Tales of A Tomboy: Britain, page 21
Once inside, I toss my bag on the kitchen table and grab a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. The view, now that fall has settled in, is breathtaking. The leaves on the trees along the river are a mixture of reds, yellows, and browns.
This is my favorite time of year: bonfires at my parents’ house, s’mores, and, yes, pumpkin-flavored everything. I plop down on the couch and turn on ESPN, and in no time I fall asleep.
***
I smile, watching Annie climb all over Silas on the floor of my parents’ family room. It’s Sunday night and we’re waiting for dinner to finish cooking. He grabs Annie and she starts laughing her little girl, high-pitched laugh while he holds her over his head.
Images assail me of Silas doing that very thing with a little blond boy who’s the perfect mix of his mommy and daddy. Holy shit, I’ve never thought about having kids until Silas came into my life.
My heart begins to race and I begin to sweat. I excuse myself and hurry to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me, put the toilet lid down, and sit.
I love Silas, I want a future with him, but it scares me. You make yourself vulnerable to someone and it gives them the power to destroy you. Silas is the only person that I trust with that power.
I stand up and splash cold water on my face. I quickly dry it off and open the door. My mom’s leaning against the wall. “Hey, Mom.” I try to appear casual.
Of course she doesn’t fall for my nonchalance and pushes me back into the bathroom, shutting us in. “Tell me what’s going on, baby.” She grabs me by my shoulders. “I saw the way you were watching Silas and Annie.”
“If he wants them with me, I want kids or at least a kid.” I shake my head. “I honestly never thought I’d want them. It just freaked me out a little.”
Mom wraps her arms around me. “It is a really big deal. Your dad and I both freaked when we decided to start our family.” She pulls back and kisses both of my cheeks. “It makes this momma’s heart happy that she’ll get to see her baby have babies.”
With her arm around my waist, Mom leads me back into the family room. Luckily before anyone can say anything to me, the timer goes off. I follow Mom, Beth, and Heather into the kitchen where I pull the huge-ass roast out of the oven.
I pop the rolls in the oven while the rest of the women finish mixing stuff in bowls. While Beth does the greens, I watch her face turn green before she bolts out of the kitchen. I look at my mom and smile. Beth has got to be pregnant again, and that makes me so happy.
She comes out a few minutes later. We all watch her and she just nods. My mom squeals and runs to Beth, wrapping her arms around her. I hear her ask, “How far along are you?”
“Thirteen weeks. It’s been so hard to hide it from you all, but after the miscarriage I wanted to get past the first trimester,” Beth says quietly.
Mom hugs her again. “Oh beautiful girl, I’m so happy for you.”
The men and kids come in and I immediately go to my big brother, wrapping my arms around his waist. “What’s this for?” he asks, wrapping his arms around me.
“Beth got sick, and we figured it out.” I lean back and smile at him. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” My brother does the formal announcement and Silas comes to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
During dinner it’s loud and multiple conversations going on. Annie insisted that she sit between me and Silas. I watch her happily chattering away with him, and the smile on his face as he listens to her makes me feel warm inside.
I look up and my mom is looking at us; she gives me a smile that I return.
After dessert, Silas and I take our leave. He’s got a meeting in the morning and has some work he needs to do to prepare for it. We’re both quiet on the way home, and I want to ask him about having kids. We honestly have never talked about kids and whether either one of us wants them.
I’m afraid to bring it up though, because when I had told him I loved him he freaked out. We get home and while he gets on his computer, I curl up on the couch to read.
An unknown amount of time passes when I get up to go to the bathroom. When I come back downstairs, I come up behind Silas and wrap my arms around him. He places his hands over mine. I kiss his neck and nip his ear—it’s because he’s wearing those damn dark-framed glasses of his. They make him look like a hot nerd…well, not a nerd, but he does look hot.
“I love your glasses,” I say against his neck.
I squeal when he snatches me around the waist, pulling me down. It’s his turn to kiss my neck until I squirm and squeal in his lap. Maybe now since the mood is lightened it would be a good time to ask him about his thoughts on children.
I curl up sideways so I can see his face. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, baby, ask away.” Silas gives me all of his attention.
Fuck, I’m nervous. My heart starts beating wildly in my chest. I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I just wondered if you’ve thought about having k-kids.”
He looks thoughtful, but he’s not saying anything, which worries me. Silas rubs his hand up and down my thigh. “I don’t know. I’ve never been remotely serious with anyone until you. If this keeps staying as good as it has been and we’re both ready, I’d love to have a baby with you.”
I smile and rest my head on his shoulder, sighing. I’m so happy right now and feel like things are only going to get better.
***
Keith
“Silas is here to take me to lunch. I’ll be back in an hour,” my sister calls out as she walks through the garage and out of the bay doors. Silas gives me a chin lift before opening the passenger door for my sister.
I love seeing my sister so happy. I’d been leery of Silas at first and only because he seemed so much more experienced than Britain. She’d been through a traumatic ordeal when she was little and that had some long-lasting effects on her.
