28. Chapter 28
28
Malak
M y head was spinning as it tried to figure out just how I went from having sex with three people, one of them my ex girlfriend, to sitting in the driver’s seat while speeding ninety miles an hour down the highway, in complete silence. The tension was so thick, that even in the cold weather I had to have my window cracked just to feel like I could breathe.
The look on Rose’s face before I walked away it hurt — but I was done getting wrapped up in her. I’d let myself get caught up the night before, but I wasn’t going to trust that she wouldn’t make the same choice she did years before, again, not after just one night.
Still, I felt sick to my stomach. My hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“Can we stop at a rest stop?” Kelly asked.
I hummed out a brief sound to the tune of ‘Yes’ before switching to a right lane. My gaze shifted up and to the side slightly. Next Rest Stop 2 Miles.
Another moment and I was pulling into the rest stop, my stomach growling decide the toast I’d tossed into my mouth after getting dressed, before Kelly insisted we rush out of the door before Lindsey got downstairs.
With a sigh, I parked.
Kelly got out of the car, tugging her jacket closed to her body and zipping it up before darting for the main building where the restrooms were. I kept the car idling, and stepped out myself, but without a jacket. I needed the cold air to help clear my head. I pulled my cigarettes out of my jeans pocket, flipping the top of the pack and pulling out the lighter first.
Just as I was putting the thing in my mouth and lighting it, Grey was getting out of the back of the car.
“Can I have one?” he asked.
I eyed him, “No, you have enough problems, don’t need this one,” I mumbled.
“Please, I’ve smoked before, you know that,” Grey told me.
“Yeah, and it’s been a few months since the last time you asked, let’s keep it that way,” I said, shoving the lighter and pack back into my pocket.
Grey stood beside me and bumped his shoulder against mine.
“Not in the mood,” I mumbled.
Grey sighed. “You could’ve stayed there with Rose, you know,” he said, “Me and Kelly could’ve figured something else out.”
My brow knit as I looked over at him. “What are you talking about?” I asked, “What makes you think I wanted to stay there with Rose?”
“Come on,” Grey scoffed, “She was the love of your life, I saw the way you looked at her since we got there. You’re telling me you didn’t want to stay there with her even a little bit?”
I took a breath and looked out over the parking lot, then took a drag, letting the nicotine fuel me.
“Maybe,” I replied and then looked over at him after blowing the plume of smoke in front of my face, “Mostly, I wished all of us could get our shit together, that we were leaving together.”
Grey rolled his eyes, “You know that wouldn’t work.”
My shoulders tensed. “You think it wouldn’t,” I said, “We asked Rose what she wants, what do you want, Grey?”
Grey’s face flushed, though the icy wind might have had something to do with that.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, just as Kelly was walking back over to the car.
“Alright,” Kelly sighed, “I’m kind of still starving, I’m going to go see what’s in the vending machines.”
I looked over at her, my stomach growling, “Shit, yeah me too,” I said, “just give us a minute.” My eyes specifically shifted to Grey, making it clear I wasn’t done talking to him. Kelly eyes us both, opening her mouth slightly but then shaking her head, seeming to decide not to say anything.
“You know what, I don’t want to know, there’s been enough drama,” Kelly mumbled. I watched her hips sway as she turned around and walked away from us and toward the small enclosure with vending machines.
“It does matter,” I said, continuing Grey and I’s conversation as I turned to look at him, “I don’t care if you fuck around with me, but you will not fuck around with Kelly, definitely not Rose. You understand?”
Grey rolled his eyes. “You heard Rose, she’s interested in the two of you, I’m just for fun,” he replied.
I stepped closer to him. “I asked, what you want, damnit,” I huffed at him, “does it matter to you, if you’re just fun or not?”
He was silent before he shrugged and looked to the side. “I’m here for whatever,” he replied.
I growled softly under my breath and shook my head. “Whatever, I’m fucking hungry,” I said and turned around, heading for the vending machines as well. No conversations should be had anyway while hungry.
As I walked over to the vending machines, I could hear Kelly’s voice, muffled slightly, and at first thought she might be talking on the phone; until I heard another voice. A masculine voice. I made my already large strides larger, rushing around the corner like a tiger ready to protect its mate.
