Two chapters today, I got tired of fussing with them LOL
Time marched on and nothing much changed, people came and went, they all lived their lives. Regina arrived for her shift after being off; she had missed all the commotion of the latest of hurricane Mac and his threats to Jack but Julie filled her in as they stocked the bar and washed glasses before the place opened. Michael was at preschool, where he was most days, and now that Mac had made it his business to go there every day Julie didn't bring him to the bar after school anymore.
Reluctantly she brought him home to stay with Izzy at three if she had to work and felt guilty about that, but she had no choice. Izzy wasn't well but Mac was clearly using and she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him now. Izzy was sicker now that was true, but sometimes it seemed like Michael breathed new life into her.
It was true what they said about kids, they kept you busy and they kept you young. Izzy and Michael had a special connection, and they loved spending time together. Many nights Julie would come home to find both of them asleep on the couch watching TV with a bowl of popcorn between them.
"I hate that I missed all the drama, you know how I hate to be out of the loop," Regina said as she tied her long blonde hair up into a ponytail, "I guess I picked the wrong time to go on vacation."
She was tan from a month in Las Vegas sitting by a hotel pool visiting a friend that lived there that she went to college with back in the day. She looked great and well rested, a stark contrast to the way Mac looked with his under eye bags and hollow looking face that was the norm now. He was a hot mess and getting worse, he never went to see Izzy and Julie was pretty sure he couldn't face her.
All of the siblings looked alike though, having the same father and different mothers, Walter's propensity for blondes yielded him three blonde haired children that tanned in the sun because of their Mexican blood.
There was a time when Gina didn't live in Cainville and didn't see Walter and Mac, her mother had taken her and Devon far away. After she died they both came looking for their father when they were in their twenties and the rest was history. That was the thing about this dusty town, once you got there you never really left, and if you did, you always came back. Julie knew that all too well.
"Just your brother and his bullshit, I'm sure there will be more," Julie answered, then added with a slight smile too small to see if you weren't looking closely, "To be clear; your younger brother."
Regina smiled, she enjoyed this friendship that bloomed between her and Julie after Michael was born. Regina had been away at school until he was a year old but since she returned she was a big part of his life day to day. Michael had an extended family that adored him, for that Julie always felt very lucky and very blessed.
The two women were close in age and spent a lot of time with each other. Regina didn't work in the drug portion of Walter's business, she was strictly working at the bar; Mac and Devon worked in the caves but kept their sister out of it. She knew what the real family business was though, the whole town did, this bar and hotel was just a stopping point for people traveling to other places, this was not how they made their money.
"I had no doubt which one you meant," She smiled at her friend, "I think he's just running his mouth for show Jules to get a rise out of you like he used to," Regina had said, "It used to work..."
"That is so over," Julie answered and watched the door wondering if he was going to show up again like he had been every day for weeks now. She knew he would, Mac was a tenacious bastard, he was like a dog with a bone and she knew he would not give up easily. She could abide him seeing Micheal if he was clean, she would work with him on that. Even before she knew he was getting out, Julie decided she would set up visitation with him when the time came, if he was clean.
But clearly, he was not. He had regressed to what he was before they had become involved with each other. Maybe he was worse now, he was always bent on some shit and more than a few times he had left the bar drunk as fuck with trashy women, making sure that Julie saw. He was just that juvenile to want to make her jealous, and she was.
"Nobody told him that," Regina laughed, " You better hope he isn't sweet-talking his way back into your house like last time..."
"I already told her not to fall for it again."
"Smart of you, Izzy's soft spot for him would be in high gear now." Regina said, "He looks like he's been on the pipe the entire time he was away."
"He quit once," Julie bummed a cigarette from Gina, "It's ..."
"Sad?"
"Yes..." Julie answered wistfully, if only he was clean, maybe they would have had a shot again, "Its the saddest thing I think I'm ever gonna see."
"You still care about him..."
Julie felt her chest ache, a deep low ache; she remembered when he was arrested and the grief she had felt for what they could never have, for what they almost had. She remembered how lonely she was when Michael was an infant and how empty it all was after Mac had left her bed. When he was gone she cried herself to sleep every night from missing him. It was a dark time in her life that she was more than ready to forget.
She had walked around in a daze for six months after until Jack made his intentions known to her. He had been a casual acquaintance of hers and Mac's, someone they knew from the bar, he saw an opportunity and took it.
