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Chapter 13
- Back to Reality - 

-Clover-

I had that reoccurring dream again.

The one of my mother, where'd she incovenately pops back into my life after leaving all those years ago.

I was still working at Jacksons Diner, it was well past closing. All the chairs we stacked on top of the tables and mopping the floors was the only thing left to do.

The bell on top of the front door sounded, meaning, I forgot to lock it like always.

Despite me forgetting to lock the front door, the person had obviously seen the large red and white "CLOSED" sign. And if the sign wasn't a huge hint, the lack of people and lights on inside was.

The person took it upon themselves to still enter and seat themselves at the bar, studying the menu.

"We're closed for the night" I informed the lady from afar. I couldn't see her face too well from where I stood but I could see a smile play on her lips.

"I know, chef leaves every night by 10:30pm" her voice was familiar. Then she turned towards me, my suspicions were true. "Hi baby girl".

I dropped the mop in my hands and begun to back up. "Please don't run. I just want to talk". She stood from where she sat, coming towards me.

The closer she got the better I could see her. God hasn't aged her in the past nine years.

She still had the same chocolate brown hair that I inherited from her falling down her back in luscious curls. Her skin was flawless up until the right side of her face was exposed. Starting right below her right eye there was four black lines that resembled scratch marks going down to her collar bone and disappearing underneath her shirt.

She wasn't the same person she was nine years ago when she left and I had to keep reminding myself of that. Who knew what she's been up too since she left.

"Where have you been all this time?" I was way past the point of needing a mother figure in my life. All I needed now were answers.

I promised myself I wouldn't show any emotion when it came to this lady but his tears got the best of me. "We thought you were dead" I whispered.

My hands begun to shake and my eyes burned. With every step she took forwards, I took one back.

She was hurt, this was not the reunion that she imagined. Taking a hint, she stayed where she stood, knowing I didn't want her anywhere near me.

Although she was hurt, she forced a pain filled smile on her face. Her eyes matched mines, her stone cold grey eyes begun to fill with tears as she studied me from head to toe. "If I had a choice, I would've never left" she barely whispered.

She didn't answer my question at all.

The scene blurred out, and the sun irritated my closed eyelids. I woke up grasping my chest, breathing hard and trying to catch my breathe.

After a of couple of seconds of calming myself down from the dream, I groaned closing my eyes and laying back down.

I sighed, I had the most relaxing sleep. Up until I had to be harassed by my own imagination. For months I use to cry, after having that dream but now it was just annoying.

She was gone and never coming back. If she were coming back she would've by now.

I sighed deeply pulling the sheets over my head to blockout the sunlight. It didn't take long for me to start drifting back off to sleep.

Everything around me made my body so relax. The sheets smelt amazing, not only did it smell like fresh laundry but it also had a woodsy masculine smell to it.

And the mattress, oh, it was so much softer than I remember.

I snapped my eye and whipped the sheets off over my head. Battling the sunlight in my eyes for only a moment before looking around the room that was not my own.

Last nights memories came flooding back.
I couldn't remember finishing the movie and I also don't remember going back to my own room...

So I must have fallen asleep here.

In his room.

On his bed.

At least he was a gentleman and slept elsewhere? Right?

I almost gave myself whiplash with how fast I sat up. The other side of the bed was vacant much to my relief but there was a slight indentation. This bed was shared and by the looks of it he only recently woke up.

We slept together.

We slept together?

Oh my god, we slept together!

Clumsy me, shot out of bed without detangling my legs from the sheets and ended up hitting the floor...hard. There was no time to lick my wounds, I had to get out of here before he came back.

The thought of sleeping with him blow my mind. Boy was I embarrassed and highly disappointed in myself.

Sure I had a small crush on him, but I'd never imagine it going as far as what it was... just a crush. He kidnapped me, he blackmailed me, he tried murdering me for crying out loud. How did I aloud myself to end up in this mans bed?

Other than occasionally sharing a bed with my older brothers, Drew and TJ, growing up during family vacations, which was completely different. I've never shared a bed with another man.

I was angry with myself. Stupid, stupid Clover.

As upset as I was with myself, I couldn't 100% carry the blame. Why didn't he just kick me out? Or move me to my own room?  I wouldn't have been offended.

I quickly shuffled out of his room, making sure to close the door behind myself. But then I ran into someone making us both fall to the floor.

I groaned as my head bounced off the floor like a freaking ball, at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if I had some type of brain damage with all these falls.

My angry quickly dimished as guilt took over me. Dr. Harris laughed as she sat up, rubbing the arm that she fell on.

"Oh my gosh" I rushed to stand to help her up.

"Good morning to you too" she laughed accepting my outreached hand to assist her to stand.

"I'm so sorry Dr. Harris I didn't see you. I didn't expect you to be here so early" I apologized.

