Mercedes raised a brow. "Quinn!"
"What?!" The blonde was remorseless.
"You did not tell Joanna that she was the human equivalent of a stretch mark!"
"She got on my nerves!" Quinn was unrepentant.
Mercedes's phone rang as she stared at the ex cheerleader. "You have issues!" She answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Aretha!"
"Hello, Santana." Mercedes grinned just hearing her voice.
Quinn rolled her eyes as she worked on her car.
"I haven't heard from you in a week, Wheezy! What's up with that?!" Santana demanded.
Mercedes sighed. "I've just been busy, Santana."
"Busy my perfectly formed ass!"
Mercedes rolled her eyes. "I don't want to argue with you."
"Then tell me what's up."
"Nothing!"
"You're lying!"
"How do you know that?!"
"Because you're not a liar. I am. I can spot a lie a mile away. So I ask again, what is up?"
Mercedes looked at Quinn, who honestly wasn't listening. She snapped her fingers to gain the blonde's attention. "Hey!"
Quinn turned around. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to get your attention." She held the phone to her chest. "She wants to know what's going on."
Quinn cleaned her hands on the rag on the hood before coming over to take the phone. "Mind your own business, Santana."
"Quinnocence." Santana snarked. "Now I know it's a lie. Tell me what the hell is going on or I'm getting on the first plane back to that dump called a city & I'm going to wring it out of the both of you!"
"You're impossible! We don't want your help! We don't need your help!"
"Help with what?"
"That is none of your business!"
"I'm makin it my business. What? you cheat on Puckerman already?"
Quinn nearly threw the phone. Santana could push her buttons like no other! "Shut up!"
"Are you kidding me?! You cheated on Puck?!"
"You don't know what you're talkin about!" Two spots of color affected her cheeks.
"What's going on?!" Mercedes was concerned.
Quinn thrust out the phone. "Tell her. I don't even care." She went back to her car & started tinkering to calm down.
"Santana, what did you say to her to make her so mad?!" Mercedes demanded.
"She cheated on Puck & now you're trying to clean up her mess? That's what's been going on?" Santana asked without preamble.
Mercedes scuffed her shoe in the gravel. "Yes & no."
"Explain, Wheezy."
Mercedes sighed. This was going to be a long conversation…
M&MC
Mike sighed. He was officially sick of video games. "This is boring. Want to do something else?"
"Like what?" Finn tossed the controller aside. They were at his house playing Call of Duty.
"I don't know. Play basketball or something." Mike shrugged.
"I'm down." Puck hitched a shoulder.
The guys piled into Finn's truck & drove to a basketball court.
They were just aimlessly shooting hoops when Finn received a message. He checked his pockets for his phone before looking at the message.
"Who's blowin up your phone?" Puck missed a shot.
"Uh… nobody." Finn responded quickly before pocketing his cell.
Puck looked at him. "That means it's a chick."
"No, no. It's not." Finn caught the ball.
"Which means it is. Who is she?"
"It's Kurt!"
"You liar!"
Finn was flustered. "Shut up!"
Mike chuckled. "Just tell us who she is."
Finn glared hotly at both. "It's Sadie, okay?!"
Both froze.
"What the hell is that, man?!" Puck recovered first.
"What is what?" He was defensive.
"Why are you calling her Sadie & why is she giving you hugs & shit?! What the hell is going on?!"
"She needs a friend! Since you dropped her!"
Mike frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Puck yelled at her & pushed her away." Finn accused.
Mike looked at Puck. "Puck!"
"I didn't yell." He glared sullenly. "I didn't push her away neither."
"Then why did she cry on my shoulder about you hating her?!" Finn crossed his arms.
"Why would you do that?" Mike demanded.
"Dude, she cheated on you!" Puck twirled the ball.
"But you're her friend. You should know better than anybody that having her friends dump her is her greatest pain."
"How are you being so nice about this?! I don't care about Quinn's feelings at the moment."
"I love her & she's my best friend. I don't want her to hurt. I'm hurting enough for the both of us."
