Secrets in the Lyrics (12 page)

             
Christmas isn’t really my time of year, Mom left at Christmas, Dad got locked up around
Christmas.  So, imagine my surprise when my mother decides to call me this morning
for Christmas Eve.  Really, I mean did she want to reminisce that she’s a shitty mother
who left a small child?  We had a short conversation in which I pretty much told her
some of the same things I told my father.  She called me ungrateful and said I’d had
it made living with my Aunt.  I promptly told her to
fuck off
and hung up the phone.

             
It always leaves me feeling empty and unwanted.  I really don’t want to go with Gable
tonight, but I also don’t feel like running off the only person who seems to care
for me.  I know Scarlet is going to question us again once we get there.  I know she
is really only looking out for her brother, and my past is more than questionable. 

             
Gable reaches for my hand.  “Hey, don’t worry, okay?  My mom was happy to see us together. 
Scarlet will be too, she just has to get used to the idea.  I’ve never been serious
about anyone before.  I think she’s as worried that I’ll hurt you as much as she’s
worried you’ll hurt me.”

             
I nod.  “I just really wish she hadn’t called me this morning. My psyche would have
been a hell of a lot better.”

             
“Hey, don’t think about her.  She’s not worth your damn time.  No more thinking about
her today, okay?”

             
He leans over and kisses me softly as we come to a stop in front of Ryder’s house. 
This damn place looks like something out of
Gone With The Wind
.  I guess it is only fitting for Scarlet to be here then. 

             
I have to admit, I’m a little excited for Gable and Scarlet to see each other.  I
know the hell he went through when she was hurt.  I can only imagine how scared she
was, I know the day I left for the tour how scared I was.

             
From the sounds of things she was beaten pretty badly, so I hope it doesn’t upset
Gable too bad to see her.

             
Gable knocks on the front door and she squeals as soon as she sees him.  She welcomes
us in and Ryder speaks to us.

             
Ryder asks him to come out back and help with the steaks.

             
He looks over at Ryder.  “Sure, man.  Ivie, you wanna come out with me or do you want
to hang out with Scarlet?”

             
I speak soft.  “I’ll go with Scarlet.”

             
He smiles. “Okay, good.”

             
Following Scarlet into the kitchen, there are two other women in there.  An older
lady turns around.

             
“Well, Scarlet, who is this pretty thing you’ve brought in here?”

             
Scarlet laughs, “Ivie, this is Nana and Ms. Naomi.  Ladies, this is Ivie, she’s in
Gable’s band, and even though my brother isn’t admitting to anything, I’m pretty sure
she’s his girlfriend.”  My mouth drops open and she laughs.  “Nana is Ryder’s grandma
and the coolest old lady I know.  Ms. Naomi is Nelson’s wife-.”

             
“Oh, I met Nelson at the airport, he picked us up.”

             
Scarlet puts her hands on her hips.  “Oh, he did?  That means that my love was wrapped
up in this to his eyeballs.”

             
She motioned for me to sit down across from her at the table, pouring me some sweet
tea.

             
I laugh.  “Yeah, everyone wanted to surprise their families.”  Taking a swallow of
my tea.  “Oh shit, I’ve missed this.  Being in Seattle for almost a month and having
to drink coke and stuff isn’t the same as a good ole’ glass of sweet tea.”

             
Nana laughs, joining us at the table.  “Yeah, honey, they don’t know what they’re
missin’ up there.  So, now are you going to be visiting your family while you’re home?”

             
I see Scarlet tense. She knows part of my story. 

             
Come on, Ivie, you can handle this.

             
“Um well, Ms. Abbott-.” 

             
She stops me, “Call me Nana or Nana Pearl.  Ms. Abbott was my mother in law and she
was a catty old bitch.”

             
We all laugh.  “Okay Nana, my mom ran off when I was young and my dad went to prison
when I was about fifteen.”

             
“What in the hell is wrong with these people these days?  Running off leaving their
kids, doin’ mess to get themselves locked up.”  You could tell this all hit a nerve
with Nana.  She’s a feisty one, I like her.

             
“So Scar, how are you doing?  I see the cast, but what about everything else?”

             
She shrugs.  “A day at the time.  Listen, thanks for keeping Gable under control that
day.  I know it was you, which is the reason I know there is more going on than friendship. 
I suspected it when we went to the show.  After I found out how you took care of him
and kept the phone line going between here and Seattle, I knew it.”

