Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (142 page)

"Yes Langston," Tory echoed.

"One last thing.” He drained the last of his scotch.  "Not under my roof."

"Yes sir," Tony said again. 

Tory nodded.  She was done with the discussion she thought.  She knew the consequences of having sex, and so did Tony.  She got up off the couch, stretching.  "I think I'm going to head up to bed.  I'm tired."

"I could tell." Langston gave her a halfhearted smile.  "You were snoring a bit.  Sounds like you might have a bit of a cold.  There should be some medicine in the bathroom upstairs."

"Thank you Langston." She walked over and gave him an impulsive hug.  "Goodnight."

He gave her a real smile then.  "Goodnight Tory."

She went back to Tony, giving him a kiss on the cheek and whispering in his ear "I love you."

"I love you too Tor," he said softly.  "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Tony stayed on the couch.  She wondered if he'd end up being further lectured by her stepfather.  He was staring at the scotch in his glass like it would disappear and she wondered why he'd accepted it.  Probably figured it would be better not to rock the boat further she thought.  She wondered if Lindsey would show up, drunk like usual, looking to pick another fight with Langston.  That was the last thing any of them needed right now. 

She went down the hall to the bathroom, used the toilet, washed her hands and then dug around in the medicine cabinet, pulling out two nighttime cold pills and swallowing them with water from the tap.  She walked back to the head of the stairs, peeking over the railing.

Langston and Tony were talking quietly.  It looked like things would be okay.  She had heard horror stories of what some parents did when they found out their teenagers were having sex.  Grounding, taking them out of school, a bunch of stupid shit that never ended up working.  When you were a teenager if something was forbidden it only made you want it more. 

She went into her room, closing the door quietly b
ehind her and slipping into bed.

Chapter 16

She awoke a few minutes after seven a.m. the next morning.  The house was quiet, so she figured that Tony and Langston had stayed up late talking.  She used the bathroom and walked quietly down the stairs in her slippers.  She wanted a cigarette, but she didn't have any left in her purse.  She didn't want to wake Tony up to get one, but what choice did she have she thought? 

She knocked quietly on the door to Tony's room.  He opened it a few seconds later, pulling on a t-shirt. 

"Tor.  What are you doing?"

"I'm not here to seduce you Tony.” She rolled her eyes at him.  “I want a cigarette."

"I'll come out with you." He slipped his shoes on. 

"Is Langston here?"  They were headed toward the stairs. 

"I think he left an hour or so ago.  He's still trying to make it up to that client that Lindsey messed everything up with.  The guy's leaving town this afternoon so he had to get an early start."

"Oh.  Still no word from Lindsey?"

"Not that I know of."

“Did he calm down about the sex thing?"

"Yeah.  I can't believe I said that.  It was like I got comfortable and all of a sudden I was talking like I was in front of Carl and Andi.  I'm such an ass."

"You're not an ass but damn do you have a nice one." She gave it a pat as she followed him outside.

"Tor quit it.  He's dealing with the whole sex thing." He handed her a cigarette.  "But it doesn't mean he's happy about it.  After you abandoned me last night, he went over the same shit, added some warnings against abortion, said if it happened and we were thinking about adoption that he'd be willing to take the baby.  Or if we needed a place to stay until we got on our feet we always had a place here.  But he told me again that he'd really rather that we'd waited.  Then he shut up about it, talked some more about Lindsey, told me again how sorry he was that he'd mentioned that about your dad.   I can use some caffeine.  I came out here twice last night to have a cigarette." 

"Did Langston give you the alarm code?"

"Yeah.  I told him I have a hard time sleeping some times and fresh air helps and that I didn't want to smoke in the house.  He appreciated that, so he said it wasn't a problem and gave me the code." 

"That's good I guess."

"Yeah, he's a good guy.  I still wish I hadn't put my foot in my mouth about you snoring though."

She laughed.  "He looked like he wanted to kill you at first huh?"

"That is not funny at all Tory." He followed her into the house. 

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"Someday you'll see the humor."

"I doubt it." He shook his head as he headed upstairs to get his phone. 

She had started the coffee when he came downstairs a few minutes later dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, talking on his phone. 

He hung up the phone and leaned against the counter opposite her.  "My cousin is nuts."

"What did he do?"

"Him and Andi snuck out last night and had sex in my house.  Took the spare key out of Aunt Lori's purse."

"Geese, that is crazy.  Did you tell Carl about your mom?"

