Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
FALLON
M y whole life I have always worn flowy dresses and some kind of sandals to go with them. I never picked out my clothing; it was always just there hanging in my closet. I’ve never given much thought to what I would choose if I had the opportunity.
When I saw other girls in magazines or on television, I would pick out which items of clothing I thought were cute, but I never let myself think what it would be like to have it for myself. You didn’t put those ideas into your head because it would only end in disappointment. If you didn’t have dreams or desires, then there was nothing for people to take from you. That is how I learned to live.
Now standing in Willa’s closet, going through clothes to possibly wear feels surreal. But as fun as it is, it’s also overwhelming. I should be jumping up and down at all the choices in front of me. Yet I find that I’m indecisive now that I have so many options.
“I’m not sure.” I hold the pair of jeans up against me.
“You want to show some leg?” Willa pulls out a pair of jean shorts.
“I think they’d be adorable on you,” Teddy adds with a sweet smile. Everything about Teddy is warm and welcoming. It’s no surprise that everyone gravitates to her.
“How about I let you guys pick?”
“Oh, I can do that.” Willa rubs her hands together. There’s a devilish glint in her eyes.
“I have an idea. Do you care if I go into your bedroom to grab something?” Teddy asks.
“My bedroom?”
“Yours and Rich’s. I think you’ll love what I have in mind.”
“It’s Rich’s room.” I don’t want to allow someone in if he’s not okay with it.
“Well, it’s yours too now,” Teddy says with a small laugh. “And if you’re okay with it, I’d bet my life that he will be too. He’ll love this idea.” I really want to know what Teddy might have up her sleeve.
“Okay,” I agree. That’s all Teddy needs to hear before she is darting out of the closet.
There is safety in knowing that Rich never does get mad or upset with me.
“Now, I’m thinking the shorts, and I saw you eyeing these boots.” Willa picks up the short black ankle boots that have a cute buckle on the side of them. “I have a hair clip that matches the buckle too.”
“All right,” I agree, letting her do her thing.
I slip into the shorts before pulling the boots on. They’re comfortable and don’t hurt when I walk in them. Willa pulls me out of the closet to her vanity, where she gets to work. It doesn't take her long. She plays with my hair for a bit before putting the clip in and doing a touch of makeup.
The clip does match the boots. I can't help but smile when I see myself in the mirror. I know it was Willa who got me ready, but it feels like I'm more myself than I ever have been before. This is especially true when I'm wearing Rich's hoodie.
"You like?" Willa asks.
"I love it."
"Oh, looking good," Teddy says this as she walks into Willa's room.
“Thanks.” I notice she has a white shirt in her hand. It hits me that I really don’t want to take off Rich’s sweater.
“Now, I know you love the sweater,” Teddy starts. Am I really that easy to read? Then again, I’m always wearing one of his hoodies. I don’t care whether it’s hot or not. “But I did a little stitch work and crafted the fabric so that it’s not drowning you.” She holds up the shirt that is plain white, then turns it around to show Rich’s last name across it.
“That’s his.” I step forward and take it.
“Yep, I stitched the side so it bunches cutely at the bottom. This way you can see you have shorts on. The hoodie hides them.”
“Oh shit,” Willa laughs. “You’re so right. Rich would not have been a fan of her in the sweater and people thinking there is nothing underneath. At home it’s fine, but out…” She shakes her head. “These men are possessive.”
“You really think it would upset him?”
“He wouldn’t be upset with you. He’d just take it out on someone else.” My stomach twists. If Rich got pissed at me, he’d take it out on someone else.
“As in whoever is checking you out and hitting on you,” Teddy fills in for me. “That’s who would get his wrath. Like Willa said. The men are possessive around here, and those fights are like a nightclub at times with people looking to hook up.”
That is the last thing I want to think about. The idea of Rich hooking up with people makes me want to throw up. It twists my stomach in a different kind of way.
I take the shirt from Teddy and change into it. This will let everyone know I’m with Rich. I don’t want to be hit on, and I don’t want to meet someone that Rich has been with either. That’s not going to stop me from going. Maybe it should, but with all this talk of hookups, I want to go more. To see for myself what goes on in places like this. I’ve never experienced any of it, and although it scares me, it also excites me some too.
I know Rich told me he’s not that type of man, and I want to believe everything he’s shown me, but I have been burned so many times before. Especially by the man I’m supposed to trust the most in my life: my dad.
“It fits perfectly,” Willa says with a happy sigh.
“I thought I had it right.” Teddy checks around the bottom part of the shirt. “You fall a touch between Willa’s and my size, so it was easy.”
“For now.” Willa taps Teddy’s stomach.
“You’re one to talk.” Teddy rolls her eyes playfully.
“Ladies,” I hear West say as he knocks on the partially open door. “Are you ready?”
“Let me grab my shoes.” Willa darts back into her closet before we all head out together with West driving us.
“We have to get you a phone,” Willa tells me, clicking away on hers.
“Rich lets me use his.” I play with it occasionally. I don't have anyone that I would text or call, and social media is a world I don't understand, but TikTok does make me laugh. It has a lot of funny clips, and it’s a good distraction.
“He already ordered one,” West informs us. “I think when he left the house today, he realized that she needed one. It will be here tomorrow.”
"I'm sure he's going crazy being separated from you."
“You think?” I ask Willa.
“Oh, I know, but let's go sleuthing and see if anyone has posted.” Willa clicks away on her phone. She tilts it toward me, making it clear she’s okay with me watching over her shoulder. “Oh my God.” She starts to laugh. “Someone is talking about how Rich is prowling around the warehouse.”
