Karina washed the last remaining dish. She had finally calmed down from her earlier meltdown. “I can do this.” She told her self. She could carry on with her life like nothing had changed, like the love of her life hadn't walked back into it. “Who am I kidding?” She was already coming apart, and was mostly mad at her self for him still being able to do this to her. It had been three years. She thought she moved on long ago. “Hmm... he really looked good today.” She thought. “He had a body on him then, but it looked like he had doubled in size.” She bit her bottom lip. “I wonder-” She quickly scolded herself with a shake of her head. She needed to stay focused on the facts. It was the only thing she could count on to get her through. And the facts were, he left her with out so much as a goodbye. Without so much-
“Baby”
She tightly closed her eyes at the familiar voice that washed over her. God wasn't on her side.
“You gonna turn around and look at me, or are you gonna stare at the sink all night?” He asked with a hint of laughter.
Karina took a deep breath and she forced herself to turn and look at him.
Bobby's eyes seem to soften at the site her, she always had that amazing affect on him. She was right in front of him. So close he could touch her if you wanted too, and he wanted too so badly.
How had he spent three years away from this woman? “I missed you Baby.” He licked his lips, taking every inch of her in. “ You look goo-” His words were cut short as a petite hand connected with his right cheek, causing a loud smack! Bobby was stunded, and it took a second to collect himself. He clenched his teeth. “I guess I deserved that!”
“You damn right!” She snapped.
He chuckled. “Baby, you remembered I like it rough? Huh?” He said as he rubbed the side of his face trying to relieve the pain and the odvious tention in the room.
Karina wiped her hands off with a dish towel on the counter top and tossed it to the side. “Fuck you Bobby!” She stepped to the side and tried maneuvering her way around him; expecting him to move, but of course he reached for her hand, spinning her around forcing their bodies to collide.
He tilted her chin up with the tip of his finger and met her brown eyes. “I like the way you think. I've never been fond of the bedroom... you know that Baby.” He murmured, never braking eye contact.
Karina quickly backed away realizing their close proximity. “You can wiped that sadistic smirk of your face now!” She bellowed in a hurry, to cover up her nervousness. But it was her heart that told the truth, and at that very second it felt as if it were coming through her chest. Just a simple touch from him and she would go weak in the knees. He shouldn't still have the ability to do that to her.
Bobby stepped closer, giving him the chance to inhale her delicious scent. “Why, when I wear it so well Baby?” He asked, bringing his hand up to touch her soft skin. He just couldn't seem to help himself. “It's good to see somethings don't change.”
Karina's breath caught upon feeling the back of his hand caress her cheek. She could kick her own ass for letting him touch her again. “Somethings do.” She said, mentally begging her legs to stop betraying her and move! She bit her bottom lip and prayed Sofia would come and saver her from herself.
Karina's eyes trailed over his face. Everything was the same and for a spit second she allowed her mind to travel back three years to when they were happy. Well, at least she thought they were, but it was all lost when she remembered the cold night she woke up alone and scared. His hand suddenly felt like fire, giving her what she needed to get away. “Now is not the time Bobby.” She said retreating from him.
He closed his hands stuffing them in the pockets of his jeans trying to push the familiar feelings out of his mind. It was almost to much to take. “When then?” He asked her, his voice coming out in a rasp.
His question stopped her retreat. “Oh, I would have to say... about three years ago! Maybe even two! Trust me! You don't want to hear what I have say!”
Bobby walked around her and blocked her exit. “I think I do!” He challenged. His taller frame towered over her shorter one. Anyone else would have been intimadated.
