Oriana trembled as she crawled into the back of her walk-in closet for protection, huddling amongst the wrinkled dance outfits. She cuddled a worn teddy bear to her chest, just rocking back and forth as the tears fell. Usually, she would retreat to this special place of safety after the torment ceased from one of her mother's various boyfriends. Never had Oriana imagined that she would retreat for safety from her mother's brutality. Her mother had been highly stressed lately, but never had she laid a hand upon her. Oriana swiftly sucked in a sob as she remembered her mother's words, ’You'll be lucky if you can walk again.’ It only seemed to remind her of Cassandra's final boyfriend before Kevin, Jake. He had taken full advantage of Oriana with a raw passion of lust and insanity. Oriana always dreaded returning home when Jake was present. Not even a locked door could keep him away. Though, Jake had only forced his physical abuse on Cassandra once by roughly backhanding her, and then Cassandra had booted him out the door. She had congratulated herself for taking a stand against the pain that many of her own patients suffered. Yet, Cassandra had never known that Jake's abuse started with Oriana. She trembled again as she choked on a sob, picturing her mother's face blending with that of Jake's face.
"Ry? Ry, it's me and Howie. Come on, let us in. We want to make sure you're alright," Alex's voice came from behind her bedroom door as he gently knocked. "Please? I know you're scared, we were all scared down there. Open the door, Sweetie."
Oriana furiously shook her head from within the confines of the closet, not really understanding that Alex couldn't see her decline. She didn't care, however, only able to replay her mother's hateful crimes within her brain. Oriana furiously tugged at her cast, pulling it tightly across her chest. It ached with a raw burning that no one could possibly understand. Oriana feared that the bones had been shifted, requiring another setting. She repeatedly trembled with a frightened quiver, paling dramatically at the thought. It always took several hours for Oriana to regain any conscious state of mind after a battering. It took years of abuse to learn to control herself, but after the moment of heat, she was wrecked.
"Ry! Don't scare us like this, please open the door. No one's going to hurt you, I promise. We want to make sure you're okay!" Alex knocked on the door again.
"Just leave me alone," she whispered.
There was a shift at the door and Howie's voice filtered through. "Ria, Baby, it's Howie. Please, let us in. I know your mom scared you and hurt you… That's why I want to see you. I'm worried about you."
"No..." Oriana refused quietly, continuing to rock herself in a frightened manner. She couldn't imagine why God would let her go through such a heated terror. Her mind continued to compare her mother to the last boyfriend. Her mother had wrenched her arm just as Jake did, making sure to use the bruised portion to inflict greater pain. He would use his strength against her, overpowering her at the weakest moments. Had her mother taken notes? And the words... Oriana could still hear Jake's voice ringing along with her mother's words.
"Damnit, this is getting us nowhere," Alex cursed, jiggling the doorknob. "There has to be some way we can get in there!"
"What are you doing?" Howie questioned in confusion, noticing Alex reach to withdraw a credit card from his wallet.
"You can take a credit card and jimmy the lock open on a door. Devon showed me how when we saran wrapped all the instruments in Tartan's band room sophomore year."
"You did that?!"
"Um... Yeah? Anyway, it's something that can come in handy," Alex shrugged, turning to place the credit card between the door and door frame.
"I think I'd kick your ass if I wasn't so worried about Oriana. I mean, damn, Alex, do you have any idea how bad we got chewed out that day? Teagan actually made us run laps because she was so pissed!"
"Yeah, well, she's the devil woman anyway. It's all a part of Homecoming and it's not like you didn't prank us at all," Alex rolled his eyes, jiggling around the credit card.
"Filling all the horn instruments with baked beans... And using super-glue on all your keys and buttons..."
"Yeah, so cry me a freaking river about some damn laps. I haven't been able to even look at baked beans since then."
"Liar," Howie retorted as Alex fell forward into the room as the lock gave.
"Shut up," Alex hissed, looking around the room. Oriana was nowhere in sight. "Ry? Where are you?"
Howie glanced around the room - nothing had been disturbed from the usual disaster of her room. It was obvious that Oriana was far more distressed than they had anticipated. If she had been angered, the disaster probably would have been worse compared to a level five tornado. Howie felt his heart beat quicken, knowing that he had to find her before she did anything drastic. He quickly scanned the room, almost thinking about checking her bay window for signs of jumping, but heard a loud sniffle from the closet.
"Did you hear that?" Howie whispered to Alex, who was looking at the closet as well.
"Yeah... you think she's in there?"
"Only one way to find out," Howie walked over to the large closet and carefully opened the door.
Sure enough, Oriana was pressed against the far wall of the vast closet. She was still shivering violently, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent the agony of the burning tears. Her gritty curls were matted against her soaked cheeks as more fell into her blurry eyes. She hugged her aching arm to her chest, praying for the pain to cease. She didn't see to notice the boys, too caught within her agony.
