Chapter 35 – Mabel
Chapter Thirty-Five
MABEL
Watching the smirk on Paul’s face as he lined up that stupid shuttlecock, and served straight into Jude’s eye…
yeah, I saw red. Every part of me wanted to jump from my camping chair, stomp over to my little brother and ask him what the hell he was thinking.
I wanted to grab two fistfuls of his shirt and shake him until he told me why he hated Jude so much and just beg him to get over it.
Did I do any of that?
No. Of course not.
Did I follow my Mama to help make sure Jude was okay and offer him a sliver of the comfort he gave me when we were alone?
Well, now you’re just talking crazy.
I sat in my camping chair, doing my best to keep my features natural while Lola turned on our brother and, in a much calmer tone, asked Paul why he was being such a jerk.
Anika was quick to take Henry inside as Paul sputtered for answer.
Patrick had followed Mama D into the house and Elle was stomping over to me while the twins talked in hushed tones.
“I’m getting real fucking tired of this. PJ needs to get his shit together.” Her arms were crossed and I could see a pink tinge on her cheeks as she glared at our siblings.
“I know, I was planning on talking to him tonight but maybe I should let him stew in whatever the heck just happened and talk to him tomorrow…”
I was being selfish, again. I didn’t want to have to think about trying to talk to Paul when Jude was hurt.
I wanted to go find him, pull him to the closest comfortable surface and wrap myself around him.
For the foreseeable future, if possible.
I shouldn’t be putting my wants ahead of Elle’s worry that Paul was going to ruin a once in a lifetime experience for Patrick.
That’s where my focus should be.
“Yeah, give him ‘til tomorrow. Maybe their twin telepathy will kick in and Paul will pull his head out of his ass.” Elle grumbled out, shooting one more glare at Paul before turning and walking towards the house.
I didn’t want to keep watching Paul and Lola talking.
Everything was so messed up and I needed some time to think, so I made my way back into the house with the rest of the family.
I’d need to pull Lola aside before we went to bed tonight to see if she could provide any more information after her conversation with our stubborn brother.
“Oh, you stop teasing him!” Mama scolded Patrick as she pressed a wet washcloth against Jude’s eye.
He was sitting in one of the club chairs with his head tipped back, resting on the top part.
The pressure of his hand on the washcloth caused a few drops of water to squeeze out that ran down the muscles of his straining neck, water sliding down veins as he kept his head tipped back.
Fuck, he was so effortlessly hot.
It wasn’t fair.
“I’m just saying, chicks dig an eyepatch. This could work for him.”
“Eye’atches are for ‘irates, Rick!” Henry’s sweet voice was just what I needed to cool my libido and small, teeny tiny, flare of anger at Patrick’s insinuation that Jude needed help getting ‘chicks’.
“Oh, you’re so right, big guy. Good thing Jude’s gonna be just fine.” Mama reassured the youngest and cutest of the family.
“Yeah, I’ll be just fine, little dude. No need to worry about any pirates.
” Jude held out the hand that wasn’t holding the washcloth to his eye for a high five that Henry very enthusiastically returned.
As required by law, Jude shook his hand out like Henry had packed quite a punch with his little smack.
Henry’s giggles filled the space as the door opened, Paul and Lola finally done with their conversation and rejoining the party.
“Alright, I think we’ve had enough excitement today, Henry, do you want to pick out a movie to watch while me and your mommy make dinner?
” You could feel so much tension in the air and Mama was quick to redirect it.
Anika pushed herself up from her seat next to Henry and hurried to the kitchen.
I wasn’t going to assume anything but it sure looked like she was avoiding getting within arm’s reach of Paul as they crossed paths.
“I”m going to go wash my hands and then I’ll come join you, okay buddy?” Paul calls out. Henry nods absentmindedly as the TV turns on. Patrick flips through various streaming systems, trying to find something that Henry would want to watch while also keeping the attention of the adults in the room.
The movie did not keep my attention, I was too focused on tracking Jude’s movements out of the corner of my eye.
It was a lot harder than you’d think. Eventually, I couldn’t stand it any longer and left the movie-goers to see if Mama and Anika needed any help with dinner.
They shoo’d me away with the declaration that I made lunch so I got a brief reprieve in my food responsibilities.
Not sure what to do with myself, I decided to head to my room.
Maybe some alone time would calm my nerves.
My room still smells like Jude. No matter how much I don’t want it to, breathing air that reminded me of him calmed my nerves quickly. The only thing that would be better would be getting it direct from the source.
I allow myself a minute to be a brat, jumping onto my bed and grabbing a pillow to scream into.
That felt good, so good that I went for a second round. This time with the addition of kicking my legs in frustration as well .
“Mabel?”
Great, now I was imagining Jude’s growly voice.
“Mabel, are you okay?”
Son of a—
The mattress dips as Jude sits on the corner, one of his giant hands wrapping around my ankle. Instead of screaming, I decide to bite the pillow.
“Come on, Trouble. Let me see that pretty face.”
Oh, he is good. It distracts me enough that I’m not gripping the pillow tight enough to keep it on my face.
“There you are.” That sexy little smirk isn’t able to keep my attention, no my gaze flits over his face until it comes to a rest on his poor red eye.
I don’t think, don’t hesitate. I just throw my body towards his, wrapping my arms around his body and press a light kiss on his cheek bone.
With one arm wrapped around my waist, his hand settles just barely over my butt cheek.
I can’t go far once I remove my lips from his cheek, tucking my head into the space where his neck meets his shoulder and squeezing him tightly against my body.