Chapter 28: Thank You
“Hey baby,” My mom greats with a sad smile. I roll my eyes as she comes to sit on the edge of the bed I’m laying in. I can tell from the tone in her voice that she’s worried and feeling sorry for me. But then again, when isn’t she? All I seem to be receiving since I got here is constant pity. I feel like I’m back at Sunny f**king Acres. I’m surprised they haven’t set up a baby monitor and security camera to watch over me.
They think I don’t notice them peek in here every hour to make sure I’m still breathing and in one piece. They take shifts, switching between my Mom, Dad, and brother. Just because I don’t feel like socializing with them doesn’t mean I need to be put back on the suicide watch. So I had some bad dreams and maybe I am pulling away”who the f**k really cares. It’s not like any of them really want me here anyway. They just feel obligated and guilty. At least my Mother does. My Dad and brother could give a flying f**k about my well being. All they care about is how my condition affects them. Knowing all this would you really want to spend time with them?
“I brought you something to eat.” She coos in her baby voice. “It’s peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk. Is that still your favorite?”
No, when I lost my legs I also lost every other part of my identity including my favorite foods. Isn’t it pathetic that I’ve only been here three days and I’m already ready to leave? I was actually ready to leave way before that”like as soon as I reached the front door. I should have at least brought Enrique with me; he would have kept me sane. He wanted to come but just like I told Justin, I said that I need to face my family alone. I don’t know what I was thinking.
“I’m not hungry.” I whisper, staring straight ahead at my wall covered in pictures of my old life. Pictures of how my life used to be….when I was happy all the time, when I had friends and a loving family and wonderful job and a loving fiancé. I can never have those times back. There are times when I’m with Justin that I don’t even think about the past and can only look towards the present and my future with him. But there are other times that all that fills my mind are memories of what I used to have. In a way I would give anything to have my old life but I would only want it if Justin were a part of it.
I wonder if we would have found each other if circumstances were different. I mean were we destined to be together no matter what or would I have married Matt and never meet Justin? It’s really kind of weird to think about.
“Honey, you haven’t eaten in almost two days.”
“I’m not hungry.” Say more forcefully.
“Well how about you get out of that bed and we go for a walk”err”I mean a”uh”we can…” She stutters stupidly. Does she really think she can’t say the work walk around me? A walk is still a walk no matter if I’m in a wheel chair or walking on my feet.
“No, Mother,” I grit out between clenched teeth. “I just want to be alone.”
For goodness sakes it’s four thirty in the f**king morning and she’s trying to shove cookies and milk down my throat and to send me out for a roll around the block. Shouldn’t she be sleeping or something? Or maybe setting out the gifts under the Christmas tree? Aubrey won’t be too happy if she wakes up to find ‘Santa’ didn’t come.
“Well I have a gift for you to open.” She smiles annoyingly. “You just stay right here and I’ll bring it to you.”
I roll my eyes and mutter a ‘whatever.’ Do I look like I want to open some gift? Does she really think she could possibly offer anything besides to magically cure my disability that would lift my mood?
“Now close your eyes!” She calls from the hall. I humor her and place one hand over my closed eyes. I hear some shuffling of feet and what sounds like crinkling paper before my bed dips at a heavy weight. The moment I breathe in and catch that familiar scent of cologne and soap my eyes fly open. There sits my boyfriend with a bright red bow tied around his neck.
“Surprise!” He exclaims excitedly, holding his arms out as if waiting for me to embrace him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I blurt out with a furrowed brow. He’s supposed to be in Tennessee with his family.
“That wasn’t exactly the reaction I was expecting,” He chuckles, his smile flattering slightly.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I mutter looking towards the door as my mother sneaks out, closing the door behind her. I knew she called him yesterday after my bad dreams and I was mad then but this just cuts the cake. She had no right to call him then and she had no right to make him come all the way out here just because I wasn’t having a good time with them. “You should leave.”
“Excuse me?” His arms drop to his jean covered thighs as he looks at me with a hurt and offended expression.
“If I needed you here I would have asked you to come.”
“What the f**k?” He booms, standing from the bed to look at me with pure fire in his eyes. “I fly across the f**king country to come surprise my f**king girlfriend for Christmas and you tell me to f**king leave?”
I cringe at his hard words, laced with obstinacies. I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch. I just don’t want him to ruin his Christmas with his family so he can come patch me up like he always has to. I didn’t go crying to him for a reason.
“Don’t f**king swear at me Justin Timberlake!” I spit back.
“What the hell is wrong with you!” He yells before softening his tone considerably but still remaining firm. “Why are you pushing me away?”
“I’m not.”
