearing her throat as she smiled at him, Penny replied, "I need you to get in the car so I can take you home okay."

  "I can't."

  With a little laugh Penny questioned, "You can't?"

  Holding out his hands, he answered, "I lost my keys."

  "How did you do that?"

  With a deep inhale, Seth stood up replying, "Playing freeze tag."

  "I don't even want to know how that got started... Can you make it to the passenger side?"

  Turning quickly, Seth had to brace himself against the car for a moment before he was steady enough to make it to the other side of the car.

  On the way to their apartment complex, Penny noticed Seth starting to drift off.

  "Hey, you need to talk to me, so you don't pass out."

  Leaning his head toward her, Seth smiled saying, "Anything you want."

  A little surprised at how articulate Seth was while drunk. He was over annunciating practically every word but to her, it made the fact that she couldn't look at him while driving a non-issue because she could understand every word. Pausing for a moment to consider it was sort of wrong to take advantage of his intoxicated state, her curiosity made it impossible for her to resist.

  "What did you think of my family?"

  Suddenly very alert, Seth grabbed her shoulder blurting, "Did you know Kieran has a legacy?"