Chapter 19: Chapter Nineteen

Started With a Lie – Chapter Nineteen

When I wake, I’m in a car. It’s my own. I look around and sit up. I’m in the backseat while Mark drives and Lee sits in the passenger seat. He’s looking outside the window, trying to stay farthest away from Mark as possible. Mark just seems chirpy and happy to be driving.

“Guys?” I say, rubbing my head. “What happened?”

They both snap their heads to me. “You’re awake!” they both cry, and then turn to each other and glare. And then I realize Mark’s pretty much about to kill us.

“Mark!” I scold. I point to the wheel. “Pay attention to the road!”

“What?” he says at first and then his eyes widen. “Right!” He turns and starts driving properly. And then he answers, “Well, you kind of fainted at the hospital and since the doctor said you needed some deep rest, we’re taking you home.”

“But I want to stay with my mom.” I sounded so immature.

This time Lee speaks. “It’s not like they’d let you see her. You can’t see her until tomorrow when they get her completely stable. Besides, get some sleep and rest.” He gestures outside. “It’s late already. It’s been a long day.”

He’s right. The sky is a river of stars and the moon is shining up bright.

“What about your cars?” I ask. Did they leave both of their cars at the hospital? That was sweet and all but they didn’t have to do that. I mean, I’m not the one dying. I could drive myself. I didn’t need two boys to respond to my every beck and call. “What if someone steals them? Or if the city tows them.”

They both wave their hands carelessly.

“I can call my driver,” Lee says. “I’m sure Mark can get home.”

The car pulls up the driveway of my house and Mark shuts off the engine. I get up and stretch before opening the door and getting out. I remind myself to call Brent later. I bet my own brother doesn’t even know about Mom being in the hospital yet. I don’t want to be the one to tell him. But he has the right to know.

“Thanks for being here,” I say to Mark when I reach him. “You really helped me get through this.” It’s true. I would’ve probably drowned in my tears.

Mark puts his hands on both my shoulders. “Listen, it’s fine. I’m glad you’re okay for now. Your mother will be fine. She’s strong like you.” He squeezes my shoulders. “And even if you do need anything, I’ll be right next door.”

I place my hand over his on my shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Wait!” Lee cries. He comes up to us and pushes Mark and I apart, leaving a good amount of empty space between us. “What did he mean?” he asks me. His face is scrunched up, his eyebrows knitted together.

“Yes? Can I help you?” I spit out, ripping Lee’s hand off my arm in which he pushed. I rub the spot. I don’t know why I’m so angry and disgusted by Lee—oh yeah, he basically played my feelings and has a fiancé.

“What does he mean?” Lee asks. “He lives next door?”

“Yes,” Mark smirks. “I do.”

“What?” Lee growls.

“I don’t see how this is any of your business,” I say to Lee, throwing daggers with my eyes. “So what he lives next door? He’s been a real nice friend to me and I can count on him.” I cross my arms. “Unlike someone,” I mutter.

“No,” Lee protests. “I don’t think it’s right for a grown adult male to be living right next to a helpless seventeen—eighteen year old girl. He could sexually assault you or something and nobody would know!”

“I am not a defenseless girl! I’m an adult also!” I argue. I couldn’t believe Lee right now. Calling me a kid? “And don’t you dare talk trash about Mark. He has been nothing but kind to me!”

“Yeah, Lee. Back off,” Mark adds, his arms crossed.

“No, I,” Lee pushes Mark’s chest with his index finger, “will not back off. Why don’t you? You can’t just stay here while she’s living alone. She could get hurt.”

“I could protect her!” Mark shouts at Lee.

“I don’t care!” Lee yells back. He puts his arms to his side, hands clenched. “I have made my decision.” He looks up at both Mark and I. “I’m moving in.”

“What!” I shout. My life is turning into a nightmare. Why is Lee so reckless? He has a company to run and other things to do besides bother me. I know I started all this crap by being a whiny, jealous teenaged girl but I’m human—I make mistakes.

“It isn’t right for a girl to be living alone while her mother is in the hospital. And it certainly isn’t right for a predator-type male”— Lee glares at Mark—“to be living right next to her.”

“I’m not a predator!” Mark retorts, his eyes burning with anger.

“Mark’s a better friend than you’ll ever be!” I yell. “And you can’t stay! You have work to do! You have a company to run and people to pay. Start taking responsibility, Lee! Just go home.” My eyes soften. “Please. Just go.”

“God, you sound like my mother,” Lee mutters under his breath, his facial features completely blank. His mother must be a touchy subject. There I go, getting on nerves again. Lee gains his composition back and stares back at me. “And I am not leaving. That is final. I’m not stupid either. I know how to run a goddamn company. I’ve been doing it for a while, if you haven’t noticed. I’ll just work online and get my workers. Besides, I can go to work when I want.”

