Fiction/Young Adult/Betrayal
Worth The Risk — Chapter Eighteen
Are you willing to lose it all
Marcus and I left our hotel room around noon. All the care packages the hotel offered weren’t needed. There was no need for fluffy robes, masseuse services, or portable hot tubs to be brought to our room.
We stayed naked most of the time.
We massaged each other in more places than I ever imagined could need to be rubbed down.
We made great use of the hot, steamy shower and large step-in tub our bathroom so graciously offered.
Although I’d been to hotels like The Plaza my entire life and was used to the extravagance of such amenities, Marcus made me feel like I was experiencing this all for the first time.
I was a princess, and he was my knight in shining armor.
Or in our case, I was the princess in Prada, and he was my knight in checkered boxers.
Then, we walked back outside, and the magic was over.
We had to go back to real life.
After a heated make-out session in my car, I dropped Marcus back at his house and took a long way back home. The less I was with my parents, the better off I would be.
I tried to shut the front door quietly so I could sneak up to my room, but unfortunately, we have cameras installed above every doorway. Getting away with entering or exiting without being seen was nearly impossible.
I took off my heels and tiptoed up the first two steps.
“Chelsey.” My dad’s voice sounded like thunder coming down the hallway.
I blew out a puff of air and turned around. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit with the parents.
I marched down to his office, opened the door, and plopped down on the oversized leather chairs he used for his business clientele.
My mom was seated on one of the elongated sofas, dressed in her newest tennis outfit. She had on a short, white miniskirt, a bright, tight white tank top, white socks, and Golden Goose sneakers, and her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail.
Mom was attempting to recapture her youth, and on most accounts, it was going well with her rounds of plastic surgery. She had an exercise guru who worked her five days a week, and our cook only served her the best food around, but she was too old to pull off clothes like she had on now. The outfit was made for someone twenty years younger.
“Chelsey, I do not want you to see that young man anymore.” Dad’s voice took me away from critiquing my mom’s attempt at vanity.
“We go to the same school.” I knew that was the wrong answer to give, but hell, they weren’t in my life at any other point, and now they think they could dictate who I date.
“Chelsey, honey,” My mom used her sickly, sweet talk that was supposed to make everything better and make me think they were on my side. “It wasn't that we didn’t like Marvin.”
“Marcus.” I had to correct her, which got me an even uglier glare from my father.
“Marcus,” Mom reinstated his name. “I mean, we barely know him or his family. We don’t think he would be a good fit for our family.”
Holy shit, they met him once, and now they are able to make a verdict.
“You don’t know anything about him or his family.”
I had to laugh at how my mom and dad thought a ten-second meet and greet was enough to learn about a person and his family.
“I mean, really, you gave him one second of your time, and now you are able to pass judgment.”
My dad smacked a pile of papers on his desk and began to look through them. “Let’s see, Marcus Vazquez, arrested on assault and battery, spent eighteen months in a juvenile corrections facility.” He scanned over another sheet of paper. “Marissa Vazquez, a housewife who is married to Jorge Vazquez. He’s a long-distance truck driver.”
“So what. They don’t have their own company. They aren’t worth millions. Who fucking cares?" I so had enough of this.
Dad picked up another sheet of paper and turned it around so I could view the long list of arrest records written on it. “Mr. Vazquez was arrested,” he said, looking down the sheet. “A total of ten times. Two for assault, one for burglary, three times for domestic disturbance, two times for...”
I stomped my feet on the ground and stood. “You don’t know Marcus.” I couldn’t help screaming at them, “He’s nothing like that.”
Yes, he was arrested for beating a guy up, but the other guy so deserved it.
“You can’t keep me from seeing him.” I knew I was acting like a little kid, but dammit, they weren’t playing fair.
“Chelsey, we are doing this for your own good. You can do better, sweetheart.” Mom intervened and gave her opinion.
“Why don’t you just worry about racquetball or whatever else you're playing this week.”