She laughed again, "Its almost 11am" she said, checking the time on her wrist watch.

"11am?" That couldn't be possible. I was a morning person, I was usually up by 7am, 8am the latest no matter what time I ended up falling asleep at the night before. How'd I sleep in until 11am?

"Yeah, I was actually about to head out but I'm so glad that I ran into you, literally " she grabbed a hold onto my arm. "Come, there are some people here that's been wanting to meet you".

I went with it. At this point I was more than happy that she didn't seem to notice who's room I was running out of with bedhead hair.

"Okay".

As we walked down the stairs, it was obvious that there were a whole lot of people here by the chatter that quickly became louder and louder as we walked towards the kitchen and living room.

We made our first stop in the living room.

Testosterone filled the room.

Oscar, Patrick and Denziel were sitting across from the flat scene TV while they yelled at what looked to be a recap of last Sunday's football game.

On the recliner chair was a man that I haven't met before. He looked to be in his mid to late forties, wearing a blue dress shirt and black dress pants.

Cleon and the man were having a conversation until Lisa cleared her throat. It not only caught their attention, but also everyone else's attention in the room. All eyes were on me.

"Clover, this is Demarco and Denziels father" Dr. Harris said happily as she nudged me into the middle of the room.

Their father. Why was I meeting their father? Better yet, why'd he want to meet me?

"Clover" he said my name with joy, as if it were a name he's already become use to saying often.

He flashed me a huge smile, taking the opportunity to stand.

This man was tall. Taller than both sons who were already skyscrapers compared to me. When he stood, I had to tilt my head back a bit, he was easily over 6'6.

The family resemblance was there, and strong. The sharp jawline, the dark brown eyes, and the black hair.

I returned his smile, being polite and extended my hand out to shake his. Not only did he take my hand in his massive one but he pulled me into bear hug.

The hug caught me off guard and my face lost all color. I was shocked, where was all this coming from?

I instantly felt like running back upstairs and hiding in my room for the rest of the day. Out of all days that I meet their father, it had to be moments after I crawled out of his eldest son's bed.

Oh lord, I knew I looked extremely unpresentable. I was still in my huge sweatshirt and shorts, my face was unwashed and my hair was a tangled mess. I didn't even get a chance to brush my teeth!

Recovering from my shocked state and trying not to come off as rude I awkwardly hugged him back. "It's nice to meet you".

Pulling me slightly away, their father smiled kindly as he really studied my face, grinning. At that moment I felt even more embarrassed and regretting not washing my face before coming downstairs.

"You're the girl that's been taking care of my son".

I look to the boys for help but the look on their faces were smug. As if they knew an inside joke and weren't planning on telling me anytime soon.

Not too far away was Jordan, he had just entered the room from the kitchen. We instantly made eye contact and he could tell how badly I needed to be saved.

However, he didn't interfere, he stood his ground not coming any closer and nodded his head in my direction. Smiling also, he silently motivated me to find the right words to say.

"Yeah, that's me" it wasn't the best choice of words but it was the first thing that came to mind. "But it was nothing" I informed him.

"Don't downgrade yourself sweetie. You've helped Demarco recover faster than we all expected" Dr. Harris butted in.

"My wife and I both wanted to personally thank you for looking after him. He isn't the easiest to get along with. Especially at the time you met him" his father said again, pulling me back in for a hug.

So they were we'll aware of their son leading a gang and okay with it?

"It was not a problem sir" I said now blushing. His gratitude, and affection was overwhelming me.

"No need to be so formal, you can call me Dylan" he said.

"Dad".

I didn't have to look to know who that voice belonged to. My face was already beat red, but now my heart started to sky rocket just thinking about us sleeping together.

"You alright there Clover?" Denziel teased enjoying my suffering.

Oscar, nudged him in the rib cage. "Shut up".

Demarco was lightly pushed to the side as a short women, wove her was between her son and best friend. She was an older woman, early forties and had light brown eyes and long healthy looking black hair that was tied up in a ponytail that nearly touched the top of her butt.

"We've heard so much about you" the lady said giving Demarco a sharp look before walking farther into the living room to join her husbands side. "All positive things of course".

Just like her husband she consumed me in a hug. This family must be filled with huggers?

"It's nice to put the name to the face now that we get to finally meet you" she said stepping back, not yet fully letting me go only to look at me from head to toe.

Why were they treating me as if I was a new member of their family?

Oh-no.

They probably thought Demarco and I were a thing.

She raised her eyebrows at me before looking over at her husband. "She doesn't have her own scent" she stated.

Her husband seemed just as surprised as she was.

"She smells overwhelmingly like Demarco" his father spoke again causing me to blush like crazy.

And now they knew that I've been sleeping in his bed and that didn't help my case.

Was it that odious that I just woke up in his bed? They probably think we did the nasty, which was the last thing I wanted them to think about me.

