Jar of Hearts (Glow sequel) (14 page)

They hadn't even noticed Marc and I were standing on the porch yet, I let my eyes wander to the shaded tree that Ethan and I sat under two years ago. I felt a pang in my heart as I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I glanced towards the mini bar and laughed to myself as I took in a wide eyed Sancho drying glasses.

“Oh, no,” he fervidly shook his head as he backed up. “No, no, no,”

“Cool it, Sancho,” I took a seat, Marc sat next to me. “Double shot,” I smiled.

“Just a beer, please,” Marc piped, then nudged my arm with his elbow. “You okay?”

I nodded, staring at the three of them still over by the fence. “Yeah, I think so,” Sancho slid the glass to me and I downed it, closing my eyes and breathing a sigh of calmness as I felt the burn travel down my throat.

“It'll be fine,” he rubbed my back, then grabbed his beer bottle. “Just relax,”

“Sancho,” I snapped my fingers.

Chapter Ten

Ethan 

             
I stood beside Ben and Vanessa as they argued. It was a petty argument, but could only wish that Maria and I could argue about senseless things such as shooting a dog in the butt with an air-soft gun all the while knowing at the end of the day, she would be next to me regardless.

Another day has gone by since the release of Glow's July issue where I confessed to the entire world that I am in love with her and have had no reaction from Maria whatsoever. I wasn't expecting her to come running into my arms screaming that she loved me too, but it sure as hell sounds nice. At least a text saying it was thoughtful and even a possible thank you would suffice leaving me with the satisfaction that she cared even somewhat. With the hopes of drowning my afflictions, I've been drinking since noon.

“Sancho,” I heard her voice form behind me, followed by the snap of her fingers. Only one person I have heard call Edgar 'Sancho' is Maria. I felt my heart falter at the sound of her voice. I turned around to have the smile wiped from my face as I watched who I assumed to be Marc sitting next to her. I felt  an urge to grab her, kiss her lips with the force her absence has left me with. I tried to move, but the weight of two cement blocks that were once my Luis Vuitton Golden Gates wouldn't allow it.

“Ethan,” Vanessa grabbed my arm. “What's wrong?”

I nodded toward the direction of the mini bar. “Maria sitting with the same idiot that she was at dinner with the other night,”

Vanessa and Ben's eyes followed mine. “That's Marc,”

“I still think he's the pencil dick,” Ben added. I glared at him, the last thing I wanted to know was that she had slept with him.

“No,” Vanessa shook her head. “That's Keith,”

“Whatever,” Ben cocked the air-soft gun. “They all have pencil dicks,” he went to climb the side of the fence.

“No,” Vanessa moved quickly, grabbing the back of Ben's black dress shirt. “Get your ass down, Benjamin!” she hissed.

I watched Marc rub circles on Maria's back as she talked and talked. He nodded with complete understanding as she spoke.

“Fuck this,” I ran my fingers through my hair. I didn't want to watch him paw her any longer.

Vanessa occupied with Ben, I walked toward the patio heading to go inside. Marc nodded in my direction letting her know that I was in close vicinity. What did he have to do... warn her? Maria turned her head, making eye contact with me. I didn't say a word as I stared into her beautiful brown eyes that I have missed so much.

“Ethan,” she called my name, I ignored her. “Where are you going?”

“The hell away from you,” I mumbled as I slid the back door open and stepped inside.

I didn't mean to be incredibly rude, but what could she possibly want to say to me after bringing some lame ass to my sisters rehearsal dinner? What did she expect from me? I could have shook the same hand that has been all over the one woman I have truly ever loved, introduced myself and started a conversation about the damn weather, or possibly even swapped stories about how good Maria is in bed. I slammed the door shut at the thought of his hands all over her. I highly doubt that I can make it through this dinner tonight. I was getting way ahead of myself here.

“Hey, kiddo,” my grandma wrapped her arm around my waist and squeezed.

“Hey, Maw Maw,” I mumbled, staring out the slider at Maria who now had her head in her hands as Marc still had his slimy hands on her.

“What are we looking at?” she asked leaning to get a look. “Ah, that must be the infamous Maria Anderson?”

I nodded with a smile. “You read my interview,”

“I did, and it's the way you look at her that told me it was indeed her,” she pinched my cheek. “I know my grandson,”

“She hasn't said a word,” I sipped my beer, still staring out the door.

“She hasn't read it yet,” she piped.

“What makes you so sure, Maw Maw?” I turned away from the door and looked at her round face that held a bright smile that increased the wrinkles around her blue eyes.

“Because if she had, she wouldn't be sitting there with him,” she chuckled. “I'm not too sure what you are seeing out there, but from my view I see a very sad and confused girl, kiddo.” she tapped my shoulder and walked away.

I watched her sullenly smile as Marc was running his mouth. For all I knew, he was possibly telling her the sob story of his cat running away or something stupid like that. I highly doubt that Maria was missing me the way I am missing her.

“Hello, Ethan,” I closed my eyes as the sound of this one voice made the hairs on the back of my neck and arms stand straight up in high alert. I slowly turned around.

“What the hell are you doing here, Jackie?” God must really hate me at this point.

“I'm in the wedding, remember?” she smiled, too sweetly as she strutted toward me in her tight blue dress and heels.

She became a little too close for comfort. I held my finger between us. “Do not touch me,”

“Not even a hug? I've missed you,” she went to run her hand down my chest, but stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

“Jackie, you cheated on me with our realtor,” I reminded her. “You had sex with him in our bed, then packed my shit and kicked me out,” I tossed her hand aside. “Do not touch me, do not talk to me, leave me the hell alone,”

I slide the back door open as I needed to breathe. She was right in my face and the smell of her perfume was making my gag reflex react.

