Keeping Seven

by T. A Richards Neville

  Right. Untiled itself and up and walked away.

  “I’m taking you home now. Looks like you’ve had enough fun already. Go grab your skirt.”

  “Call her a cab,” Alexis butted in. “It’s too early to leave. The night hasn’t even started yet.”

  “Hear that, Rookie?” Carlion cut his suggestive gaze to me, a slippery smile revealing his gold tooth. “The night hasn’t even started yet.”

  “I say we draw these drapes and have our own party.” Alexis bit into her lip, sitting up to rest her hand on my knee.

  “Shit. Let the fucking party begin.” Carlion lifted the other woman off the bed and onto his knee, smacking her behind to her delighted squeal.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not interested. Carlion, enjoy. I’m out.”

  Rebecca clung to me with her arms around my neck as I stood up and steadied her on the sand, Carlion booing us while indulging in both Alexis and her lookalike. I went and picked up Rebecca’s skirt and helped her across the beach. Tiki torches burned among the teepees, cabanas, and daybeds, the DJ playing a Chris Brown song from behind his decks.

  “This was the best night ever,” Rebecca shouted over the music. Despite being plastered, she swayed her hips to the slow beat, maneuvering out of my hold on her waist. I pulled her back in only for her to spin away from me, almost tripping over the sand and into a trio of women snapping group selfies on a daybed. Reigning Rebecca in, I picked her up and carried her to the line of cars waiting at the entrance to the resort.

  Leaving her alone in bed at home for fifteen minutes, I took Dog outside to see to his business and stretch his legs. When I came back, I covered her with the sheets and left her bedroom door ajar, so I’d hear any vomiting that I really fucking hoped didn’t happen. You’d best believe she’d be cleaning that smelly shit up herself.

  It was already two a.m. Down to hours until Angel was here. Knowing that made sleep more difficult, and by the time I eventually drifted off, warm vodka breath on my face woke me up.

  Rebecca hovered over me in the dark, her hair hanging either side of my face, feathering my bare chest.

  “Christ, Rebecca, are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?” I brushed her hair aside with the back of my hand, sleep clouding my already bleary vision. She sat back on her knees, still dressed in the bikini from earlier that I’d put her to bed in. “What’re you doing up here?”

  “I just wanted to talk to you.”

  “Right now?” I rolled over and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. “It’s four-thirty in the morning. Can it wait till the sun’s up?”

  “Let me just say what I’ve got to say, and then I’ll let you go back to sleep.”

  I rubbed my eyes. “Fuck’s sake.” Whatever it was she’d woken me up to say, it was unlikely I wanted to hear any of it.

  Coasting on a wave of phony confidence from the alcohol, Rebecca blurted, “I wish that you weren’t my brother. I wish that we’d met under different circumstances.”

  “Problem solved,” I said, closing my eyes to go back to sleep. “I’m not your brother.”

  “No, you’re not. But you kinda are.”

  “Good-night, Rebecca.”

  “What I’m trying to say is—”

  “Don’t say it. You’ll regret it in the morning when you sober up. This is the champagne talking.”

  “No, Julian. Open your eyes,” Rebecca demanded in a firm voice, no longer sounding like a drunken bout’s brought her up here.

  I opened my eyes, my expression even as I stared at Rebecca with her palms pressed to her thighs.

  “All I want is for a man like you to notice me. Believe me, I hate thinking of you that way. It grosses me out big time, but I have been. And since I’m heading back to New Jersey anyway, I don’t see what harm telling you could do. We won’t see each other. You’ll get on with your life and I’ll get on with mine.”

  I had nothing to say to that. I was still in a catatonic state of waking up, and I stayed silent while Rebecca quietly got up off the bed and walked down the stairs, back to her own room.

  Later that morning, with an hour to spare before Angel’s flight landed, I pocketed my keys to the Range Rover, hooking Dog’s leash to his collar to bring him with me.

  The lock on Rebecca’s door clicked, and she stood in the doorway, her mascara smeared under her eyes, blonde hair sticking up around her head.

