“Ready!” Milo responded a second later. I peeked out the bathroom door to see him wearing almost the exact same outfit he was before – a long sleeved white shirt with a green polo over it and a pair of jeans.
“You’re sure you want to come with?” I asked him, once I had finished getting ready.
We walked out of the apartment, and Milo doubled check to make sure the door was locked and that he had his house keys in his pocket, something that I never did.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Then Milo shot a nervous look at me. “Do you not want me to?”
“No, that’s not what I meant!” I said quickly and smiled at him. “Of course I want you to come with.” I pushed the call button for the elevator and turned back to him. “There’s just a few things you have to know before we go.”
“Okay?” Milo raised an eyebrow at me, but I thought it’d be best if he were prepared. The elevator doors sprung open and we stepped inside. Thankfully, we were alone, because I would feel silly saying this stuff in front of complete strangers.
“First, his brothers are really hot. I mean, like movie star hot, except even hotter. I know that you think Jack is amazing, but his brothers blow him out of the water.” I looked over to gauge his response, but for the most part, he just looked skeptical.
“Second, his family is super rich. One of their cars easily costs twice as much as Mom makes in a year, and they have five of them and this super fancy house. It’s really intimidating.”
“Like how rich?” Milo started to look nervous, so my point was getting through. “Like Bill Gates rich?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.” I hadn’t asked Jack about that one thing. Their wealth was inconsequential to me.
“Well what do they do for money then?” Naturally, Milo wanted to know all the practical reasons for everything. I had always meant to ask Jack what they did, but something else always sidetracked me.
“I didn’t ask that either,” I sighed, and the elevators opened to the lobby.
“Is there anything else I should know about them?” Milo asked as we walked out.
“Um, Jack drives super fast, but he’s perfectly safe.” I pushed open the glass doors that led outside.
“Really?” Milo wrinkled his nose. “Like how fast?”
“You’ll probably see,” I told him offhandedly, and then hurried over to Jack’s Jeep and jumped inside before Milo could ask anything more about it.
As soon as I realized what I’d done, it dawned on me why Jack had invited Milo along; he knew I wouldn’t say anything in front of Milo. Jack was trying to get off the hook about last night.
Someday, I’d probably have to tell Milo everything, but that day definitely wasn’t today. Maybe when I had the answers myself, and I could actually explain everything. Until then, I didn’t feel like letting that much out in the open.
“Hey,” Jack smiled at me, then turned back to Milo. “Hey, Milo. It’s good seeing you again.”
“Yeah, you too,” Milo replied. He stared at Jack for a moment, but he was much better at controlling his crush on Jack than most people. I wondered if it had to do with the fact that he was gay. Or maybe he just had really amazing self control.
“So what did you have planned for tonight?” I asked as Jack sped off down the highway towards his house.
“I don’t know,” Jack shrugged. “I just thought it was time that your family met my family.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” Jack countered.
“I don’t know. We haven’t known each other that long, and it’s not like we’re getting married or something.” That would be the logical time for families to mingle, not when two people have known each other for a couple weeks and are just friends.
“No, it’s definitely not like that.” Jack breathed deeply, and then turned up the stereo, blasting out the Violent Femmes.
We were silent on the short car ride, but when we pulled up in front of his house, I heard Milo gasp in the back seat and whisper, “It's like a castle.”
I’d already been there a couple times, and it still felt breathtaking. The turret really set it off, but it completely suited them. After meeting Ezra and knowing that he built, it all seemed even more perfect.
“Is Mae gone?” I asked.
We had pulled into the garage, and I noticed her black Jetta gone. Every other time I’d come here, the garage had been full, and her empty spot stood out.
“Yeah, but I thought she would be back by now.” Jack’s face flashed confused and concerned, but he instantly smoothed it out with a broad smile for Milo and me. “She’ll be back soon. And Ezra and Peter are still here.” He got out, and we followed suit.