She and Jack never lived together though, they started dating casually when Michael was almost one. When he proposed Julie knew she wasn't as excited as she should have been when someone she loved was presenting her with a ring on bended knee, but she said yes.
He was what Michael needed, what she needed, and she wanted off this ride that was Mac Garcia. The price of that attraction was too high, no matter how great the thrill was.
"Gi, I can't afford to care about him, look what it's gotten me?"
" A beautiful child."
"And a broken heart..."
"I really sucks to love someone and know you can't be together..." Gina sighed and Julie didn't know if she was referring to Jack or Mac.
/
Izzy sat out on the front porch and watched the man walking up her driveway, she wondered why it had taken him so long to come. She would know him anywhere, and she smiled. His hair was longer and he was older, clearly, he had lived through some hard years lately, but she was happy to see him. The jacket Mac wore was tattered as were his shirt, pants, and, shoes; his clothes looked too big for his frame. His gait was steady, determined, he walked as if he had something terribly important to say. Izzy was happy to see that he still held his head up high and the years away hadn't changed the self-assured man that he was.
That was a good thing, Izzy thought to herself, he was going to have to fight this time, it would be harder than before. As Mac got closer she noticed the telltale signs of drug use, she had seen it on him before, the dirty scruff of his face, the sores on his chest and neck from scratching invisible bugs. The boy didn't know how to get out of his own way it seemed.
Despite the way he looked, which was worse than the last time she had seen Mac, she was happy to see him. She had no time for Jack Kaufman; there was something about that boy she didn't like, nothing specific and he was nice enough. He tried to be good to Julie, it wasn't that, but he wanted to take her away, far away and Michael too from his only family.
She had pulled Julie's cards when she announced her engagement and Izzy knew this marriage was not meant to be. That was a relief to her. She had drawn a card that told her it was never going to happen and she found peace in that.
It would do no good to tell Mac, there was work he needed to do before Julie would even consider even allowing him to see Michael, much less give him another chance. That he did deserve, if he had shown up clean and sober and had not been such a hothead, things might be different now.
Izzy knew he wanted his family back, for all the doubt Julie always had about him, Izzy had no such worries, she could see the good that probably no one else could. She could see the way he cared about Julie, and the way she cared about him, even if she would never admit it.
"Is it ok to sit and talk a bit Iz," Mac said and she motioned him to sit down.
"I got nothing but time Mac," She answered, which wasn't entirely true. Mac noticed she was on oxygen now, that wasn't good.
"You ok?" He asked pointing to the tubing that followed her all around the house. She had not needed oxygen when he last saw her. He was not a stupid man, he could see she was failing.
"I'm fine," She blessed him with one of her sweet smiles, "You just come on and say what you came to say."
"I wanna thank you for taking care of them..."
Izzy placed her hand on his shoulder and noticed again how he had lost so much weight while he was in prison, it made her sad. He had been home over a month now and still hadn't gained weight, that told her all she needed to know.
"Of course, they're my family," She paused, "And yours."
"She's not seeing it that way," He replied.
"Well, right now I don't blame her," Izzy answered, "Why are you back on the shit, Mac?"
Had he really thought he could hide the drug use from Izzy? She always had his number, just like Julie did; Izzy was not dumb, and he decided just to admit it.
"Hard to stay clean in prison, especially when your woman dumps you." Mac snapped out without thinking. But also trying for a little sympathy also.
"Oh boo hoo; cry me a river Macerio, like you're the first man that ever happened to," Izzy said as she squeezed his shoulder, he was skin and bones, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something about it."
"Right now I just wanna go kill Jack Kaufman," He laughed, "That motherfucker pounced on her as soon as my back was turned."
"That may be true, but he doesn't make her glow... don't you worry about it," She wanted to tell him about the cards, but then he might not try and change. Mac struggled to figure out just what she was saying, "She was like one of those Fourth of July sparklers when she was with you, didn't you ever notice."
"What are you talking about her aura or somethin?" Mac really had no use for Izzy's new age crap, she was always talking about crystals and auras, had been since he was a kid. He did have a healing crystal somewhere in his dresser that she had given him a long time ago, maybe he should go look for it. It couldn't hurt right now, anything to change his luck from what it was.
"I'm talking about energy Mac, about happiness."
"I feel like I ain't ever gonna be happy again,"
Izzy rubbed his back, "Oh my sweet boy, did you think it was going to be easy? Nothing worthwhile comes without hard, honest work," She continued, "Or else how would we appreciate things if they were just handed to us."
