Soitera

26. I'm Home

The lunch goes as expected. They stare at each other, and I do whatever I want. I pass out drinks for a while. Then I pass out some rolls. Everyone is super grateful. I get a lot of smiles. I wouldn't mind doing this at home.

"Where do you live? He'll have to send the helicopter for dinner."

She writes it down. "What's the dress code?"

Armen laughs.

I shake my head. "I'll be in a bikini and shorts. Armen will be in a suit. Wear whatever you want. You could wear pajamas and fit in. Bring a swimsuit though. We can swim. He has slides too."

She smiles. "Are you prepared for that?"

It takes me a second to understand what she's asking. My eyebrows pop up when it dawns on me. "Oh no."

She nods. "Go tell the helicopter to get ready. I need to ask Armen something."

She'll probably tell him. I don't want him to know. But if he doesn't know, that's worse. I just want to curl up in a ball and cry. Maybe Cassie will come back early. I can tell her.

Armen gets in the helicopter with me and starts laughing. "You can tell me you started your cycle. It's a normal. You don't have to be afraid of that. I'll send the help after some stuff for you. Don't be embarrassed about it. It's ok."

"But it's girl stuff."

"It's human stuff. Just because boys don't go through it, doesn't mean we don't know it happens. I can help with this just like I can help with anything else. Don't be afraid to tell me things."

"Ok." I watch out the window as we take off. "I can tell you like her."

"How?"

"You damn near threw me down the steps trying to stand by her."

"Sorry. I didn't notice that."

I giggle. "You don't notice much when she's around. Why don't you ask her out on a real date?"

"She's too good for me. She's always in the church. She feeds the homeless and hungry. She's always leading a drive to help someone or some cause. That and I mean, look at her. She's knock out gorgeous. She can do better than me. She's perfect."

"Nobody is perfect. You're overdoing it a little there."

He shakes his head and rubs his face. "I don't really do relationships."

"Why?"

"Women like my money and that's where it ends."

"Oh, I get sexcapades now. You sleep with a lot of women."

"Well, not a lot. More than I should though."

"That's ok?"

"I can live with it. Women try to use me. I started using them too. But I'm safe about it. I use protection and get checked by a doctor often. I've never caught anything, but it could happen. I know the risks. You have to be safe when you do things. I won't lie and tell you that you'll be with the same man forever. You'll probably have a few partners as you grow up. But always be safe and get checked by doctors after each new partner."

"That's good advice."

"Don't forget it. That is important."

"Now, ask her out on a real date. She likes you too. But I don't think she'll be interested in the sexcapades. You might have to get to know this one."

"She likes me?" He stares at me like his world revolves around what I said.

"Yea. She kept smiling and twirling her hair. She would smile when you laugh. She liked hearing it. Her eyes were on you constantly. Neither of you noticed me until I bounced between you. And she popped her foot up when you looked at her shoes. She wanted you to like them. Tell her she looks nice tonight. Even if she shows up in pajamas."

"I would love that."

Harry meets us at the door. "The feminine products are in your bathroom, Aurora."

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT."

"I'm sorry. Stuff is in your room."

"Thank you. Can you get extra bikinis in every size? Well, like small, medium, and large." I don't know what size she wears. She was small but a little bigger than me. She might forget a swimsuit.

"Why do you need those?" Armen turns to me.

"NO REASON." I run to my room and get my bikini and shorts on. Then I crack up laughing. There's like 50 boxes of pads and tampons in my bathroom. He must have got a box of every kind. I take a picture because I have to remember this.

Lilah shows up at 5:30. Armen is fixing his tie for the eighth time in the mirror. "Just tell her looks pretty and stop sweating all over everything. You look fine."

"Ok." He runs outside. "Welcome. You look beautiful. I love your dress and your hair, your shoes."

He started with the word vomit. I poke my head out the door. I want to eat tonight. "Did you remember a swimsuit?"

"Oh no. I couldn't possibly stay that..."

"It's ok. I thought you might forget. I had Harry get extras. Look how big the slides are."

"They are very tall. Do you use them often?" She's looking at Armen.

"On..."

"His suits don't agree with the slides. The man jumped in the ocean with a suit on. I'm absolutely positive he doesn't take it off. It just changes color daily."

