Fake (A Pretty Pill) (40 page)

“Good, I love you Silas.” I say pushing his head back from mine and wiping my hand over his forehead.

“I love you too.”

“How profound that the love of my life is an Australian fighter who desperately needs me as much as I need him?” I whisper.

He looks directly in
to my eyes, grabs the back of my head and forces my face forward to give me a searing and passionate kiss.

Silas.

Made for me.

She’s made for me and it’s obvious to me now that everything I’ve ever done and been through was preparing me for this woman, for her and only her.

And it gives me hope that I can get through.

I remember what Dr. Jensen said to me:

“There’s always hope Silas.  Never forget that.”

I have hope, and I’m trusting hope won’t fail me.

***

Stalking, false imprisonment and identity fraud, and yet he’s still on the loose and getting away with everything.

We’re the ones that have to make changes
, we’re the ones that need to flee and place even more people at risk.  I don’t like making Jade and Ben targets, especially my nephew, little Ben.  But here we are, leaving our apartment and moving in with my sister and my best friend, till we can better decide what to do.

***

“Good morning.” Isi says softly.

“Good morning.” I reply
just as softly.  She’s staring at me and grinning.

I
suddenly realize its Christmas morning and my heart rate just shoots through the roof.

Ben and I
managed a precarious balancing act this week. We’ve been discretely preparing my gift for Isi.  And since she’s been training with us and around nearly every second of every day, it’s proved difficult.

Especially since I claimed
victory in Albuquerque, New Mexico on decision, on points. 

It’s been five days and my face still carries the telltale signs of an epic fight.  She’s
been nursing me and making sure I’m okay all the time.  I kind of love it, but I need her to understand that this is what I do; I get hurt for a living and dish out some pain of my own.  However, it meant she was always hovering around me.

But t
his fight was cathartic as well.  It was a necessary fight for me, because I needed to get my angst out.  The guy was heavily tipped to win, since his experience far outweighed my own, and the main idea was to manage to get through the three rounds without getting knocked out.  These fights Hansen has secured, although not underground, were not originally intended; so I can be sure that any officials that do come to watch me are flying under the radar and merely
‘checking out the talent’
.  The fact that I’m up for consideration weighs heavily on what they see, for last minute deliberation.  It was only yesterday that Hansen rang to tell me I do actually have a contract. 

Hansen did a stellar job getting as much as he did, it
’s a low figure.  I’ll have to pick up some money on the side… do some other MMA fights and stuff.  But that was the plan this last year as well.  We’re just starting a year later than originally planned.

The
gym has said I could pick up some personal training work, so maybe I can do that too.

Regardless
, right now I have the angelic face of Isi before me, with her warm body pressed up against mine and a Christmas day to get through.

I smile at her and she traces the edge of the bruising on my cheek.

“How long till you think we should get up and make our way out there?” she asks.

“After I have my way with you.” I grin.

“You get to have your way with me nearly every morning; lately, that would in fact be every morning.” She smiles.

“And night.” I add.

“And night.” She agrees.  “I’m starting to think you’ve just made me into a sex slave and masquerade around town as actually being my boyfriend.”

“There’s
nothing fake about this.” I say grabbing her hand and placing it over my rapidly beating heart.

S
he smiles.  It’s the best smile and it makes me shiver, because I know it’s all for me.  As long as I want this for its mine.  And I want it forever.

“I want to wake up next to you forever.” I whisper, moving into her and hooking her leg over my hip.

“Why are you so grown up, and why do you always know what to say?” she asks.

I pull my head back and look at her.

“Jade would say the opposite.  She’d tell me to grow up.”

“She’s not the one that’s in love with you.”

“You’re in love with me?” I ask with a huge grin plastered across my face.

“Of course,
I don’t give myself to just anyone you know.” She jokes.

But i
t’s a sobering thought.  I’ve had two partners, she’s the second and she’s the last one I’m ever going to have.  There’s no more, she’s the one for me, my forever.  I could never give my heart away again, because I’m just not cut out for it.  Equally I couldn’t be a serial dater and hitch up a series of one night stands.  Getting close to people means too much to me, and being intimate with someone is getting seriously close.

I know
that Isi lost her virginity at 16.  I also know that although she was never loosely promiscuous, she was looking for love for years before her accident.  I don’t want to know about the number of guys she’s slept with.  It would kill me.  But she’s only sleeping with me now and I want it to stay that way forever.

“You haven’t answered my question.” she says.

“Grown up?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know?  I’ve never been the same as anyone else; maybe I’m a bit like Jade?  She grew up fast.  I suppose it was weird being a teenager growing up without my parents.  I had to learn how to accept things that were different.  I had to fight for everything I had, including myself.  I don’t know.  I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about things.  Maybe that made me a bit more grown up?  Why, how old do you think I am mentally?” I ask.

“It’s difficult to put an age on you.  Firstly,” She begins, snuggling into me tighter and placing her head on my chest, “You’re very insightful to the way people should be treated.”

“I’ve always been like that.  I’ve always stuck up for the underdog. I used to get into brawls and put bullies in their place all the time.”

