6. Grayson #2
I snag the shittiest beer I can find just to piss her off, but also as a challenge to see if she will drink it. As soon as my hand wraps around the bottle, I freeze.
Shit, how am I going to hand her this without everyone seeing my busted hands? No one knows what I get up to at night. If they did, they definitely wouldn't approve and would probably put a stop to it a long time ago. Unfortunately, there’s no getting out of this.
A plan forms in my head, and I smirk. Oh, she’s going to love this. I snag the beer and enjoy the quiet for another moment before I’m entering the kitchen.
I walk leisurely, my hands planted firmly in my pockets. Maisie's eyes connect with me, and her smile turns to a frown. “Did you lose brain cells on your walk?” she spouts when she notices no beer in sight.
I stalk her way, and, once I’m standing right next to her chair, I smile.
I hook my foot in the bottom of her chair and swing it sideways before she can get a word out.
It screeches until she’s turned perfectly in front of me.
A gasp leaves her pouty lips, and now, I’m thinking about how sweet they would taste.
Her face lines up perfectly with my crotch, and I do my best to hold in my laugh. Her defiant eyes lock with mine, all fire. I internally groan, fisting my hands in my pockets to the point of pain. I’m screwed.
Her brow cocks. “Where’s my beer, Gary?”
I chuckle. She’s going to pay for that later. I’ve started keeping a tally of punishments she owes, and, tick, there goes another one.
I knock her knees apart and stand between them. Is this appropriate to do in front of my family? Most definitely not, but Maisie needs to learn who holds the reins here.
I cock my head. “You thought I wouldn’t make you work for it, Mary?” Her jaw grinds. “I got your beer, alright. You’re just going to have to find it first.”
I thought she would at least hesitate, refuse, even. Nope! This woman is all flame. Her hands land on my chest hard, and I cough, nearly knocking the wind from me. Her eyes stay trained on mine, fury blazing. She slowly slides her palms down the front of my chest like a pat down at the airport.
I hold her gaze, only trembling as the tip of her finger grazes the side of my balls when she gets to my thighs. Never has a pat down been so damn sexual.
She bites her lip, pressing forward until her face is inches from my dick.
I swallow, unsure where this is going. Her arms wrap around me and slip into my back pockets.
One connects with the beer bottle hidden inside, slipping it out easily.
The other, to my surprise, grabs a palmful of ass cheek and pinches me.
She pops the beer cap off with her teeth, guzzling half of it, and winks at me, tapping the mouth of her bottle to my dick in cheers. “Thanks, sugar.”
I’m done for. I’ve met my match. I’m not sure who would come out alive in a battle for dominance. For some reason, that only turns me on more.
I tip my hat, my dick pulsing, and return to my seat. The rest of the family attempts casual conversation again, but to no avail, because it’s awkward as fuck in here, thanks to my stupid game.
“No Laine and Nova tonight?” Ches chirps, always turning the conversation towards my little sister and her daughter.
At one point, I thought maybe he was in love with her, but the way they bicker and fight, it’s more like they’re siblings.
Plus, he’s eleven years older than her and a wild child.
She's dealt with enough shit in her life and doesn’t need to add heartache to the list, not when she’s finally stable.
He can be very protective over her and Nova, though, and I like knowing there’s an extra set of eyes on the two most important people in my life.
I shake my head, thankful for the buffer. “Laine said Nova wasn’t feeling well, and she didn’t want to risk getting others sick.”
I swear, I see his jaw tick, but his head bobs in understanding. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I’ll run some soup over to them later.”
“Don’t worry yourself, son. I already checked on them and ran some food over,” Roxy chimes in, a knowing look on her face I can’t quite decipher.
His muscles lock up, but then he’s smiling at his mom, warm as sunshine. “Yeah…right, that’s good.” He’s quiet for a moment until he can’t hold back. “How were they? I mean, Nova…did she look okay? Maybe I should just pop by and see if they need any medicine or groceries?”
Roxy leans across the table and pats Ches’ shoulder. “They’re fine. Nova has a minor cold. She will be back to hounding the lot of us in no time.” Ches opens his mouth again, but Roxy cuts him off. “I grabbed some stuff for them when I was in town earlier. They’re stocked up for a while.”
“What about those colored candies…Mambas? Those are Nova’s favorites.”
Roxy winks at Ches. “Bought two packs so there’s enough for Laine to sneak some too.”
