I do not own nor do I profit from the work of JE.
Chapter 4:
Shielding my eyes from the midmorning sun, I heard Evan whisper into my ear, "Morning Baby. Coffee?" I nodded and held my hand out for the cup. Once I had half a cup of the life giving caffinated liquid, I sat up and observed Evan walking around in nothing but his undies. I giggled and watched him strike a pose, as I drained the last of my coffee. "Like what you see?"
I frowned and studied him thoughtfully. "Maybe." He acted shocked and jumped onto the bed next to me, making me shriek and drop the now empty cup onto the floor. I winced as he shifted me closer to him.
"I'm sorry Baby. Are you sore?" He rubbed my inner thigh, making me feel better.
"A little." I admitted."It's been a really long time." I was sure I was beet red like Hal when he gets embarassed.
"Really?" He asked, trying not to seem like he was prying.
"Uh, yeah. Let's just say, it's been five years."
"Five?" He cocked his head and glanced at me in confusion. "That would mean..." His eyes widened and he looked like he was confused.
"It's been since I was sixteen." I said quietly and drew my knees up to my chest, resting my head onto my knees. "It wasn't the best situation."
"Baby? What happened?" Concern covered his face and filled his voice.
"Um... nobody told you?" I asked and watched him shake his head no. I sighed and reached out to hold his hand. "It's hard to talk about." I paused trying to gather my thoughts. "I was on my way home from the pre-homecoming bonfire and I was attacked." His face filled with rage at the realization of what I was saying. "I was raped by three men and they never found the guys." At this point, I had tears streaming down my face. "I had to finish high school independantly. I never set foot back in that school. When Papi and Mama showed up at the hospital, they took one look at me and Papi had his heart attack. He died the next day. Carlos came back from his training in Fort Benning and stayed with me in the hospital so I could sleep. He was one of only a few people I trusted to protect me when I slept." I got to my feet and began to pace.
"It took me three years to trust being around men again. You of all people know how leary I am of men." He nodded finally understanding why I never dated. "I never felt safe. Until now." I looked him in the eyes, tears flowing down my face. "I don't trust just anybody. I trust you with my life, Evan. I trust you with my heart."
"Baby. Are you okay now?" He asked clearly nervous to touch me.
"Yeah. I am now." I reached out and touched his face with the palm of my hand. "I'm healed, I'm safe and I'm loved. What more is there?"
He grinned at me and kissed my palm gently. "I do love you, Baby." He leaned forward and kissed me gently. "But, I want you to tell me if I start to make you feel uncomfortable. Promise me?" I nodded and kissed him back, gently.
"I love you Evan Michael Ramsey."
"I love you Rebecca Elena Manoso." He smiled and drew me into a comforting hug.
Evan and I spent the next morning lounging on my bed watching TV and eating cereal from the same mixing bowl. It wasn't until after 1300, that we both decided that getting up and doing something with our day. "You want to head over to the mall with me for a little while?" I asked, pulling on my spaghetti strap sun dress.
"Where we going?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows, "I hear Vicky's has a sale." I laughed and chucked a pillow at his head as he lay on my bed.
Needless to say, we ended up at the mall and now I was perusing the fine selection at Victoria's Secret with my man in tow. I held up several pieces for his approval, without success. Until... he found a very sheer and very barely there selection of thongs I was sure I'd hate after wearing them for an hour. "I can tell what you're thinking." He whispered into my ear as I analysed them. "You wouldn't be wearing them for long." I blushed and grabbed a few in my size before eyeing some push up bras. I guess I'd be considered average in the chest department, so a push up sounded good to me at that moment. I held one up for inspection and grinned at Evan. He was discretely trying to adjust himself and wasn't having much luck.
As we were at the counter paying for my new 'lacy bits' as Evan called them, a shrill and grating voice called out, "Evan? Oh, Evan dear, is that you?" I glanced around trying to put a name with the face and cringed. A familiar blond barbie wanna-be, walked up to Evan and slid her hands over his chest. "I've missed you, Stud. What are you up to?"
I couldn't help myself and under my breath I muttered, "About six-five, dumbshit." Evan coughed to cover his laugh as she just glared at me.
"Oh, is that you Spaz... I mean Haz? So nice to see you again? Big brother let you out of your cage?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice and if it wasn't for Evan, I'm sure I would have torn off her face.
"Gee, Brittany. So good to see you again. Nice tits. Get another surgery?" I glaced down at her chest in mock pity. "Aww... too bad their lopsided." I snickered as she grew red in the face. Hey, if the bitch wants to be mean, I can be real mean.
