“That’s what I say!” Rashida said.
Once again, we all laughed.
Len gave Rashida his phone and had her take several pictures of him in and out of Brad’s car, as well as a picture of him with Brad, Marc, and Ava . . . I stayed out of all of the pictures for obvious reasons.
“Do you want your cover back?” I asked Len and Rashida.
They grinned.
“No, you can keep it — consider it a Westmore souvenir,” Len said with a grin.
We all laughed.
Brad threw Marc his keys. “You can drive my car home, man. I wanna talk to Vanessa, so Ava, could you drive my SUV?”
“Sure, Brad,” Ava said with a smile.
We all said our goodbyes to Len and Rashida, and said that we officially had friends at a rival school.
Marc smiled big as he got into Brad’s car and drove off.
Brad took off his black sports jacket and put it around me, and helped me in the back seat of his SUV as Ava sat up front in the driver’s seat. She drove off down the road as I cuddled up on Brad as he had his arm around me.
“We’re going to your house — right, Brad?” Ava asked.
“Yeah,” Brad replied. He kissed me on my forehead, and then let out a sigh.
I was wondering why he wasn’t asking me about what’d happened, and I figured that he wasn’t because he wanted to wait until we got to his house. “So, I guess we’re not going to your house for another BF3P, right?”
He smiled. “Right.”
Ava looked back at us at a stoplight. “I think we can all agree that it’s the last thing on our minds right now.”
CHAPTER 34
I stood in Brad’s big, beautiful shower that had black marble-tile walls, floors, a bench, and completed with an eighteen karat gold shower panel with so many knobs that blasted out water that I needed a remote control to operate it. I lathered myself with a body wash that was mine that I left over here whenever we had sex and I wanted to take a shower afterwards. But tonight, we weren’t having sex. Because of what had happened to me, no one was in the mood to have another BF3P. It amazed me how different it was for us this week as compared to last week — even how different it was for us no more than a few hours ago.
I got out of the shower and put on one of Brad’s white short-sleeve tees that was big enough to cover me past my knees. I washed my face and saw just how bare my skin really looked, and hated for Brad to see me like this.
I sighed as I walked out of his bathroom and into his bedroom.
He sat on his bed as he smiled at me. “Come here.”
I walked over to him and embraced him. I started to cry. “It felt like a fuckin’ nightmare, Brad, it really did.”
“I know it did, baby,” he said as he still held me. “C’mon, let’s go downstairs and talk to Ava and Marc about it.”
As we all sat in the recreation room, I had my arms wrapped all around Brad as he had his arm around me. Marc and Ava sat on the same couch, but at a distance from each other. I can see that what happened to me had spoiled everyone’s mood to wanna have the kind of party that we all had last week, and they didn’t seem to mind at all.
“So, baby, we’re all here in the privacy of my home. What happened at the restaurant?” Brad said.
“John abducted me at gunpoint when I walked out of the bathroom,” I replied with my head down.
Ava and Marc gasped!
“I KNEW IT!” Brad shouted. “I knew that motherfucker had something to do with your disappearance! It’s obvious that he found out somehow that we were all going there tonight!”
Marc lowered his head. “I’m sorry, guys,” he said.
“WHAT?!” we all shouted in shock.
“Well, what I’m sorry about is that I told Zac and I know he told John; I didn’t tell John directly,” Marc said.
We all looked at him as we tried to figure out if we should’ve been mad at him for it, but since he didn’t tell John directly, then I wasn’t mad at him.
“It’s okay, man. It’s just that from now on, we really can’t tell anyone anything when it comes to our plans. Since John is a murderer, we can’t have him knowing anything about what we do — not ever again,” Brad said.
“I agree — look what happened to Vanessa tonight?!” Ava said.
“Exactly,” Brad said.
“I’m sorry, Vanessa,” Marc said with his head lowered.
I smiled at him because I could tell how sorry he truly was. “It’s okay, Marc. It wasn’t you who told John directly so it’s okay, really.”