She laughs and touches his arm. "Well, I like the suit, but it may be a bit much for swimming."

I shake my head. "He pulls it off somehow."

"The dining room is ready, sir."

"Thank you, Harry." He puts his arm around her. "Right this way."

I'm invisible again.

Armen sits at the end of the table. She sits right beside him. I sit on the other side, a few spots away. I like having room.

"Did you get your issues sorted out?"

I crack up laughing so hard I nearly cry. Then I take my phone and show her the picture. She starts laughing too.

"What did they do?" Armen holds his hand out. Then he shakes his head. "I guess they were thorough on this one."

"Yea, I'm good for the next eight years. Thank you."

I get seated again and the front door shuts. Cassie yells, "HI HONEY, I'M HOME."

I lose it. "DINING ROOM."

"I got called into work today. I'm done with life. Work sucked."

Harry hands her bunny slippers and wine.

She gives him her shoes. "Harry, you're perfect."

"Thank you, ma'am."

She sits across from me. "How did your day go, sweetie?"

I laugh and show her the picture. "Well, I guess you're good."

"Cassie, this is Lilah. Lilah, Cassie. She's here babysitting. My boyfriend kind of freaked out when he left and now, we have Cassie."

Cassie nods. "It's lovely to meet you, Lilah. I don't really live here. I'm babysitting, and I'm not even sure which one of them I'm babysitting. But yea, her boyfriend went insane. He also threw Dante out of the house. That was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

Armen starts laughing. "I've never seen Dante run from anyone before."

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

"DINING ROOM."

Nyx comes in. "I'm not eating f*****g duck. Frank is having duck. Are you having duck?"

Harry shakes his head. "No, sir."

"Wonderful. I'll eat here." He plops down beside me. "What's new?"

"This is Lilah. Lilah, this is Nyx. We're going to school together next year. His uncle is Frank. And I guess he's having duck for dinner."

Nyx nods. "He is. I'm not."

I shrug my shoulders. "I think Nyx lives everywhere. He has a room at every place. Frank's. Jacks. Now here too."

Nyx looks at Lilah. "Her boyfriend is insane. He doesn't like her around men. I have to rotate areas."

"To stay away from her?"

"No. I'm allowed around her. I'm the only one."

"He must trust you then."

"He does. So much that I have to babysit."

"We're going swimming tonight."

Nyx looks right at Armen. "Well, that suit's going to look interesting wet."

Everyone bursts out laughing.

Armen shakes his head. "I own swimsuits, people."

Nyx nods. "I'll believe it when I see it."

The help puts a salad in front of each of us. "Yummy."

Cassie smiles. "She's doing happy wiggles down here."

Nyx side eyes me. "At least she didn't show up with a half-eaten cucumber covered in dirt this time."

"I always eat them straight out of the garden. They're the best that way."

We laugh at each other and eat some good food. Then my phone dings. I do another wiggle. Then I stop moving. It's a picture and Everett has his arm around another girl. The next picture, it looks like he's going to kiss her. It feels like my inside collapses. I might puke. Nyx grabs the phone before I see the next message.

"Ut oh. Didn't see that coming." He slides it down the table to Armen.

Cassie sits up. "What is happening?"

"Everett is..."

"No. Breathe for a second." Armen calls someone on his phone. "Hugo, shut up and listen. Aurora is getting pictures of Everett and another girl sent to her phone. Unknown number... Ok... Yea." He starts sending the pictures off my phone to someone else.

Cassie throws a spoon at him. "What is happening?"

"Everett is with Dante and Hugo. He's been with them since the plane landed. Just wait a second." Then my phone rings. Armen rolls his eyes. "Everett, knock it off. I'm using her phone, dumbass."

Then Nyx's phone rings. He hands it to me.

I answer it and can't make words.

It's Everett. "Those pictures are from seven or eight months ago. It was way before we got together. And I never really dated her. I go out with everyone all the time. She was there a few times. We hit it off but not well enough for me to ask her out alone. Are you ok, babygirl?"

I hand the phone to Nyx. I need a minute.

Nyx puts an eyebrow up. "She'll have to call you back." Then he hangs up.

"Read the last message. I removed the pictures." Armen sits my phone in front of me.

