Broken: Book One of the M Series Page 17

  She looks down. “Why do you call me 'Katherine', Evelyn?” Katherine asks quietly, twirling a ring on her right hand.

  Evelyn blinks at her, a confused look on her face. “That's your name.”

  Katherine shakes her head. “If you think of me as your mother, why call me by my Christian name?”

  “Daddy told me to and you never said anything different.”

  “I didn't think you wanted... that you don't accept...”

  “What, you?” Evelyn screeches. “Are you kidding? You were more of a mother to me the day we met than Joan ever was in the ten years I spent with her. I thought it was the other way around.”

  Katherine looks up at Evelyn. “What? That I don't love you like my own? You are my own, Evelyn, so much so that it rips me apart every time I hear 'Katherine' come from your mouth.”

  “I didn't... I don't want to... push my luck.”

  “How, Evelyn? What could I have possibly said or done that made you question my love for you?”

  Evelyn shrugs as a pained expression crosses her face. My eyes widen as I turn to Lil. She gives me a confused look so I turn to Tim. He nods as he points a thumb in the direction of the Cannon brothers.

  I frown as I shake my head at my husband. ‘Ask her,’ he mouths.

  ‘Do it,’ I mouthed back.

  “Evelyn?”

  “Yes, Tim?”

  “I don't think they would mind.”

  Evelyn inhales sharply as she turns her head and tears flow down her face.

  “I had already stolen their father. I couldn't stake a claim to their mother, too,” she whimpers, covering her face.

  “What is she talking about? Blossom! Tim, what is she talking about?”

  “Somewhere in Evelyn's mind, lies doubt about you and your brothers, Matthew. She's talking about the three of you. She hasn't referred to Katherine as 'Mom' because she's afraid of the reaction it will trigger from the three of you.”

  “What? Why?” Joshua scowls. “That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. I cannot believe that’s in your head, Evie.”

  Marcus frowns. “What would make you think we would have any kind of problem with it, Evelyn?”

  “You see?” Matthew shouts out angrily. “This is why I keep saying ‘communicate’, people! Neither of us will think nor say negative if you call her Mom, Mommy or Mother, Evelyn. That has been your right since she accepted you in her life.”

  Evelyn sighs as she wipes away her tears. “I don't want to call you Katherine anymore,” she whispers, looking in Katherine's face.

  “Pick one, honey,” Katherine smiles through her tears.

  “I already have...Mommy,” Evelyn smiles.

  Katherine grabs Evelyn and sobs into her neck. The room is silent except for that sound. It's a good silence that brings smiles and nods to everyone's faces.

  I sigh. “I have an idea, family,” I say, smiling, “How about we schedule another session in a month. In the meantime, why don't you write a book? Start on it at least.”

  They look at me like I've lost it. I turn to Mariah.

  “Cookie, I know you've been through an awful lot in your life and you may need to express some things. Why not do it in a book? Start wherever you want and end it wherever you like. You can be as graphic and open as you want. Nothing is off limits.”

  “You want all of us to do this, Vicky?”

  I smile. “Sure, why not?”

  They look at me skeptically.

  “It doesn't have to be a rushed thing and not everyone has to be done in a month's time. And not everyone has to do it. I'd like you to think it over carefully and then commit.”

  “I'll do it.”

  “Of course you will, Marcus! You never forget and it'll be like jotting down a grocery list for you!” Matthew laughs.

  “Whatever. Your memory capabilities are not that far from mine. You could do this easily.”

  Matthew shrugs.

  “I'll do it too,” Madison says softly. “Should I talk about Adam or just this guy?” She asks, pointing to Matthew.

  “Oh, I think you should definitely speak of Adam, as well as your adventures with Matthew. Include everything, even the rape, if you can.”

  “I like this. This is a good idea, Vicky.”

  I grin. “Thank you, Lil. Anyone else?”

  “I'll do it, Vicky. I could do it while the older three are in school and the others are napping,” Mariah smiles.

  “Good, Cookie. Don't be afraid to get honest with it, gritty. It's fine to talk about any of the sex you've had.” I wink at her.

