Cream Pie by Madison Faye

Chapter 13

Javier

The first hit hurts.

A lot.

Marshall’s a big fucking guy, after all. But also, I’m not fighting this, and I’m not fighting back. Hell, I’m not even really defending myself.

I deserve this—every hit, and there are plenty. Amy is screaming, Jackie is screaming, and at some point, as my friend’s fists rain down on me, I’m aware of Kendall being there too, also screaming.

“Fight back!” Marshall roars, slamming a fist into my center. I grunt, doubling over onto the floor and shaking my head.

“No.”

“Fight back you fucking pussy!” he bellows, whipping one across my jaw that has me hissing as I hit the ground.

“Fight me, you little prick!”

“I’m not gonna fight you, man,” I hiss, groaning as he yanks me up and then pops me right in the nose. My vision swims, but my hands stay right there at my sides.

I’m not fighting my best friend, not even when he’s beating the shit out of me. Not after the shit I’ve pulled—not after the lines I’ve crossed.

“Hit me!” he roars again.

“I’m, not gonna hit you, Mar—”

“Well I’m going to fucking hit you.”

His huge fist slams into me again, this time sending me careening backwards into a wall. I wince as my head slams into the drywall, denting it as plaster and paint fall down my shoulders.

Yeah, that’s gonna leave a mark.

“Dad!”

Amy’s screaming at him, and I blink my loopy vision away to see her flailing at him, grabbing his arms and tugging him away.

“Wait outside, Amy!” he roars back, still glaring at me.

“No! Dad, you listen to me!”

“Wait outside!”

His eyes narrow at me, his teeth flash, and he raises a fist as he advances on me.

“Marshall—”

He hits me once, Amy still screaming. He winds back, and he’s about to do it again, when I just let it out.

“I love her, man!”

The whole room goes still, like time’s just frozen for a second.

Amy gasps quietly, her eyes immediately finding mine. Jackie hisses and shrivels back. Marshall freezes right where he is, hovered above me ready to send his fist through my skull.

“What,” he growls deeply.

“I love her, Marshall,” I say quietly, looking him right in the eye. “I mean I really fucking love her.”

Marshall’s lips curl menacingly, his eyes narrowing. “Jesus Christ, Javier! She’s only—”

“Oh do not mention her age, mister!” Kendall suddenly barks out. Marshall freezes and glances back at her.

“Baby—”

“No,” she spits back. “Don’t even go there.”

He growls, but his fist lowers as he turns to level his fierce gaze at me.

“She’s my daughter, Javier,” he hisses. “My fucking daughter!”

I hold his gaze like a man, never blinking.

“I never meant for you to find out like this.”

“Oh yeah?” he sneers. “Well how the fuck did you imagine it going, buddy? Or where you ever going to tell me.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m an adult, dad,” Amy hisses. She pushes past him, planting herself between us. “And yes, we would have told you, eventually.”

“We,” Marshall growls, eyeing me past her.

“Of course, I’d have told you, man,” I spit. “This isn’t some fucking fling, Marshall. I’m…”

I shake my head.

“Marshall I’m fucking crazy about your daughter.”

Amy slowly turns to look at me, and our eyes lock. Marshall swears and whirls away.

“C’mon, man!” I yell after him. “I wasn’t looking for it, I wasn’t pursuing it, and I swear to you on anything I hold dear, this is recent.”

“The word ‘grooming’ comes to mind,” he snaps.

“Marshall!” Kendall hisses.

“Dad!” Amy shoots back. “We’ve never even met until the wedding!”

Marshall growls, and suddenly, another voice pipes up. Fucking Jackie.

“Well, I personally think this is absolutely disgusting, Marshall. Him going after your own daughter like that? Um, so fucking predatory—”

“Get the fuck out of here, Jackie,” Marshall hisses darkly.

Her mouth falls open, and her brows arch in shock.

“Um, excuse me? I’m the reason you even know about this… this… treachery—”

“Get. Out!” Amy roars, making Jackie shriek as she jumps about a foot off the ground and cowers back. She gathers her wits and glares at Amy.

“Listen, you little bitch—”

“Watch it!” Marshall and I both say almost at the exact same time, glaring at Jackie.

Her eyes dart to mine, and my rage begins to billow like storm clouds.

“You have three seconds to be out that door before I throw you out and call the police. One.”

“Javier, this is silly—”

“Two.”

Jackie pales. “Okay! Okay! Let me just grab my—”

“Three,” I snap. She yelps and bolts for the door, snatching up a black trench coat from the coat rack and quickly covering herself with it. She glances back for one second, glares at me, and then slips out, slamming the door behind her.

I growl quietly, sinking back against the wall. Someone’s head is going to fucking roll for allowing her up here, that’s for fucking sure.

But, that’s for later. Right now, I need to fix this.

I look up at Marshall, and he looks down at me.

“Marshall—”

“I just don’t know, Javier,” he growls, turning away.

“C’mon, man,” grunt. “Look at me. Look me in the eye.” I force myself to stand, wincing a little. Amy slides in to me to help, but I shake my head, even if all I want is to wrap her in my arms. First, though, I need to fix this with Marshall.

He growls, but slowly, with Kendall pushing him back towards me, he turns, and our eyes lock.

“I love her,” I say quietly. “Unconditionally, without agenda. I’m in love with Amy.”

I turn to let my eyes hold hers, and she grins quietly, her eyes locking with mine and her face blushing. Heedless of everything, she steps into me, slipping her hand into mine, twining my fingers with hers, and squeezing me tightly.

“Look, I get it,” I growl. “Jesus fuck, man, I really truly get it. But I’m not ever going to hurt her, and I’m always going to respect her. After that, anything you have to say…” I shrug.

