Kiss My Ass by M.G. Rayne
Chapter Sixteen
Reika
This waiting game we are playing is driving me insane, my emotions are on a rollercoaster again. I don’t want to be here discussing what we are going to do for Mel, normal people would know what their family would want. I haven’t got a clue what she would want. There’s a knock on the door as my brain is trying to figure out what to do for the best send off. Nerves settle into my bones which causes my hands to shake slightly. Noticing, Kane comes and sits at the side of me and tucks me into his side for support. Voices can be heard coming down the hallway, a sick feeling turns my stomach. Standing up, I want to start pacing. I need to move. After the funeral is done, I am going to have to talk with the guys about getting back in the ring. The beating Liam gave me helped dull the pain I am feeling, but it is no longer here and I don’t like the emptiness inside.
Tom comes around the corner and I freeze when I see his face. His eyes are dull and lifeless. My other half of my family unit, he isn’t the same person. His expression is cold, the thought of what he might say guts me. I have never been unsure how to act around him, I want to run over and tell him how sorry I am, but I can’t.
“Hey,” I say in a meek voice as I take a step toward him. He turns his eyes in my direction and his look stops me in my tracks.
“Hi. We going to decide what needs to be done? I have things to take care of.” Ice runs through my veins.
“T, Tom, can we talk?” I reply, stuttering the words.
“I’m busy, Reika.” He called me by my name, he hasn’t called me by my name since we were kids.
“Tom, please?” I’m not past begging. I can’t lose him too.
“I will call you later ,ok?” A tear escapes from my eye. He lost his family too. He needs time.
“Yeah, sure.” I take a step back to where Kane is sitting on the sofa, he pulls me back into his side and kisses me on my forehead.
The whole time Tom is here, I am lost in my own head. Memories from being kids play like home movies behind my eyes. The first time I met Mel and Tom, me and her having sleepovers and stealing snacks to hide under our beds for later. Mel telling me about her first kiss or when she lost her virginity to her jock boyfriend. The first ever time we went to a nightclub without Tom knowing and me vomiting all over the floor of our room. Me dragging her to martial arts training and her complaining because she broke a nail. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as the thoughts continue. Hugging myself with my arms, I try to keep myself quiet so no-one notices. Every fun thing we did together, and the not so good things, reminds me I won’t be able to talk to her about what’s happening between me and Kane.
“Pretty Bird, you ok?” I open my eyes and make eye contact with eyes so dark they look like there isn’t a pupil there. Kane is kneeling in front of me with a frown on his face.
“Sorry, I must have zoned out.” Looking around, I notice Tom and Marcus are gone. It’s just us in the living room.
“Where’d everybody go?”
“Plans have been made, Baby. Tom went to do his errands and Marcus has gone to the gym.” Guilt consumes me again. I am taking up too much time from the guys because they feel sorry for me. God, I am such a selfish prick.
“I need to go home.” Standing up, I head to the stairs in search of my phone. I'm sure I left it on the bedside table.
“You're staying here.” His tone tells me not to argue. I don’t want to fight with him but I want my own things. Turning to face him, I bump into his rock-solid chest. Slowly I lift my eyes to his.
“I really appreciate what you both have done for me but I need to go home.”
My heart is terrified at the thought of going home because for some reason he makes me feel safe. But my head is telling me it’s best I go before I continue to think too much into what is going on with us. Way too much is going on in my head, I need to put space between us.
“Please, stay here. I need to know you’re safe.” His eyes are pleading with me to agree, but I can't. I need time to process everything alone.
“You and Marcus can check on me. I just need some time, Kane.” I hope he can see on my face that I need this. It’s the only way for me, my coping mechanism.
With a huff he gives a slight nod of his head. Relief comes over me. I honestly thought he was going to fight me on his. I continue my journey upstairs in search of my phone. It was where I left it, with my keys. Looking around the bedroom floor, I spot my jacket. Grabbing all my stuff, I head back downstairs to where Kane is waiting. When I get there Marcus and Kane are having a heated talk. I clear my throat to catch their attention. Marcus turns toward me.
“You're staying here. End of discussion.”
“I'm going, Marcus. Simple as that.”
“No, you're not, Hellion. I will tie you to the bed if I have too.” Both me and Kane say not a chance at the same time. Marcus starts telling Kane all the reasons why I shouldn’t be going home. I make my way to the front door, leaving the guys to argue amongst themselves. I need food, a shower and my own space.
As I am walking toward Kane’s SUV, all of the guys I pass say hey or give a nod of the head. Huh, that's weird.