  We stared at each other, frozen in place by the weird events of last night. It was like we’d crossed a line I hadn’t even known could be crossed.

  “I’m going to pick up Angel,” I said. Because she’d been so intoxicated, there was every chance Rebecca didn’t remember coming up to my room and pouring her drunken heart out. Why bring it up now and cause unnecessary embarrassment?

  Like she’d only just noticed she was half-dressed, Rebecca’s arms crossed over her chest. “I’ll make myself scarce so you can have some alone time with her.”

  Today was one of her days off from work, and we both knew she had nowhere to go that didn’t involve wandering the beaches aimlessly.

  “I’ve been thinking,” I said, resisting Dog’s pull on the leash, eager to leave and run amok outside. “Maybe you don’t have to go to New Jersey. I could help you find your own place here, in Miami.”

  “You would do that?” Hope blossomed in her throaty voice. I tried not to think about her crying down here alone last night.

  “Yeah, I would. I don’t wanna make you go somewhere you don’t want to go. If you like it here, you should stay here. I can help with the rent, and you could go back to school. Finish off that masseuse stuff. You already have a job here, so…”

  “I would love to stay here.”

  I turned to unlock the door, stopping in my tracks before I had the knob in my hand. I faced Rebecca, Dog protesting by clawing at the doorknob himself, panting to be let loose. “The only reason I never bring you anywhere with me, or watch over you constantly when I do, is because I understand perfectly the kind of guy you deserve. And if I can come between you and those horny douchebags who just want in your pants for the night, then that’s what I’m gonna do. So can we forget this morning?”

  A smile crept out as Rebecca nodded, her thumbnail tucked between her lips.

  My relationship with my dad might have sailed past the point of salvageable, but the one I’d created with Rebecca had turned out to be reasonably harder to break.

  “H

  ave you noticed no one’s said one word to us since we sat up here?” Rebecca observed.

  I glanced around the jam-packed family section at the Hard Rock Stadium. Plenty of kids were geared-up in their Dolphins jerseys and hats, the smaller ones flighty with excitement on their mom’s knees. The women behind the Dolphins players were gorgeous and plentiful, and I never dreamed I could be underdressed for a football game.

  “I’ve sat up here maybe a handful of times, and I could pick out three or four faces of the people who have said hello to me or asked who I am.” Rebecca opened her purse, rooting around in it. She took out her cell phone, opened the camera and leaned into me, snapping a selfie quicker than I had time to smile. And now wasn’t the time for smiling.

  Julian had passed two touchdowns, and that was the only good news so far to be reported. Everything else had been a steady decline, and if things carried on as they were, this season opener wasn’t going to be one Julian would want to be reminded of beyond today. The Ravens were dominating, and the home crowd wasn’t happy about it.

  “What was that for?” I asked, cringing when I saw myself on Rebecca’s screen. Thank God it was Snapchat and she’d filtered out my docile expression with cute hearts and doe eyes.

  “I met a guy. You know I went to Nikki Beach with Julian?” I nodded. I was impressed when I’d heard Julian had actually taken her with him. He surprised me every day when it came to Rebecca. “Well, I got talking to someone. His name’s Tate Ross. The Dolphins acquired him in this year’s draft. He’s gorgeous. He
re, see for yourself.”

  Scrolling through hundreds of pictures in her album, she slowed near the bottom. Tapping on one of the last thumbnails, the screen filled with the chiseled face and broad shoulders of a young, handsome guy with short brown hair. He was slightly bulkier than what I liked in a man, but his toothy smile looked genuine as he sat with his arm around Rebecca, tiki torches flaming in the nighttime backdrop.

  “You suit each other. Is he playing today?” I couldn’t say I’d noticed him, but that was no easy feat when the players’ faces were concealed behind helmets.

  “I guess we’ll see. He hasn’t yet, but it’s definitely on the cards. Especially with how they’re handling the ball out there. How about you, anyway? I know you aren’t here for much longer, but I’m available if you need a girlfriend to talk wedding with or hit up some bridal shops.”

  “Uh-huh,” I said, distracted by the ref’s whistle and the game that was becoming painful to watch.

