Harkham's Choice (Harkham's Series Book 2) (14 page)

She set aside the orange and the dish it was in.

“I can’t do this . . . I hurt too many people without trying—by simply being me.” Her arms were lax at her sides with her palms up, hands a little curled like she wanted him to put his hands in hers.

He flew across the room, knelt at the edge of the bed and put his hands there for her.

She interlaced their fingers and sighed several times in a row, her chest rising in a big way, then subsiding.

“Does it matter what I say?” She looked at him through her lashes. “I can see it in your eyes. You wanna be stuck with me no matter what, don’t you?”

“I do.” He nodded and smiled.

“No more tears?”

“Only if you say you love me too, and we’re still marrying,” he answered.

“I do love you, Adam. I could never stop. You’re everything.” A few tears leaked out.

“Okay, then. No more tears. We’re marrying, and I know everything about your past, so no more of you not liking yourself. That’s your dad, not you. He hates himself, so he sits in his chair and slowly kills himself. My dad and I talked about it a lot last night, and how we can’t help him, but we won’t give up on you. We can help 
you
, and I know you want us to.”

She nodded and swallowed hard, her emotions surfacing again, forcing her lips to tremble. “You’re right.”

“Kiss me.”

She pulled him by his hands up onto the bed. He crawled over her with their hands still stuck together.

He leaned his head down and kissed her. She wrapped her legs around him, making him fall on top of her.

She giggled, but kept kissing.

He pushed their hands up onto the bed next to her head.

When he pulled away, he said, “Don’t ever leave me again. You can’t do that. We belong together, and you’re mine. If you leave, that’s breaking rules.
Mine
. Do you hear me?”

“No,
you’re
mine,” she said and kissed the tip of his nose.

“If I can’t break sex rules, then you can’t break leaving rules. Deal?”

“Deal.” She smiled and wiggled under him.

He sank down into her, nuzzled his lips into her neck and they lay intertwined, speaking soft words of adoration and love. When she fell asleep, he got up, locked the door and stripped down to nothing but his underwear.

He placed a blanket over them and spooned her from behind. He lifted the back of her shirt up so their skin was touching.

“My soft”—he gave a kiss to her shoulder—“warm”—a companion kiss to the temple—“Mari.” He hummed, then whispered as he kissed her neck, “I adore you. No more bad dreams. You have safety, because I’ve got you.”

“Adam . . . The baby,” she mumbled in her sleep.

“Only us . . . No death, sweetie,” he said a little louder and closed his eyes.

Adam woke later to find his dad unlocking and entering his room with his hair disheveled and his whole face tight and hard.

“What’s going on?” his dad asked. “The school called me, saying you were both missing.”

Mari remained quiet and still. Good. She probably needed the sleep.

“I found her at school and took her home,” Adam replied with a soft, measured tone.

“I can see that. I thought you were going to stay away,” his dad reminded him.

“I can’t. And that was your plan, not mine.” Adam’s arm tightened around her waist.

“And you’re naked in bed together? You think I’m okay with this?” His dad gnashed his teeth together.

“I’ve got underwear on, and she’s fully clothed. No genitals are exposed. Nothing happened. I kissed her, but that’s it. She’s staying, Dad. Everything’s back to normal,” Adam told him. He inhaled her scent and it calmed him, making the small numbers drift away.

“
Normal
?” His dad took a few more steps deeper into the room.

“Yeah. We’re marrying. We love each other. I know everything about her now, and I don’t care what she did. She’s my future wife and lover. I won’t live without her.” Adam kissed her shoulder.

His dad frowned. “Why do I even try to argue with you?” He waved his hand down and said, “Fine. Do what you want, but if you have a breakdown at school and they take you away, I won’t stop them. I can only do so much for you, and when you’re making deliberate choices to sabotage your future, what do you expect me to—”

“I don’t expect anything except for you to be happy for me. I won’t have any more episodes. That was the absolute last one. I swear to you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” his dad mumbled. “Just use protection when you finally do have sex. Promise me that. I’m not ready to be a grandpa, and with your condition—”

“I will.”

“I’ll go call the school and tell them you’re both ill.” His dad turned and dragged himself out the door, making sure to close it on his way out.

“Why do you keep me?” Mari whispered.

“I knew you were awake for all that,” he said, smiling.

“Why? Tell me how it’s worth it to you,” she said above her previous quiet tone.

“Because I’m worth it to you, too. There’s no why when there’s love. It’s not allowed. Now hush, turn around and touch me.” He helped her flip over.

“You’re so warm,” she said and glued her cheek to his chest as she fiddled with his chest hairs.

“All because of you.”

They cuddled, kissed and both finally climbed out of bed, went downstairs and thanked his dad for calling them in sick at school. When his dad told them they were welcome, they left him and got something to eat.

Mari smiled and laughed with Adam as they munched their snack, and he knew things were fine.

Definitely back to normal.

* * *

It was so easy to fall back into his life that she adored so much.

They joked and laughed. Adam made popcorn, and they watched movies all afternoon. He’d throw pieces at her, and she’d catch them in her mouth. She didn’t bother to tell him she used to catch stuff in her mouth Vic would throw at her after she’d blow a smoke ring.

She snuggled into him on the couch.

“I really wanna smoke again,” she confessed after a few minutes of silence.

“You had one yesterday. I can smell it on you,” he said.

“Sorry . . . I just needed some kind of relief,” she said with a lazy sigh. “I don’t have any on me, though. I bummed one from a guy on the street.”

“Just shower before dinner so my dad doesn’t smell it,” he told her.

His dad exited his office right then. “I’m gonna go get your brother and sister since they don’t have a ride home.”

