by C. A. Rene
“I’m here for you, Em.” He says rubbing my back. I nod and head to the passenger side of the car.
The ride to his house is quiet and I try to suppress the rising of my anger. I always had this terrible rage and temper for as long as I can remember and when I started fighting and training I was able to lock it away. But the fights have stopped and training classes just won’t cut it, I know that. After the little taste I got today, I just need it.
“My mom is at the restaurant until five.” Vin says, I snap out of my thoughts and realize we’re parked in a driveway. I look up at the house and see it’s like my aunt and uncles, modestly prestigious.
“Nice house.” I don’t make a move to get out of my car. I don’t feel like going in there, either. Vin must sense my hesitation.
“How about I go grab the box and we can chill at a nearby park?”
I nod, so much better than being locked inside a house and seeing pictures of a woman I clearly knew nothing about. My anger starts welling and rising again and it takes every ounce of restraint I can muster to push it down.
Vin walks to his front door, his swagger causing ripples of want inside me.
Finally, some feeling.
His dreads swing against his back and his black bandana blowing slightly in the breeze. He disappears inside and comes back out with a medium sized cardboard box. He places it in my backseat and we pull out of his driveway.
We arrive at a park with some benches, but I don’t want to leave the car. I turn in my seat and start pulling photo albums out of the box. They are high schooler girl stuff for sure. The album covers are ‘Winnie the Pooh’ or ‘Disney Princesses’. I open the first of three in my lap and instantly recognize Sharla standing with a much younger version of my mother and aunt. They look like freshman during this time and my aunt looks even younger. They are standing in a mall, arms around each other.
As I get further through the albums, they begin to become less innocent looking, dressing more risqué and surrounded by bigger groups with what looks to be older guys. My aunt appears in fewer and fewer photos and my mother’s appearance changes drastically. Her makeup becomes darker, her clothing more provocative and there seems to be one guy she’s always pictured with.
“Do you know who this could be?” Vin asks me.
“No,” I answer hesitantly, “he’s not someone that lives here?”
“No.”
I am staring at this guys face and he looks older than my mother and he looks Latin. He has dark hair, close to black, his skin is like a rich caramel and he has a mole under his right eye. My heart begins to pound. Could this be my father?
“You and he look similar.” Vin mutters.
Yeah we do. My skin erupts with tingles and I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack. This guy was very good looking but he had a depraved and corrupt look in his eye. The smirk on his face is downright sinful.
Sharla is wrapped up in the arms of what looks to be a jock. Sandy blonde hair and green eyes. Almost identical to Travis.
“Your dad?”
“Yeah, that’s him.” He all but growls out.
“Travis is his twin and you look like your mom.”
He nods. I pull the photo out of the sleeve and turn it over.
Me with Bobby and Becca with Ray. Grade 12 2002.
Fuck, I’m almost certain this is my dad. The timeline adds up.
“You’re seventeen, right?” Vin whispers. Doing the math as well.
“Yeah.”
“Damn, you think…”
“Yes.” I cut him off. “My skin tone, the mole…” I choke back a sob.
“We have a name now, Em.” He grabs my chin to make me look at him, “question your aunt and hell, I’ll question my mom, too.”
“Thank you.”
“Keep that.” He runs his thumb back and forth on my chin. “Keep all of it.”
He drives us back to the school so he can pick up his vehicle. He pulls in the empty parking lot and parks beside his Hummer.
“My mom and Debra are going away on an annual spa trip this weekend.” I think I remember my aunt saying this in passing. “So, I’m having a party at my house on Saturday. My pool is enclosed so you can swim and I don’t know, maybe you can let this chill and we’ll tackle it after the weekend.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Em, we’ll figure it out. I promise.”
“Okay, can I bring Adri?”
“Of course, bring whoever you want.”
“Travis?”
“Sure.” He grits out.
“He won’t come if I invite him, you have to do it.”
“Em.” His voice full of warning.
