Lynnia (27 page)

Dario

“You are not serious. If you think I’m about to allow you to move my grown ass back into your house. Injured or not, you’re more cracked than I thought you were!”

Dario usually didn’t speak to his parents in the tone he was speaking, but he was pissed off. He loved them more than life itself, some days. That had everything to do with the fact that he had his own place. The place was far enough away from the two of them that he had time to miss them. They were not about to use his broken leg as a way to rope him into returning home. They might as well strap him to a chair and flip the switch. The death penalty would be more welcome than what they were suggesting. Vic had the nerve to stand behind his father and try not to laugh at the scene that was unfolding before the both of them.

“What would you suggest, son? Watch your tone when you respond. Grown or not, we are still the ones that clothed and fed you the majority of your life.”

He took a calming breath as he looked at his father. Dario couldn’t fault his father for being a little upset with him and the way he spoke to them. It was out of character for him to not only raise his voice at them, but to also use foul language around them, especially his mother. His father came to expect it from both of his sons.

“I’m sorry, Mom and Dad. I should have found a better way to express what it was that I was feeling. What I should’ve said was I enjoy my life and I like my little spot that I have. I don’t want to move back home because of some measly injury.”

“That measly injury is a broken leg which is something you have to stay off of for at least two weeks. You need someone there to help you do the day-to-day tasks and make sure you are fed. You also need your medicines and things. Dario, you can’t do all of that.”

“Ma, I’m not a pet that you have to look after or keep on a short leash. I can manage those things. Take out is an amazing option and …”

His mother’s glare shut off any of his other statements. He was officially shut down. She wasn’t having it. There would be no more reasoning with her. He was going to have to deal with the fact that she wasn’t going to budge on making sure he was well taken care of.

“How about this? Why don’t you guys stay here in Florida for the few weeks and enjoy the state in the fall? You can check in on me and my progress every other day and Lindsay can check on me the other days. She can report to you on the days that you’re not around so your thoughts are clear of freaking out.”

He tried not to think about the fact that he was suggesting Lindsay check on him and not the other Norton sister. Her presence had been missed yesterday. He would be lying if he said it didn’t bother him that she didn’t return yesterday. Now that he was being released, he thought maybe she would show up to escort him home, but she was nowhere to be found. She was back to not answering her phone.

His mother’s quirked eyebrow let him know that his disappointment was hidden as well as he thought it was. He could endure Lindsay’s highly sexed up ways for a couple weeks. If it kept his parents appeased, then he would deal with the woman that seemed to want to either suck him off or jump his bones at a moment’s notice. Living the life that he was living shouldn’t be that hard. Most men would kill for a woman being more than willing to drop and give them twenty licks whenever the mood hit them.
What was wrong with him?