Puck looked down. "I do know how she is about friends dropping her."
"Asshole!" Finn muttered.
Puck ignored that. "I had to stick up for my boy."
"I think you're mad at Quinn & are taking it out on Mercy." Mike was very astute.
Puck frowned. "I'm not that type of jackass."
"Really? Even knowing that Quinn isn't too bothered by you not talking to her?"
Puck scowled before realizing Mike was more than likely right. "So I should probably apologize?"
"It would be the right thing to do."
Finn was proud of Mike. "Are you going to talk to her any time soon?"
Mike shrugged. "I don't think I can. I just keep hearing her voice. It's in my head over & over. "I really like him"."
Finn didn't know what to tell him. He'd never been in the mood to talk after a girlfriend cheated on him.
A phone rang. All three checked but it was Mike's. "It's Santana."
"What does she want?" Puck was happy this talk was over.
Mike shrugged before answering the call. "Hello?"
"Chang!" It was Santana all right. "I'm going to kick your ass!"
He sighed. "I'm not in the mood, Santana. What do you want?"
"For you to work things out with your girl."
"She told you?"
"Of course."
"Did she tell you she was in the wrong?"
"Repeatedly."
He sighed again. "This isn't really any of your business."
"The hell it isn't! My girl is terrified you're going to leave her!"
"If that's what I decide, that's my choice."
"She made a mistake. Can't you forgive her?"
"It's not that simple."
"Didn't you make a mistake when you didn't listen to her about that Rude Bitch?"
He made a noise at the hurtful name but stayed otherwise silent.
"She feels terrible about this. I've done way worse with way less regret but she's really beating herself up over this."
A part of Mike wanted to be petty & be happy she was upset but he mostly worried about her. "She really messed up, Tana."
"I know." She said softly. "Just think about it."
M&MC
Puck rang the doorbell & waited for someone to answer. Finn said she said she'd be home.
The door opened & her face twisted with confusion. "Puck."
"Hey, Mama." He pushed a daisy in her face.
She pushed his hand away. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just in the 'hood & dropped by. Can I come in?"
She looked to be thinking it over before she moved back & allowed him in. She closed the door behind him. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Sure."
She led him to the kitchen, where she poured them both lemonade. "Why are you here? I thought I was the scum of the earth."
He shuffled his feet. "You know I hate apologizing! Look, I'm sorry about Sunday!"
She looked at him unimpressed.
He sighed before throwing the daisy on the counter. "I was a little raw over Q & I took it out on you. We're better than that & I'm sorry. Really."
"It took you five days to realize that?" She folded her arms across her chest.
"You know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer."
"& you know I hate disposable friends. Didn't stop you from dumping me."
"I know & I'm sorry. I know how you feel about fair weather friends & I pushed you away. It won't ever happen again."
She glared at him hotly before the look tempered off. "It better not."
He opened his arms & she walked into them. He enclosed her in a bear hug. "It won't."
"What brought this on?" She asked his chest.
"Mike actually. He told me about myself for dropping you."
She looked into his eyes, her own watering. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"What'd he say?"
"That you didn't deserve for that to happen."
"He said that?" Her nose grew red & a tear slipped past her lashes.
"Aw Mama, don't cry." He hated to see her cry.
She buried her face in his chest. "What do you think that means?"
"You crying?" He was confused.
She broke away from him. "That he said that."
He shrugged. "I don't know."
She sipped her lemonade to get rid of the dry lump in her throat. "I hope it means he still cares about me."
"He does." That much he did know.
"I wouldn't. I don't know how he can stand to be in the same room as me!" She burst into tears.
He jumped. "Don't do that!"
"I can't help it!"
He wrapped his arms around her. "Do you want to lie down?"
She nodded slowly.
M&MC
Mike tapped his foot as he waited for his sister to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Moppet. It's me."
"Hey, Mikey." Marcy chirped.
"What are you up to?"
"Just putting away stuff. You?"
"Nothing. I just got back from playing basketball with Puck & Finn."
"Did you win?"
