What she was reading kind of caught me off guard. I was hoping it was some trashy ass romance novel. Or maybe some sweet western cowboy romance. She seemed that type. Some asshole on a horse riding up to save some city chick.
Right?
It was an advanced calculus book.
I flipped open to the page she had saved with her earbuds.
I put my finger to the math problems and ran all the numbers and formulas and calculations through my head. It was easier with a whiteboard to write that shit out. Sometimes a math problem could take up a lot of space.
And how the fuck did I know the answers and how to do it?
I had no idea.
“Uly?”
I looked up from the book to catch Mara trying to turn around.
She put her hands to her face.
I jumped up and hurried toward her and grabbed her arms.
“What’s wrong, doll?”
“Nothing,” she said.
“My mother?”
“What? No. Uly…”
I moved her aside and went for the door.
“Wait!” she cried out.
I hurried into the beach house, feeling my eyes burning with fire.
As I turned the corner to the sunroom, I saw a man standing at my mother’s bedside. Holding her hand. Wearing a suit, thinned hair slicked back, smiling at her. He was a little thick in the face and waist which instantly reminded me of some asshole trying to pawn off a shit car to someone just to make a few bucks.
Or maybe that’s you worried about your mother, Uly.
My mother saw me and smiled. “Ulysses.”
“Hey, there he is!” the man yelled at me.
He ditched my mother and ran toward me like we were old friends.
I balled my right fist up, I wasn’t against hitting someone if they got too close without my approval.
He stuck his hand out. “You’re the amazing Ulysses, huh?”
I looked at his hand. “And you are?”
“Calvin,” my mother said. “I told you about him…”
I shook Calvin’s hand.
His eyes gleamed as though if I turned around he’d stick a knife in my back.
“I need to talk to you privately,” I said to my mother.
“Hey, don’t mind me,” Calvin said. He rushed back to my mother’s side. “I’ve been here as much as I can be. What a terrible thing to have happen. And to such a good person.”
He touched my mother’s hair.
She smiled and shut her eyes.
“This is about Mara again,” I said.
“Oh, Ulysses,” my mother said. “My leg is in pain and you want to talk about that girl again? What is this? How much do you hate me?”
“I warned you…”
“You warned her?” Calvin asked. “Wait a second here. Forgive me for getting involved…”
“Amanda, we need to get you something to eat,” Paula said, entering the room. She looked at me and nodded.
“I have to eat,” my mother said.
“Let’s give her some space and peace,” Calvin said. “Ulysses, why don’t we catch up a little in the kitchen?”
I went to the kitchen even though I didn’t want to.
I watched as Calvin opened the fridge and got a bottle of fancy water.
Like he owned the place.
He let out a long breath. “She’s a tough one in there.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“I’m sorry we haven’t met sooner. My schedule has me all over the place.”
“What do you do?”
“Lawyer,” Calvin said. “Here I thought it would be like TV. Yell in a courtroom, drive a nice car, own a house on the beach.”
He laughed.
I didn’t find anything funny.
“Hey, maybe we can make some plans,” Calvin said. “You come over. I can cook something. Or just order something. Sit down. Break bread. What do you think?”
“So this is… something here?”
“I believe so,” Calvin said.
“You weren’t at the hospital.”
“I came later,” Calvin said. “Broke my heart not to be there. I wasn’t here… and your mother asked me to keep my distance. She was worried about your reaction if you found out about us that way. I agreed. She loves you, Ulysses.”
“Right.”
“It’s not easy to go through change,” Calvin said. “Hope you know that by now in life.”
“How’s that water?” I asked.
Calvin looked at the bottle. “Fine. Why?”
“Keep drinking it and shut your mouth,” I said.
I left the kitchen and went to the front of the house to check on Mara again.
When she saw me, any sense of hurt or tears was replaced by anger.
“Calvin?” I asked. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me he was here?”
Mara slapped me across the face.
* * *
When I looked at her again, I almost dared her to do it again.
Instead, I grabbed her and kissed her.
I pulled her lips to mine and kissed her hard. I kissed her seriously. I kissed her…
She grabbed my cheeks and kissed me right back.
Then we both jumped away from each other, realizing who was inside the house.
“What is wrong with you?” she asked me.
“What? No way, doll. It’s my turn to get pissed. Calvin is in there?”
“I didn’t know you were coming today.”
“If you’re here, I’m here,” I blurted out.
Mara’s cheeks flushed.
Shit.
I walked to the top step and kicked my foot at her book. “What’s this?”
“Just stuff.”
“You’re smart, huh?”
“I guess so,” Mara said.
“You guess so? I have the same book.”
“Wait… what?”
I wanted a cigarette but didn’t light one up.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’ve been studying that shit for a long time.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m sorry, do I look stupid to you?”
“Uly, no. I would never think that.”
