Malik (Carter Brother Series Book 1)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  Tomorrow when we wake up I’m going to make sure she forgets about him. Her mom had given her some money at the beginning of the week to get what she needed, so I’m hoping she will use it for some retail therapy.

  With that I get out of my clothes and join her in bed. Hoping tomorrow will be a better day, not just for her, but for me too.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Denny and I didn’t get up until late morning, so we’ve headed to a cafe that serves an all-day breakfast to fuel up before heading into the stores. We haven’t discussed Mason and last night yet, and I’m hoping that when I do she won’t get too upset with me bringing it up. I just want her to be okay. She’s the only girl friend that I’ve made since I’ve moved out here. She’s also done more for me than any of my other friends back home.

  Home.

  It’s not my home anymore. As sad as it is to say that, I’m glad I got to move here. I’d do anything to bring my parents back and be at home with them, but I also hope that if they were still here that we’d end up right where I am now.

  My mom never spoke about Grandma and whenever I brought it up she’d brush my questions off by bringing something else up. My dad however spoke about his parents whenever I asked or if something reminded him of them. They died when he was younger, so I guess for him it was different talking about them than it was for my mom.

  I snap out of my thoughts when Denny grabs my attention making a funny noise. She’s looking at me with wide eyes before shoving her phone in my face.

  She has her Facebook screen up showing Hannah Gittens profile page. My eyes go wide when I see her status, my eyes filling with tears and anger.

  Looks like the new girl got booted.

  Attached, is a picture of Malik and another girl hugging each other. My mind doesn’t see anything else apart from him leaning against the bar in the basement we were in last night with his hands around some chick.

  “Oh my God,’’ I whisper feeling my heart break. My phone vibrates in my pocket so I take it out and answer without looking. My eyes can’t look away from what is in front of me. Why would he do this?

  “Babe?’’ Malik rushes through the phone. A sob escapes and I place my hand across my mouth not wanting him to hear how much this has hurt me. “Babe, it’s not what you think. That picture was taken two years ago. Look at my hair, it’s longer, and have you ever seen me in those clothes? No, because they were Chris’s. I borrowed them from him after we messed around on the bikes and ended up filthy. I don’t know what the fuck her problem is, but I’m going to deal with it Harlow.’’

  The phone is silent for a few seconds before he sighs, I want to talk, but I can’t. Looking closer to the picture, I can see that he’s right, that his hair is longer in the picture than what it is now and that the clothes aren’t his. They don’t look like something he’d usually wear.

  On closer inspection I also notice that the bar isn’t actually the same as last nights. It’s just one made up of wood, with a few bits on. Last night it had beer mats and ash trays on it; it was also painted and varnished in a dark brown.

  “I believe you,’’ I breathe, Denny’s eyes looking sympathetic at me.

  “Thank fuck. I’m an hour away and I was ready to jump back in the car and come home. She’s a fucking bitch. I swear when I see her I’m going to go fucking mad. She’s taken it too far.’’

  “Just don’t get into trouble, okay,’’ I say, my mind clearer.

  “I won’t. Are you okay?’’

  “Yeah, it was just a shock. I didn’t even look past your arm around the girl,’’ I whisper, feeling bad once again that I doubted him.

  “Usually I’d be pissed you didn’t trust me, but you haven’t lived here long enough to know when it was taken, so I’ll let you off. Plus, it isn’t your fault that bitch is out to break us up.’’

  “I’m sorry. I know I keep jumping the gun, but Malik, I’m still finding it hard as to why a lad like you, would want a girl like me,’’ I tell him honestly, hating that Denny is listening to my insecurities.

  “Babe,’’ he breathes, sounding pained. “You have no idea. I ask myself every day why you’re with a loser like me. Look, enjoy your day. Don’t let this get you down and we’ll talk about this later,’’ he says. That last part sounds like a warning and my stomach fills with butterflies thinking about him.

  “Okay,’’ I smile, although he can’t see me.