"Jesus," Alex murmured without thought, immediately crossing the threshold to reach his soon-to-be-stepsister. He fell to his knees, starting to reach out for her.
"Don't touch me!" Oriana whimpered frantically, noticing Alex's hands reach out to her grasp her. Instantly, her brain flashed to that of Jake, causing a terror to seize her body. She snapped upward to glance at Alex and Howie with horror, struggling to realize how they had entered.
"Ry, it's us! Howie and Alex. We're not going to hurt you... we just want to make sure you're okay. Well, we know you're hurting, but—"
"What Alex means is that we were worried," Howie interrupted, kneeling down to Oriana.
"I'm fine, okay? I'm fine," Oriana whispered, struggling to press her body further against the wall. She didn't want them to see her pain. She didn't want the pity. She had learned earlier on that nobody cared about her pain. It was either fight through the pain or drown violently within the back drafts of life.
"I somehow doubt that you're fine," Howie sighed heavily, his heart heavy with worry and pain for Oriana.
"No, really, I always sit in my closet with a teddy bear from when I was born..."
"Ria, don't. We're not trying to pity you, we just care about you. Is that so bad?"
"I just don't want you to see me like this, okay?" she whispered after a long moment, casting her eyes down to her dirty pants. She believed she didn't want or need help, even though her heart was crying otherwise.
"See you like what? Why won't you let us help you?" Howie reached out and ran a hand through her dirty locks.
"Because I'm not supposed to need help, just leave me alone, alright?"
"No, I'm not going to leave you alone. Baby, you don't need to be the rock all the time. It's not healthy and I'll be damned if I don't help the girlfriend I love and care about."
"Howie–"
"Let me help you. Let Alex help you."
Oriana finally willed her flooded eyes to glance upwards, immediately locking onto Howie's compassionate, dark eyes. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, shifting carefully to avoid Alex's gaze on the bruises already forming on her upper arms. She blinked rapidly and choked on another sob, immediately opening her arms up to Howie's embrace. She just wanted to be held, caressed, and consoled. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Howie," she murmured pathetically, burying her face into his chest.
"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about anything," he whispered, holding her tightly without injuring her arm any further. He gently rocked them back and forth, running a hand through her locks continuously as he placed soft kisses on her forehead.
"She's never acted like that before. Never in... Don't hate her, okay? Just don't hate her... She just gets so worried... Brian didn't know that would happen, either... Just, please, don't hate her okay... Don't hate me..." Oriana mumbled against his chest, curling her fist into his t-shirt for comfort.
"I would never hate you. Never in my life," Howie consoled, curious as to why she had brought up Brian. "From what I know about your mom, she just cracked from all the pressure and took it out on you. But she didn't mean it, because you've told me how much she loves and cares about you."
"She learned it from Jake..."
"What? Who's Jake?"
Oriana blanked for a moment, unable to understand why Jake's name had formed in her mouth. She was causing more trouble than it would be worth in the long-run. He had disappeared from Orlando after her mother. She swallowed a hot sob of pain and immediately glanced downward, staring at length of her purple cast. "Nothing... I'm just tired, I don't even know what I'm talking about..."
"Ria, are you sure--"
"I'm just... I'm..." Oriana felt flustered as she stared down at her cast again. She furiously shook her head, trying to clear the clouded pain. Alex had grown considerably quiet, but Oriana focused again on Howie. His trusting eyes just begging for her to talk. Oriana felt another sob burst from her throat. "Just... Just promise me something..."
"Anything," Howie agreed, still holding her close.
"Don't let me push you away, okay?" she whispered softly, feeling hot tears soak into his shirt. She felt so awful for drowning her problems into his life. It was far too complicated to get him involved...
"I would never let you push me away. I need you in my life, and I plan on keeping you there," he whispered back, knowing he would keep that promise until the end of the world and beyond.
"Okay, I think I'm going to start crying again..." she drawled quite bluntly, causing Alex to smile faintly.
"Cry all you want. I'll be right here to hold you and wipe away your tears," Howie promised. "But can I carry you out of the closet and into the bathroom? I think your bath and rubber duckie are calling you."
"You saying I really need a shower because I'm crusting over with mud?" Oriana sniffled, trying to regain some kind of composure.
"No, because... well, partly that. You also need to relax, and I know a hot shower always helps me."
"I can walk..." Oriana drawled, trying not to imagine Howie beneath the stream of a steamy shower.
"You're already in my arms. Let me carry you," Howie objected with a shake of his head, causing some curls to fall down onto his forehead.
"My legs aren't broken," she contradicted.
"Doesn't mean you don't deserve to be carried."
"Jamie, would you just tell him I can walk?" Oriana countered, struggling to pull away from Howie's grasp. She didn't want to seem too fragile.
"I can tell him all I want, he won't listen. Howie's one of those Clark Gable characters in Gone With The Wind."