“Hey, wait.” I lowered my voice then grabbed onto Jack’s arm to stop him. Milo was a little bit behind us, admiring the Lamborghini. He’d never been much of a car person before, but the Lamborghini had that power over anyone. “Is Peter going to be nice to Milo?”
“Oh, yeah, he’ll be fine,” Jack nodded.
“So it’s just me that he has a problem with?” My heart tightened.
I had been hoping that Peter’s icy demeanor had something to do with the fact that I was an outsider, but if he had no problems with Milo, then it had to be me personally.
“You are far more complicated,” Jack whispered.
“Is ‘complicated’ like you’re go-to word or something?” I muttered, making him laugh.
“Why are we just standing in the middle of the garage?” Milo piped in. He wasn’t that into cars, so it hadn’t held his attention for long, and he stood behind us looking confused.
“We’re not.” With that, Jack quickened his pace towards the house, and Milo and I followed more slowly.
Jack threw open the door, and he was instantly greeted by Matilda jumping into him. Without Mae there to stop her or dampen her enthusiasm, she was free to jump and slobber all over Jack as much as she wanted.
“Oh, and they have a dog too,” I told Milo and gestured to the giant white ball of fur in Jack’s arms. Jack remembered that Milo was there, and he put her on the ground much sooner than he normally did.
“Yeah, I figured that out,” Milo said dryly.
“This is Mattie!” Jack scratched her head roughly. “She’s a good girl. She’s just a big baby.”
“I can tell.” Milo stood off to the side, watching Jack wrestle with his dog.
Ezra magically appeared in the doorway, and after taking a moment for myself to admire him, I looked back to see Milo’s reaction. His eyes had widened and his jaw had even gone a little lax. I wondered if I looked that awestruck when I met Ezra.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Ezra said.
“Thanks,” Jack replied sarcastically and stood up, temporarily ending his roughhousing with Matilda.
“No, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” Ezra’s face broke into a smile that made it hard for me to breathe. “I thought that you might be Mae.” At the mention of her, his lips got tighter, and he and Jack exchanged a pained look. “But she’s not back yet.”
“I don’t know what could be taking her so long,” Jack added, growing irritated. Ezra dismissed him and turned to Milo.
“You must be Alice’s brother.” Ezra’s smile returned and he walked over to Milo to shake his hand. I watched to see if Milo noticed how weird (but good) their skin felt. If he did, it didn’t register on his face. He just smiled dumbly at Ezra. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ezra.”
“I’m Milo.” It was difficult for him to form the words, and he sounded out of breath. For once, I wasn’t the only one gawking at everyone.
“So, Jack,” I said, interrupting Milo’s awkward starting, “Milo really loves video games.”
“Really?” Jack’s face lit up, and I half expected him to throw Milo under his arm and dash off into the next room. “Come on. I’ve got like everything, and I mean everything. From Grand Theft Auto to Pong, I’ve got you covered.” He started to hurry into the living room, and Milo gav
e Ezra one last longing look before following him.
“Really? You have Pong? Why?”
“Cause its awesome!” Jack sounded mildly offended at being questioned.
“Finally, someone for him to play with.” Ezra smiled gratefully at me, and I looked away so I wouldn’t blush. “You wouldn’t believe how much time he spends on those damn things. Mae’s always trying to get him to go out and do something, anything, but it’s near impossible. She was so relieved when he met you and actually left the house.”
“Well, I’m glad that I could help,” I replied timidly. I “Where is Mae?”
“Um, she’s out.” Ezra’s normally open face closed up a bit, and it was a familiar expression that I’d seen written on Jack’s face every time he didn’t want to tell me something. “She really ought to be home soon.”
“I just wanted to make sure Milo meets her.” I rubbed my arm, afraid that I had encroached on territory they’d rather I didn’t. “I know he’d really like her.”