  “Okay, I can do that,” Mariah smiles big. “I better focus on Marcus.”

  “Whatever you want to put in it. Anybody else?”

  “Matthew will do it, too.”

  “Smooch!”

  Madison glares at her husband. “I said Matthew will do it too. Did I stutter?”

  Matthew glares at his wife, and then smirks, “Fine! Whatever!”

  I laugh at his mock anger. “Great, Matthew. I'm really looking forward to reading yours. I'm sure I don't have to tell you to be graphic and forthcoming, do I?”

  He smiles big, “You know me so well already, Vicky.”

  “I think my baby already knows you well, Matthew.”

  A laugh goes around the room.

  “Okay, in about a month, we'll do this again, yes?”

  “Does that include your young man, Vicky?”

  “I don't know, Thomas. Tim? Care to join us in another session?” I smile.

  Tim smiles back. “Let me know when and I will clear my schedule.”

  “Good, so if you could come up with a mutual date–”

  “No, Vicky. Give us a date. We will all clear our schedules.”

  “All right, Thomas.” I walk over to my computer and pull up the schedule. “How does June 19th sound? Nine a.m.? Do we want another four hours?”

  Everyone turns to Joshua, waiting for a response. I give a 'is something wrong' look.

  “Schedule the four hours, Vicky. Is it possible we'll go over again?”

  “I don't know, Joshua. Would you like to be rigid with the four hours?”

  “No, I think we need all the time you're willing to devote to us.”

  I nod and schedule the session. “Shitty way to spend your birthday, Joshua.”

  “Damn! You are good!” Nathan chuckles.

  “Oh, you people are not so hard to read. You practically give everything away.”

  “I'd like an example.”

  I smile. “Okay, Russ.”

  I grab my notepad and write something down, well aware of the others staring. I rip the paper from the notepad, fold it and hand it to Russell.

  “Don't open it yet, Russ.” I turn to Katherine. “Katherine, would you mind telling me what attracted you to Stephen?”

  She sighs. “I heard his voice before I saw his face. He was walking behind me, humorously talking to someone about the pros and cons of ice cream,” she laughs. “I was so turned on by that voice, I stopped in my tracks and turned to see the owner.”

  I smile. “Then what happened?”

  “She reached for my left hand and looked at it. I was blown away at her beauty. I leaned right over and kissed her full on the mouth right in the middle of the street.”

  I laugh. “You didn't!”

  “I did, love. I'm glad to say she kissed me right back.”

  “I had to. This face, the accent and that voice... my goodness... that voice. It made me weak at the knees!”

  “Yeah, it does,” all the women say at the same time, then burst out laughing.

  The men and Evelyn look at them like they have simultaneously lost their minds.

  “Russ, would you mind opening the note and reading it aloud?”

  He smiles and nods then opens the note, reading it. His neck snaps up and looks at me fascinated.

  “Well, what does it say?”

  “Earth to Russ!”

  “Babe, what does it
say?!”

  Thomas leans forward and snatches the note and chuckles after he reads it.

  “You are good, Vicky. It says, 'Katherine fell for Stephen's voice first, all the women love to hear it and have since they first heard him speak. And you, Russell will be stunned into silence after you read this.'”

  The room erupts into laughter and looks at me.

  “She's psychic, I'm telling you!” Lisa laughs.

  I smile and shake my head as I stand. “Okay, family, I'm sorry but I'm tired and I think we should end now. I'll see you on June 19th.”

  “No, we'll see you and Tim tomorrow, Vicky,” Katherine smiles.

  “Tomorrow?” I ask as I frown.

  “Yes, every Sunday we have family dinner. You're family.” Mariah smiles at me then she gets that determined look on her face. “I will not take no for an answer.”

  “Shit!” Tim mutters. “That look is still frightening!”

  I smirk as I go to Mariah and whisper, “Whoever he was, he was a complete asshole and you never have to use that look on anyone in this room ever again.”

  “Never?” Mariah squeaks. “No one?”

