Chapter 23
Carey
WHEN I WOKE up the next day, she was gone, but she left so much of her. Her scent. Her impression on the pillow she laid her head on, and my memory of her last night. I don't fully remember, but I am sure at some point, she rolled over to my side and clutched me by the waist. Instead of removing myself from her embrace, I pulled her to me in return. And slept better than any man coming back from a party where his wife almost died. She was so comforting. The last time I slept this good was when… well, the last time she was in my bed.
I got up, not wanting to dig deeper into what that meant and went to the bathroom. I took a shower, got dressed, and went to the breakfast room. Thalia was already there eating a croissant. She was dressed in a formal outfit, looking like she was getting ready to go to work. "What are you doing here?"
She blushed and gulped down her pastry with fresh juice. "I'll be done soon, I promise."
"No, I didn't mean—you need to rest. Three days, remember?"
"I'm feeling fine."
"Yeah, well, I am not going to risk it. You're staying here for three days."
She scoffed. "You're not going to stop me. I'll just go after you leave."
I could see her doing it. She had no qualms about going against anything I say. She seemed to rejoice in it. And her friend Darcy would only help. Heck, she might even provide more drugs.
I fished my phone out of my pocket and called my assistant. She answered after three rings. "Good morning, sir."
"Clear my calendar for the next three days."
"Sir?"
"You heard me." I ended the call. Thalia's jaw was open. "I am no longer leaving." I sank into a chair opposite hers and grabbed the coffeepot.
"Fine. That just means you're going to follow me around like a puppy for the next three days."
"Huh." I took out my phone again and called Darcy. She answered a little later than my assistant. Her "hi," was weary and overly cheery.
"Thalia isn't coming to work for the next three days."
"Right. Of course. She needs to rest and flush out…you know… out of her system."
"I think this is the first time you've talked sense, Darcy." I ended the call and turned my attention back on Thalia. A few seconds later, Thalia's phone buzzed. It must have been a text from Darcy, because Thalia was frowning as she read it, and when she put her phone down, she was scowling.
"What is your problem?"
"Don't be mad at me. I'm just following the doctor's orders. We wouldn't want you fainting in the storeroom." And have Jack be the one to catch you.
"I can just go, you know. Darcy is not my boss."
"Pretty sure Darcy will just call an Uber and send you back here."
She huffed, but didn't say anything else. She knew she was outmatched. We both went back to eating our breakfast in silence until she said, "You can't seriously have me couped up in this place, can you?"
I shrugged. "Rest was deeply emphasized, and that's what you're going to do."
She rolled her eyes and got up.
I finished my food casually, as if I wasn't thinking what she was up to next. She didn't try to leave. Instead, when I finished breakfast, I found her in the living room scrolling through channels. "Looking for something to watch?" I was behind the couch she was lounging on and she didn't bother turning my direction.
"Was TV always this boring or have I simply matured?"
"Don't know." I circled around to where she was sitting and sank on to the couch next to her. "I rarely watched tv growing up."
"Yeah, you liked your video games. Hey!" She whipped her head to face me, remote dangling in her hand, "You must have a good game I can play. If you want me to stay inside, you better keep me entertained."
I scratched my head, thinking of a game she might like. And then a lightbulb lit up. "There's one you might like." I went over to the TV setup and grabbed two controllers and handed her one. "Ever played streetfighter?"
"I was thinking of a single player game. So you don't have to bother me."
"You said you wanted me to entertain you," I said as I slumped next to her.
She shook her head. "Fine. How do you play it?"
I frowned. "I thought you knew."
"Nah. Only watched you and your brothers play."
I showed her the controls. Which buttons to hit and what they do. Then I showed her each character and their power moves. Her frown deepened with each explanation I gave.
"You only want me to play this game because you know I you can beat me."
I was good at it, but not that good. To be truthful, I chose it because it's a two player game and I wanted to play with her. "We could play another game if you want."
"And learn a more confusing set of rules? Let's stick with this one."
I started the game. I beat her the first three games. She got frustrated, and I let her beat me one game, but she was smart enough to realize I had given the game and that made her more mad than losing. So I played fairly the next two games and beat her. But when she started getting the hand of it, she beat me two times. And three times more when she was finally understood when to play the power moves.
"You know what?" she said after beating me again. "I'm starting to think you're pretty shit at this game."
I chuckled. "That's because you call dibs on the best fighter all the time. You have her and you're winning nine times out of ten."
"Is that the sound of a sour loser I hear?" she shrugged her shoulders. "I was only picking her because she has a cute outfit."
