Page 37 of Thick as Thieves
The show has started by the time we’re in. With drinks already lined up, Marcus downs a lot of them. I have hardly any. I can’t focus on the stage, where two of the most beautiful women are being tied and trussed up, licked, spanked and whipped. Oh, and now fucked.
“I can’t even get hard watching that,” says Marcus with disgust, thumbing towards the stage as he turns his back on the scene and faces me.
I offer a knowing smile at that. I know exactly how he feels.
My watch, that at one point I thought had stopped, now seems to have sped up. I stare at it again. It’s 11:30. She’s not coming. We’ve blown it, big style.I’veblown it big style.
“Shall we go to her?” I ask him, doubts starting to creep in that this was my best idea.Leave her alone. Let her work through it.
“What if she’s left?” He suddenly gasps out in horror. His face going, if possible, more ashen. He jerkily moves towards the door.
“No.” I stop him. “I’ve got Jase watching her door, and Mick is watching the car and is with Tommy. She’ll take Tommy with her. She needs him to get the kids. I’ve got my phone.” I waft my phone in my hand, praying the damn thing doesn’t ring. I’ve checked it about forty times to make sure the ringer is on.
“I thought it was the rule to hand your phone in on arrival,” Marcus splutters out. He’s dense at times.
“Not mine, you idiot,” I say, exasperated. “Let’s wait ‘til midnight. If she hasn’t come by then, well, we’ll go see what the verdict is from her mouth.” I look down. Please god, no. “Although we’ll know it.”
I stop and cast a glance to the stage. I couldn’t care less if a hundred women were up on it. I only want one.
“I wanted her to come to us, though. So fucking much. That would mean she’s in. And if she’s like that, then she’s all in, we know that much.”
I sit down on the booth seat, my back against the wall. I can hear people fucking all around us. I have no interest at all. I look at the man who would tempt the devil into debauchery. He comes over, and takes off my mask. I didn’t even realise I still had the thing on. He bends and kisses me tenderly on the lips.
“Don’t go there yet, Xan.” He stands and looks out over the balcony area, looking but not seeing. He looks haggard. The stress lining his handsome face.
We wait and we wait. I have my head in my hands.
It's just midnight.
The buzzer rings, letting partygoers know they can move into different areas of the tent, stay put, or move to their own rooms if they want to. Tears pool in my eyes. All my hopes and dreams have gone up with that fucking buzzer.
Marcus makes a strangled noise in his throat and hangs his head. Sliding down the wall in the corner of the room, he starts to sob.
The door opens, but I don’t look up. I have my face covered and I think I’m going to pass out.
Times up.
16
Evie
What the hellhas he done? He’s blown us all up.
I sit still for what feels like forever, my mind coming back to him whispering he’ll wait. Give me time.
But his scent lingers, it still surrounds me, the woods, the green fields. A scent I love, but a man I love also?
But how? How do I love him when I love Kellen? Love or in love, is it only women that make the distinction?
I know I am in love with him. I need to be honest with myself. And I know I have been for a while. I certainly didn’t want him to go to LA. I want him with me. When he touched me in Brazil, would I have stopped him if he’d have gone further?
I close my eyes and the tears still flow. Why did Kellen keep this from me? He should have said something. At least I would have known what I was dealing with.
I’m still sitting in the same place when Betty comes in with the twins. Time to feed them for the night. Time. It’s still moving on. Even though life as I know it may have stopped, everyone else’s is still moving forwards.
Kellen is on his way. Oh God, I’m going to have to make a decision. Xander has pushed us to a point of no return. A precipice. In or out? Fully committed or not, to both of them. Jesus, what has he done?
“Are you alright Evie?” Betty asks me as I take the boys automatically, letting them latch on.
