Chapter 12 #2
I was not prepared for that. It knocks me back in my seat, and my eyes burn like I just took on far more horseradish than I could handle.
“I don’t know why Mom is the way she is.
We’ve had it out more than a few times, most of them lately.
She denies she ever did anything wrong. Maybe, in her mind, she was only trying to keep me from being hurt as a kid.
I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll ever understand.
” She slows for another light and turns to me, looking utterly serene.
I have no idea what well she’s drawing that calm out of, but I’d like a drink.
“I’m an adult now. We didn’t have a relationship for a long time because I didn’t know how to get there.
And if it gets left too long, the gap gets wider and wider, and there’s no bridge.
” She chuckles, tapping the wheel with her thumbs to some kind of internal rhythm.
She never turned the music on. “It’s kind of funny that by almost ruining your own life, you kind of saved us. ”
“You saved me. It’s supposed to be the other way around. A parent is never supposed to be saved by their child.”
“Pssssh,” she snorts, rolling her eyes. “I’ll always need you guys, but I’m responsible for me now.
I’m an adult, too, not a kid anymore. And I didn’t save you.
I just helped you get there. The rest was up to the universe.
” She slants a hopeful look at me before the light changes. “It can still be up to the universe.”
“Should I give you my list of reasons why it can’t be with Bellatrix now or later?”
“Mmmm.” She puts a finger to her jaw, contemplating. “How about never? How about we turn that list of frowns upside down, so all the no’s become yes’s? Let’s make it a day for positivity.”
I put my hand on Mika’s arm before she can eject herself out of the vehicle. “I don’t want her to get hurt.”
She doesn’t even hesitate before she replies, “I know. And I don’t want you to get hurt, either, which is why I ship you both. Bellaleigh. Rowllatrix. You’d both make a nice combined name. And nice babies.”
She shakes my hand off, laughing loudly, and pitches herself out of the car.
My head swims with confusion, my heart with longing.
My chest is somehow convex and concave at the same time, and now my face is scarlet.
I know what I want. And it’s incredible that Mika is giving more than her blessing.
I think I even know what Bellatrix wants.
But what is the right thing? Not in the eyes of society, but to protect Bellatrix so that whatever decisions she makes, she’s glad she made them.
I could wait a lifetime for her to be sure, but is that right too?
She’ll want things I can’t give her, things that just won’t work, given our age gap.
I can’t just forget that. I know that when she looks at me, she sees me.
She didn’t know who I was that night in the lounge, but that feeling we both had together?
It hasn’t changed. She doesn’t care about the money.
It’s just…timing. Now. Years from now. Sure, it’s fear too. Fear of hurting her. Me. Mika.
It’s a lot.
It’s even more terrifying that it’s not a lot. That it is, but it could be chipped away and slowly overcome, talked out, thought out. That time would and could work wonders.
“Dad! A little help here!”
I eject myself out and grab the two heavy paint cans Mika is struggling with.
She loads her arms with as many rolls of wallpaper as she can carry.
At this point, she looks more like a walking home décor store moving up the sidewalk.
Even though the handles bite through my palm, I shift the cans to one hand and grab the trays and rollers. I’ll come back for the rest.
Mika moves fast, so she gets Bellatrix’s initial response. I walk up to them in the middle of a conversation that is heavy on the protest side (Bellatrix) and even heavier on the we’re doing this, and we’re doing it right, right now side (Mika).
“I know you have the best intentions—”
Mika cuts Bellatrix off. “My intentions are completely nefarious. I swear, I’m planting secret cameras to get your mom’s reaction the second she sees this place.
It’s really all about self-gratification.
Your evil doll bear child thing is rubbing off on me.
It’s turning my soul into a dark, dark place. ”
That effectively silences Bellatrix’s protests. She sighs and is ready to let Mika into the house with all that life-changing wallpaper when she spots me.
Her eyes widen while my brain short circuits.
She’s casual today, with her hair down and flowing all around her shoulders and no makeup on.
Her eyes are emphasized by her glasses, while tight yoga pants emphasize every bit of her legs and probably outline her bottom in spectacular detail, along with a fuzzy cream sweater that is falling off of one shoulder, sans straps of anything else underneath.
In short, she looks as goddess-like as she always does.
My mouth dries out.
My nipples start to tingle.
My abs tighten.