  “See you later babe. Oh and look in the zip compartment in your purse,’’ he says before ending the call. I look at my phone in confusion before it morphs into anger. Oh no he didn’t!

  “He put the fucking phone down on me,’’ I snap feeling pissed.

  Denny giggles looking at me amused, “What did he say?’’

  I take a sip of my tea before filling her in our conversation. Denny rants about Hannah being a bitch, and then questions the last part about the zip compartment.

  “What’s in your purse then?’’

  “I don’t know,’’ I shrug grabbing my bag.

  Everything in my bag looks normal, so I grab my purse out and open it up. Inside I have a zipped compartment and when I unzip it I gasp in surprise. He did not do this? What the hell?

  “Tell me, it’s killing me already,’’ Denny chuckles trying to peer over the table.

  “He gave me money,’’ I whisper, touched by his generosity and a little pissed he would give me so much.

  “What?’’ her excited squeal is contagious. When I look up at her I’m grinning, surprised and touched he would do this. I’m still unsure why he would do this. It’s too much for me to take.

  “How much is in there?’’ Denny asks curiously.

  I count the money inside of my purse, knowing better than to get it out in public. That’s just asking to be mugged.

  “Hundred quid,’’ I gasp. “This is too much. Where has he gotten this money? More importantly, why, if he has this sort of money is he giving it to me?’’

  “I don’t know the answer to that, but if he didn’t want you to have it then he wouldn’t have given it to you. Malik isn’t that sort of person. I don’t know much about him and I’ve grown up near them all for most of my life. He’s the quiet one out of them all, well, Maverick is close to next, but I never see him that much to comment. Malik though, he’s always been the same. All the lads in the school wanted to friend him or be him, and the girls wanted to date him. I guess he never paid attention to anyone before which is why I can’t answer that for you. Who knows why Malik does what he does.’’

  “I guess,’’ I tell her, my eyes still glued to the money.

  Grabbing my phone from off the table I send him a text telling him I can’t accept this, that it’s too much.

  Fifty of it is from the others. They all put a tenna in, including Granddad. Enjoy and buy something sexy ;)

  I giggle at his easy reply and it warms my heart knowing they all did this for me. Especially when I only told him last night I was going.

  “Malik gave me fifty and the rest of the Carter men put in the rest,’’ I smile.

  “No way, that is so sweet,’’ she gushes. “Come on, we got some serious shopping to do.’’

  Grinning, I grab my bag and coat, and then link my arm through Denny’s as we head off shopping.

  *** *** *** **** ****

  “I’m not sure about this,’’ I groan through the curtain.

  Denny dragged me into an Ann Summers store just as we were about to call it a day. It’s a sex store that sells woman’s lingerie. When we walked in they asked us for I.D. and because neither of us are eighteen, we’ve been told to keep to the restricted areas only. Meaning, we can’t go over by the back where they keep all the sex toys and shit.

  Like that’s where I want to go. Sheesh.

  Anyway, Denny picked a few racier pieces and demanded I come back to the changing rooms and try them on. Well, the bra’s anyway.

  The piece I have on at the moment is a red corset that fits snug on my body,
showing off my best assets. I’m blessed in the breast department; I follow my mom and Gram’s in that area. The corset has meshed up sides with a red satin front and a delicate black lace overlay. It has a matching pair of frilly red silk and black lace panties. To complete the outfit she’s made me try on the matching suspenders with black stockings. At the top of the stockings it’s lace with a red satin bow.

  Looking in the mirror I have to admit I feel sexy, different, confident, but it’s whether I’ll be able to wear this in front of Malik that has me wanting to puke. I keep thinking it’s too much.

  “Come on Harlow. Let me see,’’ Denny whines.

  “Jesus! You’re bossy,’’ I moan before sneaking my head out the curtain. “Quick, I’m not going out there.’’

  She walks over from the wall she’s leaning on with a massive grin on her face. Once she pops her head into the curtain she gasps looking pleased with her choice.

