CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I rock back and forth on my heels as I stand impatiently in front of Robert's home waiting for anyone to answer the door. My finger presses down on the doorbell for a third time and finally the door is yanked open with Jason looking rather disappointed up at me. With an apologetic smile I bent down to give him a tight squeeze then stand to greet Mrs. Robert - funnily, Robert is named after his parents' last name.
"Hey, Samantha. Would you like to come in?" Her smile is genuine, baring all 32 teeth as she does so. Her eyes glance behind me at the large black SUV that would be suspicious to any mom but I give her a reassuring smile.
"No thanks, Mrs. Roberts-"
"Oh please! Call me Julia"
"Julia, thank you but I'm tired and I'm sure despite Jase's efforts to hide it, he's tired too so goodnight and thanks for having him"
"Not at all, he's an angel. Come by whenever because I'm always here doing one thing or the other"
"I'll keep that in mind"
Smiling I bend down to pick up Jase but he isn't looking at me, his eyes are pinned to the SUV......or the person leaning patiently against it. Louis beams at Jason before winking at me.
"Go say hi" I whisper to Jason and he runs off toward Louis like a kid on Christmas morning. I'm afraid he'll trip and fall but Louis picks him up off the ground and opens to car door to sit him down.
"Is that his dad?" I'm unaware that Mrs. Roberts was observing us the entire time.
"Oh no, Jase is adopted" I fail to keep the laugh out of my voice
"Oh really? From which orphanage?"
"I met him in New York and because of the disaster up there, the paperwork was nothing more than a signature and a postage stamp" I cringe as my subby - what I've grown to call my sub conscious - recalls the biting memory of how I found Jason.
"Oh the poor thing, he's such an angel. I feel awful for him though, Robert too"
"Sorry?"
"At school. Didn't they call you in? I had to go speak to the head two days ago"
"No, I wasn't. What happened?" Multiple scenarios run through my brain - drugs, child molestation, kidnapping.
"Bullying" Well, its better than child molestation my subby leans back in her plush leather sofa smoking a pipe then realizing she doesn't smoke and coughs.
"On whose part?"
"Chad, Chad Buck. He's been doing some pretty harsh stuff to many kids but Jason in particular and my Robert stepped in once, which only worsened things for both of them"
"What did he do, Julia?"
"He puts embarassing pictures on their lockers, goes around calling them retardants you know like retard and rodent, that's how he explained it. He knocked over their lunch trays once that caused a food fight but left the blame on them"
"Why wasn't I told?"
"Are you his legal guardian?"
"Sorta. My grandmother adopted him"
"Well, we all got letters from the school. The kids were supposed to bring it home to us"
Oh, maybe Jase didn't want to give it to me. Why? Was he embarassed? I never put any pressure on him to be macho. I'll just have to talk to the principal on Monday then.
"Thanks, Mrs. Roberts" I turn back to wave at her as I walk towards the car.
***
"Jase, did your school give you something for me?" I keep my voice low while my hands tuck the duvet in at the sides of his tiny frame to keep him warm.
"Jase?" He looks up at with wide-eyed as if I'd caught him red-handed
"I forgot to give it to you, honest. Its in my bag" his voice is panicked and loud
"Shoosh. You're not in trouble, Jason. Now I want to hear from you what happened at school because you won't lie, will you?"
"No"
"Good boy" I bend and kiss him on his forehead before sitting down next to him. His hand fumbles out from beneath the blanket and reaches for mine, giving my hand to him he curls his tiny fingers around my index and middle fingers finding a little comfort.
"H-he said I was stupid"
"Who?"
"Chuck. H-he pushed me hard, real hard once and I-I fell against my locker and Robert, he tried to help me but Chuck is really strong" he shuts his eyes and tightens his hold on my fingers
"Honey, you aren't stupid. You're an intelligent and sweet little kid who should never be influenced by anyone"
"Infloo-inced?"
"Influenced, it means not to allow a bully like Chuck to make you feel small or allow him to tell you who you are"
"Okay"
"Why didn't you show me the letter, Jase?"
"I-I wanted you to think I was a big boy now"
"You are a big boy, Jase. But you must also remember that I'm here for a reason, and that is to protect you from anything or anyone"
"I love you, Sammy" he sits up and wraps his thin arms around my neck, sobbing softly against my shirt.
"Love you too, Jase" I kiss his hair
***
My eyes are half closed by the time Jase falls asleep in my arms and I tuck him back in, Cheeky sits perched on his stand looking quizzically at us and I succumb to the urge to stick my tongue out at him when I leave.
Go into bathroom. Get into shower. Pick up soap. Simple mechanical movements that my tired brain has to focus on completely to accomplish.
