Taking Risks (13 page)

             
I gave Risks arm a little tug, letting him know that I was going to talk to Gray. Instead of waiting for me to return, he followed me, never releasing my hand. He looked directly into the corner at Gray, but I knew he couldn’t see him standing there. It was all feeling for Risk. I flashed Gray a cocky grin to try and show him that I was okay, but his solemn expression remained the same. I couldn’t keep up with my act for too long. I was angry and concerned for Risk, but mostly, I really just wanted to head home and pass out on my amazing bed. I told Gray that Risk and I would be at the house and asked him to ride with us, but he declined and vanished after saying goodbye. As soon as Gray was gone I felt a tension release from Risks grip that I hadn’t realized was there before.

             
I briefly explained to Remi about what happened and she gave me a friendly hug. I wasn’t used to female camaraderie so my return hug was a bit stiff, but I loved the friendly affection. I asked her to explain to Jane for me and she agreed and told me to go home and get some rest.

             
Risk followed me to my house in his junk car that he and his parents shared. I was surprised the thing could make it five miles without overheating, but it seemed to get him everywhere he needed to go. Risk was also a hell of a mechanic (or so he said) so having a junk car was probably worth the money to him. Risk was reluctant to leave me alone for the short ride home, but he checked in my back seat and trunk to make sure no goblins were hiding there. After that, he seemed satisfied enough that I could make it home without dying.

             
We pulled up to my house and before I could even get my stuff together, Risk was opening my door for me. I muttered a “thank you” and stepped out, trying not to drop anything. Before I reached for the door knob Risk blocked me from entering. I looked at him, a little annoyed because my arms were full of junk, but quickly noticed that he looked…
guilty
.

             
He took a deep breath, “I’m so sorry Marlee. I went and talked to my mom earlier today, and she seemed fine with us dating. I was actually surprised by her reaction, but I should’ve known better. That woman is a conniving
bitch
and I’ll never hand either of my parents another dime.”

             
“Risk…where are you going to live? You know if you’re not supplying them with booze, and whatever else they want, than they’re going to kick you out on your ass!” I didn’t want to sound harsh, but I did, however, want to keep him from making any silly decisions. Even though it meant that he would still be living with his father.

             
“I know babe…I’ll figure it out. I’ve been through worse.” Risk flashed a smile, obviously trying to lighten the mood, and it worked. I was putty in his hands with that smile. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his lips down to mine so that I could plant a soft kiss on him.

             
“I’ll help you in any way that I can, and my mom is always working so you can always stay with me the nights that she’s gone.” I winked at him and hoped that I was getting my point across. I wanted him to take me up to the bedroom. After the night that we had together I could think of nothing other than his lips on my body.

             
“Well you know your mom’s going to be back in the morning.” He said and smiled at me.

             
It startled to me that he knew that. I thought that he had somehow talked to my mother behind my back, but then I remembered that she had left a note in plain sight that had said that she would be back on Sunday morning so we could go dress shopping. I got excited as I thought about how my mom and I were going to be spending some much needed girl time together, but I
really
wanted Risk to stay with me another night. If he wasn’t going to stay with me than where could he possibly go?

             
“I guess you’ll be sleeping on the couch, than. I’ll explain it to Mom in the morning.”

             
I stood with my arms crossed over my chest and a stern look on my face. Risk laughed at me, but I stood my ground.

             
“I’m
not
doing that Marlee. Besides… I have to go talk to my dad. We don’t have a phone at the house and he’s going to be wondering where Mom is.”

             
I had a serious pout plastered on my face. I knew he was making a good decision, but I hated that he was doing it for
them
. His parents purposely broke him down to a shell of a person so that he felt that he was only deserving of the kind of love that they would give him, and it was a shitty kind of love. He felt completely loyal to them. I thought about the exchange of looks between Risk and his mom at Rocktop. I realized that it wasn’t a look of hatred for his mother that I saw on his face, but maybe it was directed at himself, rather than the woman who had threatened to kill me. That was something that Risk and I would eventually have to discuss.

             
Risk and I went inside where we found Gray. I played the middle man as they exchanged some pleasantries, then I excused myself to talk with Gray alone. I wanted to find out what was bothering him so much, and honestly, Gray and I hadn’t spent much time together since Risk and I had gotten close and I was seriously missing my best friend.

             
We left Risk sitting in front of the TV and Gray followed me to my room. Since I actually had to walk, Gray turned it into a race and of course he beat me there. I was jealous of his ghosty teleportation thing. When I reached the room, I closed the door behind me and watched Gray for a moment as he stared out of my window. He was wearing the same solemn look as he had at the bar.

             
“How’s it going, punk?” I smiled and made a swing at the air that made up his arm, but my fist passed right through him, like I knew it would. Gray turned to me and smiled a sad smile.

             
“I can’t even imagine what that boy has been through, Mar. He’s lived with those people his entire life! That woman tried to
kill
you tonight! When parents give their kids up for adoption they expect them to be loved and cared for. How have those creeps gotten away with it all of these years?”

             
My heart broke for my friends. Gray was miserable, stuck in a place between worlds and all alone except for the small companionship that I could offer him. Risk was also a lost soul. He had grown up being despised, but he had so much love in his heart to offer someone. I didn’t even think he really knew what it was to be loved, but I was sure as hell going to make sure that he knew how I felt about him.