“You just did.”
“Uly,” she said. “Wait…”
“I’m a fucking smarty pants, doll. Just like you.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I’ve taken so many fucking classes… whatever. I could have graduated two years ago but didn’t want to. I’ve already gotten enough college credits for a degree. Whatever. I don’t even give a shit about it.”
“That’s amazing,” Mara said. “Me too. I’m kind of the same. I was taking college courses but…”
“What?”
“Money,” she said. “That’s why Mom has been here so much. And it’s why I try to help her. She works a few of these jobs.”
“Shit,” I said. “She’s a good person.”
“Yeah she is,” Mara said.
“Were you crying because of her? What my mother did to her?”
Mara shook her head. Then she pointed to the book. “When did it start for you?”
“What?”
“Being smart?”
“I don’t know, doll. A long fucking time ago. I think my father had me helping him at his office. And I was able to read, run through numbers, and actually make sense of shit. You know like a kid would sit behind a desk and pretend? I did shit for real.”
“Your father…”
“Dead.”
“I know. That sucks.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Can’t change it.”
“And your mother…”
“Do you want to talk history, doll? Because I have a lot of questions about you.”
Mara looked flustered.
The beach house door opened and Calvin appeared.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “Your mother would like to speak with you.”
“Tell her to get up and walk t
o me,” I said.
Mara gasped.
Calvin’s eyes went wide. “Listen here…”
I turned to face Calvin.
Mara grabbed my hand. “Take me out to eat, Uly. Right now. I’m starving. I have to get away from here too. Please.”
Calvin and I stared each other down.
I glanced at Mara and she was scared.
I understood.
If I fucked up and got Paula into hot water, it would hurt Paula and Mara.
“Tell my mother I said goodbye,” I said to Calvin. “I’m taking my girl out for a little bit.”
* * *
We sat outside a little greasy burger place right off the beach.
There was still plenty of daylight left in the day and when night came, there was always something fun to do in the dark.
But the problem was that Mara didn’t live near me.
She was far from BFH.
In a whole different world.
A world that was much like Belle’s.
It almost pained me to sit there knowing I couldn’t just bring her back to BFH and have some fun.
Which meant I had to steal all the seconds I could from her while I had her.
“What are your thoughts on Calvin?” I asked Mara.
She stopped mid bite on a curly fry and shook her head. “I don’t get involved there.”
“I don’t think I like him.”
“Then don’t.”
Something was off about him. About everything.
Or maybe I was being protective of my mother.
“You don’t want to talk about it,” I said. “Not your problem, doll.”
“Uly…”
“Right. Anything said or anything happens falls on you,” I said. “Let’s talk about your giant brain then.”
“What about it?”
“I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be.”
“Why not?”
“I’m like you, Uly. Who cares, right?”
I care. You should use that brain to do something, doll. Get out of your situation. Do something great.
I nodded. “Right. Fuck our brains then.”
“Fuck it,” Mara said.
We toasted cheers to each other with our giant, chocolate milkshakes and finished eating.
I grabbed our garbage and tossed it into a bright orange can.
In the thirty seconds it took me to do that, Mara ended up at the metal railing, leaning forward to look at the ocean.
I jumped up backwards and sat on the railing.
She grabbed for my hand.
“You’re going to fall,” she said.
“It’s just sand. Oh well.”
“You’re crazy, Uly.”
“Sometimes, yeah. Want to know what’s driving me crazy right now?”
“What? And please don’t talk about your mother or Calvin. I need to pretend that side of my life doesn’t exist.”
“Has your mother ever cried because of my mother?”
“Uly…”
“That’s a big fat yes.”
“I’m not answering a thing.”
I looked down at her. “You were crying when I got there.”
“Uly…”
“I never thought I’d ask a pretty girl not to say my name, doll.”
Mara’s cheeks flushed. “You thought your mother made me cry.”
“Fuck yeah I did. But it wasn’t her. So what happened?”
“It had nothing to do with your mother or the beach house.”
“Meaning…”
“Life, Uly. I’m different than you.”
“Don’t give me that shit, Mara,” I said. “You’re a fucking genius.”
“Who can’t afford to do anything with it,” she said.
“Is that why you were upset? You were studying and you got pissed?”
Mara looked at me, knowing it was the perfect cover for a decent lie.
But Mara shook her head.
And that’s all I needed to know.
I jumped off the railing and she spun around and reached for me.
My hands touched her face.
“What did he say to you? What did he do to you?”
“It’s nothing, Uly,” she whispered. “Stupid shit. I shouldn’t let it get to me.”
“I don’t want to ask what happened or why,” I said. “But, fuck, doll, I can’t stand to see you cry.”
“Uly, stop. You’re only saying that because you’re comparing me to Belle.”
That was like a punch to the heart.
