Sitting at the table, I got the feeling that Romeao wasn’t exactly a fan of mine. He was polite, but almost to the point of it being unnatural and had to digest. Silently praying, I hoped Marco would come back sooner than later. Accepting the cup of coffee from him, I couldn’t help but feel he was trying to scare me away from Marco.
“Thanks for the coffee, I’m going to head—---”
“Stay right where you are, Ambrose. I have breakfast nearly made, and we should have a conversation.”
His words were still polite, but they had a bite to them now. I debated texting Marco for help, but even if I did, I wasn’t sure he could actually help me here. This was his boss, not the other way around.
He set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me and gave Wren some eggs. Before he sat down with his own cup of coffee and breakfast.
“Please, eat. I’m sure your body could use the energy after what you did to Marco.”
Coughing on the coffee that had been in my mouth and throat when he hit me with that comment, I took another sip to ease the discomfort.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I said, politely.
“I’m sure you know exactly what it is I’m talking about. But that’s not the point here.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m figuring out the point here.” I said dryly.
“Marco has had it pretty rough, with Theo, his ex-husband, and the abuse he committed. I’m sure I don’t need to continue with this.”
“If you’re trying to scare me off of Marco, I’m not going to play into this.” I said, eating the food through the bits of conversation.
“Oh, You’re the least of my concerns Ambrose. If I wanted to scare you off, breakfast wouldn’t be how I would do so. But this is a gentle warning. I have put much work into getting Marco to where he is right now. I will not have you, or anyone else, jeopardize his healing.”
The food and coffee were sitting like lead in my stomach now.
“I don’t think you need to throw veiled threats at me. We hardly know each other. But I can promise you, Marco doesn’t need you to protect him. He knows what’s wrong and right.”
“Marco has his sweet Wren to worry about. You’re an afterthought that he doesn’t need.”
Finishing up the coffee, I took my empty breakfast plates to the sink and turned around after grabbing my phone, wallet, and keys.
“Thank you for breakfast. I’m sure you’ll find a way to explain this to Marco.”
I ruffled Wren’s messy hair before leaving. Truthfully, I was fuming and wanted to go back in there and threaten Romeao, but that was unwise. Even I knew that. I passed by Marco in his SUV when I was just leaving his house in my car. The roads were nearly clean and my car had been cleaned off too, probably by Marco. He called moments later, and I ignored his call. It was wrong to do so, but I didn’t want to cause problems with Romeao for him.
Heading home, I was thankful that the building still let me in and it was quiet again. Tossing my stuff on the countertop, Marco had texted and called a few more times since the call in the car. His last text said just to call him. I had no clue what Romeao was going to tell him, but whatever it was, it had not gone over well by the stream of texts. I felt like the biggest of douchebags, after taking what I had from him and not speaking to him, but Romeao’s comments got under my skin, and I couldn’t promise my intentions and acts benefited him.
Laying back in my bed, Mochi mewed at me, touching his paw to my cheek. Under my blankets, Marco’s cologne was able to be picked up by my nose on my clothing, and it was irritating. But at the same time, I didn’t want to shower.
Tucked under my blankets, I tossed and turned, finally upsetting Mochi, and he left me in bed alone. Grabbing a pillow, I tucked it under my arm and head, and forced my eyes to close. My phone rang on the nightstand, but I ignored it. Telling myself that sleeping was more important. Once it went silent, I relaxed into the bed again, not realizing how tense I had been.
A few hours later, I dragged myself out of the bed. Changing my clothing, I brought the tank top up to my nose, Marco’s spicy scent, still on the fabric even after sleeping in my bed. Grabbing my phone, there were more calls and texts from Marco, and the texts increased in length and curse words, no doubt as he got madder about me ignoring him.
Tossing my phone on the couch when I left the bedroom, I sighed. Mochi danced around my feet for food, and I accepted his song and fed him. It was two in the afternoon when I checked the clock.
My phone went off again, this time, though it was my dad’s ringtone. Heading to the couch, I retrieved my phone, and he spoke.
“Afternoon. Are you still coming for dinner? Your mother is home and would like to see you.”