Karina looked up, and blew out a loud breath. He still knew how to tick her off like no other. She focused back on her target.“Fine!” She crossed her arms. “You walk up in here, like nothings changed!” She said walking closer to him. “As if you didn't walk out on your entire family... on me!” She hesitated in fear of the guests hearing her heated lecture, but only for a second. Her rage out weighed her caution by a ton. This by no means was her doing. Bobby had pushed her to it, and she was going to give him what he deserved. “You're not the head of the Mercer family any more Bobby! When you skipped town we had to learn how to take care of our selves! Don't think just because Angel! or Jerry! or Jack aren't being as vocal about it as me doesn't mean there not just as equally pissed as me! I'm not your brother! I'll tell you the truth whether you like it or not! You're a big boy Bobby! But I-am-soooo mad right now, I could beat the shit outta you... if I were provoked!”
Bobby took a couple of steps back. She was really fired up. He knew she would be hurt. Who wouldn't? But he never anticipated so much anger from someone usually so kind hearted. He was a grown ass man, but he had to admit he was a little intimidated, and he liked it. “Are you done yet-”
“Hell no! I'm just getting' started!" She shouted, silencing him in the process. "Let's just pretend for a minute that I wasn't even a factor in any of this!" She poked him in the chest. "That you didn't make promises to me about out future together!" She poked him again. "Let's talk about Evelyn!” She noticed his eyes softened just by the mention of his mother's name. She knew it was a sensitive subject and that Bobby didn't do sensitive, but she wasn't going to back down. She couldn't. He needed to hear this. “Every day! Every single day, for the past three years she never lost faith in you! Never gave up hope! Even as the months started rolling by and she hadn't received one phone call... not one! Did she ever doubt you! She always said you were her first son and you could never be away from her for two long!” Her eyes burned and her bottom lip trembled as she wiped at her angry tears. “You know... for a while I was right there with her." Her left hand clenched her chest like she was in pain. "I knew what kind of person you were Bobby! What everybody was saying about you! That you weren't good for me! How much of a hard ass you were! You lived the street life Bobby I knew it! But no matter what they said I knew that you loved me... I knew that you cared... even though it was always hard for you to tell me, I knew that you did!”
He tried to to confirm her statement, but she silenced him with a raise of her hand.
“Don't say anything! I'm not don yet! Every day she would say He love's you Baby... He gave up street boxing for you Baby... He'll be back for you BABY!” She screamed. She wiped at her tears again and looked down at her hands. They were shaking. She laced her fingers together and looked back into his haunted hazel eyes. “Like I said I believed her," Her voice was much lighter now, "believed you for awhile but then I started to see the truth. Not Evelyn though. She waited to hear from Angel that you were coming home. Everyday that passed still no Bobby! But that Evelyn's faith in you never faltered....”
Bobby listened to her every word, and those words heightened the guilt and fear he had masked for three years. The guilt quickly began bleeding through his barrier. These emotions had been carefully tucked away for a long period of time, he didn't know how to react to the pain they brung, and he started to shut down.
He had left that night to protect his family; that in it self was a huge step for him. Not that he was a selfish man, he wasn't; not when it came to his family that is. He had given up a lot for them... for Baby. He could have thought only of him self and stayed just to be with her, and let everything play out naturally. To hell with the repercussions!
In his mind it was all good tensions, and till this day it was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He didn't leave that night thinking that he would never see his mother alive again. The weight of Karina's words were sinking in deep, straight to the gut, forcing his breathing to become shallow and erratic. Blood roared through to his ears like a train. He would never see his mother's face, or hear her calming voice again. He let three long years go by that he could've spent with her. The realization was overwhelming.
Swallowing hard he tried focusing on Karina's voice, but she sounded miles away. Sweat rolled down his forehead. Why did it suddenly feel like Jeremiah had set the heat on hell? Bobby braced both hands on the counter top to help support his weight and knocked a few knifes over in the process.
Karina continued on with her rant not noticing his struggle. “He'll be home she said! He always comes back when I need him! I'll see him again she said! I bet she didn't know it would take her own funeral for it to happen! Why were you so selfish Bobby! Why we... were...” Her words trailed off as a dripping sound caught her attention . She darted her eyes towards the sink, but it had been turned off properly. She scanned the white tile floor. “Red? Blood?” She traced it up to a hand tightly gripping the blade of a kitchen knife. “Bobby?” She murmured, freighned of what she was witnessing.