  Miami’s defense took the field while Julian took his place—and his face of thunder—to the sideline. His ass looked incredible in his tight football pants, but I doubted that would do anything in terms of cheering him up later. The Dolphins were down on the scoreboard by ten points, the offense stifled by the Ravens’ defense, and the clock was quickly ticking down to half-time. Losing wasn’t what I wished for the Dolphins, but at least Julian was safe from a bad tackle on the bench. Every time the defense moved in on him, even with his linemen protecting him, my heart pulsed, and I had to force my eyes to stay open and watch the resulting play. Julian’s torn MCL was proof he wasn’t indestructible, and his love of football could be snatched away from him at any unguaranteed moment.

  The ball was snapped, and all hell broke loose. After a swift handoff to the running back, a defensive end (if I’ve calculated the formation correctly after an in-depth lesson from Julian) advanced on the play, tackling the running back to his ass only a few yards off the line of scrimmage.

  As a girlfriend, I was lacking. I should’ve known who those guys were beyond the numbers on their jerseys, but honestly, when Julian wasn’t on the field, I lost track of what the heck was going on down there. Following the offense advance down the field wasn’t anything compared to how hard the defensive linemen were working. It took an eye more critical than mine to be able to understand and appreciate the mechanics behind their specific formations and plays.

  “I, uh, may have made an idiot out of myself,” Rebecca leaned in to tell me.

  “Why do you say that?” I intended to keep one eye on the remaining minutes in the quarter, but the face Rebecca was pulling robbed the best part of my attention.

  “I’m worried Julian thinks I came onto him.” She squeezed her middle fingernail between her teeth. “Which, I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Not outright. I mean, I hope I didn’t. That wasn’t what I was trying to do.”

  “Okay…” Now didn’t feel like the right time for smiling, no matter how flustered Rebecca looked. “What did happen?”

  “I don’t wanna say.”

  “Come on. It’s not like I’m gonna get mad. Just tell me, we’ll analyze, and then you can feel better. Besides, since when do you care what Julian thinks?”

  Rebecca spilled every last detail, staring at me with a wary expression once she was finished. “That’s how I remember it, anyway. I had a lot to drink. Julian’s version may sound vastly different.”

  I gave myself a minute to process and find some words of encouragement. Rebecca looked like she needed them.

  “I get why you feel embarrassed, but you were just being honest. If Julian doesn’t understand that, that’s his problem. But I know him, and so do you. He will understand. He told me he’s helping you look for your own apartment in Miami. He likes having you around, Rebecca. Even when he doesn’t show it.”

  “So he’s not, like, making fun of me when I’m not there?”

  “He would be the first person to shut someone up if they spoke bad about you.”

  “And me and you are still okay?”

  “We’re better than okay.” I nudged her with my knee. “We’re almost family.” Our matching grins set off the excitement I felt whenever thoughts of marrying Julian came bubbling to the surface. “And I do want to look at wedding dresses with you while I’m here. I’m not buying or anything crazy, but we could see what’s out there?”

  “Yes! Let’s do that. Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. Tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Your face is familiar. Who are you waiting for?”

  I turned my head toward the intrusive voice of the young woman bouncing a toddler on her hip in the family and friends lounge. The flat look on her face matched nicely with her invasive tone.

  Not that it’s any of your business…

  “Julian Lawson.”

  The woman assessed me a minute longer, like I’d been put here solely for her inspection and approval. “How long have ya’ll been together?”

  “Oh my god. Rude much?” Rebecca leaned back in the teal couch and whispered to the side of my head.

  “Since college.” Why I was answering her was beyond me.

  “Ya’ll married?”

  “Show her your ring.” Rebecca sprung into action, pulling my hand from my lap and flattening out my fingers so my rose diamond was on display. Looking at it never got boring to me. Even now, my stomach rolled in happiness. “Newly engaged. Julian totally surprised her. She had no idea, did you, Angel?” Not leaving any room for me to answer, Rebecca plowed on, laying it on thick. “Took her to the prettiest house in Bar Harbor overlooking the ocean. Is this not the most beautiful ring you’ve ever seen? He had it specially made. Took no one to the jewelry store but himself and his vision. Are you married?” Rebecca paused from her passive-aggressive tirade to ask.

