Meant to Be (12 page)

I couldn’t avoid my family very long. My silence and inability to return a single phone call or text told them everything they needed to know. I knew they would break down my door eventually. Around six, it happened.

“Open the door, Mike.” It was Scarlet.

I sat still and didn’t move. My mind couldn’t force my body to cooperate. It was unresponsive. She continued to knock on the door but I ignored her. I didn’t care about anything anymore.

The lock turned then the door opened. Sean had a key to my place, so I figured they were taking advantage of that. They stood behind me but I didn’t turn around. I wanted to make a smartass remark but I couldn’t think of anything.

When I heard the scuffle of numerous pairs of feet, I knew it wasn’t just my brother and sister. They were all there.

The sound of the refrigerator caught my attention. The clank of beers being shoved inside and pizza boxes being dropped on the counter resonated in my ears. I’d recognize that sound anywhere.

Soon the couch was covered with all the people I was close to. Ryan, Janice, and Hazel sat on the opposite on from me, not looking at me. Scarlet sat directly next to me, her arm immediately moving over my shoulder. Sean sat beside her but didn’t say anything. And Monnique and Cortland took the edge of the seat. Silence ensued.

“Cassandra told us what happened,” Scarlet explained. “We’re so sorry, Mike.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. I was grateful they were there but I couldn’t word it. I stared out my window and tried to keep my emotions restrained. I hated being weak but there was nothing I could do about it. Cassandra ripped out my heart and left my chest
vacant.

Two hands squeezed my shoulders from behind. I recognized their warmth from my youth. Every time I fell down and scraped my knee, he cleaned it and covered it with a Band-Aid. Every time I was suspended from school for pulling a prank on a teacher, he disciplined me then laughed with me. It was the hands I loved and respected most in the word.

“It’ll be okay, son.” His hands never left my shoulders.

And that broke me. The tears burned behind my eyes and a few escaped. “Thanks…”

He came around the couch then gave me a sad expression. I stood up and let him embrace me. I felt my chest heave with impending sobs.

He patted the back of my neck. “It’s okay to be upset. I’ve cried every day since I left your mother.”

I couldn’t cry in front of anyone but my family. They were the only people I’d let see me this weak and vulnerable. I had to be strong for everyone else in the world but I didn’t have to be that way now. “Make it go away…”

“I can’t. B
ut I can help you get through it.”

“We all can.” Sean came behind me and patted my back.

14

Sean

I was depressed. We all were, actually
.

Scarlet was the worst. She barely spoke, and when she did, it was short.

My brother and I had our ups and downs, but I had his back until the end of time. And seeing him this upset really shattered my heart. I felt the pain because I’d experienced it before. I was slightly angry with Cassandra for hurting him like this. The protective side of me emerged.

Scarlet and I hadn’t finished our fight since last week. In light of Mike’s pain, we simply forgot about it. But there was a point I wanted to make. “Can we take the fight off hold?”

She shrugged. “I don’t even care about it anymore.”

“Neither do I. All I ask
is you let me know where you are. That’s it.”

“Okay. I’m sorry.”

That was simple. “You’ll let me know from now on?”

“Yes. I was just distracted at the moment.”

“Okay.” Her depression made her far less argumentative.

She leaned over the table and rested her chin in her hand. “I hate this.”

“I do too.”

“Let’s have dinner with him tonight.”

“Okay.”

We’d been spending a lot of time with Mike since his break up last week. We knew distracting him and keeping him occupied wouldn’t chase the pain away, but it was better than leaving him alone.

“We should ask him if he wants to stay here again,” I said.

“He’ll say no. He said he found an
apartment just down the road from his old one. I think he’s going to take it.”

I couldn’t imagine living in an apartment with Scarlet’s ghost. I’d abandon the house and live under
a rock just to get away from it. “Do you think she’ll change her mind?”

Scarlet sighed. “If she was going
to, she would have come back already. And if she really wanted to be with Mike, she wouldn’t have left in the first place.” The bitterness was in her voice. “I had to go through this with Cortland and now I have to suffer through it with Mike. God, it kills me. I hate seeing how sad he is. I wish I could do something…”

My wife was always selfless toward others. She would harbor all the pain to herself if she could. “He’ll get through this, baby. I know he will.”

“I hope so.”

