by E. L. Todd
“We didn’t have sex.”
“Smartass.”
“You feel better, right?” I ran my fingers through his hair.
He sat up and wrapped his arms around my waist. He rubbed his nose against mine. “Thanks for that.”
I smiled. “It always works on me.”
His eyes twinkled with mirth. “I know it does.”
I moved from his lap then fixed my hair and my dress. We were expected downstairs minutes ago. I knew we should hurry. “We should get going.”
Sean pulled his pants up then nodded. “Yeah, I guess we should. But after that performance, I have no interest in seeing my parents. Instead, I would like to reciprocate the favor.” His eyes glanced down to the area between my legs but he didn’t reach for me. Just the look alone made me wet.
“Depending on how they take the news, I might be in need of your services.”
He smiled. “I think your need for my service is independent from the events of your life. You’re a whore, Scar. You aren’t fooling me.”
I smiled at him. “You caught me.”
3
White chairs surrounded a wooden table with a white umbrella. It provided adequate shade from the scorching sun. There weren’t any clouds in the sky. The only respite from the heat was the gentle sea breeze. Cocktails were placed on the table with snacks of fruit and cheese. The waves crashed against the shore in the near distance and I could hear them pound against the turf. When we walked outside, Sean pulled my chair out for me and helped me sit down. The wind pulled at the end of my dress and blew the strands of hair from my face. He sat beside me and placed his hand on my thigh. It pleased me that he was still affectionate with me in front of his parents. Their presence didn’t change our relationship. Since I just gave their son head, I felt a little awkward around them, like they knew or something.
His mother took a drink of her fruit cocktail then cleared her throat. “What’s the pleasure of your visit? Are you finally telling us that you moved to Seattle?” I could tell his mother was displeased with his relocation. I sincerely hoped they didn’t blame me because of it. In my defense, I wouldn’t have left the city if Sean hadn’t broken my heart to begin with. Sean was very close to his family, and he was always a twenty minute train ride away. Obviously, she wasn’t used to the change.
Diane stared at Sean. “Your announcement is a little late. Why did you move there anyway? You didn’t even tell us you were leaving.” Her eyes looked bright with fire. She was normally a pleasant woman, so I wasn’t sure why she was so hostile right now. I glanced at Andrew and saw him shift his weight in his seat. I could tell he was uncomfortable with her aggression.
Sean patted my thigh. “Because Scarlet moved there. I can’t be apart from her.”
I smiled at him.
“What about Penelope?” Diane asked. “Did you leave her for Scarlet?”
Andrew glared at her. “Dear.” He was obviously embarrassed that his wife asked such a personal question. “Don’t harass him.”
Sean’s face was contorted in irritation. I knew Penelope was the last person he wanted to discuss—especially this weekend. Sean took a drink of his beverage then returned it to the table. “Scarlet and I have a nice apartment. We’re both very happy.”
Andrew nodded. “That sounds nice.” He turned to me. “And what are you doing for a living?”
“I’m still working as an editor.”
“Where?” he asked.
“Well, I started my own company.”
“That’s wonderful,” he said brightly. His happy attitude always made me feel at ease. I never felt judged by his father. He treated me like his own daughter, which I always appreciated. I knew Sean was very fond of his father as well. “Business is always the way to go.” He turned to his son. “So, where are you working, Sean?”
“I’m the lead human resources director for a recycling company.”
Diane raised her eyebrow. “So, you gave up your job at the firm to be a human resources director?” I could hear the anger in her voice. If Sean was a child, she would spank him with a belt. “You must be making a fraction of what you were making before.”
I was getting really irritated with the Sean bashing that was going on. His mother seemed to be disappointed with every decision he made. I played with the ring on my finger. I had no interest in announcing our engagement now. They obviously wouldn’t approve.
Andrew looked at his wife. “Diane. Back off.”
