Break, p.5
Break, page 5
“Okay. I’ll ask.” She pauses after standing up and looks down at me. “Thank you, Max, for the invitation.” Then she whirls around and takes off toward her house. Odd girl, but I do feel a little more at ease now. I won’t have to go stag, or worry about going on a real date so soon after Raquel and I broke up.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In hindsight, bringing Mina as my prom date probably wasn’t the best idea.
After she left me sitting on Danny’s front porch earlier this week, the guys showed up and when I told them, the response I got was chilly. Ethan didn’t seem to have a problem with it. But he was confused by my choice, pointing out that I’ve always acted like I couldn’t stand her.
Vincent just laughed like I was telling him a joke, then sobered up when he saw I was being serious.
Danny. Well, Danny was fucking pissed. The first few days were filled with snide remarks that he played off as teasing. Then the next few, he ignored me and was pissed off with everyone. Finally, yesterday, he snapped out of it and acted like nothing was wrong. It seemed that he got over the fact that she was tagging along until she showed up at the house before we took off in the limo.
I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t shocked to hell when she stepped up to us on the sidewalk. Her dress is a pale blue color that, at first glance, seemed reserved, until you actually took a good look. Hugging her body, the dress flowed down around her feet; long sleeves clinging to her arms. But where the surprise came in was the low scoop-neck, hinting at the swells of her breasts and the delicate curve of her collarbone. Mina has been hiding a woman’s body under those poor excuses of button-up shirts and long, baggy skirts.
After my moment of shock, I noticed the tension emanating from my friends behind me. Pulling Mina up to my side, I turned us to face everyone and saw Ethan and Vincent wearing concerned looks, flicking their eyes toward our friend.
Danny was furious. His eyes weren’t on me or on Mina. He was focused on where my hand was cupping her elbow.
Ignoring him, I led her to the limo parked along the street and got us settled inside. The guys followed with their dates, and we did the ride to prom in an uncomfortable, awkward silence.
Now we’re here. Mina is shuffling on her feet from side to side, visibly distressed by the tension radiating all around us. Glaring at everyone, I finally break. “Guys!” I snap out. “What the hell is everyone’s problem?”
Mina is strung taut, like she’s about to flee from the predators surrounding her.
Vincent clears his throat, tosses an apologetic look toward Mina, then confesses. “Dude, it’s not that we have a problem. It’s just…” He trails off and glances at Danny. “There just may be a bit of a conflict.” Taking a step toward me, he lowers his voice so only I can hear. “I didn’t know about it until right before we left Danny’s place.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, so fucking confused.
Vincent frowns when he looks over my shoulder. A second later, I feel a gentle hand slide over my shoulder from behind.
Looking behind me, my mouth drops open when I see Raquel standing there with a radiant smile. She’s dressed to the nines in an ivory beaded mermaid dress, clinging to her tits and hips. My eyes run down her body and then back up to meet her eyes. “What the hell? What are you doing here?” I ask, turning my back to the guys and giving her my full attention.
Her smile turns to a smirk when spies Mina, then widens even more when she’s looking back at me. “Baby, it’s your prom! How could I not be here for this?” She steps closer and slides her hands up my chest, then links them behind my neck. Leaning closer, she whispers, “When Danny called me-”
Jerking back, I look back at him. “You called her? When? Why?”
Huffing out an irritated noise, he rolls his eyes. “I called her on Wednesday. You were all bent out of shape over you all breaking up. I thought I’d do you a favor and get you your girl you had planned on bringing here tonight.” I narrow my eyes at Danny, his hands held out like he needs to defend himself. “What? Are you actually pissed at me for doing something nice for you? I thought that’s what you would have wanted.”
Raquel’s hands cup my cheeks and she turns my face toward her. “Did I make a mistake? Do you not want me here?”
My stomach turns over. I’m fucking speechless over this, and I can barely organize my thoughts. But I know for sure that I’m not pissed she’s standing in front of me. It wasn’t me who wanted to break up to begin with, so I’m quick to reassure her. “No! No, I’m not upset you’re here. It was just a really big fucking surprise, is all.”
