Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
TWO MONTHS LATER
Our life slowly becomes a new normal. Jordie is now President of the Vultures of Mercy, and I am the vice president… and Cage took my place as Sergeant-at-Arms. Maribel stays with us most nights, taking over our guest room and as our nanny most days… and annoying Tori’s mother when she does.
Tori is working at her studio in the city today, an hour from our small town.
Which leaves Maribel in our home. Seriously, she has no boundaries.
She comes into my in-home office and offers me lunch, coffee, water, soda, and any other excuse she can come up with.
And so, I am working in The Scrape’s office and regret not going into the city with Tori.
I’m quick to answer the phone when she calls me. “Hey, my love. I’m on my way home.”
“Awesome. Then I’ll finish up here and see you there.”
“Where are you?” I note her shuffling around.
“The Scrape.”
The vehicle door slam reverberates through the phone seconds before the engine roars. All before she finally speaks to me again. “Why are you at the bar? I thought you were working from home today.”
“I needed to work undisturbed.” I answer and instantly bite my tongue.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been at the house too often and I never realized how distracting it could be.” I fidget with my pen, hoping she leaves it at that. She doesn’t.
“Oh. Not you too,” she sighs. “Mom called me, asking if she can have the kids this evening because she misses them. Then she gets all up in my ass about Maribel constantly taking the kids from her and how she’s overstepping. She… in her paranoia… thinks Maribel is trying to take you away from me.”
The thought crosses my mind a lot too. She’s been dressing in Tori clothes more and more.
Often she claims she didn’t pack enough close, or she got something on her own shirt.
She’s also wearing her hair curled and tying it up in a bun…
copying Tori’s preferred style. It’s enough for me to notice… and to chase me out of the house.
I’m just happy Tori’s mom said something before I had too.
“Why are you so quiet?” She asks over the road noise. “Aaron?”
“Ya’know I love you and that will never happen. Ten years and I’m still utterly obsessed with you. You’re in my mind constantly.”
“Aaron,” her voice a sharp chastise. “You’re agreein’ with my mom?”
“I’m not sayin’ that Maribel is tryna take me away from you. And she’s still grieving. But… I think she is oversteppin’. And I do think it’s weird that she’s constantly wearing your clothes and hair style.” I drop my pen and lean forward onto my desk, rubbing my head.
“Wow. I didn’t think that her wearin’ my clothes was an issue for you,” she scoffs.
“It’s not… it's everythin’ put together,” I huff.
I hate that this is an argument. “She makes sure I have breakfast, lunch, or a snack. She comes into my office without knockin’ and she goes into our bedroom closet without you bein’ home…
And when did she get the horse tattoo on her back?
The same one as yours?” Everything I’ve been holding back pours out of me like an open faucet.
“Woah! When did you see her tattoo?”
“She was in the closet when I went to check on the kids. The three of them were in our room, bathroom, and closet. I walked in as she was changin’… So yeah, it kinda is an issue for me and I’m sorry for sayin’ it.” I raise my voice not intending to and rise to my feet.
“You walked in on her… changin’… in our closet?”
“Tori,” I say. “Don’t even insinuate anythin’ between me and Maribel.
I would never be with her in any way. I’m not tempted by her at all.
And besides the fact that I love you with my whole heart and you know it…
she’s Cal’s widow.” I fill a glass with the whiskey that I keep in my office, needing something to calm my frustration.
“I watched you draw that design. I went with you to get it tattooed. So, I know you didn’t get it done together.
” It was right before Christmas break our last year of college.
“I wasn’t gonna insinuate anythin’. Or remind you of who she was to Cal.” There’s a softness to her tone. “I just… I didn’t realize that she was goin’ into the closet without me knowin’, I guess. When was this?”
“Before Cal-” I don’t finish the sentence, instead I sip my drink. “I don’t remember when exactly. But it was right before he died.” I finally say it aloud.
She stays quiet for a few minutes, the road noise coming through the speakers.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anythin’.” I apologize, unable to stand the silence between us.
“No. You have every right. I’ll talk to her.
It’s not fair for you or mom to feel this way.
Maybe my concern for her after Cal died blinded me.
” I hear her sigh become a hum like she does when she has to think about uncomfortable things.
“As far as when she got the tattoo… She got it after seeing it the Spring break after I got it. She asked me if I’d be mad if she got the same tattoo.
I told her to go ahead since-” she stops mid-sentence. “Shit.”
“What?” I ask, sitting down in my chair.
“I hate it when you agree with mom. And hate it more when she’s right,” she replies. “FUCK!”
“What?”
“Now I’m just pissed. She pushed me to ask you to model for my art project because I told her I had a crush on you.
Then she was upset with me when you agreed and explained that I wanted it to be you and me…
and not her.” There’s a pause, a hold on before she continues.
“She wanted to be in the photos too and had assumed she was gonna be in them. When we started spending so much time together, she got jealous… sayin’ things like, ‘you don’t have time for me anymore’ and ‘jeez, you get a boyfriend and forget about your friends’. Shit like that.”
“That explains why you two didn’t talk for years.” I comment, somehow relieved that I’m not the problem or crazy for that matter.
“I’ll talk to her when I get home. Wait ‘til dinner to come home so you ain’t comin’ home to a housefire,” she sarcastically chuckles.