Jar of Hearts (Glow sequel) (9 page)

“Ethan,” I whispered, spreading my legs open for him as he pulled his hand from my breast, bringing it inside of my shorts.

“No panties,” he groaned, rubbing me gently. “So fucking sexy, Maria,”

My fingers gripped his messy blonde hair as he kissed me. I moaned against his mouth as his fingers worked circles around my throbbing clit.

“It feels so good,” I whispered. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me onto his lap as he pushed his finger through my wetness and into my entrance. I cried out.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Vanessa said from the hallway making Ethan and I jump apart like Vanessa lit us on fire with a blow torch. “Maria?”

“Vanessa, I-” I stuttered, turning to look at her. She was standing there in her white silk robe with a pad of paper and a pencil in her hand. She shockingly yet very slowly took her reading glasses off.

“I can't believe this,” she said quietly, not taking her eyes off of me. “You're fucking around with my brother,” 

She said the f-bomb, oh God.

“I know,” I stood up from the couch. I could feel Ethan's eyes on me at the same time. I nervously fidgeted with my sweaty hands, and could feel the sweat beads start to form on my forehead. “I'm so sorry,”

“Sorry?” she threw her arms up, them lading roughly against her hips. “I am the last person you should be apologizing to,”

“What do you mean?” I asked her. Who else should I be apologizing to?

“My brother,” she pointed the pad of paper at him. “Because, you and I both know that you would never take it anything beyond just sex and I told you how he is. He grew up with morals,”

“Nessy,” he shook his head. “Stop,”

“No, Ethan,” she argued. “Don't even go there. You can think she is this great person when deep down, she uses people to get what she wants. Luckily I'm a girl or she wouldn't have any friends, she would have used me too,”

I gasped, “Do you really think that way about me, Vanessa? That I use people?”

“Were you planning on even dating my brother? I mean, how long were you planning on screwing him until you told him your trademark 'thank you'?”

I looked down at Ethan who looked truly upset. He had every right to be with her words being thrown at him like a slap in the face. “Maria?” he swallowed hard. He was looking for me to tell him how I felt, that Vanessa was wrong and that this time with me would be different than the last. But, I couldn't. Unfortunately, I could never be good enough for Ethan, ever.

Chapter Six

Ethan

              I stared into her tear filled eyes waiting for her to answer. I knew she was feeling something for me, the last two days have made that extremely clear. But, was she ready to confess how she feels about me, or is she ready to rip my heart in two in front of my sister?

“What's going on?” Ben stood next to Vanessa, looking between all of us.

And Ben...

“Well?” Vanessa stood there, staring at Maria waiting for her to say something.

I looked back at Maria who's mouth snapped shut like a mouse trap as though she wanted to say something but was so confused and so nervous that she decided not to.

“Maria,” I grabbed her hands, they were extremely clammy and trembling. I shook them lightly. “Hey,”

“Ethan, I-” she started to cry, shrugging her shoulders. I knew she didn't do relationships, and I knew she was scared shit-less of commitment. But, I was hoping somehow that with me, it were different.

“Vanessa is right,” she sobbed. “I'm so sorry,”

I scooted to the end of the couch, her hands still in mine. “No, no... hey,” I looked into her eyes as she cried. “I know you don't mean that, I know you don't,”

“Would someone please tell me why everyone is acting like someone died?” Ben walked into the living room looking at Vanessa in the hallway then back to me and Maria.

“Because, Maria's about to kill Ethan,” she slapped the pad of paper on her thigh. “My brothers hand was just down her pants,”

“Babe, this isn't our business,” he said to Vanessa who looked even more pissed off.

“Like hell it's not!” she said flippantly. “He is my brother and Maria is using him like she does every other guy,”

“Nessy, obviously you are upset and it's only going to lead to you saying things that you don't mean,” Ben walked over to my sister, placing his hands on her hips. “We need to stay out of it and leave them alone,”

“No, she needs to be honest with Ethan, now,” she removed Ben's hands from her hips leaving him with a heaving sigh as he moved aside. Vanessa was acting like a complete bitch.

