Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
BONTE
“Eros.” I sigh his name, reaching out for him. My eyes pop open when I find nothing. “Shit.” I blink, my eyes adjusting to the room. How have I gotten so used to him being close to me already?
We’re not at the cabin any longer. I wanted out of the place at one point. Now I kind of want to go back. I didn’t realize how nice it was being away from everything and everybody.
“Binx. What are you doing?” He’s sitting on the fireplace mantel. “How do you get up to these places?” I slip out of bed, going over to him. “Did you give this place a proper inspection?” I get a sleepy meow from him. “Do you know where Eros is?”
Did he really leave me alone? I get that he has a life, but everyone has uprooted mine. Don’t be grumpy, I tell myself. He’s probably talking to his family or something. It’s then I see the note on the side of the bed.
“He doodled a heart.” I don’t know why, but I find that wildly adorable because it does not seem like an Eros thing to do.
I trace the heart with my finger, forgetting to read the words.
When did I turn into a lovey sap? The first note said he was downstairs, and the second said he had to step out, but he’d be back.
How long was I asleep for? I still feel tired. I’m sure it’s emotional more than anything. I don’t know what to make of all this, mainly my dad. I suppose I never have. I avoid those thoughts in my head so I don’t have to face the reality of them and where I stand.
A small scream makes me jump back up from where I’d sat down on the bed.
My eyes fly to the door, and I hear muffled arguing.
I walk over to the double doors and press my ear to them.
They're too damn thick to make anything out.
I should ignore it. This place is loaded with people, but curiosity always gets me.
I turn the knob, trying to open the door quietly and only enough so that I can peek out.
It’s all in vain because when I do, two sets of eyes are locked on me. It’s Mac and Naomi. “Hey,” Mac says.
“Hey,” I respond back, but my attention is on Naomi.
“We’re here to make sure you don’t need anything,” Mac tells me.
“And that you’re not trying to escape,” Naomi adds.
“Don’t tell her that.” Mac hits her arm. “We give the illusion of freedom.” I hold back a laugh.
“That’s great and all, but what the hell is Naomi doing?” Her current situation has all my attention. She’s in the center of the wide hallway and appears like a giraffe born two seconds ago.
“I’m training,” she responds matter-of-factly, as if I should know this.
“To be a stripper?” I toss back, making Mac burst into laughter.
“I can’t.” She keeps laughing. “I’m just like picturing it.”
“I could be a stripper.” Again, Naomi is dead-ass serious, and I snort a laugh too. “All right, are we going to do this or poke fun at me?” She folds her arms over her chest.
“I feel like we can do both.” Mac glances at me, and I nod in agreement. I open the door farther and step out into the hallway.
“For reals. What are you doing?” Naomi has a pair of heels on. It doesn’t match the getup she’s changed into, which appears to be workout gear but the kind that fits snuggly.
“I want to learn to wear heels.”
“All right.” I step more into the hallway.
“You’re not going to ask why?” Naomi asks.
“Sure.” I shrug nonchalantly. “Why?” I wasn’t going to because Naomi gives me the vibe that the more you ask, the less she gives, and it appears I’m right.
“I want to learn to play a part. To be seductive."
"Let's see it." I now know what the scream was because Naomi takes a step and almost falls again, but Mac catches her, keeping her on her feet.
"This is like the blind leading the blind." A flash of irritation shows on Naomi's face before she masks it. I bet she's good at most things, and she's not mastering this very quickly. I can see how that would easily frustrate her.
"You're the one who didn't want to ask Nix," Mac points out.
"I'd never hear the end of it."
"Want me to help?" I offer. I find it fun to get dressed up when the occasion calls for it. My style is just a tad different than most, but I rock heels when needed. Part of the fun of dressing up is you get to be a different person if you want. A whole new persona if you wish.
"Really?"
"Yep." I walk over to stand next to her. "Now, you have good posture already. That really helps. But balance is key too. Keep your weight in the center of your foot."
"All right." Naomi stands up even straighter, and I watch as she shifts, getting a feel for what is the center. "Now what?"
"We start with short, controlled steps." Naomi lifts one foot to take a step, but I motion for her to stop. "You place the heel down first, then roll through to the toes."
"Got it." Naomi takes a few steps. "It works." Her brows perk up. That might be the only thing of hers that perks.
"Keep going," I encourage, letting her go a few more steps. I follow beside her. "Now stop looking at your feet. Eyes straight ahead and chin up. Sometimes confidence, even if faked, can help more than you realize. Own it."
Naomi does just as I instruct, but her arms remain stiff. Mac is fighting a laugh. "Relax your arms at your side." I mean, she’s not perfect right now, but she takes direction well.
