Royal Pain in the Ass (51 page)

“
Auntie Juliet!
  Wake up! 
We should play!
”
I looked into an adorable pair of hazel eyes and fuzzy hair that was currently cut into a mohawk.

“Good morning, Maverick.”
I smiled up at him.

“
Maverick, I said to get over here this instant.
”
Amanda warned.
 
Maverick pouted and Amanda
’
s eyes narrowed.
  “
Mommy said now.
”

Maverick burst into tears.
  “
I just missed Aunt Juliet!
 
I just wanted to play!
”
he cried as he ran over to Amanda and cried into her jeans.
 
She sighed and gave me a look I knew too well.

“
That
’
s sweet, and all, but when Mommy says something you have to listen.
”
Amanda soothed as she knelt down.
  “
Look at me.
”
Maverick did.
  “
Right now, Aunt Juliet has a few booboos and we need to be careful with her.
 
She has a few owies, and we don
’
t want them to get worse, do we?
” 
Maverick shook his head.
  “
I didn
’
t think so.
 
Now, if you want to and she
’
s feeling up to it, you can play in a little while.
 
Until then, I think we should go make her breakfast.
”  Maverick
’
s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“
Aunt Juliet, do you want chocolate chip pancakes or French toast?
”

“
Whatever your little heart desires.
”
I smiled at him.

“YES!  CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!”
Maverick practically sang.
  “
Come on, Mommy!
”
he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of my room.
 
I couldn
’
t help but smile.
 

“
How are you feeling today?
”
Xavier asked.
  “
He didn
’
t hurt you when he jumped on you, did he?
”

“
No, Maverick is fine.
 
He just hasn
’
t really gotten to see me much since I
’
ve been back.
”

“
I just don’
t want to see you hurt.
”

“Xavier, I
’
m not made of glass.
”

Xavier let out an exasperated sigh.
  “
Juliet, you will never understand, will you?
 
Forget it.
”
He huffed and left the room.
 
I was staring at the closed door a few moments when Amanda walked in.

“
Hello gorgeous.
”
She smiled and plopped herself on my bed.
  “I
’
ve missed you.
 
How are your ribs?
”

“
Well enough.
”
I smiled back and pulled her into a hug.
  “God, I
’
ve fucking missed you!
”

She squeezed me back and the pain didn
’
t even phase me.
 
I missed this girl.
 
She may as well have been my sister.
  “
Me too!
  It
’
s been crazy without you!
”
Amanda held me at an arm
’
s length and gave my arm a gentle slap.
  “
A phone call doesn
’
t hurt every now and then.
 
I never did get to yell at you like I should have for the way you left.
”

My grin widened.
  “
Too true, I
’
m pretty sure I
’
m due for a punch from the pacifist by now.
”

Amanda sighed.
  “
Too bad for you I
’
m a Buddhist now.”
She smiled.
 
We caught up, chatted and laughed.
 
I loved that it felt like only an hour had passed since I
’
d last hung out with Amanda.
 
I found out she almost had her master
’
s degree in anthropology and she was still working as a nurse for now.
 
Amanda was a gypsy at heart and we both knew it.
 
Everything seemed normal again until Amanda went quiet for a moment.

“
What is it?
”

“
Chase made bail today.
”

“
What?
”

“
Yeah, he showed up at my parents house.
”

“Are you guys - ”

“We
’
re all fine.
  I
’
m still worried, he
’
s not well.
 
His father agreed to bail him out so long as he goes through rehab.
 
But, it
’
s Chase.”

I nodded.
  “
What all did he say?
”

“
He really wants you back.
 
Apparently, since you ended things with him, he
’
s been in a downward spiral.
”

I nodded.
 
It broke my heart to hear it, but didn
’
t really surprise me either.
 
Chase had been my first love, hell, he
’
d been a lot of firsts for me.
 
The Chase he used to be would always have a special place in my heart.
 
That wasn
’
t the Chase he still was today.