Wrapping a towel around me I saunter back into my bedroom to find pyjamas to put on. I slip on my cotton shorts and and a t shirt that flows down to knees, all the while my mind replaying what happened in the past two days. I bought a camera - clearly the highlight of my existance - and I found out that white nail polish rocks, as my nails don it right now. Then there's Louis and his wondrous lips, my fingers reach up and touch my lips. They're still tingling from his lips being pressed so savagely to mine, a small smile forms on my lips from the memory.
Crap! Ella's probably still at the party. Grabbing my phone from my desk, I see Ella's sent me a chain of texts all demanding to know where I am.
I'm at home. It's all good, calm down
I press send and wait for a response, her last text arrived twenty minutes ago and that worries me a little. My phone beeps three seconds later, its a text from Ella.
Oh thank god. I'm heading home now, how'd you get home? Where's Tony?
Her question is out of the blue, where is Tony? I have no idea so I type exactly that and hit send. She replies immediately.
Oki doke, see you tomorrow. Goodnight Xx
Damn, Ella asked me to go to the mall with her tomorrow because, in her words, her closet is demanding new clothes and can't go alone. She'd even asked Zack and being the sweetheart that he is, he said okay. But I have work tomorrow at Nana's friend's store so I'll have to meet them at the mall.
***
"Hey, Paul" I greet my neighbour/ boss when I enter the back room.
"Hey, Sammy. Thank God you're here, I can't find this disc these kids are demanding"
"Who's the artist?"
"The Wanted" I smile sweetly at him, The Wanted is an amazing band and I love Siva, they've been all over the charts recently.
"I'll get it" I go in search of any The Wanted albums we have and find quite a few. Taking them out to the demanding teenagers outside I place them on the counter for them to see.
"We'll take all" one of the two girls say and I'm more than happy to ring it up for them.
When they're gone I wander about in the store browsing through the various books on the shelves, my height giving the advantage of being able to reach them all. Paul asks me throughout the day to attend to especially difficult customers and unpack the new books that arrived. One of the numerous perks of working here is that I have the opportunity to seize any new releases in music or literature at a discounted price.
Paul is the best boss on Planet Earth because he never objects when he uncovers my secret stash of novels I keep in the back room. I'm the only employee here which means I'm assistant manager and I get three t shirts with a black label that has my name inscribed in white ink.
At the end of the day I catch Paul before he leaves, I have a request from Zack.
"Paul, can I talk to you for a second?" I call from behind the counter. He backs away from the door and turns smiling at me.
"Yeah sure"
"I have a friend, Zack, and he needs a job-"
"Say no more, if you think he's a good worker then he's hired" Paul gives me a toothy grin and I can't help but reciprocate.
"Thanks, Paul. Tell Pam I said hey" I give him a quick hug then head back to the counter.
"You sure I can't give you a lift?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm meeting some friends at the mall"
"Alright, bye then"
I lock up the store and take the books I'd hidden from the arrivals today, putting the money I owe into the till. Its a Sunday so we close early. I jog down the steps and across the driveway towards the mall to meet Zack and Ella.
***
Gone to bed, early morning tomorrow. Jase is asleep. Nana Xxx
The three X's are unnecessary but she's just over-loving, I grin at the text on our drive home in Ella's car. I wish them goodnight and get out.
The front door opens soundlessly and I'm grateful even though a soft creaking sound isn't likely to wake anybody. Locking the door behind me, I toss my keys onto the corner table in the passage and make my way up the stairs while I try not to trip over my own feet as I do so.
After a shower I put on another pair of shorts and a t shirt that has one of the seven dwarves shouting "Let's save time and agree that I know everything" - its my favorite t shirt.
I jump when I hear a loud clap, turning to my balcony and see a pebble wobble on the ground. Well, there's only one person I know who still throws pebbles at windows.
"What are you doing......again?" I whisper leaning over the balcony
"Move back, I'm coming up" Louis grins up at me - he's such a nut.
"Don't break anything" I caution and re-enter my bedroom.
His familiar deep breathing has become louder and I knows he's inside, I turn and plonk myself down on my bed.
"How may I help you?" I ask with a straight-face
He raises his eyebrow at me but plays along; I've always been fond of Playful Louis.
"I thought it's quite obvious why I'm here, Samantha" he closes the balcony door then zips across my room to shut the bedroom door.
Stalking towards me the corners of his mouth twitches in a smirk that has me in liquid form everywhere. The fact that I'd run out on him, and we haven't spoken in a week go out the window when he stops in front of me. He lowers himself onto the bed pushing me down but I have another agenda.
"I don't know much about you so I thought we could talk tonight" my voice is low as he buries his face in my hair, lips pressing soft kisses on my neck.