“Everyone really likes Mae,” Ezra grinned, and then I felt stupid. Obviously everyone really liked her, so it was a silly thing to point it.
“Oh, yeah, of course,” I fumbled. He laughed, and it was a tremendous laugh, but it wasn’t as spectacular as Jack’s. I doubted that anyone could ever match his, though, not even someone as perfect as Ezra.
“I am a lucky man.” He looked wistful for a moment, thinking of Mae, and I longed to have something like that. It was pure, unadulterated love. Then, his expression changed as he thought of something. “Peter’s upstairs, if you wanted to talk to him.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t really planned to talk to Peter, since he had this horrible way of simultaneously making me want to run to him and run away crying. But Ezra had said it in a way where I felt obligated to do it, and part of me really enjoyed the way Peter made me feel, even if it came wrapped in pain and confusion. “I’ll go see him then.”
“I’m just going to wait down here for Mae.” Ezra stood by the door, watching me as I went, looking a bit like a lost puppy.
I passed through the living room, but Jack and Milo were too entranced by some war video game to notice me. As I made my way up the stairs, I remembered the first time I met Peter, and the way he glared at me from over his book. I hoped that this wouldn’t be a repeat of that, but since Ezra had sent me up here, I had to believe that it wasn’t.
Peter’s bedroom door was open, and I leaned in the doorway, peering around for him. When I found him, my breath stopped and a burning flush went over me.
Wearing only a pair of jeans, he was drying his hair with a white towel. He wasn’t overly muscular, but his chest was defined and hard. A thin trail of dark hair started just below his belly button and traveled downwards, and my eyes had never been so tantalized by the prospect of what fell below the waist of his jeans.
When he noticed me staring at him, he tossed his towel on his bed and just looked back at me, his green eyes shooting through me. I ached for him in ways I had never imagined.
“I just took a shower,” Peter said.
His lyrical voice somehow managed to dampen the trance I had been under, but nothing could fully break it. He looked away and grabbed a white shirt off his chair, and much to my dismay, he pulled it on.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” I mumbled, finding it hard to speak clearly.
“No, you’re okay.” He sat back down on his bed and tousled his damp hair.
I waited in the doorway for him to say more, but that was a struggle. It felt like there was something inside pulling me towards him. Like a rope was attached to my heart and someone physically yanked on it. He looked at me with an expression I couldn’t read, but his eyes definitely looked pained.
“You can come in, if you want,” he said finally
It didn’t feel so much like I walked to his bed as I just gave in and let myself be pulled over to him. Then I was on the bed, sitting dangerously close to him.
I breathed in, and he smelled sweetly of apples. That was probably his soap, but there was something tangy and wonderful underneath that was all him.
Like a complete idiot, I told him, “You smell good.”
He smiled the first genuine smile I’d seen him have, and it struck me with its utter perfection. Then softly, he laughed, sending astounding tingles radiating throughout my whole body. I almost shivered with pleasure.
“What do I smell like?” Peter leaned in closer to me, as if he was sharing a secret.
He was so close that when he exhaled, a damp tendril of his hair blew back and brushed against my cheek. My skin trembled expectantly, demanding more touch from him.
“Apples?” I wondered how I managed to find the strength to speak.
I knew the conversation was utterly pointless and dull, but most of my brain had become occupied by him. And I don’t mean by thoughts of him, I mean him. It was as if he’d seeped in and somehow become a part of me, but it wasn’t enough. I was desperate for all of him.
“Yeah.” He smiled crookedly, and then leaned back a little, away from me.
Without any thought on my part, my body moved to correct the distance between us. I would’ve preferred that I stayed where I was, but my body insisted that I tilt closer to him.
“Why do you hate me?” The words came out of my mouth, but I couldn’t believe that I’d asked them.
Inside my mind, I screamed Shut up! Shut up! You can’t say that to him! But he’d managed to cut off the blood flow to the part of my brain that controlled my inhibitions. If I weren’t careful, I’d very quickly be confessing my innermost secrets to him.
