Chapter 5
Talia
Big Foot – Sparkles, that backup camera, use it, alright?
Asshole.
I got out of the text and continued on my way.
He and my brothers have been receiving the silent treatment from me.
And they would keep receiving it from me.
Until they apologized.
I had just walked into my apartment when my phone pinged.
Curmudgeon Text Thread
Ethan – Talia?
Ethan – Shit, can you please take Melanie over to Fred and Ginger’s house? I forgot about the parent-teacher conferences tonight.
Me – Nope. Y’all don’t trust me.
Ethan – Talia. Come on.
Me – No. You all treat me without a care for my feelings.
Me – Then y’all expect me to jump when you say so.
Me – I’m tired of it.
Garrick – I can’t do it. I got Sage tonight.
Alec – I’m headed out on a mission.
Ethan – Wow. Thanks, Talia, it’s your niece after all, but hey, who gives a damn?
Me – See! That right there!
Carter – That was uncalled for, bro.
Carter – I got her.
Me – She’s your daughter, and this is the fifteenth time in the past two weeks you’ve forgotten about something for her.
Me – Enough.
I clicked out of that thread and wondered if it was Ethan who was dropped on his head as a baby and not Alec.
Then I went to Alec’s name and texted.
Me – Please be careful.
Alec – Always. Love you, T.
Me – Love you too, A.
Badass Chicks Thread
Harlee – Please, Talia, forgive them. I’m tired of withholding from Carter.
Harlee – This is killing me.
Harlee – My vagina wants him.
Tatum – Umm, well, I haven’t been withholding sex, but I did stop calling him Honey.
Tatum – He’s getting pissed off.
Me – This isn’t my fault.
Cassie – I’m with Talia. The way they all acted was wrong.
Lila – Have they even apologized?
Everly – They haven’t, I don’t think.
Me – Nope. They just text about things they need me to do, and none of them have said they were sorry.
Harlee – If they do that, will you forgive them?
Curmudgeon Text Thread
Carter – Sorry.
Garrick – Sorry.
Alec – Why?
Ethan – Huh?
Me – Did y’all just say you were sorry because of Harlee and Tatum?
Alec – Ah. Cassie agrees, we were wrong.
Ethan – Ah.
Carter – I need sex. Come on, Talia.
Garrick – If I don’t get my Honey back, I’m going to murder someone.
Me – That’s the problem. Y’all don’t mean it.
Me – That’s on y’all.
Carter – Oh, okay, so all the times you were in the wrong?
Me – I realized it within a day and have always apologized and meant it.
Me – Without someone pointing it out to me.
Alec – Truth.
Meanwhile...
Operation Apologize To Talia
Harlee added, Carter, Garrick, Ethan, Alec, Dom, Tatum, Cassie, Lila, and Everly.
Harlee – Okay. What can y’all do?
Lila – Well, they can apologize.
Carter – We did.
Garrick – What he said.
Lila – When?
Carter – Fuck.
Garrick – Damnit.
Everly – Y’all only apologized because y’all want something.
Everly – When your actions don’t back up what you’re saying, it doesn’t mean anything.
Alec – Feisty, Everly.
Ethan – Where’s that been?
Everly – It’s always been there, y’all are just men.
Cassie – Preach it.
Alec – Cupcake...
Cassie – Hush.
Alec – Yes, ma’am.
Dom – I’d apologize, but she won’t talk to me.
Harlee – How long has it been?
Dom – Since the hospital.
Tatum – Yeah, I think you hurt her most of all.
Dom – Why?
Tatum – Remember when you were sick a few months ago...
Dom – Yeah... what about it?
Tatum – You thanked everyone for dropping off medicine and food.
Tatum – But you didn’t thank Talia.
Tatum – Dom... we didn’t do anything. It was all Talia.
Tatum – She even took off work a few days because she was worried about you.
Carter – I didn’t know that.
Ethan – Same.
Garrick – Yeah, I thought it was weird you were thanking me.
Dom – And none of you said anything?
Harlee – How about we pull a Talia?
Lila – And that would be?
Harlee – We all find something that embarrasses us, and we do it in front of her.
Cassie – Yeah, she’s done it.
Cassie – Y’all can all do that for her.
I kicked off my shoes, removed my bra, and sighed in bliss.
Then I rummaged through the fridge and pulled out the package of sausage, a bell pepper, an onion, and a pack of mushrooms, then set them on my counter.
I grabbed a cutting board and a knife and started chopping.
I had just finished adding oil to the pan, turning it on medium, and tossed the bell pepper in the pan when there was a knock on my door.
I went to it, checked the peephole, and sighed.
Carter was standing there.
I opened it, lifted a brow, then looked at what he had on, and snickered, then I giggled, then I started laughing.
Because standing there in a pair of hot pink tights, a pink tank-top, a pink tutu, and holding a bouquet of wildflowers was Carter.