But that’s what we were doing here, right?
I pulled Mara toward me and kissed her.
One simple kiss.
And I looked into her eyes.
I looked really deep into her fucking eyes.
“Uly… it’s okay,” she whispered. “I like to spend time with you. I like that we don’t have to label anything or have rules or worry about anything. I actually look forward to going to that beach house now because I might run into you. Okay? Just please believe me when I say that…”
“I do believe you, doll,” I said. “I better get you back there before I end up labeled the bad boy.”
Mara grinned. “Probably too late for that.”
I backed away and took Mara’s hand.
We walked in silence to my car.
When we got into the car, I looked at her.
The way the sun hit the window, it was like the sun was just shining for her.
I nodded.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
But that was a lie.
I knew what it was… what was going through my head.
I was going to make sure Adam never hurt Mara’s feelings again.
Chapter 9
I didn’t feel like sleeping.
I sure as hell didn’t feel like hanging around the beach house either.
But Mara was there.
Fast asleep in the guest bedroom where I had caught her dancing.
My mother had been moaning about pain until the nurses got her completely settled and asleep. They finally left, leaving the watch party down to just Paula.
One thing that irked me was that Calvin wasn’t around.
Not that I wanted the guy around, but something was just…
“Off,” I said to the night as I sat on the back steps, looking out to the ocean.
Normally it would have been completely dark, but thanks to an almost full moon, the beach and ocean were visible.
Behind me I heard someone clear their throat.
I turned my head and saw Paula standing at the top of the deck.
“Want company?” she asked.
“Have at it,” I said.
She walked down the steps and sat next to me.
These steps were massive though. It wasn’t like Paula and I were shoulder to shoulder. Not like if Mara was out there with me. If she was sitting next to me, my arm would have been around her, holding her close.
Instead I had Mara’s mother sitting next to me.
Far away though.
Or far enough away.
I smoked my cigarette and let my thoughts do their thing in my head.
“I used to smoke,” Paula said.
“Why’d you quit?”
“Got pregnant.”
“Ah,” I said. “Good thing I don’t have to worry about that.”
Paula laughed. “Yeah. Good thing.”
“Hey, I’m sorry you have to deal with my mother.”
“Are you though?”
“Sort of,” I said. “I don’t want to give the impression that I want to be here and help.”
“You’re pretty honest when it comes to your mother.”
“I’m honest when it comes to everything.”
“No matter what happens?” Paula asked.
“Why live in a world of lies?” I asked. “They’re too hard to manage. I know the truth. And my appearance and attitude may piss people off, b
ut at least I know I’m being honest with myself.”
“You know, she doesn’t need nurses here,” Paula said.
I grinned. “No shit.”
“It’s kind of a waste of resources. There are people out there who do need nurses. Who need help. And they can’t get it.”
“And a rich snob like my mother can afford it,” I said.
“Right,” Paula said.
“So then why do you do it?” I asked.
“It’s called needing a job, Ulysses,” Paula said.
“You could find another job,” I said.
“Maybe,” Paula said. “Who knows why people do what they do. Kind of like you taking Mara out tonight.”
Oh shit… is this the ‘don’t date my daughter’ talk?
“I just wanted to get out of here,” I said. “I didn’t know about Calvin. Nobody really prepared me for that one.”
“Yeah, well, not much you can do there,” Paula said. “He’s got his hold on your mother.”
“His hold?”
“She does whatever he says to do,” Paula said.
“I don’t think I like that,” I said.
“But you don’t like your mother, remember?” Paula asked with a grin.
“That’s my personal life,” I said. “You better stay out of it.”
I was half joking, smiling as I said it.
Paula leaned toward me. “Just like Mara.”
“What?”
“She’s my personal life, Ulysses. And you better stay out of it.”
Paula stood up and winked at me.
She went up the steps and back into the beach house.
If that was a threat, it was heard, but it made me laugh.
I was just going to dig the hole deeper and deeper, wasn’t I?
* * *
I was able to catch Mara shuffling through the hallway the next morning before I left. My mother was in a pain killer induced coma and Paula was in the kitchen making breakfast.
I may or may not have been casually and secretly waiting in the hallway for thirty minutes to see if Mara was going to wake up or not.
And, yeah, the temptation to go into the bedroom and wake her up myself ran through my body head to toe.
The simple question as to why I didn’t do it… I wasn’t sure of.
And the sight of Mara chased the question away.
I got to see what she wore as pajamas.
Which was a pair of pants that were so big that she looked like she could fly away in a windstorm. But it was the shirt that stole the show for me. A white shirt that hugged her body in a way that I deemed unfair because it wasn’t me hugging her. Again, my eyes looking at her body, my teeth gritting tight with desire, wanting to touch her and make her know that she was beautiful.
ULY (Bay Falls High - Them Book 1) Page 8