Plausibility (43 page)

Liz took a sad
, deep breath. She already knew this fact. That’s why she hadn’t said anything. She wasn’t about to lose Quill over Julius. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to welcome him with open arms, but she would do what she had to do in order to keep her daughter close. She lost her once, she wasn’t about to lose her again.

“I just wish you weren’t going to take her to New York,” Liz voiced her concern. “She and Reese have become pretty close.”

“We’re not that far away, and Julius is going to keep the house here. They’ll be back.”

“I know that this is going to make Quill happier than anything. I’m not extremely happy about it myself, but I do understand. You have my blessing,” Liz offered.

Seri couldn’t have been happier. It did, however, make her want to body slam Manny after the way he acted. He had her scared shitless, telling her how Liz was going to blow her top. Now, all they had to do was get Quill to New York without too many questions. That would be a job for Julius. She wasn’t touching that one. She did her fair share of the dirty work.

<><><>

Of course, Julius had to pass the buck back to Seri. She should have known she would get suckered into this.

Quill wanted to go home. She didn’t care about this stupid graduation party. She didn’t want to be at the lake, and she would have much rather been staying with Julius than at the cabin. She had a graduation party once. She tried to tell her mother she didn’t need another one. Seri was the one that talked her into it, telling her that it meant a lot to her mom to do this for her. Quill had to walk away after a bit. Why was her mother crying like she was. Geesh. It wasn’t like she was getting married.

Seri followed her down to the lake, ready to get it over with. She might as well let her scream away from her family.

“Hey,” Seri
said, plopping beside her on the ground.

“Hey,” Quill repeated, throwing a rock into the lake.

“How does it feel to finally be out of school?”

Quill looked at her with a tilt and a frown. “The same way it felt last year when I graduated.”

“Stop being so mean. This is a happy day, and I’m taking you back to New York with me in the morning.”

“No. You’re not. I’m spending the entire day with Julius. You guys already made me spend three days here. I’m going to Julius.”

“You’re going to New York. Your mom and Connor are going away for a few days now that school is out, Reese is going to cheerleading camp, and you and I are going to spend a few days together in New York,” Seri demanded, waiting for the blow that didn’t come.

“I can’t wait until I’m 18 and can tell you to go fuck yourself.”

Seri laughed. “You do that now.”

“But I’m going to mean it when I’m 18. Let’s burn one.”

Seri laughed again. Some things just never change.

<><><>

Quill – I’m not coming home for a few days.
Quill texted Julius before going to bed.

JC – W
hat do you mean? Yes, you are.

Quill –
No, my parents are making me go to New York tomorrow.

JC – Why?

Quill – Because I am three. My mother and Connor are going away and they don’t want me home alone.

JC –
Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you when you get back.

<>

Quill rode in the backseat and pouted the whole way. She didn’t even have the city to occupy her time now, not with the new house in the suburbs. She would be bored to death. She hated her life. Her life sucked. She glanced at her smartphone and groaned. It was only noon. What the hell was she supposed to do all day? Seri caught her frustration from the corner of her eye. She couldn’t wait to put her out of her misery.

“Please tell me we’re not stopping in the city
,” Quill asked, wondering why they were parking right in downtown Manhattan.

“Are you in a hurry to get home?”

“Yeah, back to my home. Why do we have to stop here?”

“Your dad needs to meet a client real quick. It won’t take long.”

“Great. I’m hungry,” Quill whined, getting out of the car. She followed her dad and Seri, holding hands as they walked. She rolled her eyes, and dropped her head to her phone.

Quill –
I hate New York. I hate being here. I want to be with you.
She texted Julius, not paying attention to the looks Seri and Manny were exchanging.

JC – Why? What’s wrong?

Quill – Oh, I just have to tag along while my dad does work stuff. This is so stupid.
Quill texted, while waiting for her dad to unlock a store front door.

Her interest piqued when they walked through a corridor and into a studio. The floor was covered in brand new mats. There was a full gym with every kind of equipment imaginable, along with a wall of mirrors. She didn’t understand when her dad flipped on the lights to the studio. Her eyes were playing tricks on her. She looked to the neon purple sign straight in front of them to Seri. What the hell was going on here? The sign changed colors and a deep blue replaced the purple. ‘Seri and Quill’s’ it read. What the fuck?

“Do you like it?”

Quills head snapped to the sound of Julius’s voice. She was so confused. He was exposing himself right there. Right there in front of her dad. He was asking for it. Wasn’t he? What the hell? Quill looked to Seri and her dad, smiling and then…What?
This was fucking crazy. Why were her mom, Reese, and Connor there?

Julius walked to her ghostly white face and wrapped her in his arms.

“Julius?” Quill questioned.

“What do you think, Quill?”

“Think about what? I don’t get it. Mom?” Quill said, turning to her. Somebody needed to give her some answers. Why was her family okay with Julius, standing right there? Why was her and Seri’s name on the wall of this studio?

Connor let go of Liz’s hand and she walked toward her. She even smiled and nodded at Julius. “You can’t move here until you turn 18. I’m not letting you go one day before I have to.”

“I’m moving here?”

“We’re moving here, and you and Seri are going to help train women to stand
up for themselves, and never let what happened to Seri’s sister happen to another helpless female,” Julius explained.

“We’re?” Quill questioned. She was moving to New York with Julius and going into business with Seri?

“Yup,” Julius smiled. They did it. She had no clue.

“You were all in on this?” Quill asked, turning to her family. Everyone smiled and nodded.

“I hate all of you,” she assured them with tears in her eyes.