We went to an Italian restaurant in the city. Everyone dimmed down the affection toward their partners. I sat beside Scarlet but didn’t touch her. I naturally wanted to put my hand on her thigh or around her shoulders, but I resisted. I knew our relationship would make Mike feel the worst. That’s exactly what he wanted.

Cortland sat next to Ryan on the opposite side of the table. They both abandoned their girls. Andrew sat next to them, looking smug.

Scarlet looked at the menu. “What are you going to get, Mike? The artichoke raviolis look good.”

He shrugged. “I don’t care. I’m not hungry.”

In just a week, he’d lost substantial weight. Perhaps it was just water weight but he definitely looked different.

“Well, I think you should get it,” she pressed. “Just try a few bites.”

He rested his elbows on the table and downed his beer.

Hazel came into the restaurant and squeezed in beside Ryan. “Sorry I’m late. I had practice.”

“How’s that going?” Cortland asked.

“I need foot replacements,” she said with a sigh. “I can hardly walk anymore.”

Cortland chuckled. “At least you burn a million calories and can eat whatever you want.”

“The first part is true. Not really the second part,” Hazel countered.

“So, how’s the modeling thing going?” Ryan asked Monnique. “You should get me in. I look good on camera.” He winked.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Monnique answered. “But it’s definitely a new world.”

“Got any cute friends?” I asked.

Everyone glared at me.

“For my dad,” I added quickly.

Ryan relaxed. I thought he was going to kill me.

“I can pick up my own chicks,” Andrew said.

“A lot of them,” Mike added.

That was the first time Mike said something voluntarily, and not in retaliation to a question. Everyone noticed it.

I continued the subject. “Every time Dad and I hit the gym, a hot gi
rl wearing a skimpy outfit made a pass at him. Every time. I don’t get it. I didn’t get that much attention when I was in college as a rich boy.”

“Because you were an ass,” Mike countered.

I didn’t care if he insulted me. I was just glad he was talking. By no means was he over the break up, but at least he was interacting with other people again.

“You were a bit of an ass,” Scarlet added.

I shrugged. “I guess you have a point.”

A woman approached our table, wearing a cocktail dress and a tie. “Can I get you anymore drinks?”

“I’m good,” I said. ‘Thanks.”

Mike finished his beer. “I’ll take another one.”

“No, thank you,” Andrew said.

“Coming right up.” She disappeared then returned a minute later. After she placed the beer in front of Mike, she eyed Andrew. “Are you sure you don’t want anything, honey?”

Honey?

“I’m quite alright. Thank you,” Andrew said politely.

She pulled a business card out of her bra then placed it on the table. “Give me a call sometime. My name is Samantha.” She winked then walked away.

Ryan’s mouth dropped open. Then he clapped. “You are the man.” He bowed to Andrew over the table. “You must teach me, master.”

“You’re badass,” Cortland said.

I rolled my eyes. I was used to this so it wasn’t even funny anymore.

“Let me guess,” Mike said bitterly. “You aren’t going to call her?”

Andrew shrugged. “She’s not my type.”

“Beautiful? Thin? Curvy? Young?” Monnique asked incredulously. “Then what is your type?”

“My wife,” Andrew said simply. He drank his water and avoided everyone’s gaze.

That made me sad. My father was better at hiding his pain than most people, so sometimes I forgot just how depressed he was. I was focusing on Mike so I forgot about him.

We fell into a conversation about work and Scarlet’s horrible driving. She was a good sport about it even though she was annoyed. She’d sacrifice anything to make
Mike laugh.

After we finished dinner, we headed to the sidewalk.

“Let’s head back to the house for drinks and board games,” I offered.

It was the middle of the week, so I knew everyone wanted to go home and get to bed before work in a few hours. But everyone was a good sport for Mike.

“Sounds like fun,” Ryan said. “We got to play Twister. Any excuse to look at Janice’s ass is a good excuse.”

She rolled her eyes but smirked.

“Monopoly,” Cortland said. “Because I always win.”

“You always, always win,” Hazel countered.

“I like Jenga,” Andrew said.

“We aren’t in the twenties anymore, Dad,” I snapped.

“Still fun,” he said with a shrug.

Mike scratched the back of his head. “I’m going to call it a night. See
ya later.” He sounded like a man on suicide watch. It was depressing just to hear him talk.

“Mike, come over,” Scarlet pressed. “We’ll play strip poker.” She winked at him.

Hell no, we aren’t playing strip poker with other men.
I held my tongue so I wouldn’t make my brother uncomfortable.