-Be careful. He likes to play. This was the last girl.-

"They were sent to cause drama and nothing else. He's not doing anything with her behind your back. They're old pictures."

Nyx shakes his head. "Still an asshole."

Armen grabs a chair and looks like he might fall over. "Why?"

The crumbling feeling goes away, and I feel like I can breathe again. A laugh comes out of me from somewhere. "How dare that asshole have the audacity to exist before we started dating?"

Everyone bursts out laughing.

Cassie refills her wine. "I'm glad that was cleared up, but those pictures shouldn't have been sent. That was cruel. She didn't need to see that."

"Yea. I know. Dante is figuring out who sent them. It was obviously one of his friends."

Nyx stands up. "Teenagers are cruel. And some people love causing drama. Let's go swimming."

I move to a sitting spot with my phone and call Everett.

"Hi, baby."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too. I can't wait for you to be back in my arms. I'm sorry those pictures were sent to you. I'll figure out who it was and deal with it."

"It's ok. It was before us. I can't be mad."

He takes a second to answer. "I'm mad, baby. That shouldn't have happened. It's really pissing me off. I know that scared you."

"I felt like I couldn't breathe. I thought..."

"I know. I'll never do that, baby. I love you."

"I love you too."

"I LOVE EVERYONE. Come on, we're swimming." Nyx pulls me up.

"I'll talk to you later, baby. Have fun."

"We will." Nyx hangs up on him.

Cassie comes over in her work outfit, bunny slippers, and carrying a bottle of wine. "What is happening?"

"They like each other but won't say it. It's funny watching them around each other."

She spins around so fast she almost falls over. "Armen likes someone? Like actually likes her?"

"Watch him."

Lilah sneaks up behind us in a bikini. "This is not much fabric."

Cassie shakes her head. "Doesn't matter. It's just us here. You look fine."

Nyx gives her a double take. "You're hot. I couldn't tell with your normal clothes."

"I like covering up. It's just preference."

I throw my shorts at the chair.

Cassie takes a drink. "It's opposite of her preference. I'm surprised she had shorts on at dinner. I prefer naked. But that would be awkward."

"Harry got extra swimsuits, Cassie."

"Less awkward. I'll put one on." She runs off.

Nyx shakes his head. "She's half-drunk already."

Armen comes out in shorts and walks over to a pool.

Lilah is checking him out. Nyx and I try not to laugh. Then Armen notices her and takes three steps right into the pool. We lose it.

He pulls himself out at the edge and I think Lilah's brain is broken. She is not moving, and her eyes are stuck.

"We're going to have to step in."

"Yep." I spin her around. "Let's get into this pool. Over here. Away from him so nobody drowns."

"That's embarrassing. Did he notice I was staring?"

"No. He was too busy falling in the pool because he was staring at you."

"Really? Me?"

"Oh, wow." Nyx turns to me.

"Yes, they're both oblivious."

"I didn't know. Why would someone like him look at me? I'm nobody from nothing."

Nyx shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. You're winning. You made him fall in the pool. Let's see what else we can make him do."

I think Armen heard us. He comes over smirking and tosses a ball at me. "Let's play some water volleyball."

Cassie plops into a chair with her wine. She has a bikini on now too. "I'll watch. I don't think the wine bottle will do good in the pool."

We play for a while, then I show Lilah the slides.

"When do you two go back to school?"

Nyx smiles. "I still have another week before mine starts again. We start break late though."

"Mine starts tomorrow, but I'm missing two days. The house isn't ready for me to go home."

"Do you want to help me with a dress drive tomorrow? It would give you something to do while they're at work."

"Dress drive?"

"Every year there is a ball for the developmentally disabled. I put together a dress drive so they can come in and pick out a dress for free. Some of them can't work. They don't have extra money for a dress. You'll be hanging dresses up. Making sure the place stays decent."

"YES." I jump at her. "I'm helping."

"No. Not for me." Nyx runs away quickly.

"No." Armen shakes his head. "You can't do that."

"WHY? I CAN TOO."

"No. That sounds different. I'm sorry, no."

"BUT."

"I will be at work. It's not going to happen."

"YOU NEVER LET ME DO ANYTHING." I run to my room and slam myself into bed. "Asshole."