Sins & Mistrust (20 page)

When I wake up, I instantly realize it’s much darker than when I first came in. I sit up and look toward the clock on the night table. Six o’clock. I slept for three hours. Damn, I didn’t mean to sleep that long.

I swing my legs over the bed and walk into the connected bathroom. I freshen up and decide to make a call before I go downstairs.

“Marc?” Nathalia’s soft voice drifts through the phone.

“Hey.”

“I’m so glad you called,” she says, sounding nervous.

“I’m sorry it took a while.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“How are you?” I ask, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I’m good. How have you been?”

“I’ve been pretty good.” I take a breath. “Have you talked to Lincoln?” I ask, curious if she knows what happened between him and me.

“Yeah, I talked to him earlier.”

She doesn’t give any sign that she knows anything. I wonder if I should tell her. Actually, I know I should, especially if we’re all going to try to work things out. Honesty is best. It just feels strange.

“I went and saw him before I left town.”

“Oh?” she questions. “Where are you?”

“Oregon. I’m visiting family.”

“Well, that’s nice,” she says, sounding genuinely happy. “So, what did you and Lincoln talk about?”

“The thing with Lincoln and I is that we don’t get much talking done when we’re together,” I laugh.

She follows suit, her feminine laugh coming through the phone. “I can see that.”

“I basically told him that I didn’t think him and I would be able to work out a relationship because we’re both so volatile around each other. There’s verbal sparring, sexual insinuations thrown around, arguing, and then this sexual energy falls over both of us.”

“It sounds like you two have chemistry that you don’t know what to do with. Maybe your need for the other is so strong that it frightens you both, so instead of talking about it or accepting it, you find ways to fight it, but eventually you succumb to the lust of it all.”

I let her words sink in for a minute. Maybe she’s right.

“Well, we did succumb to the lust.”

“You did?”

Is that excitement in her voice?

“Yeah.”

“Oh wow! How was that? Oh wait. You don’t have to tell me. Damn it, guys. I want to see this shit!”

I can’t help the laugh that escapes my throat. “Sorry.”

“I can’t believe Lincoln didn’t tell me!”

That kind of surprises me too, and I can’t help but wonder why he didn’t. “So, that’s okay with you, then?” I ask.

“Yes, of course. I mean, fuck. I’d like to be around sometimes to witness you guys together. I haven’t seen anything! But, I’m glad you two are becoming…closer? I don’t know if that’s the right word, but you know what I mean.”

I laugh again. “I think so.”

“Lincoln told me some stuff about his rule,” she announces. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell his story, but I can understand where he’s coming from now. He said he’d try to be with me, alone. I’m not sure when, but that’s the newest.”

“Well, that’s a start, I suppose.”

“Yeah, but I think maybe you should get him to talk to you about it. I honestly think you could help him with the issue he has.”

“How so?” I ask, my interest piqued.

“I don’t really think I could tell you my theory without giving his story away. Just talk to him when you can.”

“Okay.”

“Anything else new?” she asks.

“I’ve taken a break from being an escort.”

“Really?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, for one, I’m out of town,” I joke.

“Well, that makes sense,” she laughs. “So you’re just taking a break, not quitting?”

“Nah. I’m not quitting just yet.”

“Well, okay.”

“I have more I want to talk to you about, but I’ll talk to you when I get back into town.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Good. I guess I’m going to go. My brother’s coming over and we’re having dinner soon.”

“Okay, Marc. Have fun while you’re there. We’ll talk soon.”

“Okay. Bye, Nathalia.

“Bye, Marc.”

I toss my phone on the bed and start for the stairs. I hear my brother’s voice floating through the room and up the stairs.

“So, what’s the big surprise?” he asks my parents. He must have just got in.

I quietly make my way through the living room and lean against the brick beam that separates the kitchen from the dining room.

“Who’s this bum?” I joke.

Garrett turns towards my voice, his face breaking into a grin. “Coming from this troll face,” he retorts.

We laugh while my mom just shakes her head. She’s used to us always calling each other names.

“It’s good to see you, man,” Garrett says as we embrace.

“You too.”

Garrett’s hair is more brown than blonde, and he wears it longer than I wear mine. His eyes are a slightly darker blue than mine, and he’s about two inches shorter than my six feet. He’s also five years younger than me, at twenty-nine.

“What brings your ass to Oregon?”

“Ah!” my mom scolds him.

“Sorry. What brings your butt to Oregon?” he asks, rolling his eyes.

“Mom’s delicious food, of course,” I say, walking towards my mom at the stove. I try to dip my finger in the sauce she’s making.

“Uh-uh, Marc. Not gonna work. Keep your fingers out of the food.”

“Stop being a suck-up,” Garrett laughs. “She never lets anybody taste the food until it’s on their plate.”

“It’s not perfect yet!” she squeals.

“I just wanted to get away, that’s all,” I answer my brother.

“Relationship problems,” my dad says, trying to whisper.

“What’s that?” my mom asks.

“Huh? Oh, nothing, Nance. Just men stuff. We’re going to go out onto the deck,” my dad states.

“Mmhhmm,” she replies.

“The woman’s not deaf yet, Dad,” I say.

“And you speak louder than you think you do,” Garrett chimes in.

Dad swipes his hand through the air. “Just come on.”

