Because of Low (13 page)

Low began to stretch out her legs and a soft moan drifted from the bed. I watched fascinated as she raised her arms up over her head and finally her face peeked out from under the covers. Her small little manicured hands came down to rub her eyes and she yawned before finally opening her eyes and meeting my gaze. A slow sleepy smile spread across her face. I wasn’t going to be able to sleep on the couch for long. Of this I was absolutely positive.

“Morning,” I said pushing off from the door frame I’d been propped up against and making my way to the bed. She sat up and leaned back against the headboard.

“Good morning,” came her reply, her voice still groggy from sleep.

I sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Sleep well?”

Grinning she nodded and reached over and took my coffee. I watched as she put the rim to her lips on the cup and took a drink.

“You like it black?”

She shrugged, “I prefer sugar and cream but you made it look so good I thought I’d take a sip.”

“And was it as good as I made it look?”

She scrunched her nose, “Nope.”

Chuckling I took my cup back, “I’ll go make you a cup the way you like it.”

I started to get up and her hand grabbed my arm stopping me.

“Wait, um... we need to talk about Cage before he gets here.”

I didn’t want to talk about Cage. I was going to handle it. Alone.

“I’m going to talk to Cage.”

She shook her head, “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I need to get him alone and talk to him. He’ll get angry at you and possibly hit you. He won’t hurt me. He’ll listen to me. I can make him understand.”

The idea of Willow and Cage holed up in his bedroom for any length of time bothered me. I wasn’t going to let her do this alone. I covered the hand she had on my arm with my free hand.

“Low, I started this. I didn’t stay away when Cage warned me to. He’s my roommate and I owe it to him to explain this. I’ll get him to listen to me. And if he throws a punch I can handle him. Just because I didn’t grow up in a difficult neighborhood doesn’t mean I don’t know how to defend myself.”

Nibbling her bottom lip nervously she reached up and ran her fingers through her tangled wild mass of hair. She didn’t want to argue with me. I could see it in her worried expression. I stood up then bent over and slipped my finger under her chin tilting her face up to look at me.

“Trust me,” I pleaded then pressed my lips against hers before straightening up and leaving the room. Hopefully she’d be in the shower when Cage got home. I’d prefer her not to be here when I talked to him.

Willow

I desperately needed a shower but I needed to be dressed and ready when Cage walked in the door. Picking up my phone to check the time I knew he’d be here soon. Cage wasn’t one to hang around the morning after.

Opening my suitcase I grabbed a pair of shorts and my vintage Guns & Roses 1987 Banned Rape t-shirt. I had a thing for vintage concert t-shirts. Whenever I came across one at a thrift store I’d get all giddy. This one wasn’t a thrift store find though. It was one Cage had bought for me off Ebay for my birthday last year. I wanted to help ease his anger. I figured my wearing this shirt might help. I quickly brushed my hair then pulled it to the side and braided it. Until I could wash it, this would have to do.

The moment I opened the bedroom door I heard the key jingle in the lock. My nerves hit an all time high as the door swung open and in sauntered Cage looking incredibly hung over. His eyes met mine and he started to grin but the grin fell almost immediately. I was standing in Marcus’s doorway. It wasn’t a detail Cage had missed.

“Good morning Cage,” I said forcing a smile. His bloodshot eyes shifted from me and found Marcus walking out of the kitchen with my cup of coffee.

“Morning,” Marcus nodded to Cage as he passed him and brought me my coffee. I quickly took it from his hands, for fear Cage may suddenly lung at Marcus and burn him with my coffee. I kept my eyes on Cage. If he made any sudden moves I was going to stop him.

“Low, what the
fuck
?”

I cringed at the angry growl in his tone.

Stepping past Marcus I placed myself in front of him knowing Cage wouldn’t hurt me to get to him.

“Cage you and I need to talk. Please, don’t do anything drastic. I’ll leave if you force me to.”