"That's true..." Oriana drawled after several moments of silence, knowing Howie would continue to push until he achieved what he wanted. He held such a stubborn will when it came to helping her and it was still early in the relationship. She sighed softly, pulling herself closer to Howie's embrace. "Fine, maybe I'll even let you undress me, too."
"Uh-uh, no way!" Alex objected, shaking his head.
"You just stay in my bedroom," Oriana warned with a faint impish smile, still obviously distressed over her mother's betrayal. Yet, like always, she tried to put on a bold front for the boys.
"You're not going to undress my little sister, man!" Alex turned to Howie with a protective glare.
"I'm not your sister yet—"
"I can still object to this!"
"Jamie," Oriana groaned as Alex started to mutter incoherently. She reached out and tugged hard on his jeans, causing them to droop a little to show his red boxers. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let him undress me when I still fight him about carrying me into the bathroom?"
"No, but I just wanted to make sure Howie knew--"
"Oh, deflate your ego and knock it off," Oriana quipped with a roll of her eyes, still grasping Alex's jeans. "If you don't, I can always pants you."
"Pants me?"
"You don't know what that is?"
"No..."
"Oh," Oriana bit her lip for a moment, knowing this was a perfect time to get the attention off her. "I'll show you!" with that, she pulled on his jeans and they fell around his ankles.
"ORIANA RYAN!" Alex screeched in horror, immediately fumbling to reach his ankles. He hurriedly grasped at the belt of his pants, jumping to pull them up to his thin hips. Yet, she had loosened the belt enough to cause them to slip each time. Alex yelped in sheer frustration, hurriedly stumbling out of the walk-in closet to save his dignity.
Oriana grinned with triumph, noticing Howie's eyes immediately fall toward Alex's movements. Knowing the attention had finally been diverted from her issues, she softly moved to climb from Howie's arms. Yet, he was too quick, immediately grasping her hips to pull her down again. "I'm trying to get a shower like you told me to," she objected, still sniffling.
"I know, and I said I was going to carry you," Howie replied, pulling out his lucky bandana from his back pocket and wiped the tear streaks and mud from her cheeks. "Alright?"
"Fine," she relented, the exhaustion of the pain finally catching up to her tense body.
"Good," he smiled softly, kissing her forehead before standing up and walking out towards her bathroom.
"Don't shut the door or Jamie will have a heart attack," Oriana commented as Howie walked into her large bathroom, purposely making sure the door closed. She rolled her eyes as he carried her to the small vanity station that Teagan used more than her, perching her upon the soft stool. Oriana sagged forward for a moment, collecting her thoughts.
"Shower or bath?" Howie asked, looking at the large Jacuzzi tub and the same sized standing shower.
"Whichever..." she trailed, not really caring at the moment. Her cast was water-proof, so it could withstand either. She released a soft sigh, bending down to pull off her grimy shoes and socks. She shifted uncomfortably as the muscles contracted in her upper arms with a twinge of pain. She glanced back to the vanity mirror with a sigh. Her mother's grip had already turned into several dark bruises. She'd have to cover yet again.
"Okay," he replied, walking over to turn on the Jacuzzi tub. Looking around, he found some lavender bubble bath and poured some into the water as the jets churned and hissed with heat.
"You don't have to do that," Oriana objected when she noticed Howie taking great care to perfect her bath. She immediately stood from the vanity stool, walking over to stop him. "Please, don't, okay? I can do it myself."
"I just wanted to–"
"I know, but I see you doing this and all I can think of is that I'm making you my slave or something..." Oriana fumbled to explain, easing her weary body onto the edge of her large Jacuzzi tub.
"I'm doing this because I want to. Not because you're making me," Howie replied, turning off the water. Lavender filled the bathroom, relaxing them both a little.
"Okay..." she trailed, shifting to feel the temperature of the water. She smiled softly at the heat, knowing her body would already welcome the warmth. She felt so cold after her mother's attack. But, her eyes quickly shifted to catch Howie's gaze, noticing him just watching her intently. Her mind drifted back to him speaking about a hot shower, causing her cheeks to tinge with a faint blush. She prayed he assumed it was from the warm water. "Thanks, Howie."
"You're welcome," he replied, shaking himself out of a daze from watching her and leaned down to kiss her gently. "I'll be in Alex's room until you're done."
"You guys can wait in my room," she objected, shifting to grasp the hem of her dirty wife beater.
"You're sure?"
"Yeah, of course. I have movies, CD's and a
Playstation in there. Go and knock yourselves out."
"Okay, sounds good..." Howie answered, noticing Oriana fumble to lift the tank from her body. He smiled softly, realizing how difficult it was to pull off upper body clothing when her arm was in pain. "Do... you need help?"
"Do you think Jamie would kill you if I said yes," she breathed with dismay.
"I can see it hurts you... so no, I don't think he would kill me. Even if he tried, it wouldn't work. Do you need me to help you?" Howie repeated.