“Seriously, Vanessa. You need to back off,” I warned her. It was upsetting seeing the reaction she was getting out of Maria. She didn't deserve to be put on the spot like this, especially with her trying so hard to handle and deal with the feelings she was having for me.

“Fine, but after she decides to finally tell you that you are nothing more than a piece of chewed gum from a greasy parking lot on the bottom of her shoe, she can leave,”  Vanessa turned to walk away.

“I think you are taking this way too personally,” Ben grabbed her elbow to stop her.

“Really, Benjamin? The fact that she lied to me and involved my brother in her garbage after I told her not to is a damn good reason for her to go somewhere else,” she smacked the pad of paper and pencil onto Ben's chest. He grabbed it from her as she walked into the bedroom.

“Fuck,” Ben muttered, walking into the living room. “I'm sorry you guys. I will try and talk to her,”

“No,” Maria cried. “Just let it go, Ben. Don't make her upset with you. I'm going to go get my stuff and go to a hotel, it's fine,”

“No, your not,” I argued. “This is ridiculous,”

“It is,” Ben agreed.

“You guys need to understand that she is looking out for her brother not meaning to harp on anyone. I did lie to her. I told her that I would stay away from Ethan and I didn't. It is my fault because I lied,” she pulled her hands out of my grip.

“She is seriously over reacting, though,” Ben said quietly.

“No, she's not. She is upset, Benjamin. Go talk to her before you get yourself in trouble. Let her know I will be leaving in a few minutes,”

Ben nodded. “See you at work tomorrow, huh?”  Maria shook her head yes, heading towards her room. I quickly stood up and followed her.

“I'm not letting you leave without going with you,” I said from her doorway. “I'll stay wherever you stay,”

“No, Ethan” she was crying, packing her everything from the dresser and closet into her giant pink and black bag. “It will only make things that much worse,”

“At least let me give you a ride so I know that you make it to a hotel safely,” Maria looked at me. “Please?”

She nodded, “Okay,”

I walked into the living room, grabbing a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt from my bag and was changing my clothes when Vanessa came out of her room.

“Where are you going, Ethan?” she asked from beside the kitchen table.

“I'm taking Maria to a hotel,” I said, throwing my socks and shoes on.

“Should be familiar to her,” she snapped.

Her comment royally pissed me off. I zipped my bag and threw it down against the hardwood with a thud. “You have no right to make a comment like that because you are upset. Vanessa, did it ever occur to you that people change? Huh?” I took a step closer to her. “You did! You were just like her,”

“I beg your pardon?” she gaped. “Was not!” her tiny hands were balled into fists.

“Yes,” I nodded. “Yes, you were. You didn't believe in relationships, and she is scared of them. No difference there, whatsoever. The only difference here is you're being a complete bitch, and ridiculously hypocritical,”

“Ethan, I am just trying to look out for you,” Vanessa was staring to cry as I was sure my words hurt her feelings, but they were true.

“I am twenty-eight years old, Vanessa,” I reminded her that I am not a child. “I don't need you looking out for me anymore, okay? I can make my own decisions and let whoever I want to in my life whenever I want to without you or anyone telling me what I should and shouldn't do. As for the kind of person Maria is, she is beautiful, smart, and has a good heart. She is trying to decide how to handle the way she feels about me. The same way you tried to  handle the way you felt for Ben. She is scared, Nessy. If anyone can relate to that, it's you,” I walked past her to wait in the living room for Maria.

“Ready?” Maria said from the hallway. She changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, holding her pink and black bag like she was lost. She glanced over at Vanessa who was still standing there with a look of shock at my words that lingered the air around her like a heavy gray cloud.

“Yeah,” I took the bag from her hands, placing my free hand on her back and leading her towards the doorway.

“Go ahead, I'll be there in a second,” I whispered to her, she nodded and never looked back.

I stood in the doorway for a moment before turning around to face Vanessa. “Vanessa?”