Lee’s real personality is coming out. Unlike his fake plastered smile over all the latest magazines, he was a real douche on the inside that didn’t care what people said. He acts like a sarcastic, narcissist king when he’s actually himself.

And I guess that’s what I like—liked about him.

I shake my head from thoughts about Lee. He might’ve been an okay guy but he played my feelings just because he was lonely. He played with me because I was a weak girl. Not anymore. I’m going to change. I’m going to be stronger now.

I lift my head and stare dead into Lee’s eyes. “Where are you going to stay?”

Lee shrugs. “I guess I’ll stay with you. I mean we’ve lived together before.”

I look over at Mark as his eyes widen. “Shut up, Lee! We didn’t live together, you asshole! Stop lying to Mark.” My eyes go back to Mark. “He just sheltered me because—um—of an incident. It’s not what you think.”

“But…aren’t you guys together? Well were together?” Mark asks. “I thought you guys were together but broke up. And now Lee’s moved on and has a new fiancé?”

Oh yeah, Mark doesn’t know that the only reason I said Lee was my boyfriend was because I needed him for Karen. Now that it was resolved, I don’t need Lee anymore.  And he doesn’t need me. He made it pretty clear with his secret fiancé.

I should tell Mark the truth. He seemed like a good guy. He could possibly even help me move on from that tiny, disgusting crush I had on Lee. “Um, actually—”

“That’s exactly what happened,” Lee interrupts. I snap my head towards him. This bitch, I think.

I glare at him as I pull Lee down the driveway alone. “Hold on Mark,” I tell him as I pull Lee to privacy. When we’re far enough, I roughly tug his arm. “What the hell are you doing? I think I should tell Mark the truth about us.”

Lee’s eyes narrow. “Why would you want to do that, Miss Ivory?”

I stand on my tip-toes and glare. “Because…he’s. My. Friend.”

“Really now?” Lee says. “What? Do you have a thing for him?”

“So what if I do!” I yell. “It’s my choice to tell him anyway. It doesn’t effect you in any way!” I cross my arms, waiting for a response. “Wait a minute. The only reason you want to stay is because you have an undying hate for Mark for some weird reason and you just want to be here to piss him off! Isn’t that right?”

Lee takes a deep breath and looks away. He licks his lips before turning back to me. “Listen, Ivory, I’m sorry about what happened. Let me explain about Penny.”

“You don’t have to explain to me about Penny,” I manage through my teeth. “I’m just a school girl that took advantage of you for herself and it seems you did the same. We’re both sinners. It’s not like we actually cared for one another, right?” I stare until he nods. My heart chips a little. “Great. Now you can leave me alone.”

I turn on my heel and go back to Mark.

“So what’s going on?” Mark asks as Lee walks back to my side.

“I’m still moving in,” Lee answers for me. I smack my forehead with my hand. Did he not just understand what I just said? I told him to leave me alone but no, it seems I’m not speaking English today. “I’ll be moving in with Ivory.”

“Excuse me?” I exclaim. “Why are you moving with me?”

“Because I think it’ll be safer for you to have me around and also I could be more of a help,” Lee says. A help? Since when was he ever a help? Last time he stayed over during the blizzard, he refused to help me clean up.

“Then I’m moving in too!” Mark says, crossing his arms. “I don’t think Ivory should be alone with a man in her own home. Especially one she obviously does not want inside her home. I’ll get my things right now.”

“But—” I try to say but both men just head in different directions. Lee heads up to my front door as Mark goes back into his house to get his things. And that is how I landed two men under my roof without even meaning to.

*          *         *           *            *             *         *             *       *             *         *

For dinner, I end up just reheating leftovers. As I watch the meatloaf reheat, I think of Mom who had made it the day before. Mom who is now in the hospital, laying on a cold hard bed with nobody to hold her hand as she goes through this experience. I should be there with her. Even if the doctors don’t let me physically see her, I could’ve waited outside and been there for her mentally. Mom wouldn’t have left if it was me on the hospital bed. She would’ve stayed up all night if she had to.

Mark barges through the door around the time when I set up the table. He’s carrying a small bag of clothes. “I’m here,” he grins.

“Nobody cares,” Lee says as he continues flipping through the channels on television. He’s lazily spread on the couch; one hand holding his head and the other clicking buttons on the remote. I gave up trying to convince him to go home, knowing he wouldn’t budge anytime soon.

I set up the plates around the dining table. Somehow in all of this mess, I’m glad to have both guys by my side. I would’ve been curled up in a ball crying all night if they weren’t here. I think they knew that so that’s why they volunteered forcefully to stay with me. A small smile escapes my mouth. I can count on them. Maybe not with love interest, but they’re good friends. And that’s enough for me.

Mark sets his bag on one of the couches as he makes his way over to me. He gives me a big bear hug. “How are you holding up?”

“Good,” I mumble, faking a smile. “Mark, you should probably not hug me right now…”

“Why?” He pulls back, staring at my face. His face is confused. Then his eyes trail from me to Lee. “Is it because of him? Because I really don’t care about what he has to say. It’s none of his business.”

