CHAPTER478
“WHAT? Oh, my God … I would die! Pretty sure that borders on domestic abuse of some sort.” Christian exclaims loudly, his face aghast and laughs when we both Shh him with little slaps on his chest. Trying to muffle him down and both glancing back quickly and very obviously at the men walking behind. We’re both physically abusing Christian, there’s no doubt in my mind that they probably know we are talking about them.
I glance back and catch Arry looking at me, while Nate has his head tilted in, saying something to him with a serious expression and only half keeping his attention. Arrick catches my eye and smiles at me immediately; that half-smile, soft dimpled one he gives when he’s feeling relaxed and happy. Despite myself, I smile back, all tingly and warm, my face heating slightly, before turning back to my friends.
“So, you two?” Jenny nudges me; my turn for the interrogation as she obviously caught that little moment between us and is now bringing the much quieter Christian’s attention to my face too.
“He wants to try … a relationship. I mean like a dating relationship. We had sex, sort of, I was too drunk, and we ended up just sleeping together and kind of talked.” I evade the details of what really happened, I’ve never told them about my past abuse and I never will. Explaining would be futile and I still do not want anyone else to know. I watch the ground as we walk in case my expression gives anything away.
“He looks like a guy who is pretty smitten to be fair. Even when we got on the plane it wasn’t hard to see.” Jenny breaks in, looking thoughtful, slyly glancing back at the two men between our heads and locking eyes back on me.
“I got that vibe from the restaurant too … See! Told you working the jealous angle would get to him.” Christian’s smug and I shake my head at him, not wanting to point out that if it weren’t for Christian, Arry would have swept me off my feet two months earlier and saved me a world of pain and anger for an extended period.
We walk on towards town and the familiar sight of the little café turned bistro with its outside tables already occupied. Morning walkers sitting with pancakes and sundaes, despite the colder tinge in the air. Arrick catches me from behind and separates me from my entourage when we part ways to single file into the door. Taking my hand and pulling me against him from behind so he can put his other hand on my hip, walking past the chrome tables and quaint umbrellas and inside to the shade of the shop. I notice Nate skirts by us and ends up directly behind Jenny, a hand on her lower back as he guides her towards tables behind Christian and she doesn’t remove it.
“What’s the deal with him?” I nod towards his back with a questioning look, knowing fine well he is a ‘love them and leave them’ type and rarely gentlemanly with a girl after he has already banged her. By now he’s normally blanking them, forgetting their name and eyeing up a new conquest. He’s acting completely out of character and it’s plain weird.
“Apparently, she blew his mind last night. Best sex he has ever had, and he is not ready to let that go.” Arrick frowns, shaking his head at his mates back with an air of disapproval. I guess, like me, he’s finding the sudden change a bit weird.
“She’s just come out of a relationship, last thing she needs is this.” I scowl towards them as they find a table and start sitting down. The three of them look completely at ease already, as though Nate has known them as long as I have.
“Maybe it’s exactly what she needs, no strings attached sex with someone who will take her mind off it for a while. Sex can work miracles when both sides know that’s all it is.” Arrick shrugs my way and then pulls me over with the speed of light and deposits a kiss on my mouth followed by a cheeky smile. He’s getting bolder with throwing kisses my way and don’t mind this time, I’m sort of starting to like the fact he wants to kiss me anytime he sees fit.
“And here you told me that sex was not that big a deal!” I murmur it softly, mostly to myself as my brain fades into last night, stupidly verbal. Swallowing that tiny hint of insecurity and a whole lot of self-doubt.
“It’s not! Not when it comes to us anyway. I told you … What we have is worth a thousand times more than sex.” Arrick squeezes me around the shoulders and kisses my temple gently, guiding me towards the booths.
I dart a look back at him for a moment, curbing the urge to say anything else and let him push us to sit in the seats with our friends. Christian on one side of Jenny and Nate on the other as we slide in to face them, Arrick’s arm immediately slides along the back of the seat behind me so he’s caging me in and leaning my way. Picking up the menu he hands it to me first.
“Since when did you start eating banana and blueberry waffles with pecan sauce?” I laugh, staring at the identical plates placed in front of us after we all finally ordered food. We’ve all been chatting idly, about the party, school, work and nothing in particular. It’s odd, for a group of people who were separate the day before, that we seem to all have gelled easily, even Christian is looking decidedly at home with two very macho men. Sprawled in the seats and eyeing up everyone’s food.
