Chapter 1 #2
“She’ll milk you dry, Remi. Why are you falling for her shit? Why are you looking the other way when she’s treating your people like shit? Why are you allowing it? If your idea of happy is to put distance between you and everyone you’re close to, you’re doing a hell of a job.”
Remi tossed the last piece of wood out onto the front lawn and stood by the door frame the door used to be in. “Can you just leave?”
“No. I came here to find out what the hell is going on with you. You think I haven’t heard about you running around town with a different girl every night? I’ve heard. And I looked the other way until you hooked up with this one.”
“She cares about me. You just don’t know her!” Remi insisted.
“Remi, she’s not even met us and she’s causing trouble. She’s threatened me and shot dirty looks at your neighbor and her little babies. What the fuck kind of woman tries to intimidate a woman and her little kids?”
“She was just tired. We stayed up all night.”
Brandt nodded. “What night was that?”
Remi grinned, like he thought it was funny. “All of them?” he asked with a laugh.
“That’s not funny. It’s not cute and it’s not even slightly amusing. What the fuck are you doing to your life?”
“What life?” Remi bellowed at Brandt. “You want to stand there and lecture me about my life? I have no fucking life! None! I lost the woman I love because fate decided to give me a different mate! And now she’s dating my fucking neighbor!
And the mate… the mate won’t even fucking talk to me, because I still love my girlfriend!
I’m alone, Brandt! I’m fucking alone, and I’m so, so, so fucking miserable that I can barely breathe!
Do you understand that everybody else gets to go home to their happy little houses with their happy, perfectly loving fucking mates and I come home to this miserable fucking place with nobody!
Nobody, Brandt! And when I do I can’t even fucking get drunk for longer than an hour before I’m sober again!
What kind of fucking relief is that? None!
Then I get to wake up bright and early the next morning and go to work where I’m surrounded by all you happy, glowing, can’t wait for every hour of your fucking days to get even happier motherfuckers again!
What the fuck did I do that I get to be so fucking miserable every moment of my fucking life?
I’m good to every fucking body! I’m kind, and I’m patient, and I do anything for anybody - family or not — and I get ripped apart coming and going!
I’ve had efuckingnough! I can’t do it anymore!
I’m not okay! And nobody fucking knows or takes the time to even pretend to care except Olivia! ”
“We are your family, Remi. We love you. We’re trying to help you.”
“No, you’re not. All you want is to be sure your peaceful little lives aren’t interrupted. That’s fine. There won’t be anymore interruptions.”
“That’s not the point, Remi. How can we help you if you don’t turn to us? You keep all this shit inside and when we ask you pretend everything is just fine and you’re enjoying your bachelorhood. You tell me what you want me to do to help you and I will.”
“By leaving me alone. Just leave me the fuck alone.”
“You have a lot of responsibility to this clan. We depend on you. We need you to be a present and fully functioning part of it.”
“I am doing my best. Right now all I can manage is to barely keep my head above water and Olivia helps with that.”
“You don’t need Olivia. You need to lean on your family.”
“Don’t feel like I’m supported much by family, Brandt. Why don’t you do us both a favor and get out of my house and back to work.”
“Because the minute I leave, you’ll have her back over here. She’s not welcome on our property. I’m warning you.”
“Then I’m not welcome on your property.”
“Don’t do this, Remi. Don’t draw your line in the sand over a convenient piece of…”
“Do not call her that! She gets me! She cares about me! She is at this point the only future I have! If you cared about me, you’d understand that!”
“I understand that you’re feeling alone and lost. The easiest most convenient answer is not always the right answer.”
“Bye, Brandt.”
“I expect you to be at work within the hour.”
Remi huffed a sarcastic laugh. “Sure thing.”
“We care about you, Remi. You’re family. We can help you through this.”
“I got things to do,” Remi said, walking away from Brandt.
“Yeah, you do. We’ve been working since 7:00 A. M.! What time are you starting?”
The only answer he got was the slam of Remi’s bathroom door.
“I’ll see you at work!” Brandt yelled. He shook his head as he walked out of Remi’s house, carefully picking his way through the pieces of wood that used to be a very nice door. “So fucking stubborn,” Brandt muttered as he got in his truck and drove away.
~~~
Remi waited only long enough for Brandt to leave his house, then he quickly changed clothes, ran his fingers through his hair and minutes later was speeding down the street he lived on.
He pressed the button on his steering wheel and waited for the hands free assistant to speak to him.
