Fiction/YoungAdult
Worth the Risk — Chapter Seven
Are you willing to lose it all
The sun streamed in through the skylights and fell on my face.
I squinted my eyes open.
My head was throbbing from last night’s drinking binge.
Marcus’s arm was still strewn over my stomach, and the slightest sound of a snore murmured in my ear.
The memories of our afterward activities rushed back, and I wondered, after such an intimate act, where did that leave us?
I scooted out from under Marcus’s arm without waking him. He grumbled about something, but then pressed his face against the back of the sofa and fell back to sleep.
He was quite remarkable-looking, just laying there with his hair in a disheveled mess and his clothes all in disarray. I knew I couldn’t lead him on, knowing us together would cause my parents to wage war on keeping us apart, but somehow that didn’t matter. I liked him more than I thought I would in such a short time of knowing each other.
I quietly backed away from where he was asleep and tiptoed back to the bedroom to change. I found unused outfits my mom had stashed in the closets of all the rooms.
She always told me, ‘You never know when you might have guests over in need of a change of clothes.’
We hardly ever had people stay over. Maybe she had secrets that involved mystery guests staying in the guesthouse.
I was thankful I found something in my size, it saved me a trip to go back up to the main house. Not that I was worried about what my parents might say about me not sleeping at the main house last night, they weren’t even aware I’d gone out, the point being that I didn’t want to talk with them. I’d rather chill out here and wait for Marcus to wake up.
The wall clock chimed at two o’clock in the afternoon when I noticed Marcus was starting to stir. I’d been up for almost three hours, watching TV and texting with Amber. He looked totally confused about where he was until he looked over at the end of the sofa and saw me.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” He sat up and stretched out his arms and legs.
“For?” I didn’t have anything to do or anywhere to go, so I let him sleep as much as he needed to.
“What time is it?” He glanced all around the walls until his eyes focused on the wall clock by the entryway. “Shit. It’s afternoon already.”
“Do you have somewhere you need to be?”
I was hoping we could spend some more time together, but if he had other plans for the day, then I’d have to take him back home.
Marcus shrugged. “Not really.” He snatched his phone off the table and scrolled through his messages. “I was supposed to help my cousin with his car today, but he didn’t text me when he was going to do it.” He tossed the phone on the sofa cushion beside him.
I let out a silent sigh of relief. It was a good thing it was only his cousin he was worried about meeting and not someone from Gabby’s group.
“Ricky’s with Amber if you want to meet with them.” She texted me that they might be heading over to Central Park.
“Um.” Marcus looked up at the clock again. It seemed he was hesitant about going out with them, or maybe reluctant about going out with me. “Let me see what they’re up to.” He picked up his phone and messaged Ricky.
They texted back and forth a few times before Marcus tossed down his phone again.
“They decided not to go anywhere since he has to head back home. Would you be able to give me a ride over to Amber’s? It would save you from a trip the whole way back across town.”
Marcus stood and lifted off the shirt I’d given him to sleep in. The muscles in his stomach and arms rippled with every move he made. He pulled his black t-shirt back on and slipped his jeans over his boxers. The shirt he’d taken off was carefully folded and placed on the coffee table.
“Where did you want this?" He referenced the discarded shirt.
“That’s fine right there. The maid will pick it up.” I stood and waved my hand for him to follow. “Ready?” I didn’t wait for an answer and walked over to the front door.
I heard Marcus following behind as we made our way back up to my garage. I’d told him he could drive all the cars today if he wanted to, but it appeared he was in a hurry to leave.
I felt... well, I didn’t know how I felt.
I thought things were going well with us after last night and all. Now he was all distant, like he wanted to get away.
I climbed into my Porsche and waited for him to get in on the passenger side. It started up with the soft purr it normally did, and I put it in reverse.
“What’s wrong?” Marcus’s hand on top of mine stopped me from backing out of the garage.
“Nothing. You wanted to leave, so I’m taking you to meet Ricky.” I pressed on the gas to back up, but his hand squeezing mine stopped me from backing the whole way out.
“I wanted to save you a trip going over to my side of town. It’s not a place you’d want to be seen.” Marcus’s eyes shifted away from me and to the multimillion-dollar house that lay just beyond the corner of the garage. He looked uncomfortable being here, like he knew this wasn’t his way of life.
Okay, maybe I was reading this all wrong. Maybe he was embarrassed for me to go over to his area of the city, not that he was trying to push me away.
“I would’ve taken you, and I don’t care where I’m seen.” I hated to sound like a bitch, but maybe it was all for the good if we ended what happened between us right now.
I pressed once more on the gas and this time he didn’t attempt to stop me.
The ride over to Amber’s took less than fifteen minutes. She lived in the same type of community that I did, just with a different name. All the houses were bigger than they needed to be, according to some people’s talk around the city.
Amber’s car wasn’t out, but Ricky’s old Honda was parked outside. I’m guessing Marcus texted him we were on our way because they were both wrapped in each other’s arms waiting for us outside of the gate.
I pulled up behind his car and shut the Porsche off. Both Marcus and I got out at the same time, whereas I let my door slam shut, he closed his without making a sound.
Amber raised her eyebrows at me, questioning my behavior, but I looked away and pretended not to see her.
“Fuck, you have another bad-ass car, Chelsey.” Ricky rubbed his hand along the side of my car.
Whereas Marcus seemed to be making love to the car this morning as I watched him gently stroke the side of it before he got in, Ricky swiped and rubbed it as if he tried to make sure it was real.
“This is some serious freakin money you all have here.” He motioned to the massive house that stood beyond the gated entrance.
“Chelsey’s house is bigger AND she has more cars than me in her garage.” Amber pretended to pout over my parent’s wealth compared to hers.
“You have your own garage?” Ricky asked me but looked over to Marcus for confirmation.
He nodded it was true.
Ricky let out a long, loud whistle and walked around my car once more, then back over to Amber.
“Hey baby, I gotta get going.” Ricky pulled her tight against his body and kissed her long and deep.
I looked away just to give them a sense of privacy and not have an audience as they made out against his car. My eyes flickered over to Marcus, who had an interest in the pavement at his feet or maybe he was doing the same thing as I was, avoiding the awkward situation.
It was at the time I was checking him out that he decided to lift his eyes to see if Ricky and Amber were done. I looked away as if I didn’t see him glance my way.
“Tell your girl bye, we gotta go.” Ricky patted the roof of his car, making a loud banging sound. I guess he and Amber had finished their mini make-out session and he was ready to go.
I looked over at Marcus, who was still watching me with a bit of intensity.
I wanted him to come over and sweep me off my feet like Ricky had done with Amber, but that wouldn’t be a smart move to make if we didn’t want this relationship to go any further.
I gave him a small wave with my hand, and this time I was the one that looked down to the ground.
Ten seconds later, Marcus’s feet were standing beside my own.
“Thanks for letting me stay over last night.”
I lifted my eyes from the pavement and met a pair of delicious-looking, creamy, dark brown eyes I had taken a real liking to.
“No problem, anytime.” My eyes shifted back to the ground, and I closed them shut.
Marcus’s fingertip lightly touched my cheek and ran down the side of my face as if he were trying to keep hold of his senses of how my skin felt.
I dipped my head into his hand, and I lifted my eyes to meet his.
Marcus placed a soft kiss on my cheek, whispered thank you once again, and then walked back over to Ricky’s car.
The car started up, which was more of a choking sound than that of a car coming to life, but I didn’t look up to watch them leave.
I kept my eyes low to the ground and listened as the vehicle disappeared as they headed back across to the part of town where they belonged.