The hurt that flashed in his blue eyes stung. I didn’t like hurting him. Other than Larissa, Cage was the only other person I’d ever loved. Hurting Cage was like hurting myself. His throat constricted and his angry glare flashed at Marcus.

“You couldn’t stay out of her damn panties could you Marcus? I warned you she was mine.”

Marcus tensed behind me and started to move and I followed him. I was not letting him get near Cage without me as a buffer. His hands clasped my shoulders. I waited for him to try to move me but he didn’t.

“I haven’t been in her panties Cage. You know Low better than that. Watch what you say.”

Cage took a step toward us and his fist clenched and unclenched reflexively his eyes never leaving Marcus.

“You don’t fucking KNOW her! You’re a damn pretty boy with his daddy’s money. You’ll use her and walk away. She can’t handle that. Why couldn’t you have just backed the hell off like I warned you?”

Marcus moved me to the side this time.

“You know nothing about me. From the moment I graduated from high school I haven’t used one red cent of my father’s money. I make my own way. And I would never hurt her. You expect her to sit by and wait on you to stop screwing your way through the damn State of Alabama. That’s insane and selfish Cage. If you care about her at all you’ll let her make her own choices.”

Marcus never yelled but his voice was hard and at times lethal sounding. I sat my cup down on the table and prepared to jump between them if Cage made any sudden moves.

“I take care of her. Ask her! I’ve never let her down. I’m the one who has dried her tears and picked up the pieces when her sorry ass sister continues to break her heart. Since she was a little girl it has been ME whose helped her through everything. So don’t tell me how to show her I love her. Don’t you dare tell me I’m fucking selfish.”

Marcus sighed and shook his head. I knew he didn’t understand Cage’s perspective. But I did.

“I get that you’ve always been the one there for her. I do. But you have a life Cage. You go out with girls all the time. Why do you expect Low to just sit and wait on you? Why can’t she make her own choices?”

Cage’s angry glare finally left Marcus and his focus shifted to me. The betrayal in his eyes almost undid me. The snarl left his face and a concerned frown took its place.

“Is this what you want baby?”

I nodded feeling the tears fill my eyes.

“Okay. If you want to do this thing with Marcus then fine. I’ll take it and deal with it. But when he hurts you. When he lets you down, I’ll be here. My arms are always open for you to run into. I want you happy and if you think this asshole will make you happy then fine. You need to live a little too. I can’t protect you from everything,” his gaze shifted back to Marcus, “but I can be here to hold you when he breaks your heart.”

Marcus may not like it but I didn’t care. Cage was going to accept this. He really would do anything to make me happy. I went to him and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you,” I whispered in his ear.

His forehead touched my shoulder and he squeezed me tightly. “If he hurts you I’ll kill him,” his words were for my ears only. I didn’t doubt him but I knew Marcus would never hurt me. He was one of the good guys.

“He won’t,” I assured him.

Cage let out a sigh and kissed my temple, “Yes baby, he will.”

Then he let me go and turned and walked to his bedroom without looking back. Once his door closed I let out the breath I’d been holding and my shoulders sagged in relief. That wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d imagined.

Two warm arms wrapped around me and I was pressed tightly against Marcus’s chest. Smiling to myself while he nuzzled my neck.

“I won’t hurt you Low,” he promised.

I nodded. Because I believed him.

Chapter Thirteen

Marcus

Willow had gone to take a shower. Apparently she’d put that off afraid I’d face Cage alone. The fact she’d stood between the two of us to protect me would be funny if it didn’t piss me off a little. It made me want to go out and beat the shit out of someone so she could see I wasn’t some spoiled rich kid who’s never had a busted lip or black eye. She’d met Rock, Dewayne and Preston. Could she not tell I didn’t exactly run around with the country club crowd? I flipped the last pancake and reached to get the butter out of the fridge.

“She moved her stuff. You make her do that?” Cage asked from behind me.

Guess we were going to get that private confrontation after all. I pulled out a stick of butter and turned around closing the door behind me.

“I didn’t make her do anything.”