A small squeak sounds from just behind my shoulder and I try to look back, but Raquel keeps my face planted firmly between her palms. Pressing a light kiss to my lips, she pulls back and looks up at me. “Sweet! We’re gonna have an amazing night, baby.”
Forcing out a smile, I give her a slight nod and let her pull me toward the dance floor as she calls back to everyone, “We’re going to dance!”
We’re only a few feet away when Danny’s voice stops me. “No hard feelings, Mina. It was really nice of you to step in for a bit to help us get him here. You okay getting home?”
Goddamnit. Mina. I’m such a fucking asshole.
Turning back toward her, I try to catch her eyes, but can’t see her clearly because Danny’s put himself between us, blocking her. “Mina,” I call out.
Stepping to the side, she comes into view as her eyes flick to me, then back up to Danny. “Umm, no worries, Max. I h-hope you have a… a good night.”
“But-” I start to say, but Raquel pulls on my arm.
“She’ll be fine, babe. Let’s go dance!” she begs me.
Mina gives me a slight, single nod, and I mouth thank you as I allow my feet to follow Raquel’s more forceful tug.
I’ll catch up with her on Monday at school and apologize for ditching her, but I’m confident that she knew we were only here as friends. I let thoughts of her drift away as I wrap my arms around Raquel. We spend the rest of the evening dancing and laughing with my friends for our last hurrah as high schoolers.
Chapter 7
5 years ago
Ethan
“God, this is so fucking hot!” Danny slurs, reaching up for the stripper who’s currently rubbing her ass all over his crotch.
Candy, the entertainer that he persuaded to climb all over him, smacks his hands away without slowing down her rolling hips. “No touching, buddy. That’s your last warning.”
Danny is beyond drunk. He was past his limits four shots ago and shows no signs of wanting to slow down.
I lean back in my chair, sipping at my whiskey that I’ve been nursing since we got here. I told the guys I’d drive us tonight since I have to leave the day after tomorrow. We’ve got an early morning getting ready for the wedding and then the reception in the evening. My leave from the Army was shortened because of an unscheduled deployment overseas and I need time to pack.
“Baby, you feel so good! How much to take you home tonight?” he asks with his mouth drooping open, and tongue practically hanging out. His eyes are half-lidded and completely unfocused from the alcohol.
“Damn it, Danny. Stop being a creep. You’re going to get us kicked out of here, man,” Vincent scolds, slapping him on his shoulder.
I snicker when Danny falls sideways from the hit, unable to keep his body upright. Candy, though, has apparently had enough of Danny’s wandering hands when he grabs her hips to stabilize himself.
“Alright, I’m done,” she snaps at no one in particular. Pulling her body away from him, she picks her discarded bra off the floor and straps her massive tits back into it while glaring at our friend. “I’m not a fucking whore, you jackass. I’m done with this shit.”
Narrowing his eyes, Danny sneers at her. “I paid a hundred bucks for a fucking lap dance. I want a refund or you need to finish what you started.”
“Yeah, not happening. No refunds, asshole.” She spins away and slips into the back through a door painted bright red with the words ‘Employees Only’ written in bold, white lettering.
“Can you believe that sshhhit?” Danny asks me, glassy eyes looking slightly to my left, before further sliding sideways like he’s about to fall off the chair. He’s probably seeing three of me right now.
Grabbing his shoulder to prop him back up, I give him a squeeze. “Yeah, I can believe it. She gave you plenty of warnings, Danny. Likely for the best. I think you’ve had enough tonight and you’ve got an early morning tomorrow.” Catching Vincent’s eyes over Danny’s shoulder, he nods in agreement.
This evening turned out to be a bust. The dinner we shared before coming here was the highlight of our evening. But Danny downed so many drinks at the restaurant, it’s like he was on a mission to drink everything they keep on the shelves. He was already swaying by the time we showed up at the strip club, which he insisted we visit for his bachelor’s party. It’s just been a nightmare since.