She flipped her bleached hair and turned back to Evan. "So, how about dinner tomorrow night to catch up?" She tried to play off the sweet and innocent angle. Sorry sister, no dice!
"Sorry. He's working. But not on his back with his legs spread in the air. Oh, sorry, that's just you."
She raised her hand to slap me, but Evan grabbed it and held it as he growled. "I don't know what you're getting at Brittany, but we broke up, remember! And besides, I already have a girlfriend."
She smiled seductively and leaned into him, as he still had a hold of her wrist. "Aww, Evan. You don't have to tell her and I won't say anything." he dropped her arm like it was diseased, wiping his hand on his shirt.
"Back off, Bitch." I stepped in front of Evan and bared my teeth at her, making her flinch slightly. Ha! Take that bitch.
"What are you going to do about it Spaz? Tell his girlfriend?" She scoffed and winked at Evan who now looked more pissed than anything.
"No. You fucking ..." Just at that moment, the salesgirl butted in.
"Sir? Here's your card back." First she handed over the credit card and then the bag, over the counter. She looked first at him and then at me, "I hope you and your girlfriend enjoy. Thanks for shopping here at Victoria's Secret. Have a nice day." It was at that moment I could have kissed the salesgirl, because the shriek that came from Brittany was priceless!
"What?! Her? You've got to be kidding me! She's a skanky whore!"
"Who you calling a skanky whore, you flea ridden piece of trailer trash. Didn't look dumb enough so you had to dye your hair bitch blonde?" I glared at her and stepped into her personal space. "Why don't you go crawl back under what ever nasty trailer your ass came from and die."
She glared first at me, then at Evan. "Fine! You want to date a nasty piece of ghetto trash, Evan. Go ahead. When you come to your senses, you call me." She turned on her twice repaired fake Louis Vuitton shoes and huffed out.
I shouted after her, "Don't hold your breath Bitch Barbie." I looked at Evan who was rubbing his forehead, in total frustration.
I dropped my gaze and my voice, "I'm sorry."
He enveloped me in his embrace in the blink of an eye. "What for?" He asked, nuzzling his face into my neck.
"For embarrassing you. Making an ass of myself in the middle of the mall. For saying those things to..."
"STOP." He ordered forcefully and I cringed. "Do you realise what you've done?" He demanded. I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut.
In a tight low voice he growled, "You march your little ass back to the truck. I'm taking you home." I nodded and began to turn to walk away, before he added, "So I can boff your brains out. That was the hottest fucking thing I think I've ever seen." He nipped at my ear. "If we don't get home in the next ten minutes, I'm going to blow right into my pants, and we don't want that, do we?" I shook my head violently and grabbed his hand running for the nearest exit.
Neddless to say we made it to my house in record time and he indeed did boff my brains out. As I lay on top of him in the bed afterwards, I noticed the receipt from Vicky's was hanging out of the bag. One good look at it and I began to laugh hysterically. Evan gazed at me in total bewilderment. "You okay, Baby?" All I could do was point to the receipt and wipe away the tears that started falling from laughing too hard. As I was sucking in air desperately, he rolled over and snagged the receipt. He held it out and looked at it, then to me, "What?"
I plucked it out of his hands and then flipped it over. Another receipt was stapled to the back and after reading it, he laughed as well. Apparently, the salesgirl hated Brittany as much as I did. Not only did she reverse all charges on Evan's card before handing it back to him, she managed to write a quick note to us both. Brittany's such a bitch. Good for you, he's hot! No charge. Enjoy! She finished it with a smiley face. I knew I liked that girl from the beginning. Well, if it's any consolation, she's got my business for life.
Dinner was a quiet affair. We managed to sneak back into his apartment on four and mooch dinner off of Ella. Ah... Tia Ella. She always knew me better than myself. No more than twenty minutes after we scooted into Evan's apartment, she called me on my phone. "Becca, Sweetheart. I have dinner for you and Ram waiting. Just call me when you two lovebirds decide it's time." Before I could say anymore she added, "And I made you dessert. Carlos, doesn't know."
I sighed and smiled, "Gracias, Tia. We'll call." She hung up and I stood there grinning at the phone for a few second before I hung up.
"Was that Ella?" Evan asked, patting the couch next to him. I decided to forego the couch and sat on his lap.
"Yup. She's holding dinner for us. And dessert." I giggled and snuggled into his chest, I loved listening to the sound of his heart beating. It always seemed to calm me and center me, even when we first started partnering together. As we hung out, I would find myself snuggled up to him for wither warmth or comfort late at night when we would party or watch movies. My head would always lay atop his heart and I would remain still, just to listen to the faint thumping.
