by C. A. Harms
I reached out, grabbed my phone, and slid my finger across the screen. “Good morning, pretty girl.”
“It’s almost noon, Clay,” Emelie added and I could sense she was smiling. “So it’s more like afternoon. Did you stay up partying hard?”
“Nope, me and my boy jammed out to some tunes and then my girl kept me up late kissing, before she kicked me out with a woody.”
“Real classy.” I may have been alarmed that I offended her had I not heard her laughter follow. “I was wondering if you wanted to attempt a shopping trip with me?”
“Are we buying lingerie that you will later model for me?”
“More like diapers and juice.” It was weird how her correction didn’t disappoint me. “I know definitely not as glamorous as something silky or lacy. Or even see through, you know, with that sheer material.”
“Are you trying to make me hard?”
“No.” Again she giggled. “Why? Is it working?”
“Like you really have to ask.” I had been a walking boner since the first night she practically rubbed me raw through my jeans on her couch.
“Fire,” I heard someone yell outside my room and it took me a minute to register what they’d said.
“What was that?”
“Oh shit.” I scrambled from my bed and searched for my shorts.
A pounding on the wall just outside my door made me drop the phone to the floor. “Fire! Get out now! Move it.”
“Fuck!” I searched for my phone and only found it when I was able to hear Emelie’s panicked voice shouting from the other end of the line. “I’m here.” I held the phone between my cheek and shoulder firmly, hopping around on one leg. “There’s a fire,” I told her as I rushed toward my door.
“Oh my god.” I could sense her worry. “Get out.”
“I am.” I yanked open my door, still trying to button my jeans, and plowed forward, only to bounce back and fall to the floor. Once again, my phone went skidding across the hardwood and I lay there, flat on my back, wondering what in the fuck just hit me.
The sounds of laughter filtered in as I lifted my head and looked toward my door.
“Seriously, you dicks?”
My frustration only made the idiots laugh harder. My adrenaline was still pumping through me fast, making me feel slightly dizzy. “Clayton?” Then I remembered Emelie was still on the phone and I reached out in search of it, still staring ahead at the door.
“I’m here,” I told her with a lot less playfulness than I’d had a few minutes ago.
“Are you okay?”
“No.” I pouted. “Yes,” I said, pouting like a damn child because these assholes were catching me at all angles and my guard was down.
“What’s going on? Did you get outside?”
“There’s no fire,” I said as I shook my head, still staring at my doorway in utter disappointment because I hadn’t pulled this prank myself.
“But I thought—” she paused, as if trying on her own to figure out what in the hell was going on.
“There was no fire, Em.” I stood from the floor and walked toward my door, reaching out to push against the plastic that stretched across my door. “The assholes streamed a shit ton of Saran wrap or plastic across my doorway, apparently securing it tight, and then yelled fire. If you picture in your mind what I just told you, I’d think you’d be able to figure out what took place when I tried to rush out of my room in a hurry.”
There were a few passing seconds of silence before Emelie suddenly burst out in her own round of laughter. “Oh my god,” she said between fits. “Please tell me that somehow that entire thing was somehow caught on video.”
“Are you seriously laughing at me?”
“Come on, Clay, seriously? That is hilarious, childish and immature, oh yes, but most definitely hilarious too. I can almost imagine you being sling shot backwards just after colliding with the barricade.”
“I don’t find the humor in it.”
“Oh, bullshit,” she challenged me. “You’re just sour that you didn’t think of it yourself.” She wasn’t entirely wrong. “Figure out how you’re gonna get out of your room and hurry up. I only have two diapers left and with this boy that isn’t safe.”
She ended the call before I could say anything more and I got an idea of my own. I’d teach her to laugh at me.
***
“This is cool.” I held up the little basketball hoop with a tiny ball. “Tell me he doesn’t need one of these.” I pointed toward Ethan as he reached out for the hoop with his eyes wide with excitement. “See,” I said, “he loves it.”