Without giving Danny a chance to argue with me, I give Max’s foot a kick. “You wanna help me get him out of here?” Max has been quiet ever since I’ve been back in town. This is the first time I’ve spent with him since his mom’s funeral, and I’m worried that he’s more fucked up about what happened than he’s letting on.
“I don’t wanna go anywhere, not until I get my dick wet!” Danny complains loudly as I try to lift him out of his chair. “This is my last night before I’m stuck with a fucking prude!”
Vincent and I pause at his words, while Max throws back his tumbler of bourbon in one shot. What the hell is he going on about?
Clearing his throat, Vincent interjects. “Umm, probably not a nice thing to say about your future wife, Danny. You’re just drunk and not thinking straight.” Coming up next to me, he helps me lift him to his feet. “Ethan and I are gonna get you to the car and then to your hotel room. Sound good?”
He doesn’t formulate any sensible words, just mumbles out complaints as we drag him out the front door. Vincent gives a silent apology to the security team angrily eyeing up our friend, slouched between Vincent and I. Candy must have reported him. Good thing we’re leaving before we get our asses kicked out. One guard we pass delivers us a warning as soon as the fresh air hits my face. “Let your buddy know not to come back here once he sobers up. He’s not welcome again.”
Nodding that I hear him, we make our way to my rented SUV, practically dragging Danny along the gravel parking lot. “In you go,” I encourage him as he falls into the back seat. “Let me know if you need to puke so I can pull over. Where’s your room key?”
“Don’t wanna go to the hotel. Need to go to her house. Need to tell her not to be a fucking cold fish anymore.”
“Yeah, that’s not a good idea.” Vincent laughs awkwardly.
Max crawls into the back with Danny, shoving him over so he can fit himself in beside him. “Why the hell are you talking like this? Do you not want to get married or something?”
I’m wondering the same thing. When Danny chose not to leave town to head off to college with the rest of us, we were all pretty pissed. Especially considering he was the one who pushed the idea to begin with. Then, he called us last year to inform us he was marrying his neighbor.
None of us saw that coming. I would never have put the two of them together. I always thought Danny couldn’t stand her from the way he treated her. Always complaining nonstop about the many ways she’s pissed him off or screwed him over.
Danny’s snort of laughter in answer to Vincent’s question only raises more questions.
Max doesn’t back down. He gives Danny a smack on the side of his cheek to get his attention. “Danny, fucking focus. Why are you marrying her?”
He shrugs and then starts laughing. “Why the hell not? Need a wife at some point, and why not one that’ll want to do all the wife shit they’re supposed to do? Besides, her dad wanted her out, and my parents always thought she was a nice girl.” He finger quotes when he says nice girl, then keeps rambling. “I was doing her a favor. Her daddy didn’t want her sticking around the house after her mom died so he could move his new girl and her kids in with him.”
“Wait,” I say, shaking my head. “Her mom died? When did that happen?”
“That same month we got engaged,” he shares without any more detail.
Max sounds disgusted when he asks, “And she agreed? Just like that?”
“Didn’t have muchofa choice…” he slurs. “Everyone told her she’d be better off with me ‘cuz I’ve gotta good job instead of being a broke bitch in a shitty apartment. Do you know she didn’t even go to college? She fucking works as a damn secretary at some piece of shit insurance company, answering phones.”
“So, you all thought getting married was the right answer?” Vincent asks. “She’s marrying you so you’ll take care of her?”
“Yup, and she’d better be a good fucking wife. I’m not gonna let her just suck me dry unless she’s sucking me dry. You know what I’m sayin’?” He cackles at his joke, and my stomach turns at that image. This is all a train wreck waiting to happen and I’m so fucking irritated that I’m wasting my limited leave time to be here for a farce.
“Does she even like you?” Max asks, still pushing him. Looking back at Max, I can see the anger written all over his face and realize that he’s almost as drunk as Danny, only he’s holding his shit together better. The liquor is most likely the reason that he’s pressing the issue and not backing down.
Danny barks out a loud ‘ha’. “Of course she does. Needed to make sure she wouldn’t back out, amiright? Girls like her are easy to please. Just give ‘em little cutesy words and they’re eating out of the palm of your hands.”