“Okay—see ya.” Adam nuzzled his nose into Mari’s hair.

“Sorry about this, Dustin,” Mari said. “I didn’t mean to cause any hassle.”

His dad turned and scowled. “It’s fine, and I think Adam would like it if you called me Dad.” He sucked in a gust of air. “And I would, too.”

She waited for him to grimace, but he didn’t. In fact, his dad seemed rather relaxed.

Really? They were to this point? How had they gotten here? Mari’s face went cold. “Uh . . . S-sure.”

“Try it. Say, ‘Goodbye, Dad, see you soon,’” Adam said with an encouraging smile.

She swallowed, but there was not a drop of moisture in her mouth. It felt filled with popcorn. “I . . . Uh . . . Yeah, I’ll see you at dinner . . . Dad,” she said, and her insides, instead of turning to ice, kind of warmed at the sound of calling him that. She smiled.

Whoa. It actually felt kind of natural to say that.

How was that possible?

“Good. Yes, I’ll see you both soon,” her . . . uh, her new-sorta-dad said.

Why were they so good to her? She’d done nothing to deserve it.

Well, all except Samara. She wasn’t so great to Mari.

“Samara is gonna take a dump down my throat,” Mari said after they were alone in the living room.

“That’s gross.” Adam chuckled. “And unlikely. You wouldn’t stay still for something like that. And think of the balance it would take for her to aim correctly.”

Mari burst out laughing.

He laughed, too. “But it’s true!”

She waved at him to stop making her laugh so hysterically.

When she calmed, he added, “Sam won’t even fart in front of me. Stay with me the entire time, and she won’t be able to do anything you don’t like. We can control her anal plans.”

She smiled. “Good plan, except the only anal plans you should have should all involve me.” She winked.

He winked back and grabbed her.

“Kiss me, silly man.”

He did.

She squealed, and he let go of her.

He frowned when she got up and left him.

“Going somewhere?” He pouted.

“To get us a drink. All this anal talk has made me thirsty.” She chuckled and left the room.

She rejoined him a minute later with a glass of ice water for both of them.

He chugged it in no time. She could tell he was thirsty by the way he kept clearing his throat when he laughed.

After she drank hers, she stayed soldered into his side until twenty minutes later when Zach and Samara came rushing through the front door.

Samara’s face completely dropped, and she kept silent. She glared at Mari for a moment, then left the room, sluggish and shoulders rounded forward.

“Mari!” Zach said, smiling. “I knew you were smart and you’d work it out with this clown.” He laughed and took a seat on the couch with them.

“Clowns live in the circus,” Adam said.

“Yeah, and that’s what this house is like, so it’s perfect for Mari to stay with us.” Zach hugged Mari real quick.

“Does this mean we’re still friends?” she asked Zach.

“Adam, you realize I’m not interested in her, and she’s so in love with you, she went after Rory and kicked his ass. He’s a big guy,” Zach said.

“I do, but when you two are around me, I don’t wanna be ignored. Include me in your music talks, and I want to wrestle and push and play too. Sound fair?” Adam waited, staring at his brother.

“I’m down with that. Mari?” Zach asked.

“Of course.” She beamed at Adam. It was easy when he was so cute and his eyes sparkled with utter graciousness.

“Good. We’re a good family.” Adam got up, put on another movie and said, “Sam will make us dinner, and everything’ll be perfect!”

“I wish,” Mari muttered.

Zach grabbed what was left of the bowl of popcorn and ate the rest in a flash.

“I’m starving. I’m gonna tell Sam to make it early tonight,” Adam said.

He left the room but told Zach to behave while he was gone.

Mari covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.

“Everything really all right?” Zach asked her when it was only the two of them in the room.

“Great,” she replied. The answer settled into her core, and it really did feel good. For once, she felt right in her bones.

“Okay. I’m here for both of you—honestly. I’m cool with all the stuff you’ve done. You had a crappy family life. I get it. My family has no idea the drugs I did after Mom left. I never told them, but I know you’ll understand.” Zach offered a kind smile.

“I do get it, more than anybody. And I appreciate all your support. You’re a terrific brother to him, and I can’t wait to have you as my brother-in-law, too.” She extended her hand to shake.

He pulled her into a tight hug and rocked her roughly side to side.

She laughed.

“Don’t tell them I’m screwing my girlfriend, Lorraine, either, or I’ll . . . Well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but you need me on your side.” He let go and pretended to scowl as he looked her in the eye.

“I’m not one to blab about others. You know that,” she said.

“’Kay, just so we’re straight on that. I fuck her all the time—every chance I get. I’m not going to stop just ‘cause Dad won’t let you two get in each other’s pants. That’s super fucked up, by the way—his cock-blocking rules.” He smiled. “Behave, youngsters. No sex. It’s bad, bad,
bad
! You’ll get hepatitis C or worse! And that’s no joke,” he lectured in a mocking, deep voice and shook a paternal finger at her.

She laughed. “You’re such a dork.”

“Who’s a dork? Zach?” Adam asked, rejoining them.

“You know it!” Zach pounded his chest. “Is she gonna feed us, or what? I’m so hungry I could hunt and eat a bear.”

“You
are
a bear,” Mari said, shoving his shoulder.

The next thing she knew, the three of them were tussling on the floor and laughing like maniacs.

She got up after a few minutes, trying to catch her breath.

Samara walked by, stepped into the kitchen and started slamming pots, pans and cabinet doors.

“I better go shower,” Mari said, excusing herself.

“Yeah, you nasty ho—get that stank washed off!” Zach called after her, snickering. “I don’t know how Adam was able to bear your stench while you grubbed around with him in his sheets today.” He plugged his nose and waved his other hand in front of it.