16. Secrets of Sucré Estates #2
“Which was cool with me, but my mama lost it. She started calling his house and harassing his wife. When that didn’t work, she started beating my ass ’cause she thought I looked like him.”
My hand flew to my mouth with a gasp. I gotta tell Orim.
“I knew she was a bitch!”
He turned his head slowly and looked at me.
Damn it. I done got too excited.
I winced. “My bad.”
He shook his head slightly and continued.
“Anyway. She ended up overdosing when I was in high school. I don’t know if it was intentional or not. When the courts got involved about my custody, they saw all the marks she left on me and told my dad.”
His voice went flat.
“You know what his bitch ass said? ‘I knew she was beating the bastard ’cause she told me she’d kill him if I don’t leave my wife. I told her I don’t know why she kept him to begin with’.”
I swallowed hard.
See, now I wished I never asked, ‘cause now I’m traumatized by this shit.
“Where is your dad now?”
“He’s in a nursing home.”
“Hm. I’m guessing y’all don’t talk.”
“No. He had the option to take me in, but he passed. So I got sent to foster care. And they was whooping my ass worse than my mama did.” He rubbed the back of his neck and I could see the faint scars beneath his tattoos when his arm faced the light.
Is that why he’s so tatted? To cover it all up?
“But it wasn’t all bad,” he added when he saw the look on my face. “I met your dad. And he put me on game. He was a real hustler, but he settled down with your mom.”
He stopped walking again, this time fully.
“They good people. Both of them. Always good to me.” He finally looked me in the eyes. “And here I am… fucking on their daughter.”
I shifted awkwardly, reaching up to play with my earring.
“I mean… when you put it like that.”
“I come from shitty people, Rabbit. I might be just as shitty and shady as them.”
I shook my head. “You’re not.”
“You sure?”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “…I mean, fucking me isn’t exactly moral…”
He let out a breath through his nose. “I hate this conversation.”
I nudged his arm lightly. “Hey. You want me to tell you something fucked up about myself so you feel better?”
He gave me a look, “…sure.”
I kept messing with my earring, suddenly avoiding his eyes.
“I lowkey miss Jason sometimes.”
“Oh, fuck off with that.”
“I’m serious!” I stepped in front of him now, forcing him to look at me.
“Get the fuck outta here. No way you actually care about that goddamn waxmaker.”
“He was nice!” I said, hands moving as I spoke. “Like, I know it’s my brain being a little bitch and only picking out the good shit and completely ignoring all the bad, but when it was good… it was so good.”
He went quiet, watching me.
“…you think about him when you with me?”
I groaned. “Oh, come on, Marlon.”
“Nah.” He stepped closer. “Answer the question.”
“No! I don’t.”
“You lying?”
“Why would I?” I folded my arms. “Besides… you make it hard for me to think about anything else.”
He hummed under his breath. “Hm.”
I tilted my head. “Do you think about other people with me?”
“No.”
My lips curled slightly. “Aww… really?”
“Yeah. Guilt does that to people.”
I smirked. “I bet it’s eating your ass up too.”
“Munching.”
I laughed, but he didn’t.
He shook his head. “Tch. I still can’t believe that lame ass bottle nigga got you thinking about him all these years later.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why do you even care?”
“I don’t.”
“Right…”
He stepped closer again, voice dropping slightly.
“You been at his house?”
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“Once or twice.”
“I bet that shit ain’t bigger than mine.”
I looked him dead in his face. “Yes, Marlon. Yours is bigger.”
He grabbed the fabric of my pants and pulled me in.“Good. But don’t think I didn’t catch that slick shit.”
I laughed, trying to push him off.
He was grinning now as his hands went to my sides, fingers digging in. “You think it’s funny?”
“No! No, I don’t!”
“Then why you laughing?”
I couldn’t stop, twisting away from him, and ending up on the ground trying to break free.
“Stop! Stop!”
“Tap out.”
“I tap! I tap!”
“Bosses?”
Marlon stopped instantly, and I used the chance to stumble away, breathless and laughing.
Patch stood a few feet away, holding Chewy in one hand with Spades’ reins in the other as the horse stood beside him, both of them covered in dirt.
“Am I interrupting something?” Patch tilted his head at us.
