Friends & Lovers Trilogy (39 page)

Roni looked back at the
house and thought of the house she’d grown up in. She could just
imagine taking Rich home to meet
her
parents. There’d be dirty dishes
all over the kitchen, beer bottles scattered throughout the house,
and the stale stench of urine and cigarettes.

“
Roni,” Rich prodded,
bringing her back to reality. “If you really don’t want to go in, I
can run in and see what they want, or take you back home, but I
promise, it’ll be fine.

She tried to give him a smile of assurance,
but her stomach was still tied in knots. She looked into his face
and nodded. She could do this… They were just parents.

Rich kept a hand at the small of her back as
he opened the front door, as if afraid she would take off running
at the first opportunity.

The house was spotless. That was the first
thing she noticed when they entered the foyer. That, the smell of
baked goods, and the sound of laughter.

“
There’s my boy,” Rich’s
mother said as she rounded the corner and gave him a
hug.

“
Hi, Mama.”

The older lady turned to Roni, a big grin on
her face, and asked, “And who is this beautiful young lady?”

“
This is Roni,
Mama.”

Before Roni could say a word, she was
engulfed in Rich’s mom’s arm. She stood there awkwardly, unsure of
what she should do, but was released before she had to make a
decision.

“
Roni, I’ve heard a lot
about you,” she said, shaking her wooden spoon at Roni as she
spoke. “You go ahead and call me Martha, darlin’. I have a feeling
we are gonna be fast friends. Come on in and have a
cupcake.”

Martha was gone as quickly as she’d
appeared, in a flurry of movement, her apron flapping as she
rounded the corner into what Roni assumed, was the kitchen.

Roni looked up at Rich, slightly dazed, but
he just returned a grin identical to his mothers and ushered her
towards the back.

Colin sat at the table with two older men.
They all stopped talking and looked up as Roni and Rich entered the
room.

“
Hey guys,” Colin said. “I
didn’t know you were coming, Roni. I would’ve brought
Bree.”

“
We’re just stopping by to
see what you wanted to talk to me about,” Rich replied, squeezing
Roni’s hand as they neared the table. “Roni, this is my Pop,
Frank,” He said, pointing to the handsome man with a toothpick in
his mouth.

“
Hi’ya,” Frank
said.

“
It’s nice to meet you,”
Roni managed.

“
And this is, Mr. Grayson,
Colin’s dad.”

“
Hello, pretty lady,” Mr.
Grayson said in a booming voice, startling her a bit.

She regained her composure and said, “Nice
to meet you.”

“
Roni, why don’t you come
out back with me. We’ll have some coffee and a cupcake, and leave
the men to their business,” Martha said, coming up behind her with
two plates in her hand. “Here, you take these, I’ll grab the
cups.”

Rich winked at her and walked to the back to
open the door for her. She walked out, looking back at the guys
longingly. She had a feeling she’d be much safer in there.

She walked over to the bistro set and placed
the plates on the table. She sat down and waited for Rich’s mother
to join her.

How the hell had she gotten in to this
mess?

Martha put the cups and saucers on the
table. “Rich said you like a little cream and sugar, I hope it’s
okay,” Martha said as she sat, wiping her hands on her apron.

Roni took a sip and nodded at Martha,
smiling.

“
So,” Martha began as she
unwrapped her cupcake. “Tell me about yourself. Rich has told me
that you’re a dancer and that you’ll be renting space from him at
the Center, but he hasn’t said much else. Where are you from?
Where’s your family?”

Roni cleared her throat nervously and said,
“Um, well, my twin brother, Kent, lives here.”

“
Oh, I know Kent. Such a
gentleman,” Martha cooed. “And you’re a twin… That’s really
something. Must have been nice growing up.”

“
Yes,” Roni could admit.
“Kent is a wonderful brother. I wouldn’t have made it without
him.”

Martha looked at her strangely, so she
sputtered on, “We’re from Michigan. Detroit. We were born and
raised there.”