“He has more toys than we have furniture in my apartment and you think he needs more?”
“There is no such thing as too many toys.” I arched my brow, daring her to challenge me on the matter.
“Says the guy that doesn’t have to trip over them every night when he gets up to pee.” True, very true, but still not a good enough reason not to gift the boy his first basketball hoop.
“Don’t worry, pal.” I pointed toward my buddy, again giving me that look like I was his favorite person. That look alone made me feel so powerful. “I got this.”
“Clayton.” Emelie offered that motherly tone that I chose to ignore. It was her fault really; she should never have brought a big kid into a toy section and expected him to walk out empty-handed. Maybe one day she’d learn.
With a Little Tykes hoop and ball in one hand and a happy as hell toddler in the other, we exited the toy store ten minutes later. Granted Ms. SourPuss was trudging behind still giving her look of disapproval. But Ethan and I made a pact. We would both gang up on her when we got back to her place and she’d have no choice but to smile.
I’d mastered the carseat shit. I had him inside, buckled and secured with a smile before Em was even buckled herself. When I flashed her a smile and a wink, she just rolled her eyes. “Get over yourself.”
She had attempted to turn toward the window before I got the chance to see her smile but failed, because I saw the shit full on. She wasn’t mad at me, she just wasn’t used to this kind of attention for her or Ethan.
“Are you gonna drive?” she asked from the passenger seat as I sat behind the wheel just staring at her. “Or are we just gonna hang out in the parking lot all night?”
“I’ll drive when you kiss me.” I leaned in and she leaned back away from me. “My mom always said that you should never go to bed angry and I’m changing that up by saying that you should never drive angry. So, if you want me to drive, you need to kiss me and show me that you’re not mad.”
“You are ridiculous.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Please tell me you already know this?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m still gonna be needing that kiss.” I tapped my lips and waited. When she didn’t move in, I puckered my lips and made kissy sounds. I could see the grin tugging at her lips. “Come on now, we’re losing daylight.”
She moved in fast, intending to offer a quickie, but I didn’t let her get away that easily. I cupped the back of her neck and held her lips to mine, lengthening our connection.
“You need to stop spoiling him,” she whispered the words and I pulled back just enough to look down at her.
“That’s gonna be a problem,” I tell her truthfully, seeing the glossiness in her eyes. “Because all I wanna do is spoil the both of you all the time. Not just with gifts but attention.”
“Being with us is enough,” she confessed, closing her eyes tightly as if fighting off some type of hidden emotion. “It’s all we need.”
I knew I’d already been securely wrapped around this girl’s finger and her son’s. Hell, the two of them were all I thought about. I missed them like crazy when they weren’t around, and at night when I lay awake in my bed, the only place I wanted to be was at her place with them.
Ethan and Emelie had become such an important part of my life that without them close I always felt like something was missing.
“The basketball hoop wa
sn’t only for him,” I confessed, smiling widely. “It was for me too.”
“You are such a big kid.” She finally laughed and that ache in my chest felt lighter. “But an adorable one at that.”
“See, I knew you liked me.” I kissed her again.
“That I do, Clayton, much more than I should.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but instead of attempting to drag it out of her I leaned back and started my Explorer. With her hand held firmly in mine, we backed out of the parking space and drove to her place.
Chapter Thirteen
Emelie
“Maybe I shouldn’t go.” I fidgeted with the hem of my much too short dress again. It was Palmer’s idea to wear it and I guess I thought if I continued to tug it, I would somehow gain an inch or two at the bottom. “I should just stay home and tell him to go alone.”
“Which you know he won’t because he already said he wants you there,” Palmer told me again for what felt like the nine-hundredth time. Maybe it wasn’t really nine hundred, but at least ten times for sure. “It’s a party to celebrate both his and his brother’s birthday. You’ve gotta be there.”
“I just feel bad leaving Ethan.”
“Nope, because he’s with me. It’s not like you’re leaving him with some random stranger, so try again.” Palmer called me out at every turn.
