Nothing Matters (Family Matters Book 1) (2 page)

Stacey took my hand and shook it, "Very pleased to meet you," he said, showing me all his perfect, white teeth.  He was good looking, but somehow I thought he wouldn't be my type.  Not that I even had a type, but I wasn't naturally attracted to the good looking, football playing types.  Not that I knew whether he played football or not.  Seems he didn't.  I found out he was cool because he was rich, very rich in fact.  That he drove a Porsche and lived in his own apartment because his parents worked abroad.  He had a housekeeper who did his meals and cleaning.  He came and went as he pleased.  He did whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted.  And it turned out that he wanted me. 

Stacey treated me like a princess, he complimented me endlessly, he bought me gifts like perfume, earrings, bracelets, flowers, teddy bears. He paid for everything when we went out, movies, amusement parks, dinner.  He phoned me, he texted me and in the third week of dating, he took my virginity.  In the fourth week, we made love and I stayed overnight.  My Dad went mad.  He swore, he shouted, he threatened.  And I became someone I didn't believe I would ever become.  I answered my Dad back, I swore, I shouted, I cried and ultimately I threatened.  I threatened to run away from home, to live with Mom in Hawaii, to drop out of Briarwood. 

And, because I was also Daddy's princess, I got my way.  I could stay over at Stacey's, but only at weekends.  I had to keep my grades up, and continue my piano lessons.  I had to take birth control, so I had a rod implanted.  In just a few short months, I changed dramatically.  I was mesmerized by Stacey, in awe of him.  I believed I loved him, because he told me over and over that we loved each other so much.  He made me feel special, he made me feel wanted.  I stopped spending time with Jakey and Cassian, I stopped hanging out with girls from school.  Stacey became my everything, I was totally besotted.  And in my head, I thought I was becoming a better person - I was dating a cool, popular, good looking guy, I was going to parties with him and having sex with him.  Other girls were envious of me, or so I believed.  I was no longer a virgin, no longer a piano-playing-private-school-nerd, as if these were now the most important things.

In our third month of dating, my family was having a sixteenth birthday party at a restaurant for my cousin Raff, Jakey's younger brother.  My Grandad Chris, my aunts, uncles and cousins all came, there were thirty of us in all.  At the last moment Stacey had to cancel as his father was flying in from Singapore, where he had been working in construction.  It was a great night but I decided to leave early to surprise Stacey, so I got a ride with my aunt.  It was around about ten when I got to his apartment.  But I was the one who was surprised.  Stacey's father wasn't there.  Stacey was having his own little party, he was making out in his bedroom, in our bed, with Carly, a beautiful blonde senior, who I had seen at various parties.  I didn't wait for an explanation, I didn't even hang around for a fight.  I ran outside and walked a couple of blocks before phoning Cassian to come pick me up.

I figuratively went home with my tail between my legs.  Daddy took me back, a bit like the prodigal son, and Stacey Portman was never talked about again.

Jakey and Cassian took off, I turned back to see if the boy was looking; he was.  I smiled, and beckoned with a raise of my eyebrows and a flick of my head that he should come with me.  He caught me up in seconds. 

"Hard luck about the game," he said, and I liked that he'd apologized when there was no need to.

"They're not my team anyway," I replied with a shrug.

"You're not from Beverly?" he asked, almost brightly, as if he would be pleased that I wasn't.

"No, my brother and cousin are," I said, "I'm just supporting the supporters."

The crowd around us was pushing and we were moving at a snail's pace.  I got shoved, and he put his arm around my shoulder, pulled me in close, then closer again. His touch was firm, strong. I felt an unfamiliar sensation of excitement course through my body.  My head rested snugly on his chest, like it belonged there.  He had a faint scent of boy deodorant spray, like Lynx or a copy.  His black t-shirt was soft and faded, his black jeans well worn and torn, his black Converse scuffed up.  He had two thin leather strands around his neck and several tied around his wrist.  I looked up and he grinned at me and what got me, what made my heart skip a beat, was the way he looked at me.  There was a spark, a joy, a longing in his sexy brown eyes.  I felt safe.

