CHAPTER SEVEN
Dozens of cars crowded the circular driveway of Markus Marillo’s house. Loud dance music boomed from somewhere, though Martie couldn’t be sure whether it was from inside the house or from the back yard. Markus’s parents were quite wealthy and the house was huge. Martie had attended one other party there the summer before.
She and Trew walked hand in hand toward the front door. He looked fantastic in a pair of black casual shorts and a pale blue muscle shirt. He wasn’t the huge bulky guy his dad was, but the firm sculpture of his shoulders and arms showed he was in great shape.
He dropped his head slightly as they walked, to plant a quick kiss on Martie’s bare shoulder. She had chosen a very summery plain yellow sundress. “Nervous?” he asked.
“A little,” she admitted.
“But why? These are your friends.”
She laughed anxiously. “I know. I think I’m just worried about what everyone will think about me being out partying when I should be at home worrying about my mother.”
He squeezed her hand tighter. “Aw, c’mon. You can’t stay home brooding every second. Besides, who gives a crap what anyone else thinks.”
It sounded a little like a pep talk, but she knew he was sincere. She admired that he exuded confidence. She doubted that anything made him nervous, and he certainly wasn’t shy. She knew she would be a wreck if she was about to walk into a party filled with complete strangers. Not Trew. He was in his element. She, on the other hand, had always been shy. She always let others take the lead, and she would avoid confrontation at any cost. But being with Trew was making her feel stronger, more confident. She liked it.
They located Becky and a group of Martie’s other friends in the kitchen, filling cups with punch. They all screamed with girlie glee when they saw her, but turned quiet when they noticed the boy attached to her hand. They gaped without reservation.
Becky strolled over and gave her a big hug. “Martie, I’ve been so worried about you.” She released her and gave Trew a scrutinizing once over. She then gave Martie a look to indicate she approved. “But I can see you’re just fine. Just fine indeed.” She batted her eyes at him.
“Becky this is Trew. Trew, Becky.” They shook hands and Trew was unsure how to react when Becky wouldn’t release his hand and started giving him the big friendly eye.
“Becks. Stop flirting with my boyfriend,” Martie scolded with a laugh.
“Well now that you’ve marked your territory loud and clear…” She stepped away from him. “You better be good to our Martie,” she said waving a finger at him. The other girls erupted into giggles.
Further introductions were needed, so Martie went around the circle of her girlfriends who were now surrounding her, Trew and Becky. “Trew, this is Kyra, Lexi, Andrea, Allie, and Leah.”
He smiled, showing off his brilliant white teeth, and said hi to everyone. They all drooled over him. With great satisfaction, Martie realized she wasn’t the only one who thought he was sizzling hot.
“C’mon,” Becky called, ending the saliva fest. “Party’s out back!”
The all grabbed a cup of punch and headed for the patio doors. Stepping into the dry heat of the prairie day they found teenagers scattered throughout the back yard. They were in the pool and lounging on the deck, others were dancing to the booming music, some boys were tossing a football around in the grass, and many more were mingling. The party was much bigger than Martie had anticipated and she was suddenly feeling guilty about coming. She was worried that her peers would think she was a terrible person for being out socializing while her mother was missing.
Seeing the drawn look on her face, Becky quickly pulled her aside, forcing her to let go of Trew.
“How’re you holding out?” she asked. “Any news about your mom?”
“No Becks,” she murmured. “No news. This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have come.” She scanned the crowd to see how Trew was doing. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Markus shaking his hand and talking hospitably with him. Markus was a good guy. He was the kind of boy that was friends with everyone and got along with everyone, regardless of their social standing. You wouldn’t expect him to be that way, given that his parents were loaded, but he was the complete opposite of a snob.
Now that she was confident Trew was in good hands, she turned her attention back to Becky. Her heart sank when she found her looking at her with pity in her eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she scolded.
“You have just as much right to be here as anyone else.”
Martie rolled her eyes. “Their mothers haven’t mysteriously vanished. People aren’t looking at them like, ‘how can she be here when she should be at home crying’.”
“No one’s looking at you like that.” But Martie could hear the white lie in her voice. She too had noticed the hushed whispers and strange stares.
Two girls from school approached, and as they passed they patted her arm, uttering how sorry they were about her mom and how they hoped she would turn up soon. She thanked them graciously and glared back at Becky.
“Well, who cares what anyone else thinks…” she began.