That seems to satisfy him. He nods to himself and settles back into his chair. I watch him for a beat, trying to figure out his angle, but Ches has always been protective over his family. He’s a giver at heart, taught by the two best givers there are.
“So, Maisie, how long do you plan on staying with us?” Walter asks between bites.
Now that, I would love to know. I turn my attention to her, watching as she squirms in her chair uncomfortably. I don’t like that one bit. I would rather see the flames in her eyes.
She laughs nervously. “Well, ummm…I’m not quite sure, honestly. I guess until you get tired of me and kick me out,” she jokes.
“Nonsense. Family is always welcome here. You can stay as long as you want,” he replies, wrapping an arm around the back of Roxy’s chair.
Family?
I guess I never really thought about the Foxes having any distant family outside of who lives here on the ranch. I remember Roxy mentioning she had a sister, but she told me she died a long time ago.
That could only mean… My heart sinks. Was Roxy’s sister Maisie's mom?
She laughs again, this time a little more convincing. “I appreciate that, Uncle Walter, more than you know. I don’t plan on staying long term. I guess just until I can get my feet back under myself. A month or so, if I would have to guess.”
“We’ll take you as long as we can. Make up for lost time,” he says with a smile, planting a soft kiss on Roxy’s cheek.
Something passes between the three of them, a story I’m not privy to. Ches stares off at the opposite wall, looking lost in his thoughts. This just solidifies that I really can’t get Maisie wrapped up in my mess of a life.
Roxy changes the topic, ever the pleaser. “And how's our boy Lan doing these days?”
A genuine smile graces her face. “He’s amazing.
Living life to its fullest and flying by the seat of his pants, literally.
You know how he is,” she says through a breathy laugh.
Her eyes light up talking about Lan, more than I’ve seen so far.
I can’t tame the irrational jealousy that blooms deep in my chest at her reaction to this mystery man. She’s beaming.
I fiddle with the pockets in my jeans, and that’s when I feel it: the tiny slip of folded paper, wedged deep inside.
I picture the time and the location scribbled in red ink.
My blood runs cold, panic seizing me. I’m usually not summoned so close together.
They must have slipped this in when I was leaving.
Dread hits me, hard and cold. I swallow it down, counting to ten in my head until my thoughts clear.
It doesn’t work. I’m always a little on edge on nights I have to visit them.
It’s the leftover adrenaline thumping through my veins.
I can’t just switch it off and go back to life as normal.
Sometimes, the memories stay and haunt me.
I’m afraid they might never go away. I may never escape them.
I need to leave, now. My chair skids backwards, the loud screech catching everyone’s attention.
I have less than thirty seconds before the panic sets in fully.
“I just remembered I left milk out on my counter. You know how I get if my coffee isn’t made just right in the morning,” I mumble, my head spinning.
I round the table, my legs barely holding me up, plopping a parting kiss on Roxy’s cheek before hightailing it out of there.
“You forgot your cobbler, Gray,” Roxy calls wearily when I hit the hallway.
I peek around the corner, mustering up a smile. “Save me a slice. I’ll swing by first thing tomorrow morning and have it for breakfast,” I promise her. “Night, y'all. A pleasure as always.”
My feet barely touch the gravel before shakes take my body. I can’t get a breath in. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Nothing changes, so I start again, counting like my therapist taught me.
I don’t go to therapy anymore, but I did as a kid.
Abusive, alcoholic parents will do a number on you.
My social worker told me it was highly suggested for kids in my situation.
As soon as I was old enough to speak for myself, I stopped going.
The counting stuck, though. My therapist told me it helps tell my brain I’m in control of something when it feels like the world around me is spiraling.
I count all the way back to my house, the crisp air helping some. As soon as I close my front door, I slump to the floor, leaning against it. All I can see are flashes of violence from tonight. The pain. The blood. The guilt. But, above the rest, the helplessness I felt while being their monster.
I’m so tired, but then Laine and Nova’s sweet faces appear in my head, and it's all worth it. I can weather the storm for them. I can be the glue that holds us together. They deserve it more than any.
You can do it for them, Gray.
I let that thought run through my head until my eyes become heavy, and sleep beckons me for another restless night. Except the last face I see before I welcome the dark isn’t Lainey’s or Nova’s.
It’s Maisie’s fire-fueled honey eyes.
I let her flames engulf me, and I relish in the burn.