Wicked Beat
Page 76
“You cook?” Trey asked.
Isaac nodded vigorously. “What do you like?”
“Cherries…” He grinned wickedly. “But I’ll eat anything.” Trey kissed Isaac gently and pressed his cell phone back into his hand. “Tell Rebekah the truth. Promise me.”
Isaac nodded slightly, and with that, Trey left the bathroom with a huge smile on his face and a spring in his step. He f**king loved deflowering virgins.
Chapter 28
Eric gave Trey an odd look when he returned to the table. Trey had the hugest, self-indulgent grin on his face. He’d obviously been up to something. This was Trey after all. He was always up to something.
“Where’ve you been?” Sed asked Trey.
“Making room for seconds,” Trey said, his smile broadening further. He patted his flat belly with both hands.
Isaac sat down, wincing slightly as his butt settled in the chair. He glanced at Rebekah and blushed to the roots of his carefully arranged curls. Except his hair wasn’t immaculate anymore. It looked as if someone had been running their fingers through it. Eric turned his attention back to Trey. Still grinning. And then back to Isaac. Still blushing.
No way. Those two couldn’t possibly… Eric shook his head to settle his thoughts somewhere other than the nearest gutter. Dr. Perfect and Trey Mills? It simply wasn’t possible. They had been gone for twenty minutes. Odd that they returned at the same time. Eric caught Trey’s eye, and he winked at Eric. Eric shot a pointed look in Isaac’s direction, and Trey shrugged as if he didn’t get what he was asking, but his smile never wavered.
Rebekah took Isaac’s hand. “Are you okay? What took you so long? I was starting to worry.”
“Oh nothing,” he said, avoiding eye contact. “I’m feeling better now.”
“Are you sick?”
Isaac glanced at Trey and blushed again. “Probably.”
“Do you want to go?” Rebekah asked. “I can take you home.”
He shook his head. “No. That would be rude. Your mother worked so hard to put this wonderful meal together, and your friends want to spend time with you.”
“Think nothing of it,” Mrs. B said. “If you’re feeling poorly, you should go lie down, dear.”
Eric wondered if she’d ever refer to him as dear. Not likely. Not even if he and Rebekah had still been together. Not that Rebekah would ever dump Dr. Perfect for him. Eric glanced at her, his heart in his throat, and then picked at his mashed potatoes.
“You’re a fantastic cook, Mrs. B,” Brian said. “Even better than my wife.”
It earned him a glare from Myrna, but he hugged her and kissed her temple, and all was forgiven.
“You better eat more than that, Myr. You’re eating for two now.” With his fork, Brian poked a piece of ham on his plate and shifted it to hers. He then rubbed a hand over her flat stomach. She smiled at him, the love between them tangible.
“Actually, I’m eating for one, plus a little bitty future rock god about the size of the tip of your finger.”
“He’s that small?”
Eric chuckled at the astonished expression on Brian’s face.
“Yep,” she said. “For now.”
Brian touched Myrna’s face tenderly, and Eric diverted his gaze so he didn’t have to watch their PDA. “Maybe you’d rather have turkey,” Brian said. “Sed, pass the turkey this way.”
Sed was eating more than enough for two, while Jessica picked at her food and chatted with Mr. B about something political or lawyerly. Sed grunted an affirmation and passed the platter of turkey in Brian’s direction. Brian forked a large piece of turkey onto Myrna’s plate.
Myrna chuckled. “You’re bound and determined to make me fat, aren’t you?”
“I just want you happy and healthy.”
Her fingertips resting on Brian’s jaw, she kissed her husband tenderly. “Mission accomplished.”
Eric’s attention turned to Rebekah. She stared at her plate with a sad expression. He knew she was thinking about never being able to have kids. Shouldn’t Dr. Perfect be comforting her about now? The jackass. Eric extended his foot beneath the table and touched her instep. She glanced up and he smiled at her. She smiled back, gave Isaac a wistful glance, and lowered her gaze to her plate. Eric wanted to get her alone. Hold her. He didn’t care if she didn’t return his affections. He simply could not stand to see her gloomy. He missed her smile. He’d do anything to see it again. Even make silly faces at her.
She giggled after he’d made several stupid faces in an attempt to cheer her up. He didn’t give a shit if Mrs. B rolled her eyes a hundred times.
After dinner, they retired to the living room to play charades. Eric’s favorite of all games. He settled next to Rebekah on the sofa. Dr. Save-the-World sat on her opposite side. Her warmth. Her scent. Her mere presence drove Eric to distraction. He really hoped she was happy with her doctor guy, because Eric was absolutely miserable.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” Rebekah asked.
For a second, he thought she was asking Isaac. He glanced at her, and she smiled hopefully.
She was asking him. Eric’s heart leapt into his throat. “Yeah.”
She jumped to her feet and headed for the front door. Eric followed at a half-run.
“Rebekah, where are you going?” Mrs. B called after Rebekah with a look of stern disapproval.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Eric took Rebekah’s hand as they walked down the deserted street. It was a little chilly, but he doubted Rebekah would like him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and draw her against his side for warmth.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” she said.
He was. “Are you really going to marry Isaac?” he blurted.
She stopped short. “Where did you ever get that idea? Did my mother tell you that?”
“No, you told me that.”
“I did not. He did ask me, but I told him no. I told him you were my boyfriend. That I loved you. And you… You never even bothered to call me after our fight. I thought I meant something to you, Eric.” She planted a fist on either hip and glared at him in the light of a nearby street lamp.
“You mean everything to me. And I did call you, Rebekah. A thousand times I called you, even after you texted me and told me to f**k off and that you were marrying Isaac.”