“
I don’
t care how guilty you feel, if you ever go back to that sorry sack of shit, I will personally kick your ass, Buddhist or not.
”
Amanda teased, with that serious undertone.
  “
I just thought you had a right to know.
  Stuffy McI
’
mBetterThanYouPants doesn
’
t want you to know.
 
He doesn
’
t want you upset, but I know you better than he does.
  You
’
d be pissed if I kept this from you, so I
’
m telling you.
” 
I nodded.
 
She was right.
 
If she had kept this from me I would be pissed, in fact I was a little upset Xavier wanted to keep it from me.
  “I
’
m pretty sure he has the best of intentions, but they pave the road to hell with those.
 
How are you feeling about this?
”

I shrugged.
  “
Chase is Chase.
  He
’
s definitely not the guy I used to love, he stopped being him about sophomore year I think, to be honest.
  I
’
m worried about him, sure, but I can
’
t have people like him in my life anymore.
”

Amanda nodded.
  “
Sounds like you
’
re thinking clearly, then -
”

“AUNTIE JULIET!”
Maverick slammed the door open and he had a plate in his hands.
 
It was a chocolate chip pancake with egg and bacon on it in the shape of a smiley face.
  “I HAVE BREAKFAST FOR YOU! 
And I made it myself.
”
He beamed.
 
Xavier was trailing behind him and made a small cough and Maverick sighed.
  “
Well, he helped a little.
”

I couldn
’
t help but laugh.
  “
Well, you little monster, where
’
s Mommy
’
s?”
Amanda asked, her hands on her hips, but a smile on her face.
 

“
In the kitchen.
 
Your legs aren’
t broken.
”
Maverick teased, sticking his tongue out.
  “
Only Auntie Juliet can eat in her room.
 
We have to eat at the table like civilized people.
 
Nana always says we weren
’
t raised in
 a barn.”

“
Oh, we
’
re quoting Nana now?
 
How about what Nana says about tv?
”

“Nana
’
s not always right.
”

“
What did Nana say about tv?
”
Xavier asked, looking very amused.

“
That television will rot my brain so I shouldn
’
t watch it.
” 
Maverick retorted in a very matter of fact tone.
  “
But it
’
s okay, Nana
’
s old.”

“
Well, I
’
ll be sure to tell her you said that.
”

“
I always tell Nana she
’
s old.”
Maverick shot back.

Amanda laughed.
  “
Well, come show Mommy what you made me.
”

“
I made it for Aunt Juliet, Mommy, not for you.
”

We all burst out laughing.
 

“
Great, Jules, my kid will cook for you, but not for Mommy.
”
Amanda chortled.
  “
Well, I
’
ll give you two a little bit of time.
 Let
’
s go have breakfast, Maverick.
” 
Amanda picked Maverick up and closed the door behind herself.

“
So, did you or Maverick make this?
”

“
I made it.
”

“
Alright,
”
I took a bite and it was fantastic.
  “
You seem thrilled to be dealing with a toddler.
”

Xavier seemed tense.
  “
Yes, children are something else.
” He muttered.

“You don
’
t like little kids?”

Xavier looked at my over his glasses, lips pursed.
  “
They
’
re lovely, so long as I
’
m not the one caring for them.
”

“
Aww, you don
’
t want to babysit Maverick?
”

“No, I
’
m quite alright, thank you very much.
”

“
Aww, that
’
s so cute.
” 
I noticed a tinge of pink on Xavier
’
s cheeks.
  “
Aww, you
’
re blushing.”

“
I most certainly am not.
”
Xavier snapped, his cheeks flushing a deeper shade.

“
Aww, you
’
re adorable when you
’
re embarrassed.
”

“
Juliet, I, your nurse is here to check up on you.
”
Xavier stammered and hurried out.

My nurse drew blood, checked my vitals and told me everything looked good.
 
I spent the day watching movies, playing monopoly and sorry with everyone, Maverick and I teamed up and won them both, and just relaxing.
 
This was the home I remembered.
 
This was how home was supposed to feel.
 
Finally, I was home.