"Please?" she whimpered pathetically, finally releasing the hem of her wife beater. She took a deep breath to resist another bout of tears overcoming her stressful emotions. She glanced up to Howie with hope. "I just have a sport's bra underneath... The guys have seen it all the time..."
"I'm fine with it as long as you are."
"I am."
"Alright. If I hurt you, let me know, okay?"
"Can't hurt me any worse than I was," she answered as Howie knelt down to her level. He gently grasped the hem of her tank top, slowly pulling it away from her tender flesh. Oriana felt goose-bumps prickle her skin as his fingertips gently brushed against her skin before completely removing the article of clothing. She shivered slightly, hoping he didn't feel the electricity zip between them. "Thanks, Howie..."
"You're welcome," Howie licked his dry lips, trying to stop his hands from shaking. Just the simple skin contact sent chills throughout his body.
"I mean for everything... Not just pulling off my shirt..." she whispered, finally rising from the edge of her bath. She gently eased her arms around his neck, making sure to rest her cast. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, breathing softly. "For making sure I was okay... For trusting me... For promising never to let me pull away... I just need you so much..."
"I need you too, Sweetheart," he whispered, immediately returning her gesture by wrapping his arms around her. His heart rate started to accelerate just by the feeling of her bare skin against his hands. He had so many dreams that portrayed like this, except for the absence of her broken arm. He always awoke with a damp sweat, aching to see her. Now, she was right here.
"Thank you," she repeated, feeling another bout of tears prickle against her eyes. She didn't think she could ever get over her mother's anger. She swallowed hard, "I think I might have to hide in your arms for awhile."
"My arms are always open for you. No matter what time it is or where we are," he replied softly, running his hands up and down her back.
"I know," she agreed, sniffling once more as she pulled away. She immediately brought a hand up to her eyes to wipe away the dripping tears, trying to collect herself yet again. "Okay, I'm done... I'm done being a girl...."
"Alright," he chuckled, caressing her cheek for a moment. "We'll be right out there if you need us."
Alex grumbled softly as he hurriedly yanked his belt through the necessary loops of his jeans, making sure the article of clothing held tight to his lean form. He couldn't believe that Oriana could do something so immature... Alex quickly corrected himself, he should have known Oriana would do something sneaky. Alex stifled a laugh as he heard the bathroom door open and close. He quickly glanced up to see Howie fall onto Oriana's bed with a soft sigh. Alex arched his dark brows, finally removing his sunglasses from his worried brown eyes. "How is she doing, D?"
"She's doing a little better now that I drew her a nice bubble bath," Howie sighed, closing his eyes to remember the closeness he and Oriana just had.
"I can't believe Mom even..." Alex found himself at a loss for words, simply sitting himself on the edge of Oriana's bed. The entire situation downstairs had shocked him into disbelief. Then, Oriana's disheveled state offered a horrifying conclusion. He sighed, running his hands through his messy locks. "Damn, D, her arms are all bruised up..."
"I know, man. Maybe Teagan can cover them up with make-up or something... regardless, I'm sure she's going to be wearing t-shirts and sweatshirts to cover them up," Howie opened his eyes and looked over at his best friend. "What do you think she meant by her mom asking Brian what happened at practice?"
"Huh?" Alex blanked for a moment, arching his dark brows with question. He paused, closing his eyes to recount the scenario. He still recalled Brian's sinister smile as Howie led Oriana to the car. "You don't think that Brian would..."
"I wish I could say I didn't have suspicions about it—"
"It would make sense though, wouldn't it?" Alex interrupted with a guilty groan, falling back onto the bed in disbelief. "He took her spot on the team and with the shit he's been spouting to you... Dear God, what the Hell is wrong with him?"
"No offense, but he's your brother. Isn't there some reason you've seen that would make him act like that?" Howie asked.
"Like what? I know he's pissed off about Dad marrying Mom... Or maybe he's pissed that Dad is too caught up in getting to know Ry instead of paying attention to him... Or maybe he's jacked that Ry kicked his ass at the last game?" Alex drawled, shrugging his shoulders. "But not even all those reasons give him the right to act like a complete asshole and physically abuse someone. I mean, damn, our Dad taught us better than that."
"I don't know what it is... but something really changed him for the worse..."
"Are you going to ask Ry if Brian did that?" Alex questioned as Howie's voice dropped away from his sentence. It was definitely a subject to approach with the utmost delicacy. Oriana was so fickle with her private life.
"I want to ask her, but I can almost predict that she won't admit to anything," Howie frowned, imagining the scene already.
"What if we kept pushing?"
"It could backfire drastically."
"Then what do we do?"
"I don't know yet."