             
I look back and forth at Nana and Naomi.  Nana puts her hand on mine.  “Honey, there
ain’t no secrets in this house.  As a matter of fact, just this mornin’ I told Scarlet
and Ryder if they don’t quit spending so much time naked in that bedroom up there,
I’m gonna be a great-grandma.” 

             
Scarlet rolls her eyes as I bark out a laugh.  “Okay, it’s more than friendship. 
I’m just not ready to put a label on it yet.  I’ve screwed up so many times in my
life with men, and I couldn’t bear the thought of messing up what I have with Gable. 
So, he’s being patient with me.”

             
“What is it with these kids and their ‘no labels’ stuff?  I just don’t get it, Naomi.” 

             
Naomi looks up.  “Well, look at Ryder, that boy couldn’t keep his pants on to save
his life, until he met this beauty here.  I guess it’s all about finding the right
person and until they do that, it’s their no labels rule.  That’s like Judd.  That
boy, I know he was seeing a girl before he left, has he been forthcoming about any
of it?  No.  He told me they were just
hanging out
.  Whatever that means.”

             
Scarlet stands up.  “Come on, Ivie, I’ll show you the house.”

             
I stand up.  “Okay, sure.”  What is she up to?

             
As soon as we are out of the kitchen, she looks at me.  “Okay, I’ll need your help
tonight.  Judd is Ryder’s best friend.  Well, you met my friend Annabelle, she’s coming
here later.  She’s the girl Judd was seeing before he left, but we don’t need all
the grown-ups knowing that.  He’d kill me and Ryder.  He’s private, kinda like my
brother.”

             
“Scarlet, we are grown-ups.”

             
“Not compared to them.  I mean really, you saw how they questioned you for my brother,
who they hardly know.  Can you imagine Judd’s mom or Nana with Annabelle?”

             
I laugh, “Good point.  So diversion is the game, then.”

             
She nods.  “Yep.”

             
“Got it.”

             
“Ivie, I am glad you’re here and I’m glad you and Gable are together.”

             
Hearing Scarlet and Ivie laughing together when they came outside to get us was like
music to my ears.  They seem to have come to peace with things.

             
Sitting down at Ryder’s massive dining room table, Ivie looks over at me and whispers. 
“Oh, the ladies know about us.  Scarlet called me out and Nana beat it out of me.” 
She laughs.  “But they know we don’t have a label.”

             
Scarlet looks up as my mom walks in.  “Oh, hey, Mom.  Nana and Naomi, this is my big
brother, Gable.  You know, the one we talked about in the kitchen.”

             
Naomi laughs and Nana looks at me.  “Oh yeah, Ivie’s friend with no labels.”

             
Ryder almost spits his beer out.  “Nana, chill out.”

             
“I am chilled out.”

             
He shakes his head and I laugh.  “Yes ma’am, that’s me.  Although I want labels, someone
is being cautious.”

             
My mom looks like she’s entered a television talk show audience the way she’s watching
us.

             
Nana looks at Dustin.  “So, now Dustin, what is it like for the gay people these days?”

             
Ryder chokes and Dustin laughs.  “It’s getting better, Nana.”

             
Greer, Ryder’s dad, looks at Nana.  “Momma, you are making everyone uncomfortable.”

             
We all laugh when she swats his hand.  “No, Ivie, I see that lovely artwork poking
out of your shirt sleeve, what is it?”

             
Ivie pulls up her sleeve a little. “Oh, it’s just a little music tattoo, nothing big. 
All the guys have way more than I do.”

             
“I wanna get a tattoo.”

             
Ryder laughs.  “Nana, you’re too old to be going and getting tattoos.”

             
“I’m not too old for anything.”

             
The rest of dinner is spent with Nana’s quips and everyone’s laughter.  When we were
eating dessert, Ryder gave Scarlet her promise ring, and she almost freaked out thinking
he was going to purpose.  Which he basically did.  I’m not real sure about the promise
ring thing, it was all kinda weird to me.  He wants her to move in here, too.

             
Mom decides to tell us that she’s moving to Augusta with a man she’s been seeing. 
This makes all of us happy for her.  Scar and I never really thought she’d ever move
on from our dad, but I’m glad she is.

             
I decide to share my news and everyone is happy.  I almost choke up when Naomi comes
over to hug me.  She looks at me with tears in her eyes.  “You be careful over there. 
I know you guys are supposed to be safe, but just take care, your sister needs you
back here.  If you happen to run into my son, you tell him I said the same to him.”