Someone came up behind her and suddenly draped their arms over Martie shoulders. “Hey Smartie,” said the voice behind the arms. She could smell the distinct odor of beer on his breath. It was Bradford, the hot jock who had been crushing on her for almost two years. Martie couldn’t deny that he was a good looking guy, and most girls would have done anything to date him. The problem Martie had with him was that he knew exactly how hot he was. He would do everything possible to flaunt it. Even at that moment she could tell he was shirtless and could feel him flexing. Not her type at all. She had turned his advances down countless times, but he didn’t give up, and seemingly made it his personal mission to keep after her until she gave in.
“Hey Bradford,” she sneered, and attempted to duck out from under his arms. But he was fast, and turning to face her, quickly pulled her into a tight embrace. Much too close for Martie’s comfort, she squirmed and wriggled trying to free herself from the forced hug. “C’mon, let go.”
“Excuse me.” Trew appeared suddenly, tapping on Bradford’s shoulder. “I believe she’s asked you to let go of her.”
Bradford reluctantly released his hold on her, turned to Trew with a grimace. “And who the hell are you?” he sneered.
Trew offered his hand as Martie hooked her arm in his to help him stake his claim. “This is my boyfriend Trew. Trew this is Bradford.”
Not surprisingly, he refused to take the offered hand and spat out a scowl. “What kind of a name is Trew?” As he sauntered up to get into Trew’s face, Martie could practically see the testosterone dripping from his pores.
“Jesus, Bradford, don’t be an ass,” she said with disgust. But her words were ignored.
“C’mon man,” pleaded Trew. “I’m not looking for a fight. You’ll have one if you really want one. But it seems stupid to ruin a perfectly good party.”
Before Bradford could respond, Markus pushed his way between the two of them and placed himself face to face with Bradford. “Back down man, or you’re outa here,” he warned.
They stared each other down for a long minute while a small crowd gathered around all of them, giving Martie even more unwanted attention.
Eventually Bradford put his hands up in surrender and backed away, giving Trew a sidelong glance. Much to Martie’s relief, the crowd dispersed quickly and everyone resumed their previous activities.
“Sorry about that,” Trew apologized to Markus.
“Not your fault. That’s classic Bradford. Always gotta keep an eye on him.”
Trew smiled appreciatively and took Martie’s hand. She followed his gaze to a patio area where a few couples were dancing. Darkness had taken the sun’s place, and patio lanterns glowed dimly along the walls of it, giving the area a romantically surreal aura.
Her heart fluttered as he smiled warmly at her. “Let’s go.”
They started dancing just in time to catch the tail end of a dance mix. A slow dance began and he pulled her close. He was the perfect height so the top of her head stopped just at the underside of his chin, so she snuggled in happily. His solid chest was comforting under her cheek, making her sigh with utter contentment. The other dancers had left the area with the start of the slow song, so it was just the two of them now. As they clung to each other and swayed slowly to the beat, he gently stroked her back, leaving trails of tingles up and down her spine.
As soon as she’d done it, she wished she hadn’t. She opened her eyes to dare a peek at what else was going on at the party. A number of people had stopped their festivities to watch them dance. Many of the girls were watching Martie with envious eyes or gaping at Trew with teen lust. Then there were those who she thought were looking at her with what she deciphered as disgust. She decided she shouldn’t have come. She knew her being there was wrong. She could only hope they all realized she did love her mom, and that she was torn up inside by her disappearance.
Her eyes then fell on an unexpected face. Alexis was standing only four feet away, arms crossed, and flaunting a cocky grin. Martie could hardly believe it. This girl had a lot of nerve walking into a party filled with people she didn’t know, with the sole purpose of stalking Martie’s boyfriend. Did she not realize this was Martie’s territory, and that these were Martie’s friends? Was she really stupid enough to try something here?
She sauntered up to the two of them, and with a lick of her lips, spoke in a snide tone to Martie, “This is where I cut in. Go play with your little friends.”
Trew opened his mouth to object, but it was too late. Martie had had enough of this girl. She wasn’t getting the message. People were staring, and this time she would not be the submissive one. She would not stand down in front of her friends. She would not be made to look like a fool. She quickly scanned the crowd for the person she was looking for. She located him quickly, grabbed Alexis firmly by the arm, and pulled her, walking rapidly.
Trew stood for a moment, flabbergasted. Then followed to see what Martie was up to.
She marched the struggling Alexis right up to the poolside and flung her body forward right into the big bare chest of Bradford.
“What the…” screeched Alexis. Then she realized she was staring into the pecks of a very muscular, hot bodied guy. Her eyes slowly scanned upward until they met his eyes. A flirty grin appeared and her eyes sparkled with delight.
“Alexis, I’d like you to meet Bradford. Bradford, Alexis.”
