Page 62 of Black Hearts
“You know,” Will deadpanned, replying in my place, “I’m sure a lot of people can say the same thing about her feelings for you. You’re the epitome of all dicks, you know. The King Dick, if you will. Tell me, do you have a little golden crown for it, or—”
I stepped between the two men, knowing exactly where this would go if they kept it up. “Will, don’t egg him on.” Will instantly started to say he wasn’t doing any such thing, but I went on, “And Markus, respect my feelings for everyone else, please.”
Markus glowered. “I can respect them and not understand them simultaneously. The two are not mutually exclusive.”
“Ah, I get it. You’re a little tense,” Will said, “with everything going on today. I think, my lord, my King Dick, you need a Xanax or something—”
“Or I could take Juliet away from you and show you all how big of a dick I am,” Markus growled out, taking a step toward Will, and therefore me. I held up a hand, wanting to stop this little fight before it escalated, but luckily, we weren’t alone.
“Not here,” Stella’s voice rose above the rest. “If you guys must have a dick-measuring contest, please do it in a bedroom far away from me so I don’t see it.” She folded her arms over her chest, and beside her Vaughn looked on, vacant and a little confused as to what was happening. He was probably missing all the backstory.
As much as I never thought I’d agree with Stella, for many obvious reasons, I found myself saying, “Today is not the best day to do this. We’re all a little on edge. That’s all. So, we should take a deep breath and—and…”
What did people normally do after taking a deep breath? There had to be a second step, because I didn’t see how the simple act of taking a deep breath would help anyone.
From the kitchen, Jaxon called out, “Nice one, Juliet.”
I let out a flustered sigh. “I just don’t want you guys to fight, okay? So stop.”
Theo was busy sliding two eggs onto a plate for me. He’d already made some toast and buttered it. He said, “It’s done, Juliet—and, no, I’m not Ed. I’m not going to cook breakfast for anyone else—”
A series of dismayed groans came from both Jaxon and Bennet, who had huddled around the island to watch him cook.
I looked between Markus and Will. “I’m going to go eat. If I come back and you two are still at it, I will not be happy.” With that, I spun on my heel and marched through the living area, to the kitchen. I took a stool on the island and Theo handed me my plate.
“Fine, fine. You two are worse than children, I swear,” Theo muttered under his breath, and then he got back to work cooking Jaxon and Bennet breakfast, much to their glee.
I couldn’t hide the giggle that escaped me then, nor could I hide my smile as I ate. They might bicker like children—pissed off children who could kill you in the blink of an eye and not feel an ounce of remorse about it—but at least they bickered like family.
It’s what I imagined a family would be like, anyway. Given my skewed view on families and even love, I wasn’t sure if it meant anything or if I was right, but I liked to think it did and that I was. I would rather have them mocking and teasing each other like this as opposed to not wanting to be in the same room as each other. Baby steps and all that.
Theo ended up making Jaxon, Will, and Bennet breakfast, and then himself. Everyone but Markus, Stella, and Vaughn, the latter two of which left after chatting for another half hour. It was nice, eating with everyone. Markus kept to coffee, and he stayed in the living room, turning on the news like he had to get up to speed on the day’s events.
The conversation stayed light. The guys joked around with each other. A part of me never wanted this moment to end, even though I knew it would. All moments did, whether they were good or bad; a lesson I’d learned before I’d met Markus, one from my father.
Sometimes, when I wasn’t paying attention, I could feel myself slipping back to that place, that house. Deep inside, that girl was still very much alive, the one who feared her father’s wrath, the one who never wanted to disappoint him ever again, the one who locked herself up in her mind when reality was dark.
I had evolved past her thanks to everything that had happened to me since being stolen from my father’s house, but at the same time, I wouldn’t be who I was today without her. She was a part of me, and no matter how I struggled to fully overcome her, she would never fully disappear. A bittersweet thing.
After breakfast, Theo put Will on dishwashing duty. Ironically, this suite didn’t have a dishwasher, go figure. I guess the designers assumed whoever lived here wouldn’t really cook that much. Rich people, I’d found, often went out to eat or had cooks who did everything for them. Just look at Ed at the Scott house. The man was a killer and a cook.
While Will grumbled and did the dishes, Bennet and Jaxon went to work out. Get the blood pumping before the final showdown. I tried talking to Markus, but he didn’t really want to chat. He was too anxious, and normally he hid it, but what was coming was so momentous I didn’t think he could, so I let him be.
I was in my room, sitting on the bed, alone—though I didn’t stay that way for long. Theo came in, leaving the door cracked. He sat near me, gave me a warm smile that filled my stomach with butterflies, and went to hold my hand.
“Are you staying here until…” I couldn’t finish the question. He knew where I was going with it, anyway.
He nodded. “I don’t see the point in going back yet, so I might as well wait for the whole entourage. Besides, the house just isn’t the same without you. I can’t focus when I know you’re out here and I’m in there. It’s not right.”
That I could wholeheartedly agree with.
I pulled him close, and our mouths met. Not a heated, passionate kiss, but one of warmth and smooth comfort. After the embrace, I lay down on the bed, and he came with me. I cuddled against him, closing my eyes and taking in this moment between us. The calm before the storm.
“Are you nervous about today?” I asked, nuzzling against his chest. Laying on my side wasn’t quite comfortable yet thanks to being stabbed, but it wasn’t outright painful.
Theo traced small circles on my back, his eyes on the ceiling behind his glasses. He was slow in saying, “I’m not nervous, no. I think Markus will be able to handle his father. It’s been a long time coming, especially after how he handled things with you and your father.”
He had to be talking about when Markus let me go, when he didn’t put up a fight for me. It still broke my heart a little to think of that day, how shattered it had made me, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand Markus’s reaction. That one person you never wanted to disappoint, that one person you never wanted to go against, the one who helped shape you, who made you into the person you were today… it was easier said than done to go against them.