  “Holy shit! You look freaking hot Harlow. If we do your hair wavy, and your makeup, Malik won’t be able to resist you tonight,’’ she winks. “Hell, you could wear a scream mask over your head and in that outfit you’d still look hot as hell.’’

  “Shut up,’’ I tell her, smacking her lightly on the arm, both of us laughing. “Go away, I need to get changed.’’

  She rolls her eyes stepping out of the curtain.

  Once I’m changed back into my clothes, I purchase the lingerie then meet Denny outside on the sidewalk. She’s still talking on the phone when I walk out and lifts her index finger indicating ‘She’ll just be a minute’ rolling her eyes.

  “I’ll be home within the next couple of hours mother. No. Okay. I understand mother. Thank you, mother.’’

  The one sided conversation is weird. Denny doesn’t even sound like herself. She sounds really uptight, posh, and not the girl who cusses every other sentence that I’ve come to know. Denny doesn’t talk about her parent’s. Once I thought it had something to do with my parents being dead. She knew about their deaths, just not about how they died. I began to think she didn’t want me to be upset about seeing her parents together, but when I questioned her over it she just said they don’t allow her to have guests over and left it at that.

  “My mom is a nightmare,’’ she groans frustrated once she ends the call.

  “Why, what’s wrong?’’ I smile, showing her I’m comfortable with the conversation.

  “Someone tattled to my mother last night. Said they saw me crying and looking out of it.’’

  “What?’’ I ask blown away.

  “Yeah.’’

  “What did you say?’’

  She looks at me sheepishly, like she’s ashamed of what she’s about to tell me, so I give her an encouraging smile.

  “I lied,’’ she groans covering her face. “I lied to her. She would kill me if she found out I went to a party after the field. So I told her we went for some food then on the way home I ended up tripping over and banging my head. That it hurt that bad I started crying because of it.’’

  I can’t help it, I start laughing. She’s nearly eighteen and legal to go out drinking, yet her mother won’t let her go to a party.

  “What is she going to do when you turn eighteen?’’

  “She’ll probably lower my curfew to eight,’’ she rolls her eyes. “Honestly, she’s so strict and don’t even get me started on my dad. She says jump he says how high. Sometimes I wonder how they’re together. I caught him once sneaking outside for a fag in the garden. He’s a grown ass man for Christ sakes.’’

  I start laughing harder as we make our way down the street to the bus stop. We’ve gotten everything we came for, and I need to get back to say goodbye to Gram’s before she heads off to Edna’s.

  “Well… well… well,’’ a snarky voice sneers from behind us.

  “Really,’’ Denny groans turning around. “Do you not have anything better to do?’’

  “Fuck off Smith, wouldn’t want mommy knowing you were in a porn shop now would we?’’ Hannah laughs along with her four other friends.

  “Screw you,’’ Denny snaps.

  “Why don’t you just go,’’ I say glaring at Hannah.

  “Oh she talks. I thought your friends all spoke for you. Heard Malik had a good night last night.’’

  The smug look on her face has me stepping forward making her cackle. Grrr, what I’d do to wipe that bloody smug look from her face. She’s the same at school, walking around on her high horse wearing a smug smile that is so freaking irritating. It’s like she knows something that I don’t when I see her giving me that snarky look. One day karma is going to bite her in the ass. Hopefully I’m around when that happens.

  “Yeah he did,’’ I grin, thinking about his talented fingers and what they did to me.

  Her face loses its look for a split second before she straightens it again, looking at me with so much hatred that I wonder where it all came from. It’s not like I’ve been here long to make enemy’s but somehow I’ve managed to make two.

  “You think you’ve got him now, but once he sees what a frigid bitch you are he will go running back to his other girls. You think Tammy is going to let him go after what they did last night?’’

  “You’re so full of shit Hannah, you really need to get a life.’’

  “I’d love to say I feel sorry for you but I don’t. I’m looking forward to watching him crush you. You need to watch your back bitch,’’ she says walking towards me, I see it coming but I’m too shocked that she had the nerve to threaten me to even move out the way. Her shoulder slams into mine knocking me back a few steps.