  I look around the room and point my chin. “Well, maybe with this one; that one, too.”

  “Matthew and Ethan, I should have known,” Mariah chuckles.

  I laugh as I grab my purse and follow the family into reception, where Marcus turns and grins big at me, tapping his temple.

  “Oh, so close!” I sigh and shake my head. “You would remember, Marcus!”

  “Remember what,” Tim smiles.

  Marcus stands in his spot and crosses his arms, smiling as he waits. I laugh as the family looks from him to me and back again.

  “Fine, Marcus. I really have to watch what I say around you, won't I?”

  “Yes you do, Vicky,” Marcus laughs, “Now stop stalling and get it over with.”

  I pull out my iPod. “First song I hear and only a few words, deal?”

  “If she closes her eyes, she will sing the entire song.” Tim smiles at me. “Trust me; it will be worth the listen.”

  “Thank you, babe,” I say, smiling back as I put the ear-buds in. Tim kisses my cheek and stands back.

  I hit the music app and without looking at what's cued, I press play. I hear Seal making scatting sounds in my ear. I close my eyes and start to sing as soon as he does in my ear.

  I open my eyes as Seal scats again and look to Madison. I can tell from her expression she knows the song and exactly what the next lyrics are. I stare straight into her eyes when the song continues and sing directly to her. When I finish, I pull the ear-buds from my ear and smile as I put the iPod away.

  “Happy now, Marcus?”

  “I think we all are, Vicky,” Thomas chuckles.

  “Looks like we have a third team,” Ethan laughs as he calls for the elevator.

  “Hell no, Ethan; she's on my team with my wife!”

  “Fuck you, Matthew! You can have three power singers on one team, fucker!”

  “Fuck you, Ethan! Mariah's three singers in one,” Matthew shouts.

  “I am NOT! Dammit, Madison sings better than me when she feels like it!”

  “Mandy? What are they talking about?”

  “Karaoke nights; we have teams and compete against each other. Mariah's team always wins,” Mandy grins.

  “Except the time she had that cold,” Monica laughs. “She screeched in the middle of a song and the other team jumped up and applauded! Mariah laughed so hard she started coughing and couldn't finish!”

  “It was funny! And these fools were applauding 'cause I was sick,” Mariah laughs, “Bastards!”

  “Tim's not bad. Marcus, how are you at singing?”

  Laughter sounds loudly as the elevator opens.

  “I'm afraid Matthew got all that talent, Vicky,” Joshua grins at me, “Cramp can't hold a note in his hand!”

  “Neither can you, fucker. No elevator for you; we're taking the stairs! Let's go, men! You too, Tim, you can meet your wife downstairs.”

  I laugh as Marcus pulls Joshua away and the men follow them. They are extremely loud and boisterous as they go.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Joshua andMandy *via Raquel*

  We stepped out of the meeting room and talked a moment.

  “Are we really going to do this?” Mandy asked me wide-eyed and nervous.

  I looked at her and smiled shyly. “I really would like to try, Mandy. I've missed you.”

  “I've missed you too, Joshua, so very much.”

  “Are you sure you want me to touch you? I can't get what I did out of my head, sweetie. I feel so horrible about it.”

  She placed a finger on my lips and smiled. “We're not discussing that again until you have to get tested for the baby.”

  I nodded and took her hand, placing the key in it.

  She looked at it and said “I hope it's Lil's office. I really want to be able to move around. It's been four months, Joshua.”

  I laughed and kissed my wife for the first time in 147 days. It felt really fucking good.

  She tugged my hand and led me to the elevators, where I stood nervously in front it. She kept sneaking side glances at me. I know this because I was doing the same thing.

  We got off the elevator and she looked at the key, “Five.”

  I followed her as she found the door, watching her ass in those green shorts that hugged just right. My gaze lowered and followed the length of her sexy legs and down to the strappy sandals where I saw her cute little toes polished in that shade of red that drives me nuts.

  I've never had a thing for feet but there's something about Mandy's that just drives me crazy!