He told me his name was Nathan, but that I could call him Nate.  I told him my name was Magdala, and that's what he could call me.  Nobody shortens my name, with the exception of Jakey who will on occasion call me Maggy, usually when he's pissed with me.  But it's funny, I've only ever called Nathan by his full name, and it seemed that I was the only one who did.  I liked that, liked that I had some unique connection with him.

Before going to get something to eat, I suggested we detour to the beach, thinking I wanted some alone time with him before we met up with the others.  I could just imagine Jakey and Cassian scrutinizing him, giving him the evil eye.  He parked and turned off the engine and the lights, and faced me.  Nothing was said.  He leaned towards me, finding my lips - it wasn't hard, I was ready and willing.  We kissed, and it was like the Fourth of July, an explosion of fireworks that left my head spinning.  I was thrilled by the spontaneity of it all, the intensity, the passion.

His phone vibrated and he pulled his lips off mine with a gradual separation, read the text and grinned. "We should go," he said, "they're waiting for us."  But he leaned into me again, more urgently, like there was no time to waste, and his mouth sucked my skin, his teeth nipped at my neck and I did nothing to resist.  And we drove to meet the others, but I knew then that this would be no ordinary romance, it felt like my heart had just been jump started.

NATHAN

It seemed it was a bad week to meet her, because she was so busy, like every night.  She had some sort of concert coming up that apparently demanded hours of piano practice every night, and then a performance on the Thursday night.  I asked if I could come and she said No, it was a classical concert with violins and harps and cellos and I would hate it.  Only parents and grandparents came to it, she texted, or people over the age of seventy.  She sent three laughing face emoticons.

She unexpectedly rings me on the Wednesday night.  Ben and I are shooting hoops, something we always do after dinner.  I answer with a casual, "Hi, what's up?"

"I just needed to hear your voice," she says, "I can't remember what it sounds like."

"Oh? And now that you're hearing it?"

"Mmmm, I remember now," she says..  "Are you playing basketball?"  I guess she can hear Ben bouncing and shooting the ball.

"Yeah, just with my brother," I say, walking away from him, out towards the front fence, for some privacy.  "Have you finished your piano practice?"

"Yes, we finished early.  Big night tomorrow," she sounded quite excited about it.  I guessed it was something she was passionate about, even though she'd told me several times how boring I'd think the music was.

"When do you think we can meet up?" I ask.  I'm so desperate to see her again, but I don't want to sound it.  "How about Friday?"

She hesitates.  "Yeah, I think Friday will be good."

"I miss you," I say, and that's not something I planned to say..

"Really?"

"Yes," I say.  "What are you doing at the moment?"

"I'm just looking at some homework."

"I can't wait to kiss you again," I say, again a totally unplanned declaration.  What is wrong with my brain?

"Well I can't concentrate on algebra now, can I?" She laughs.  "Where do you want to kiss me?" 

I laugh, turn around, even though there's no way Ben can hear me.  "Well I'll start at your lips, then I'll kiss the tip of your nose, then I'll go across to your ears, down your neck..."  I pause, wondering if I just sound ridiculous or what.

"You're not going to stop there are you?" she asks, and I inhale deeply.

"No, I'm not going to stop there," I say boldly.  "My tongue is going down to your breasts and your nipples are going to harden and - ."  Hell I don't know about her nipples, but a part of me was definitely hardening.

"And what?" she asks impatiently,  but with a giggle.

It makes me giggle, and I say, "Is this what they call phone sex?"  And I know I'm blushing, thankful she can't see me.

"I don't know," she laughs.  "But I quite like it.  Continue."

"Where was I?" I laugh, "Oh yeah, I'm at your breasts, it's like heaven, your skin is so warm and soft."  I hear the giggle again.  "Then my tongue goes down your body, to your belly, to your belly button."  Fuck me, where is this coming from.  I've never done this before.  Is my imagination running away with me?

"Better make sure I've washed it then," she laughs, and I laugh too.  "Then?"

"Then?"  Then, I fuck you, I want to say.  But I stop myself.  She'd run a mile, or further.  "You'll have to wait for Friday...to find out,"  I say, trying to sound mysterious.