Demarco said nothing, he didn't confirm it but he sure as hell didn't deny it.

Embarrassed was not the word to describe how I currently felt.

"I'm actually going to take a shower and get dress, it was nice meeting you both" I said quickly before running out of his mothers arms, right past Demarco and upstairs.

Clumsy me tripped on the last stair in the process of escaping but at least no one was around to see it.

Once I was in the comfort of my own room, I quickly stripped out of my night clothes and showered.

How did this come so far?

As big or as small as my crush was I didn't want this. I couldn't have this. No matter how nice he's been to me over the last week or so Demarco was dangerous.

He's killed, kidnapped, blackmailed and that's only the things that I'm aware of him doing over the past three weeks.

But even with knowing that he's done all these horrible things I let myself get this far in. Last night I shouldn't have stopped him from going out in the middle of the night, and I should've never agreed to watch a movie with him so late at night.

When he brought me to his room and closed the door behind us, I should've drawn the line. I didn't and that's how I ended up in the situation I was in now. Sleeping with him in his bed and meeting his parents the next day.

I was just being nice to him all because I wanted my freedom and as much as I wanted to blame him I couldn't. Other than forcing me to stay in this house he's done nothing forcibly to me.

I willingly let him sleep in my lap on a daily basis while he was sick. I personal made everyone of his meals. When it comes to our heart to heart conversations, Ive never initiated them but I did nothing to stop them.

I took my time in the shower and ended up also washing my hair.

I was starving afterwards but was too afraid to go back downstairs, knowing that all the boys and Demarco's parents were still down there. I felt defeated, there was no way to redeem myself in their eyes.

I made my bed and I laid in it...last night and this was the price I had to pay.

But what was he thinking in all of this?

"The same thing that any man thinks when he lets a girl sleeps with them in their bed".

I ignored the dumb rational that my conscious concluded to, because if my conscious was right that meant that he somewhat liked me in a way that was beyond being friendly.

"Last night was not the first time he's been more than friendly to us".

No longer able to focus on the sketch I was in the middle of, I flipped the notepad closed and ended up throwing the pencil across the room.

Overall if I had to choose, the fact that there were a whole bunch of people downstairs that's assuming that Demarco and I were a thing didn't bother me as much as him being down there.

Here I was, thrown in the same cycle with him again. It was only yesterday when I avoided him all day because I was embarrassed with the way I acted in front of him the day before.

I broke down and he let me cry in his arms for hours. And the next day he was presisent when it came to finding out why I was acting the way I was.

Unknowingly I smiled at the memory of yesterday. He was so oblivious about the entire situation, apologizing for something I've already forgave him for.

I didn't correct him, I kind of just went with the flow afterwards.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my day dream. My heart accelerated as I shakily walked to the door to answer. I cracked the door open and was surprised about the person on the other side.

I assume that it would be one of the boys.

"We didn't mean to scare you off or overwhelm you earlier" their mother said sweetly as she stood in the hallway both hands behind her back. She looked nervous and lost for words.

I pulled the door open, a bit more. Her apology was genuine and by the look on her face I could tell she's been beating herself up about it for the past couple of hours.

"It's fine, don't worry about it" I informed her.

She smiled letting out a huge breathe of air clapping her hands together. "We were hoping you'd join us for lunch".

Deep down I wanted to say yes. I was starving from eating nothing all day but there was so many reasons why I had to pass.

I didn't want to face anyone yet, especially her eldest son and I didn't want to give anyone, especially their parents any ideas that we were together in any way.

My stomach choose that moment to obnoxiously growl.

She laughed, taking advantage of my delayed hesitation she grabbed onto my wrist and pulling me out of my room.

These people were aggressive.

"Come. You haven't eaten anything all day and I made more than enough for everyone" she said guiding me downstairs.

I shrugged my shoulders. At least I wouldn't be left alone with her son and there was no point in starving myself, the lady knew I was hungry.

"I could eat" I admitted.

"That's what I wanted to hear" she cheered guiding me to the dining room.

When she asked me to "join us for lunch" and said "I made more than enough for everyone" I thought she meant everyone that was here earlier. There was only five places at the table set up and three of the five seats were already taken by both her sons and husband.

She quickly took the seat between her husband and Denziel leaving the seat between Denziel and Demarco open for me.

I took my seat being careful not to make eye contact with either one of them. Even though I could feel his eyes on me the entire time.

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Sorry for the delay. School is starting back up and I'm trying my best to deliver the best chapters while juggling and full time job and college life.
#Classof2020!

This chapter is dedicated to @KarisaCastro thanks for commenting on chapter 11! And @MHIZDIMPLE678! Thanks for the comment last chapter 💕

Believe it or not but the fans and even the smallest positive comments makes my day. So thank y'all!

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