"Sure Iz," He answered,
"Well surely you didn't think you'd come home and be tossing a ball around with Michael the same day, you are a convicted felon, she's right, she's being a good mother. That's what you want for your son isn't it." She winked at him.
"I didn't expect that, I knew I'd have to make it right, but I didn't expect her to be such a bitch either." Mac shrugged.
"Yes you did," Izzy smiled, "That's what makes you love her. That's the fire that you can't stay away from, nor should you. But the thing is Mac, none of that matters, what you feel, what she feels, it's not important now. You two and your mess is secondary now. Because you have a son who's going to be looking at you wondering how to behave. What do you want him to see?"
That was something to think about, he certainly didn't want to follow in Walter's footsteps. That was for sure.
"If you had shown up here sober, you'd be with your son now." Izzy said matter of factly, "Get sober."
/
Ch 16
"Man got his woman to take his seed he got the power oh she got the need.
She spends her life through pleasing up her man she feeds him dinner or anything she can.
She cries alone at night too often he smokes and drinks and don't come home at all.
Only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed.
Man makes your hair grey he's your life's mistake all you're really looking for's an even break.
He lies right at you you now hate this game he slaps you once in a while and you live and love in pain."
Only Women Bleed by Alice Cooper
Mac had taken Izzy's words to heart, but he still had some things he just wanted to do, then he would go to one of those meetings down at the church, everyone knew that was where all the drunks and ex-druggies went. But not just yet. He had a point to prove with her, he wanted to see this glow Izzy was talking about.
Despite the advice of a woman he respected greatly, Mac wanted to do things his way, he was an addict after all... He was who he was at the end of the day, and he would always do what he did, if he didn't make some hard life choices and changes.
When Julie opened the ladies room door later that night he was there leaning against the sink with a predatory look in his eye. She blew air out between her lips, shook her head and sighed as if to say here we go again. He stepped forward as she tried to turn and leave and grabbed her arm; "No so fast..." He commanded, Mac was again trying to be all bossy, she used to love that, but now...
Julie didn't know he had been to see Izzy, but she knew that look he was giving her, she used to love that look. That was the look that told her they were going to have an amazing night, the I'm gonna fuck your brains out, and you're going to love it look.
Now it was unsettling.
Now he was between her and the door.
Julie tried to walk past him but he reached out and pushed her into the sink, invading her space with his body and pressing against her back.
"Thought it was time for a little reminder..."
"Get off me," She growled and he pushed his cock against her ass and groped at her chest.
"Feel what you still do to me?" He groaned into her ear, "I still do it to you too, I know it."
"Fuck off." She hissed as his lips touched her neck and he raked his teeth over her skin, she felt that familiar feeling no matter how hard she tried to deny it. Immediately her body was on fire.
"Face it you don't want to marry that boring chump, you like the crazy, this crazy and you like what I can give you." He breathed into her ear.
His gravely voice always made all the hair on her body stand on end, she looked up into the mirror and saw him behind her, even if he was all strung out, Julie still felt her body respond. His eyes gazed through her and she wanted him desperately at that moment.
"You know I'll make you cum so hard," He purred as he slid his fingers over her chest and into her shirt, over her right nipple and attached his teeth to her neck. She closed her eyes for just a second and let the feeling of his mouthwash over her. It felt so good to be in his arms again. But this was a bad idea.
"Get off of me," She hissed as she tried to extricate herself from his grip, in the mirror he smiled at her. He held her tight for just a minute, just long enough.
"Don't worry," He pulled his hands away, "I ain't gonna force you, I want ya to beg for my cock like you used to."
"That's not gonna happen."
"So you keep saying..." He slid his fingers out of her shirt and allowed her to turn around while he grinned at her."You can lie all you want but we both know no one does you like I do."
"Whatever," She huffed, he was right but she was never going to admit it to him, he'd never let it go if she did. He'd never let her go either.
"Tell me somethin, "
"What?"
"Devon says you been engaged for years, and yet I don't see Jack anywhere around," He leaned forward, facing her now trapping her with his hands at the sink and bringing his face close to hers, "Why ain't you married yet?" He tilted his head and came close enough to kiss her, but he didn't.
He stared into her eyes and she stared back, one thing about her that he loved and hated equally, Julie would never back down, no matter what.