"We had odd numbers!" He chuckled.
"You coulda played Horse."
"We just shot hoops."
"Oh. Okay." It was quiet a moment before she was asking, "You called me for a reason, didn't you?"
"I just have a question. You & Mal are good, right? I mean you had sex again & he apologized."
"Yes, we're good again."
"That means you've forgiven him."
"I have."
"For everything?"
"For everything."
"How could you forgive him for what he did?"
She took a long time answering. "All I really wanted was an apology. A real one. Where he admitted he was wrong & was honestly remorseful over his words & actions."
"All you needed was an apology?"
"I don't want to be bitter. I have enough issues without being bitter & petty. Two things the world doesn't need more of. Without that apology, I would have been both & that would be bad."
"So you forgave him for you?"
"Yes. I didn't want to hurt anymore & I don't want to become hard. Hurt has a way of hardening your heart & that's no way to live."
"So are you & Jr. back together?"
"No."
"Why not? You forgave him."
"Because I have a boyfriend. If there was no Pierre, maybe Mal & I would be together."
"Maybe? How high a percentage are we talkin here?"
"At least 75."
He whistled lowly. "So that apology went a long way?"
"A long way indeed."
He was quiet as he thought things over.
"But you didn't call about me & Jr."
He stuck his bottom lip out. He'd never been able to hide from her. "How did it feel to cheat on Pierre?"
"I felt remorseful."
"No, I mean to actually do the cheating."
"It didn't feel like it. I felt like I was hanging out with a friend. Until it didn't… It was a slippery slope. I just felt like I had gained a new friend until I noticed I was looking a little too hard, touching a little too long & smiling a little too much."
"You honestly thought you were just friends with this guy?"
"Yes. That's all I planned to be. I know it's hard to believe but I didn't go out looking for this. I was minding my own business when he strolled into my life."
"So this guy comes out of nowhere & you think you're going to be friends?"
"You know how I am about friends, Mikey."
"I know." She had a tough time keeping them. "When did you know he didn't think of you as a friend?"
"Honestly it took me a minute. He was flirty from jump street but you know how it is. People flirt. They don't mean anything by it. But in between those times when he was talking about getting me out of my clothes, he looked at me with respect. Like I was a human being."
"That's when you started to like him, isn't it?" He was barely asking.
"Yes. That's when I started to like him."
He didn't know how to phrase his next question until he remembered he was being stealthy. "Doesn't Mal look at you like you're a human being? With respect?"
"Actually, yes. He does."
"Then why did you want this other guy?"
"Because when you're looked down upon for so long, any respect is instantly admired. I could meet someone tomorrow that looks at me like that & I'd start to like them because I haven't had that a lot."
"So it's quantity over quality?" He sniped.
"No, it's taking what you can get before you end up empty-handed." She said bluntly.
He looked down. "How did you forgive Mal? I know why but how?"
"I just did. The pain, the hurt, the anger; I just let it go."
"It's not that simple." He repeated what he told Santana.
"Make it that simple. Either you want to forgive her or you don't."
He should have known he wasn't tricking her in the least bit. "What if I can't?"
"You have to. Not for her but for you. You're a good person & you're a good man, Mike. Pain, hurt & anger turn into bitterness & it destroys the soul. Don't let a mistake (no matter how hurtful) destroy you."
M&MC
Mercedes set three chairs in front of the class with a ton of space between them. That way, Mike was far from her but it wouldn't be obvious.
"Mama, what are you doing?" Puck had crashed into a chair in the back.
"Making sure he's comfortable." She left the chairs alone & sat on the one on the far left.
"They're plastic school chairs; unless he's on your lap, he ain't gon be comfortable."
She blushed. "Stop it!"
He beamed. He was glad things were back to normal between them. He'd missed his chocolate Mama. "You know you love me."
"I don't know why."
"I don't either." Quinn walked in.
Puck's mood soured & he glared at his girlfriend. "Can you tell Q to sit down & stuff it?"
Quinn sat next to Mercedes, bringing the two chairs closer but she didn't stay silent. "Can you tell him to bite me?"