“Dad, what are you going to say? That I’m too young?”

“Yes,” he mutters.

Amy glares at him. “I mean, hello? Pot kettle black?”

In spite of everything, he smirks at her.

“Smart ass.”

“You did just marry my best friend, who’s my age. I think that sort of takes the wind out of that argument.”

Marshall’s still stewing on it when Kendall comes up to hold his arm, threading her fingers into his.

“I need to think about this,” he mutters quietly.

“Think all you want, dad,” Amy says quietly. “But I’m an adult, and I’ve made up my mind.”

She turns to me, her finger lacing into mine.

“I love him, dad,” she whispers, her eyes sparking as they hold mine. “You can get on board with that, or you can freak out, but it won’t change that.”

She bites her lip, looking into my eyes as a pink glow creeps over her cheeks.

“I could fire you and shred your professional career,” he grunts at me.

“You could,” I nod. “I’m not sure I’d even blame you. But I hope you don’t.”

He looks away, shaking his head.

“Fuck,” Marshall sighs. “I’m painted into a corner here, aren’t I?”

“Yep,” Kendall says with a small smile, squeezing his hand.

He sighs heavily. “Right now, I’m going to leave.”

I nod.

“That doesn’t mean…” he shakes his head. “I don’t know what that means, actually.”

“Dad—”

“I love you, Amy,” he smiles. “And nothing would or will ever change that. And frankly,” His smile hardens and he glances at me, “you could probably do worse than this asshole.”

He half smiles and turns to his daughter, pulling her into a hug before he looks at me.

“Sorry about your face.”

“Don’t be.”

“Yeah, I’m not really.”

I chuckle through the pain in my face, and he grins.

“Listen, Marshall—”

“We’re gonna be good, Javier. Probably, at least. Just give me a little bit to process all of this.”

I nod and hold a hand out. Marshall looks at it for a second, and then turns his gaze to look at me. But slowly, with a push from Kendall next to him, he nods and takes my hand with his. His grip is tight, and he pulls me close.

“If you hurt—”

“If I ever hurt her, I’ll throw myself off whatever building you’re thinking about tossing me of.”

He grins. “I think we understand each other.”

“Crystal,” I chuckle, wincing a little at a bruised rib.

But suddenly, Kendall butts in.

“So, we do have a trip to pack for, but here’s the thing,” she says matter-of-factly as she eyes Marshall.

“I’m not going on our honeymoon with you brooding about this.”

“Kendall—”

“No, you listen to me,” she growls at him. “Amy’s a big girl, and Javier is a smart, successful, kind man, who’s obviously crazy about—”

“Baby,” Marshall starts, but Kendall’s not done.

“Nope,” she snaps, shaking her head. “Don’t you ‘baby’ me on this one. You two are friends, so kiss and make up.”

Marshall sighs, and he glances at me with a sidelong grin before he looks back at her. “Kendall—”

“Kiss and make up or this is going to be a very, very lonely honeymoon for you.”

Marshall’s brow furrows, and Amy grins and elbows Kendall.

“Bad ass,” she murmurs.

“Not bad for a stepmom, huh?”

Amy groans as her friend giggles.

Marshall sighs.

“Fuck it,” he grunts turns to me. “My threat still stands.”

“I know.”

“But… look, this is gonna be weird for me, but I trust you with her. Shit I can’t actually think of a man I’d trust to look after her more.”

“Thanks, man,” I growl quietly.

“Don’t you dare hurt her. I’m not fucking around with that.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He holds his hand out, and I take it, shaking it firmly as we lock eyes. He turns to smile at his daughter, and he takes his hand away from me to give her a hug.

“When the hell did you grow up?”

She grins, hugging him back. “Thank you,” she whispers.

“He ever hurts—”

“Dad,” she groans. “We get it. Move on.”

He chuckles, pulling back and turning to his wife as she smiles.

“So, can we go on our honeymoon now?”

Marshall chuckles. “Yeah, baby,” he grins, leaning down to kiss her. He goes over to Amy again, giving her another big hug before he turns to me. We shake hands again, but this time, I pull him in for a big man-hug.

“I love you, man,” I mutter. “I mean it.”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” he groans, pulling away and grinning at me. “Let’s put the brakes on this love fest for now, alright?”

I chuckle. “We doing breakfast tomorrow still?”

“Um, yeah,” both Amy and Kendall say at the same time, making me grin.

“Alright, we’ll save the goodbyes until tomorrow then.”

Amy and I both walk them out, and then I’m all over her, pulling her into me as I settle onto one of the bar stools at my kitchen counter. Amy grins, kissing me softly as she settles onto me.

“So, I heard a rumor,” she purrs quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she blushes.

“Which was?”

“That you love me. Or, are in love with me.”

I frown, shaking my head. “So weird, all these rumors floating around. It’s bizarre, really.”

She grins widely, so do I, and we hold that for one second before we go crashing into one another. I kiss her madly, wrapping my arms tight around her like I never, ever want to let her go.

“I fucking love you, Amy,” I growl fiercely. “I love you like I’ve never loved anything.”

“I fucking love you, too, you know,” she moans back.

I sink back into her, tasting her lips and holding her tight, and just losing myself in her until I don’t even know how long it’s been. But slowly, I pull away, and her sharp blue eyes flicker with heat as they hold mine.

“Now, if I’m remembering correctly, wasn’t there talk of you being naked and on all fours on my bed?”

Her perfect, pouty lips pull into a grin, and suddenly, she’s jumping off my lap and giggling as she turns to run for my room, with my chasing.

Spoiler alert: I catch her.

Second spoiler alert: I keep her.

Forever.