  “Going on two years now,” the woman said to my ring, her lips spread thin. I couldn’t make up my mind whether I liked her or if she scared me. “Phil Trist. Cornerback.”

  “Right. Phil.” I nodded like I knew who he was. Where Julian’s teammates were concerned, I was equipped with the most basic knowledge imaginable. It was becoming clear for the second time in only a few hours I could have invested more in his career and the people he surrounded himself with day-to-day. “Is this your son?” I asked, sparing a smile for the little boy with the chestnut curls framing his soft face and ears.

  Smiling affectionately at the boy, the scary woman shed a degree of her hostility. “This is Maxwell. Say hi, Max.”

  “Hi.” His toothy grin revealed a gap in the front where one of his baby teeth had met their recent end.

  “Hi, Max,” Rebecca and I said at once. “Bet you’re tired of always hearing how adorable you are, huh?” He was catalogue beautiful with his sky-blue eyes and mixed skin tone.

  He shook his head ferociously, his grin widening and his chin dipping to his chest. I’d embarrassed him.

  “Here’s our quarterback now.” The woman took a step to the side, the position of her body twisting to face the doors to the lounge.

  Sure enough, Julian stepped through those double doors with the Dolphins logo mounted across the middle. Hand tucked into the pocket of navy suit pants, and his bag slung over his shoulder, his short hair was still damp from his shower, his broad shoulders filling out his suit jacket and making good use of every last inch of the designer threads. A smile settled over my face, even though he hadn’t noticed me yet.

  The Dolphins were on the right path to recording their first staggering loss of the season. But they came out with the energy of a winning team in the second half, and the game went their way in the end. A total turnaround, and Julian was still okay. No injury. No issues.

  “I’m Diana, by the way. Don’t be a stranger. Next time I’ll introduce you to the rest of the girls.”

  The words, “I’d like that,” had barely rolled off my lips when Diana walked away, a direct path taking her to a brute of a football player who descended into the room with two more
big guys in suits.

  Julian glanced back at Diana. His eyebrows indented over his sharp, blue eyes as one of them narrowed a teensy bit on me. “Making friends?”

  I stood up, tilting my face into Julian’s soft lips on the side of my head. He took it one step further, placing an open-mouthed kiss on the fleshy part of my throat, his stubbled chin sending shivers skittering all over my body. His smile was unashamedly panty-melting as he pulled his head away, giving me a heavy-lidded look that only ever led to us down the same well-trodden road.

  “Looks that way, yeah…” I grappled with how the meeting turned out while trying not to get too carried away by the gorgeous, masculine quarterback in front of me. I sensed that if I was expected to get on the good side of these WAGs, Diana was the woman to make headway with. She oozed a mother bear prowess that made me wonder if she headed the group of elite women who had my proverbial knees shaking from the threat of spending time with.

  Julian took me and Rebecca to dinner to celebrate the team’s win. After a series of texting with Tate Ross, Rebecca said she would see us back at the condo, and then left to go meet the fresh-faced rookie at a popular tequila bar on South Beach.

  “You’ve been quiet,” I pointed out to Julian when we’d returned home and collected an excitable Dog, taking him for his evening walk. “And I don’t just mean today. I wasn’t going to bring it up, but… is everything okay? If it’s the wedding, I won’t put any pressure—”

  He threw me a sharp look, equal measures of irritability and reassurance. “No one pressured me into asking you to marry me.”

  “So, I’m imagining it?”

  His gaze rolled over me before he turned his dark head, a deep sigh blowing past his lips. “This goes no further than me and you.”

  A pang of alarm slowed my strides. “You don’t have to tell me that.”

  “My dad’s having an affair with my mom.”

  “Are you sure?” I frowned hearing that, it was so left field. As far as I knew, Olivia was happy with Gary, and Julian’s dad had created this whole other family who he seemingly adored.