“Who do you wish to speak with?” a mechanized female voice asked through the sound system in his car.
“Call Olivia,” he responded.
“Calling Olivia,” the voice answered, as the sound of a ring tone sounded.
The connection barely finished the first ring and she was answering by yelling into her telephone. “I’m gonna tell you what! You are not going to just stand there and allow that man to disrespect me that way!”
“Sorry, Livi. He’s been our leader for so long that nobody goes against him. It’s kind of an agreed on thing that he leads our generation.”
“I don’t care who he is, or what he thinks he leads. He disrespected me. I will not accept that kind of behavior! It’s him or it’s me. You decide!”
“You know it’s you.”
“I don’t need this,” she grumbled.
“I know. Just calm down and we’ll work it out, okay?”
“It’s not okay! I will not stand for it and you will cut everyone who doesn’t treat me with respect out of your life, or I won’t be a part of it!”
“I know. I do know. I’m sorry for the way he treated you. It’s unacceptable and I will talk to him about it.”
“Hmpf! You better.”
“You know I will.”
“Where are you now? It sounds like you’re driving. Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes.”
“Where? I thought we decided no secrets.”
“No secrets, baby. I’m coming to find you.”
“I deserve better than being disrespected endlessly.”
“I know. And that’s why I’m coming to find you so you’ll know that it’s you I support. If I have to cut them all off, I will.”
“He’s not even your family.”
Remi hesitated.
“Did you hear what I said?” she snapped.
“I did. And he is my family. They all are.”
“I didn’t say they weren't. But if I don’t count at all, then why are we even bothering to spend any time together?”
“You do count. More than you know.”
“We’ll see.”
“You do.”
“It’s okay if I don’t. There are plenty other men who’ll appreciate me and make sure that I know it. I do not have to put up with this.”
“I know. I do, and I completely understand. Don’t assume I’m like all the others. I know what it’s like not to be appreciated.”
“Good.”
“Are you hungry?” Remi asked.
“I don’t even know if I could eat. I’m still so offended, what I really need is a drink.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m already home.”
“Meet me at Vince's? They have food and liquor.”
“I don’t feel like driving all the way back out there.”
“I’ll come get you.”
“That’s fine, I guess. But how do I know you won’t let someone else disrespect me?” Olivia asked.
“It’ll never happen. Come on. It’ll be fun. We’ll have more drinks than we should, maybe find room for some food, and then we’ll spend the rest of the day together.”
“Maybe. I did say I’m still offended.”
“I’ll make you feel better.”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on. What can I do to make you smile?”
“Nothing! I just have so much on my shoulders right now. I can barely pay my bills because the bank screwed up my account! It’s a lot to worry about!”
“You know what? Let me pay them for you. Then we can relax and enjoy the rest of the day.”
“No! I don’t like anybody to pay my way. I do it all myself. It’s a matter of pride!”
“I know. But consider it a gift. You don’t owe me anything at all.”
“I don’t know. I have to go find an outfit to go visit my sister this weekend, too. There’s just so much I need to do instead of drinking all day.”
“You pick out the outfit and I’ll buy that, too.”
“Oh, I couldn’t! I don’t want you or anybody else to think I’m taking advantage of you.”
“How can you be taking advantage of me when it’s me that’s offering?”
“Are you sure?” Olivia asked.
“Never been more sure,” Remi answered.
“Well, if you’re sure I guess it couldn’t hurt anything, just this once.”
“Great! I’ll be at your place in a few minutes.”
“You better not make me wait too long, or I’m not going.”
“I know. I’m on my way right now.”
Olivia ended the call on her end, then laughed and high-fived her roommate.
“Girl, you got him all kinds of tied up,” her roommate said.
“You gotta know how to work ‘em,” Olivia said with a smirk.
“Where’d you meet him again?”
“In a bar. He was drinking himself silly and whining about some stupid girl. I knew he’d be easy the minute I laid eyes on him. You just play sweet and loving long enough and they’ll give you everything.”
“Get what you can while you can, then dump him, huh?” her friend said.
“Oh, not this one. He’s pretty, and he’s got money, and he does whatever I tell him to. I’m keeping this one. At least as long as he gives me what I want.”
“Better watch out for that girl. If he’s all upset over her, she may work her way back in and knock you out of your comfy little place.”
“Oh, no, honey. I’m not taking that chance! She can’t take him back if he’s not allowed to speak to her. I got this! It’s not my first rodeo!”