Yes, I sounded like a bitch, but fuck, they were trying to tell me what to do. I was almost eighteen years old; ain’t no way that shit was happening.
Dad slammed his fist down on the desk. “Enough.” The room shook with his loud yell. “Try testing me, Chelsey. All your money and whatever you want will be gone. No more seeing that boy.” Dad gave his final command.
I walked towards the door without even acknowledging that I’d heard him. I couldn’t agree to his demand, I loved Marcus, but I didn’t know if I could make it on my own without their support.
“Don’t make any plans for Christmas break. I have everything set for you to fly to Colorado on a skiing vacation. You’re going to meet Trista. You girls haven’t seen each other in almost two years. Isn’t that great you’re getting together?” Mom had the appearance of being so pleased with herself.
I walked out and slammed the door behind me. Hopefully, I got my point across that they were on my shitlist.
Sure, it would be great to see Trista again. She was worse than Amber with partying and guys, but unlike Amber, Trista played it cool around all the parents and made them believe she was the proper girl she portrayed.
I couldn’t go to Colorado, I’d made plans with Marcus, Amber, and Ricky. We were supposed to be going to the Pennsylvania mountains. A big company cabin in the woods was all ours thanks to Amber’s mom going to Australia with her boyfriend.
A fireplace, a hot tub out in the snow, and only us four for ten days were supposed to be our glorious vacation.
My parents had to go and ruin it all.
“Bullshit.”
I just broke the news to Amber that I couldn’t go on our rendezvous with our men.
“Tell me about it. I’m like being punished for two weeks without Marcus. I can’t believe your mom is okay with you and Ricky and my parents have to be total douches.” I was on a ranting rampage.
“Well…” Amber had a look that she was in the midst of cooking up a good plan. “Who said Marcus couldn’t go with you? Trista won’t say anything.”
Hmm, I never thought about taking him with me. All I knew was that it was going to be hard to be there without him.
“I’ll pay for the ticket so Mommy and Daddy won’t find out.” Amber took out her phone and began to look up airplane tickets.
“Hold up, maybe we should ask Marcus if he wants to go.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “Chels, of course, he’ll want to go spend time alone with you. A big bed, thick blankets, chilled wine.” She gave the impression she was talking about her upcoming holiday with Ricky and not mine. “Speak of the devil.” Amber pointed down the hallway.
I turned in the direction she motioned towards and saw Marcus and Ricky walking our way. Marcus gave me a smile, one that made my stomach do flip-flops over and back again a hundred times. All I kept picturing was him lying naked on the bed while I fed him strawberries dipped in whipped cream during our twenty-four-hour pleasure stay at the hotel.
‘God, that cream was licked off my body in so many places I lost count of the times I…’
“Why is your face turning red?”
Amber ruined my hot, delicious memory that got my hormones going once again. I felt myself get all warm and wet in places that shouldn’t be during school hours.
“What the heck did you guys do yesterday?” Amber’s eyes darted back and forth between Marcus and me.
Marcus licked his lips, which at this time I found the most stimulating thing I’d ever seen. My eyes wandered from his mouth down to his chest and kept going until I focused on the bulge in the front of his jeans.
“Oh. My. God. You guys finally fucked.” Amber shrieked loud enough that everyone two hallways away could hear her.
I cuffed my hand over her mouth and hissed out a ‘shut up.’
“Dude.” Ricky slapped Marcus on the back.
“You know what, I don’t have time for this.” I took five steps away from Amber. She was embarrassing the fuck out of me. Everyone didn’t need to hear about my sex life. “I have to get to class. Marcus, are you coming?”
Amber started giggling. “I’m sure he came lots of times.”
Ricky snickered at his girlfriend’s dumbass joke. Marcus looked amused but didn’t say anything.
“I’m outta here.” I walked away from all three of them.
Marcus slapped Ricky’s hand and told him he would catch up with him later. His arm snuck around my waist, and he planted a kiss on the side of my head. “Let her have her fun.” He tried to make light of the situation.
I nodded he was right. I wasn’t mad or anything, but c'mon, there were far better things to talk about than mine and Marcus’s intimate times together.