I laugh a little. “No, Mark. It’s because I have a knife in my hand.” I pull my hand up, holding a sharp knife that I’m going to use to cut the meatloaf in slices. Mark laughs along with me before he helps me set up the utensils. When we’re done and the kitchen is filled with meaty smells, I call, “Lee, dinner’s ready.”

He shuts off the television and hops off the couch. Lee is in his white office shirt and red tie. He took off his black suit jacket as soon as he walked inside the house. “Smells great,” Lee says, loosening his tie before sitting down. “Thank you for the meal, Miss Ivory.”

“Don’t call me that,” I say before I sit down across from him and Mark sits at my side. We eat in silence as Mark tries to stir up conversation with me but I just keep to myself, worrying about my mother again. Will she be comfortable? Will she even wake up? Could she be in a vegetable state all her life? What in the world would I do without her?

“What’s this I hear about you getting a fiancé,” Mark casually brings up, picking at the peas on his plate. The question is obviously directed towards Lee, who doesn’t change his expression but visibly tenses his body.

Lee grips his fork a little tighter, but continues eating. “It’s nothing official yet. You know my mother, thinking I should get married as soon as possible.” He wipes his mouth with a napkin before drinking his water. “Penny is just a candidate for now.” Now he’s staring at me. “My mother just seems to favor her the most. She plans to make it official one day, but I’m not ready.”

“Ah,” Mark smirks. “I wish you two a long marriage.”

I stand up abruptly. Lee stares at me with worrying eyes as Mark continues eating. “I’m done eating,” I whisper. “One of you idiots wash the dishes.” I pick up my plate and place it in the sink before going to my room. Through the thin walls of my bedroom, I can hear Mark and Lee arguing about something. I change into sweatpants and a loose shirt.

When I get back to the guys, Lee is watching television while Mark’s doing the dishes—of course. Lee wouldn’t touch the dishes even if you paid him a billion dollars. I switch off the hallway lights. “I’m going to sleep. You guys sleep wherever the hell you want. Good night.”

I’m really not in the mood for anything. Having your mother in the hospital could do that to you. Without waiting for an answer, I head for the staircase.

“Good night, Ivory,” I hear Mark shout as Lee stays quiet. Good choice.

I drag myself up the stairs. I’m about to pass to my room until I see my mother’s bedroom door open. Sighing, I enter her bedroom. Her perfume is all over the room. I didn’t think I’d miss her so much. It hadn’t even been a day but there’s already a big hole in my heart. I run my hand across her dresser—all her makeup supplies stacked up neatly across the counter.

Mom is a perfectionist. I smile a little.

I run my hand through her photograph all over her tables. There is a picture of Mom and I in Orlando once. We had saved enough money to finally have a vacation so we took the first plane down to Florida. In the end, we couldn’t get in Disneyland because they had malfunctioned something in their computers with our tickets. We ended up just roaming around the beautiful city and going to other amusement parks. It was as much fun as it would’ve been if we had gone to Disney.

I’m grinning like an idiot, holding as much cotton candy in my hands as I can in the picture. Mom has her arm wrapped around me, a big smile on her face as well. In the picture, she looks ageless. She looks young and happy again. I remember how we had asked a complete stranger to take several pictures of us.

Maybe it’s because Mom’s the only parent I’ve basically known and had that this hurts more than it should have. Mom’s the only person that’s been there for me.

I wipe away my useless tears. Tears won’t help me get her back. They won’t reverse her accident so she could be here right now. I need to stand up for myself and be strong for her. She wouldn’t want me crying and being weak.

I keep running my hands along whatever I can find.

Her art coat is lying on the bed. It’s covered in paint—all different colors and shades. There’s glitter and even some feathers stuck to her coat. There are oil pastels and parts ripped. The coat has gone through a lot with Mom.

Taking a seat on the bed, I hold the coat close to me. It smells like Mom—paint and roses. Then the tears flow endlessly and I don’t stop them. For me to stop crying, I’ll need to drain my tears out. I curl up on the bed and hug the coat in my arms, pretending it’s Mom who’s there. Pretending that she’s not in a coma. Pretending that everything will be just all right.

But I know it’s not.

Somewhere in my tears, I slowly drift off to sleep. But I’m in the stage where I can’t tell if I’m dreaming or not when I feel a kiss on my forehead. I imagine it’s Mom kissing me good night like she always does. Did I dream that kiss?

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I know, I know.

It's been forever. It's been about three weeks since I last updated. Sorry, sorry. It's just I have exams and now May is coming up and I have even more exams. I had to write this stupid Physics essay and I had no friggin' idea what I was doing but I hope I passed it. I'm obviously not blessed with super smarts. Oh wells.

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Also, I have a new story called, "That Summer Away." It's a teen romance thingy with twists and turns. Hope you all check it out!