The other Norton sister, that’s what.

~~~~~~~

Two and a half weeks later

Dario felt like he was just about ready to take the knife that was intended for him to use to cut the steak on his plate and use it to cut open an artery. It didn’t have to be a major one, just one that would get him out from under the watchful eye of his mother. He was no longer comfortable in his own home.

He’d been given crutches at the beginning of the week. Dario wanted to make sure he worked on the things that his physical therapist prescribed that he do. He also wanted to get some more practice in using the things. The doctor said he would be using them for a little while.

His first task had been to make it from his usual perch in his recliner to the kitchen counter where the dinner his mother had prepared waited to be plated. She’d gone to take care of some of his laundry. Making it to the freaking counter was a feat of expertise as he maneuvered around furniture and finally reached his goal. The chicken breast, Rice-A-Roni, sweet peas, and homemade biscuits were calling his name and making his stomach growl. His stomach sounded like a monstrous beast by the time he made it to the food. He grabbed a piece of the chicken breast and chased it with a squirt of the bar-b-que sauce that was sitting out, begging to be used. Balancing himself just right, he grabbed a handful of the rice and tossed it back. The 1-liter jug of tea was within reach and he wanted a taste of his mother’s special tea. Leaning against the counter, he water-falled the drink. After two gulps, his mother cleared her throat.

“Nice to know some things don’t change. You’re still as disgusting as you were when you were living under our roof,” she’d told him then she lifted a plate, cup and some silverware. “These are what normal people use to eat and drink. Here, come have a seat and I’ll show you how to not act like a caveman or Neanderthal.”

“Ha ha ha. You’re so funny, Ma. I’m going to sign you up to go on tour or something. How much longer do I have to deal with this insanity? I’ve got a life to live and I’m ready to get back to work or do something other than look out the window at life passing me by.”

His mother just smiled and nodded her head. She began humming a tune that he hadn’t heard before.

“You could always call your bestie. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind stopping by if you needed her to.”

That would be a big, fat, no go. There was no way he was getting ready to call that woman. There are certain early warnings you heed and this was one of them. He needed to just find something else to occupy his time. Lynnia would not be a pastime, passing ship or used to be his night’s entertainment. She was more than that. She always had been, even if she refused to see it for herself. He did. He always had and always would.

“No ma’am. I’m sure she has enough going on in her world right now. I don’t want to be another task on her never-ending list of things she needs to take care of. Lindsay should be here soon. I can get her to get me out of the apartment for a little while.”

His mother made a face and mumbled something to herself. He could tell that Lindsay did not have an ally when it came to his mother. If he announced he was done with Lindsay and didn’t want to hear from the woman again, then his mother would gladly volunteer to deliver the message, personally. The sweet, non-confrontational mother would be gone and the protector of her legacy would appear. Lindsay would be erased from his mother’s memory and every aspect of that woman would be scrubbed from all of their lives. She would literally scrub down every surface of the apartment. That’s how much he knew she didn’t like the woman he appeared to be “dating.”

Sadly, he needed to keep her around for a little while longer. Dario needed her as a buffer and a distraction to keep his parents away for at a least two days of the week. During the time that she was here with him, she’d had some new plan of attack to get him to fuck her. Maybe that’s what his mother sensed. The woman was a bloodhound when it came to sniffing out skanky females. Was that the vibe she got when she saw Lindsay? Probably so.

Lindsay didn’t seem to care if his parents were in the vicinity or not, she would rub up against him or grope him whenever she felt the need to. He’d had more blow jobs in the last two weeks than he probably had in his twenties. She’d used her fingers, his fingers, and a remote control dildo to get herself off in his presence. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to fuck her. He didn’t feel right having sex with her when the person he really wanted was doing her best to ignore him. There was something going on with her. He knew it. He couldn’t move on knowing that things weren’t right with her. The air needed to be cleared. The problem was trying to figure out how to clear things up with someone who seemed to be doing everything in their power to avoid you. It was his major dilemma. This time apart was doing nothing for him, but making him more and more miserable. Knowing his observant mother, that would be the reason she kept bringing up his friend. She knew that he wouldn’t be happy until he had things back on track with her.

Dario looked at a photo of the two of them when they were fresh out of high school and preparing to start the next phase of their lives. They’d looked so happy and had never been closer than that day. The night before they graduated they’d stayed up talking about what they wanted for their future. It amazed him how much their futures seemed to line up. Hindsight reflected just how much of an idiot he was. He had the perfect package all wrapped up in one woman and he’d let her sit, hidden in the background all of these years. The woman he missed was not only the love of his life, but the best friend he ever had. She knew him in ways no other woman could. There was history there and he wanted that back. He just didn’t know what to do to get her attention long enough to tell her what he’d finally figured out and was ready to say.

He looked at his mother and she had a smile on her face. Not even bothering to ask, he made his way back to his perch to contemplate ways to get that woman alone if he was confined to his home for another week. Whatever way it was done, he was going to talk to that Norton sister and find out what was the deal with her.

Chapter 15