"Guys!" Mercedes waved her arms to get them to stop bickering. "Can we not do this here? These kids have had enough fighting in their lives."
"She's right. No one wants to hear you two fighting." Mike moved into the room, followed be Finn.
Mercedes's eyes were on him instantly. He looked the same but not. The last few days saw him pinched & upset. He just looked contemplative now.
"Fine." Quinn crossed her arms. "I can do something for someone else."
Puck snorted.
"Guys! That's still fighting." Finn pointed out.
Quinn turned her head. "Whatever."
Puck rolled his eyes & looked away.
"That's better than nothing." Mercedes sighed.
"Ms. Lady!" Jake walked in. "Still as pretty as ever. Are you single yet?"
Her mouth fell open & tears sprang to her eyes. "Why would you say that?"
"You have as much tact as your brother." Quinn glared.
"Dude!" Finn shook his head.
"Get back here & sit down!" Puck snapped.
"What I do? What I say?" Jake was confused as he went to go sit down.
Nobody answered him as others began trickling in. They all took their seats before Coach Sylvester walked in & sat down.
Mr. Shue leaned forward. "Tell us more about your grandmother."
"Which one?" Quinn asked.
"The famous one." Ryder said.
"They're all famous in some way." Mercedes had gotten herself back under control.
Mike went to the whiteboard & pulled the cap off a marker before writing his grandparents' names on the board. He wrote their legal occupations under their names.
"Shouldn't that be "pinup model"?" Finn asked.
"She wasn't always a pinup model!" Mike raised his voice.
"But she did it for almost thirty years."
Mike growled before writing pinup under Gertrude's name. "Happy?!"
"Wait!" Tina sat up when he moved out of the way. "Your grandmother is Gertie Chang?!"
"Yes."
"She's like the best model to come out of Japan!"
"She'd love you forever just for saying that." Quinn smirked.
"Is that Caroline Braxton?!" Unique squealed. "I've followed her career since I was little!"
"Who's Caroline Braxton?" Coach Sylvester didn't see the fuss.
"She was a model in the fifties & sixties that started her own fashion line." Blaine explained. "Kurt loves her."
"G-Ma always knew what she wanted to do with her life. That's why she went to school for business first then fashion." Mercedes said.
"Kurt loves Gertie Chang, too. He has a magazine with her in it in a cream nightie. It's his favorite picture." Blaine spoke.
"I wonder why he's never told me that." Mercedes pouted.
"Why haven't you told anyone of your famous family members?" Tina volleyed back. "I would have told everyone I met!"
"We want to succeed on our own."
"They all did." Quinn added. "In our family, you win or you win."
"Allen's never lose." Mike came back to sit down.
"What does that mean?" Artie asked.
"It's what Grandpapa always says. He says the saying has been in his family for generations. Allen's never lose or Allen's always win."
"I can see that being a little intimidating…"
"You should have seen him when I told him about us losing nearly every football game."
"He hit the roof?"
Mike nodded. "& kept on going."
Artie whistled lowly. "He's the athlete, right? He's just like that with sports, right?"
"Any competition." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Every time we didn't win in glee, he took it as a slight against our family name."
"& actually prayed for retribution." Mercedes added.
"No, that's totally a normal reaction." Artie's eyes were wide.
Mike chuckled. "He's intense."
"Do any of you race cars like that grandfather?" Ryder pointed to Donald Taylor.
"Drag racing is illegal here."
"That's not what he asked." Puck grinned.
Mike rolled his eyes. "He's the one who taught us how to drive."
"But you don't drive fast." Tina said.
"I know."
"Could you outrun the police?"
"Tina?!" Mercedes was shocked.
Tina blushed. "I just want to know. I'm not asking to see."
Mike grinned. "Yes, I could."
"That's so cool." Kitty grinned, too.
"Unlike Mal, who'd run down any thing not nailed down in his path." Mercedes's tone said all there was to it.
Quinn threw her head back & laughed. "He's a speed demon!"