Now I liked his father even more. I turned to Sean and saw him stare out at the ocean. He seemed indifferent to the conversation, but I knew him better than that. He was forcing himself to be quiet. Sometimes his temper caused him more trouble than it was worth. His hand squeezed my thigh tighter. I placed my hand over his, reassuring him that I understood his frustration.
Diane glared at her husband. “You’re just going to let him make these idiotic decisions? Not say anything? I’m just looking out for our son.”
“Who is an adult,” Andrew reminded her.
Sean grabbed my hand and held it within his own. His voice came out calm. I was surprised he kept the anger out of his tone. “I love living in Seattle, I love my job, and I love Scarlet. I don’t need anything else.”
I smiled at him again.
“Well, are you ever going to move back?” Diane asked. “Seattle is so far away. You can’t possibly stay there forever. Your family lives here—in Connecticut. You could work for the company instead of that cheap paying job you have now.”
Now I just wanted to slap her.
Sean looked at me and we conversed silently. He knew I never wanted to be apart from my brother. It was important to me, and I couldn’t live without seeing him every day. I would be miserable. “No, Scarlet and I both love Seattle. Yes, I don’t make as much money at my new job, but I couldn’t care less about the income. We are staying put.”
Diane nodded but I could tell that she wasn’t pleased with the news. Her eyes were wider than usual. I could tell she was offended that Sean declined her job offer. “Did you move to get away from Penelope? How could you just leave her, Sean? What did that sweet girl do to you?”
Sean squeezed my hand tightly. I knew he couldn’t put up with this bullshit much longer. Granted, we didn’t tell them we’re engaged, but she still shouldn’t bring her up like this. I was his girlfriend and she wasn’t. I didn’t understand why his mother couldn’t wait until I wasn’t around until she interrogated him.
Sean’s voice wasn’t as pleasant as earlier. In fact, it was ice cold. “Drop it.”
His mother didn’t back down. “What did you expect, Sean? You break up with Penelope and don’t say a word to us about it. A few months later, you’re with Scarlet instead. Then, you move to the opposite side of the country. We’re just concerned, son. You’re acting like a crazy person.”
I saw the anger in Sean’s eyes and I feared he was going to turn the table on its side.
“I don’t want to discuss her. Penelope isn’t in my life anymore. Scarlet is. Stop asking me about her. In fact, don’t mention her ever again. I will not answer your questions. Scarlet is the one for me. I couldn’t care less if you don’t accept her. It changes nothing.”
Diane sighed. “I just want to know what happened between you and Penelope.” She turned her gaze to me. “We don’t mean to offend you. Andrew and I love you like our own. We didn’t mean to be rude.”
I smiled. “It’s okay, Diane.”
“No it’s not,” Sean said. “Drop it. I mean it.”
Diane shook her head then leaned back in her chair. It was awkward for a long time. I looked out at the ocean and Sean followed my gaze. His mother drank from her cocktail and stared at her drink.
Andrew tried to dissipate the tension. “Scarlet, how’s your brother?”
I smiled. “He’s good. He still has his tattoo shop.”
“Good,” Andrew said. “I was thinking about getting one for myself.”
“A tattoo
?” Sean asked incredulously.
Andrew patted his deltoid. “Yeah, I was thinking about putting it right here.”
I laughed. The idea of Andrew, a millionaire business owner, having a tattoo was hilarious. I knew he wasn’t being serious, but it still made me laugh anyway. On the other hand, Diane looked furious. She clearly didn’t understand the joke. She was still wound up from the previous conversation.
I thought about Ryan drilling a needle into Andrew’s arm and it made me laugh again. Then, I felt my heart squeeze in panic. I completely forgot to call my brother when we landed over an hour ago. When I turned to Sean, he was holding out his cell phone, reading my mind.
Sean looked at me. “Go ahead and call him.”
I took the phone and smiled at him. I turned to his parents. “I apologize. I forgot to call my brother to tell him I arrived here safely. I’ll be right back.”