“Look Vin, he’s your family and one day he’ll be all you have.” I feel a tear slip down my cheek.
“Okay,” he wipes my tear away. “I’ll invite him.”
He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth and pulls away.
“Should we bring anything?” I ask, “alcohol or food?”
“Nah, I have snacks and a shit ton of alcohol. And please for the love of God don’t let Adri cook, or bake a single fucking thing.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s fucking terrible at it.”
“Noted.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He rasps.
I watch him go and get into his Hummer and drive off.
My drive home is uneventful and thankfully tailless. Hopefully my message gets back to Raphael and he backs off. I get it, my time with the gang made me privy to certain information but that doesn’t give them the right to stalk me forever.
I leave the box in the car because I don’t want my aunt to know what we’ve found. I plan to show her after the weekend like Vin suggested. The house is quiet when I get in, my aunt must be working still and I faintly hear my uncle on the phone in his office. I head up the stairs and take a long hot shower. With my muscles finally relaxed I text Adri to see how it went with Travis.
Me: Sorry about leaving without giving u a heads up
Adri: That’s not what u should be sorry for ...
Me: Travis?
Adri: Obv
Me: Sorry not sorry
Me: I trust Travis to get u home
Adri: We barely spoke, so awk
Adri: Everything ok with u?
Me: Yeah, all good. C u tmr
Adri: ❤️
Next I text Travis thanking him for driving Adri.
Me: Thank u for dropping off Adri
Trav: At least someone thanked me
Trav: She just hopped out like her ass was on fire SMH
Me: So… u think her ass is hot?
Trav: Not answering
Trav: U good?
Me: I’ll tell u tmr
Trav: Kk
I put my phone aside and start on some homework. I’m in the middle of reading lines for the play when my phone pings.
Vince: Wanted 2 kiss U
My heart almost explodes.
Me: U should’ve
Vince: Maybe…
Me: Okay...
He doesn’t reply after that and I end up passing out hard in the middle of Algebra homework.
The rest of the week passes without incident. We have rehearsal three times a week and I’ve been pretty swamped with homework. My aunt leaves on Friday evening with Sharla and my uncle is at his friend’s house for gambling night. I decide to have an early night of self care, a scented bath, face mask and personal grooming. This way I look my best for a pool party with the guy I’ve been blue ovary-ing over all fucking week.
Chapter Ten
Adri has been at my house since the crack of dawn. Today is Vin’s party and I just want to look good, so I’ve enlisted her to do my face and hair. My uncle has a huge meeting in some place that’s like three hours drive from here, so he’s staying the night. Both Adri and I assured him we’d be sleeping at her place. He just kept reminding me about his one rule, but I’m hoping to be breaking that rule tonight.
> We spend all day making pot brownies but I also made some Exlax brownies, too. Marlana is for sure going to show her face with her posse of hoochies and I would really love for them to be shitting themselves. It won’t be anything painful just the sudden urge to shit your pants off. I deserve the vindication of retaliation.
I decide to wear a blood red barely there string bikini and a leather skirt meeting my mid-thigh. I will wear my leather jacket and some red bottom heels with it, or as Cardi would say ‘Bloody shoes.’ Adri is wearing a white crocheted sun dress with a white string bikini underneath. It’s totally transparent and she looks like a goddess.
She puts my hair in some big ass rollers and starts on my makeup. We go light on my eyes this time with some silver glitter and she paints my lips the same red as my bikini.
“God, I wish I had your lips.” She sighs.
“Your lips are cute girl, shut up.” I slap her arm. “I’m getting so hammed tonight, I don’t care.”
“Me too. Is Travis going?”
“I’m not sure, I told Vin to invite him.”
“What?!” She shrieks.
“You heard me.” I nod, “he has to, otherwise Travis would never come. And I want him there.”
“Wow Vin, pussy whipped.”
