Chapter 19
Caleb remained at the house with them. He was using the guest room and Mariyah felt that having him around was helping her recover faster.
Last checkup the doctor was happy with her progress.
She needed a few iron injections which hurt like hell but they made her feel a million times better.
No longer weak, Mariyah was able to move around again.
The doctor said she was lucky they got to her when they did.
So feeling better then she had in days Mariyah showered and dressed in jeans and a simple single.
She left her room and was excited to finally be out of that cell.
Wanting to find Caleb and spend every last second with him she made her way to the living room where Olivia was sitting looking at bridal magazines with a few other girls.
"Are you supposed to be out of your room?" Mariyah rolled her eyes at her dumb question and continued searching for Caleb. She found him and Zak sitting outside talking about something that seemed important.
"What the fuck Mari?" Zak quickly got up and helped her.
"Are you supposed to be out of bed?" Caleb shook his head at her.
"I wanted to spend some time with you. I've been cooped up for way too long." Zak tensed at her words. She took a seat between Zak and Caleb and felt a tug in her heart. The two men she loved beyond anything.
"You shouldn't be walking around." Zak gave her a worried look.
"Doctor said I'm doing great."
"He also said you need to rest." Caleb's turn.
"All I've done is rest."
"Don't bother Caleb, she has a bad habit of not following orders." Zak's turn.
"You’re telling me…" And Caleb again.
"Okay shut up the pair of you.” They were being dicks. “Tell me Caleb, how’s your business going?"
"Really well. I have been offered other work. I might leave the business for a while. Maybe move around the area to spend some more time with you."
"Caleb, I would love for nothing more but you need to keep working, set yourself up, I can't keep holding you back."
"Mari, if something happened to you... And I wasn't here by your side..."
"Well nothing happened to me. I can't allow you to fuck your life up again because of me. I'm a big girl Caleb." She knew Caleb and she knew he wasn't going to settle unless he was certain she would be okay.
"Zak has offered for me to stay a while. Until you've had enough of me." Mariah’s heart sank. Was this another means of black mail? She looked at Zak pleading.
"No strings attached Mari. As long he doesn't interfere with our relationship it's all good." Mariyah didn't like that idea. She wouldn't be able to handle Zak hurting Caleb, Caleb wouldn't sit back and watch her be abused. This was a bad fucking idea.
"Maybe it's better if you find a place to rent if you’re going to stay for a little while." She didn't want to say it but needed her brother to understand it wasn't a good idea.
"If that's what you want..."
"No it's not, it's just that, things can get a little crazy here. You will feel the need to defend me and it will get messy." Caleb looked lost.
"Why would you need defending here?" He looked at Zak waiting for a reply. Oh god...
"Because I can't seem to keep myself out of trouble. Olivia and I are not the best of friends and it gets a little heated."
"Thanks for the offer Zak, I'll take it." Mariyah rolled her eyes at her brother, jerk was not listening to her at all.
***
Having Caleb around was fantastic, Mariyah didn't feel so alone.
She was on the mend and felt as good as new.
Mariyah avoided being alone with Zak, she didn't want to discuss the whole baby thing.
It was too much for her to handle. Olivia was as bitchy as ever and Mariyah tried not to let it affect her.
One night at dinner she was going on and on about the wedding. Mariyah was hating her life.
"So Zak, daddy thinks that Mariyah should be a bridesmaid, he said it's fitting as she is your niece. Can you believe that? Even my wedding, she is going to ruin even my wedding."
"Olivia no… Put it out of his head." Zak shook his head.
"Daddy wants it. He is so taken by her that he can't see straight. I'm so fucking sick of it." Mariyah noticed Zak's jaw clench. Not a good sign. If Caleb thought this conversation was strange he didn't comment.
"I said no."
"Well you can tell him. He's been bugging me to invite her since the party.
He wants to ask her to move in with him.
You must have made such an impression with him.
Tell me did he take you to his room to show you his art pieces?
" Zak was getting riled up and Mariyah could sense his jealousy was rearing its ugly head.
"Bite me!" Mariyah snapped at the dumb bitch. "Your father told me how insecure you are when somebody more attractive than you comes along. Yes your own father said that."
"Mariyah for fucks sake shut up." Of course Zak always shutting her up.