“
What made you come to
Texas?”

“
Kent.”

“
Oh, what about your folks.
Do you ever get back to see them?” Martha prodded.

“
No.”

Martha looked at her pointedly and asked,
“Any plans to go back, or do you think you’ll settle here? Put down
roots.”

“
We’re staying,” Roni
smiled to try and make her answers less blunt, but she wasn’t quite
sure how to take Rich’s mom. Was she just nosy, or was she looking
out for her sons’ welfare?

Martha grinned at her answer. “That’s lovely
dear. You know, you’re the first girl Rich has brought around to
meet us since Tara.”

Roni looked up, startled at her statement.
Rich had said this was no big deal, but it’s obvious his mother
didn’t see it that way.

“
Rich and I are just
dating, Martha,” Roni said.

Martha patted Roni’s hand and said, “Don’t
be afraid of what’s right in front of you, dear. My son is the kind
of man a girl can count on. He’ll make a wonderful husband and
father.”

Roni’s blood ran cold at Martha’s words.

Husband and
father.

Rain started to fall in fat drops and a big
gust of wind chilled Roni to her bones.

“
Oh, we’d better go inside
dear,” Martha said as she stood.

They grabbed their dishes and went inside.
The guys looked to be wrapping up their discussion. Rich had a huge
smile on his face and was shaking hands with Mr. Grayson. He looked
up at Roni as they entered and must have seen something on her
face, because his smile disappeared and he went to her side.

“
Everything okay?” He
asked.

“
Fine,” Roni responded
numbly.

Their exit was a blur to Roni. She knew
she’d said goodbye to everyone, but before she knew it, they were
pulling into the parking lot of her apartment building. The rain
was falling in sheets and the thunder clapped loudly.

Rich was trying to ask her what happened,
but she just kept saying she was fine, hoping he’d get the hint and
leave her alone.

When she stepped out into the storm, she was
swept back to another night, another storm. Hank had been gone for
a week. Probably off on a binge, staying God knows where with God
knows who. Those were her favorite nights. The nights he didn’t
come home. Unfortunately, when he finally did make it home, he was
usually very drunk and very angry.

She was already in bed. Reading a book and
hopeful that she’d get another night alone. There was a raging
storm outside. Full of thunder and lightning. The best kind of
night to be curled up with a book. She hadn’t heard him come in, so
she didn’t even know what was coming.

He’d stormed in the room, slamming the door
as he entered. He went straight for her feet and dragged her from
the bed. Her body bounced against the floor as she fell, and she
felt her wrist break when she tried to catch herself. He’d
obviously been storing up a lot of anger, because he never said a
word, he just beat her within an inch of her life.

He’d used his fists and feet, and when he
got tired, he’d grabbed a bat.

The neighbors had heard her screams and
called the cops. When she’d come to, she was in the back of an
ambulance. She quickly retreated into unconsciousness and stayed
there for a few days.

When she’d awoken in the hospital, she’d
seen her mother sitting in the chair next to her bed. When her
mother noticed her stir, she’d looked at her with the contempt
she’d always shown her daughter. But this time there was a smirk on
her face as well. Roni knew then that her mother was happy that
she’d never gotten out and become a dancer, but that instead, she
was living the same miserable life that her mother did.

She turned her head from her mother’s stare,
and closed her eyes, not opening them again until she was gone.

She never saw her again.

When the doctors came in, they’d explained
how lucky she was to be alive. They’d talked about broken bones and
internal bleeding. Then they told her she may never be able to have
children.

Roni’s heart had broken that day.

Roni walked up the stairs to her apartment,
the rain soaking her with every step.

“
Roni,” Rich said from
behind her, his voice desperate. “What they hell happened? Did my
mother say something to upset you?”

Roni opened the door and walked in, her
heart racing at the memories and the sound of the thunder echoing
through the room.

Rich’s phone rang and she heard him answer
it. She turned to ask him to leave, and everything seemed to happen
all at once.