"Oh..." Alex sighed, running a hand over his face. He felt physically weary from all the emotional drama rising within the Riley-Richardson Household. It was almost like Brian was setting up for a deadly war against Oriana and he wouldn't stop till she was defeated or dead. As every day passed, the stakes grew higher and deadlier. Alex hadn't a clue what to really do to solve the situation and had relied on Howie for that information. His older best friend always seemed to have a plan for something.
"There's nothing we can do right—" Howie was interrupted by the shrill ring of Oriana's private phone.
Alex watched Howie tense dramatically from the interruption in his conversation, but said nothing. Alex propped himself up with his elbows, listening to the faint sound of running water, Oriana was switching to her shower. Yet, the phone continued to ring. Alex shrugged his shoulders, motioning toward the purple cordless phone. "Grab it man."
"Me?" Howie fumbled.
"Dude, she's your girlfriend. She won't care if you grab the phone. Besides, you should be screening her calls anyway," Alex joked, pushing on Howie's shoulder. He noticed Howie's frown and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Howie. Just grab her phone, alright? Your girlfriend won't mind."
"Okay, okay," Howie groaned, reaching over to answer the phone. "Hello?"
There was a short pause on the other line, causing Howie to shift uncomfortably. He was about to hang up when a gritty voice erupted from the other side, "Is this Oriana Riley's number?"
"Yes, this is. She's in the shower at the moment. Can I ask who's calling?"
"Mac, is this her brother, Alex? Dude, what the Hell are you doing answering the chick's private line? Going on a panty-raid or something? The chick's got some nice skimpies, I'll give you that much. I could see even a step-brother getting a hard-on with her," Mac laughed suggestively, causing Howie's insides to freeze with disgust.
"Um... sorry, this is her boyfriend Howie. What gives you the right to talk about her like that?"
Mac fell silent for a long moment before breaking into a hysterical laughter. "Boyfriend? Woah, that's funny son. C'mon, get my Wild-Cherry-Bomb on the phone."
"One, I'm not son. Two, I am her boyfriend and she's in the shower. Can I take a message?" Howie asked, trying to keep his temper.
"No messages, sorry, I think I'll wait for my Cherry-Bomb to get out of the shower. That way I can settle this shit fair and square. Honestly, Ori getting a boyfriend that's not me?" Mac started to laugh again. "Priceless, did Ace put you up to this shit? How much is he paying you? Because, damn, I've had my handprint on that chick since her Freshman year."
"Excuse me? Do I need to spell it out for your stupid jock strap ass? Oriana does not belong to you, because she's not a damn piece of property. She can choose whoever she wants to have as a boyfriend and she chose me. So get over yourself, MAC."
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Mac suddenly questioned with a frustrated growl.
"Do I have to say it again? ORIANA'S BOYFRIEND," Howie replied, happy he was causing Mac problems.
"Bullshit. I would fucking know if Ori had a boyfriend. I know every fucking detail about that girl's life, down to that scar just along the front of her fucking hip. You're going to start some deep shit if you keep this act up."
"Who the Hell do you think you are talking about Oriana like that–"
"I can talk about that bitch in any way I deem fit, you fucking reject," Mac snarled on the other end. "Get her fucking brother on the phone now before I see fit to come home and kick your Duke-Rejected Ass."
"You fucking asshole—"
"Right back at you, Jackass. You're lucky I don't know your full-fucking name—"
"Howie Dorough. Come and get me, I dare you!"
"Dorough?" Mac lamented for a moment, finally bursting into a thick laughter. "The dorky band-geek Ace's been bitching about? Oh, yeah, I remember your ass. I believe I'm the one that smothered your gym clothes in mud and covered them with used condoms... Oh, please, Ace said you had some kind of little hard-on for Ori, but you're no threat. Just some dumbass that couldn't even score high enough on the SATs to pay your way into Duke. So, stop wasting my fucking time, get Alex or Ori on the phone, and leave her the Hell alone. She's not going to dick around with some dumb little senior when she can feel the power of a College Man."
"Power of a College Man? One that can't even get her interested unless he forces it—"
"Okay, round one over!" Alex burst, knowing the familiar heat swirling within Howie's dark orbs. He reached over the bed and hurriedly snatched the phone away from Howie's strong grip.
"Now who the fuck is on the phone?" Mac growled.
"Alex—"
"Get your fucking sister on the phone right now."
"She's in the shower, like her boyfriend said," Alex repeated calmly, willing himself not to become overly frustrated. Howie's fevered anger was enough within the room. "Why don't you just call back later?"
"Come on, she can't have a boyfriend--"
"She does, Mac. Just call later, okay?"
"The Hell I'm fucking calling later! Do you know what it costs on a cell phone to call Florida from North Carolina?! Damnit, she'll be pissed as Hell if she doesn't get this call, Asshole. So, just PUT HER ON THE DAMN PHONE NOW!"
"I told you, she's taking a shower, so stop yelling at me!" Alex defended himself, holding the phone away. "Jesus—"
"YOU'RE BOTH FUCKING DEAD, DO YOU HEAR ME?! GET HER RIGHT NOW!" Mac screamed wildly into the phone.