And my cock goes from already halfway there at just the thought of Bellatrix to a full-on rager of a beast ready to tackle painting, wallpapering, and banging Bellatrix up against a wall that may or may not be dry yet.
Fuck.
That last bit was just my brain having a laugh at me. That will not be happening.
“You brought your dad,” Bellatrix whispers.
Mika shrugs, which makes at least twelve rolls of wallpaper bounce up and down. “Yeah, I thought we could use the extra labor. I’ve never put up wallpaper, and it looks like a big job. I know you have a ladder, but I brought everything else we’ll need.”
“I…I can’t let you do this. I don’t have any extra money this month to pay you back.”
“That’s why it’s my treat. Consider it an early birthday present.”
Bellatrix’s throat bobs, and behind her glasses, her eyes get shiny. She launches herself at Mika, hugging her with all the wallpaper between them. Mika laughs, dropping everything between them to hug her back.
“Feel free to give Rowleigh a hug too,” Mika says as soon as she steps back and starts picking the rolls back up.
“Mika!” I hiss.
Bellatrix is far more attuned to Mika’s humor than I am. She just smiles at me shyly and raises her hand in greeting. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Thank you for coming. I promise not to kill you with manual labor.”
“I make no such promises.” Mika lets loose an evil chuckle.
I set the paint down and get the rest of the supplies. By the time we have everything in the small entrance, Bellatrix has her pink kettle whistling away and three cups on the counter.
“I was going to say that I call taping, but it looks like fussy work. Actually, all of this is fussy. Too much math and precision. I’m glad I brought my dad. He’s good at math.”
How on earth does she even know that?
“You have to be,” Mika says with a shrug. “You run all those hotels.”
“Accountants are good at math,” I state.
“And you.”
I slip my shoes off. Mika told me to wear old clothes, which to me is a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Mika studies me as Bellatrix pours the hot water. “You should get some tattoos, Dad. They’d look good on you.”
Bellatrix misses the third cup completely, spilling water all over the counter. She gasps and quickly grabs the tea towel off the stove’s handle to mop it up.
“And drive a bike,” Mika adds.
“Join a gang, shave my head, go around in all leather…” I continue.
“No.” Mika points at the barn-find bear up on the bookshelf in the living room.
The condo is small, and you can see from the door through the kitchen to the living room.
The stairs to go to the second floor are right at the entrance.
“No, don’t let the bear invade your soul and plant dark thoughts.
Just a bike and some tattoos would do. No need to become a one percenter. ”
How does she even know what that means?
“Don’t have a heart attack, Dad. I’m not interested in dating a biker or getting one for myself. I was joking. Mostly. Tattoos are great though.”
Mika will do what she wants to do, but I’m partly relieved. For now.
Bellatrix repours the one mug full of steaming water and then nods at the cups. “Matcha, so we have the energy to tackle this.”
“What’s the game plan?”
Bellatrix laughs. “First, I have to get changed. Second, I guess look at the inspiration photos, match what you bought, and give it a go.”
“Just like that?”
She visibly bites the inside of her cheek, putting on a brave face. “I think so. If it’s bad, we can always take it off and paint over it, right?”
“Right. And you said you wanted to do the flooring, so we don’t have to worry about making a mess.”
“I do. It’s just old roll laminate, and it’s not doing well.”
Mika walks over and wraps an arm around Bellatrix’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ve got this. When all the colors are up, and the place looks like five billion dollars, we can go to the flooring store and pick something out.”
Bellatrix shakes her head. “I can’t let you pay for that.”
Mika shrugs. “You can. And you will.”
“Mika, I—”
“It’s all my dad’s money anyway. I have lots of it saved up. More than I’ll ever know what to do with. Let me spoil you. If you ever sell this place and make a profit because of the renovations, you can pay me back then. I’ll give you all the receipts.”
Bellatrix elbows Mika. “You know exactly what to say to make me agree.”
“That’s part of being your bestie. Mind reading powers and the sister soul-to-soul connection.
” Mika pauses, and I can practically see it coming—the inappropriate ending she’s going to tag on.
She cues me with a wink in my direction.
“If you want one of those with my dad, I think that’d be awesome. ”
Bellatrix sputters, coughing. “Sorry,” she rasps. “Lingering cough from the cold.”
“You’ve been over it for days.”
“It’s still lingering,” Bellatrix insists. “I’m going to go change.”