"Really?" The disappointment is evident is in tone
"Please"
"Okay then, Samantha Hunter. We shall talk"
He's off me in an instant and sitting cross legged beside me looking down at me. I roll my eyes at him and sit up, mimicking his position opposite him.
"What do you want to know about me?" Even in the darkness of the room I can tell he's eyes are wary, cautious.
"Well, you said no one else lived in your apartment building. Why?"
"My family owns that property but none of them are here so only I live there"
"So no one beside your family members can stay there?"
"Yup, it's twisted I know" his eyes fall from mine to my chest
"My eyes are up here" I wave to get back his attention
"You're still wearing the locket" his smile is one of joy and relief but his eyes are searching mine, I bet his eyesight is at 200% right now.
"Yeah, I couldn't bring myself to take it off"
"You look beautiful"
I look down uncomfortably at my fingers while I thank my lucky stars for the darkness, I'm blushing a new shade of pink.
"How old are you?" I glance up at him after the awkward silence trying to change the subject.
My question appears to have thrown him, his eyes widen in surprise then looks everywhere but me.
"Why?" He sounds uncomfortable, it feels good not to be in the hot seat for once.
"Because I'd like to know"
"My age isn't relevant"
"Are you that old?" An unexpected smile forms on my lips.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"No" I try to maintain a poker face and fail miserably
"Stop laughing at me" despite his angry words he's smiling too
"Please tell me"
"No. My turn to ask you something"
"If you must"
"What's your middle name?"
"Don't have one"
"Okay. Favorite movie?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I thought we were getting to know each other"
"It changes, I don't have a specific favorite movie. Will I ever get to see you hunt?"
Another surprise for him.
"You most certainly will not" he scoffs
"Why not?"
"Because you're insane and shouldn't be allowed to even ask that question"
"Fine. Why do you breathe?"
"People would take that as being hurtful"
"You know what I mean"
"We breathe to appear more human, no one wants to talk to someone who's walking but isn't breathing. Why do you ask so many questions?"
"Because I can"
The night passes in moments rather than hours as Louis and I exchange jokes and trivia. We laugh at each other's mannerisms also discovering that we have so much in common, and Louis telling me that I spoke in my sleep but dodging every effort I made to try and get what I may have said out of him.
***
My eyes flutter open letting the bright sunlight enter, making my eyes burn from the contact. I bury my head in my pillow trying to block out every shaft of light.
"Morning" a soft voice whispers into my ear.
"Hmm" I greet still focusing on getting my eyes back to regular vision
"Aggie left an hour ago and she dropped Jase off at school on her way"
I shuffle out of the sheets as I try to get to my feet, I fall flat onto the floor because I chose to ignore my burning eyes.
"Woah, are you okay?" Louis is at my side in a second holding my arm, supporting me as I stand up.
"I'm fine. What time is it?"
"About eight"
Ugh, I woke up late. Holding my head in my hand and shoving my hair back I walk into the bathroom.
"Need help in there? I don't want you falling again" Louis calls from the other side of the door.
"I'm fine"
"Don't you have to go to campus today?"
"No, we're going tomorrow because Mr. C asked the dean to swap the lessons around" I call back feeling smug that Louis remembered my schedule
"Oh okay"
When I'm done freshening up and feeling more human than zombie I go back into the room, to find Louis lying on my bed using my phone. Feeling very damsel-in-distress I lie down on my front next to him.
"What are you doing?" I talk into my pillow
"One of the best ways to get to know a person is through their phone" he replies simply
"You have to ask them first"
"Really? Oh all you mortals are so complicated"
I throw my pillow at him but it bounces lightly off him and onto the ground.
"Now look what you did. You and your.......body dropped my pillow" my strange tiredness is making me babble. I hate babbling so I resolve to shut up from now.
"I can recall that you quite liked my body" he glances and winks at me.
"Ugh" I let my face fall into the mattress
"What's wrong?"
"Food. I need food" I come to realisation and instantly jolt awake, sitting upright and dragging my feet over the edge of the bed to stand.
"I think you do. Come on, let's go get you some food"
"No, I want cake" that realization is new
"What cake?' He raises his eyebrow at me
"A chocolate one. I'll go make one" I leave the room to go in search of ingredients for batter.
***
Louis watches my actions intently as I move around the kitchen in the process of making a chocolate cake. When the batters done I empty it onto the cake tray and place it on a rack in the oven, closing the door to contain the heat. The chocolate that I left to melt over the stove is done and I dip my finger - do not try this at home - and into the bowl then popping it into my mouth.
I look up at Louis is sitting across the counter from me on one of the stools. He's staring at me, his eyes are dark and needing.
"Do you want some?" I turn to put the dirty dishes in the sink.
"If you don't mind" his hands grip my waist spinning me around to face him
"Oh no, this cake is my responsibility" I back away with my hands held up in front of me.