"Mal? I didn't even know he could drive." Tina was shocked.
"He can drive. He just never finished his car."
"You didn't either." Mike mocked.
"Shut up! I'm finishing my now!"
"You are?!"
"Yes." She flipped her hair at him. "I think I'm going to have Moppet teach me about her fuel source like Mercy."
"You want Moppet's fuel source?" Mike looked at Mercedes.
Mercedes lit up at the attention. "Yeah, she said she'd put it in when she comes back."
"If you're getting it, I want it."
Quinn giggled. "You hate being left out."
He put his big hand on her head & shook it.
"Hey!"
Finn laughed. "She promised my dad that she'd teach him how to do it."
"Why can't she do it for me?!" Puck groused.
"What fuel source?" Mr. Shue asked.
"Marcy invented a fuel source for her car that uses water for fuel. She doesn't even need to pump gas really." Mercedes explained.
"When did she invent this?"
"She was about eleven? twelve?" Mercedes looked between Quinn & Mike.
"Yeah." Quinn nodded.
"& she invented a fuel source?!" Mr. Shue was in awe.
"Marcy's a genius." Mercedes beamed.
"We all are." Quinn shrugged.
"Genius? Like real genius?" Ryder gaped.
"Like her IQ is enough to make Einstein look like Finn. No offense, Finn."
Finn pouted. "I'm a little offended!"
"& you're all like that?" Marley asked in her sweet way.
"Yes. We all have areas where we shine but we excel is most categories." Mercedes explained. "Like Marcy in math, Mal in physics, me in English."
"She learned English in nine months." Mike looked at her.
Mercedes smiled softly.
"You didn't know English?" Kitty raised an eyebrow.
"What part of foreign didn't you get?" Quinn rolled her eyes.
Kitty pouted at her idol calling her out. "What did you know?"
"I knew English & so did Laura but my first language is French. So was Mercy's."
"Is that why you didn't take French when you clearly knew Spanish?" Mr. Shue asked.
"How'd you know I knew Spanish?" Mercedes gaped.
"Señora Ramos always raved about her TA."
"Hey! I'm Señora Ramos's TA!" Artie protested.
"Now but Mercedes was last year. She never said your name until you graduated. I was confused on who this amazing student was."
Mercedes blushed. "She was so nice. I liked helping in her class."
"It also makes sense why you three were never in my class. You tested out like Artie did. Like Santana should have."
"We're good with languages." Mercedes shrugged.
"If you're so smart, why didn't you graduate early?" Artie wanted to know.
"We wanted to go to high school."
"You wanted this experience?!" Tina's jaw dropped. "Why?!"
"Because of TV & movies. High school is supposed to be the best years of your life." She shrugged again.
"Good point." The former goth inclined her head. "So how long have you lived here?"
"In Lima? Sixteen years."
"& you're still clingy to foreign policy?" Coach Sylvester raised a brow.
"We moved around. Like the year we stayed in Japan."
"You stayed in Japan?!" Sam was geeked. "Why?"
"My parents wanted my little sister to be born around her ancestors." Mike explained.
"& you all went?" Unique was intrigued.
"We stayed the summer on the Allen farm then spent the school year at this Japanese boarding school before going to Italy for the summer." Quinn went on.
"Globetrotters." Artie approved.
"Did you have to do farmwork?" Ryder asked.
"Yes!" Quinn pouted. "We also had to work in the factory!"
"Factory?" Mr. Shue was confused.
"Grandmom's family owns a vineyard. It's why her branch of the family could have artsy jobs." Mike said. "It's been in her family for generations but her father came up with a new, better recipe that we use today."
"Barnes Best?" Artie remembered.
"Yeah. There's the vineyard & the factory. We've worked in both."
"It's much more fun working at the vineyard then it is the farm." Mercedes swore.
"Working on the farm feels like labor. Working on the vineyard feels like camp." Quinn said.
"& we should know. We've been going to camp since we were seven." Mike added.
"Camp? What kind of camp?" Marley had never been.