In lavish grandure, we dined on fine china and drank from crystal goblets. Not! In all honesty, it was plain stoneware plates and normal plastic glasses for us. Like I'd expect the good stuff to make an appearance unless Tia Ella was expecting Ram to propose. And honestly I don't see that happening any time soon. Anyway, the food was delicious, as always. Dessert was one of my favorites, a mini tower built of chocolate cupcakes drenched in hot fudge. What? I can have my dessert over the top. Like you've never eaten something that other people look at like you're absolutely nuts! Well, this is mine. Let me say this, it is mighty tasty! And best yet, I shared with Evan. See, I can share and I can be nice... sometimes. He he he.
We fell asleep on the couch watching another movie. Sometime during the night when Tia Ella came for the dishes, she found us and covered us with a blanket. We awoke to the sound of pounding on the door. Still half asleep and with my eyes closed I got to my feet and slamming the door open. "This better be good or some Fuckwit is going to get his brains bashed in." I rubbed my eyes and opened them at the sound of a throat clearing and a quieted chuckle. There standing before me was both Bobby and Lester grinning. Bobby handed Lester a fifty and sighed. I snatched the fifty and shoved it into my bra before turning around and laying back onto a snoring Evan. The door slammed shut, indicating that they had walked in.
"Hey! That was mine." Lester whined and poked me in the ass. I wiggled it and snickered.
"Tough shit. Tell Tia Ella on me. Like I give a shit." I grumbled into Evan's chest, flipping him the bird.
"Damn, Haz. Did you and Ram drink last night?" Bobby asked, eying the both of us looking mighty exhausted.
"No. Long nights, can't sleep." I almost held it together before I snickered once. ONCE! And then it was as if a lightbulb went off in Lester's head and he jumped to his feet. Bobby just began to shake his head in his hands mumbling about having to clean up blood and guts again.
"Oh, SHIT! Ram you're going to die man! Ranger finds out you're porking his little sister and you'll be face down in a grave somewhere we'll never find you. Fuck, man!" Lester began to pace and I turned my head to watch him. By this time Evan was fully awake and watching Les with fascination.
He then looked down at me, "We tell him?" I cocked an eyebrow then nodded. "Dude. He knows."
"What? And you're still alive?" Bobby was shocked, stunned really. "What happened?"
I shifted onto the couch allowing Evan to sit up. He placed his arm over my shoulder and leaned back, relaxed. "He came unglued." He moved the neck of his shirt to the side to show off a nasty set of hand prints on his neck. "Gave me a nice necklace for it, too." I rubbed his thigh for comfort and let him continue. "Tank grabbed him, pulled him off and then we talked about it."
"I threatened to put his balls on a platter." I stated easily. "Besides, I pulled out the big guns and used the 'please trust me' speech. It worked." I winked at Evan and snuggled into his side.
"So, you two, huh?" Bobby asked, pointing from first Evan and then to me and back again.
"Uh, duh! I thought we already established that." I sassed. "What's the big deal?"
"Um, almost every man here has been dying to get a chance to ask you out, that's why." Bobby huffed out and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know Rodriguez will be crushed."
"I knew it!" Aha! I was right. He did have a crush on me.
"What ever. What's your Mama going to say Haz?" Bobby asked, glaring at Evan. "What's your Mama going to say Ram?"
We looked at each other and shrugged. "Dude, you're like twelve years older than her." Lester ground out through gritted teeth. "And if I find out you treated my little cousin with anything other than the respect she deserves, I'm going to personally kick your ass."
"Age doesn't matter and yeah, I get it man." Evan understood Lester's protective nature of me. Other than Carlos, Lester was the only other man for a long time that I allowed to get close to me. Maybe it was the fact he was my cousin, maybe it was the fact he came home the minute Carlos called him and told him what happened when I was attacked, maybe it was the fact he spent the next month looking for the attackers, nonstop.
"So, what we doing today?" Lester asked, changing the subject.
"We?" I asked, eyebrow cocked. "Who said anything about we?"
"Yeah, we." Bobby stated with a wide grin plastered on his face. "So, I was thinking..."
"Don't hurt yourself there Doc." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"Shut up." He snapped and then continued, "There's always Sunny's." I looked at Evan and watched him light up like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Sunny's it is." I sighed.
We showered and dressed while Bobby and Les bashed each other on the X-Box. We both dressed in our usual cargos and black shirts, matching the boys. Original, I know, and headed out.