“Vanessa!” I stormed out the back door with Jackie at my heels.

Vanessa pulled away from Ben's kiss which obviously they made up and had a smile on her face until she saw Jackie in tow.

She gaped. “Ethan I-”

“Why is she here?” I hissed through my teeth.

“So not good,” Ben groaned.

“She's in the wedding, you know that,” she said lightly.

“Oh, okay...” I growled, running my hand down my face out of anger and raging frustration.

“What did you expect me to do? Tell her she wasn't welcome?”

“Vanessa...” I took a step closer to her. “excuse me for thinking that possibly out of respect for your own brother that you would revoke the invite to the person I caught in my bed fucking my realtor!”

Vanessa gasped. “Don't f-bomb me!”

“Baby, I'm sorry!” Jackie placed her hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged my shoulder. “Get your damn hands off of me,” she let her hand linger a little too long. “I am serious, Jackie,” I warned.

“Ethan, I think you are taking this too seriously,” Vanessa had the nerve to say.

“You know what I am taking seriously, Nessy? The fact that every time I turn around I am being slapped in my damn face! I have done nothing wrong to  deserve the shit that is being shoveled to me,” I went to walk away.

“Ethan, wait,” I could hear Jackie's heels in the grass drawing closer.

“Leave me the hell alone,” I looked over at Maria who looked like she was about to cry and Marc turned his head and stared down at his beer. Bastard. I stormed into the house and headed straight for the liquor cabinet.

“Honey, what's the matter?” my mom walked into the dining room with my three little cousins trailing behind her yelling and screaming while double fisting chocolate fudge cupcakes. Each of them had chocolate surrounding their mouths, and their hands. Trinity was six, Kyle was five, and the last time I saw Tyson, he was one who is now three.

“Jackie, and Maria are both here,” I poured myself a glass of scotch and plopped down into one of the dining room chairs with a heaved sigh. “I am beyond frustrated at this point. They are slowly killing me in each of their own ways,”

Trinity and Kyle were running circles around the dining room table laughing and yelling while shoving cupcakes in their mouths. “No, no... don't touch the table cloth, no!” my mom was chasing them in a circle. Tyson was still standing in front of me, slowly eating his cupcake as he stared at me. His cheeks were chubby and his belly protruded. I smiled.

“Son, after tomorrow everything will go back to normal. I promise,” she stopped as the two kids running around the table ran straight out of the dining room. “I am going to kill whoever brought the chocolate,” she groaned.

“Hi, Tyson,” I leaned forward with my hand out to shake his. “I'm your cousin Ethan,”

He smiled, then buckled forward projectile vomiting all down my neck, the front of my black tailored suit and down my arm. I closed my eyes for a moment to try and let the rage escape through the smoke I was sure was billowing from my ears.

“Oh, God...” I opened my eyes, Mom grabbed Tyson and took him into the kitchen. “Okay! No more cupcakes, Suzy!” she called to my Aunt Suzy.

Aunt Suzy is my mothers sister, and my dad was an only child. We actually have a fairly small family but we are unique in our own ways which in turn makes these family gatherings quite chaotic, but fun.

I ran upstairs and showered, changing into more comfortable clothes. I settled with a pair of tan cargo shorts and a black t-shirt. I fixed my hair and grabbed my glass of scotch from the bathroom counter. When I stepped out into the hallway, Jackie was waiting for me.

“Jackie, seriously,” I shook my head attempting to walk past her. She caught me off guard, grabbing me by the shirt. She pushed me into the bathroom closing the door behind her, she quickly locked it.

“I want you, Ethan,” she unzipped the back of her blue dress letting it fall to the floor. She made it known that she was completely naked underneath that dress she wore.

“Jackie,” I closed my eyes trying to rid the image of her standing there naked in just her heels. Her nipples were erect, and I was sure between her thighs was nice and wet. I shook my head. “No,”

She grabbed my free hand, placing it between her legs, Yup she was. “Touch me,” she whispered against my lips.

With alcohol spiraling through my senses, I was not thinking clearly as the next thing I realized, I was rubbing her wetness back and forth through her folds. I kept my eyes closed allowing a picture of Maria's perfect body straddling me to be welcomed in my thoughts. I missed her so much that at this point, if this is as close to touching her as I could get. I'll take it. The only thing lacking was the tingling her soft skin always left on mine, and the smell of Jackie's perfume was all wrong, the smell of citrus was overpowering.

“Ethan,” she whispered. I quickly kissed her as Jackie's voice was nothing like Maria's. I didn't want her to speak.

“Shh,” I mumbled. “Don't talk,” I wrapped my hands around her thighs, lifting her on the bathroom counter. Even her thighs felt wrong... they were too skinny. I spread her legs, rubbing my thumb against her clit as I kissed her with much intensity.

“Open your eyes,” Jackie whispered. “Look at me,”

I shook my head. My thoughts still on Maria, my dick was throbbing. I unzipped my pants. Freeing myself I positioned the tip at her entrance. I bucked my hips forward, it sliding right in. It too wasn't the same. I allowed Maria's voice to fill my head, it echoing through my ears.

“Ethan,” Maria cried. “Oh, God,”  I pumped faster, harder... Maria's sex constricting tightly around my throbbing shaft. I let go, filling her with my seed. Our sex was throbbing against each other.

Breathless, I laid my head on Maria's chest. “I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too, Ethan,” Again, the voice was definitely off key. The same voice that made the hairs on my neck rise. I pulled away, tucking myself back into my shorts. What the hell did I just do? What have I done? I groaned, running my hands through my hair as I slid down the bathroom wall.