             
Later, on the way back to my mom’s house, I look at Ivie.  “So, I’m glad you and my
sister seem to be getting closer.”

             
“Yeah, she’s lightened up since she’s with Ryder.  Maybe it’s all that sex Nana was
telling me they’ve been having.”

             
I almost run the car off the road.  “Shit, I don’t want to hear that.  His grandma
knows about it?”

             
She laughs telling me about Nana calling them out this morning.  Now I have to say
that is funny.  She’s a tough old lady, I like her.

             
“Well, as long as he doesn’t knock up my little sister, we’ll be okay.  Oh shit, speaking
of that, you have your doctor’s appointment set up for while we’re home, right?”

             
“I didn’t but Annabelle said she’s pretty sure she can get me in with her doctor on
the 28
th
.  I guess she’s a family friend.  She said with me going out of the country, it’d
probably be best if I went to someone besides the clinic.  That way he can kinda check
me over, to be on the safe side.”

             
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.  I mean we should be careful, you know?  We have a lot
riding on this tour.”

             
She laughs. “Well you’re the one who gets so carried away.”

             
I rub my forehead.  “Yeah, I know.”  The 28
th
jogs my brain.  “Hey, don’t let me forget to call the bar about us doing a show there
on the 28
th
.”

             
She nods.  “Yeah, sounds good.”

             
Once we are back at my mom’s house, she and I exchange gifts that neither one of us
knew we’d picked up for each other.  Sitting in the living room, I suggest we watch
a movie.  She smiles.  “Okay, what did you have in mind?”

             
“How about something scary?”

             
“Really, on Christmas Eve, you want something scary?”

             
“No, really I just want you to snuggle with me.”

             
She laughs, “Well all you had to do was ask.”

             
She scoots closer to me and we start watching some cheesy Christmas movie.

             
After about an hour she’s dozed off.  Picking her up in my arms, I take her to my
room.  She smiles, “Hmm, I like this.”

             
I lean over her.  “Oh, you do?  Do you want me to do more?”

             
She nods.  “Oh yeah.  Let’s make it a Very Merry Christmas.”

             
I laugh.  “Sure thing.”  I start stripping my clothes off.

             
She puts her hand out to stop me.  “No, I’m in charge tonight.”

             
Damn that’s a turn on.  “Baby, you keep bossing me around and I may blow before we
ever get started.”

             
She stands up and pushes me back on the bed.  While I’m naked, she still has her clothes
on.  “Hey, are you gonna lose the clothes?”

             
“Shh, I’m in charge.”  She slowly starts taking her clothes off.

             
After what feels like an eternity, she crawls on top of me, and if my dick gets any
harder, it’s going to explode.

             
She slowly slides her pussy down on my cock and it starts out slow, up and down. 
Up and down.  She leans over me and starts riding me harder and harder.

             
She’s slick with her own wetness and I feel like we are both about to explode.  She’s
riding me faster and I grab her hips.  Suddenly, she makes an erotic move with her
hips and my dick slides out of her.  The next thing I know pain shoots through my
body.

             
“ARGH!”

             
She freezes.  “Are you okay?  Oh my god, I think I broke your dick.”

             
I roll to the side, now holding my limp dick.  In some roll with her hips, it felt
like she bent my dick in half.

             
I look up at her with tears leaking from my eyes.  “I think I blacked out and I think
you may have broken him.”

             
She looks scared and she’s trying to touch me.  “Do I need to call a doctor or something?”

             
“Babe, if you call the doctor, they are going to laugh us out of the ER.”

             
“I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

             
A few minutes later, after the pain has stopped throbbing through my junk, I start
laughing.  “Holy crap, we are like the Special Olympics of sex right now.”

             
She can’t help it, she starts laughing, too.  “Are we insane?  Are you sure you’re
okay?”

             
“Probably yes on both questions.”  I’m still laughing.  “Okay, but if you ever tell
the guys this happened, I’ll spank your ass.”

             
“Really?  Do you think I want to tell the guys that I’m a dick breaker?  Literally.”

             
We both burst out laughing again.

             
She smiles.  “Do I need to check on him?”

             
I instinctively put my hand over myself.  “Um no.  He’s going to be out for the night.”

             
We both keep laughing until we fall asleep.