“The last time I talked to you you hung up on me and then ignored my phone calls.” He states matter-of-factly with his hands on his slender hips and head tilted just slightly to the right. So maybe I am pushing, but I don’t want to be smothered or babied by him. I don’t want him to feel like the only time I want him around is when I’m depressed and crying. I don’t want him to think I’m weak.
“I’m sorry about that.” I whisper, holding out my hand to him. He stares at my outstretched arm for a moment before extending his arm to take my hand come to sit by my side. Bringing my hand to his mouth he presses a wet kiss to the back of it. “I just don’t want to lean on you too much. I don’t want you to feel like you need to run to me every time I have a bad dream or shed a few tears. I need to learn to cope with this stuff on my own because you can’t always be there for me.”
“Zee, I want to run to you whenever you need me no matter how insignificant,” He answers softly. “That’s what you do for people you love.”
Did he just say that he loves me? He’s never said that before.
“You love me?”
He leans down to brush his lips over mine. “I love you so very much.”
I reach and hand up to cup his cheek and whisper back the same affections. He smiles against my lips a presses three more kisses before pulling back again. “I guess it’s time for me to unwrap my gift now?” I tease, wiggling my eyebrows playfully.
(Justin’s POV)
I laugh loudly as her fingers seek out the tails of the red ribbon around my neck. She teasingly slow unties the ribbon before pulling me down to lay next her. She lies on her back while I face her on my side with one arm draped lazily over her middle.
“You grew out your hair.” She smiles as one of her hands runs through my hair. She rakes her nails over my scalp, bringing her other hand up when I close my eyes in pleasure. She knows how much I love it when she scratches my head. My head falls heavily to her shoulder. “I guess now I finally have something to grab onto while you pleasure me,” She giggles, seductively flicking my earlobe with the tip of her tongue.
I pucker my lips against the exposed skin of her neck slowly moving up until I reach her parted lips. My mouth crashes against hers passionately as her hands continue to massage my scalp. I groan into her mouth when her tongue slips past my lips to deliciously encircle my own. After a few minutes of playful teasing I pull my lips from hers and trail them down the side of her face to her neck. I suck on the tender skin just below her ear, making sure to leave my mark. Her hands slid beneath my t-shirt and beater yanking them both upwards. I pull back just enough to pull both shirts off before diving back to her neck.
Running her fingers over my chest and stomach she moans my name only egging me on. Her skin tastes so deliciously sweet”it’s addictive. I pull back to catch my breath and she takes the initiative to peel off her tank, leaving her in just her lacy black bra and sweat pants. I press gentle kisses down the valley between her breasts, cupping her right breast in my hand and kneading it between my thumb and fore finger. Her back arches off the bed as another moan escapes her parted lips. Moving the material of her bra out of the way my mouth latches onto her peaked nipple.
A soft knock sounds at the door but I can’t bring myself to stop moving my mouth against her. Mackenzie calls out for the intruder to ‘hang on.’ Her voice sounds hoarse and her breathing is ragged as she pushes at my shoulders. I detach my mouth from her breast and look up at her longingly. Her eyes are full of lust and desire and I find myself barely able to hold back from pushing her back down to the bed and continuing my torture over her perfect body.
With both hands she grabs my face, pulling me towards her for a deep, sensuous kiss. Her tongue mingles with mine, sucking and nipping gently before pulling back again and asking me to get her top for her. I tear my eyes from her nearly nude body and grab both of out shirts off the floor, tossing her hers as I slip mine back over my head.
“Kenize!” A small voice calls impatiently.
“Give me a sec!” Mackenzie calls back in a frantic voice. She adjusts her bra through her shirt and looks me over with hungry eyes. “We’ll continue this later.” She whispers while smoothing back her curly locks.
“Definitely.” I breathe. Damn, I’ve never seen her like this before. I mean she’s usually smacking my hands away the minute they start exploring. She was the instigator this time and that’s not normal. I don’t know if I should be worried or pleased.
A loud squeal breaks me for my thought before I’m really allowed to get some really deep thinking going. I look towards the young girl standing just inside the doorway with her mouth hanging open wide and a shocked finger pointing at me. This much be the Aubrey I’ve heard so much about. I forgot she was an Nsync fan. Mackenzie pulls her body to sit up more fully with her legs dangling over the side of the bed. Her hand squeezes my thigh as she calls Aubrey over.
“Justin, this is my little sister Aubrey.” She smiles and I can instantly see the family resemblance the moment Aubrey smiles back. She looks like a mini Mackenzie.
“Thank you.” Aubrey states. I look towards Mackenzie confused by her sister’s random statement. She shrugs and we both turn back to Aubrey for further explanation. “You make my sister really happy. She was feeling really sad until you got here. So thanks.”
TBC.....
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