"Right. My brothers were the ones obsessed with it, anyway. It was never my game."
She laughed. "Uh, huh. Is that the best excuse you can come up with after being beaten by a girl?"
In a funny way, I didn't mind getting trounced. I've always felt sour whenever I lost to Nolan, Ivy, or any of my brothers, but not her. Losing or winning, playing with her was more fun than I expected. "Wanna play another round?"
She leaned back into the couch and threw the controller to the side. "I am tired of winning. Got another game?"
We scrolled through a few other games, but she didn't like those. We tried other games similar to streetfighter, but even those weren't as fun as the original. After a few more plays, we got tired and hungry. It was in the middle of the afternoon and I brought out a bag of chips and two diet cokes while she disappeared to the bathroom. When she came back, however, she had a box in her hand.
"You didn't get that from the bathroom, did you?"
Her face was beaming. "I found this in the brooms closet, while looking for…whatever it doesn't matter." She flipped the box up, showing me the red lettering written on a white box with a little man in a top hat. "Monopoly," it read. "I didn't know you were board game enthusiast," she said, shaking the box. "You have an impressive collection, sir."
"They're all Nolan's. He used to stay here. He forgot them when he moved out."
She looked like she didn't believe me."You two used to be roommates?"
"Is that surprising?"
"I don't know. You don't strike me as the sharing type. You're possessive of your things."
"Funny, that's what Nolan said when he moved out."
"Nolan and I are right." She shook the box again. "Wanna play?"
I led her to the breakfast room, and we both laid the game pieces of the on the table. "It was my father's favorite," she said as she arranged the fake bank notes. The little I knew of John made me believe her. He was a cheery who would always accommodate us when we were kids. "Your father liked playing with us as kids." I arranged the board, took out the dice and the tokens. "He let me drive the car once when I was fourteen."
"I remember. You were really slow and drove in circles around the estate."
"How do you know that?"
"I was in the car while you were driving."
"You were in the car!" I didn't remember that part, but as I went through the memory again, she was right. She was sitting in the backseat with me when I asked John if I could drive. He had said yes as long as I didn't tell my father, and told me to get into the driver's seat.
"My mom was angry with him that day. They had a fight, and he ended up saying he had his foot on the peddle the entire time, even though I know that wasn't true."
Her father was fun to be around. As we sat down to play the game, I realized I never asked her about him. "How did he die? I know he was no longer working for my father when he passed away."
"Prostate cancer."
"Thalia." It was hard enough to lose one parent to cancer, let alone two. The toll that must take on a person. Thalia shook her head as though she was willing tears away. When she spoke, her voice was heavy with…sorrow?
"It's fine." It didn't seem like it."I've gotten over it."
I picked up the dice, not knowing what else to do with myself. "The loss of a parent is not something one gets over."
"Oh right. Your mom."
I nodded and gave her the dice. "You first." She took them, shook them, and threw them in the middle of the board.
"You've never spoken about her," she said as she picked her car token and moved it on the board.
"She died when I was young. My father likes to tell me she was the love of his life, but evidence proves otherwise."
"How do you know? Maybe he is being truthful."
I took the dice from the board and shook them. "He cheated on Jacqueline with my mother. Married my mother. Cheated on her while she was pregnant. And when my mother died, he married the woman he cheated on my mother with." I couldn't take out the bitterness out my voice as much as I tried to. Sometimes, I hated my father.
"Seb and Ty's mom?"
I nodded. "Then divorced her and married Jaqueline again. If anything, his true love is Jaqueline. Those two deserve each other."
"You don't like her, do you?"
"My stepmom? Of course not. But who can blame her? My father has a knack of snaring people into his web and entrapping them.
Thalia sighed. "Don't I know it?"
I wondered what she was alluding to. My father had ensnared her too, I guess. He had promised her riches if she only marry me and in a way he had given her what she wanted. She was a rich woman now. I waited for the familiar bitterness to fill my mouth every time this thought came to mind, but the bitterness did not come. It was as though the betrayal didn't matter to me anymore. I was simply glad that she was with me like in the old days. When her father, or my father, or any of our parents didn't matter. When they were not a wedge between us.
"Remember when I'd come to my room to clean your room, and you'd be there the entire time? Your brother told me you messed with the maid's roaster deliberately." Her voice was casual. As though she was asking about the weather, meanwhile she was exposing me.
"I wouldn't listen to anything any of my brothers say. Who told you that?"