The memories suffocated her as the thunder
clapped. Rich’s face turned angry and he began to yell in the
phone. She didn’t hear what he was saying, she only say his face
and felt his anger. He hung up the phone and turned to her, his
hands raised as he spoke and gestured. The combination scared her
witless and she dropped to the ground. She low crawled to the
living room, trying to find safety in between the back of the sofa
and the wall. She held her hands over her head and whimpered,
willing the feelings of terror to disappear.

“
Roni,” she heard Rich say
gently. “Roni, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll do
whatever I can to make it right. Please, talk to me,
baby.”

She saw him reach out a hand and recoiled.
In the back of her mind, she knew that it was Rich, not Hank, that
sat in front of her, but she couldn’t seem to stop shaking.

“
Go,” she said
softly.

“
Shit, Roni. Let me help
you,” he pleaded. “I can’t leave you like this.”

She saw him sit on the floor a few feet away
from her, his hands in his hair, and she wanted to go to him, but
she couldn’t.

“
Kent,” she
said.

“
Okay,” Rich responded. He
got out his phone and dialed.

She heard him telling Kent that he needed to
come over, but she didn’t tune in to everything he was saying.

She stayed huddled in the corner, and Rich
stayed on the floor an arm’s length away, as they waited for Kent
to arrive.

When the knock came at the door, Roni heard
Rich talking quietly to Kent. He explained what he could, then said
something about having to get to the Rec Center to deal with a
burst pipe. He asked Kent to have her call him when she was ready.
He paused and looked back at her before he walked out the door.

Kent came up and put a hand on her shoulder,
and she crawled onto his lap. Eager to accept the comfort that he
offered.

Chapter Seventeen

Rich was exhausted. He’d spent the night
with the plumber trying to deal with a pipe that exploded in the
Men’s locker room.

That, along with Roni’s melt down the night
before, had kept him awake long after he’d finally had the chance
to lie down. Now, he was an hour away from the Grand Opening of the
Rec Center, and he felt like he was half dead.

He’d texted Kent this morning to see how
Roni was doing. Since she hadn’t wanted him to stay last night, he
hadn’t been sure that she would welcome him checking on her this
morning, but he had to make sure she was okay. It had really scared
him to see her like that. So terrified, quivering in the corner. He
honestly hadn’t known how to react. Kent responded that she was
doing better, wished him luck on the opening, and said he’d see him
later.

Rich knew he’d see Roni soon, but for now,
he needed to focus on one of the most important events of his
life.

The Center was a flurry of movement,
everyone was trying to get there last minute preparations done
before the doors opened. Rich had done an interview with Kent for
the paper, and had taken out an ad to promote the opening. He’d had
a ton of people call, or stop him on the street, and say they were
planning to attend and bring the whole family.

He walked into the kitchen to find Briana
putting the finishing touches on dozens of cupcakes.

“
Smells good, Bree,” he
said as he reached for a cupcake.

She slapped at his hand, as he knew she
would, and clucked her tongue at him.

“
Hands off, Mister. These
are for the guests.”

He grinned at her and picked up one icing
covered hand, bringing it to his lips.

“
Now, Darlin’, are you sure
we can’t work something out?”

Briana laughed and pulled her hand away.

“
Get out of here and make
sure everything is ready for your big day. I’ll save you a
cupcake.”

Rich smiled and winked, satisfied that he’d
gotten what he wanted, then walked out to check on his other
instructors, whistling as he walked.

This was going to be a great day. He felt it
in his bones.

He paused when he got to the door of Roni’s
dance studio. Roni was inside lining up colorful tutus along the
mirrored wall. Classical music played softly in the background, and
she hummed while she worked. He walked hesitantly inside, clearing
his throat as he entered, so he wouldn’t startle her.

She looked up at him with a small smile, her
eyes still a little troubled.

“
Hey,” she said. “You ready
for today?”