Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
M arius
For two weeks, Ronan and I stay at the house to make sure Eleanor is okay. Kellen comes by every afternoon, and I swear that’s the happiest she is all day. He’s a clown, but he’s a lovable clown when it comes to her.
All the tests came back telling her doctor her blood pressure was dangerously high and she may have had a stroke that afternoon she collapsed in the kitchen, so Ava and Matthias have ordered her to take it easy and do nothing around the house.
She, of course, fought against that, but as of this afternoon, we’ve all worked to make sure she hasn’t done anything but relax.
Sitting in the kitchen with Ava and little Theo as she feeds him something dark green in a jar, I think about what she’d have to say if she ever found out her firstborn son was named after a bastard who only thought of himself. Let’s just hope this Theo doesn’t grow up to be like that uncle.
“Thanks for staying around, Marius. I know Eleanor’s been thrilled to see everyone rally around her.”
I wave off the idea that what I did was anything incredible. “You know me. I love to hang out here with you guys.”
She slips a tiny spoonful of that dark green stuff into Theo’s mouth before turning to look at me. Hesitating, she says, “Not that I don’t love having you here, because I do, but I’m wondering why you’ve never gotten your own place. Is it just a nomad thing?”
It’s questions like that one that make me feel like a shit for lying to my family, but if I told them the truth about my life, then they’d be in my business all the time. God knows I can’t deal with that.
I shrug and flash her a smile. “I guess I’m just a wandering soul.”
“Well, I’m glad that when you decide to rest your head somewhere it’s here. I think it’s good for Matthias to have you around. Without Theo, I have the sense that he was feeling a bit disconnected, like he was so much older than the rest of you guys. Having you hang out bridges that gap for him.”
Once again, I shrug and smile. Ava’s always been too na?ve when it comes to her years as Theo’s best friend.
That kindness and thoughtfulness he never cared a damn about is good for Matthias, and unlike the second born King, the oldest one of us has never not known exactly how lucky he is to have Ava.
I watch her tenderly clean her older son’s face before she refills his bottle. When she sits down again, she lets out a heavy sigh.
“Seriously, tell me how your mother had five kids and so close together. Two are wiping me out.”
“You’re doing a great job, Ava. Never doubt that. Even more, never doubt how much Matthias and the boys are lucky to have you around.”
My compliments surprise her, and she stares at me oddly for a moment or two before smiling. “Thank you, Marius. Are you okay? You seem very…I can’t think of the right word, but you seem different today.”
“Maybe a little more introspective than usual. Don’t worry. I’ll be back to my usual joker ways soon,” I say with a chuckle.
“I like your joker ways. I always have. I like them even more because they lighten my husband’s mood. You have a good effect on Matthias, you know that?”
Waving away that idea, I stand up and tussle the baby’s hair before putting my dirty glass in the dishwasher. “Speaking of the man himself, where is he today? I don’t think I’ve seen him all day.”
“He drove into work today to handle a few things. I think he might be stopping by Kellen and Salem’s place to say hi. Salem’s been so busy with that client of hers lately. I talked to her last week, and she sounded like she was going to pull her hair out.”
For a moment, I try to remember if I know who Salem’s new client is. Oh, yeah. The university president accused of embezzling millions of dollars and running off with a student.
“Is that guy still refusing to behave?” I ask as the memory of something I heard about him flying off to some island instead of sitting down for a scheduled interview floats through my brain.
Ava nods. “From what she was telling me, this guy makes Kellen look like a choir boy.”
I laugh out loud at that idea. “That’s saying something. No one has ever accused that brother of being good.”
“Kellen just has middle child syndrome. He wanted to be noticed, but I bet it was hard being one of five. Strangely, you don’t have that. I think Theo did, though.”
Even though I want to say Theo was just an asshole, I bite my tongue. “I think those two operated on the principle that any attention is good attention. I prefer the exact opposite. No attention at all. I make sure to live my life below the radar.”
“Is that why you never wanted to try anything with Eden? Because then we’d all be in your business?”
Her question catches me off guard, and I’m not sure how to answer. Lie? I can’t tell her the truth, so I guess lying is the only option.