“Chels,” Amber yelled down the hallway for me. “Don’t forget to take off the ‘V’ pin you were so proudly wearing.” She began her insane laughing once again.
I didn’t even turn around to give a response. I stuck my middle finger up on my back and kept walking.
“So, what did he say?” Amber, Cheyenne, and Brianna met me before we all walked down to lunch.
“What did who say?” I had no clue about what or who Amber was talking about.
"Duh." Amber smacked me upside the head. “Is Marcus going with you to Colorado?”
Shit, after this morning and Amber going on about Marcus and me going horizontal, I’d completely forgotten about the whole going away thing. “I forgot.”
Amber bumped her hip into me. “Did you have other things on your mind? Like a particular guy with dark brown eyes, silky black hair, a muscular body, and a love wand that made you scream all night long.”
Cheyenne and Brianna giggled, but zip-locked their lips closed once I gave them the evil eye.
I looked back at Amber. “You had to tell everyone, didn’t you.”
Amber shrugged. “You would’ve told them anyhow.”
“You don’t even know that’s what happened.”
I never told anyone. I would’ve eventually told her, but after last night with my parents and then my wanting to revel in my own memories, I didn’t have time to tell my best friend I had felt the most extreme pleasure anyone could ever feel.
“I can tell by the way you walk, the way you look at him, and the way he looks at you that you two were doing all kinds of dirty, fun things.” Amber put her arm around my shoulders. “Chill, Ricky, and I have done all that and more.”
Ricky and Marcus met us at the main cafeteria entrance. I was wrapped in Marcus’s arms and lifted off my feet.
“Do you know how long I wanted to do that?” Marcus looked at the clock on the wall. He kissed me on the cheek. “Almost two hours.” He let me slide down the length of his body.
“Hey,” Cheyenne tapped me on the shoulder. “Bri and I have to go to the library. There’s a big paper due in our European History class. We’re skipping lunch today.”
“Do you guys need any help? I’m pretty good at research.”
Brianna shook her head. “Thanks, but we got it. We’re almost done, but it has to be perfect.”
“Okay.” I gave each of them a hug. “Holler out if you change your mind. Do you need lunch? I can sneak something back to you.”
Cheyenne opened up her Texas-size purse and motioned for me to look in. She had several containers of cheese and meat cubes, crackers, fruit bits, and two bottles of water. "We've got it all covered.” I nodded. “Better than the school’s stuff.” The two of them walked away.
“So,” Amber took Ricky’s hand, leading us up to the food lines. “Only you and me in Pennsylvania over the break.”
“What? Why?” Ricky sounded as confused as Marcus looked.
“Chels parents are asses. She has to go to Colorado on some skiing vaca her mom planned for her.”
Marcus glanced over at me, and I nodded Amber was right.
“That sucks, dude.” Ricky appeared devastated that Marcus wouldn’t be joining him. “Now you have to sit at home with the whole family.”
Marcus shrugged like it didn’t matter, but I saw the disappointment in his eyes.
“Oh, Marcus, don’t you worry about it.” Amber slipped her arm around Marcus’s waist. “You’ll be able to see Chelsey in her Playmate Bunny suit she loves to ski down the mountain in. Her little cottontail bebopping down the slope.” She made moves into the lunch line like someone on skis, then turned back to Marcus. “I’m buying your airplane ticket so you can fly out with Chels and her parents won’t have a clue.”
I grabbed a salad and a bottle of water. I had my second-to-last dance recital coming up in two days and I couldn’t be trying to fit into the sheer costume and be bloated down with food.
Marcus picked up his usual pizza slices and a hoagie and set them on his tray. He seemed distantly quiet.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” I was sort of disappointed that he wasn’t excited about going off with me on a mini vacation away from this place.
“Your parents are trying to get you away from me, right?" Marcus’s lips went tight, and his eyes narrowed. He was pissed.
I avoided his glare. He could tell his answer was correct.