“I don’t hate you.” He looked embarrassed and lowered his eyes.
I had an awful pain at not being able to see into his eyes, but it came with some relief, as I’d be able to think a bit more clearly.
“Then why do you act like you do?” I pressed.
What the hell was I doing? I was normally an absolute coward, and now at the worst possible moment, I suddenly decided to be brave and corner this amazingly stunning man into hating me. He had said he didn’t, but after I shamed and irritated him like this, I’m sure he would.
“I don’t know.” He looked up, staring straight ahead, but he wasn’t really looking at anything. His beautiful features stiffened to a painful mask.
“You want to hate me, though.” My voice was almost inaudible, but he’d heard me. I’d thought I hadn’t had the strength to speak, but the words kept relentlessly tumbling out.
“That’s not exactly true.” His face softened again, and he turned to look at me.
His eyes were smoldering through me, and I felt my heart pound loudly in my chest. Very gently, he placed his hand on top of mine, and I felt that same electrical surge that I had the day before, but more intense this time. Pleasure rippled through me and I closed my eyes.
Then suddenly, he pulled his hand back, and my eyes flew open. His face was a few inches from mine, and something in him looked completely ravenous. He never wavered or moved, but when he spoke, his voice had gone into a very low snarl.
“Go before I do something very bad to you.”
- 11 -
“You can do whatever you want to me,” I whispered, and he flinched at that.
“Go!” Peter growled.
His voice stung, but it managed to get me moving. Using all my strength, I looked away and stood up. He still hadn’t moved, but I could see the tendons in his neck and his arms standing out sharply.
It wasn’t until I had started down the stairs, and I had begun to breathe, that I understood why he’d gotten so tense. He was using all his might not to move.
When I got downstairs, I felt dazed and I was panting. There was a very real chance that I had just barely averted danger. And the worst part was part of me still wanted to rush back upstairs and let him do whatever he wanted with me as long as I could still be with him.
“Alice?” Milo asked. He and Jack were standing in the middle of the living room, holding pl
astic guitars, but I could barely even see them. The whole world felt hazy and I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or not. “Are you okay?”
“You were with Peter?” Jack had stopped playing the game and turned to look at me. He eyed me over, and he saw something that made his face harden. “Come here.” I felt frozen in place, so he commanded more harshly, “Come here.”
This time I listened and walked over to him, moving like a zombie.
“Did something happen to her?” Milo’s voice got higher the more scared he got.
Jack didn’t answer him. Instead, he looked me over with this odd expression on his face, a cross between disturbed and jealous. He put two fingers underneath my chin and lifted it up, revealing my neck. He turned my head this way and that, inspecting me carefully.
When he was done, his expression had softened, and he looked satisfied.
“Come here,” he repeated, but this time, he looped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. “You’re okay.”
I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly and relishing the safety of his arms. I sobbed into his chest, unable to hold it back anymore, and he kissed the top of my head.
“What happened?” I heard Ezra’s melodic voice boom behind me, but I hadn’t seen him when I came in. He seemed to have materialized at the sound of my crying.
“I don’t know! She just came downstairs crying!” Milo explained plaintively. He was upset, and I wished somebody would just tell him that everything would be okay. Why wasn’t Mae here when I needed her?
“Did something happen?” Ezra demanded, and there was an edge to his voice.
“No,” Jack said softly, stroking my hair.
“Are you sure?” Ezra persisted.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Jack replied, growing irritated.
“I’m going to talk to Peter.” I didn’t hear Ezra leaving, but I knew he had anyway.
“What’s wrong with her?” Milo sounded panicked.
“Nothing.” I pulled away from Jack a little but made sure to keep his arm around me. I wouldn’t feel as safe or sturdy without it. Wiping at my tear stained cheeks, I forced a smile at Milo. “I’m fine.”
My Blood Approves Page 12