"Holy shit," Alex cursed, looking at Howie with a frightened look on his face. "What do I do?"
"Hang up on him," Howie barked.
"But—"
"You guys okay?" Oriana's voice announced, flooding the silence in the room. She arched her light brows in question as Alex held the phone away from his body, trembling. She smelled faintly of her Dove soap and Herbal Essence shampoo, looking quite refreshed from her bath and shower.
"Yeah, just some random person calling—"
"GOD DAMNIT, GET HER ON THE FUCKING PHONE BEFORE I FUCKING KILL YOU?!" Mac's voice interrupted Howie.
"Why didn't you tell me he was on the phone?" Oriana groaned, immediately crossing the threshold of the room. She was used to Mac's belligerent temper tantrums. Usually nothing came about from his threats, but Oriana tried not to press his buttons. Whatever made it easier on herself while fighting the mild sexism racing through her football team, she did. Oriana frowned when Alex held the phone away from her.
"You're friends with this fucking psycho?" He hissed in disbelief.
"His name's Mac, he's a dude from the team. Just, give me the phone," Oriana objected, reaching for the phone as she listened to Mac's thick ranting.
"But he—"
"Jamie, please. I'll set him right with everything."
"Ry!" Alex blurted in disbelief as Oriana finally grasped the phone. She offered him a short glare, causing his words to shrivel just at the tip of his tongue. Both he and Howie fell dramatically silent, listening to Oriana's end of the conversation.
"Hey, Mac-Attack! ... Yeah, sorry. Dude, I was in the shower! What did you want me to do? ... Damn, yeah... Yeah, Howie's my boyfriend... Well, I couldn't wait forever for your ass to come back to town, right? ... Oh, please, Mac, you've got tons of girls to keep you occupied, you won't be missing anything by me dating another guy... Yeah... No... Yeah, bottom of the pile... Yes, damnit, Mac, I know that this week's an important game! It's not like I told someone to purposely stomp on my fucking arm—" Oriana was silenced by a short muffled growl from Mac. "Yeah, I understand... Yes, I'm going to keep dating—Adios, Mac."
"What did you mean that you would keep dating?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow as Oriana placed her phone on the cradle.
"What do you think I meant?" Oriana countered, noticing both boys were occupying her bed. She sighed softly, using her good arm to rub the back of her neck as she collapsed onto her nearby couch. There would be Hell at the game when Ace found out the damage Howie and Alex had caused. No one upset Mac, not with Ace in charge.
"I don't know. That's why I was asking?"
Oriana arched her light blonde brows with question as she allowed her thick curls to tumble free from the damp towel. She tilted her head, immediately reading Alex's worried brown eyes. "You think I meant that I'd keep dating Mac, didn't you?"
"With the things he said about you and something about freshman year—"
"I've never dated him. I never will date him. I was telling him that I was going to continue to see Howie and he hung the phone up on me. Okay? It's not a big deal," Oriana interrupted, not even wanting to pry deeper into that situation. She sighed softly, drawing her favorite blanket around her body from the back of her couch. She had enough stress for one night.
"I think this is a signal for me to shut up for the night and go to my room," Alex frowned, standing up.
"Jamie, I didn't mean it like that–"
"I took what you said the wrong way, and you set me right. It's okay," Alex shook his head. "Besides, I don't want to be the third wheel or anything—"
"Jamie," Oriana scorned with a groan. "You're not the third wheel. You're never going to be the third wheel. You're Howie's best friend and you're going to be my big brother. That'll never make you any kind of wheel. Alright? We want you to stay, right, Howie?"
"Huh?" Howie looked up, his eyes still dark with anger at Mac's words. "Oh! Yeah, man. You don't have to go."
"Are you–"
"Jamie, why don't you go get ready for bed and come back in here. This couch pulls out into a bed. It's just been a long night. Crash in here, okay?" Oriana continued, not liking Howie's facial expressions.
"You're sure?"
"For the last time, yes. Go and get ready for bed, we'll be here."
"You staying the night, D?" Alex questioned hesitantly.
"Yeah," Howie agreed.
"Okay, I'll be right back," Alex relented, quickly slipping out the door.
"Thank God," Oriana breathed with relief, thankful Alex's emotions had been settled. Though, she was still unsure of Howie's perspective. No one really cared for Mac, but Howie's distaste was all too apparent. Trying to hide her frown, Oriana stood up from the couch and gently eased her aching body into her bed, reaching for her pile of covers.
"Oriana?" Howie called from the couch.
"Yeah, Howie?"
"You don't mind if I stay the night, do you?" he asked, unsure of how to really explain the other emotions wheeling about his mind. He wanted to confront her on the callous words Mac had thrown. Then he wanted to confront her with Brian's possible attack. Yet, he knew her state was far too fragile for that pressure. He should be more concerned about her welfare. After all, she had just pulled away from an extremely terrible attack from her mother.