"It's an all around camp." He nodded as he thought. "Really artsy, kinda science-y, totally natural-"
"Natural?" Artie interrupted.
"Nature. We have a ton of animals & we learned about them."
"We went on hikes, went swimming, a ton of stuff." Mercedes added.
"I can't picture Queen Quinn or Diva Mercedes getting down & dirty." Artie crossed his arms.
Both girls glared at him but Mike laughed. "They do it. We love camp."
"But we went to Asian camp three years ago." Tina protested.
"I sure wasn't going to camp." Quinn said.
"I couldn't leave Q." Mercedes tacked on.
"& I didn't want to go without them & I knew you were going so I went to Asian camp instead." Mike finished.
"What about the past two years?" Tina wanted to know.
"We just didn't go back."
"Didn't you have friends there? Don't you miss them?" Marley would have.
"Of course we do but our lives have been hectic the past few years." Mercedes shrugged.
"At least drama filled." Mike muttered.
"So tell us more stories of you growing up." Blaine encouraged.
"Like what?" Quinn shrugged.
"Like Italy. How was Italy?"
"It's a fun place. It's kinda like here. It has four seasons & the shops are to die for." Mercedes said.
"The beaches are beautiful." Quinn blew out a breath. "The sunrises & sunsets are gorgeous. I love being at Grandmom's & Granddad's estate & watching the sun come up."
"She's right." Mercedes smiled. "One time we stayed at the beach until dark & the sun spilt colors all over the water & it looked on fire."
"It was amazing." Mike agreed. "Marcy painted it while Mal took pictures. We just sat & enjoyed it. We didn't talk for 32 minutes."
"Wow." Marley sighed.
"I've never wanted to be anywhere more." Tina did, too.
"I wish I could visit Italy." Unique bit her lower lip. "It sounds fantastic."
"It is." Mercedes shook herself from her reverie. "But enough of that. What else do you want to hear?"
"Let's go back to you baking." Sam said. "Will you make us what did you call them? Crowtatas?"
M&MC
"Alright, guys." Mr. Shue rubbed his hands & stood. "We'll see them tomorrow. Go live your lives. Have fun!"
The room emptied out but as Mercedes was putting the three chairs back, Mike watched her. When she finished, he touched her elbow; effectively scaring the life out of her. "Ah!"
He smirked. "I'm sorry."
She swallowed hard & tried to make her eyes not as wide. "Oh! Mikey! Yes?"
He really wanted to laugh. She'd been caught completely by surprise. "I think we should talk."
"Really?" Her eyes searched his.
"Yeah. Let's meet at the park."
"Okay." She was ecstatic. "When?"
"Thirty minutes?" He put his hands in his pockets.
"Sure." She nodded.
"Okay. See you soon." He walked out, Puck & Finn on his heels.
Quinn straightened from the wall where she'd been leaning. "How do you feel?"
"Hopeful." Mercedes huffed as she pressed her hands together.
"Want me to drive you?"
"I'd rather drive myself."
"Okay. Let me take you back to the junkyard to get your car."
M&MC
Mercedes shut her car door with her hip & adjusted the cups in her hands. She walked to the park & looked around for Mike. She saw him on the swings & hurried over to him. "Hi."
"Hey." He looked up.
She handed over the yellow hued cup. "This is for you. It's a banana smoothie."
He raised an eyebrow as he took it.
"It's from that juice & tea place. It has mango, kiwi & Earl Grey tea in it." She smiled hesitantly.
That eyebrow jumped but remained up. "That's an interesting combo of flavors."
"I thought it'd perk you up."
He took a cautious sip then made a considering face as he shrugged. "It's not bad."
She smiled & took the swing next to him. "Good."
"What do you have?"
"Strawberries & cream smoothie. It has strawberries, kiwi, banana & English breakfast tea."
"& that tastes good?!"
"To me."
He rolled his eyes & kept sipping his drink.
She sipped her own & took peeks at his profile. He looked so cute looking at his feet, his curly eyelashes shielding his almond brown eyes from view.
"Stop staring at me."
