CHAPTER 7 #2
She shrugged. “Not happier. I just didn’t know how great it could be.
I also got burned way too many times. Malek fits my level of crazy.
He’s my person. I think if you’re doing your best to outrun all this, and it’s not working…
Dec is that person for you too.” She shifted in her chair and rattled the ice in her empty glass.
“Dude, this is ridiculous. I gotta pee, and when I get back…if she hasn’t come back to this table, I vote we ditch this place and get tacos. ”
“Bet.”
She left to find the bathroom, and I sat there, blankly staring at the mushy lemon that looked an awful lot like my current state of mind. Sour. Bitter. Used up. Sev’s right, though. Tacos and toenails are the only fix for this mood. If I don’t get my feet in some hot bubbly water soon, then—
“Hi, sorry about that. Are you ready to order?” I glanced up to see our evasive waitress. Looks about my age with a long, shiny blonde ponytail that’s curled at the end. Way too much makeup. Way too little class. The way that her eyes cut to Seven’s empty chair didn’t sit right with me.
“Convenient timing on your part. She just went to the bathroom. What’s the deal? And don’t say there isn’t one, you’re making it way too fucking obvious.” Her plump pout pursed, and she shifted around uncomfortably.
“I don’t—she’s just…”
“She’s just what?”
“Isn’t that the chick that works in the funeral home? It’s weird, and it gives me the creeps, okay? I don’t mean any offense, but—”
I raised out of my chair faster than should be fucking possible.
Glancing down at her name tag, I leaned into her face and relished in how pale she got from my audacity.
I needed this. “How’s this, you call her fucking weird again and I’ll smack the ass fat outta your lips, Amber.
” I flicked her tag with my ruined fingernail and people started turning their heads toward us around the restaurant.
“It’s okay, Bridge.” Sev stepped forward and reached around our waitress to grab her bag off of her chair. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do! This is bullshit!”
“Let’s just go. I’m hungry. We’re gonna pay more for less here, anyway. It’s not worth it.” She went to move towards the door, and I grabbed her arm, turning her around and sneering in Amber’s face, that went from pale gray to beet red.
“You gotta granny that took a long nap recently, bitch? She have a nice service? A grandpa? Your last hot date that conveniently died of pure boredom? How’d they look?
She did that. You ever treat her any less than the goddess she is, then I’ll make sure your paperwork is wrong and your ass ends up in the crematory! ”
“Bridget…”
I snapped my head towards Sev, and the look on her face broke me. “No. She owes you an apology.”
“It’s okay…”
I knocked over my water. Then Seven’s glass of ice.
Shit started spilling off the table and I raised my head to look at Amber.
“Apologize.” She went for the glass that started rolling, and I smacked that off next, gaining the whole joint’s attention when it shattered on the floor.
You could have heard a pin drop after that.
I yanked her by the collar and gripped it in my fist, baring my teeth. “I said…apologize.”
Amber stuttered, her stupid mouth opening and closing with words that wouldn’t quite form until she croaked out, “I—I’m s-sorry…I…” I shoved her down into Sev’s chair and she yelped.
“Your plastic surgeon needs to be fired…bitch.”
I felt my murderous urges start flaring up inside me.
The demon was rattling its cage and begging me to put Amber on my impulsive list of Witherle Woods residents.
I’m fighting it with everything I have. I’m also fighting another urge to shove that sorry ass lemon into her teeth.
I reigned in my crazy and turned to leave instead—bumping into my brother’s broad chest.
“M-Mal?”
His face was as solid as stone with utter rage. Seven pinched the bridge of her nose and cursed under her breath as he stalked towards the table. Nobody moved. He put a hand on both arms of Amber’s chair and leaned into her face.
“Is marthanóir tumadóireacht muifí mé agus is breá liom seacláid hippie.”
I had to cover my mouth to keep it from exploding.
Seven stood there in utter confusion. Poor Amber looked like she was about to piss herself beneath Malek’s psycho stare and the voice that he lowered to something that resembled Satan himself.
He kept the charade going and stood up intimidatingly slow, making eyes at several other people in the restaurant and slinging an arm around Sev’s shoulder as I followed them both out the front doors, snickering under my breath.
“What the hell did you just say to that girl?” she asked.