She chuckled. "Why would it matter who told me if I shouldn't listen to it? It's Nolan if must know."
"That weasel."
Her eyes brightened. "So it is true!"
I was about to refute it, but what was the point? Might as well come clean. "I was into hot girls, back then. And you were a hot girl working in our house part time. I did what any teenager would do." I said in as bland a tone I could master.
"I would never have guessed you liked me. Didn't you tell one of your friends not to date me because I had the clap?"
Fuck. I was a little shithead back in the day. I remember what she's referring to as though it happened yesterday. Chester, one of my buddies, had seen her around our place and was into her. He would track her with his eyes whenever she was in the room and it would make my blood boil. But because I was a little shithead who didn't want everyone to know how down bad I was for Thalia, I never just said she was off limits. I instead spread a nasty rumor about her.
"That's because I wanted you to myself," I said.
Thalia went silent. She paused shaking the dice, and simply stared at me.
"What? Was it not obvious?"
"Nah uh." She was still stupefied.
It was so obvious it seems like my father saw it too.
"Why didn't you do anything about it?"
"I don't know. I was young and dumb. It doesn't matter, anyway. You had eyes for Chester and never cared to look my way."
"I liked you too," she said in a small voice.
I extended my hand over the table and took hers into mine. "Is that true?"
She nodded.
"If only things worked out differently, huh?"
She took a deep breath and withdrew her hand. "Carey. I have something to say to you."
The door to the apartment opened, and we both went still as we heard the sounds of someone strolling in. I got up to see who it could be. Thalia followed. The sound of the footsteps traveled to the kitchen, and I followed it. We got there to find the chef putting food onto the counter.
"Why are you here?" I said.
Startled and stammering, the chef said, "T-to make dinner."
"You didn't get my message? You're off for today."
"Oh." She looked down at the bags of food on the counter as though wondering what she was going to do with them.
"You can leave the food we'll cook. I'll even pay you for today."
After she was gone, Thalia folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. "We'll cook?"
"I will cook."
She laughed.
"Do you know how?"
I've never cooked in my life. The most I knew to do in a kitchen was boiling water and frying an egg. "I have an inkling. We could go out."
She got off the entrance and entered the kitchen. "Leave it up to me. I haven't cooked in a while, anyway."
Thalia made her way to the counter and perused the ingredients the chef came with. Her eyebrows perked as she took out each food item. "I don't think I can cook whatever your private chef had in mind, but I could do something edible."
"Do whatever you want." I went to the cupboard and took out two aprons. I put mine on and threw her the other one. She caught it, frowning. "I am joining you," I explained."Might as well learn how to cook. It's either now or never."
"Carey Hawthorne wants to cook? Hell has frozen over. But if you're going to learn, I'm not going to teach you how to saute…" she lifted a box and read, "truffles. It's going to be food I am accustomed to."
Thalia instructed me to take out a board and chop some vegetables while she went to the cellar to get some wine. I chopped them diligently while she cooked rice and something else that had a chicken aroma. Chicken Stock? After a while, she went away and when she came back; she had a bottle of Savignon Blanc in her hand.
"What are we making chef!"
She rolled her eyes as she peered over my shoulder. She looked impressed. "I have to be honest. I didn't even think you'd be able to cut so well."
"You wound me, chef."
She tapped my back with the wine bottle and went to the stove. I watched as she methodically stirred the pot. "Are the mushrooms done?" she said. I went to her side with a bowl of diced mushrooms and handed it to her.
"We're making risotto. It was my father's favorite dish. He taught me how to make it. Said it reminded him of home."
I watched as she cooked, the aroma of the multiple ingredients wafting around us. "I thought your father was Irish."
"He was. But when he was a kid, he used to visit this one Italian place in Dublin that made the best risotto he has ever tasted. And when he came to the States, he asked the owner for the recipe. The owner was kind enough to give it to him, and this is it."
She handed me the wooden spoon. I jerked back. "What? You want me—"
"To cook? I thought you wanted to learn?"
I took the spoon and stirred.
"No. No." Thalia's hand went over mine and slowed down my over enthusiastic stirring to a slow and deliberate circular motion. "You're not supposed to stir too quickly," she said, almost whispering. We were standing so close to each other, our shoulders were touching. I glanced at her neck. Her skin is beautiful, I thought. I wanted to kiss it. Beads of sweat trickled down her neck, making a slow journey down to her cleavage. The kitchen was hot. Or was I feeling hot for different reasons? I was incredibly aware of each point our bodies came into contact with each other. What would she do if I kissed her neck? Would she pull back or would she respond by kissing me back? Or what if I lifted her and placed her on the counter, ripped open her dress and…
"Focus on the food, not my neck," she said, startling me out of my daydream. "Hold on to that." She let go of the spoon, to my disappointment, and opened the wine bottle. Then she poured some of the wine, while I stirred, alternating with the chicken stock. After she was satisfied, she closed the pot and lowered the heat.