When we all sit down on the deck, my brother looks at me first.

“So, relationship problems, huh? You haven’t had a relationship in a while.”

“I know. That’s probably why I have problems.”

“So, is it girl problems or guy problems?” Garrett asks.

I look to my dad and then back at Garrett. “Both.”

“Both?” my dad asks, sitting up. “What does that mean?”

My brother’s eyebrows have shot up into his hairline and his eyes are as wide as saucers. It’s almost laughable.

“Like, you can’t make a decision?” my brother asks.

I sit back and run my hands through my hair. “I need a fucking drink.”

“That bad, huh?” my dad muses.

With a sigh, I sit back up and move my gaze between both my dad and brother. “There’s this woman. She hired me, and while that was all well and good, she began breaking through my walls. One night she brought up the idea of a threesome, but with a guy.”

It’s at times like this that I’m very grateful that my family is as cool as they are.

“Okay?” my brother questions. “So, what happened?”

“Well, the guy was a guy I had met when I first went out with her. They know each other and are close, but I don’t really know him all that well. I know that I’m attracted to him, but that’s about it. Anyway, she asked if I was into men. I told her I was. That in itself is crazy, because I’ve never told a client that. It’s risky, but she’s so cool about everything.”

“So, a woman who I assume you’re attracted to as well, asked you to have a threesome with a man that you both are attracted to? I still don’t see the problem,” my brothers says, shaking his head.

“Garrett!” my dad scolds.

“It’s okay. It’s just that now she’s brought up the idea of us all being together. Like, in a relationship. The three of us.”

The silence that follows that statement is heavy. I look between them both, waiting for someone to voice an opinion or give advice.

“Well,” my father starts, clearing his throat. “How do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know how to feel. I like her a lot, and I’m sure if given the time and attention, her and I could have a good relationship. I’m attracted to her personality as well as her beauty. And with Lincoln, I’m attracted to him as well. I don’t know him as well as I know her, so beyond looks, I don’t know what’s there.”

“Maybe you need to spend time with them separately. See if you get along with them for longer amounts of time, but one on one. If that works, and since they have an established relationship, then the three of you could work,” my dad states, surprising me. “But if you find that you don’t have feelings for one like you thought you might, then it won’t work as a group, and it may ruin the other relationship as well.”

“Dad’s pretty smart,” Garrett says with a grin.

The sliding glass door opens. “Boys, dinner is ready,” Mom announces, wiping her hands on her apron.

Dad and Garrett walk in first, and as I’m crossing the threshold, my mom grabs me gently by the arm.

“Are you okay, honey?” Her eyes are full of concern.

“I’m fine, mama,” I say as I bend down and kiss her cheek.

“You and I are going to talk before you leave. You know that, right?” she says, pinning me with eyes that match my own.

“Yes, ma’am,” I say with a grin.

“Alright then, go eat.”

After we’ve all finished dinner, my parents retire to their room and my brother and I go out onto the upper deck. It’s the length of the back of the house and we don’t have to worry about being too loud while the parents are asleep since they stay on the main level.

“So, you sound like you got yourself quite the situation there,” my brother says as he takes a drag of his cigarette.

“You’re telling me.”

“What’s the girl’s name?”

“Nathalia.”

“Ooh, sexy,” he laughs.

“She’s definitely very sexy.”

“Maybe I need to come down to good ol' Sin City and find me a woman.”

“First of all,” I laugh. “'Good' and 'Sin City' don’t go together, and nobody says they’re going to Sin City to find a woman.”

“Maybe I’ll become an escort,” he says, waggling his brows.

“Oh God, Mom would kill us both. You know how she reacted when I told her.”

“I know. She took you being into men much better,” he laughs.

“Yeah, she did. Well, you know you can come stay with me anytime you want.”

“Thanks, man. I could use a change of pace soon, and maybe I’ll get to meet this guy or girl, or both? Depending on what happens.”

“Don’t remind me of what’s waiting on me,” I say with a groan.

“Are you really that concerned about it? It seems like a good deal for you.”

“I know, but there’s so much that could go wrong. So, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll take Dad’s advice, but I’m not sure how they’ll feel about that. I mean, it’ll be like I’m cheating on one with the other.”

“Not if they know about it, plus you’d be doing the same type of thing if you all had a relationship. It makes sense to try it out one-on-one first, before automatically jumping into a three-way relationship.”

“Well, aren’t you just the pro on three-way relationships? Is there something I don’t know?” I joke.

“Ah, whatever, man,” he says, laughing. “Really, though. I’m glad you’re here. How long are you staying?”

“I forgot how much I missed this place,” I reply honestly. “I’ll probably be here for a week.”

“Good, we’ll have plenty of time to hang out.”

My brother and I stay outside for a few hours, just catching up, joking around, and reminiscing about growing up in the house with our parents. He ends up leaving around midnight, and I jump in the shower and then climb into bed.

My phone still lays there from before dinner. I grab it and find a couple texts from Jace and Troy, mostly about club stuff. Another name stands out. Lincoln.

Lincoln:
I hope your trip is going well.

A smirk crosses my lips. I text back before I even take into consideration the time.

Me:
Careful. It kind of sounds like you care.

A couple minutes later another text comes through.

Lincoln:
It’s a scary thing.