“I…I just want
to be alone.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I appreciate everything you guys are trying to do but…nothing is going to make this better. I lost the most amazing thing in the world and now I’m alone. I’ll always be alone…”

I was speechless at his words.

“Night.” He headed to his Jaguar and got inside then took off.

Ryan sighed. “This sucks.”

“Yeah,” Cortland added. “Now I know what you guys went through when Monnique and I broke up.”

Scarlet seemed to be the most upset. “I hate this.”

I wrapped my arm around her waist. “He’ll get through this, baby. I know he will.”

“I just hate seeing him in pain.” She ran her fingers through her hair.

“I know. We all do.”

When we got home, we sat in the living room and watched TV. Scarlet was a morning person and I was a night owl, so she was falling asleep in my lap before midnight.

My dad sat on the other couch and watched the late night talk show. He was quiet and dark for most of the night. My father and I were wounded because Mike was in pain. Like all families, when one person was injured, we were all injured.

Scarlet mumbled in her sleep so I knew it was time to get her to bed. I scooped up her small body in my arms and headed for the stairs.

“Sean, come back when you’re done. I’d like to talk to you.” He said it quietly.

“Sure, Pops.” I carried her to our bedroom then tucked her into bed. I peeled her clothes off and she helped me, her eyes still closed. I kissed her forehead then headed to the door.

“Aren’t you coming to bed?” she said with a raspy voice.

“I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“Okay…” She cuddled with a pillow and drifted back to sleep.

When I came downstairs, I sat next to my dad. “What’s up?”

“You visit your mother yet?” He didn’t look at me when he spoke, his eyes still on the TV.

“No, I’ve been busy…”

“It’s been a month
, Sean. You told me you would talk to her.” The disappointment and anger was in his voice. He hardly ever got upset.

“I know… Mike’s break up has taken a lot of my focus.”

“You aren’t with him all the time, and he’s a man who can take care of himself. You’re there for him as much as you can be, but you need to be there for your mother too. I know she hasn’t been the best person in the world, but she’s your mother and you need to be there for her. No matter what happens, we’re still a family. Your mother would help you in a heartbeat if you needed her, and I expect that same loyalty from you.”

His words wounded me, just like they always did. “I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

“When?” he pressed.

“I don’t know…soon.”

He gave me a firm look.

“Tomorrow. I’ll go tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“Mike’s going through a hard time. Do I really need to drag him along too?”

“No. Leave him be.”

That lucky bastard.

My dad turned off the TV. “Good night.” Judging by his clipped tone, he wasn’t in a good mood.

“Goodnight.”

He walked up the stairs and entered his bedroom. I heard his bedroom door close.

I walked to my bedroom then pulled my clothes off. Scarlet was curled up in the bed like she hadn’t slept in three weeks. All this drama with Mike was really taking it out of her.

I got into bed beside her then set my alarm.

She stirred beside me. “Bout…tum.”

I raised an eyebrow, not understanding a word she said. She was probably still asleep. “Night, baby.”

She reached for me across the bed but hit my face instead. I was annoyed by the hit but she was so cute I couldn’t stay mad. I knew what she wanted. I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her to my chest. She sighed happily once she was in place.
Scarlet was almost a foot shorter than me, and she was half my weight. Having her on top of me was like balancing a quarter. She was weightless. I closed my eyes then moved my fingers through her hair. Feeling elated with my wife in my arms just made me feel worse for my brother. I had the most amazing thing in the world. My life was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Come on…” Her eyes were still closed.

Was she dreaming? “Baby?”

“Make love ta me…” She took another deep breath and didn’t move.

I smirked. “You want me to make love to you while you sleep?”

“He
mur blah…”

God, I had no idea what she was saying.
“Go to sleep, Scar.”

She clawed me gently.

I wondered how long she would keep this up. “Fine.” I rolled her to her back, laying her gently on the mattress. “I’m obviously not going to get any sleep until I have sex with a semi-conscious person.” I hooked her legs over my shoulders then leaned close to her. This would be a lazy fuck.

Her hands moved up my arms and she opened her eyes slightly. I slipped inside her, noticing how wet she was. She must have had a sex dream at some point. It better have been about me.

She moaned quietly while I rocked into her with a repetitive pace. I wasn’t in the mood to give her all my best moves. That was the best thing about being married. There were times when we just wanted to get off then go to bed without saying a word.