Chapter 14

After that, I tried to just go without for a week or so until Nikki arrived. I called her to confirm she and her Mom were both coming.

"You God damned fucking lying piece of shit son-ova-bitch bastard!"

I looked at the phone. "Nikki?"

"All of my sisters? You fucked them all?" She was crying.

"Honey, don't cry. I can explain..."

"Don't! You bastard! You shit!" she went on like that for a while. I tried to cut in but every time she yelled louder. Finally, I just let her keep going. It occurred to me that I'd never been dumped like this. Never because I was doing another chick. It actually didn't even make sense to me.

Which scared the shit out of me. I loved Nikki, I thought. But she was dumping me and I honestly didn't care. I was sorry she was upset but I wasn't upset enough to really try to talk her out of it. I was more upset by Ame's simple goodbye.

Thinking about Ame made Nikki's distress seem irritating suddenly. Ame would never throw a fit like that. Ame would have told me from the beginning if other women were off limits. She would have made the penalty too high — she would have left me.

But Nikki had said other women were off limits and she was dumping me for it. Why did it matter if Ame said it but not if Nikki did?

The obvious answer hit me as Nikki was asking what I had to say for myself. I stood with my mouth open for a minute.

"Well?"

"You're right." I finally got out. "Ima shit. Ain't no excuse. Truth is, I knew I was gonna hurt you from the beginnin'. I shoulda never took up with you Nikki. I'm sorry." I took a deep breath. "It ain't you, Cutie..."

"Don't call me that, you asshole!"

" ... Nikki, it ain't you. I love you..."

"Bullshit!"

" ... no, serious, I do. But, I always been in love with someone else. I thought I could forget her but I can't."

"SO YOU FUCKED MY SISTERS TO FORGET HER?"

"Nikki, I fucked you, yo' sisters, uh couple dozen cheerleaders, some girls at the clubs." I stopped myself before I told her about the guys.

"All while you were seeing me?" I didn't answer that. "I hate you. I hate you so much. I..." she hung up abruptly.

"You were cheating on Nikki?" Mom said from behind me.

"Yeah." I didn't turn around; I didn't want to see the disappointment on her face.

"You're still in love with Ame."

"Ain't no point in it." Now I felt like crying. I flat refused. I felt Mom's hand squeeze my shoulder gently. "Ain't right."

"Love ain't right. Ask Edward. He's been in love with Lizzie for years."

"Yeah, but he ain't hurt one women just ova one he can't have. He let go an' moved on."

"Did he?" she put her arms around me. "Oh my, you're too big for me to do this anymore."

"Yeah. I ain't some little boy anymore."

She moved in front of me and turned my face gently toward hers. "You will always be my little boy. I liked Nikki — which is why I was pretty sure that wasn't going to last. And you were sleeping with Billy here. I couldn't very well think you were being faithful to her. She'll get over it. You will too."

I love my mother. I hugged her tightly. I let her hold me until I didn't feel like crying anymore, which was a long time. When I let her go, something she said sunk in. "Uncle Edward went out with Aunt Elizabeth?"

She shook her head, "Bad bad business, that was. Charles and Lizzie were two steps from divorce and she took up with Edward just to piss him off. Problem was that Edward had had a crush on her since, God, forever."

"Aunt April know?"

"Oh yeah."

"That's jacked up."

"Oh yeah." She chuckled. "You have no idea."

I gave it maybe a second's worth of thought. "Know what? I ain't wanna know."

"Smart boy." She kissed my cheek. "I'm running over to the store. Want to come with?" She poked me until I said yes. I spent the rest of the afternoon letting my Mother treat me like I was still in high school. It turned out to be an ok day.

I didn't think there was any point, but I drove to the airport the next morning — just in case Nikki did fly out. They were non-refundable tickets. I waited until I saw the flight staff come off the plane. Then I called the house and got the voice mail. I left a long message apologizing to all of them. Then I delete all of their numbers from my phone; if they called me, I could program them back in.

After that, my last two week at home dragged. Nikki would not be waiting for me. Hell, I'd be lucky if I could set foot in Roy's ever again. And even if she were waiting, I wouldn't be happy with her, not knowing that Ame was abusing some skinny punk little shit who was nowhere near good enough for her. I wasn't good enough but at least I was close. He wasn't worth jack shit. It pissed me off every time I though about it.

Peter tried to get my mind off it, but I wouldn't let him go back to being my Dominant. Gwen didn't know about us and I wasn't going to risk her finding out just 'cause I was frustrated. My happiness wasn't worth Peter's.

Finally, I took my frustrated ass back to Flagstaff and my condo and my team. Fat Chick called just as I was reaching my car in long-term parking. "Hey! Are you in town yet?"

"Just touched down. I'm still at the airport."

"Listen, I just got my own place over the summer and I'm having a combo housewarming / welcome back party for you early birds. Why don't you and Nikki..."

"She dumped me."

"Oh, Lex! I'm so sorry! What happened?"

I snickered.

"She caught you fooling around. With who — her friend?"

"Her sisters."

"Ers? Plural?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Lex!" She sighed. "Well, come over and you and tell me why she should take you back."

"I'll think 'bout it. I'm kinda tired." But really I was thinking I could christen Fat Chick's new bedroom. She gave me the address and we left it at 'we'll see'.

I headed over as soon as I finished dropping my luggage at the condo and showering. Of course, I was a couple hours early.

I greeted her with a deep French kiss and a strong butt grope.

"You know I have a boyfriend now?" She asked when I let her go.

"So?"

"Ugh!" she shook her head and let me in. "Such a jerk."

"Don't lie; you know you want it."

"That doesn't mean you're still not a jerk." She handed me a beer.

"Alright. So tell me 'bout this boy takin' my fat chick from me." I sat on her couch and put my feet on the coffee table.

"Well, for starters, he hates you calling me 'fat chick'..."

I shrugged. "So?"

" ... and he's right behind you."

I looked over my shoulder to see I guy who looked like 'the big guy' from every cop show ever made. "Oh." I stood up. "Hey. So you bangin' her now?" The look on his face went from dark to downright dangerous but Beverly stepped up quick.

"Mike, he's just saying that to get under my skin."

"Dude, chill." I took a step back. "Bev's like my sister so I kinda give her uh hard time. But seriously, if you two t'gether that's totally cool."

"Is there a reason you invited him, Bev?" Mike made no attempt to be nice to me.

"Yes, Mike, because he really is my friend even if he is a bit of a jerk and he's girlfriend just dumped him so I thought he might need some cheering up."

"Listen, Bev, don't feel sorry fo me." I put the beer on the table, "I'm not tryin' ta start nothin'. If this is not cool, I am so gone. Not a problem. Mike — she's awesome but I have no claim so..."