"He went into the Army," She started to say only half aware that she didn't owe him an explanation at all, "It's complicated..."
"Yeah it's complicated cause you still want this dick," He ran his hands over the bulge in his pants, took her hand and put it where his had just been, then he let her go.
Julie backed up, but she didn't say a word.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Mac took a cigarette out from behind his ear and placed it between his lips without lighting it, "Maybe I really wanted to marry ya, ever think of that?"
And then he was gone.
Julie followed him out of the bathroom in a rage now and grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and jumped into it with him just like he knew she would, that's why he didn't light the cigarette. Fighting with her had been one of the things in their relationship that was present from the jump, he could predict what she would do. Even if she didn't want to admit it, he knew her.
He knew how to push her buttons and It had been almost a way of courtship between them at one time, something they were used to. He had baited her to this, he wanted her mad and slapping at him. This glow that Izzy spoke of still eluded him though, she was mad, sure, the tension was coming off of her in waves.
They had been kids together, scrapping at every turn as well, this was how it always was, it was familiar and he expected it. He knew what would happen. As they got older it ended up being a prelude to other things, so he baited her on purpose, a negative reaction was better than no reaction at all.
This wouldn't be the first time he had started a fight with her purely with the intention of getting laid. It ended up that way many times in the past with them.
Julie wasn't having it though.
"You touch me again and I'll cut your fingers off!" She spat out.
"Don't pretend you didn't like it, a few more seconds and I could have had you right there in the bathroom..." He yelled back, not caring who heard it, "And not for the first time either!"
"She cries alone at night too often he smokes and drinks and don't come home at all ooh,
Only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed.
Only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed.
Man got his woman to take his seed he got the power oh she got the need.
She spends her life through pleasing up her man she feeds him dinner or anything she can.
She cries alone at night too often he smokes and drinks and don't come home at all.
Only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed."
Her hand was up before she knew it and she cracked it against his face, it stung him but he just smiled, he was not averse to violent foreplay. She always gave as good as she got and Mac liked when she was like this, it made his cock throb. Mac liked feisty women most of all, and Julie was as feisty as they came. Part of him wondered if she was like this with Jack, he doubted it, white-hot fire like this was a once in a lifetime thing, even he knew that.
Across the bar, Devon sidled up to Walter who was watching from a distance but ready to jump in if needed, "Oh look, they're back to making love again."
Walter didn't answer Devon he just watched Mac grab Julie by the shoulders and pick her up off the ground and she tried to kick him in the junk. She missed and got him in the thigh so he had no choice but to let her loose. Walter shook his head and laughed softly.
"She always was a scrapper," Walter said with another laugh as Regina came around the corner and stopped short at the ruckus they were causing. She got there just in time to see Julie kick Mac's leg and she laughed out loud, although neither of them heard her. It was as if no one else was in the room now.
"Oh, you fucking bitch!" Mac yelled as he pushed her back towards the door that led into a private courtyard where people could eat outside in warm weather, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her outside. There was no one else out there and he slammed the door shut.
Julie was still trying to get away from him when Mac slammed her against the wall and held her there as she kicked out at him. He pushed his body against her so she was trapped between him and the wall, and by doing that he could touch her with one hand. His body was so hard against her, and she let out the softest of sighs.
"Knock it off!" He slid his hand up over her breast and left it there, "I'm done with you fighting me." He brought his lips to her neck and licked down to her collarbone.
"Stop it!" She yelled and squirmed to get away, "You're such a creep."
"You never minded this before," Then his lips were on hers and he was pushing her lips apart with his and sliding his tongue into her mouth. For a minute she yielded to him and kissed him back, entwining her tongue with his and completely giving herself over to him.
Mac pressed against her more, she was trapped between his hard body and the wall, another soft moan escaped her lips and her hands went down to his ass and pulled him closer still.
The fire between them was still lit and burning bright but all too soon she remembered where she was and with who, "Get off me! Oh fuck!"
"You're making my dick ache Jules with all this dirty talk." He brought his mouth back to her neck and sucked hard, leaving a dark purple make there. She pulled at his hair trying to get him off of her neck before he broke the skin, and she could feel his teeth. "I think you fucking like it anyway," He moaned against her skin, as he nipped at her neck, she loosened her grip on his hair, "Don't stop baby...you know I like it rough."