“Nah. Nah.” Marlon cleared his throat, stepping back. “What’s up?”
“These two got into the new soil we turned up. Dug it right up.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
I walked over quickly, scooping Chewy up.
“Chew Toy! I can’t take yo ass anywhere!”
Marlon grabbed Spades’ reins, shaking his head. Spades shifted under Marlon’s hold, still restless from the mess he and Chewy had just made.
“Y’all need a hose off.”
“They ain’t the only ones.” Patch gestured between Marlon and I, both of us covered in dirt from rolling around.
Marlon glanced down at himself, then back at me.
“Yeah.” He nodded toward the path back. “We better ride up. Come on.”
Marlon clicked his tongue lightly and tightened his grip on the reins. He swung up first then reached a hand down toward me without looking, like he didn’t care if I took it or not.
Oh, so we acting different around company?
He pulled me up behind him in one clean motion, my body settling against his back as I adjusted my legs around the horse with Chewy tucked in my arm.
“Don’t drop him,” Marlon said.
“I’d never drop my baby.”
Our baby.
Spades started moving, steady this time with Marlon leading him, heading back toward the main buildings.
I rested my hand lightly against Marlon’s side to steady myself and he didn’t move it away.
See? Progress!
By the time we reached the yard, the hose was already stretched out near the side of the building. Marlon slid off first, then helped me down again, hands firm on my waist for a second longer than necessary before letting go.
He wants me.
“Stand there,” he said, grabbing the hose.
The water hit my legs first and it’s ice fucking cold.
I jumped. “Oh fuck no!”
He ignored me, dragging the stream higher, washing the dirt from my calves, my thighs, the edge of my shirt.
“Stop moving,” he said.
“It’s cold!”
“It’s fresh water.”
“That don’t make it better!”
Chewy barked as the water splashed near him, trying to dodge it while still staying close.
“Oh, you don’t like it?” I said, holding him out slightly. “Get him, Marley!”
He wasted no time and angled the hose toward Chewy, who immediately lost his mind, barking and twisting in my arms.
I laughed, trying to hold onto him. “You see? That’s what you get for running a damn muck!”
Marlon turned the water to Spades next. He liked it. Loved it even, holding his mouth open for water to get inside. Finally, Marlon turned it to himself. I watched as it slowly spread through the fabric of his shirt, making him take it off.
I was definitely enjoying the strip tease.
Until the water splashed back onto me as Chewy squirmed, soaking through the front of my shirt now.
“Marlon!”
“Thirsty ass needed some water.”
I didn’t care anymore, I flipped him off.
Instead of getting mad, he stepped closer, lowering the pressure slightly and rinsing off the last of the dirt from my arms.
“Stay still,” he said again, quieter this time.
I did.
Because now he was close.
His hand came up briefly, brushing dirt from just below my collarbone, his fingers lingering a second longer than needed and I realized why. The water soaked through everything, even my bra and it made my nipples show.
My breath hitched slightly and he noticed.
The sound of the water faded into the background as his eyes lifted to mine.
I didn’t move, or joke, or deflect.
I just looked at him, waiting for him to do something.
He stepped a fraction closer.
Close enough that I could feel the heat coming off him again, even with the cold water still running between us. My lips parted slightly. His gaze dropped there.
Then back to my eyes.
I leaned in just a little, hoping I finally got to taste his lips. But he pulled back.
Just like that, the moment was gone.
He turned the hose off, stepping away like nothing almost happened.
I blinked, still standing there, wet and trying to catch on to what happened.
“…wow,” I said under my breath.
He set the hose down, grabbing a towel from the stable. “Dry off before you catch a cold.”
I took it slowly, watching him.
“You want me to come over tonight?”
He paused.
“…no.”
I frowned. “No?”
“No,” he repeated. “I’m busy. I’ll be working late because we have your showcase tomorrow. Remember?”
“I don’t mind waiting.”
“I said no, Aurora.” His tone sharpened slightly. “Drop it.”
The softness was gone. I straightened, watching him for a second longer, trying to read past whatever wall he just threw back up.
“Okay,” I said finally.
He didn’t respond, he turned and walked off.
I let him go.
“Chewy,” I say to the shivering dog in my arms. “Your new daddy mean as hell with his fine ass. But it’s cool. I’mma get him to loosen up.”