CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Crossing my arms, I hid my nakedness as I ran to the shower. Aidan chased me. He played some silly boogeyman and made stupid monstrous sounds. It was child’s play. I loved every glorious minute of it.
Aidan laughed more and more each day. The intensity that he used to revert to when left to his own thoughts looked more like tranquil reflectiveness. Even after what we’d been through, I noticed Aidan’s step had lightened. I sensed his relief. Two enemies no longer cast their vengeful shadows over our perfect lives.
In Bryce’s case, it was more complex, because Aidan was saddened by his former buddy’s descent into seedy darkness. If it weren’t for the threat Bryce had posed for me, I think Aidan would have cried at Bryce’s funeral. The fact that he even attended surprised me.
It added to my love for Aidan because it took a big heart to feel compassion for a man as selfish and warped as Bryce.
I still recalled Aidan’s response when I questioned him over his decision to attend the funeral. “Princess, who are we to judge the fallen? There are often so many dark forces behind a person’s descent into crime—a past riddled with abuse; violent and persistent bullying at school; or unaffectionate parents. Love makes us. It civilizes us. I don’t think Bryce ever had that.” His lips twitched as his stoic side stepped in to fight off a lone tear.
Instead, I cried for him. More because of the sadness I felt for those who were alone and lost.
As we held each other tight, I thanked my late mother. Before Aidan came into my life, I never believed in the supernatural. But as I inhaled my lover’s very essence, I was convinced that my late mother’s spirit had delivered Aidan into my arms.
*****
Tabitha was in a thick bathrobe with her hair in a towel when I entered. “I can’t decide on what to wear. What are you wearing?” she asked.
“The purple dress I picked up from the Vintage Bazaar.”
“You’re going all Goth. I suppose it will go with the ruby earrings you bought.”
“That’s what I thought,” I said, walking to the window. I stared out onto the busy street. There was so much to see and take in. It was an endless stream of life. But as my eyes stretched above their heads, a priceless view of the lush, green park made me pause for a breath.
Tabitha held up her prized jeans.
“They’re a little too casual, Tabs.”
She nodded.
“What about the red silk wrap around dress we bought today?”
Her eyes misted over with delight. “It is so sexy. Do you think? I could wear it with these ankle boots.”
“Hmm… it would grunge it up a bit, I suppose. I like it.”
“Yay!” Tabitha swung me around. “This is so much fun. Thanks for bringing me along, Clary.” She went serious. “Is Aidan okay about all the things you bought me? Shit. You spent a fortune.”
“I haven’t actually had a chance to mention it,” I said with a hint of a smile.
“Ah, I thought I could hear a bit of groaning and moaning. I figured it wasn’t due to a tooth being pulled. Something a little more delicious being pulled?” Her eyebrows bounced up and down.
I laughed raucously. “You’re wicked, Tabs. And I didn’t realize the walls were so thin.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. I owe you big time for all those wall-vibrating sessions back in our little place downtown.”
“You sure do.” I giggled. “There were times when I couldn’t work out whether you were being strangled or whether you were actually enjoying it.”
“Both,” she said with a cheeky glint in her eyes.
“What?” I grimaced.
She laughed. “Just pulling your little leg, Clary. God, you’re so gullible.”
“Well, I don’t know with you, Tabi. Especially with this whipping fetish you’ve suddenly developed.”
She stripped out of her robe and stood in her lacy white bra and panties.
I thought of her earlier flirtation with Aidan’s attorney. “Hmm…you look like you’re getting ready for your own moany-groany session.”
“Ha…” She giggled. “Yeah, Brad’s pretty cute.”
“What about Grant?”
“You keep asking me that. Look, Clarissa, there’s something I need to tell you.”
I hissed behind my teeth. “Should I sit down?”
“If you’re going to bring your 1950s-grandma attitude, then yes, do sit.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not that old-fashioned. You’re just wild.”
“Mm… I suppose I am,” she said, tilting her head. “Anyway, look, Grant and I have decided to swing.”
“You mean swap partners?”
“All of that, and more.”
“And more?”
She laughed at my scrunched look of disbelief. “We discussed it. As long as we use condoms, he’s cool with it. And there’s more to it, I suppose.”
“What do you mean?”
Tabitha had that look she got when about to reveal something shocking—narrowing eyes, a reddening of her cheeks, and a twitchy little grin.
“He admitted one night while we were watching pornos that he’d like to watch me being fucked by another guy.”
My mouth opened wide. “What? Porn? You watch those together?” At that moment, I really did sound like a 1950s grandma. I also realized just how straight my sex life with Aidan was. It was perfect, though. There were plenty of raunchy happenings between us, and I would have hated to rely on pornography to keep us aroused.
Before she could respond, I asked, “What happened to the jealous, ‘I would cut his balls off’ attitude you had, and not to mention Grant who, you told me was seriously jealous, as well?”
She shrugged. “We’ve changed. We’re comfortable in our relationship, I suppose. He would do everything to protect me and knock someone out if they tried to take me away, and I guess I would be seriously pissed if Grant left me to marry someone else.” She tied her wrap dress and looked in the mirror. “We’re in love, Clary.”
“It’s a strange form of love. But who am I to judge. To each their own. But I do worry about you, Tabitha. Are you ever going to stop being so restless?”
Tabitha turned and faced me. For the first time since arriving, I noted a shadow fall over her face. “I don’t know, Clary. Life’s short. Look at what happened with my family. All dead by the time they were forty. If I’m going to die young, at least I would have had a ton of pleasure and fun.”
“But you don’t know for sure. I mean, your mom and dad were both heavy smokers. You don’t smoke. You’re as healthy as anything. And goodness knows you get plenty of exercise,” I said with a cheeky smile.
Her face brightened. “Yeah, of the fun kind. None of that pounding on concrete for us girls.”
“That’s better, Tabs. But still, that’s so weird about you and Grant. I couldn’t do it.”
“I know that.” She pulled at my hair playfully. “I just needed to let you know that if I decide to fuck Brad, then I have Grant’s blessing.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Shit.”
I recalled Aidan’s blasé response earlier regarding Tabitha’s predilection for flirting and just sighed with acceptance. “As long as you don’t do it here. I couldn’t stand that. I still find this difficult to deal with. You seemed so into each other.”
“Grant and I are really in love. It’s just that he’s as sexually restless as I am. We discussed it and decided that it would be okay to have spontaneous experiences. Have you heard of polyamory?”
“Multiple partners?” I asked.
She nodded. “That’s us. We even went to a meeting about it.”
“And you’re only telling me now?”
“There’s been a lot happening in your world lately, Clarissa.”
I nodded wistfully. “Yeah, true.”
Although what Tabitha had just admitted wasn’t easy for me to digest, I dropped out of my judgmental state and said, “Okay, better get ready, then. The purple Goth dress it is. Can you do my hair?”
She came over and hugged me. “I sure can. And thanks.” She pulled away and smiled sadly.
I shrugged. “That’s okay. Aidan’s loaded. He doesn’t mind.”
“No, not that, though, yeah, thanks for that too, but thanks for understanding and accepting me for who I am.”
“We’re sisters,” I said, hugging Tabitha. “I won’t forget how you were always there, belittling my bullies with your smart tongue, and how you supported me all those months by paying rent and buying food for us. And never complaining about it. You used up all your inheritance on keeping us going.”
“I’d do it again and again. We’re sisters, remember?”
I left Tabitha choked up, even if this new polyamory direction of hers had
left a strange taste in my mouth.