“Fuck, Chelsey, what if they find out?”
I was happy he was considering the idea of going. “I won’t tell if you don’t.” I gave him a smile he couldn’t say no to.
We all carried our trays back to the table.
Gabby and her girls were there, along with the two other guys who sometimes sat with us. The tension between Gabby and me had eased a bit. It wasn’t like we were besties or anything, but she kept her distance from Marcus and mine’s relationship.
“Is it worth the risk, Chels?” Marcus stared deep into my eyes, waiting for my answer.
This had become our saying ever since he found out my parents weren’t so fond of us dating. He didn’t want to come between my after high school plans, which weren’t mine to begin with, but what my parents wanted.
Marcus didn’t want to ruin whatever relationship or money status I had with my mom and dad, which I explained numerous times there wasn’t anything to worry about.
“Always worth the risk.” I kissed him lightly on the lips.
“Yay.” Amber dug out her phone once more. She worked around on it, flipping through sites and pressing buttons. “Okay, got it.” She shoved the phone in front of my and Marcus’s faces. “You leave Sunday at 11 a.m. You’ll be in Aspen at" She glanced back at her phone. “You should arrive at noon their time. I got you a nonstop in first class.” Amber looked so proud of herself.
Marcus sat his sandwich down and looked around at the three of us, then fixed his gaze on Amber. “Isn’t Chelsey flying with me?”
Amber giggled. “No, she has to take the company plane. Do you think her parents trust her that much? They’re afraid she won’t go exactly where they tell her to.” Amber patted Marcus’s hand. “Chels will be there when you arrive.”
Marcus still looked anxious. He wasn’t eating and appeared to be lost in thought.
Ricky chuckled and pointed at Marcus. “Dude, you get to fly, and this time not from smoking weed.”
He simmered down when Marcus shot him a laser glare.
Ricky whispered to Amber and me like Marcus wouldn’t hear what he was saying. “He’s never flown before. He’s never been out of the city.”
Oh wow, that explained a lot of why he appeared freaked out.
I rubbed his thigh underneath the table. “It’ll be okay.” He didn’t seem too convinced. “I mean, if you’re too afraid to get on the plane, that’s okay. A lot of people are afraid of heights and flying.”
Marcus’s head popped up, and he looked around the table. “I didn’t say I was afraid.” His expression and quiver in his speech said otherwise.
“Cool, then you’ll be there.” I couldn’t stop the snicker that forced its way out of my mouth. Amber and Ricky looked amused by Marcus’s reaction.
“Yeah, I will.” Marcus finally gave his final verdict. He threw a napkin at Ricky, who was still smiling away at Marcus’s apparent fear. “Shut the fuck up, dude. You never flew either.”
Amber’s mouth went wide open. “Okay, we gotta change that.” She started flipping through her phone once again.
“What are you doing, babe?" Now it was Ricky’s turn to stress.
“I’m changing our plans. We can fly down to Pennsylvania instead of driving the whole way.” Amber pressed a few more buttons on her phone.
“No. No. No.” Ricky reached for Amber’s phone. “I’m cool with driving.”
Amber kept moving her phone around, avoiding Ricky’s reach, while still being able to make her reservations. “Okay, all done.” She handed Ricky the phone. “We have two first-class tickets to Allentown, then we can drive the rest of the way to the Poconos.”
Ricky looked over Amber’s phone. “C’mon, cancel it, and we’ll drive.” He pushed the phone back to her once he confirmed she had made the reservations.
“Who’s the pussy now?” Marcus had to throw in a jab at Ricky’s fear of flying.
“Yeah, well, my ass is gonna be smokin' some weed before I go thirty thousand feet in the air.” Ricky slumped back in his chair.
Amber leaned closer to Ricky. “Baby, if you’re really good, I let you become inducted into the mile-high club.”
Ricky grabbed at his crotch and rubbed down on his jeans. “Shit, you got me all worked up just thinking about that.”
Thankfully, the bell rang to end lunch and save us from having to hear about Ricky’s hard-on.
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