  {Giggles} “Yeah, you always have had a thing for my feet, babe.”

  “They're cute feet, sweetie. Look at them, Raquel!”

  *Um, no thanks, Mr. Cannon.*

  {Laughs} Okay. Where was I?

  *You were checking out your wife as you were going to the office, Mr. Cannon.*

  “Right, right; okay, so we find the room and Mandy opens it.”

  “And to my sheer delight it was Lil's.” {Giggles}

  {Big smile} “Yes, it was.” {Smile drops} “I was still nervous and almost went back to Vicky's office. But Mandy stopped me.”

  “Damn right I did. I was so close to getting some after so long without... no way was I gonna let you get away.”

  {He smiles at her then nudges her shoulder} “Glad you didn't, sweetie.”

  {She blushes}

  “We get in the room and I started thinking about the pain I caused her, all the tears I made fall, the stress and the anxiety. {He looks at her} It made me physically sick and once again, I wanted to bail.”

  “I see the anxiety on his face, so I decided to do something I couldn't do in the entire time we've been together. I took initiative.”

  *And?*

  “He froze.”

  “Like an igloo.”

  {Silence, then laughter}

  *What's funny?*

  “Mandy. She slapped the shit out of me.”

  {More laughter}

  *I'm sorry, but why is that funny?*

  “Because that is not her nature and to see her behave that way was a major turn on!”

  *Why?*

  “I don't know Raquel. You know the basics of what brought us to therapy, right? And why Matthew had you come here today?”

  *{I nod} Yes, I do.*

  “Then you know my first experience was after I was slapped, hard. Well, Mandy started screaming at me that maybe I'd like that treatment again.”

  “I didn't want to do it but I was really horny and he was going to bolt. So I thought I'd give a try.”

  “I didn't help but then again it didn't hurt.”

  {Silence}

  *So what happened?! Sorry! Sorry...*

  {Laughter} “A little anxious aren't you, Raquel?”

  *Sorry, ma'am. I'm still recovering from Mr. C's dictation. He was pretty graphic, held nothin
g back. I thought you two would be the same.*

  {They look at each other}

  “When you say graphic...”

  *Mr. C described his, um... encounters... with his wife, the first time at least. Mrs. Dawson was also pretty forthcoming.*

  “You want to be graphic, babe?”

  “I don't mind but I know how private you are about sex.”

  {She nods} “Knowing Matthew, he probably described how he went inside and what that felt like.”

  *{I bite my lip and feel myself redden}*

  “Raquel?”

  *Among other things.*

  {They nod.}

  “Okay, go for it, babe”

  {He turns to her} “Are you sure, sweetie?”

  {She leans in and kisses him} “Absolutely; make Raquel wet her panties.” {Giggles}

  *{snorts} He can try, ma'am but I'm a lesbian. Penetrative sex is not a turn on for me.*

  {They look at me and laugh hard}

  “All right, Raquel. Here it goes. After the slap, I looked at her, completely stunned.”

  “Did that help snap you back here, Joshua?” Mandy yelled.

  “No, not really.”

  I felt myself get hard and I reddened.

  “Liar. Get those fucking pants off! Now!” she yelled.

  I looked at her and got completely turned on. I mean, she's always been able to turn me on but this attitude was really fucking hot! I regretted right then that I never let her take initiative. See, I was frightened of what that other woman did to me and thought I would react badly. The last thing I'd ever want to do is scare Mandy off.

  I had nothing to worry about. I was ready to be inside of her and fast. But she wasn't. Oh, no... Miss Mandy had other plans for me.

  She let the couch out while staring at me as I stripped.

  I stood naked in front of her and she looked me up and down. She slowly walked over to me.

  “Undress me,” she ordered.

  My hands shook as I got that tank top off and threw it behind me. Her other clothes followed quickly and I refused to take off the shoes. She looked really fucking hot standing there like that and I got harder just looking at her.

  She slowly walked and lowered herself to the bed, never taking her eyes from mine.

  When she sat, she opened her legs wide and her fingers circled her clit.