Shaking my head, I steer the car in the direction of the hotel we’re all staying at for the night and where the reception will be held after the ceremony tomorrow.
“Nonononooooo,” Danny yells out. “You’re goin’ the wrong way! I need to talk to her tonight, before I’m shackled to her. She has to know that she’s gotta be a wife tomorrow.” He snickers again, and adds, “Never had me a virgin before…”
“Not a good idea,” Vincent warns him.
Mina is a virgin? I find that hard to wrap my head around when they’ve been together long enough to be engaged.
“Shut the fuck up, Vince!” he hisses. “It’s fuckin’ important, and I’m not gonna go back to my room until I fuckin’ talk to her.”
Max taps me on my shoulder. “What?” I ask him.
He jerks his head behind us, then tells me, “Take him back to his house. That’s where he wants to go, and I don’t know about you, but I’d like to ask her why the hell she’s marrying this fucking dick.”
I’m so done with this night. Sighing, I flip my turn signal on to take us back in the other direction. We’ll let Danny do his thing, and then I’m fucking out of here. Thoughts of just leaving before the wedding sneak up on me. The idea is more and more tempting the closer we get to the neighborhood we all grew up in.
Danny is out the door the second we come to a stop, marching over to Mina’s house like a man on a mission. Max is fast on his heels. Sighing again, I turn off the engine and in a low voice, tell Vincent, “This is a bad idea.”
“I know. Let’s just go with him. It’ll take him five minutes to make an ass of himself, and then we can leave.”
When I open my door, I can already hear Danny screaming in Mina’s front yard. “Mina! Mina, come out here. We gotta talk!”
The house is so dark that I check the driveway for their vehicles to see if they’re even home. There’s just an old Corolla, so I assume Mina is the only one home. Why aren’t any of her bridesmaids here with her on her wedding night? Or even her dad?
“She doesn’t have any. No fucking friends at all,” Danny slurs, before he goes back to screaming for her to get her ass outside. I wasn’t aware I asked that out loud.
Who doesn’t have bridesmaids for their wedding?
I’m just about to suggest we leave when a light flickers on from one of the bedrooms upstairs. I follow the lights as she makes her way through the house, turning them on as she enters each room. Moments later, she slips through the front door, cinching an oversized robe around her waist. She’s mussed like she’s been sleeping, but there are dark circles under her eyes, making her look exhausted.
“Danny?” she calls out softly, then stops short when she realizes the rest of us are standing in her yard a short distance behind him. “Oh… umm, what are you all d-doing here?” She seems nervous as she tucks her hair behind her ear and wraps her arms around her waist in a tight hug.
“Fucking FINALLY. Listen, we gotta talk,” Danny says as he stumbles toward her. She takes a step back, seemingly uneasy about how he’s approaching her.
“Talk? Danny, it’s two in the morning.” Checking my watch, I curse when I realize it’s much later than I thought it was. Fuck, we’re all going to be destroyed tomorrow.
Ignoring her protest, he grips her upper arms and tries to lean down to kiss her on the lips. She turns her face, cringing away from his breath saturated with whiskey and God knows what else he’s been guzzling down.
Giving her a small shake, his face changes and something dark passes through his eyes. “See? This! This is what I’m fuckin’ talking about guys! So this ends tonight, Mina. Tomorrow, after the wedding, you better be ready to be a goddamn wife instead of a dead fish just hanging around the house!” He gives her another shake and leans closer. “You hearing me?”
“Hold on,” I say, stepping up. No matter what’s going on between the two of them, the way he’s talking to her isn’t cool, even if he is drunk. “You need to calm down and back off. Go get some sleep.” I tell him and thankfully, he lets her go.
Mina is quick to step away from him and runs a shaky hand through her hair. It’s loosely hanging around her shoulders in soft waves, and I realize that I’ve never seen her with her hair down like this. I also notice that her face has matured since the last time I saw her. That softness in her cheeks that hung around years longer than it did for other girls her age is gone. It’s been replaced with a kind of pretty that isn’t amplified by makeup. Natural. Pure.
