Page 2 of Another Round
I jerk away from Theo’s gentle touch on my cheek, attempting to inspect my injury. He better be careful, or I’ll puke on his shoes with the raging roller coaster looping in my guts from the pain. He gingerly scoops me up, and I catch his headshake with my good eye. Aggravated at me once again. Frustrated at me like always. Saving me yet another time.
“Damn it. Your Dad’s going to lose his shit when he sees your face.”
“I’m fine.” I lie even as another wave of nausea rolls through my quivering belly. I lay my head on his broad shoulder. Taking deep breaths trying to quell the tequila threatening to come back up. The jostle of the steps down to the driveway is too much, and I gag. Lurching upward in Theo’s grasp as burning liquid fills my throat.
Fortunately, he understands my mangled words uttered through a mouthful of chunks and moves fast. Setting me on my feet with his arm wrapped around my waist to keep me upright as I barf into the intricate landscaping. Pink decorative rock now splotched with yellow from my earlier French fry dinner. The vicious odor makes him heave too. He sucks in air behind my head, trying to suppress his own vomit. Luckily he doesn’t lose it like me since I’m in no condition to take care of him this time.
Lime green slides fill my peripheral vision and soft hands brush over my neck, gathering my hair and bundling the wild strands together on the top of my head. Lucy. Stuttered shaky breaths rattle in my ear.
“Oh my god! I am so, so sorry. I never dreamed it would go that far. I can’t believe he hit you!”
“Don’t cry. It’s okay.”
Despite my assertion, the tears and pats on my back continue. With my stomach finally empty, I stand up only to have my knees buckle from my swimming head. Theo catches me, never letting me fall, and picks me up again. Curling me into his chest while my best friend grasps my hand. Awkward as hell for her to hang onto me while we traipse to his SUV, but I know she won’t let me go. Too much guilt for her to release me. Too much love for her to abandon me.
Theo’s fingers dig into my thigh from his concern. “You’ve got to stop doing this shit. I don’t know why you—”
“What are you even doing here?” I know I’m rude to cut him off after he’s being so good to me, but I don’t want to argue. Or admit I messed up. “I thought you were with Essex.”
Yeah, she’s as pretentious as you would expect with a name like that, but I try to keep my insults about her to a minimum. He genuinely likes her for some reason I can’t fathom. She’s totally not his type, but I’m sure her blow jobs are really good with those obviously fake plumped up lips.
“I was but my Dad called. We need to get home. Grandma Marta fell again, and it doesn’t look good.”
Damn. Tears that I despise burn my eyes. I know her time is coming but I keep pretending she’s fine. Lying to myself that if I don’t think about her dying, she won’t die. As immature as always when I don’t want to face the truth.
Once we reach his Expedition, he slides me into the backseat so Lucy can keep her unnecessary death grip on me. I’ll let her take care of me until we get back to our townhouse. Then I have to stand on my own two feet. Literally. If Theo has to carry me once we get back to my parents’ house, they’ll think the damage is worse than it is.
“Where are your bodyguards?”
Damn it again. Well aware he was going to ask me, but not smart enough to come up with a good answer before he did. Especially a response that’s not the truth because that will only make him more frustrated. Because as much as he says he understands, he has no idea what it’s like having them shadow me everywhere I go. How they ruin everything. How jealous I am that he’s been taught how to handle a weapon and fight to the death and protect the women of our family. While I’ve been treated like a fragile flower and expected to behave like the obedient princess my father insists I should be.
My lack of a reason for ditching my guards tells him what he needs to know. That I snuck out without them since they would never have let me be alone long enough to complete my revenge scheme. Theo doesn’t push me for more since Lucy’s with us. Still entwining my hand with hers as her body trembles along with mine. No stranger to money, she doesn’t really question me having a security team. Almost every celebrity in So Cal who’s gotten work done on their body has been under her Dad’s knife, so she’s used to bodyguards lurking around. Although she has no idea the protection isn’t because my mom used to be a pop star.
She doesn’t know Theo isn’t really my cousin and Marta isn’t really my grandmother. That nothing in my life is what it seems. No one at school does. Which is safer and better for her and everyone else. They just think I’m another spoiled rich kid, and she’s one of the few people who loves me despite my penchant for trouble.
None of us says a word for the rest of the short trip. I only have to lean against Theo after I slide off the seat. Almost falling on my ass if not for him grabbing me. Lucy takes over when we get inside, while Theo heads back to the driveway. Probably to chew out Rob and Zach for letting me escape. The anger hardening their faces when we pulled up confirms they already know they fucked up and need to prep themselves for the impending explosion once my father finds out.
Guilt flickers in my conscience. I shouldn’t make trouble for them since they really don’t deserve his wrath. But punishing Caleb for breaking my best friend’s heart outweighs my regret.
Not much bigger than I am, Lucy almost wipes out with me when I clumsily climb out of the shower and again when I wobble trying to squeeze toothpaste from the tube and onto my brush. I don’t bother glancing at myself in the mirror. I look like death and I know it. At least I smell and feel a little better.
She gives me one last long hug after she helps me get dressed and gives me a bag of frozen mojito mix to put on my swollen cheek. Both of us optimistic that I’ll look somewhat normal by the time I see my Dad. But Theo’s eye roll and dismissive headshake as we stumble together to his car pretty much confirms I won’t.
Bile licks at the back of my throat every time I close my eyes, but it hurts to keep them open too. So I blink and swallow a lot during the entire forty-five-minute ride. Theo’s surprisingly silent for most of the trip. Well aware with my gagging and fidgeting my punishment is already being administered without his lecture. Although I do owe him another apology. Which seems to be a recurring theme of our relationship unfortunately. “I feel really bad for ruining your night. I mean I know we would’ve gone home for Marta, but I made it worse and I’m sorry.”
“I know.” His hand squeezes mine for a second before returning to the steering wheel, and a tiny bit of relief fills my heart from his forgiveness. “It’s okay. Ess is cool. She understands family obligations. She’s used to being pushed to the side.”
Anger tinges the last comment. Almost as if meant for himself rather than me with the words uttered under his breath. I’m curious and talking about her keeps my mind off the pain and the fear of what waits for me when we get home. “What does that mean? Why is she pushed to the side?”
“Her family’s even more fucked up than ours.”
“I didn’t think that was possible.”
Genuine laughter fills the air. Bittersweet with accuracy but at least I made him laugh. I love Theo and anytime I can make him smile, then I smile too. We argue most of the time like brother and sister, but this is one aspect of our lives we both agree on.
All of our amusement evaporates as soon as he turns into the driveway. Slow, insidious torture as we follow the winding path and terror returns like a tornado when we park in front of the house. My father stands on the porch alone. More terrifying than if he was surrounded by the guards. One on one is way more frightening and dangerous. I turn to tell Theo to just keep going. Continue on the circle back to the road and get the hell out of here. But it’s too late. He’s already climbing out. Brave and strong, ready to face the firing squad while I stall like the coward I really am despite all my aspirations to be fierce and fearless.
Out of time when my father strides toward me and yanks the door open. He’d never hit me, but I flinch anyway preparing myself for the detonation. Cowering to protect myself from the blast. Instead with a calm and tender touch, he slowly turns my face to his.