He doesn't stop moving towards me, closer and closer until my back is pressing against the counter.
"It can wait" he whispers darkly and I can't resist reaching up, my hands holding the lapels of his jacket.
His mouth swoops down and captures mine. Everything crumbles around us as I tangle I fingers in his hair holding him to me. I pour everything into the kiss, his arms encircle my waist creating an iron cage. Our tongues thrash against together and a moan escapes his lips in the midst, he bites my bottom lip when pulls away. Our foreheads press together, Louis' hands travel down my waist over my bum to my thighs. He clasps them hoisting my legs up around his waist with my back still pressing against the high counter.
He buries himself in my neck and I feel his teeth grip the skin making me moan from the sensation, his hold on my thighs tighten in response.
"Louis........the oven" I breathe a plea
"It can wait" he growls
Not wanting to argue with that tone I allow him to continue his sweet torture, making me feel like butter on toast all over again. I missed this man and despite the odds, he's mine. Mine, my subby plays with word, tossing it from hand to hand trying to weigh its depth and understand its meaning.
Securing his grip Louis holds me to him, his fingertips pressing against the skin of my legs and liberating the skin of my neck from his teeth. That left a mark, my subby is tackled to ground by my hormones and duct-taped to her chair.
Louis reclaims my mouth, pouring everything he's got - got that won't hurt me - into the kiss. I feel a warm liquid running down my shoulder and I fear he may have bitten me - what with his vamp speed, you'll never know - but when I look I see a brown colour. The chocolate.
"I bet this tastes even better off of you" Louis pulls the shoulder of my shirt down and because of it being a couple dozen sizes bigger then me it falls easily down my arm.
He dips his head at the beginning of the thick brown line and kisses my skin, then gently licking the chocolate all the way to below my jaw. My hormones are through the roof, I feel it deep in belly in the forbidden territory. He nips the skin at the end of the line, then leaves a trail of kisses up my jaw to my mouth.
The clearing of someone's throat surprises us, Louis jumps back a few feet and I - thankfully - land on my feet. Slightly fearful of who it might be that interrupted us, I turn around warily to see Nana standing awkwardly in the passage. Strike two.
She may be trying to hide it but her smirk is most definitely there.
"Hey, Nana" I greet shyly
"Hey, Sammy. Hey, Louis", she glances behind me and smiles warmly,"I just forgot something"
She hurries upstairs and I here continuous shuffling, all the while I'm holding my breath. She walks coolly back down the stairs and I go over to her to walk her to the car.
"What did you forget?" I ask as I open the door for her
"My key"
"Which key?" I leave the door open and go over to her car with her
"So you two are okay now, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah, we're okay" I smile at the levels of meaning behind those words
"You sure?"
"Yeah" I kiss her cheek and wave her off
Shutting the door behind me I go back into the kitchen to find Louis in the exact same position I left him.
"Did you not move the entire time?" I joke
He looks at me wearing a dark and slightly upset expression, I halt in the spot. He strides up to me, grasps my hand and leads me to the door again.
"Where are we going?" I don't pull back because with his strength, I'd break something.
"My apartment"
***
My hormones have arisen from their week long hibernation and now lounge lazily on their brown leather couch. When I open my eyes the first thing I see is Louis, holding my gaze. He's covered from the waist down by the duvet with his chest and torso bare, I could stare at him all day. I lay on my front with the duvet covering me in a similar fashion. Louis' finger trails up and down my back leaving a chills and tingling sensations as he goes.
"Hi" I smile lazily at him
He bends down and kisses me.
"Hey"
"What ever happened to my cake?" I ask a little panicked
"I put the oven off before we left"
Great, now I have to throw all that batter away. It was for a worthy cause, my hormones reassure me.
"Still hungry?" Louis asks
"A little"
"Then we should get something for you to eat. Come" he pulls back the covers and stands to pull on a pair of slacks, he's a mighty fine sight. I swoon as his back muscles expand and contract with every movement.
"Now" he scolds and leaves the room
I get up reluctantly and put my clothing back on. Leaving the room I wander downstairs bare foot downstairs and into the kitchen. Louis isn't here.
"Louis?" I call knowing wherever he is he'll hear me
"Coming" I get a faint reply from upstairs
There's a knock on the door and I pause from rummaging through the fridge, listening carefully. Three more knocks. I go to answer it closing the fridge door. I grab and twist the door handle, pulling the heavy door open.
A middle-aged woman stands wearing a pair of black pants and flowery blouse in front of me, she looks beautiful and familiar. The dull lipstick brings attention to everything else; her hair is raven and flows down her back.
"Hi. Can I help you?" I smile sweetly at her
"I was about to ask you the same thing, love. I'm Louis' mom" her smile is forced and cold.