Her stomach dropped as that old feeling came back, she wanted to be in his arms again, there was nothing quite like it, and she was weightless as he picked her up in one swoop. The flat shoes she was wearing tumbled to the ground with a clatter as her back hit the bricks and she was pinned by his massive form. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he pulled her close against him, holding her by her thighs up against the wall. His mouth was on hers again as Julie wound her hands deeper into his hair as he delivered another scorching kiss to her delicious lips.
"Black eyes all of the time don't spend a dime clean up this grime,
And you there down on your knees begging me please come watch me bleed.
Only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed.
Only women bleed only women bleed only women bleed."
"Mmmmm," She moaned against his lips and pushed against him, Mac groaned, sunk his teeth into her bottom lip and sucked hard, it was on. She had on thin leggings and she could feel him through them hard as stone. His cock was at attention and she wanted it fucking right now! Mac was all hands and lips on her while he moved his hips against her nice and slow, teasing her with it.
"Fuck me like you hate me, baby," He growled as his hands went for the buckle on his pants, "Come on, come on."
It looked like this was his lucky day despite the ring on her finger, Mac brought his hands down on her ass, spread her legs more and pulled her against his dick. Somehow he was going to get her out of those leggings there was no stopping this it had been a long time coming.
"Mmmmm," He moaned into her ear, then brought his eyes up to hers, "What's Jack got that I don't huh?"
"Nothing..." She panted as his lips went down her neck and bit softly this time, then he soothed the bite with his tongue and Julie almost lost her mind.
"Didn't think so, I think you still like what I got," He pushed her legs farther apart and moved between them, "I think you been needing it." She was wound up like a top lately, but he'd fix that, "Don't worry I got the cure right here."
"I think you tricked me," She said as his hand snaked up her thigh to her waistband and started to pull her leggings off. Julie didn't stop him as his fingers inched into her leggings and he found her wet and ready. He shoved one finger inside of her then two and swiped his thumb around her clit in circles until she was sobbing with need.
"But you ain't mad are ya?" He leaned in and kissed her again, pulling at the waistband of her leggings, she was so responsive to him just like always, just another second and he'd be right there and all bets would be off. He couldn't wait to bottom out inside of her right from the jump, it had been too long, "Come on now, cum like a good girl," He purred into her ear and Julie was done.
She came as he held her up in the air against the wall, hard, as promised, he was a man of his word. He eyes fluttered closed and he watched her face relax, his mind was filled with her, she was so beautiful when she came. A few seconds passed and Mac continued pulling at her leggings and getting them down her legs.
"Stop..." She pushed on his chest, breaking the spell and Mac just groaned, he had been seconds away from going balls deep, inside the sweetest pussy he'd ever had! "No, no don't." This time she really meant for him to stop, she had lost her head for a second but now it was back.
Mac growled low in his chest but he stopped, still wanting her to be willing and complaint, still wanting her to be the girl who lost a game of pool so she could go home with him.
"You are a fuckin cock tease," He sat her down on her feet with a thud, "As per usual, glad you got off though, you're welcome."
"And you're a fucking rapist, congratulations Mac, a new low for you..." She answered as she pulled her leggings back up and straightened herself up.
"It ain't rape till I'm inside you," He leered as she made a face of disgust, "Which I will be..."
"As always your definition of things is fucked up, you learn that in prison Mac?" She went for the door, "Good looking guy like you. I bet you were real popular."
"When did you become such a cunt Julie," He pushed the door shut again, preventing her from leaving.
"When l got left in this shit town with a baby all alone after you practically begged me to believe in you."
He didn't have anything to say to that, it was what kept him up at night all those years, and even now. He had let her down. Deep down inside he knew that. There were a lot of truths buried deep inside of him that he knew about himself. Equally, she had some too, they were both just human after all.
"Look I don't know what to do anymore, or what you want; what if I'm in love with you?" He yelled back because goddammit, that's why. Then he saw her features change and she was furious, now he would tell her this, now?
"I have always been in love with you," She screamed, "And it has never made me happy!" She raged and in shock, Mac let go of the door allowing her to go in peace. He hadn't expected honesty like this.
That was one for Julie, zero for Mac, but he didn't care about the odds or the score, he had been through worse and he could go the distance. There was more than one way to get what he wanted if making her jealous didn't start working he'd move to plan B, with Mac there was always a plan B.
"I was all alone too! You weren't the only one suffering Julie!" Mac roared after her, "Only difference is I suffered alone!"
/
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Notes: Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think