I could barely get the words out as I broke into heinous giggles. “He told her he was a muff diver survivor and loves hippie chocolate.”
“What?!”
Mal shrugged, slipping his sunglasses on with a shit-eating grin.
“Both are absolutely true. I barely made it out with my windpipe intact this mornin’ when you—oof!” I looked over to see Sev’s elbow in his gut.
“Don’t sit here and act like you’re macho and don’t sound like the beginning of a Salt and Peppa song every time you blow a load, Malek. What are you even doing here?”
“First of all, gross…second, I second that. What are you doing here?” I asked, stopping us in the middle of the sidewalk.
“I popped in at Leviticus, and your dad said you left for the day. Naturally, I had to stalk you.”
Sev crossed her arms and I swore the look she gave him was something I’d never seen in her before. It did something to my insides. “God, you’re like…a tongue at some middle school birthday party. Can’t call like a normal person?”
“I’m not a normal person, Nathair Bheag. Is this about…”
“No. Shut up. We’re gonna go get tacos. I told you I’d be there and I will be. Girl time, Dexter. Shoo.”
Now that I think about it…I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look on Mal’s face before either. And I don’t like it. Something’s up. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, whispering something I couldn’t hear and then shoved his stupid hand in my hair, tussling it until I squealed.
“Have fun eatin’ Javier’s pubes.”
Puke.
We both cursed him to kingdom come as he strolled off.
There’s nothing better than a hot neck roll, a massage chair and steaming towels on your calves after the week I’ve had.
I should be ashamed to feel this good after the way I’ve treated Declan.
My head rolled to the side and Sev’s mouth was hanging open, her head laid back while one of my favorite nail techs massaged her feet. I grinned.
“And to think…you never cared to do this by yourself before me.”
She closed her eyes and gave me the finger, smiling. “Also, something I wasn’t aware could be this good. Sue me. I actually kinda understand why people have foot fetishes, now. Thanks.”
“It’s not the same thing, stupid,” I snorted.
“Neither is morse code!”
We laughed for a minute, but when it got quiet, I couldn’t help myself. It’s bothering me. And I know I might have to give up a secret to get one outta her, but…I need to know. I can come up with something to satisfy her, I am the Jedi master of bullshit, after all.
“What was that about back there? Before we got street meat?”
Sev scoffed and shook her head before turning it my way. “I knew you weren’t gonna let that go. It’s nothing. And I’m not saying that because I’m trying to hide anything, I say that because it literally is nothing…not yet, anyway.”
“Is something wrong? Do I need to cut a bitch?”
“Jesus, what is it with Byrnes and butchery? No…no, it’s…Malek’s trying to talk me into some shit I’m not sure I’m ready for, and I promised him that we’d go to this fancy doctor. That’s all.”
I nearly jumped out of my fucking chair.
“You’re having a baby?!”
“No, dude. He’s been spending a lot of time around Greg and the girls. A couple months ago, he came around to the idea that it’s something he’s ready to do. I can’t say I’m especially ready, but…I also wouldn’t mind having a little Emmy or Vivian. Those girls are my world, you know that.”
Why is my heart beating so fast? Ugh, it’s disgusting. But also…kinda fucking love it.
“So, you’re trying?”
Sev shook her head. “Not really. We’ve just stopped preventing it, and as much as we tend to be adventurous…
well…we thought we’d be seasoned by now, you know?
” Something in my chest felt heavy and it suddenly dawned on me why Malek would freak out about it.
About her. “We haven’t even told my parents yet.
I’d rather keep this all hush until we see where we’re at with everything.
I’m also fine waiting a couple more years. ”
“So…the fancy doctor? It’s fertility?”
“Yes and no. He apparently does everything. Malek said we’d both get a thorough round of tests and shit, and then go from there.
He’s not pushing it, I think he just wants to make sure we’re both good.
I feel like he cares more about every little thing now that he stopped not caring.
I swear I see this flash in him every once in a while that brings me back to when we first met.
I know he struggles to figure out his place, and I know it doesn’t mean he’s not happy, Bridge…
he’s just…human. Having a baby would give him a chance to feel like one, for once. I get it, I really do.”
…And he’s probably terrified that the other half of his soul will be ripped away from him again…just like Shavonn and our mother…