The Mistress of Black Grove Manor (90 page)

              Ally swallowed hard, her face turning red. She felt embarrassed at her black eye, unsure of how to explain the situation. Kazuma walked over to her and placed a warm arm around her shoulder. “We shouldn’t talk about John right now. It’s a sore subject for everyone involved.”

              The other men nodded in agreement.

              “So,” Ronnie asked. “Who wants to drink? I brought wine and beer so I hope you’re all thirsty.”

              Ally smiled, happy at the change in subject. She settled into the couch with a foamy beer and watched as the other men engaged in conversations about the upcoming fight and their aversion to the opponent. Kazuma sat next to Ally, making her feel protected. She’d never been around people that seemed this healthy or happy before.

              “You okay?” he whispered to her.

              “I’m perfect,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

Chapter 6

             
A few days later Ally told Kazuma she needed to stop back at the house to get some of her things. She knew John would be at work at that time, as he was always out during the day negotiating deals and doing whatever else to make money.

              “I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” Kazuma said. He was in the kitchen frying up a bagel on the stove for Ally. They’d decided to live together for longer, as the pair had started to care about one another deeply.

              “Kazuma, I can’t keep hanging out in your sweatpants and old t-shirts. It’s comfortable and all but I need my own things. And some of my photo albums and jewelry box are at the house, too. Some of those things are irreplaceable.”

              “I understand that. I’m just worried is all. Are you sure he’s not going to be at the house?”

              “I’m positive. And if he is I’ll just leave. Does that sound like a good deal?”

              Kazuma groaned and flipped the bagel.

              “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” he asked.

              “Nope,” she said with a grin.

              “Fine. But if you’re not back here in two hours I’m going to call the police.”

              “I’d be worried if you didn’t.”

              He lifted the bagel onto her plate and served it with a swab of cream cheese. They ate in silence, each thinking about what might or might not happen at John’s house. Ally had been dodging his calls for days, and it was obvious she didn’t want to be with him anymore. That didn’t stop John from calling her every chance he got, leaving menacing voicemails that when he found her he would make her pay for all his suffering.

              She found these voicemails highly ironic, as John had caused her more pain than anyone in her life. That even included her parents and extended family, who ignored her. When she told them she had a new boyfriend, Kazuma, they asked her if he was another low life with an alcohol problem. She hung up on her mother and father, not understanding why they failed to support her emotionally. It was fine, as she was almost thirty-four and she didn’t need their help. She could take care of herself.

              She’d even gotten a job at the liquor store one town over, and worked days to help Kazuma with the bills. It was easy to be with Kazuma. He was sweet and supportive and never made her feel scared or dirty the way John did.

              When they finished breakfast, Kazuma drew Ally in for a hug. He rested his face on her hair and told her that she needed to be careful with John, as he was unpredictable.

              “I’ll be back before you know it,” she said, tilting her head up to kiss him on the lips.

              The drive to John’s was nerve-wracking. She couldn’t help thinking that he would be waiting for her with a few of his thugs and that she’d be killed without a trace. Kazuma would show up at the house hours later only to get ambushed. She shuddered at the thought. To her dismay, she saw John’s car in the driveway as she pulled up. However, he wasn’t alone. There was another dark blue car next to his—and it was Macy’s.

              Ally wrinkled her brow and parked the car. What the hell was Macy doing at the house? She didn’t get along with John. This couldn’t have been a coincidence, but it made no sense as to why she was there. Ally knew she needed to get to the bottom of this, and fast.

              She parked the car on the side of the road in case she needed a speedy getaway and proceeded to walk towards the house. Unsurprisingly, the front door was unlocked. She could hear faint giggling from inside, and the occasional smacking noise. When she pushed the door open further, she heard their voices clearer. Macy and John were fooling around on the couch while an episode of the Simpsons played in the background. Ally gathered her courage and stepped onto the threshold, which made a loud creaking sound beneath her foot.             

              “Hello?” John called out, his voice sounding slightly worried. “Who the hell is there?”

              “It’s me,” Ally said. “I came to get some of my things.”

              In the silence that followed, John slipped his shirt on and walked over to the doorway.

              “Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show up.”

              Macy stuck her head over the couch and smirked at Ally.

              “What are you doing here?” Ally asked. She couldn’t possibly be sleeping with John. He was ruthless and wouldn’t hesitate to beat the living hell out of Ally.

              “What do you think? John and I are hanging out and watching TV. We were together long before you two broke up and the minute you disappeared he declared his devotion to me. Romantic, huh?”

              “That’s disgusting,” Ally said. “You should know better.”

              “John never hurts me, so I don’t know what you’ve been talking about. You must just have been a terrible girlfriend or something.”

              It took all the strength in Ally’s body not to physically or verbally attack Macy.

              “What are you doing here, anyways?” John asked. “Lost lamb come back home?”

              “Not even close. I came here to get my stuff.”

              She breezed past him on the stairs and headed towards her room. John followed her, asking questions about whom she was living with and what the hell she had been up to.

              “I’m living with a guy named Kazuma. You might have heard about him in the fighting ring.”