I guess he gets the vibe from both that being gay is clearly fine. I knew it would be, Arrick has loads of friends who are gay, Nate’s little brother is gay, and both are pretty accepting of most types of people, overall. I can’t stop myself glancing at Arrick and realizing how quickly and easily I am falling back into being used to his company again. The initial confusion is draining away and I’m more relaxed now that we are all sitting around with no pressure to be anything but sociable. He’s being him, laying off the romantics and the touchy-feely and being who he has always been. Relaxed and chill in my company and yet still cutely attentive.
“You always seemed to love it, so I figured I would see what the fuss is about, besides, I am so hungover right now and this sounded better than a fry up.” He digs in, taking a mouthful and chewing it slowly as if to savor the taste before giving me an approving look and digging in for more. I shake my head and follow suit, trying not to moan with pleasure at the first bite of something I have craved since moving to New York. Literally, a taste sensation exploding in my mouth.
“You have to admit, this is sooo good.” I gush between bites, slapping Christian’s hand as his fork makes a dive at my food with a cheeky smile across the table.
“You are playing with fire there, mate, she doesn’t share, only steals.” Arrick warns him with a smirk, winking my way and carrying on with his own food while I scowl at Christian’s hovering fork. I lean over my plate with a cat-like motion and give him my best ‘I will maim you’ growl. Arrick sighs and pushes his plate towards Chris.
“Here, try mine … it will be less violent if you do.” He sits patiently while Christian takes a forkful and throws me a triumphant eyebrow raised ‘ha ha’ look. Smug that he got what he wanted after all and without physical harm.
“I will stab you with my fork.” I warn him grouchily, meeting only smiles and winks before he blows me a kiss. I notice Jenny and Nate have gone off into quiet conversation again, heads ducked in as he says something that has her giggling. I frown across at him, wondering what his game is and mentally hoping to God she really does take this as a passing casual sex thing. She looks pretty this morning, carefree and less stressed and it’s the first time I’ve noticed that she seems more relaxed than the last few months, I wonder how much of that has been Mark.
“How do you put up with such a little brat like her?” Christian eye rolls at Arry, catching my frowny face as he meets my foot colliding with his shin under the table, giving off a womanly squeal as I scowl at him.
“Learning how to avoid her violent triggers helps.” Arrick grins, lifting my hand from the table in his, bringing my fingers to his mouth softly, kissing them before letting me go. I have to admit the little stomach surge it gives me doesn’t go unnoticed. Christian immediately goes pie-eyed and practically starts salivating at this show of cuteness. I, however, ignore it, push down the butterflies and carry on eating.
You don’t get to see me go mushy yet.
“About that. Why is she such a demon at times? I mean, I have bruises in odd places from this stroppy little mare when she throws one on me.” Christian sulks, I falter but shove more food in my mouth and try not to let my uneasiness on the topic show. I know I have always been aggressive; I can’t help it. My body reacts and lashes out before my mind does. The therapist helped me get better, less volatile but I am aware that I have issues in that department and it’s not something I am proud of. It also doesn’t help that I grew up beside Leila, and half my violent outbursts are thanks to her.
“She’s fiery, passionate and a little hellcat at times; best things about her.” Arrick replies huskily. Locking one me intensely as he brings his gaze to mine, complete adoration evident all around and no hint of knowing anything about why I am the way I am, even though he knows. I blush under his intense stare and go back to eating, loving him for always keeping my secrets for me, even when surrounded by friends who might know. The one thing he has never done, even with Natasha, was tell anyone the things I trusted him with. My past is not something I want people to know.
“Shut up and eat, you two are distracting me from the best waffles in the world.” I frown at them both, picking up my milkshake to start washing away the food, trying to show how uncomfortable I am with two pairs of adoring eyes aimed my way as they bond over their love of me. I never thought this would be a scenario I would be in the middle of. Especially not when we were on the plane two days ago.
“I want yours.” Christian sulks, looking down at his standard pancakes and maple and eyeing mine up woefully.
“I will hurt you.” I warn with lowered brows, leaning over my plate with a poised fork in the stabbing motion, I catch Arrick smiling in the corner of my eye."