"No,” she exclaims. "Now I'll forget all my music because I'm wondering what's going to happen on Friday.  I'll play horribly tomorrow!"

I laugh.  Wow, I just know I'm going to fall in love with her, if I haven't already. "Well tomorrow, at your concert, just imagine that for playing perfectly, your reward will be a night with me."  Fuck, how conceited is that.  What the hell am I saying? Has some demon possessed me?

"Is that a promise?" she asks sexily.  Fuck I wish I was in the bathroom now. 

"A promise," I confirm.

We both laugh and we say goodnight.

The next night she texts me with:  didn't play one wrong note :) 

I text back:  can't wait for tomorrow :)

MAGDALA

It was another week before I saw Nathan again, and I'd spent that week dreaming and fantasizing about him, about us. I hadn't slept properly the whole week and my appetite disappeared too.  We had arranged to meet at the mall and Cassian and his friend Liam had given me a ride, and we were sitting in the food court.  I felt nervous waiting, an unsettled feeling that my expectations were too high, all wrong.  You know, that fear that you have remembered something wrong.  Sometimes it can be something inconsequential like the scent of a perfume that you liked and desperately wanted, but when you go back to it, it's not how you remembered.  Or a pair of shoes that you fell in love with, but are totally not the color you thought they were.  I'd remembered Nathan in my head, texted or spoken to him every day since meeting him, but as I waited, I couldn't quite remember how his hair was, or the shape of his face, or whether he had pierced ears.  And that crazy phone conversation we'd had, which I was feeling slightly embarrassed about now.  So easy to be forward and brave when you're just a voice on the phone.  My gaze kept darting around, not knowing from what direction he would appear.  Cassian and Liam were talking and eating, but I was taking no notice of them.  I nervously kept sipping on my water bottle.

And then I saw him.  And my heart went all a flutter.  He was dressed in the same black t-shirt and jeans and Converse from the week before.  Maybe that was his standard dress.  His hair was natural, messy looking, sexy.  He was scanning and when he saw me a smile covered his face.  He started towards me.  I stood up, murmuring to Cassian, "He's here."  He had his hands in his jeans pockets, he had a black earring in his left ear.  I took a few steps towards him.  He looked at me, smiling, showing dimples on both cheeks and I noticed that his two bottom middle teeth crossed over. 

"Hey," he said and he took hold of my shoulders and kissed me.  No hello, no how are you.  It was all a bit unexpected. I didn't know what to do with my hands, I had a phone in one and a water bottle in the other.  He released his lips, said, "I couldn't wait to see you."  And kissed me again.  This time I relaxed, even though my hands were still awkward, and I was able to participate in the kiss.  And everything was suddenly all right. 

"Let's go," he said, and I saw him raise his eyebrows in Cassian's direction, but I was too rushed to turn and say goodbye to him.  Nathan had his arm around me and had us walking away.  His touch was everything I remembered from last week, there had been no need for apprehension, the spark was ignited.

"You look like you've been in a hurry," I said.

"I have," he said, "Traffic sucked and I didn't want to be late."  He looked down at me and just something in his gaze made me melt.  "You look fantastic by the way," and he kissed my cheek.

"Thanks," I said, pleased I'd chosen a short dress and straightened my hair.

We got some food, sat down to eat, but he didn't even look at his food, he just looked at me.  After a few seconds I said, "Your burger's getting cold," as I fingered a French fry.

"This may sound cheesy, but I could look at you all day," he grinned.

"Yeah, it does sound cheesy," I laughed, "and a little creepy."  I popped a fry into my mouth."So Magdala Strauss," he drawled out my name, "do we have anything in common?"  He paused and picked up one of my fries, dangling it in front of my mouth, "Besides this insane attraction to one another?"

I reached for the fry and popped that one in my mouth too.  "I think we both like burgers and fries," I said, and held one up in front of his mouth which he opened. I pushed it in, but he closed his mouth capturing my finger, his tongue sucking on it, and I felt myself shiver and claimed my finger back.  I raised my eyebrows, he raised his and we laughed.  "I like the colour black," I said, but just because that was all I'd ever seen him dressed him and my dress was black and white.