"Is that it?" I asked. The question felt like innuendo. She inhaled sharply. And nodded. "We just have to stir occasionally, until…"
I took a step, closing the gap between us, and went to stand behind her. My eyes went to the rapid rise and fall of her chest, that even the apron couldn't hide. I snatched her waist. She gasped as I drew her into her arms.
I licked that bead of sweat that had been teasing me. "Until what?"
"Until…" she sounded breathless. She cleared her throat, but said nothing else. Her lips were plump and inviting. I wanted to kiss them, but first. I whipped the wooden spoon in my hand and placed it to her lips. "Did I do good, chef?"
Thalia scoffed, but licked it anyway. "I did most of the—" She never finished her sentence. I replaced the spoon with my lips. She moaned in what sounded like relief. Was she was as hot and bothered as I was? Her eagerness seemed to suggest yes. Her hands went to my neck and pulled me closer to her. I must have dropped the spoon, because I heard a clattering sound as both of my hands gripped her waist tighter. Wanting her to feel how hard I was for her.
"I want you now," I whispered against her lips. She moaned in response. I turned her around, stumbled a few steps forward, and whisked her up onto the kitchen island. She gasped when we separated, but she quickly grabbed me back for an even deeper kiss.
My hands went to her apron. I flipped it up as she untied the strings. She undid my apron, and I got out of it. I flicked down the strap of her dress to her arm and the bra strap followed, revealing her breast. "Have I ever told you that you have the most beautiful breasts I have ever seen?"
"Sure." She looked liked she didn't believe me.
“It’s true.” I clasped my lips on her nipple and bit down. She screamed. “I can’t get enough.” I pulled her to my tightening groin. Her hands played with my hair as she writhed and whimpered while I licked and scraped her nipple. I could feel her wet panties rubbing against my pants. I wanted to be inside her so badly and she wanted the same because her hands traveled down my chest to my waist, where she pulled down my joggers and released my cock. It was my turn to moan when I felt her hands on my me. I let go of her abused nipple and looked up at her. Lust glazed her eyes. I pulled down the other dress strap and pushed down her bra. Then went to her thighs, pushed up her dress and pulled down her panties. They were drenched.
“You’re a greedy little slut, aren’t you?”
“Only for you.” Her voice was raspy with need.
“Don’t worry baby, I’ll give you want you want.” I went down to my knees and dragged her to the edge of the counter. My lips went to her glistening pussy, and she jerked forward as though feeding me. I took what she was offering willingly and lapped her pussy gladly. She thrashed on the counter as I sucked her clit, tongued the inside of her pussy, until I had to steady her with my hands on her thighs. Her back arched and just when I felt that orgasm coming, I got up and thrust my dick inside her.
"Carey!"
"That's right. Scream my name!" I started a relentless pace as I thrust into her as deep as I could. Carey is the only name that should be on her lips when she's in this state. I am the only person she should think about and not some college kid who spends too much time at the gym.
My hands were on her waist to hold her steady as I drove both of us insane with lust. Her breasts bounced in a mesmerizing motion. So mesmerizing that I wanted to feel her nipples on my skin. I paused. Removed my t-shirt, pulled her tight against my chest, and began thrusting again. Her nipples grazed my chest, just like I wanted. I went to her neck and inhaled the sweet scent that was unique to her.
Her pussy tightened, suctioning my cock like a vacuum. She was close. "Come for me, darling." I bit down at the point between her neck and shoulders and her pussy started pulsing, milking my cock as I came at the same time she did. Fuck. That was possibly the best sex I've ever had.
We held onto each other for what felt like a long time. I was comfortable being inside her. Right where I belong. A year ago, I would never have thought like that, but now it made sense. Our fates were intertwined, whether I liked it or not.
Thalia pushed at my chest. "What is it?" I said, pulling back, but not out of her.
"I think we burned the risotto."
"Fuck. I am such a terrible cook, am I?"
She laughed. She sounded genuinely happy. I would do anything to hear that laugh every day. I would move mountains just so she could look at me the way she was looking at me now. Fuck. Was I falling in love?