Marc looked up at me with a smile; I smiled back.
“So, Vanessa, even though I’m washing your clothes, I take it that you couldn’t get any DNA from John while you were in the car with him?” Ava said.
“No, Ava. I’m sorry. I honestly wasn’t thinking about getting his DNA because I wanted to get the hell out of his car. Actually, we were in a dark grey SUV — I’ve never seen him drive that car.”
“Probably stole it,” Brad said.
We all chuckled.
“For real!” Marc said.
“I’m actually glad that he was driving it because it was high enough for me to jump out of the car and over that guardrail and into the water. Being in an SUV was definitely a blessing in disguise,” I said.
Brad shook his head. “Damn, baby. Out of all of us, you’ve had the worst luck when it comes to him. First, it was when we were out in the woods when Marie shot him, and then in the woods at the party at the lake — and he’s lucky that I didn’t beat his ass about that, and now with him abducting you by gunpoint.”
I looked at Marc and Ava as they shook their heads as well. “Well, remember, I was the one who was in the secret relationship with him and then broke it off to be in one with you, and then I became your girlfriend. Even though he said that he was sorry for calling me names and he accepted my apology for doing that to him, I just don’t think he’s over it . . . and he won’t ever be. I believe he took a lot of his anger about what I did to him out on Natalie as well — I know it.”
“That’s what I think, too,” Brad said.
“So do I,” Ava said.
Marc nodded as he stared at me. “I just keep thinking about the fact that the motherfucker has another gun since you said that’s what he used to abduct you from the restaurant, Vanessa. That concerns me a great deal.”
“It does for me, too,” Brad said.
“I’m just scared to death about all of this shit that’s been going on. I just want John in jail ASAP!” Ava said.
“We all do, Ava. But with no DNA there’s really no case against him. This is a personal quest for us to get it from him since Natalie was our friend and is Marc’s ex. We have to do this for her. We’ll get his DNA, Ava, we will,” I assured her.
She smiled at me as she nodded as tears swelled up in her eyes. “I believe you, Vanessa.” She started to cry.
Marc scooted over to her and held her in her arms.
“Oh, honey, it’s okay,” I said as I came over to her.
We stood up as we hugged.
“We’re all still here. He may have killed Natalie, and mistakenly killed Ken and Veronica thinking that it was Brad and me, but he is not gonna kill any more of us, okay?” I said while I still held her.
“I hope not, Vanessa. I mean, I thought I was in a fuckin’ nightmare when I was running all over that restaurant trying to find you — I didn’t know what to think. And you telling us that he abducted you right from the restaurant by gunpoint?! I mean, how the hell was he able to get in there and especially with a gun?” she asked.
“He was obviously able to. John has his ways of doing things — in fact, he was dressed very similar to the waiters with an all-black outfit on so I think people who worked there could’ve mistaken him for working there. But what we can’t do is show him that we’re weakening because he will notice that and really start doing some crazy shit. I’m strong, you’re strong, and Brad and Marc are especiall
y strong, and with all of us together we’ll destroy John very easily,” I told her.
She looked up at me as tears streamed down her face. “That’s right, we’re strong — we all are.”
Brad and Marc smiled as they nodded.
“I’m gonna go check on your clothes, Vanessa. I’ll be right back,” she said.
I smiled. “Okay, honey.”
She walked out the recreation room and to the laundry room.
“I’m gonna go make us all some coffee since we had to leave the restaurant early,” Brad said.
Marc and I nodded with a smile.
After Brad left, we stared at each other. I didn’t know why, but I felt a little uneasy being in a room alone with him. “I gotta get something out of Brad’s bathroom — I’ll be right back,” I told him.
“Okay,” he replied with a smile.
Up in Brad’s bathroom, I made sure that I had more essentials than I needed since I was thinking about staying here overnight here with him. I looked through the drawers.
“Vanessa.”
I looked up.