"No, I'll tell Uncle Keith.  Let me call him."

She poured herself a cup of coffee, digging in the fridge for the chocolate mint creamer that she liked. 

Tony sat at the table.  He talked to his uncle for a few minutes and then hung up the phone.

"He said Aunt Lori stocked my fridge with leftovers.  He also said that Carl and Andi are already talking about marriage and that Carl told him about the big box of rubbers I bought him.  That kid needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.  He reminded me to call Aunt Lori again before we leave tomorrow and when we get home.  He said he's looking forward to meeting you and said I better not have told you any horror stories about him."

Tory laughed.  "I think that any family will be a relief after spending the last few days here."

"Yeah.  He was in a crappy mood.  They have another budget cut set for the first of the year, so they're changing shifts again.  Laying off some guys, but then they're going to turn around and hire new guys who don't know what they're doing but that they can pay less.  Uncle Keith hates that shit."

"Did he ask you if I was pregnant?"

"Ugh, yes.  I didn't want to tell Uncle Keith that the way I see it, Andi will probably end up pregnant long before you do.  She's one of those girls who think that a baby is like a neat toy."

"She's a nice girl."

"Of course she is.  It doesn't mean she's not going to get pregnant the second she finishes high school.  She'll probably convince Carl that a baby is what they need to prove their undying love."

"She must have taken lessons from you," Tory teased, watching as Tony poured his third cup of coffee.  "Are you sure you're okay Tony?"

"Yeah, just trying not to think about how much I want a shot of coke straight into my veins."

"So you're going to get all hopped up on caffeine and nicotine?"

"It's better than me going out to try to find some coke."

"What about when you get home and have to buy drugs?"

"I think I'll be okay then, stupid as it may sound.  Bring the first crack head or meth head to my door, I'll see how freaking pathetic they are when they’re craving their next high.  That'll make me never want to shoot up or smoke anything besides weed ever again, guaranteed.  Plus no way in hell am I going to have my mom get out of that place and see me wasting my life.  She'll wish she was still stuck in there oblivious to the world.  She's going to have a hard enough time as it is."

“I'm glad Langston is still going to help you.  I was afraid that he was going to be so upset that he was going to call the doctor up and tell him to forget it."

"You're telling me.  It messed me up to think that he lost all respect for me.  But thinking that my mom's chance was gone until I could find another doctor to help her, I couldn't take that."

"I don't think he's the type to go back on a promise.  I think he might have been pissed off at you, might still be pissed off at you; but I don't think he would have been messed up enough to do that.  I think he had to figure that I'm a normal teenager.  I thought for a minute about bullshitting him, telling him that I'd spent the night at your house but I figured it would insult his intelligence.  It was so adorable when you told him you wanted to marry me."

He scowled at her.  "Adorable?  Am I three?"

"No, you're a very sexy twenty-one.  Wanna make a stop at the motel before we wander aimlessly around this stupid town?"

"If women are supposed to hit their sexual peak in their thirties, I hate to see what you're like then.  You're going to screw me to death Tor."

"What a way to go.”

"Let me go when I'm eighty.  I guess you're feeling better?  About your dad?" 

"Ugh, don't remind me.  I wonder if he's back.  Maybe I'll try to give him a call.  Then again why ruin a nice day with an argument?  I might try to call him tomorrow though."

He poured himself another cup of coffee, emptying the pot.  Slightly amused but still concerned, she said "Do you want me to make another pot?"

"If you don't mind.  Are we taking your car today?"

"Might as well.”

“I wish you'd drive it at least once before we leave."

"I'll drive it.  I just don't feel like it right now.  It feels too weird with the way everything is with my real dad right now to be accepting such an expensive gift."

"Get over it.  It made him feel good to give it to you.  It really upset him that your mom screwed his business deal up so that you couldn't go Ivy League."

"I wouldn't have gone.  What's the point of going to a school that expensive when you don't know what the hell you want to do?  Even if I could get in, there are more deserving people."

They went outside where she smoked one cigarette and stood shivering while Tony smoked a second.  "Are you sure you don't wanna go have sex?"

"I don't think I'm up for it."

She pouted.  "You're no fun."

"I'm sorry.  With as much as sex with you takes my mind off of everything else, I don't think I'd be any good."

"Damn, guess we'd better wait for later then.  You wouldn't want to ruin your perfect record of truly outstanding, mind blowing sex now would you?"

He gave her a half-hearted smile.  "Thanks Tor."