"Yeah, of course. You're always welcomed to stay any time you like," Oriana replied with a fading smile. She gently shifted so she could pull the covers up with her good arm, nestling her cast arm across her chest. "C'mon, the bed's waiting for my teddy bear, right?"
"Right," Howie agreed, stripping down to his wife beater and black boxers before gently climbing into Oriana's bed.
"You okay?" she asked as silence settled around them like a scratchy blanket. She carefully shifted, not liking the large distance that had settled between their bodies. He was lying perfectly still on the left side, stiff as a board.
"Yeah... why wouldn't I be?" Howie replied, knowing if he looked into her eyes that she would be able to see he was lying.
"Because you're..." Oriana found herself at a loss for words, trying to delicately describe the situation. She didn't know what Mac had said, but she was assured it would have been crude and callous. She frowned, gently easing herself up into a somewhat sitting position. "You're not touching me, you're almost falling off the side of the bed, and you're really quiet..."
"I just thought that since you had a long day and you were aching that–"
"Bullshit, Howie. Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing, okay?"
"Nothing?" Oriana countered skeptically, reaching over to cup her hand beneath his chin. She gently moved his head so their eyes would match. "You can honestly look me in the eyes and tell me nothing's wrong? Because you promised to never lie... But if you say there's nothing wrong, then I'll drop it. Okay? Just, tell me."
"Ria—"
"Tell me."
"It's just..." Howie sighed heavily, still looking in her eyes. "Do you really want to be with a geeky senior like me who wouldn't be able to get into a school like Duke?"
Oriana relaxed for a moment with a sad smile, gently running her hand along his cheek. "You're still worried about whether or not I want to be with you?"
"Well, Mac said—"
"Mac has nothing to do with us," Oriana quietly interrupted, refusing to let Howie think otherwise. She shifted yet again to a sitting position, gently running her good fingers through Howie's mussed curls. "Sweetheart, I like you and that's all that matters. And I need you to keep me sane. I've been falling apart for awhile now, but I feel better than I ever have when you're by my side. I don't care if Mac's at Duke and thinks he's a bad-ass because he made varsity. That doesn't count in my heart, only you do."
"Really?" Howie whispered, grasping her hand that was going through his curls and threading his fingers through hers.
"Honest to God," she answered, finally offering a true smile. "I know I can't tell you that I love you yet or say any of those words to comfort you. But you have to understand that my sun rises and sets in your eyes. And then every night when I sleep, I can feel you in the moonlight. Trust me, you're the only one that's ever going to have my heart for keeps. Okay? I don't care if you drop out of school and become a roadside bum, I just need you."
"I need you, too. More than you'll ever know," he smiled, kissing her hand. "I dreamed for so long that you would be in my life and now that it's finally happened... I just sometimes worry that I'm still dreaming. "
"Well, let me prove to you that you're not dreaming," she whispered sweetly, bending down to brush her lips against his own. She pulled away for just a moment, finally bending down to capture his lips again in a stirring heat. "See, you're awake."
"I think I need another reminder that I'm awake," he replied with a smirk.
"I think you better just sign my cast to prove you’re awake," she tempted, causing him to pout. She affectionately rolled her eyes, leaning down to clasp his lips to her own for another sweet kiss. She finally was acting as if nothing happened previously. It was just her life continuing normally.
"Now that I know I'm awake, I'll sign your cast," Howie propped himself up on his elbow and dug a permanent marker out of her nightstand.
"Nothing perverted, the kids at the Center will be signing it," Oriana teased as Howie gently took her cast into his lap, uncapping the pen. She raised her eyes to the door as Alex snuck in to jump on the bed, obviously eager to get his name on the cast.
"Nothing perverted, I promise," Howie chuckled.
"You can put the perverted stuff on my ass," Oriana snickered.
"I don't want to hear that!" Alex screeched.
"Do you realize how fun this is going to be? Alex being your best friend and my big brother?" Oriana whispered in Howie's ear, causing Alex's body to tense.
"I know, it's going to be great," Howie whispered back with a grin.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! None of that!" Alex warned with a growl, causing Oriana to laugh. He noticed Howie finish signing his name with a heart, causing Alex to become weary with the words on the cast. "Why don't you read what you wrote aloud so I can deem it appropriate?"
"Of course it's appropriate, little kids are going to be signing–"
"Read," Alex barked with a protective growl.
"Just read it so he doesn't lose any brain cells," Oriana replied, rolling her eyes towards Alex.
"You're lucky you have a broken arm, Ry–"
"Dr. Mambo, shut up," Oriana laughed, clamping her hand across Alex's mouth to prevent him speaking. Alex mumbled incoherently, immediately glaring to Howie.