Andrew nodded. “Good ahead. No worries, dear.”
Sean placed his hand on my back. “Tell him I said hi.”
“Okay.” I rose from the chair then walked into the house. I closed the door behind me so they wouldn’t hear my conversation. I had some serious venting to do. When I was standing in the living room, I called him. I faced the wall in the corner while I waited for his voice to sound in my ear. He answered on the second ring.
“Hey,” he said. I could hear the television in the background. A baseball game was playing. “Everything alright?”
“I’m sorry I forgot to call you. We landed over an hour ago.”
He laughed. “It’s okay, Scar. Sean is there. I know he’ll take care of you. Now that you have a fiancé, I don’t worry about you anymore. You’re his problem now. That poor bastard.”
We were quiet for a long moment. Ryan could read my emotions even over the phone. I was never silent when he teased me, and I was always a smartass in response. My silence was a dead giveaway that I was troubled.
“What’s wrong?”
I sighed. There were a lot of things that bothered me. Not being able to have sex was the biggest grievance on my list. “I want to stay at a hotel, but Sean’s mom won’t let us.”
“And what’s the big deal about that?”
“We can’t have sex and it’s annoying me.”
Ryan was quiet for a moment. “Uh, good to know.”
“And they keep hammering Sean about moving to Seattle, getting a new job, and breaking up with Penelope. It’s pissing me off.”
“It should piss you off,” Ryan said. “Who cares about that bitch? It’s you and Sean now.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I’m so irritated right now.”
“I’m sorry, Scar.”
We were quiet again. After a moment, I spoke. “I miss you.”
He laughed. “It’s been less than a day.”
“But I do.”
“Then why are you such a brat when you’re with me?”
“I know you’ll put up with it.”
Ryan laughed loudly. “I love you, Scar.”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll talk to you later, okay? You’ll be fine. And tell Sean I said hi.”
“Okay.”
“Goodbye, Scar.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone. I missed him already. When I was with Ryan, I knew nothing could hurt me. When Sean broke my heart, he picked up the pieces and put me back together. I wished he could solve all my problems.
I held the phone in my hands for a moment before I turned around. The image on the screen of Sean’s phone was a picture of me sleeping. My face was free of makeup and I looked so peaceful. My hair was scattered around my shoulders, and my lips were relaxed. I didn’t know when Sean took this picture. I had no idea that he’d taken it at all. I was touched by the gesture. In the back of my mind, I always feared he would never love me as much as he loved Penelope, but finding sentiments like this made me realize how paranoid I was being. There was no doubt of his love for me. I felt strong hands circle my waist and I smiled, knowing Sean was behind me.
I started to turn around. “Ryan wanted me to—”
“Hey, Scarlet. How are you?” Mike was standing in front of me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him
I was startled by his sudden appearance. I didn’t even hear him enter the room. “Uh, hello?”
He stepped closer to me. “You’re looking beautiful as ever.” He smiled at me and the look made me feel uneasy. He and Sean looked very similar. They both had the same brown hair and startling blue eyes. Their faces were framed in the same way and they had the same thin lips.
I stepped back and tried to avoid his touch. He had never been so forward with me. In fact, I always felt comfortable around him, but right now I was panicked. I didn’t understand what the hell was going on. “Uh, thanks.”
He continued to stare at me. “I’m very happy to see you.” His hands were at his sides, but I suspected they would reach for me in a second. “Have you dumped Sean yet?
I held up my engagement ring for him to see.
His face fell. “Are you sure you want to do that? He can be a pain in the ass.”
“So can I.”
He stared at me for a moment, eyeing the curves of my body. I realized that I was defying the one request Sean asked of me—not being alone with this brother. I knew I should get out of this situation just in case Sean came back inside. “We should move to the terrace. Everyone is excited to see you.” I made a move for the door but he grabbed my arm.