Marc was standing in the doorway as he smiled at me. He smiled as he walked towards me. “I meant it when I said that I’m really sorry for telling Zac about going to the restaurant tonight. I wish Zac wouldn’t have such a big mouth. I actually didn’t think he was talking to John that much anymore since he also knows that he killed Natalie, and is suspecting that Ken and Veronica’s deaths were not an accident.”
I smiled as I nodded. “I know you’re truly sorry, Marc. We couldn’t predict in a million years that what was gonna happen to me tonight was gonna happen — but it did. I’m very scared of John, Marc — I’m not gonna lie.”
He stared down at me, and then embraced me. “He’s not gonna hurt you anymore, baby. Just like with Brad, he’ll have to go through me to get to you again — I mean that. Okay?”
I looked up at him; he was serious. “Okay.”
We continued to embrace each other, and his embrace felt so warm and comforting just like Brad’s.
He moved his face down towards mine, and kissed me on my cheek.
I looked up at him and smiled; he smiled back.
We started kissing.
“I want you so bad, Vanessa,” he said in between kisses. “I’ll always take care of you — just like Brad.”
I continued to kiss him because I knew that he could — but I was with Brad. I looked up . . . and gasped!
Brad was standing in the doorway! “What’s up?” he asked, as he stared coldly at both of us.
Marc quickly let go of me. “I was just telling her how sorry I was again about telling Zac about all of us going to the restaurant tonight, that’s all.”
Brad continued to stare at us, and I had a strong feeling that he wasn’t buying what Marc had said. He started walking towards us.
“Brad . . . ,” I said.
He continued to walk towards us.
“BRAD!” I yelled in shock as he grabbed Marc and pushed him up against the wall!
“WHY THE FUCK WERE YOU KISSING MY GIRL, MAN?!” Brad yelled at him while he had him up against the wall.
“Look! I’m sorry, man! Okay?! You know that I would never wanna hurt either one of you!” Marc said while he tried to get loose from Brad. He broke away from him and they began fighting on the ground!
“STOP IT!” I cried, as I tried to break them up.
They actually stopped! They got up off the floor as Ava came running into the bathroom.
“Oh, my God! I heard loud noises and you screaming, Vanessa! What’s going on?” Ava said in a panic as she looked at me, and then at Marc, and then at Brad.
Marc wiped his forehead as he sighed. “I’m gonna go. I’m sorry, Brad; I’m sorry, Vanessa,” he said, and walked towards the door of the bathroom.
Ava stared at him as he walked past her and out of the bathroom. She looked at me and then at Brad. “Would someone please tell me what the fuck just happened?!”
I sat on a bench in front of the bathroom mirror and started crying; Ava came over to me and embraced me.
Brad sat with his arms crossed as he sat on a bench next to the shower. “Tell her what happened, Vanessa.”
I continued to cry.
Ava had her arm around me. “It’s okay, Vanessa, you can tell me — you know you can.”
I sobbed as I took a deep breath. “Brad caught Marc and I kissing in here.”
She gasped! “Oh, my God!”
Brad let out a deep sigh as he still sat on the bench with his head down. “Do you have feelings for him, Vanessa?”
Ava looked at me.
“I only like Marc as a friend, Brad. What we did was wrong — we know that — could you please forgive us for it?” I asked.
He continued to have his head lowered; he didn’t answer me. “Have you two been involved like this prior to the party that we had last week?”
“Absolutely not,” I replied because I knew that I was telling the truth.
Ava nodded with a smile as she still had her arm around me.
He nodded, but I wasn’t sure if he fully believed me, even though I knew that I was telling the truth. He shook his head. “Now I wish I didn’t have that party.”
I couldn’t believe that he’d said this! I walked over to him and sat next to him. “Brad, it’s okay that we had that party — don’t blame that on what you witnessed.”
He sighed. “Okay, then what should I blame it on, Vanessa?”
