A Fight

"Hey ...."

I faintly felt a rub on my head. I groaned slightly, opened my eyes and found Marco's face in front of me. He smiled sweetly, very sweetly, but it wasn't enough to erase my extreme sleepiness. My eyes closed again after moaning softly.

The sound of his laughter was so subtle. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he said, tapping my nose twice.

"I guess tapping the nose isn't the way to wake Sleeping Beauty," I muttered still with my eyes closed.

"We'll be late if I kiss you. We have to get to Missouri, remember?"

His words were like the biggest alarm of my life. My eyes opened in an instant, wide open. "Oh my gosh, I forgot." I hurriedly sat up, stretching my muscles. Then twisted my waist to the right and left. "Aw, my entire body hurts like hell."

"I remember last night you said you would gladly accept all the after-effects." Marco rested on his elbows, giving me an amused look. He then got up from the bed, but I couldn't take my eyes off his exposed abs. "Take a shower first. You will find your clothes in the bathroom."

My eyes caught a suitcase near the wall. "Did you pack?"

"About to pack." Marco went around the bed, picked me up and headed for the bathroom. "So, take a shower first."

I looked at him pleadingly after he set me down. "You're not joining me?"

"Nope. We'll be late."

"Just a shower, I promise."

"But I can't promise, Darling. Now, go take a shower." Marco closed the bathroom door, leaving me standing staring into the void.

***

After packing my suitcase, Marco checked out of the hotel and drove me back home. I didn't say much in the car. Marco drove at high speed. Apparently he was really chasing time.

As I entered the yard, I felt the heat coming from Marco. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he saw someone standing waiting on the steps in front of the entrance.

"I told him," I said quietly. Indeed, earlier while waiting for Marco to shower, I'd texted Pedro that I was going to Missouri again for maybe ten days. Marco gave me a dangerous look, I rubbed his arm gently. "I only said goodbye to him because he's my best friend."

"Best friend." He repeated my words, there was a hint of reproach in his voice.

My eyeballs rolled. I'd better ignore him and get out of the car. Look who's been telling me that he's in a hurry to get back to Missouri.

I grimaced when Pedro took a step toward me. "Kim told you to go there again?" he accused me because I chose not to answer his message when he asked about my reason for leaving.

"I'll go there together with Marco." There was the sound of the car door opening and closing behind me. My back felt so hot that the embers finally touched my waist. His hand was wrapped tightly around me, as if he was showing Pedro that I belonged to him.

Pedro's brown eyes looked down at my waist and then briefly up at Marco's face. "You forced Leanne to go with you?"

"Leandra will be staying with me."

Pedro turned back to me. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Only ten days," I insisted. "I'll be back here when classes start."

"You're going to live with the man who has brought back your nightmares?" Pedro deliberately glanced at Marco when he said "nightmare". Marco's grip loosened around my waist. I glared at Pedro, asking him to stop talking, but Pedro was in his I-don't-want-to-listen-to-you-because-you-don't-make-sense phase. "Do you know, dude, that Leanne has been having nightmares for days because of you? That she's gotten skinnier from just filling her stomach with nothing but fucking coffees? That you've brought back-"

"Stop you asshole!" My chest heaved as I stared wide-eyed at Pedro. My waist had been freed completely from Marco's hands. "You have fuckin' zero right to say that!"

Pedro's gaze softened when he saw my tearful anger. He shook his head quickly and took a step forward, about to reach for my hand. "Leanne ...."

A massive, tall figure blocked my sight of Pedro, preventing Pedro's hand from meeting mine. He was clad in a black shirt, but I could tell his back muscles were contracting. "I know, motherfucker! I know about her nightmares. I know everything, every single shit. I held back because Leandra said you were her best friend, but you have to know where your fucking boundaries are!"

"Leanne is like my sister."

"What kind of person looks at their sister the same way as the person who fantasizes about her every goddamn night?"

I glared in surprise, two seconds later hearing Pedro hiss. "Shut your mouth-"

"So do you, you piece of shit!" Marco took one step. His stride was so light, so intimidating, so dangerous, like a wolf that had cornered a small rabbit. "And stop using that friendship-mask of yours to cover up your desire to be with her. Now, fuck off."

I screamed when I saw Marco stagger a little as he took a punch from Pedro to his face. Marco spat harshly and then hit back. And I screamed again before my brain kicked in. I intervened, preventing Marco from finishing off Pedro who had fallen to the ground.

"Stop you idiots!" I sobbed holding both of Marco's hands. I tried to look into his eyes, but they were still radiating fire at Pedro. Then finally the muscles in Marco's body relaxed. His eyes began to soften when he found my very pitiable face.

Pedro began to rise to his feet even while holding his cheek.

"You guys are sick!" I said, turning to Pedro and then Marco in turn. "Get back in your car if you still want me to go with you!"

Marco looked at me in disbelief. His jaw hardened although he eventually turned around and went to his car, slamming the door.

"And you Pedro, I don't want to talk to you for a while," I said disappointedly. Pedro was about to protest, but I stopped him by raising my right hand to the side, sticking out my index finger. "Please be gone."

There was a long sigh from Pedro. "Fine!" He then also left for his car.

I turned around, making sure they didn't kill each other behind me. And when I saw Pedro's car driving away in anger, I climbed the stairs and entered the house.

***

020123, Anne Joyce

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