Yes, I know for a long time we coddled her, but as her big brothers it was our job to take care of her. We miss her around the house, but she still helps with the girls, which we’re so thankful for. I know my girls love their auntie and miss climbing in bed with her when she was still sleeping downstairs.
She and Silas have had them at his place, or I should say their place. Hell, even Marcus and Heather have gotten into the habit of keeping the girls all night for us too. I just can’t believe that my commitment-phobic brother is getting married, but she’s perfect for him.
Things are just so fucking great right now. Beth’s pregnant and is doing so great, even though she’s still sick all of the time. She swears this baby is a boy, but after the miscarriage I just want this baby to be healthy. Plus, I figure it’s my lot in life to be surrounded by beautiful women.
“Keith?” I turn to look at Paul, who’s manning the counter while my sister is at lunch. “There’s a lady out there and she says she needs to talk to you, Marcus, and Kurt.”
“Okay, we’ll be right out.” I turn to Marcus. “I need you to come with me for a minute.” I wipe my hands off and step into the store front. A woman with dark hair carrying an iPad comes walking toward me. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m sorry to come to your work, but I have something very urgent and important to discuss with you. It’s about your sister and the man she’s with.”
My stomach sinks. This can’t be good, but what on earth could it be? “Follow us to our father’s office.”
She does that and Dad looks up when we enter. “Hey, what’s going on?”
The woman walks past us to stand in front of Dad’s desk. “Sir, my name is Dorie and I used to date Silas. I need to warn you that he’s a violent man.”
“What do you mean by that? He’s shown no signs of being violent since we’ve met him. What proof do you have that he’s violent with my daughter?”
“He used to hit me. Silas is a sick pervert that gets off on beating women. I’ve seen him with your daughter. She had bruises on the back of her thighs.”
My ears start ringing and my blood begins to boil. She opens her iPad and starts messing with it and then sets it down on the desk. Britain is tied down while Silas strikes her with a paddle over and over.
“Turn that the fuck off,” my dad says loudly, standing up. I look at this Dorie chick and she actually looks frightened right now. “Please leave.”
“I was only trying to help. I wish someone would’ve warned me.” We watch her practically run out of the office.
Dad grabs his coffee mug and launches it at the wall. He storms past us, and I follow behind him with Marcus quietly bringing up the rear. He says nothing as he stands in front of the window staring out into the parking lot.
“Dad, we don’t know that girl…she could’ve been lying.” I can feel the rage coming off of him.
“That was my little girl tied to some sort of contraption getting hit by that motherfucker. I’m going to kill him.”
***
Silas’s Porsche pulls into the parking lot. He climbs out and goes around to Brit’s side. Before I can stop him, Marcus goes running outside. With quickness I didn’t know he had, Marcus strikes, punching Silas in the face.
“You beat on my sister, you piece of shit!” he screams.
Britain screams for Marcus to stop. It takes me and a couple of the guys in the garage to pull him off of Silas. Then Dad grabs Silas and slams him into his SUV a couple of times. “Do. You. Hit. My. Daughter?”
“Dad, stop it! He doesn’t hurt me,” Britain pleads as she looks at us. “Please tell me what’s happening.”
Marcus grabs Britain by her upper arms. “Show me your legs—let me see the bruises.”
“Marcus, back off.” I grab his forearm trying to get him to let go. “You’re scaring her.”
Britain finally shoves Marcus off and gets between Dad and Silas. “Dad, stop!”
“Does he hit you?” Dad’s voice is low and gravelly.
“It’s not what you think. Please, let’s just go inside and talk. I can explain everything, just give me the chance.”
Marcus, being the hothead he is sometimes, grabs her out from between Dad and Silas. “You’ve been brainwashed. He took advantage of you because you don’t know any better.”
“I fucking love her. I’d never brainwash her,” Silas says, his face bloodied.
“Shut the fuck up!” Marcus charges him again, but in the process knocks Britain to the ground.
I help her up, or try to, but she slaps my hands away. She grabs Silas and opens the passenger door, and with a strength I didn’t know she had, she shoves Silas in the SUV.
“You’re not leaving with him,” Marcus barks. “He knows about your past and about the motherfucker who tried to molest you.”
We all freeze, because our whole shop is outside watching this go down. I get in Marcus’s face. “You need to back the fuck up until you’re calm.”
Britain moves fast and slaps Marcus across the face. “How dare you,” she hisses and looks at all of us. “How dare all of you. You don’t know shit about me or the man I love. I will never forgive any of you for this.”
I try to grab for her, but she slaps my hands away again. “Sweetheart, let’s calm down and talk.”
“The time to talk was before Marcus hit Silas and before he told everyone that I was almost molested.”
“Britain, you’re not going anywhere,” Dad demands.
“The hell I’m not. I quit, and I don’t want to talk to any of you.” I watch it slowly happen. It starts with her chin wobbling and then the first tear falls, and then the second. She scrambles around the front of Silas’s SUV and climbs in.
We have to jump out of the way because she hits the gas so fast she probably wouldn’t stop if she hit one of us. I grab Marcus by the front of his coveralls. “What the fuck was that? Do you realize what you just did? Fuck…you too, Dad.”
“Back to work, show’s over,” I announce to everyone, and they scatter.