“I’m sorry. I mean it, Talia.” He said as he handed me the flowers.
Then I giggled again, “How do your nuts feel?”
He snorted, “Like they’re being squeezed to death, and not by Harlee.
I laughed, “Okay, thank you.”
He winked, then he pressed a kiss on the top of my head.
I closed the door, carried the flowers to the kitchen, and placed them in a vase. Then I added the onions and the mushrooms and allowed them to cook down.
I pulled my phone out.
Badass Chicks Text Thread
Me – Carter is forgiven.
Harlee – *snicker* You should have seen his face in the mall.
I added the sausage, then started the water to boil the noodles, and added salt to it.
Tonight, I was eating a mockup Cajun Pasta dish, one of my favorites.
As soon as the veggies and the meat were done, I added the heavy whipping cream and a dash of beef broth, and I let it cook until the sauce was hot enough.
Then I added a handful of Parmesan cheese to it.
Once it was all melted, I drained the noodles and then plated my food.
I sprinkled a little parsley on top and smiled.
I also pulled the garlic bread out of the oven a few minutes ago.
The moment I set my plate down on my table, there was a knock on my door
I headed to it and saw it was Garrick.
He was covered in grease, as he said, “I just worked on a fucking Tesla truck. Forgive me. Now.”
I snorted because Garrick thought that Tesla trucks were the devil, and he didn’t like them; he loathed them, to be exact.
I nodded, then he winked and left.
Back to the text thread I shared with the girls.
Me – Garrick is forgiven.
Tatum – *giggles* You should have seen some of the texts he was sending me.
Cassie – Alec told me you texted him already.
I was about to take my first bite when again, there was another knock on the door.
I sighed, then got up and walked to the door.
I checked the peephole again, but this time, instead of it being one of my brothers, it was a young boy.
What in the world?
I opened it and said, “Yes?”
He smiled, then he handed me a big gift bag.
Then he left.
Curious, I closed the door, carried the bag to my countertop, and opened it.
Inside was a pair of comfy socks, teal, my favorite color, along with a new paperback of an author I really liked, a box of my favorite chocolates, a comfy-looking throw blanket, and two candles.
What on earth?
Then I pulled out a black envelope.
On the front was a man who had his hands held out.
I opened it and read it.
Talia,
I’m sorry.
I’m a dick.
Forgive me.
Dominik.
P.S. Please.
Then my phone pinged.
I walked over to the table and tagged it.
Big Foot – Did you get my present?
I chewed on my lip and then texted him back.
Me – Yes.
Big Foot – Good.
Big Foot – Open your door.
I frowned, set my phone down, and then walked to my door and opened it.
He stood there, holding a... wait... was that a cake plate?
I stepped to the side so he could come in.
He did so, then I closed the door, and watched as he set the cake plate on the countertop, then he sniffed the air, he looked over his shoulder, “What is that?”
I shrugged, “Why are you here, Dom?”
I caught it, his flinch.
What the hell?
He inhaled a breath, then he said, “Because I fucked up. Shouldn’t have. Should have made time for you like you do for me.”
Then he said, “Why didn’t you tell me it was you who took care of me when I was sick?”
I shrugged, “Why tell you?”
He glared, “Because I looked like an asshole thanking everyone and not the right person.”
I didn’t reply; instead, I lifted my chin to the cake plate, “What is that?”
He opened the lid, then showed me, and I gasped.
Sitting on the cake plate was a strawberry cake, my favorite.
“Took me a little bit, but I made it. Strawberries suck.”
I got what they were all doing just then.
They were all doing stuff they didn’t like to apologize just like I did.
To show me that they were sorry. I would take it.
Then I looked at the bag of stuff and said, “And that?”
He looked at all of it on the counter, then he looked at me, “You know how much I hate shopping. And I’ve never stepped foot in the mall. I got hives from it.”
I chuckled.
Then I sighed, “Have you eaten?”
He winked, then he shook his head.
I tilted my head to the pasta and garlic bread, “Make your plate.”
He winked, then did just that.
I sat down in my chair and waited until he joined me.
He set his plate down and then winked, “Thanks.”
I nodded and then started eating.
When I moaned, I missed the way he shifted in his chair.
And when I moved my tongue to capture an onion slice that was dangling off my fork, I missed his sharp inhale of breath... well.... damn.
We had finished eating, and he gestured to the living room, “Go cue your movie up.”
Then he tagged our plates as I lifted a brow and asked, “What movie?”
He set the plates in my sink and said, “Steel Magnolias.”
I cued it up, then watched as he washed the dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge.
Then he joined me on the couch, and he stayed the whole way through it.
I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep.
And I woke up when I was jostled, only to realize I was in his arms, and he was carrying me somewhere.
“What?” I mumbled sleepily.
He pressed a kiss on my forehead, “Shh, taking you to bed.”
Against my forehead, I heard him whisper, “I’m going to do better. Promise. Sweet dreams, Sparkles.”