             
“I don’t know Gray, but I intend to help him. We have so much going on right now that it’s impossible to prioritize it all. I feel like I’m drowning in responsibility right now and can’t seem to do anything right! That being said, I’m sorry that we haven’t talked much lately. I’ve missed you, dork.”

             
That made him smile, and it was heartwarming to be reminded of how much he cared for me. Gray wasn’t grounded to one spot. He knew no hunger and never got tired. He could travel the entire world and see everything that it had to offer if he wanted to, but he stayed with me and was my best friend because it’s what he wanted. I knew something more had to have brought him to my little town to begin with. Maybe he lived here once or maybe he had visited and had a fond memory of the place, but he couldn’t remember why he was here and he only stuck around for me.

             
Gray got comfortable on my bed and then his heart felt smile turned into a bad boy smirk after he saw the love of our friendship written on my face. Gray always got uncomfortable in sentimental situations.

             
“I guess I’m keeping you from having a…good time, so I’ll let you get back to that. Before you go though, will you put some music on for me?”

             
I rolled my eyes (which made Gray sigh annoyingly) and went to shuffle through my cd’s until he pointed to a Sublime album. I popped the cd in and said goodbye as Gray started to sing along. I walked as quietly as I could down the stairs and into the living room so that I could sneak up on Risk who I found sitting on the couch watching Golden Girls. I got as close as I could to his ear and just before I scared Jesus right out of him, he reached up and grabbed my arms and pulled me forward to flip me over the back of the couch. He started tickling me like it was his goal to make me pee my pants. After he had finally let up, it took me an entire five minutes to catch my breath again.

             
“You should never try and scare someone who has a secret super power.” He laughed and leaned down to kiss me.

             
“Super power?” I laughed at his reference to his gift.

             
“Oh yeah. I like to think of it as my spidey-sense, like the thing that Spiderman has.” His green eyes twinkled and he looked like a little boy.

             
I had no idea how anyone could
not
love this man. He was beautiful inside and out and he deserved better than that. I crawled into his lap and he wrapped me in his arms as I laid my head on his shoulder. It wasn’t long before my exciting day caught up with me and my eye lids started drooping. I fought the sleep that was threatening to overtake me as long as I could before I finally gave in.

              I woke up to Betty White cracking jokes on TV and felt cold and alone. I looked up and saw Gray sitting in the recliner next to the couch that I was sprawled out on. It was so funny to me that two of the most gorgeous men I had ever seen could sit around watching Golden Girls all night, not that Gray could change the channel, but he seemed pretty engulfed in the show.

             
“What time is it?” I asked while trying to wipe the sleep from my eyes.

             
He turned his head without actually looking away from the TV, “It’s a little after five a.m. Risk left about a half an hour ago. Go back to sleep, your mom should be home any time.”

             
I couldn’t go back to sleep. I needed to know where Risk went and if he was okay, but I couldn’t text him at five in the morning. I would look like a crazy girlfriend. I knew he had to go tell his dad about what happened at Rocktop, but I seriously doubted that his dad was awake that early in the morning, and they couldn’t bail his mom out until she went in front of a judge. That wouldn’t happen until Monday morning, and it was Sunday. My inner self and I had an argument about whether or not I should text him until she finally gave in and I sent him a quick text.

             
“
Hey, I just woke up and I was cold without your arms around me. ;) Where did you run off to so late?”

             
My phone chirped about two minutes later. Risk had obviously still been awake.

             
“Just talking to my dad. Let me know when you’re done with shopping and I’ll come over. We need to talk.”

             
Oh shit, that didn’t sound good.

             
“Sure! I can’t wait to see you!”

             
“You too. Ttyl.”

             
I started to freak out when our conversation was over. Hearing “We need to talk” was never a good thing, especially in a new relationship. I was just about to freak out to Gray when my phone chirped again.

             
“I just want to let you know how completely in love with you I am. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise.”

             
I giggled like a thirteen year old girl and stomped my feet in excitement. I sent a text back to Risk.

             
“I love you too Risk. Always remember that.”

             
We hadn’t actually exchanged the “I love you’s” yet. I guess he had said it to me before, but I had never actually said it to him. The only other time I had said that I loved him I had actually been talking to Gray, and I didn’t know if that counted or not. Boyfriend/Girlfriend stuff is so confusing.

             
As I was just finishing up with telling Gray about the conversation word for word and grinning like an idiot I heard the key turn in the lock and Mom walked in. She looked at me in surprise, “Hey honey! You’re up…and happy…”

             
“Golden Girls marathon is on tonight.” I was still grinning from ear to ear like an idiot, but I hoped that my excuse for my unusual behavior would work, not that anything I do is exactly usual. Mom just laughed after glancing at the TV and said, “Blanch is definitely my favorite. The stores open in about two hours, so let me go shower and I’ll be right back down.”

             
Mom was in an exceptional mood. I hadn’t talked to her since she left, and I was expecting a lecture for not answering her many phone calls and texts. I supposed it was the fact that we were shopping or that we were shopping for
prom dresses
that made her giddy. “I could get used to that!” I whispered to Gray.