              John rolled his eyes. “Kazuma, huh? Why does that name sound familiar? I’ve definitely heard of that loser before. I think they call him the dragon or something. I can’t imagine why.”

              Ally smirked. Of course Kazuma was called “the dragon.” She was going to harass him about this to no end.

              She grabbed a few bags from her closet and proceeded to stuff them with her things. John was talking nonstop in the doorway as if he were on speed. The others must have been right—he was probably taking drugs, maybe cocaine. When she glanced at him she noticed his pupils were dilated and he looked a bit chaotic.

              “How goes things with Macy?” she asked, indulging him out of boredom.             

              “Things with Macy are great. She’s been attending matches with me and helping me out with a few of my side projects. I’d tell you but it’s underground business, and frankly none of your business. How goes things with your new loser boyfriend?”

              “Kazuma isn’t a loser. You don’t know anything about him. He’s an amazing human being and nothing like the two of you. You’re both scum.”

              John laughed a wicked laugh and lit up a cigarette. “You’re just as ornery as you always were, Ally. Let me guess, it’s your time of the month?”

              Ally froze. John was right—it was the week she was supposed to get her period. If she counted correctly in her head, she was supposed to have gotten her period three days ago. She was late.

              Not wanting to give John further reason to harass her, she laughed it off. “You’re right, I am on the rag. But even if I weren’t, I still wouldn’t put up with your snide remarks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to my other boyfriend.”

              John stepped aside, waving his hands for Ally like she was royalty. She stormed out of the house, ignoring Macy who was cackling on the couch for no reason.

              “Disgusting,” she muttered under her breath as she tossed her bags in the car. She’d gotten everything she needed from the house and wouldn’t need to go back there ever again. She could finally say goodbye to her old life, and to the dumpy new couple.

              On the car ride home she fidgeted with the radio and the steering wheel. If she was pregnant, it was definitely Kazuma’s. She’d always used protection with John, especially because he was a womanizer. There had been several occasions when he’d come home smelling of sex and liquor, slurring an admission of guilt to her about cheating with a waitress or dealer. The first time Kazuma and Ally slept together they hadn’t used a condom. She’d been in a great deal of emotional turmoil and hadn’t even thought of it.

              They’d slept together several times after that, and Ally had started going on the pill. She was on her green week, which meant she was taking sugar pills. She definitely needed to talk to Kazuma about this. At least it wasn’t John’s, if she was even pregnant. That was the only thing she had to be thankful for. John was such a louse he didn’t deserve her. He hardly deserved Macy, but with the way she acted in the house—perhaps Ally had been wrong all along.

Chapter 7

              On her way back to the house Ally picked up a pregnancy test. The woman at the counter looked at her suspiciously, which made Ally feel pissed off. She’d already had to deal with the drama that came with John and Macy; she didn’t need to take shit from the cashier.

              For some strange reason Ally wasn’t scared about the possibility of carrying Kazuma’s child. He was the most romantic man she’d ever dated. He was always checking up on her to make sure she was okay and he was attentive to her needs. They often spent the mornings waking up slowly, oftentimes making love before Kazuma headed off to the gym and Ally headed to work. That was her favorite time of day, right before the heat exploded, when the sky was full of dark rain clouds.

              When she got back to the house, she found he was in the kitchen cooking something on the stove.

              “Hi,” she said weakly, tossing her bags in the doorway. “I’m back.”

              “How did it go?”

              “It was…not so good. Macy showed up. She’s apparently been dating John since before we broke up.”

              “Oh god. Well he didn’t deserve you. He’s a piece of garbage and you’re an angel. What did you get from the store?”

              Ally swung the bag behind her back, suddenly nervous to talk to Kazuma about her revelation. “It’s not a big deal,” Ally said.

              “Are you sure about that?” Kazuma said, advancing towards her. “Because it kind of seems like a big deal to me.”

              He reached his arms around her and kissed her. Ally felt her body turning to jelly as his lips traveled from her lips to her collarbone, his tongue dipping beneath the hem of her shirt. Finally he slipped his hands into hers and grabbed the bag from her.             

              “Oh,” he said after he’d searched through the bag’s contents.

              “You’re mad. Are you mad? You seem mad.”

              “Ally calm down it’s okay. I’m not upset with you.”

              “You’re not?” she asked, peering up at him from behind her thick blanket of hair.              

              “Of course not. Ally I’m so happy, I’ve never been more excited in my life! Oh my god,” he said, lifting her into his arms and Ally started to cry tears of happiness, her arms hugging tighter around Kazuma’s neck.

              “I’m so happy,” she said.

              “We have to call the guys and plan a celebration. Are you going to tell your parents?”

              “No,” she said suddenly, her happiness draining quickly from her. “I don’t think so. They hardly approve of my boyfriends, let alone my life decisions. Basically they’ve given up me since John.”

              “I know. I don’t talk to my parents either. It doesn’t matter; we’ll make a new family. All we need is the three of us.”

              “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. But Kazuma, I haven’t taken the test yet.”