“Well
that’s pretty mature, it shows you have empathy.  And then there’s your desire to be the bread winner, to
‘look after’
your family rather than sponge off of them.  That’s not very teenager of you.” she chuckles.

I smile.

“But then there’s the emotional side.  You can be very dependant.  However, you’re also very strong.  It just seems you require approval from me and constant signals that we’re okay so that you’re okay.” She says pulling herself into me harder.

“I’m not sure how to respond to that.  It’s true.  I ga
uge off of you.  You own me Isi, it’s not a platitude, because you really do own me.” I explain.

“I know
, because you own me too.” she whispers.  “And lastly, there’s your thinking and how you structure your responses.  You’re very much on my wave-length, and we can talk really easily about all sorts of things.  You use big words and give thoughtful insight to most of the things you talk about.  You and I have incredible conversations that are intellectual, some that are funny and some that are downright sexy.” she growls.  “The fact that I can have a conversation with you that involves more than pussy, beer and football is pretty awesome.”

“I like the sound of that pussy part.” I growl and move my hand to her warmth, feeling her through her panties.

“You’re going to distract me.”

“No way.” I
goad, beginning to rub her mound.  “So how old am I?”

She
giggles and breathes huskily.  “My age?”

“40?” I ask
incredulously.

She squirms to get free, but I’m not having it
so I make my move to pin her down and head under the covers.

She calms down when she feels my mouth
on her clit, having gained access into her panties in record time.

“Silas.”
She quietly laments to the ceiling.

***

I love the watch, I really do.  I unceremoniously take my old one off and give it to Jade to put away, and then I’m fiddling with this new one that has all these cool settings and alarms.

“I love
it; I’ll keep it on forever.” I say.

“Except when you go to bed at night, or fight.” Jade says.

“No, I’ll wear it there too.” I roll my eyes.

I lean back towards the tree and pull out a present.

“Isi, open this one.” I ask her, handing over the big rectangular shaped gift.

She
tears it opens, covers her mouth and then looks at me.

“When,
where did this get taken?” she asks.

It’s a
profile photo of us in black and white.  I’m looking into her eyes and she’s smiling seductively back at me.  I remember kissing her seconds after that instant.  Jade caught us at just the right moment.

Jade had taken it with her camera before the ill-fated Thanksgiving Day dinner. 
We were standing outside, having just walked through their garden, locating all the bulbs that were peeking up out of the ground because Isi really likes them.

Later, when
Jade showed it to me, I asked her not to show Isi; and I had a copy made into a portrait photo, framed professionally by a local framing studio.

I explain its origins to her.

“It’s beautiful, we look beautiful.” She begins to tear up.

“You two are beautiful.” Jade
insists.  “Now no tears, I have a gift for everyone.” She shoves her hands under the tree and pulls out soft presents for each of us.  She tosses them after acknowledging the correct name on each.  Curiously she has one for herself.

There are groans all round
and some laughter.

“Really Jade?” I ask.
  This is just really stupid.  I mean it’s also kind of funny, but at the same time it’s embarrassing that my sister has this really weird sense of humor that has to involve us all.

“Yes, really.” Jade replies smiling.

Black t-shirts with bold white writing,
TACO
across the chest.

Isi is giggling.

“Did you know about this?” I ask her.

“No
.  But it’s funny.”

“It’s really stupid.” I point out.

“Look what’s written on the back.” Ben groans.

I turn mine around.

Bite me.

“Oh
Jesus Jade,” I whine and argue. “This is ridiculous.”

“Put them on everyone,
or you’re out of the club.  This is the club headquarters and that means you’ll have to leave the house as well.” Jade explains
her
rules.

Ben gives her an incredulous look.  “I live here.”

“Only if you wear that.” Jade says.

“How often?” he asks
in a whining tone.

“Today.”

“Thank God it’s not our new mandatory uniform from the frau.” he grumbles, giving her a fascist salute.  She knocks his hand down and scowls at him.

“Why doesn’t little Ben have to wear one?” I question.

“He’s neither an orphan nor a castoff.” Jade reasons.

“I think there’s been
some sort of a switch here.” Ben begins.  “Silas take back your bipolar and stop sharing your mental health issues with your family.”

“Screw you Ben
, if she wants it she can have it.” I point at him and smile.

“Off
you go, get changed and then return here for the rest of the presents.” Jade argues with us.

In our bedroom I’m watching as Isi laug
hs her head off at the t-shirts, pulling off her sweater and pulling her shirt over her head and covering up the body she only just now revealed to me.  I wish I was throwing her on the bed right now and claiming her instead.  But I have something I need to do yet, so I just continue.

“She’s going loopy.  I’m not sure if she’ll ever recover.” I complain
about Jade.

“She’s just having fun.” Isi says
, pulling down her sweater over the shirt.

I chuckle.

“I love that photo.” She says coming over to me and hugging me.

“I love the watch.  Especially the inscription
, but I’ve got another present for you, so let’s get out there.” I explain.

“I’ve got you more presents too.”