He was staring off in to space completely unaware.
“Bobby?” She tried again. She had never seen him like this, and on the real it was a little spooky. “Bobby?” She said again taking his uncut hand into her own.
He looked at the hand that held his, and then glanced at his other hand. “Fuck!” He shrieked releasing her and dropping the knife. “What the !” He shouted, stunned at the scene he had caused.
Karina watch him closely. He didn't know what he had done. “Let me help you!” She tried reaching for him.
He moved away with lightening speed. “No! I... I got it!” He walked around her and turned the sink on letting the water run over his bleeding hand. It stung instantly.
Without hesitation Karina was at his side washing it for him. “I know you don't like letting people take care of you.” She kept her eyes locked on her task. “But just this once you're gonna shut the hell up, and let me.” She grabbed a clean kitchen towel from a near by draw and wrap his hand in it. “Sit down at the table.” She ordered. “I'll be back.”
Bobby didn't say anything as she left. He couldn't muster up an ounch of rebellion. What in the hell was going on with him? He didn't let anyone boss him around, it wasn't his style. Well, it was Baby so it was alright to give in a little. Nobody had to know.
He sat in one of the kitchen table and waited.
Karina returned a few minutes later with a first aid kit. She was surprised and pleased he had done what she told him, but was sure to keep her emotions from reaching her face. She placed the kit on the table and pulled out a chair for herself. “So you can follow directions.” She said as she took a seat directly beside him.
“Don't tell anybody.” He told her, not looking up.
She gave him a stern look. “Yeah sure.”
“I'm serious Baby." He looked her in the eyes. "Don't say shit about this. About me cuttin' my self.”
She opened her hands to him. “Let me see.”
“Especially to Angel... or Jackie. I'll never live the shit down.” He let his hand rest in her's with his palm facing up.
Karina winced. “Oh Bobby!" She gasped. "That looks real bad!” She hadn't realized it was cut so deep. “You might nee-”
“I ain't goin' to no hospital Baby! Do what you can do. I'ma be aight.”
“Stop being such a baby! Look at it! You need stich-”
“It ain't happenin'!”
“Fine!" She huffed. "Don't come cryin' to me when your shit falls off!” She opened up the kit to get started. At least it wasn't bleeding as much anymore. She glanced up and saw that far away look in his eyes again. “Bobby?”
She pulled him out of his thoughts and he focussed back on her. “Huh?”
“What I said before... About Evelyn... I'm not gonna say I didn't mean it. Because I did. But I shouldn't have come at you like that.”
“Don't worry about it.”
“No... I was wrong. You just lost your mother. I know that's really hard on you. No matter how much you try to hide it. You might not care to admit it but, in your own way you're grieving just like the rest of us. I'm sorry for being insensitive to that.”
He looked away from her trying to blink away the stinging in his eyes. Now was not the time.
Karina picked up on it immediately. “Bobby it's okay to feel what ever you're feeling.” Not thinking about the complications of touching him would bring, she dropped the kit on the table and wrapped her arms around his much larger frame.
At first he didn't know how to respond, still trying to keep everything locked down.
“What happened to Evelyn wasn't your fault.” She rubbed his back soothingly. “No matter what happened she knew you loved her Bobby.”
The dame broke, and here came Niagara Falls. He pulled her closer to his chest and bared his face in the crook of her neck. To him no man should every be this vulnerable but Baby broke all his barriers and he couldn't help himself.
Karina continued to rub his back as his body shook. She felt the warmth of his tears on her neck. “Just let it go... let it go. It's okay.” A few minutes passed and she continued to hold him, letting him get it all out. She pulled back and wiped his tears away with both thumbs. She smiled. “I promise not to tell anyone.”
He returned it. “To the grave?”
“To the grave.”