Naomi goes up and down the hallway a few more times. Now she seems to be picking it up quicker. I swear I see a flutter of excitement, but with her, I can’t be certain.
“What’s going on?” We all turn to see Nix standing at the end of the hallway, her arms folded over her chest. She’s in a Golden Prep cheer uniform.
“Just hanging out.” Mac rocks on the balls of her feet. “Shooting the breeze.”
“Shooting the breeze? Really? That’s what you come up with?” Naomi glares at Mac. “I’m practicing walking in heels,” she finally answers. It’s clear Nix isn’t moving from her position at the end of the hallway until she gets the answers she’s after.
“And she was teaching you.” Nix points one of her bright pink painted fingernails at me. I get hit with a weird guilty feeling that I have participated in a cheating scandal. There is hurt written all over Nix’s face that she wasn’t included.
“It’s not what you think.” Mac steps toward her.
“Oh, really.” Nix gives a dramatic eye roll that almost looks painful. I didn’t know eyes could roll that far, but when they’re done, they land right back on me.
“I, uh—” What the hell do I say? “They’re cheering me up. Helping me feel welcome.”
“Oh, don’t give them excuses. I get excluded all the time, and I get it. Sometimes, but this…” She points to Naomi's heels. “It’s way over the line.”
"Nix." Mac gentles her voice.
"Whatever." She throws up her hand. "Just so you know, I got moved to varsity cheer. Not that anyone cares." Nix turns around and stomps off.
"Varsity cheer is hard," I say to fill the silence. They do crazy flips and throw each other around.
Mac lets out an audible breath. "We need to go check on her." Naomi simply nods in agreement. "You'll let her do your hair." Mac adds this, which causes Naomi to purse her lips, but she nods again.
"Are you good?" Mac asks me.
"Yeah, don't worry about me," I tell them. It's sweet they're going to go check on her.
I suspect that, as the youngest, she often feels excluded and takes it personally, even though I believe it's not intentional. If I have noticed anything when it comes to the Marinos, they let their children go in whatever direction they want, not caring what their gender is.
"What's wrong with Nix?" Kinsley asks, coming down the hallway toward us. Her eyes widen a fraction when she sees me standing there.
“We’ll leave you two to it,” Mac says, taking Naomi with her. We stand there staring at each other, an awkward silence stretching between us.
“I’m sorry,” she blurts out. “I pulled you into this.”
“You want to come in?” I motion to the doors. I’ll have to do this at some point. I might as well hear her out. That way we can both begin to move forward.
“Yes, I’d love that actually.”
Kinsley follows me into the room. “Oh my gosh. Is that the infamous Binx?” She walks over to the mantel, where he is still snoozing. He opens one eye, assessing her, before allowing her to give him a few pets.
“Yeah, Eros went and got him for me.” I sit down on the end of the bed.
“I’m sorry about everything,” Kinsley says after a beat, filling the silence. I nod. “You’re still mad.”
“I don’t know what I am,” I tell her honestly. “I understand that you didn’t put me in the hole, but once you found out—”
“Eros had already taken you.”
I nod again. “I get that, and I should be done with it there, but it still feels like I got fucked over and forgotten. He took me, so you then, what?” Kinsley’s lips press together. “It doesn’t matter. It’s my own shit.”
“It does matter, but I’m also not going to give you a string of excuses. I just want you to know I am sorry, and I am really fucking happy you’re here.”
Well, shit. I can't even argue with that, but logically I also know that while Kinsley might have pull with Jax, Eros had gone off the grid. There wasn't much she could do if I’m being honest with myself.
"I'm kinda happy I'm here too."
"Really?" Kinsley perks up.
"Yeah." I huff a breath. "I'm into that sociopath Eros, and I kind of like you too." Kinsley can be strange in her own way and also a bit of a loner.
"Sociopath." Kinsley snorts a laugh. "I think it's in the Marino blood."
"I hope that kind of shit isn't genetic, or I'm fucked." Kinsley snorts another laugh but quickly covers it. "No, it's fine. You can laugh." It's clear Jax must have caught her up on a few things.
"I mean, you did already kill someone, so the odds aren't great." She smirks. "We're doing gallows humor, right?"
"Always." Nothing is better in a fucked-up moment or even a sad one than dark jokes that can only be shared among people who are close or get it.
"I still want a hug." She walks over to me, and I stand up and hug her. "We normies have to stick together."
"I'm not sure you get to call yourself normal if you fall in love with a Marino." I tap my temple. "You can't be all okay up here if that's the case."
"I can't argue with you on that."
Isn’t that the truth.