“Yeah,” she blinked, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“Before you give your two cents on what you think is best for me, remember the good choice you made when you insisted I meet your 'gorgeous, funny, sweet and oh so loyal' friend Jackie who I caught riding our real estate agent in my fucking bed,” I slammed the door behind me. She can chew on that for awhile.

~

We drove to the hotel in silence. Every so often I would hear Maria sniff as she stared out the window. I reached over and grabbed her hand, she squeezed it tightly reassuring me that she were okay.

I left her in the car so I could run inside and get her a room. I insisted that I pay for it knowing she more than likely didn't have an abundance of extra money. She had told me during lunch on Sunday that she was trying to save up to get a nicer apartment than the one she had before the flood. I came back out of the lobby and Maria was standing outside of my car with her pink and black bag in her hand looking extremely sad. 

“You should have waited in the car,” I rubbed her arms with my hands. “Come on,” I took her bag from her and lead her around the corner to the side door. I used her key card and opened the door to the hallway. She stopped me at the elevator.

“Ethan, you don't have to follow me inside,” she frowned. “You need to go home and go to bed,”

“I am going to make sure you get in the room alright,” I smiled at her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

I was thankful that she didn't argue, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. I would have walked her to her room regardless.  Opening the door for her she walked in past me and looked around.

“It isn't the Hilton, but I think it'll work,” I set her bag on the bed.

She smiled at me. “It's fine. Thank you,”

For the first time, I didn't see Maria as this confident and strong female... I saw her as very sad, and scared. The way she fidgeted her hands made her look that much more vulnerable and fragile. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and protect her from anything and everything.

I watched her sullen brown eyes scan the room once more looking so lost. It broke my heart as I could see it on her face that she didn't want to be alone or here. I wouldn't let her be no matter what kind of a fit she threw.

I set her bag onto the floor and laid down onto the bed. “Come here, beautiful,” I patted the floral print comforter next to me.

A slow smile crept onto her face as she stepped closer to the bed. She let her fidgeting hands drop to her sides then crawled onto the bed. She laid down in front of me, I spooned her tightly to my chest.

“I'm so sorry,” she whispered, placing a kiss on the back of my hand.

“For what?” I squeezed her tighter. “You have nothing to be sorry for,”

“But, I do,” she kissed my hand again. “I just caused an argument between you and Vanessa. It's not cool,” she turned in my arms to face me.

I brushed the hair from her eyes with my fingertips. “You didn't cause anything. My sister has always insisted that she knows what is best for me. But, truth is, she doesn't,” I smirked. “I just put her in her place. She'll get over it,”

“I should have just told her instead of messing around with you behind her back,” she smiled sullenly. “I mean, I don't know what I was thinking assuming she would never find out about us having sex,”

Her words stung a little bit as to me we weren't just having sex. Every minute I spend with her, she grows on me more and more. I know she isn't ready for me to let her know that yet, so I didn't push it.

“Well, she knows that now. My sister needs to suck it up and understand that she has no say in what happens in my life,” I laughed, “She is something else,”

“Yup,” Maria interlaced her fingers with mine, holding them tightly to her chest as she yawned.

“Go to sleep,” I whispered, using my other hand to touch her cheek and run my fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes. “I'm not going anywhere, I promise.”

~

When I woke up, I reached over to pull Maria to me only to find that her side of the bed was cold. I rolled over onto my back and rubbed my eyes. I blinked rapidly at the ceiling trying to wake up. I slowly sat up and looked around, I could smell her shampoo and perfume. She was already up and getting ready for work.

I staggered out of bed and checked the bathroom in which the door was wide open and the light was off. I walked back through the room and out to the balcony where she was drinking a cup of coffee and leaning on the railing staring out at Manhattan.

“Morning,” Maria said without looking at me. She could sense that I was staring at her.

“Good morning,” I was nervous for some reason to walk up and wrap my arms around her.

“I brought you some coffee,” she pointed to the table which was to the left of the door complete with two patio chairs.

“Thank you,” I grabbed the paper cup and sat down into one of the chairs. “How did you sleep?” I asked her, taking a sip of the coffee.