Her eyes widened & she turned away quickly.
He smirked. "Why were you staring at me?"
"I wasn't." She shook her head as two bright spots of color appeared on her cheeks.
He didn't believe that one bit but let it go in favor of clearing his throat. "We need to talk."
She took a deep breath & nodded. "Okay."
This really hurt to ask but he had to know. "Where did you meet him?"
She knew exactly who him was. "The beach."
"When?"
"A couple weeks ago. When we all went to the beach."
He nodded slowly. "How did you meet?"
"We were laying out eating & they walked up."
"So you met them all together?"
"Yes."
"What does he look like?"
She looked up, startled. "What does he look like?"
"What does he look like?" He didn't know why he wanted to know but he did.
She looked down again. "Kinda like Sam but with brown hair & blue eyes like Artie."
"Sam." He drew the name out.
"Yeah." She whispered.
"Is he anything like Sam?"
She took a deep breath. "Mikey-"
"Just tell me."
Her lower lip trembled. "Yes."
"How?"
"He's tall, white & southern." She pouted.
He nodded. "So that's what you like…"
"No!" She whipped around to face him. "No, it's not!"
"How many times have you seen him?" He asked instead.
"He's not-"
"How many times have you seen him?" He spoke over her.
She huffed. "I haven't kept count."
"Guess!"
"I don't know! Four or five times!"
He frowned at his shoes. "Do you talk on the phone? Text? Write letters?"
"I would never write him a letter!" Writing letters was a special thing in their family.
He blinked slowly as he digested that. "Did you talk on the phone a lot? Text?"
"We did text. We did talk on the phone."
"How much?"
"I don't know. Some days for a few hours, some days all day."
"What did you talk about?"
"I told him about the family. He told me all about him."
"Did you tell him about the birth mark above your left butt cheek that looks like a butterfly wing? Did you tell him about how you giggle right before because you're excited? Did you tell him about how you like it when I trace letters on your inner thigh with my tongue? Did you tell him-?"
"No!" Her face was aflame & distraught. "Why are you doing this?!"
"Why did you cheat on me?!" He stood up.
"I really don't think I did anything that bad!" A tear rolled down her cheek.
"C'mon! You nearly had a heart-attack about Ruby!"
"She was different! She was a whore who was after you!"
"& he's some good ole boy who's after you!" He exploded.
"He's not after me! He said he was okay with just being friends!"
"Of course he said that!"
"I'm not a child!" She yelled. "He's just a friend!"
"A friend!" He glared. "How fucking friendly is he?!"
Her mouth fell open. He cursed at her! She closed her mouth & stood up. "I'm just trying to be honest."
He looked down as she made to leave. He caught her arm as she walked past. "I just don't understand how you could do this. I love you. I could never be with another woman. I could never look at another woman the way I look at you. I could never touch another woman the way I touch you. I could never love another woman the way I love you."
All the fight went right out of her. "I don't love him. He was just some new shiny toy that caught my attention for a minute but I never for a second stopped loving you."
"Why didn't you tell me about him then?"
"I was going to. He called while I was with Puck & the Neanderthal made a huge fuss out of me telling you so I was. But then I realized that it could be seen as more so I made plans to stop seeing him. I told him about you."
He waited but she didn't go on. But he knew why. "He didn't care."
"He said he wanted a chance."
"& you gave it to him…"
"I'm sorry. I was confused. I liked him but the truth of the matter is, I love you. I always have. I have a feeling I'm never going to love anybody else."
"That sounds nice but I don't know if I believe you."
She didn't want to have to do this but she would use anything to convince Mike that she couldn't lose him. She used Marcy's trick for Mal & wrapped her hands around his head. She caressed his face, neck, chest, wherever she could reach. She nuzzled his neck with her nose. "Please?"
"Mercy." He sighed.
She continued touching him & nuzzling his neck. "Please, Mikey. I love you. I love you, Mikey. I promise. Please forgive me. I will never hurt you again. I'm so, so sorry."
He softened, leaning into her touch. "I love you, too."