"What? She's calling me a whore?"
"If the shoe fits…" Olivia retorted bitchily. Mariyah was really losing her cool. She stood up ready to attack that fucking bitch when Caleb grabbed her around her waist.
"Settle down." She looked at him and then at Zak.
"What both of you now think it's alright for that to call me a whore?”
"Mari let's go." Caleb all but held her outside. She pushed away from him and sat with a thump. He laughed at her.
"You think this is funny? You are just as fucked as Zak is."
"Calm down, since when did you become such a hot head?" She looked at him and couldn't help herself she laughed.
"You know what's funny, I don't think I could even take her on. The only person I've ever struck was Zak."
"What the time where you scratched him in the slammer?" She shook her head.
"No I've slapped and punched him a few times and I've thrown things at him. I warned you it’s some crazy ass shit in here." Caleb looked at her like she was daft.
"Where is my sweet sister and what have you done with her?"
"She grew up." They heard Zak and Olivia yell at each other "You not going to ask me about that?" She was referring to Zak and Olivia's relationship.
"No." Fine she didn't want to tell him anyway.
"Zak she is ruining my life. What about me? What about us?" Olivia’s whining voice was screeching and Mariyah put her finger in her mouth acting as though she was gagging.
"I'm not getting into this with you again, that’s it Olivia drop it. Tell your father to lay off, she will not be at the wedding. End of story." Zak sounded so over it.
"Why not? Daddy will not accept it. He wants her bad, it's your own fault taking her to the party, she was parading herself like a ..."
"Don't say it Olivia, stop with the insults. Let it go."
"Please tell me then how I can make my father understand that this is not going to happen? I can't remember the last time he was that hung up over a woman." Zak banged his fist on the table making Mariyah’s heart jump from fright. Fuck… Olivia needed to shut her mouth right about now.
"Make him understand, otherwise he's a dead man." Zak stormed outside and Mariyah braced herself.
"Did you enjoy yourself at the party? Ha? Now you have a fucking drug lord lusting over you. Is that what you were after? Had to aim big?" Oh he looked furious. Caleb sat casually leaning back in his chair, he seemed so okay…
"I told him you would kill me if I took him up on his offer. I also told him that I was in a serious relationship."
"You are fucked up in the head. Do you know what will happen if I go to war with him?
Your little fucking exhibition is enough to start an all-out war.
So tell me how do you expect me to fix this?
" Mariyah bit her lip, she didn't know what to say.
"Nothing, you got nothing? You can never seem to keep your fucking mouth shut, now that I want you to fucking use your mouth you have nothing to say? "
"Why does it have to be a war? I don't want him can't he accept that?" Zak shook his head.
"Men like us don't accept rejection. You haven't realized that yet? How the fuck did you ever have teaching as your career?" Zak was trying to hurt her with his words. She just shrugged her shoulders not wanting to make this into something. "Fucking women." Zak stormed inside.
"Always in trouble. It's actually quite refreshing having somebody else deal with you." Caleb smiled and winked at her.
"Shut up…" It was true she always got herself into so much trouble only it wasn’t Caleb to fix it this time… Zak was taking the responsibility now.
***
Mariyah noticed that Zak and Caleb were spending a lot of time together.
Always in the office or on the phone or talking to each other without anybody overhearing.
Even Eric was in on it. Mariyah hoped that Caleb wasn't going into business with Zak.
So when she got a minute alone with her brother she asked him.
"Caleb are you working with Zak?" He looked uncomfortable.
"Mari, it's got nothing to do with you."
"Don't you remember the last time you worked for people like him? This is a bad idea Caleb, a really bad idea."
"Nothing is going on, what's with your paranoia?"
"I know something is going on. I'm sure of it."
"Don't pry Mari, it will only get you in more trouble."
She was going to get to the bottom of it. What were they up to that was so secretive? Bad news that's what.
That evening after dinner Mariyah noticed that the men were outside discussing something, looked like it was top secret, Mariyah casually walked outside forgetting she was only in her cotton shorts and her single with no bra. "What ya doing?" She asked as she took a seat beside Caleb.
"Mari what the hell are your walking around in?” Mariyah’s face heated up.
"For fucks sake." Zak said almost simultaneously.