The first thing I saw was Kelly standing beside one machine, her face contorted in annoyance, but not a hair out of place. The second thing I was a man, I didn’t really process his pale hair color or dull skin, all I saw in that moment was him standing barely two feet from Kelly, and his body language said everything I needed to know. He stood there, comfortable, too comfortable.
“No, I’m not interested,” Kelly said, folding her arms over her bust, her shoulders slumping down a bit. Though her body language was anxious, her voice was clear and definite.
I waited a moment, my fingers twitching as I did my best to let Kelly handle it herself, but as the guy shifted just a fraction of an inch closer to her, I lost my cool.
“Hey, she said no,” I said, stepping forward.
The man’s eyes shifting over to me, first landing at my chest, underestimating my height, and then flying to my face.
“I’m just making conversation,” he insisted, “I’m on a sixteen hour drive.”
“Yeah, one you’re trying to invite me on,” Kelly accused.
I stepped closer, towering over the man. “I’d continue driving, if I were you,” my voice was low, steady. I tossed my cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.
“Jeez,” he mumbled and stepped forward, then around me. I was willing to move on. Step closer to Kelly, figure out what to get from the machine, when I heard him mumble under his breath again.
“Bitch.” He said.
I was too hungry to let that slide. I whirled around, and in a single stride made it over to him, and grabbed him by the back of his windbreaker, pulling him almost off his feet and around to face me. My hand switched to the front of his shirt.
“Malak!” Kelly said, alarmed, but I held onto the man.
“Apologize,” I growled, and turned around, shoving the man forward but keeping the fabric of his shirt in my hand, causing his neck to strain.
“Christ!” the man gasped. I saw Kelly’s wide eyes, flushed face, but I didn’t care.
I yanked on the fabric tighter; he coughed and wriggled. “Fine!” he huffed, “I’m sorry.”
I pulled him back around and away from Kelly.
“Go,” I told him, and shoved him away from me.
The man went stumbling forwards and away from the small building, towards the parking lot.
I turned around to look at Kelly, whose face was even redder than it had been before.
“I could’ve handled it, Malak,” Kelly insisted.
I removed the space between us, looking down into her soft, round face. “I know,” told her, “but you shouldn’t have to, and as long as I’m around, no one is going to get away with calling you a bitch.”
I watched her pupils dilate, and her lips part to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth.
“Protecting those I love, is the most important thing to me,” I told her, my voice lower, wanting her to know that my words were only for her, “I’ll apologize for many things, but I will never apologize for protecting you, understand?”
Kelly gulped and nodded. Her fingers brushed along the front of my shirt, curling against me for a moment.
“I’ve never met anyone so…kind, but scary when they need to be,” she told me.
“Well, when you grow up the way I did, you learn to defend yourself and those around you. You can’t be weak,” I said.
Kelly’s gaze shifted to my arm, I knew she was remembering the scars I had shone her. She looked down, towards the ground, but I could tell she was looking at her legs. She sighed.
I grabbed her chin between my index finger and thumb, tilting her head back up.
“Hey, listen to me, you are not weak because of what happened to you,” I told her.
Kelly’s eyes glistened with tears. “But I didn’t fight,” she replied, her voice cracking slightly, “not hard enough.”
My jaw set, and I caressed her chin with my thumb, “Mentally, emotionally, you fought,” I told her, “You still fight, I can see that.”
Her bottom lip trembled, and she looked away from me. It was quiet for a moment until I heard the sound of steps to the side. I let go of her chin and turned around quickly, on edge.
Just Grey.
I exhaled.
“What’s going on?” Grey asked, his hands in his pockets, looking completely unaware. His eyes darted to Kelly. “Are you okay?” he added, sudden concern lacing his eyes. I saw the same protectiveness in dose green eyes that I felt in my entire body. As much of an asshole as Grey could be, I wanted to protect him, too, and we both wanted to protect Kelly. Though, I worried it would be Grey I’d be protecting her from if he didn’t get his shit together.
My brows furrowed.
It could be me I’m protecting her from too, shit. But I can’t not share the club with her. She’s had enough lies.
“Some dick trying to get Kelly to ride with him,” I explained, “I handled it.”
Grey’s eyes darkened, and he looked behind him for a second. “So, that’s what that guy running to his car was about,” he mumbled, “Lil’ bitch.”