"I only love you for your body Tony.  You know that right?"

"Yes Tor."

"Do you want something to eat?"

"I'm okay."

"You sure?  There's enough food in this house to feed an army."

"You eat.  You're gonna burn off all your calories wandering around the mall."

"C'mon babe.  Let me prove to you what a wonderful cook I am.  I can cook anything that comes out of a box or a bag and has printed instructions."

"I'm really not hungry Tor."

"I'm gonna worry about you if you don't eat Tony."

"I told you you'd make a good mother." He grinned. 

She wrinkled her nose at him.  "Bah humbug." They went back into the house.

"Wrong occasion."

"Bah baby then."

"You'll come around.  My mom had a friend who said she never wanted kids; didn't want to go through pregnancy or labor.  She met a guy, fell in love, and ended up with five."

"Ugh, do not mention that many children in my presence ever again.  Let Carl and Andi have five kids.  No way in hell am I giving birth to that many children."

"You wait and see Tor.  I'll have you convinced before you know it."

"Uh huh." She was digging in the refrigerator for something quick and easy to make. 

"What do you think about two?  A boy and a girl.  The boy would need to be older so that he could protect his sister."

"What do you do if you have a girl first or a couple of girls or a couple of boys?  Are you thinking that you're going to keep me pregnant forever if you don't have one of each?  Because if you do, you're insane Tony.  You may talk me into one child before I go through menopause, but two is doubtful."

"Did you enjoy being an only child Tor?"  He poured another cup of coffee.  She emerged with a dented tube of cinnamon rolls. 

"It was kind of mixed feelings.  It could have been a good thing, could have been a bad thing.  I hate to think what a child of Luther's would have turned out like.  Which brings me to the issue again of what if my dad has other kids?"

"I doubt it Tor.  I'm sure he would have told you if he did."

"Like he told me he was married?"

"Marriage and kids are two different things."

"Can we change the subject?  I don't want to talk about my dad and I don't want to talk about kids anymore either.  You're going to drive me so nuts I'll never want to have sex again."

He snorted.  "I'll believe that one when I see it."

"Yeah, you're right.  Tony, have you ever thought about having a threesome?”."

"To each his own." Tony shrugged, pouring a splash of creamer into his cup. 

"Have you ever done it?  A threesome I mean." 

"Tor I thought we weren't going to discuss our sex lives when we weren’t together."

"So you did!  Damn Tony, with who?"

He shook his head, watching as she tried to figure out which one of the buttons on the fancy oven turned it on. 

"C'mon Tony, tell me.  Are you embarrassed because it was with another guy?"

He sighed.  "I never said I did it Tor."

"You did too.  I could tell by the look on your face."

"What difference does it make whether I did or not?  I wouldn't plan on doing it again.  Unless you wanted to."

"Ugh, yuck.  You've got to be kidding me.”

“You don't wanna do it so what the hell does it matter if I did?" 

"Damn Tony, you're defensive." She had figured out how to start the oven and was digging around in the cupboards for a pan. 

"You're bringing up the past like I'm supposed to be proud of it.  First you badger me into telling you about the woman that said I sucked in bed.  Now you're bugging me about whether or not I've ever had a threesome.  Does it turn you on to think of me with other women Tor, is that it?  I would have thought it was the exact opposite with how jealous you've been getting.  What the hell does it matter who I've been with?  I told you that there hasn't been anyone else since we were together, besides Sheretha when we were broken up.  Would you like it if I wanted a play by play of what you did with Jude?  How much would you appreciate that?" 

"Damn Tony." She put the cinnamon rolls in the oven and poured herself a glass of orange juice.  "I'm sorry.  Forget I asked."

"Baby, I'm sorry." He got up and put his arms around her.  "I would rather you not be curious.  Most of the shit I've done in that last three years is nothing anyone would be proud of.  I don't like remembering the shit myself.  Hell, there's a lot of shit I don't remember, I was so busy getting drunk.  I don't want you to be ashamed of me Tor.  I'm sure it's not comforting to know that I honestly can't tell you whether or not I've had a threesome.  I can tell you not that I remember.  But what the hell does that mean when there were plenty of nights when I had to ask someone what I did or who I did the next morning?  Half the time the people I asked were so wasted they couldn't remember what they did, let alone what anyone else did.  I'm trying to be better Tor.  It just makes it hard when the past is dredged up.  It starts to make me wonder why I should bother when I've already done so much messed up shit."