<><><>

Aquilla was given the facts while they all had dinner. She couldn’t believe Julius was eating at the same table as her family. Her mom smiled at her often, contented that she was so happy. She could see by the way the two of them looked at each other that they were indeed in love. Some might think it taboo, being how they grew up together. She did. She didn’t care anymore. If he loved her daughter, she loved him, and if he was going to take care of her, she could live with that.

<>

“Can we go back to the studio before we go home?” Quill asked, finally alone with Julius as he drove them to their new apartment. Quill was going to love it. He wanted to take her there, but gave in and let her go back to the studio, her studio.

“Yes, we can stop there first,” he obliged, reaching for her hand.

Quill walked him backwards, pulling his hand to toward the new mats with a look that he knew all too well.

“What are you doing Miss Quill?’

“Oh, you know,” she teased, pulling her tucked shirt from her jeans. “I just thought maybe we should try out these mats.” Quill lifted her shirt over her head and was just about to unfasten her bra.

“Quill!” Seri yelled, and on came the shirt.

“Jesus, Seri. How’d you get in here?”

Seri dangled her keys. “You keep that shit off my mats.”

“I’m not so sure
you and my dad haven’t already initiated them. Where is my dad?”

“He took your mom and Connor to the hotel, and we did commence these mats.”

“Gross.”

Seri laughed, walking toward her with her hands out.

“Oh, you want to go?” Quill asked.

“No. I want to kick your skinny little ass. Why is it gross when I did it, but you were getting ready to do the same thing?”

Julius stood watching the two circle each other. Should he let them cat fight? Seri might get hurt. He taught Quill himself, then again, Seri did lay him flat in the hallway of that apartment building.

“Shoulders to the mat, three seconds,” Quill wagered.

“If I win?” Seri asked moving in.

“You get to lick my pussy,” Quill tormented. Seri had her flat on her back in a split second. Quill struggled, keeping her shoulders from touching the mat. “Do you want to win that bad?” she moaned, trying to get enough leverage to wrap her leg around her and throw her off.

“I do, my little, Quill. Somebody has to keep you in your place.” Seri moved just enough to get thrown to her back. Quill held her in a cradle, using all her might to get her shoulders to the mat.

Julius was beyond impressed. He jumped to the mat on his stomach and counted, hitting the mat to the count of one. Seri was back on her feet, but not for long. Quill moved in on a leg sweep, taking her down again. The two of them went at it for fifteen minutes straight, back and
forth, back and forth, neither of them able to keep the other one down long enough for Julius to call it.

“I quit,” Quill panted, rolling to her back. Seri followed and panted alongside her.

“You’re one tough little bitch, you know?” Seri breathily said.

“Yeah, you’re not so bad yourself.”

“Are you two at it again?” Manny asked, coming to fetch Seri and take her home.

“No. We quit,” Quill assured him, sitting up.

“Can we go home now?” Manny asked, taking Seri’s hands and pulling her to her feet.

“Lock up, Julius,” Seri said, turning to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and stay the hell off my mats,” Seri warned with a finger and a smile toward Quill.

Julius pulled Quill to him on the mat. “I paid for the damn things,” he assured her.

“I don’t want to anymore, Julius. I’m all sweaty.”

“I love it,” he assured her, rolling her over and kissing her.

“Please, can we go home first,” she begged. Wherever the hell that was.

Julius groaned and pulled her to her feet. “You know I have this massive hard on going on right now, don’t you?”

“Why? All you did was kiss me.”

“I’ve had it since the two of you decided to climb all over each other.”

Quill looked at him with a hurt look.

“Oh, no, don’t you even think that. I didn’t mean it like that. I have no desires for Seri, none whatsoever.”

“You fucked her, Julius, more than once.”

“Don’t ruin this day with this, Quill. I’m too happy. Do you really think I would have done that had I known you and her would end up best friends, let alone that you would be here with your family, and she would be marrying your dad. It’s crazy, Quill. I couldn’t have predicted all of this in a million years.”

Quill smiled. He was right, and she too didn’t want to ruin their day. It was filled with too many happy memories, too many emotions. She knew that she couldn’t go where her mind wanted to go. She loved Julius more than anything, but she loved Seri too, and needed them both in her life. Jealously would cause too much animosity. She couldn’t go there.

“Let’s go home,” Julius said, taking her hand.

Quill fell in love with the apartment just like Julius knew she would. She felt like she was on top of the world when they walked out to the balcony, 112 stories up. It was amazing, and all of the
tiny little lights were just like the song, they did make you feel brand new, and she did feel inspired. She couldn’t have been happier.

Julius moved behind her and wrapped her in his arms. “I love you,” he whispered to her neck.

She turned to him. “I love you too, and I can’t believe you did all of this. What if I didn’t want to live in New York? What if I wouldn’t have wanted to go into business Seri?”

“I knew you would be ecstatic to work with Seri.”

“I am.”

“And I knew you would live in China if it were with me.”

“I would. You’ve still got a hard on,” she teased, grinder into him.

“That’s because it’s waiting for you to get naked.”

“Take a shower with me.”

“If I take a shower with you, I am going to stick my dick in you.”

“Hmmm, Okay,” Quill beckoned.

Julius ran his fingers over his name on the small of her back, letting his fingers trace each letter, and then the quill. Quill turned her wet naked body to his and kissed her. Quill moved her hand down, stroking him as he kissed and sucked on her neck and then her breasts. She moaned, he moaned, and backed her against the shower wall. He lifted her legs around his waist and she guided him into her. He held her up with his hands and the wall, moving slowly in and out of her until they were both right there, Quill releasing first. Julius pulled out of her and they both looked down as he spewed on her stomach between them.