I turn to lean against Kane’s car when I spot him making his way over. With a nod of his head, he gets into the driver's side and I get in the passenger side.
The drive to my place is quiet, both of us listening to the radio. Once we pull up outside it, I feel kind of nervous. Kane is gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white. Just as my fingers brush the door handle, he speaks.
“You sure about this, Pretty Bird?” With a slight smile, I lean over the center console and kiss him. I pull back to see shock on his face, give him a nod and get out of the car.
Kane.
Striding up and down the hallway, impatience is the only thing I am feeling right now. It’s the day of Mel's funeral, and I am waiting for Pretty Bird to message and tell me she is ready. The wait is driving me insane. Two nights ago driving away from her apartment gutted me. I nearly turned around halfway home and went back. I didn’t want to leave but the look on her face when she told me she was going home said everything. Pretty Bird has mainly had to rely on herself, then Tom and Mel. I can’t blame her for wanting to be on her own. Marcus didn’t speak to me once I got home, telling me I should have put my foot down and forced her to stay. But I know that would do more harm than good. Thinking of that night, the major thing that has played in my head over and over is her kissing me as a thank you. Not because we are both horny, but because she wanted to kiss me. I have thought of nothing else. Since being at home, she did keep in contact with me like she said she would. We spent a lot of time talking on the phone which is new to me but the strangest thing of all was the fluttery feeling I got in my stomach seeing her name flash across the screen. The feeling is new to me, but if I am being honest with myself, I kind of like it.
“Where is she, Kane?” Marcus grouches from the side of me. I hadn’t noticed I had stopped pacing. Just then my phone bleeps with a text from her saying she is outside waiting.
What the fuck? Marching from the kitchen, I head outside to find Pretty Bird on the front grass. It’s not the best time to say this but all I can think is how beautiful she looks. In a classic black dress with her hair high in a ponytail on her head and zero makeup on. My baby is stunning. A smile spreads across my face at how uncomfortable she looks. But the best thing of all is she has stayed true to herself, wearing her leather jacket over the dress and some biker boots on her feet.
“I thought I was coming to get you?”
“I got nervous. If I had stayed put any longer, I would have talked myself out of going.”
“We best head out.” We all walk over to the car, I am driving. Reika goes to get in the back but Marcus shakes his head and jumps in chuckling to himself. Settling herself into her seat, I notice she is fidgeting like she is uncomfortable. I can’t help the smirk that pulls at my lips.
The drive to the cemetery is silent. Pretty Bird's emotions are all over the place. Even Marcus doesn’t say anything stupid.
We make it to the cemetery with enough time to search for Tom and find out where he wants us. Keeping an eye on Pretty Bird, I notice her movements are very sluggish, her hands shaking. I am gutted for her having to be here doing this. You can tell from her face that she would rather be anywhere else but here. Tom spots us from a few feet away and gives a wave to let us know we can come over. There is another man with him who must be doing the service. We shake hands and then he shakes my brother’s hand, and with a nod to Reika he turns and heads in the direction the other man has taken.
The service passes in a blur. I have Pretty Bird tucked into my side as I support her weight. She is trying to be strong; I only hear the occasional sob leave her throat.
Marcus is holding her hand in a show of support. Listening to the words Tom said for Mel made nausea turn in my gut and unease still sits there for some reason.
Everybody slowly starts to leave as the coffin is lowered into the ground. I am just about to ask Reika if she would like a few minutes alone when I see Tom heading our way. The dam breaks inside Pretty Bird and she launches herself at him and starts to sob uncontrollably.
“I never want to see you again.” The words that come out of his mouth with such venom roots me to my spot. She pulls herself back so she can get a better look at him. From where we are standing, I can only see the back of her head. I am able to hear his words, but I can’t hear hers.
“You should be in the ground. Not her,” he screams in her face as his chest rises and falls rapidly.
“Get your shit out of my apartment. You are dead to me.” At his words, my Pretty Bird stumbles backward. My mind has cleared from shock and I rush forward to catch her before she hits the ground, then gently placed her down.
“Tom, please, don’t do this.” she begs in a broken voice.
“I want you gone today.” After this final statement, he leaves. Looking down at Reika, she is hysterical, mumbling incoherent words to herself. I look at my brother, who is just as confused as I am. I throw him the keys to the car. As he leaves, I kneel in front of my heartbroken girl, seeing the defeat and acceptance on her face. I can’t let her think she is the cause of all this. She was a child when her father got involved in whatever shady crap he did. But I will not let her believe she killed her family. She is stronger than this.