Page 38 of Wanted
Everything was neatly placed where it should be. There wasn’t an inch of disorder surrounding us. Other than my Mandy’s health issues, of course.
“I’m sorry,” Mandy apologized, letting out a sob. She worked hard to keep her sadness under wraps in front of the guys. Every night, we talked about our families, and every time, tears formed in her eyes. We did that in private. It didn’t help that I was here with her, a constant reminder of what shouldn’t have been.
“Don’t apologize. Ever. You’re not feeling well,” I insisted. I sat down on the edge of her soft bed. Alex pampered us; I’d give him that. I still wanted him here more than I wanted luxuries.
Mandy gulped down the water after placing the little pill on the back of her tongue.
When your mother died, where you out fucking that basketball player? Cunt, you should’ve seen the body of his sister. Oh, I mean when she was alive. She was a more fuckable broad than you. No wonder the mayor did her the way he did. I’d have done the same if she’d been on my radar. Do you think I care that she killed herself? I only care because it fucks up my image! If you ever attempt to do that to yourself, I’ll make your life a living hell.
“So while you were home…” I doubted that Mandy thought of Chicago as her home. “Your father never once bothered to get you under treatment?”
“My father doesn’t care. He’s got all the money in the world, but I barely ever received any health care,” Mandy said. She coughed for a bit, drinking some more water to calm down. “I… I should’ve gone on my own. There are so many ways to get things checked these days…”
“You did the best you could,” I assured her, but deep inside, I was aware that my bullshitting wasn’t helping. I pulled my knees up from the floor and close to my chest. “What do you want me to cook tomorrow?”
I shifted on her bed, reaching for her hand. I gave it a good squeeze when she didn’t respond. “I’m here for you.”
My words made her giggle softly. “You don’t have to be so mommy with me. Go have fun with Fylox.”
I sighed exasperatedly. “Fun and Fylox? That’s not happening anytime soon.”
After the laughter dried up, I left Mandy in her bed with her eyes closed, hopefully drifting away to dream of something beautiful.
♥♠♥
Exploring the mansion became exercise. Most of the rooms were empty of life, of any sign of Alex. Those that were full of his character gave me life. I breathed in his scent in his walk-in closet, gawking at all of his sneakers and other shoes. I ventured further into the closet, finding his outfits for formal events. He had a doll in his size, dressed up in a tux in a glass box. The tag on the clothing items was a famous brand. This was his way of preserving the clothes.
After spending a week in Alex’s home, I realized that I wasn’t even considered wealthy. Yes, we lived near the palace, but this place right here? That was a different ball game, as Alex himself would say.
I looked for Jordan and Fylox all over the house, the cellar, and their usual hiding spots in the office. They were nowhere to be found. Had they left us? Suddenly, my heart grew heavy, and my head spun. I swallowed. I took a deep breath. I heard movements from the backyard. They were light, and an average person wouldn’t have heard them. But I just spent months with two paranoid men training me to pay attention to details. Of course, I started hearing shit.
I exploded, stomping out of the house. They were having a party without us. Pouting, I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I stepped in front of them as they sat there on the patio with beers in hand.
“So we’re allowed alcohol now?” I blurted out. “Thanks for the invite.”
“Join us, princess,” Jordan suggested. He stood up from his seat, offering it to me. He strolled towards the house.
“Is he drunk?” I asked Fylox, curiously watching Jordan stumble away.
“I don’t think he’s capable of being drunk,” he responded. His bleach blond hair was brand-new today. He never left the house, but he always managed to get his hair done the way he liked it. I barely saw the dark roots now. I preferred it when there were dark roots on his head. This bleach-blond look was giving me pixie vibes. Every day, he had it gelled back, although we weren’t going anywhere. He had a scissor, a razor, and all the other equipment the men of the house never let me touch tucked away in his bathroom, and he used them on himself. He never had any hair on his face, which didn’t help his youthful face. While I wrinkled away, he walked around like a breath of fresh air.
He was that pretty, but I knew what was behind his behavior. He had these mechanisms in his life that kept his mind out of a dark place.
Jordan re-joined us with another chair and one of the winter jackets in hand. He placed it in the middle, where he could safely lecture both of us. Then, he handed me the winter jacket. I thanked him for it as I put it on.
“Why are we drinking?” I asked, hoping that they’d offer me a bottle, too. My eyes wandered over the patio, but I didn’t see any spare bottles. Pity.
“You’re not drinking,” Fylox commented, taking a sip off of his bottle. He had kissable lips that I’d been eyeing for weeks now. It wasn’t just that Alex was gone. I missed him every day.
I was hanging on that one night, the last one. We hadn’t found the time to repeat it.
Neither Fylox nor Alex had fucked me. Something I still regretted. But they’d opened up. Fylox had told me about his past, at least a part of it. Alex had touched me, generously so. I’d slept in their bed, in Fylox’s tight hold. I felt like we could do anything that night.
However, one week later, we were here, at an impasse.
“It’s my sister’s birthday,” Fylox revealed. He didn’t say anything else.
Jordan broke the silence. “Birthdays are strange for us. Somehow, we never manage to be there for one another in our families.”