I let out a sigh because I didn’t know what to say because truth be told, the party last week was the reason why Marc and I were caught kissing by him. “Listen, Brad. I want you to say you’re sorry to Marc, okay? We all can’t be fighting with each other like this — we need to stick together. I don’t want more drama than what’s already been going on. You two are best friends and I want you two to stay that way.”
He got up and walked out of the bathroom; Ava and I followed him. As we followed him down the stairs and through the foyer and into the kitchen, I had a feeling that he was gonna be mad at Marc for a very long time because of what he caught us doing, and felt that if he was gonna be mad at Marc then he should be mad at me as well.
He sat down at the kitchen table; I sat across from him. The strong smell of coffee lingered in the air.
Ava walked over to the cabinets and got out three coffee mugs, and then poured coffee into them. She picked up two of them and brought them over for Brad and me.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile.
“Thanks,” Brad said calmly, as he stared down at the table.
“No problem. That’s what I was coming upstairs to tell you all was that the coffee was ready,” Ava replied. She picked her coffee mug up off the counter and sat at the table with us.
For a minute, we all sat in an awkward silence. Brad hadn’t touched his coffee — and neither had I. I just didn’t know where to begin. Although Marc talked about wanting to take care of me and wanting me in the same way that Brad had me in, I told him earlier this week and last week here at the party that it just couldn’t happen.
“Um . . . Vanessa,” Ava said. She was obviously trying to break the silence. “Are you gonna tell your parents about what happened to you tonight?”
I looked at Brad; he continued to stare at his coffee mug. “I thought a lot about it, and I decided not to. I’m okay, even though I’m still so shaken up about it. I don’t want them to worry.”
“I’m so sick of this fuckin’ shit . . . everything,” Brad said, as he continued to stare at his coffee mug.
Ava and I looked at him.
“Now I don’t know who I wanna hurt more — John or Marc,” he said.
“Brad!” I said.
He glared at me. “What?”
“I don’t want you to hurt either one of them, especially Marc — you two are best friends!” I said, as I tried not to choke up again.
“Are you fucking him, Vanessa?” he bluntly asked me.
“WHAT?! NO! A
RE THE TWO OF YOU FUCKING EACH OTHER?!” I shouted, referring to him and Ava.
Ava gasped when I’d said this — she knew how mad I was getting. “Vanessa! No! We’re not! Calm down, honey.” She got up and came over by me and knelt down by my side.
I looked at Brad. “Well?”
“Well, what, Vanessa?! Ava answered you!” he replied.
“Yeah, she did! But you haven’t!” I snapped.
He looked at me and then looked away. “No.”
I sighed. “Please, Brad. Talk to Marc. I don’t know what came over him as to why he started kissing me — maybe he was thinking about the party last week, especially since it happened in this house. That won’t happen again between us. I’m with you and wanna be with you for years to come and I don’t want anything or anyone to come between that, but if this keeps up then eventually it’s going to.”
He looked at me. “I don’t want anything or anyone to come between us either, Vanessa.”
Ava smiled at us.
I got up out of my chair and came over to him. I sat on his lap. “And neither do I.”
We started kissing.
“Awww,” Ava said with a smile. “I knew that the two of you wouldn’t be mad at each other for that much longer.”
We looked at her and laughed.
I smiled at Brad as he smiled back at me. “Would you like some overnight company?”
He smiled big! “You know that you don’t even have to ask that!”
We all laughed.
Brad looked at Ava. “Ava, if you want, you can stay over as well,” he said with a smile.
Ava looked shocked! “Are you serious, Brad?”
“Yeah — you might as well,” he replied with a smile.
I smiled. I tried not to show it, but I really wanted it to be just Brad and me, but I didn’t mind that he invited her to stay over as well since it’s his house. “Well, let’s get going so we can go home and get our stuff,” I said.
“Well, go on home and get your things, ladies. I’ll be waiting,” he replied with a smile. He threw me his keys to his SUV.
I caught them. “Thanks, baby.”
School, Sex and Secrets II (School, Sex and Secrets #2) Page 22