“What do you see in him anyway? Penny was smart for dumping him.”
I had no idea what was going on. His brother had never acted like this before, but I knew I was pissed regardless of the reason. “How dare you talk about your own brother like that?”
“I can say whatever the hell I want.”
I glared at him then walked toward the door again.
He grabbed my arm and yanked me back. “Seriously, you want to marry that loser?” He held me close to him, his face practically touching mine. At this point I was livid. Sean was right; I needed to stay away from Mike. Even though his behavior was peculiar, it was unacceptable. I felt the anger course through my body. I wanted to punch Mike as hard as I could in the nose. I glared at him. “I’m this close to kicking you in the dick then screaming for help. I suggest you let go.”
He looked over my shoulder then released his grip. He took a step back, and I was glad that I won the argument. I still wanted to kick him in the balls anyway. That asshole deserved it. I felt familiar hands circle my waist. My heart started to beat out of my chest. Sean pulled me back and pressed me against his body.
Sean glared at his brother for a long moment, and his brother returned the stare with equal hatred. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but it was clear a silent conversation was taking place. Sean held me so close to him that I could barely breathe. He didn’t look at me, but I knew his next question was meant for me. “Are you okay, babe?”
I nodded.
Sean turned away then guided me toward the door. I could feel his anger through his touch. His hands were shaking with unbridled ferocity and his eyes shined with hatred. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry. When we came outside, Sean helped me into my seat again then sat beside me. Mike emerged from the house a moment later and he embraced his parents. His mother kissed him on the cheek and Andrew hugged him tightly. Sean and I sat down. We were both silent. When I looked over at him, he was staring across the beach, ignoring his brother completely. I grabbed his hand but he jerked it away quickly. I knew he was livid.
4
Sean
To say I was furious would be an understatement. I could kill someone. And I knew exactly who I wanted to slaughter. Before we went inside to sit by the fireplace, I removed Scarlet’s ring and put it on her other hand. I didn’t want my mom to see it and start asking questions. The last thing I wanted to do was celebrate my engagement.
My mom brought us drinks and snacks and placed th
em on the table. The coldness of the ocean breeze was chilling our skin, so we decided to move inside by the fireplace. Penelope and I used to sit in here all the time. The thought of her didn’t cause me any pain. I couldn’t care less about her. I wasn’t sure why my parents liked her so much. Perhaps they had been just as blind to her charms as I was. I hope that whore burns in hell.
When we took out seats, I made sure that I sat in an armchair so Scarlet couldn’t sit next to me. I caught her look when she watched me. It looked crestfallen and hurt. Right now, I didn’t give a shit how she felt. She denied the one request I made. I had never asked her to do anything in our relationship before, and the one time I do ask her to do something, she blatantly ignored it. We had only been here for a few hours, but this weekend already couldn’t get any worse. I looked at my brother and caught him staring at Scarlet’s legs under her dress. Now I really wanted to kill him.
Mike rose from his seat away from the fire and took his place next to Scarlet. I knew he was trying to piss me off. It was definitely working. Scarlet immediately looked uncomfortable and she glanced at me, silently asking me what she wanted me to do. I looked away and ignored her. She wouldn’t listen to me anyway.
Scarlet rose from the chair then sat on the bricks of the fire right beside my chair. She looked like a dog sitting at my feet, but I was glad that she moved. I knew she was trying to make amends from her earlier mistake, but I was still too angry to grant forgiveness. When I took the ring from her finger and slipped it on the opposite hand, she looked like she was about to cry. Once again, I didn’t care. She knew I wasn’t ending our relationship. I just didn’t want to tell our parents about our engagement. I wasn’t in the mood for celebrating—at all.
I felt her eyes looking into my face, but I didn’t return her look. Mike was the only one who noticed the tension in the room and he blatantly smiled at me, knowing he was triumphant in his attempt to piss me off. My parents didn’t seem to pick up on the heat in the room.