Bobby looked deep in to her beautiful brown eyes and she held the stare. Their faces were inches away from each other and he pulled his eyes away only to study the lines of her face. Her light brown porcelain skin was flawless. Something within him stirred, and he suddenly had the need to touch her.
When he walked into the kitchen he had gotten an eye full and ol' girl was looking damn good. Everything just as he left it. Her thick thighs still made his mouth water and she had back that went right along with them. He had memorized every curve and missed the days when he had the right to considered all of that his for the taking.
His eyes traveled down to her full lips that were begging for him to kiss. He licked his own and inched closer, about to end their separation and give into what he knew they both wanted.
Karina turned away, hastily picking back up the kit. “I should really bandage that up” She nervously spewed.
Bobby smiled to himself. She wanted it just as much as he did. He knew. He could tell by her reaction and how she was breathing like she had just ran up a long hill.
Karina applied some ointment to his cut and he winced in pain. “Sorry.”
“It's all good... you're pretty good at this.”
She looked up at him. The anger had returned back into her eyes. “Well don't think much of it.” She continued nursing his hand.
“How angry are you?”
She paused for a few seconds thinking about his question and her answer. “Well before today I thought the anger was gone.”
He chuckled. “How wrong you were!”
She squinted her eyes annoyed. This wasn't a laughing matter. “Honestly though, it's hard for me.”
He sobered up quickly. “I'm sorry.”
Karina's eyes just about popped out of her head at his apology. “The infamous Bobby Mercer does know the word sorry!”
“Yea... don't tell nobody that either.” He grumbled.
“Well as much as it brings me great joy to finally know you can form the words it's... it's not what I want.”
He watched her closely as she worked. “Ms. Jenkins what do you want?”
“The answer to the one question that's plagued me."
He raised his brows waiting. "And that is?"
"Why?"
Bobby shifted a little nervously. This wasn't going where he wanted it to. “Why?”
“Yes why! Why did you leave?”
“Baby I can-” Karina pressed down hard on his wound and he tried to jerk is hand away from the pain but she held it in place. "OUCh! I see you still have a drop of BITCH left in you!"
She was pleased with the odvious pain she had put him in and decided to ignore his
"BITCH!" comment. “Don't you think I deserve to know?”
“I don't think you could understand.”
“Try me!”
“Does it matter? Would it change anything Baby? Can't we just start from now?”
“Does it matter!" She asked increduiously. "Hell yes it matters! The only reason I'm able to sit here with you now! And not rip your head completely off your shoulders, is I'm trying damn hard to separate our friendship from what I thought we had!”
“Thought?”
“I realized now I must've felt what I wanted to back then. You odviously had other ideas!”
“Baby you probably know me better then anyone now that mom's gone. You know I would never leave unless it were truly important I go.”
“I use to believe that, I did. But I'm not sure of anything when it comes to you anymore.” She through her hand up and shook her tears off. She was done crying over him. “It's whatever... you don't wanna tell me that's fine. I've moved on anyway.”
He scrunched his nose up. “You and Green, right?”
“Why gotta say it like that?”
He furrowed his brows. “Say it like what?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “The way you said it!”
“And what way was that?”
“The way you said it!”
He shrugged. “What way?!”
“With that tone!”
He had to laugh at that. She was clearly uncomfortable with the relationship. “What tone?!”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Don't you laugh at me! You know the tone I'm talking about!”
His eyes widened. “No I don't!”
“Like he's diseased, or some shit!”
“Maybe you're so in' paranoid because you gotta problem being “to-gether” with Green!”
She motioned towards him. “See there you go again!”
Bobby chuckled. “Okay! Now that's just in' ridicules!”
“Oh! Come on, the way you said 'to-gether' you're tryna be funny!”
“Eh! I just asked you a simple question. A matter of fact, it wasn't even a question and you're flippin' the out on me!”
“I”m not flippin' out! I just know you!”
“Oh so now you know me? Two minutes ago it was.” He paused and cleared his throat to prepare his best Karina voice. “I'm not sure of anything when it comes to you anymore.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bobby be honest. What do you truly think?”