We both laugh. She does her makeup in light nudes and paired with her bone straight maroon hair; she looks so pretty. She pulls my hair out of the rollers and these big fat waves tumble down my back. She pulls it up in a high ponytail.
We look fucking hot.
We walk up to Vin’s house-thank God he’s only a street over-each carrying a reusable container of brownies, both have a written glittering message that says, “For shits and giggles.” I chuckle to myself because I’m not telling anyone what that means. Adri and I had a few of the pot brownies before coming, so we feel nice.
“Why are you laughing?” She asks, looking at me with a silly smile.
“I can’t wait to see who shits themselves.”
She stops and starts cackling. Not even laughing, it’s a full out cackle straight from the belly. Totally not attractive, she needs to not do that if she wants to get laid by Travis tonight.
“Never do that laugh again.” I say pointing in her face. “It doesn’t make genitalia tingle.”
“Got it.” She nods, snickering as we continue walking up the front walkway. When we get to the door, it flies open to reveal Danny with just a pair of low-slung swim shorts on. I peruse his body, it is gorgeous. His chocolate skin is damp and his chest is wide and pecs defined. His abs are like dinner rolls baked to perfection, dripping butter, and a happy trail sneaks down inside his shorts between a delicious V. He’s making my genitalia tingle. Obviously, I’m so stoned and starving.
“Hello ladies.” He says with a wink. Always winking.
“Your gonorrhea is showing.” I deadpan. He closes his eyes and throws his head back on a loud exhale.
“Fucksakes Ember, just get your ass inside.” He says with a growl. I give him a two-finger salute and walk through the doorway.
“Hey Adri, shit your legs are sweet!” He groans.
“I’ll pass on the gonorrhea for today. How about a brownie?” She smiles sweetly at him.
“Ember I swear to God you need to stop saying that shit.” He says tersely while biting into a brownie. “What’s ‘Shits and Giggles’ mean?”
“They’re pot brownies.” I shrug feigning nonchalance.
“Nice!” He says gobbling down the whole piece and walks off towards the backyard and noise.
“I hope his sphincter explodes.” I say.
Adri starts a new round of cackling and I glare at her over my shoulder.
“Last one. Scout’s honour.” She replies, still giggling.
We walk into the kitchen and place the brownies on the table with the alcohol. There are double glass doors leading outside to a nice sized enclosed pool. The enclosure is all glass and despite the slight May chill in the air it looks nice and warm inside-I’m guessing according to the scantily clad high schoolers-and I whistle under my breath.
“Vin and his mom are doing well without the sperm donor’s help.” I say.
“Yeah, her restaurant is really popular.”
At that moment the glass door opens and in walks a wet Adonis. Vin looks so good I groan. Like out loud. I don’t care, at this moment I have no shame. His left nipple is pierced; dear God help me keep my vagina in my panties. His body is not as bulky as Danny’s but it is still molded and sculpted and bronzy. Oh, shit I’m drooling. He has a tattoo of script running up the side of his body I can’t see what it says from where I’m standing though.
‘Hey Em.” He says grinning, knowing the effect he has on me. “Adrianna.” He nods towards her.
I have yet to speak. Adri looks back and forth between us and giggles as she mixes herself a drink in a red cup and walks towards the door to the backyard.
“I’ll be outside if you need me.” She says with a grin. I nod and she continues to laugh as she walks out and closes the door.
Vin saunters over to me and stops an inch from my body. My hand moves of its own accord and rests against his left pec. I can feel his heart thundering in his chest. He’s not as calm as he’s acting. I slowly run my hand down over the bar in his nipple and he makes a low noise in the back of his throat. I continue over his chest and down his abs, I’m in a daze, I told you I was stoned. He sucks in a breath and releases a gasp as my hand continues down and over the front of his wet swim trunks. He’s already getting hard against my hand.
“Ember,” He whispers, I lift my head to look him in the eye. “You look so good, baby.”
“So do you.” I finally find my voice. My hand drops back to my side.