"Fine, okay? I wrote... My Ria, sorry that you hurt your arm, but you're always going to be my MVP. And, I promise that I'll always be there to take care of you, cast or no cast. Love, Howie. See, nothing pornographic about it."
"But, Howie, you forgot this other part... We'll stop using the whips and chains till the cast gets removed..." Oriana trailed, pretending she was reading off the cast.
"Whips and chains?!" Alex exclaimed behind Oriana's hand.
"Oh! I forgot the nipple clips, too," Oriana chirped.
"NIPPLE CLIPS?!"
"They even have electrodes, Jamie--"
"Nuh-uh, no way! Not my little sister and best friend!"
"Never heard of Sadomachoism?" Oriana mused, trying not to laugh at the priceless look crossing Alex's flustered face.
"I always thought he did know what it was with the way his room was decorated," Howie teased, clicking his tongue.
"A—" Alex couldn't even form the words in his mouth. His brown eyes grew larger by the moment as his heart rate seemed to increase. He struggled to breathe, grasping at his chest.
"Woah, Dr. Mambo, calm down," Oriana laughed, gently tapping on her cast. "He didn't write anything like that, okay? Besides, could you really see Howie getting off on that kind of shit?"
"No, but—"
"Just, sign my cast, kiss me goodnight, and jump onto the couch," Oriana soothed softly, kissing Alex's forehead.
"Alright, I'm signing," Alex replied, taking the marker from Howie.
"You're something else, you know that?" Oriana laughed, watching Alex sloppily sign something sweet to her cast.
"Yeah, but that's what makes me so loveable!"
"True," Oriana agreed as he tossed the pen onto her nightstand. He sat for a moment, glancing around the room. Oriana groaned, wondering if he lost her train of thought. "Kiss me goodnight and jump onto the couch?"
"I thought we could all hang out on the bed for awhile—"
"Alex, I'm going to bed."
"But—"
"Why are you so intent on hanging out on the bed? Looking for a threesome or something?" Oriana bluntly questioned, causing Alex to gasp for air. She rolled her eyes, realizing he would be quite tender around those conversations for the most part. She quickly pushed her brother to the top of her bed, placing a pillow on his legs. She then curled down onto his legs, resting her arm against her chest. "Fine, hang out on the bed..."
"You're going to cuddle on me?" Alex questioned, glancing to Howie with an arch of his dark brows.
"Well, you want to be on the bed, there's no where else for you to go but take my side. And I doubt you'd want to cuddle with Howie. So, this is my only option," Oriana concluded with a soft yawn.
"She does have a good point," Howie replied with a chuckle.
"What, she can't go over to you and cuddle?"
"You're saying you won't yell and watch us like a hawk if we do?"
"I don't know... I just don't know if I feel right with her lying on my legs with her boyfriend right across from us..." Alex fumbled to explain, wondering if he should let his protective side fall.
"You could just trust the both of us and she could cuddle with me. But you have to calm down and realize that we won't do anything inappropriate."
"Um..." Alex hesitated for a moment, finally running his hands through Oriana's damp curls. "Sweetheart, why don't you go cuddle with Howie and I'll get to the couch?"
"You don't mind?" Oriana sleepily replied, obviously exhausted.
"No, I don't mind at all," he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Go on, you need your sleep anyway."
"Mmm, okay," she sighed softly as Alex finally slipped from the bed. He pulled down the covers for a moment, allowing Oriana to crawl over to Howie's side of the bed. She moved to grab a pillow and lay it on Howie's abdomen, then she collapsed down against his chest, resting her cast on the pillow. Her eyes immediately drooped closed.
"Here's a pillow for you, man," Howie gently threw Alex a pillow. "You need anything else?"
"Besides a prayer to make sure she stays safe through everything?" Alex countered, grasping the pillow with ease. He placed it behind his back, sliding down onto the couch while grasping the warm blanket over his body. He was already starting to realize how important Oriana was to his life. She held a great power over him, actually giving him great amounts of joys. She was God's gift to Alex, giving him the chance to finally feel more than just a worthless blob in humanity. Alex sighed and turned to his side to make sure he captured Howie's gaze. Neither boy seemed to be tired, listening to Oriana's soft breaths.
"I'm not going—"
"Not you. Mac... and Brian... and whatever else. She deserves to be safe and happy, you know?"
"You alright, J?" Howie asked, gently running his hands along Oriana's back to soothe her. He had never seen Alex so thoughtful and caring.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... I really love her..." Alex fumbled to explain, turning to look up to the ceiling.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Howie replied carefully. "Oriana has really changed you for the better, and I can tell she makes you feel better about yourself. I mean, she's your sister. You should love her."
"Yeah, but I'll never love her as much as you love her..." Alex trailed with a soft smile, glancing over to Howie for a passing moment. "I'm really glad you finally got her."
"Yeah, me too. I always thought that I never would... but I did," Howie replied, blushing as he ran his hands through Oriana's locks.
"Never take that for granted."