“It’s the first party I’ve been to since—” I paused, feeling that nausea return to my stomach.
“This is not the same.” Palmer yanked me down onto the mattress to sit beside her. “Clayton is there and you trust him. Plus, you don’t have to drink. It’s nowhere close to being the same.”
I knew she was right, yet it didn’t ease the feelings I had inside me. I wasn’t a party girl anymore. This just reminded me of the days I had vowed to leave behind. I guess somehow I led myself to believe that if I’d gone to a party, it was going backward in life instead of forward. Like I was letting down my parents in some way, or even Ethan.
“It’s at his place with all his friends,” Palmer added as she bumped my shoulder with her own. “Go, have fun, meet the people he calls his brothers, his family. Be involved in his life too, because that guy is all about you and yours. He’s in this with you so heavy, I see it every time he’s here. When he’s with you and Ethan, you’d never guess he wasn’t here from the start.”
She was right. In the beginning I’d questioned every action, wondering if there was a reason besides simply wanting to be with us. But now, I could honestly say Clayton cared for us without wanting anything in return but our attention.
“Okay,” I finally said, taking in a deep breath and standing up once more. Of course, the first thing I did was tug on my skirt. Palmer reached out and slapped my hand away, giving me her best glare. “Will you leave the skirt alone? My god, you granny. It’s covering your goodies, and even if you bend over, you’re still good. The guy is gonna love this outfit and you need to own the fact that you have great legs.”
I scrunched up my face and gave her my best “eww” look.
“Please, like you’ve never looked at my ass in a pair of jeans and said, ‘hmm, her butt looks good in those pants.’” I tried not to laugh. “We all do it, it’s part of being a girl. In no way does it mean I’m willing to go in that direction, but I can appreciate a hot girl when one is in front of me.”
She waved me off, picked up Ethan from where he was playing on the floor, and left me alone with my lingering thoughts. I felt better, but I was still nervous.
I grabbed my keys and phone and followed behind them, pausing one last time to look at myself in the mirror. I did look really great. Dressing up wasn’t something I’d done often, and it made me feel pretty.
Ethan’s laughter was the first thing I was met with as I entered the living room. Palmer stood next to him as they both danced to the Elmo movie playing on T.V. I swear I could practically recite every Elmo video we had, word for word.
“Buddy, can I get a hug?”
He peeked around Palmer’s legs as I knelt down on the floor. Within seconds he was running for me and dove into my arms like a football player going in for a tackle. I shook my head, thinking he’d been watching too much football on Sundays with Clayton. “I love you,” I said, kissing the top of his head as I held him close.
“Lub you,” he replied, and I got that crazy warm fuzzy feeling I got every time he said it.
“Be a good boy for Aunt P, and keep your diaper on.” He giggled and started shaking his head “no” as he tried to move away from me. “Yes.” I tickled his tummy and he fell to the floor, wiggling all around.
Up and ready to leave, I paused at the door to look at him one last time and watched as he once again got absorbed in his movie.
“Bye, Mommy.” Palmer waved, still wiggling her butt to the beat. “I got this. Have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be home to—”
“Tomorrow,” she interrupted. “Bye.” Turning her back to me, she ignored me completely and for a few seconds I grew emotional. She was amazing, hands down the best person I could have asked for as a best friend. She loved my son something fierce and was more loyal to me than even my own parents. I adored her, heart and soul.
I forced myself to move forward, using the drive over to Clayton’s house to build myself up. I could do this, I knew I could. I just had to dive in head first and get over this small speed bump. After that I would be golden for sure.
Parking was a challenge, but when I finally found a space I gathered my things and started for the house. I ignored the lingering looks of a few guys I’d passed on my way up the front steps and in through the front door. The music wasn’t over the top loud, but it grew louder as I got deeper into the house. That was when I saw him, his back to me. A red hat was on his head, and he wore jeans that hugged his ass. I paused for a second, just watching as he interacted with a few guys. There was a girl a couple of feet away, watching him closely, and the need to announce to her and any other girl interested that he was mine hit me.