My shoulders tensed at his word choice, but I kept my mouth closed.
“He didn’t touch you, did he?” Grey asked.
“No, you think he’d be alive if he did?” Kelly asked.
Grey smirked crookedly and looked into my eyes. “Not even a little.”
It was quiet for another moment; the wind whistling the trees and rattling the thin walls of the small building.
I heard Kelly inhale from behind me. “Well, that’s over with,” she said, “There’s no hot foods available, but there is hot beverages in this machine, and a bunch of snacks in the other. The closest thing to actual food being beef sticks.”
When I turned around to look at her, she chuckled softly. The tension broke at the sound of that sweet laugh. I smiled.
“Well, guess we’ll have to make do.”
Another forty minutes and a stomach full of lukewarm coffee, two protein bars and a small bag of pretzels, and I was pulling my old reliable car into the parking lot of the apartment building. My gaze shifted to the rear-view mirror, where I saw Kelly leaned against the window, asleep or half asleep. Either way, I didn’t much want to wake her. The night before had been exhausting, and the morning had been too, though in two very different ways.
Still, as I pulled into a spot, I didn’t have much of a choice. The car rumbled off, and Kelly gasped softly as she woke.
I nudged Grey, who had his head leaned back, eyes closed, earbuds in. He opened his eyes, and looked around, making a ‘oh’ with his mouth, and pulled the earbuds out and shoved them and his phone into his jacket pocket.
“Home sweet home,” I teased as I took my seatbelt off. I opened the door and stepped out of the car, opening Kelly’s door for her before she could get to it. She smiled softly at me, a tired look on her face, and some crumbs from her bag of chips on her sweat.
I chuckled and reached forwards, brushing them gently off her and onto the pavement.
“Oh,” she blushed, “Thank you. God, I am going to be so happy to get some actual food in my stomach.”
“We could’ve eaten breakfast at your dad’s if you hadn’t been so worried about Lindsey,” Grey reminded her as he hopped out of the passenger seat.
“Oh please,” Kelly sighed, “you looked paranoid every second we were in Holly, like you were worried your family was going to see you.”
Grey’s eyes flitted over to me for a moment, then back to Kelly. “I wasn’t so much worried about them seeing me,” he replied, but didn’t continue.
“I’m gonna head inside, shove some leftovers into my mouth and go back to sleep for the day,” he said, “got some work tonight.”
Kelly was pulling her bag out of the trunk when she spoke, “Malak’s your boss, right? Can’t he just give you the night off of the dance club?” she asked.
Grey and I’s eyes met. “I dunno, can you give me time off from the dance club?” he asked.
My ears heated up. I closed the trunk after taking my own minimal bag out of it.
“Just go inside,” I told him. Grey rolled his eyes and headed for the front door.
I looked over at Kelly, who looked confused. “What?” she asked.
I took a breath and stepped closer to her. “Uh, look, I know we kind of let you have the impression the club is a dance club,” I told her, “but it’s not really that.”
Her brow furrowed, and she chuckled weakly. “So, what is it like a strip club, not a general club?” she asked, “You didn’t have to keep that from me, I support dancers.”
I pursed my lips. “Not quite,” I said, “I’ll tell you more later, after we’ve eaten,” I insisted.
“Uh, okay,” she mumbled, narrowing her eyes, “You just get more and more mysterious.”
My eyebrows raised for a second. “Yeah, it’s complicated.”
Several BLTs later, none of us were in the mood to talk. With full stomachs, we were all conked out. Grey in his room, Kelly laying on the couch and me sitting on the other end of the couch. The only sound besides our snoring was most definitely the basketball game on TV at a low volume. If anything, it had lulled Kelly to sleep even more than the food.
By the time we’d all woken up, it was time to shove more food in our faces.
I’d just barely managed to wake Grey up, but as the sun was setting, there we were. All three of us sitting together on the couch, staring mindlessly at the evening news while doubling down on some Chinese takeout.
Grey finished first. He popped up from the couch. “Dibs on shower,” he said and quickly darted down the hall.
“Damnit,” Kelly hissed, and kicked a foot playfully against the coffee table.
Our eyes met, we’d barely said anything to each other once we got home, too hungry, tired, reflecting.
“So, about the club,” Kelly started, and scooted closer to me, “tell me.”