“Afternoon. I’ll be over shortly, I just need to shower and get dressed, you know, look presentable for family dinner, so that she doesn’t think I’m incapable of looking after myself.”
“You ok? You sound exhausted.”
“Long night, and strange morning, and I just woke up from a nap.”
“Right, you must have the day off, then?”
“Yes, absolutely. I miss my ambulance bay, and my boss. This place sucks and the crimes here are worse than at home. I would ask you to demand we come home back to our base, but honestly, it’s not worth it.” I groaned.
“I wouldn’t, anyway. It’s still safer there and I’m sure it’s not as bad as you say.”
“I’ll see you in an hour or so.”
“Alright, drive safe. It’s a little snowy out there.” Dad said, laughing before he hung up the phone. Setting my phone on the arm of the couch, I walked back to my bedroom and dug through the closest until I found some decent jeans and a sweater. After dealing with Romeao, I wasn’t really in a mood to care about what other people wanted.
Getting dressed, and brushing my teeth, I looked at myself in the mirror and hated the face that looked back at me. I looked exhausted. Turning the taps on, I washed my face and felt a little better. Feeling that this was good enough of an effort, I washed my hands and located everything I needed before leaving the apartment.
Thirty minutes in the car, I got to Dad’s and seeing mom’s car in the driveway too made me anxious and I really didn’t understand why. I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks, and I missed her, but knowing she was here stressed me out for some reason.
Heading inside, I could hear my mother telling my dad all about her trip and all the things she did. It sounded like she had a great time. Hanging up my keys and setting my wallet on the hall table, I took my shoes off and walked into the living room.
Mom stopped talking and made a comment under her breath before speaking to me.
“Nice to see you’ve come for dinner, Ambrose. Next time possibly sleep before you come, those dark circles are going to age you more than anything else.”
“Thanks, nice to see you too.” I sighed.
Dad gave me a sympathetic look before he spoke.
“You look as exhausted as you sounded on the phone, and you said you slept? Where?”
“I did, for hours, but I had a long night and I hope not to repeat that.”
“What did you do after work yesterday?” Mom asked, her arms crossed.
“Went home, tried to sleep, went and hung out with a friend, slept like shit.”
“Is that so?” Her eyes narrowed on me.
“What?”
“You were up to some funky shit, Ambrose Grayson. Don’t you lie to—---”
“He is an adult, his personal life is his now.” My dad said, trying to get her off my case.
“Don’t you start that with me. That boy has no personal life. He’s up to some shady shit. My woman’s intuition tells me so.” My mother hissed, pointing her slipper at me.
“Mom, put that back on your foot. We don’t need that kind of chaos.”
“I didn’t come to this country for you to start acting up and getting into shady—--”
“Elena, go easy on the boy, he just got here—-”
“Hope, for once she’s right, dad.”
“Huh?”
“I was definitely up to some shady shit.”
“I highly doubt—---”
My phone rang and Marco’s name flashed across the screen and Dad went visually stiff.
“Are you going to answer that?” My mother said,
“No, he’s not.” My dad said sharply.
“I’m not.”
“Why the hell does he have your number, Ambrose?”
“Better question here. You know his boss, Romeao? Is he an enormous threat?”
“What the hell did you do, Ambrose Grayson?”
“Oh boy, that’s a loaded question.”
Spilling all my sins from the night before, minus some details, Dad was mad.
“You slept with the man who just a few weeks ago tried to choke the life out of you? Did I get that right?”
“Yeah.”
My mother was far from amused. She just stopped even speaking to me in English. She was mad that I had slept with Marco after he choked me.
“Of all the men you can choose, you pick him.”
“I didn’t pick him, per se. We slept together once. And Romeao basically threatened me. Now Marco is mad because, as you see, I’m ignoring him.”
“Romeao is normally balanced. It’s Marco. That’s who you need to watch for in that family. He is the one Romeao uses to solve all of his issues. But if Romeao has threatened you, over Marco, be ever so careful if you intended to pay that hand, Ambrose. I know Romeao, but I can’t help you if piss off that bull.”
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