"I promise I won't ever talk to him again. If you want."
His lips quirked. "What kind of a person would I be if I said that?"
"One well within his right." She kept rubbing against him.
He encircled her in his arms. "I think you can be friends. But I want to be able to see all texts, you can't see him at night or alone, no talking about us & I want to meet him."
She gasped & looked up at him. "That's a lot!"
"It's either that or never see him again." He used his chin to nuzzle the crown of her head.
She pursed her lips. He was such a menace! On one hand, she didn't want him telling her how to be friends with someone but on the other, she didn't want to seem too eager to want to be in Aaron's company. She blew out a breath. "Fine."
He kissed her hair. "I forgive you."
She leaned in & kissed him. "Thank you so much! You won't regret this!"
He surely hoped not. "When was the last time you talked to him?"
"Friday." She kissed him again.
"Why?" He didn't know why he asked such an emotionally craved question but it was out there now.
"You were mad at me. He didn't seem important." She answered honestly.
"Good." He hugged her tightly.
She rubbed his back. "What are you doing tonight? We could hang out?"
"Can't. I promised Mickey I'd date her tonight."
"She wants to date you?" She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
"She said Marcy sets up these little tea parties for the two of them & dates Mally. She said she wanted a date. She just looked at me with those green eyes & I couldn't say no. She was holding onto my leg & her lip was poked out." He shook himself.
A big smile crossed her face.
"Stop it."
The smile grew.
"Stop it."
Her teeth were starting to show.
"I'm serious. Quit it."
All her teeth showed.
"I'll leave."
She pressed her lips to his Adam's apple.
He grinned. "I'll stay."
"It's so cute!" She squealed. "She wants to date her uncle!"
He threw his head back & groaned. "Stop it!"
"Are you making dinner? Are you going out? I have to have pictures of the two of you!"
Red splashed across his cheeks. "Mercy!"
"I've got to tell Laura!"
"No!" He could die.
She broke away from him & went back to her purse & drink. She took her phone out of her purse & sipped her drink. She texted her sister immediately.
Part of him was upset, another was amused. He didn't want to dwell on this & he wanted Laura to know even less but she was so psyched to tell. "Please, don't."
"Too late." She turned around. "Why'd she ask you?"
"Mal was in the bathroom."
She laughed that laugh he loved. "So she roped you in?"
"No, she got him, too. When he came back, she batted those eyes at him & asked if they could go on a date. He was so confused!" He laughed as he remembered the lost look on his brother's face.
She grinned.
"She said how Marcy goes on dates with Mally & she wanted to go on dates with her daddy."
"Aww!" She wiggled.
"He said they'd do it tonight-" He leaned over & laughed.
"What?" She wanted to know.
"She said he had to wait because she had a date with me, smiled then ran out giggling!" He hit his knee.
She giggled. "She didn't!"
"Yes, she did!"
"That's my girl! What'd he say?"
"He got huffy then took them to Laura."
"That's so cute! I gotta see him!"
"Yeah, go & embarrass him." He was being sincere.
She didn't know that & pouted. "I wonder if I should take Mally out so he doesn't feel left out."
"He misses his mom. He wants to play all night & he asks when she is coming back."
"My poor baby! I'm taking him out. He should get used to me anyway."
"He'll get used to you."
She went up to him & wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can't wait."
He closed one eye & peered at her. He knew what she couldn't wait for. "You know the plan."
"I know." She pouted. "We haven't even been together for a year."
"We'll have kids in a few years." He lifted a shoulder.
"I don't want to be grandma aged & trying to have kids."
"I hardly call 22 "grandma aged"."
She sighed. "I do want to be famous before I get pregnant. I want a "before Momma" box, too."
"You're going to have a "before Momma" box anyway. & it's gonna have a ton of stuff in it."
"I want it to have a Grammy in it."
He chuckled. "You'll do it."
She kissed him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He leaned her over slightly.
She giggled. "I got to pick out something to wear."
"For what?" He raised a brow.
"For my date."
"With Mally?!"
"It's still a date."