I squared my shoulders, channeled Palmer and her “take no shit” attitude, and moved across the room toward Clayton. Reaching out, I touched his waist and when he turned to look at me, I reached up and grabbed for the back of his neck, pulling him in close. His lips met mine and he moaned. Something was off, but I figured it was the element of surprise. I did practically just attack him.
He didn’t hold onto me like he usually does when we kiss, that gentle grasp of my hip, while his other hand combed through my hair. Instead he securely wrapped both arms around me, pulling me in close and tight. “Well, hello,” he said huskily, and I pulled back, just looking up at him. Something was off, like way off. “And you are?”
I just stared at him, lost for a second.
“Not that I’m complaining, sweetheart,” he said again, “but I’m not sure what I did to warrant this sweet attack.”
“Clayton?” I felt my heart race as I slowly looked him over. A mole, he had a mole on his upper lip. It was more like a little freckle or beauty mark, but it was still there. Clayton did not have a freckle.
“What the hell, Corbin?” Suddenly I was being pulled backward and my spine collided with something hard.
“What?” the guy I thought was Clayton said with a laugh as he looked over my shoulder. I followed his line of vision and my heart sank when I saw Clayton behind me. He was seething.
“Oh my god,” I mumbled in shock. Looking back at the guy in front of me, and then to Clayton once more, I hung my head and covered my face.
“Is this Emelie?” I didn’t look up as the two of them carried on and the guys around them laughed at what had just taken place.
“Yes,” Clayton growled.
“Well, hello, Emelie,” the guy purred, the guy I now understood was Clay’s infamous identical twin.
“Corbin,” Clayton said, and I could practically feel the heat flowing off his body as he still held me close.
“I didn’t do anything,” Corbin
insisted. “She’s the one that grabbed and kissed me.”
“You kissed him?”
“I thought he was you.” I spun in Clayton’s arms and looked up at him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so pissed off. “I was nervous and I spotted him from the side, so I moved before I had the chance to think.”
Clayton took my hand in his and started to drag me off as his brother pressed his buttons just a little more. “Bye, Em, it was great meeting you, babe.”
I hung my head as I was dragged off. Climbing a flight of stairs, I looked up at Clayton to find him staring straight ahead. Suddenly the only thing I wanted to do was go home and forget the entire night.
We reached a door, and I watched as Clayton unlocked the handle before placing his hand on my back and nudging me inside the room. Once inside, I looked around and could see signs of him all over. Clothes I’d seen him wear tossed here and there, his hats hanging on hooks along one wall. There was a picture of Ethan and me in a frame on the stand next to his bed, next to a monster truck I know Ethan gave to him and told him it was his.
The sound of the door closing behind me prompted me to turn around and face him. He stood with his hands on his hips, his head hung as he looked at the floor. I wasn’t sure if I should try to explain again or leave it alone. I had never felt so torn over what to do before.
When he finally looked up at me, he just stared back at me, his nostrils flaring.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
“Did you not sense the difference in him compared to me?” he asked as he took a step toward me. “The way he held you, or—” He stopped as he ran his hand through his hair in a frustrated manner.
I took a step toward him and placed my hands on his chest. “Yes, I knew something was off almost immediately.” When he tried to look toward the ground, I slid my hands upward and cupped each side of his jaw, forcing him to look at me. “It was just a simple kiss, nothing more and I knew, I just felt it. He wasn’t you.”
His chest rose and fell and I knew he was fighting against some inner battle. I was just trying to rearrange the words in my head to try and explain it all better, only he didn’t give me the chance. He turned me around and pressed my back to the door behind him before he was on me, his mouth claiming mine in a hard, demanding kiss, erasing the memories of what had just taken place. Clayton conquered our kiss. “This is me,” he growled, “and you are mine.”
