Page 58 of Infinity Chronicles 1
“I may have stopped by here earlier today with hopes of getting some more information out of her about her premonition.” Ares rolls his shoulders a bit. His shirt flexes with the movement, clearly tailored because it forms to him perfectly. His pants are a deep maroon, falling just to the top of a pair of black wingtip shoes.
“What do you do, I mean for a job?” I spout before thinking.
Ares pauses. “Why, are you actively seeking new employment?” His brow kicked up again, somewhat mockingly.
I cross my arms over my chest and jut my hip out. “Why, you hiring?”
His eyes flare as he takes a few short steps in my direction. “I could definitely be persuaded to take on some new help.” Ares encroaches in on my space. I remember the feel of him holding me last night. They way my legs wanted to wrap around his tight waist. My heart rate picks up as his fingers glide under my chin, lifting my face up. The moment I had in the car with Milo, when I thought he was going to kiss me, filters through the back of my mind. Our faces were close together, like Ares and I are now. I roll my tongue over my lips. Ares pulls in a deep breath, his eyes closing as he leans in closer.
“Here you go…” Maggie’s voice trails off, leaving silence in its place. Thank god my back is to her, she may assume we were kissing, which I think we would have if she hadn’t walked back in. But at least she can’t see the fire glowing on my cheeks, or the way my hands are trembling at the loss.
“Thank you Maggie,” Ares replies for me, regaining his composure much quicker than I could.
“I had him throw in a few extra slices of bread too, make sure you eat it tonight.” Her tone is soft, she doesn’t seem upset with me. “Go on home now, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“But I haven’t mopped the bathrooms yet.” Ares walks past me. I hear the rustling of a paper bag then he returns and places his palm on my lower back, urging me forward.
“It can wait Laura,” she responds.
I’m too embarrassed to fight Ares as he ushers me to his black Range Rover. Glancing up at the large windows, I see Maggie inside with her face in a deep frown and her eyes unfocused as she stares into space. At least the white isn’t clouded them.
Peeking over at Ares as he adjusts in his seat,∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
I want to ask him if he thinks Maggie will be mad at me because of what she saw us almost do. But trepidation has me biting my tongue—what if he really wasn’t going to kiss me like I’d imagined? How do I even begin to understand these confusing boys and the attraction I feel from them? Is it all just the connection we share making me want things from them that never once crossed my mind before? Sure, I thought at some point when I was out of school I might find someone to be with, but I’ve been so consumed with taking care of my mother and keeping a roof over our heads to ever give the idea any real attention.
Now thoughts of all four of them consume my days. What would they think if they knew I was feeling this way, and about all of them? I lower my head feeling ashamed of myself. They treat each other like family, when I look at any one of them, brother is the last thought I have.
“Seat belt,” Ares orders, turning the small dial to the R and backing out of the parking space. The smell of garlic and red sauce fills the interior of the car, my stomach growls, reminding me that I do in fact need to eat.
“Where are we going?” My eyes turn to the left, the direction of my camper, but Ares goes right instead. “I can’t keep staying over. I need to go home, my mom… she might come back.”
With one hand on the wheel, and the other resting on the center console, Ares looks over at me. “How long has she been gone?” His question is spoken softly, like he’s coaxing a timid cat out from under the bed.
Sighing I tell him, “Almost a week.”
“Has this ever happened before? Does she take off for a few days once in a while?” His fingers tighten on the steering wheel.
Glancing out the window into the darkness I shake my head in denial, “Never, she barely left the trailer. I have no idea where she would even go. She doesn’t talk to anyone, and she has no one but me.”
I feel the pressure of Ares’s palm on my thigh. “I’ll see what I can do to figure out what’s going on. Do you have a picture of her?”
Wrinkling my nose I think about the one I have tucked away. “It’s old, probably from before I was born, but it might help. She looks the same, but different.”
“How do you mean?” Ares goes unnaturally still, his question is articulated with a forced lightness, but he’s awaiting my response.
“It’s hard to say, but she doesn’t really look older.” Now that I’m actually thinking about it, why did I never think it was strange that my mom didn’t seem to change? “She used to… I don’t know, it sounds silly to say aloud. But when I was younger, I used to think she shined, you know? She was so pretty, so full of life.” Ares’s hand, still on my leg, squeezes before his thumb makes a few lazy circles on the outside of my thigh.
“And now?” he prompts when I don’t finish.
Crossing my arms over my stomach I huff. “Now she doesn’t. She hasn’t for a long while.” Ares comes to a stop at a red light, looking in both directions he spins the wheel like he’s going to make a left turn but makes a U-turn instead.
“If you want to stay at your place, I’ll stay there with you.” Ares pauses before adding, “My brothers will probably show up too.”
“That can’t happen. If my mom did come home and found you guys there she would…she would lose it. She doesn’t do well with people. She thinks everyone is… is like bad… out to hurt us,” I stammer, trying to come up with the right words to describe my mother and her mania. My heart rate doubles just thinking about her reaction. She would kick them out, and we would leave town before I could even tell them goodbye. I get a heavy tightness in my chest when I think about not seeing them again. It may just be the bonds, or our connection, but the thought alone is crippling.
“Then it looks like you’re coming home with me then. Laura, I know this isn’t the life you expected. I know all this must seem crazy to you, but we need each other. All of us.” My name on his lips sends a flutter of excitement to my stomach. Ares looks over at me, his eyes glowing from the lights on the dashboard.
I want that, I want to be needed, hell—I’d loved to be taken care of, even for only a little bit. Just long enough so I could let go of some of the doubts and worries I’ve been clutching for so long. But I also want them towantme to be there. I don’t want to be the person they hide from everyone else. I don’t want to have to question myself so much around them. I find myself wanting to push them away, just to see what it would take for them to leave me, and praying they don’t.