In the locker room, I pull out my phone and text Mom and Beth to let them know they better get here.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Silas
I flinch when Britain wipes at the blood that’s clearly all over my face. I’ve been in fights before, but that was as a kid. I’m still trying to figure out what the fuck happened. My girl hasn’t stopped crying since we got home, and that’s when I realize that I haven’t ever seen her cry.
Her brother humiliated her in front of their co-workers, and that pisses me off more than anything. Fuck, I didn’t even get a chance to defend myself before Britain was getting us out of there. I would’ve driven us, but my right eye swelled shut.
Britain hands me a couple of ibuprofen and some water and has me lie back, placing an ice pack on my face. I pull her down on the couch with me, holding her while sobs wrack her body.
“Shhh…baby, I’m okay. Once everyone settles down, we’ll explain to them about our lifestyle, and then they’ll understand.”
“N-No, the t-time to ask questions was before Marcus hit you, before he told everyone I was almost m-m-molested.” She buries her face in my chest and I wrap her in my arms. “I will never forgive them for this.”
We lie together on the couch until I feel her body go slack against mine. I pull the ice pack off my face and look down at my girl—even in her sleep, the tears keep coming. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I carefully pull it out.
Keith: Are you guys okay? That shouldn’t have happened like that. Is Britain okay? I’ve got her bag, phone and keys, but I won’t bring them until you give me the go ahead. You should know a woman named Dorie is the one that came to us and said you used to hit her. She showed us a video of you hitting Britain with a paddle. I’m assuming you’re into BDSM. I know my sister and I know how strong she is and she wouldn’t do anything that she didn’t want to do.
The black dots continue to bounce. He’s honestly the one I’m surprised didn’t hit me first.
Keith: Is it okay if I bring her bag to her. If she doesn’t want to talk I’ll respect that for now, but tell her she’ll need to at least check in with Mom or she’ll be banging on your door.
With my free hand, I start texting Keith back.
Silas: I’ll be fine and Brit is sleeping. She’s a mess and hasn’t stopped crying. Dorie is not an ex, just a mistake that I’m apparently still paying for. I have been involved in the BDSM community for quite a while. Dorie is involved too, and anything that happened was consensual. I prefer not to talk about this over text, but if you stop by with your sister’s stuff I’ll answer any questions you have.
Keith: I’ll be there in fifteen.
I gingerly move off the couch and grab the chenille blanket off the back and drape it over her. Fuck, my face hurts like a motherfucker. In the kitchen I grab the bottle of tequila and take a couple of swigs right out of it.
It all happened so fucking fast I didn’t even get a chance to defend myself, but I don’t even know if I would’ve hit her brother or her dad. Yeah, I’m pissed that it happened all because of Dorie, the fucking bitch, but I’m not pissed at them. If I ever have a daughter, I’d be the same way.
There’s a quiet knock on the door and when I look out of the peephole, I see Keith standing there. I pull the door open and he freezes when he sees my face before he walks in. He looks at his sister sleeping on the couch, and I don’t miss the sadness on his face. I can see the war he’s waging inside as he moves to go to her, but stops and follows me into the kitchen.
He sets Britain’s bag on the table before sitting down. “Please tell me you didn’t coerce her into any of the stuff that you did?”
“Do you know anything about the BDSM lifestyle?” I’m getting pissed. “Have you ever heard of safe, sane, and consensual? I don’t do anything without her permission. She holds all the power when we play. Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m a Dom more in the sense that I like making her feel good.”
We start our own little staring contest, but I’ll be damned if I look away first.
“What are you doing here?” I turn to find Britain standing in the mouth of the kitchen. The tears still flow from her eyes.
“I brought your bag and wanted to check on you. Are you okay?”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “No, I’m not okay.” Brit throws her arm out, pointing at me. “Look at Silas, look at what your fucking brother did. I meant what I said Keith: I quit, and I don’t know if I want to see any of you right now. Please leave.” She wipes angrily at the tears streaming down her face.
Keith stands up and moves to his sister, but she holds her hands up. “I don’t want to see you cry. You haven’t cried in so long.”
“Just go, Keith. Tell everyone I’m fine, but I don’t want to see any of you.” She turns and disappears around the corner.
“Just give her a day or two to cool off. I’ll text you when she’s ready.”
He nods, and then I walk him toward the door. “Tell her that we love her. Tell her they know they reacted badly, but it’s only because they love her.” Keith closes the door behind him and I throw the deadbolt.
I move through the living room and head upstairs. Britain’s in bed buried under all of the covers, and I can hear her sniffles. “Baby, are you okay?”
She throws back the covers. “No, I’m not okay. Look what Marcus did to you. We need to get you to the hospital to make sure that nothing is broken.”
“Nothing is broken, I promise. It just hurts like hell.” I lie down next to her. “It wasn’t that long ago that you were in worse shape than me.”
Britain sits up, and I’ve never seen her look so defeated. “I can’t be in Heather and his wedding anymore. Not after what he did to you.”
I scoot in close, grabbing her hands. “I know what happened was really fucked up, but I don’t want you to make any rash decisions.”