Cage snarled and glanced back at my bathroom door. This was the first time she’d showered in my bathroom too. Normally she used Cage’s.

“Why Low? You could’ve had any damn chic in this town. Why’d you have to go and mess with Low?”

When he said stupid shit like that it made me question his belief she was special.

Sitting the butter down I reached for a knife to slice off some pats to put on our pancakes. Without looking back up at him for fear I’d lose my temper I responded, “You of all people should know how special she is. Girls like her aren’t easy to find. From the moment I opened that door,” I stopped slicing and looked up at him. I wanted him to see my face when I told him this. I needed him to believe me. “I knew she was going to get under my skin. Then the more I got to know her. The more I watched her and talked to her I wanted to get closer to her. And as much as you hate to hear this she wants to get close to me too.”

Cage let out a hard laugh and turned to go back to his bedroom. I went back to slicing the butter.

“I want to believe you won’t hurt her. But I know you will. I’m going to stand back and let this play out. Because in the end, she’ll come running back to me.”

His door slammed behind him.

He was wrong. But I wasn’t going to argue with him about it anymore. As long as he stood back and left us alone I was good. That was more than I could have hoped for.

I set the table and poured us both coffee adding some cream and sugar to Low’s. I also placed a glass of orange juice beside her plate of pancakes. I wasn’t sure if she liked coffee with her meal. I liked cold milk with my pancakes so I poured her a glass of that too.

The door to my bathroom opened and she stepped out dressed in the clothes she’d had on earlier but this time her hair hung damp and loose down her back. The ends curled just a little when wet. Her face was scrubbed clean of any makeup and she was beautiful. Big green eyes taking in the table then lifting to meet my appreciative gaze.

“Wow. That looks really good.”

I pulled out her chair and waved my hand for her to have a seat. Giggling she made her way over and stopped right in front of me. Standing on her tip toes she kissed me softly then leaned back and whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She slid into her seat and I pushed her chair in then walked over to my side and sat down.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy pull my chair out and push me to the table before. I always thought it would be kind of awkward but you made it look as smooth as it appears on television.”

I smirked then reached for the syrup.

“I worked for Jax Stone for a few summers at his vacation house on the island. One of my jobs was serving their food. I pulled his mother’s chair out a million times.”

Her mouth made a small o shape.

“That’s how you know Sadie then?”

I nodded and once again I was surprised that my chest didn’t ache at the mention of Sadie’s name. Damn if that didn’t make me smile.

“Um, Marcus,” she giggled and I looked up to see what was so funny.

“Why did you give me three drinks?”

This time I laughed and shrugged, “Wasn’t sure what you’d want.”

Willow bit her bottom lip still smiling then reached for the milk.

“With sweet stuff, I like milk.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Willow

I had to work tonight but Tawny called and asked me to watch Larissa for a couple of hours this afternoon. Marcus hadn’t argued with me like Cage would have. He seemed to understand family craziness and gave me a ride over there. He’d made me promise to call him as soon as I was ready to leave. He was going job hunting today and he had a paper to write for one of his online courses. Leaving him was still hard. I was already addicted to him. Not exactly healthy behavior.

As usual Tawny was running late. She’d promised I’d have time to go home and change before work but it looked like I’d be going to work as is. Glancing at my phone for the tenth time in like five minutes I let out a frustrated growl. Why couldn’t she just call or text when she was running late?

The sound of gravel crunching under tires outside ended my frustration and I went to close Larissa’s door so Tawny wouldn’t wake her up from her nap. I’d go outside to call Marcus after I’d dealt with Tawny. I didn’t want her listening in on our conversation.

Walking by the window I stopped. Instead of Tawny’s piece of junk Ford Taurus there was a very expensive black car in the driveway. That couldn’t be good. Turning around I went to the door expecting a knock when it opened and in walked my sister followed by an older guy. Much older.

“You can go now,” Tawny said sauntering into the house and glancing at me as if I were the hired help.