He stilled. “He's a cop. That's what I think.”
“I knew that was gonna be the first thing you said!”
“What... what! I had to point that out because I know you hate cops! Not to mention most of'em around here are crooked!”
“Bobby Mercer you're not such a model citizen yourself!”
“Hey! I ain't pointin' no fingers! I'll be the first to admit my dirt to you! I'm just sayin'! What about his age?”
“What about his age!”
“He's 32!”
“He's the same age as you!”
He gave her a cheeky grin. “I'm special.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Oh! Please!”
“Can we go back to he's a cop!”
“I think we covered that!”
“And he ain't even ya type!”
“And what's my type?”
“It ain't the good guys that walk the straight and narrow! Defending the
"oh-so" dangerous streets of Detroit!”
“Well maybe I've grown up!”
He raised his hand surrendering. “Okay, let's move away from the cop issue. You're a cop lover now. I get it! But he's boring and you know it!”
She smacked her lips. “He is not boring Bobby!”
“Yes he is! Admit it!”
“He's not!”
Bobby let out a exaggerated huff. “Fine! He's not boring! But you gotta admit he's lacking some serious street swag! Come on Baby!”
She giggled. “Whatever white boy!”
“Oh! That's real cute! I'm Italian!”
She snickered. “Bobby Mercer you're not Italian!”
“Baby! You know he ain't hard enough for you! That boy so soft his mama shoulda name him Poindexter!”
Karina tried to keep from laughing. “Whatever you say white boy!”
“That's white chocolate to you... I think I'ma little more down for the cause then he is!”
“Oh, you're a mess!”
"He probably plays golf on the weekends, doesn't he?"
She couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on! Golf. In Detroit? That's lame as hell Baby!"
She continued to laugh as she looked back down at his hand to finish wrapping it.
“Do you love him?” He asked softly pushing all jokes aside.
Karina looked, a delicate brow raised in surprise. "Pardon Me?"
"Do you love him." He repeated.
Did I? No one had ever asked her that. Before she knew it her and Bobby were in a staring match again. She couldn't think straight when he looked at her like that.
“Rina you ready to go?”She tore her eyes away and they met an irritated Terrance standing in the kitchen door way. “You ready?” He asked again with a little more authority while taking in her and Bobby's close proximity. She was even holding the bastards hand.
Karina quickly smiled. “Yeah, I'll meet you outside.” She told him sweetly.
Bobby was bitting his tongue the entire time trying not to make any snide comments.
Terrance wasn't liking this situation one bit. “I'll wait and walk you out.”
“There's no need for that... I know my way." She urged. "I'll meet you at the car Tee.”
Terrance gave Bobby a warning look before reluctantly exiting the kitchen.
As soon as the door closed the kitchen filled up with Bobby's loud cackling. “Damn! Baby, are you breast feedin' his ass!”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Ha, ha, ha, very funny.”
He continued to laugh uncontrollably. “No seriously Baby! He looked at me like I had sucked down the last of that shit!”
Karina playful hit his shoulder. “You need help!" She stood up. "You're hands all bandaged. If it starts bleeding again don't call me! Because you most definitely need Jesus! I'm out!” She spun on her heals toward the next room.
Bobby stood with her. “I'm gonna take after my role model and walk you out.” He said sarcastically still snickering.
She waved him off. “Whatever.” She walked off fully intending to leave him behind.
He followed her out in to the living room.
It was dark out and all of the guests had gone. Jackie and Angel were playing the Wii, while Jeremiah laid on the couch laughing at them trying to hula hoop.
Karina interrupted. “People I'm leaving." She announced. "Try not to completely trash the house and kill each other.”
Angel paused the game and got up.
Jeremiah walked up to Karina. “Thanks for everything Baby.” He gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
She returned both and pulled back to look at him. “No thanks necessary... that's what families do, support each other." She moved to hug Jack. “Call me tomorrow, okay.”
“I will.” Jack told her.