Bradford puffed his chest out further and wrapped an arm around her. “Well, hello Alexis,” he purred.
The two of them clung to each other seductively as they turned and slowly walked toward the house. Like two nuts from the same peanut shell, Martie thought with a grin.
Knowing she had simultaneously solved two problems, Martie turned with a satisfied sigh. Trew was there with a proud smile for her. Her eyes lifted to his. “I want to go,” she whispered.
He lifted a hand and gently skimmed her cheek with the back of his fingers. His eyes were dark and shone with warmth. “Okay,” he whispered, pulling her tight to him. “After we finish our dance.”
Back on the patio, she nestled into his chest again, allowing their bodies to move as one. If only the circumstances were different, she thought. She would have loved to dance like this with him all night long. She squeezed her eyes tight, blocking out everything around them, so all she heard was the music, and all she could smell was the comforting aroma of Trew’s skin.
They left the party with quick good byes to her friends, who all wished her well and hoped for a quick return of her mom.
Not much later, she pulled up in front of her house, and when Trew asked why they were there instead of at Fran’s, she explained that she wanted to get some more clothes. He told her he wasn’t sure it was such a good idea, but followed her inside anyway.
She grabbed a large bag from the closet and led him to her bedroom, where she quickly dug through her closet and drawers, tossing things into the bag. It took her no more than a few minutes and she surprised Trew by setting the bag down by the door and turning on her stereo when she was finished.
He was standing in the middle of her room looking confused, so she strolled up to him and wrapped her hands around his neck. “Let’s dance some more,” she suggested with cheeks pinking.
He flashed her a wicked grin and rested his hands on the small of her back. And then it happened - she broke down. She’d been trying so hard to hold it all together, but now, here, standing in her room, in the house that she grew up in with her mom, it overwhelmed her. Her mother was gone. Would she ever see her again? She might even be dead. The worst part by far was the not knowing, not having any answers.
It was suddenly too much for her, and she desperately needed someone to lean on, someone to help her pick up the broken pieces of her life. Trew was here, the boy of her dreams, and she knew he was the one person who could do just that. As she sobbed into his strong chest he gently stroked her hair and quietly whispered in her ear. Not only was he here for her now, she realized that he had always been there for her, long before they actually met. Whenever times got tough or something was upsetting her, he would come to her in her sleep to comfort and lift her up. And here he was now, in the flesh, at the time in her life when she needed him more than she had ever needed him before.
He held her gently as she drained her body and mind of the pent up anguish, and she felt their connection grow stronger than ever. There was no doubt there was so much more between them than physical attraction, than a history of shared dreams, more than the ability to communicate without spoken words. They had a special bond that transcended anything comprehensible to the human mind. There was no need to question it. It simply was. She could tell by his soothing touch and by the way his eyes burned into her soul when she looked up at him, that he felt it too. There was no need for them even to discuss it.
She had calmed, so her drenched face formed a huge smile when she saw Trew’s dark eyes gleaming at her with such intensity it could have melted metal.
“I love you,” she told him wordlessly.
He swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed, where he laid her down on the soft pink comforter. He knelt down on the floor so they were eye to eye, and gave her a serious look. She couldn’t help but feel nervous about what he would say in response to her confession.
“What?” she asked as nausea threatened.
His eyes darkened with force. “Martie,” he began, “I have always loved you. Since the very first moment I saw you.” What magical words. They had her body dissolving into the bed while her head buzzed with elation.
She reached out both hands to pull his head in for a deep urgent kiss. “It’s time,” she whispered.
He climbed up next to her on the bed, his eyes dark, yet cautious. “Are you sure?”
Martie had never been more certain of anything before. She had never felt so close to another human being in her life, and she was aching to experience the ultimate in oneness with him. In the short time she had known Trew, he had given her so much, and in return she wanted to give herself to him; body, soul, mind, everything. “I’m positive,” she assured him.
Her mother had been right, and she was glad she had saved herself for someone as special as Trew. The experience was beautiful, and one that Martie would not forget. Their bodies fit like hand and glove, like one was born for the other. Their souls united and their unique bond deepened. He gave to her much more than she could have ever asked for in a first time; kindness, gentleness, and the utmost respect.
They lay together for a time afterward, having a quiet unspoken conversation. Serenity filled the dim room and her troubles were softly packed away in the far reaches of her mind.
Suddenly, they froze and looked at each other with wide eyes. A scuffling sound was coming from the living room. Her briefly forgotten troubles sprung front and c
enter in her brain as panic took hold. She whispered her fear to Trew. “They’ve come for me!”