“Come swim with me.” He says but doesn’t move away from me. I continue to look at him. I want him to kiss me, it’s all I think about. I want to finally feel his full, lush lips against mine.
He closes the gap and bends at the knees, before I can question him he has lifted me from around my thighs and my legs wrap around his waist causing my skirt to slide up my ass. We both groan as our centers line up. He walks me back towards the counter-setting me gently on top-watching my mouth closely the whole time. I can feel how big he is and my mouth waters in anticipation. I’m ready and I need him to kiss me, we’ve been playing this game for weeks and I’m tired of it.
I run my hands along the light scruff on his cheeks and over his dreads. They are tied back in a low ponytail.
Our lips lightly brush.
“There you are, baby.” I hear the one voice I hate the most next to the Teletubbies. Nope, it’s worse than theirs even. Vin groans and his forehead falls against mine.
“Go away, Marlana.” He says, grinding his teeth.
“Want a brownie?” I ask her grinning over Vin’s shoulder.
“You brought brownies?” Vin asks.
“Adri made them.” I say to him hoping he remembers what he told me about her baking skills and decides not to have some. And if he does, well good luck to his asshole. He makes a disgusted face and I shrug.
“I’ll have one.” Marlana says with a smirk on her face. She thinks she’s interrupting us. Good, I hope she is stuck on the toilet for days. “’Shits and Giggles?’”
“They’re actually pot brownies.” I clarify.
“Adrianna made pot brownies?” She looks at me sceptically.
“I made the butter, she just added it to her recipe. I’ve had two so far, it’s good.” I say with what I hope is a very stoned grin.
“Nice.” She says and takes a large piece. She bites into it and makes a face. “It tastes weird.”
I am praying that’s Exlax she’s tasting because the pot ones we made tasted fine.
“Adri isn’t much of a baker.” I reply with a shrug. “Regardless, it does what it’s suppose to.”
I push at Vin to move back and I hop off the counter. Turning around, I take a look at the alcohol selection. I spot tequila and grab it, then
I feel Vin move up behind me and press in close.
“Tequila?” He asks against my hair.
“Mmhmm.” I reply, my brain not functioning as he presses a kiss to my neck.
“Come outside Vin.” Himalayan salt whines. I snort to myself, that was a good one.
I take my shot and pour another into the cup and watch the liquid swirl inside like melted gold. Soo stoned; I snort again.
“What’s so fucking funny?” Himalayan salt asks me.
“Your hair looks like Himalayan Salt.” I say between giggles.
“What do you have against my hair?” She shrieks. “At least it’s not boring like yours.”
“It’s on your head, that’s what I have against it.” I say calmly, while Vin is shaking with restrained laughter behind me.
“Fuck you.” She snarls as she stuffs the rest of her brownie in her mouth and stomps back outside. “And you too, Vin.” She adds her mouth full.
I pray to the Gods of Shit and laxatives that she picked an Exlax brownie. I still feel Vin pressed up against me, I toss back my shot then turn to look at him. His eyes are hooded and his breathing has quickened.
“I invited Travis like you asked me to.” He says, “but he still hasn’t showed.”
“I’ll call him and tell him I’m here.” I say.
“Do you want him?” He asks his eyes betraying his vulnerability.
“No, him and I click on a different level. He is going to be my best friend. I can just feel it.” I think of Tommy then and my heart clenches in my chest. I miss him, FaceTiming just isn’t enough.
“What about me?” He whispers.
“You’re gonna mix me a drink while I call him.” I say, my grin hiding the race of my heart. Vin looks slightly disappointed by my answer but nods and starts pulling different liquors towards him. I look over my shoulder as I leave the kitchen and see him mixing different shit into my cup. Maybe I should’ve asked not to have alcohol poisoning?
I pull my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and call Travis.
“Sup E?” He answers. I snort again.
“Hey Trav. Where are you?” I ask.