Angel smiled at her. “Don't forget about me.” He pouted.
“Never.” Karina said as she embraced him. “I'm assuming Sofia's upstairs already. Tell her bye for me.”
Bobby glared. “La Vida loca ain't stayin' here Angel!”
Angel rubbed the back of his head. He knew this fight was coming. “Why not Bobby?”
“She's not stayin' here! This ain't no homeless shelter!”
Angel glared back. “You wrong for that!”
Karina laughed at them. They were bickering like brothers already. “Bobby, let the girl stay.” She said touching his arm in away to calm him. “She hasn't seen him in weeks.”
“That ain't my problem! Angel y'all back together or somethin'?”
He nodded. “I guess we are man.”
Bobby shook his head. “I thought you were a tough guy. La Vida loca is loud! Disrespectful! She ain't stayin' here! Shit! If all you wanna do is give her the dick! Give it to her and send her ass on!”
Karina decided to let them argue it out. She was way to tired to play referee. “Night boys!”
Bobby stopped and gave her his full attention, letting Angel off the hook. “I wasn't playin' about walking you out Baby.”
She looked at him strange when he grabbed her coat and started helping her put it on. “Okay, fine.” She said pulling her hair from underneath as he put it on.
“Can't believe I'm living with a bunch of fairies!” He grumbled to himself.
Karina and Bobby were almost out the door when Jeremiah yelled for her. “Hold up! I forgot to tell you, mom's lawyer said you need to be there tomorrow for the reading of the will.”
Karina looked at him strangly with a puzzled expression. Sure, Evelyn loved and treated her like one of her children, but Karina never considered being included in her last will and testinment. “Why?”
Jerry shrugged. “I don't know. He just said you did.”
She slowly nodded. “Okay, night.” and they were out the door. As soon as the cold air hit her face she turned around remembering something. “Bobby you don't have a coat...” Her words trailed off as she bumped in to him. She backed away immediately. She couldn't take being that close.
Bobby tilted her chin up. “You can't help yourself can you?” He said wearing a devilish smirk while caressing her cheek that the winter air had chilled. His touch warmed it immediatly.
Karina removed his hand and swallowed hard as she looked around to see where Terrance had parked. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she remembered it was in the back. “Bobby” She said looking back at him. “I'm really glad you're home... really, but out of respect for Terrance you can't touch me like... like you want something more than I can give... like you want to kiss me.”
He licked his lips trying to minimize his smirk. “Good thing I don't respect him.”
“I'm serious!” She shierked with a stomp of her foot. She was getting really exhausted having to keep going back and forth with him.
“Me too!” He fired back with almost as much frustration.
“Bobby, even if there wasn't a Terrance, there couldn't be anything between us. We share to much history. A lot of it was good but most of it was bad. There's to many unanswered questions between us for me to ever go there with you again!”
“Trust me-”
“I can't! I trusted you three years ago and I got ed! I'm not gonna make that mistake again! The best you can hope for is my friendship and even that maybe pushing it!”
“Well I don't do well with friends!" He snapped. "You either love me, or hate me! Choose!”
“Bye Bobby!”
He grabbed her hand before she could leave. “You didn't answer my question? Do you love him? I wanna know.”
“I don't have to tell you anything, and I definitely don't owe you anything... and I damn sure don't belong to you!”
That familiar smirk spread across his face again. “I've always considered you mine Baby.”
Her eyes sparkled with tears, but she kept them from falling. “You never quit do you!”
“Why are you so afraid to answer the question?!
“I”m not afraid to answer it, I just don't want too!”
“Answer the question Karina!”
“Yes! You happy? I. love. him.”
He shook his head. “Now you know you just lied!”
“There's no winning with you! While you're here, stay the hell away from me!” She ran down the steps not giving him enough time to respond.
A grin spread across Bobby's face showing his pearly whites as he watched her disappear into the night. “You don't love him... your heart's still mine.” He chuckled.
...to be continued.
A/N: Comments please.