“Prowling around?” Teddy laughs. “Doesn’t he normally just stick in the back?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only been to a few, and Rich isn’t too chatty about the fights.”
“He’s not chatty about anything.” Teddy adds.
“He talks a lot,” I say before I can think better of it. Well he does to me, anyway. I swear he would probably talk more if I opened up.
“It’s cute how you’re also defensive of him.” Teddy says.
“Only speaking the truth.”
“It’s not a bad thing.” Teddy turns in her seat to face me. “It’s good. People are defensive of the people they love.”
“Sit properly.” West reaches over and presses Teddy’s shoulder to make her sit correctly in her seat. “It’s not safe for you to be leaning that way,” he adds when she shakes her head at him. I can’t help but notice how attentive he is to her. Always fussing over her and making sure she’s okay. It’s very endearing and shows just how much he loves her. It reminds me of how Rich treats me. I mean, not that he loves me or anything.
“She’s right. It is a good thing, and soon you’ll see we all love Rich, and when you all love each other, that means you get to pick on each other.” Willa’s expression is dead serious.
“She’s right,” Teddy adds. “It can be the funnest part. It’s all in good fun.”
“It’s all a family loving each other,” Willa tacks on.
They are right when I look at it from that perspective. They aren’t the family I grew up with. And I do love watching all of them banter back and forth.
“Oh.” I point at Willa’s screen when I see Rich.
“It’s a video someone posted.” Willa clicks the play button. You can't hear the conversation between Rich and a pretty blonde in a short dress and heels. My breath hitches when she reaches out to touch him. Rich quickly grabs her wrist. Then the video cuts off.
“Send it to me,” Teddy says. A second later, her phone dings. “Isn’t that Cassie?”
“I think so. She was older than us, right?”
“Yeah, but on an island, it’s hard not to know everyone.” Teddy shrugs. “But I will say she was a bitch, and it seems she hasn’t learned not to touch what doesn’t belong to her.”
“No shaming, but the girl does love to touch everything.” Willa says.
“Oh, I’ll shame.” Teddy sits up straighter. “I’ll only do it when someone goes after a man they know is taken.”
“No one knows about me,” I point out. As much as I don’t care to see this girl trying to touch Rich, she might not know.
“Maybe so, but that’s her MO, and I know it for a fact. Besides, everyone knows not to touch Rich. He hates that shit. It took years for me to get him to be okay with some hugs,” Teddy adds.
“Teddy’s a big hugger.” Willa nods quickly in agreement.
“Maybe you should stop hugging people,” West is quick to add. The girls ignore him.
"I remember Cassie having a thing for Rich even back in school. Girls like her aren't accustomed to receiving rejection, and when they do, it only intensifies their desire to have the thing or person they can’t get."
I try to take in what Willa and Teddy are both saying. There is no need for me to be upset, but I can’t help the swirl of emotions that fills me. He did stop her from touching him.
“Oh,” I breathe out when West pulls down a long driveway. Fenced metal gates are open for people to come and go, but there are two men in all black standing near them.
“Those are some of my husband’s men.” Willa reaches over and takes my hand. “You’re safe with us. All these men know who to protect.” I nod. I believe what she is saying, but I will feel a million times better when I see Rich.
My attention shifts to the ocean, focusing on when the lighthouse shines on it. The memory of what the lighthouse meant to me the night I escaped from my dad’s boat flashes through my mind: freedom. But also anxiety and fear and a mix of other emotions. I push them down and remind myself that I’m safe. I’m surrounded by good people that support me. I should have expected coming back here would conjure up all sorts of emotions in me. I just need to see Rich, and then I know I will settle.
There are a bunch of boats out there, but I can’t make them out, and there had been many that night too. I have tried to think back to the day and see if I had overheard anything about them going to the fights, but I haven’t been able to recall much.
West pulls around to the back of the warehouses to let Willa and me out. Teddy is going to park with him and they’ll walk in together. When I step out of the SUV, it feels like a million years since I was last here. So much of my life has changed.
Willa hooks her arm into mine. Before we can get to the door, it’s opening for us, once again revealing a man in all black. Must be a uniform or something. He nods to Willa and me, not saying a word.
“Hey, Peter.” Willa doesn’t shy from talking to him.
“Mrs. King,” he greets back as we pass.
“I just really like hearing them say Mrs. King,” Willa whispers next to my ear.
I notice when we pass the men who are clearly security, they are all focused on us.
“It’s okay. They are only watching over us. They're under orders.”
“Are you all worried something is going to happen?” I probably should be too, but all I can focus on is seeing Rich.
“You can never be too safe. I mean, this isn’t legal, after all.”
Right. I think I often forget about laws. My father served as judge, jury and the executioner. His laws were the only ones that mattered in my world.
Willa checks her phone. "Oh, Vasily said Rich is up next. We should hurry." I have no choice but to walk faster with her, as our arms are still looped together. It's probably a good thing because I would have slowed down when I heard the chatter of the number of people and saw the crowd. Being around so many people at once is unfamiliar to me. Once again, I feel overwhelmed.
"There are a lot of people here," I say.
"Yeah, my brother is super popular."
Her point is only proven when a man steps into the center of the ring and announces the next fight. The crowd goes wild when they say Rich's name. I glance around at all the people trying to take this in.
Then my eyes land right on her. It's the same girl I saw in that ridiculous video. She has her arms wrapped around a man. A man I know all too well.
The man that should be my husband…and he’s staring right back at me.