“Yeah, I guess.”
The new nanny walks into the kitchen with Matty and walks over to the refrigerator. “Someone’s hungry now that he woke up from his nap.”
Ava jumps into action, hurrying to get the bottle warm enough for the baby to eat while checking that his older brother doesn’t need anything.
I consider offering to take Theo for a little while to give everyone a break, but before I can, Lynn lifts him out of the high chair and announces she’s going to give him a bath.
“I’ll leave you guys to this. I have some stuff to do today.”
“Oh, please don’t leave on our account. It’s just that we’re trying out a new schedule with the boys to see if we can get them to sleep through the night together,” Ava says as she sits down with Matty in her arms.
I smile and shake my head. “I don’t know how you do it. I’m getting tired just watching you with these kids. I think I have a new appreciation for my mother.”
Ava sighs and gives me a smile. “Tell me about it. Well, have a good day. I think once we’re done eating and Theo is done with getting cleaned up, we’re all going outside for some fresh air and pool time, so if you want to get in on some of that, we should be hanging out for the rest of the afternoon. ”
“Hopefully, my business in the city works out the way I want it to so I can get back to take a dip with my nephews. See you later!”
I leave as Ava juggles Matty and his bottle. I really do love hanging out with everyone here, but I’ve got something even more important to deal with today.
The elevator doors open, and I step out, noticing how quiet the apartment is.
Then again, it’s two floors and way too minimalist for my taste.
We seriously need to get some real furniture in here.
The last owners of this place must have been the type of people who think the word sparse is something positive.
“Hey, Lucy! I’m home!” I call out in my best Ricky Ricardo imitation.
I get no response, but she may not have heard me. I’ll just walk around and see where she’s hiding herself.
By the time I finish searching the first floor and haven’t found her, I’m starting to wonder if she’s even here. She texted and said she was waiting for me. Maybe she meant in the bedroom.
Excited by that idea, I start to undress as I walk upstairs. I’ve got my shirt off and I’m ready to strip off my pants when I see her pacing back and forth across the master bedroom floor.
I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her body. She feels warm against me, and I close my eyes to enjoy it. “Didn’t you hear me when I yelled?” I whisper in her ear.
She turns out of my hold, a sure signal she’s not happy about something. Standing with her arms across her chest and giving off some serious pissed off vibes, she levels her gaze on my face.
“What’s up?” I ask as I toss my shirt on the back of that weird minimalist chair that’s basically a hunk of wood and a single piece of what looks like gray pipe holding things together.
“We need to talk, Marius.”
Never in the history of all mankind has a woman said those words and then the conversation turned out to be pleasant.
Seriously. Do they teach females this that day they take them all out of the classroom in grade school when they claim to tell them about their periods?
Is it something like they show them the ins and outs of menstruation and then spend the rest of the time instructing them on how to make sure males understand they’re unhappy?
I reach for my shirt since I get the feeling this isn’t going to be one of the great naked times we have together. “Oh?”
Although she probably wants me to say something more, I’ve found that saying as little as possible when a woman is upset is the best plan of action. Say too much and they have a ton of ammunition for whatever fight they want to have.
No, the best course for a man is to say the least amount possible. Oh, and be affectionate. That confuses them, which gives the man a chance to avoid the worst of it.
Her green eyes practically stare bullet holes through me. Did I happen to mention that these tactics work on most but not all women? Unfortunately, I’m in love with one of the women they don’t always work on.
Like right now, for example.
She looks gorgeous today. Not that she isn’t always beautiful, but something about her long black hair against the royal blue tank top she’s wearing makes me want to sweep her up in my arms and haul her off to bed, which is conveniently just a few feet away.
Too bad the frown on her face says we won’t be having any good times in the bed anytime soon.
“Marius, I can’t keep doing this. I know you want me to, but I can’t. Not anymore.”
We’ve had this conversation before. At least I know how it goes, not that I enjoy it any more because I’m familiar with it.
“Why?”
Her dark eyebrows come in toward her nose like angry black slashes. Smiling, I lean in and kiss her, hoping to make that expression disappear.
“Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are when you’re furious with me? It’s confusing yet arousing all at the same time.”