“What? You liar,” she yelled. “I never texted that.”
Isaac nodded vigorously. “What do you like?”
“Cherries…” He grinned wickedly. “But I’ll eat anything.” Trey kissed Isaac gently and pressed his cell phone back into his hand. “Tell Rebekah the truth. Promise me.”
Isaac nodded slightly, and with that, Trey left the bathroom with a huge smile on his face and a spring in his step. He f**king loved deflowering virgins.
Chapter 28
Eric gave Trey an odd look when he returned to the table. Trey had the hugest, self-indulgent grin on his face. He’d obviously been up to something. This was Trey after all. He was always up to something.
“Where’ve you been?” Sed asked Trey.
“Making room for seconds,” Trey said, his smile broadening further. He patted his flat belly with both hands.
Isaac sat down, wincing slightly as his butt settled in the chair. He glanced at Rebekah and blushed to the roots of his carefully arranged curls. Except his hair wasn’t immaculate anymore. It looked as if someone had been running their fingers through it. Eric turned his attention back to Trey. Still grinning. And then back to Isaac. Still blushing.
No way. Those two couldn’t possibly… Eric shook his head to settle his thoughts somewhere other than the nearest gutter. Dr. Perfect and Trey Mills? It simply wasn’t possible. They had been gone for twenty minutes. Odd that they returned at the same time. Eric caught Trey’s eye, and he winked at Eric. Eric shot a pointed look in Isaac’s direction, and Trey shrugged as if he didn’t get what he was asking, but his smile never wavered.
Rebekah took Isaac’s hand. “Are you okay? What took you so long? I was starting to worry.”
“Oh nothing,” he said, avoiding eye contact. “I’m feeling better now.”
“Are you sick?”
Isaac glanced at Trey and blushed again. “Probably.”
“Do you want to go?” Rebekah asked. “I can take you home.”
He shook his head. “No. That would be rude. Your mother worked so hard to put this wonderful meal together, and your friends want to spend time with you.”
“Think nothing of it,” Mrs. B said. “If you’re feeling poorly, you should go lie down, dear.”
Eric wondered if she’d ever refer to him as dear. Not likely. Not even if he and Rebekah had still been together. Not that Rebekah would ever dump Dr. Perfect for him. Eric glanced at her, his heart in his throat, and then picked at his mashed potatoes.
“You’re a fantastic cook, Mrs. B,” Brian said. “Even better than my wife.”
It earned him a glare from Myrna, but he hugged her and kissed her temple, and all was forgiven.
“You better eat more than that, Myr. You’re eating for two now.” With his fork, Brian poked a piece of ham on his plate and shifted it to hers. He then rubbed a hand over her flat stomach. She smiled at him, the love between them tangible.
“Actually, I’m eating for one, plus a little bitty future rock god about the size of the tip of your finger.”
“He’s that small?”
Eric chuckled at the astonished expression on Brian’s face.
“Yep,” she said. “For now.”
Brian touched Myrna’s face tenderly, and Eric diverted his gaze so he didn’t have to watch their PDA. “Maybe you’d rather have turkey,” Brian said. “Sed, pass the turkey this way.”
Sed was eating more than enough for two, while Jessica picked at her food and chatted with Mr. B about something political or lawyerly. Sed grunted an affirmation and passed the platter of turkey in Brian’s direction. Brian forked a large piece of turkey onto Myrna’s plate.
Myrna chuckled. “You’re bound and determined to make me fat, aren’t you?”
“I just want you happy and healthy.”
Her fingertips resting on Brian’s jaw, she kissed her husband tenderly. “Mission accomplished.”
Eric’s attention turned to Rebekah. She stared at her plate with a sad expression. He knew she was thinking about never being able to have kids. Shouldn’t Dr. Perfect be comforting her about now? The jackass. Eric extended his foot beneath the table and touched her instep. She glanced up and he smiled at her. She smiled back, gave Isaac a wistful glance, and lowered her gaze to her plate. Eric wanted to get her alone. Hold her. He didn’t care if she didn’t return his affections. He simply could not stand to see her gloomy. He missed her smile. He’d do anything to see it again. Even make silly faces at her.
She giggled after he’d made several stupid faces in an attempt to cheer her up. He didn’t give a shit if Mrs. B rolled her eyes a hundred times.
After dinner, they retired to the living room to play charades. Eric’s favorite of all games. He settled next to Rebekah on the sofa. Dr. Save-the-World sat on her opposite side. Her warmth. Her scent. Her mere presence drove Eric to distraction. He really hoped she was happy with her doctor guy, because Eric was absolutely miserable.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” Rebekah asked.
For a second, he thought she was asking Isaac. He glanced at her, and she smiled hopefully.
She was asking him. Eric’s heart leapt into his throat. “Yeah.”
She jumped to her feet and headed for the front door. Eric followed at a half-run.
“Rebekah, where are you going?” Mrs. B called after Rebekah with a look of stern disapproval.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Eric took Rebekah’s hand as they walked down the deserted street. It was a little chilly, but he doubted Rebekah would like him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and draw her against his side for warmth.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” she said.
He was. “Are you really going to marry Isaac?” he blurted.
She stopped short. “Where did you ever get that idea? Did my mother tell you that?”
“No, you told me that.”
“I did not. He did ask me, but I told him no. I told him you were my boyfriend. That I loved you. And you… You never even bothered to call me after our fight. I thought I meant something to you, Eric.” She planted a fist on either hip and glared at him in the light of a nearby street lamp.
“You mean everything to me. And I did call you, Rebekah. A thousand times I called you, even after you texted me and told me to f**k off and that you were marrying Isaac.”
“What? You liar,” she yelled. “I never texted that.”