  “Stupid cow,’’ I mumble under my breath.

  “Ignore her. She’s a jealous bitch and always has been. Don’t even think she’s friends with anyone that’s been with Malik. I don’t think he knows but she made their lives a living hell at the parties. Most ignored her, but then there was the odd girl who would run off crying.’’

  “I know. I’m starting to wonder if it’s Malik that should have gone to the police to file a restraining order,’’ I laugh, Denny joining me.

  “Let’s go get you ready, you’ve got a big night a head of you.

  *** *** *** *** *** ***

  Gram’s is at the house once we get back drinking a cup of tea, “Hey girls, you have a good day shopping?’’ she asks looking at our bags.

  Denny hid the Ann Summers bag inside another. I’m just praying Gram’s doesn’t make me take out the items we bought. I’m afraid I’d give the poor woman a heart attack.

  “Yes Miss Joan.’’

  Denny excused herself to go upstairs to the toilet while I sit down with my Gram’s. I haven’t seen her properly since Thursday night after school. I’ve become used to spending so much time with her, but my life has become full of friends that I never had before moving here. Not friends like these anyway. Lilly hasn’t spoken to me since I called her a few days after my panic attack. Gram’s had bought me a new phone so I could call her. We ended the phone call promising to keep in touch. The first few weeks I texted her to see if she was free to talk, for her to only reply, ‘I’m busy’ or no I’d get no reply at all. After that I’ve not bothered to text her.

  “What time will you be back on Monday?’’

  “Before you finish school I hope. Edna said the hospital has organised some home care until she can find someone to take care of her. She needs a live in caregiver. What she’s going to do I don’t know because there is no way she is going to want a live in nurse. She hates people she knows, so I dread to think her reaction to a stranger. Hopefully it’s just temporary and they don’t need to put her in a home.

  “Is she that bad?’’

  “She struggles getting around. Runs out of breath quicker, and has to rest making her way from room to room. She has chairs in the hallway for it. I think she’s been hiding it for longer than she told us, but there’s nothing we can do.’’

  Gram’s looks saddened by Edna’s health and that she’s kept it from her
. I reach out taking her cold hand in mine, comforting her.

  “Hope she will be okay Grandma.’’

  “Me too dear. Now, rules for tonight. No going out because I’m not here to make sure you get back safely. I’ll worry all night Harlow so please don’t deceive me.’’

  “I promise Grandma. Malik and I are going to be watching a movie and having takeout, so we’re staying in.’’

  “That’s the other thing. You know I don’t mind Malik staying over. I trust both of you to make good choices, but when you two become intimate,’’ she begins looking uncomfortable now. My palms begin to sweat, panicking she’s figured out what I’m planning on tonight. “I want to know that you’ll come to me.’’

  “I don’t understand,’’ I tell her quietly.

  “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable Harlow. It pains me not knowing what your mother would do in this position. But I went wrong with your mother and I don’t want to do the same to you, so I trust you to make good choices where sex is concerned. You don’t need to tell me when you do it or if you have, but I want you to tell me when you need to be taken to the doctors or the local family planning clinic to start going on contraception.’’

  My mouth is agape looking at my Gram’s. I cannot believe she is talking about this with me. It’s embarrassing. Especially since my mom had the birds and the bee’s talk once I hit sixteen. That had to have been the most awkward conversation we ever had. We laughed about it afterwards, but still, awkward. She also had me on the pill when I started my period at thirteen. My periods had been heavy and irregular.

  “If it’s okay, I’d like to book an appointment. When mom and dad died I never got a repeat prescription. I guess I forgot about it until now,’’ I shrug, hating the fact my cheeks are heating.

  “I should have asked you when you moved here,’’ she says smiling sadly. “I’ll register you with my doctors practice, and he can get your file from your old doctors.’’

  “Thank you.’’ Giving her a hug, I take her empty cup of tea and take it to the kitchen. By the time I walk back in to the front room Gram’s is standing with her overnight bag in her hand by the door.