Chapter 43) Friction

Even the most caring people can get tired of being taken for granted.  

Nishan Panwar

Windenburg
Cameron residence

Anastasia walked into the kitchen, I was making coffee and had my back to her.

“Hi dad. Hey mom.” she said.

“For heaven’s sake! Put some clothes on, will ya!?” Blaine growled right away.

“Why?! It’s like a sauna in this place and you won’t let me up the A/C. Besides I am fully dressed. “

“No, what you are is an almost 30 year old mother of two who is currently almost flashing her own father her boobage in some bra-thingy with her butt cheeks about to pop out of those way too tight and short tattered breeches! Doesn’t read “I got my shit together” but instead screams “I work the red light district”. Maybe had you focused more on your husband and kids and less on sexy clothing, Chase wouldn’t have kicked you out when that deprived weirdo Riordan was attracted like a moth to light to you flaunting your goods like that, right under Chase’s nose, but instead of slapping your wedding band into his undead eyeball you rolled around in the attention of two men making the monkey over you! Not something that does this daddy proud, you late blooming Lolita!” Blaine barked at Ana.

“BLAINE!” I hissed.

Anastasia’s lip immediately started trembling, she turned and ran back out of the room, sniffling.

So here’s my disclaimer: you’ll have to forgive Blaine, he loves his grandkids and wanted nothing more than to watch them grow up and for them to have a happy home, but there had been an incident at the Cunningham Estates that almost lead to our toddler grandson Collin falling into the pool due to his mother being distracted by Riordan showing up there, which Chase specifically had forbidden. That had been the final straw for Chase. He had kicked her out and refused to speak to her since. I want to add that all the Cunninghams’ did not hold a grudge against any of the other Camerons, only Ana for her actions.

“Nice going, Blaine!” I told my husband, while nudging his arm.

“What?! I said nothing that wasn’t true! That girl looked like she forgot to finish putting on her clothing about half way through! If I didn’t know any better I’d think she makes a living from men sticking dollar bills in those short shorts while she dangles from a pole and not as a college educated lawyer!”

“Maybe you could work on your delivery at least? Did you have to be so rough with her, you know how emotional and delicate she is at the moment. That poor girl.”

“She’s always been an emotional timebomb, and delicate, my ass! Yeah, I know how delicate she is! Pissed away a perfectly good marriage to a real nice, wealthy dude, father of her twins, because she couldn’t get her head out of her ass about wanting to screw some jobless, clueless, moneyless bigmouth vampire with more issues than Vogue magazine, only to end up squatting at her mommy and daddy’s. Delicate my ass! I’d blame myself for raising her wrong or setting a bad example, but her not even 25 year old brother has got his life in check like a pro! Brendan puts his mind to something and sees it through and he doesn’t even look at other girls! And besides, if you make me cover up head to toe all the time because she is roosting here at my expense, so can she! I may start requiring coat, hat and gloves, hoping it’ll inconvenience her into crawling back on her hands and knees begging Chase for forgiveness or if that fails, find her own damn place!”

“Blaine-y, come on now! She was wearing shorts and a bralette, a bit daring, but she is at home and has the body for it. Besides, she never meant to mess up like she did, was just very confused. She is hurting enough about everything, no need for you to remind her with the jackhammer method and on top of all by making her feel old by mentioning her 30th birthday, you know she dreads that age for some reason. As for her choice, the heart wants what it wants, I guess.”

“What my heart wants is to chase you through our home naked to nookie on every single surface and when we got ’em all we start over – without any kids in sight like any parent would once the brood has flown the coop. Instead we can’t even sneak some in anywhere but the bedroom since her ass barely ever leaves the house! Evidently we can’t always get what we want, so she shouldn’t either!”

“Oh Blainey. I know you hate the situation her bad choices got all of us in, and you are worried about our grandkids, but she is our daughter. Our little girl needs us – again. She may be a grown woman but is vulnerable like a child right now. She is very depressed, you know she is, and we need to help her through this. You know Chase is just very hurt and once the dust settles he is not the type to keep the twins from seeing their mother. He puts his kids above all, even hurt pride. I am sure given some time he is gonna be willing to listen to her. You know that as well as I do. And come on, sweetie, we are both still young, there will be lots of time to do all the naughty stuff you have in mind.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart. But now I should go and talk our daughter off a proverbial ledge YOU put her on.”

“Hey, how about some sugar for your honey first, huh? Ana is tough, she’ll be fine.”

Smiling I turned towards him, we kissed and in the middle of what turned into making out, in my peripheral vision I noticed a black cloud, then a pale face by the kitchen window, hoping Blaine would miss it. No such luck. He froze up and pulled away.

“Him again! That dude is like a raised middle finger come to life to me! This is all his fault. And I am seriously considering having someone sew our daughter’s private area shut, so we don’t end up with an accidental grandkid by those two. One with fangs. Yuck! That would be just the cherry on this big ole crapcake.”

“Blaine, you are in rare form today! Ana made some poor choices, but who is free of those? Riordan is the only one who can make her smile these days if only for a moment, so leave them be. Aside from that, it is not up to us to decree how many babies our kids get to have or with whom, as long as they take care of them. And despite of it all, both our children are excellent parents. Have some compassion for our poor daughter. She is sad and hurting.”

“Poor Blaine is more like it. I am seriously love deprived ever since she and her bad karma moved in here along with that shadow with fangs that follows her everywhere. That hurts too … physically even.” he pouted, and it was almost funny.

“A grumpy and horny old man is what you are!” I chuckled and kissed him.

“Well, if you fix one, the other will automatically improve. And I am not old, I am like wine, only improve with age and you love wine. You’ll have to admit that I am a lot less of a dumbass than I used to be twenty years ago.”

“That’s debatable. You really think I would be desperate enough that I would want to put out for someone who sounds like one of the old men from the Muppet Show with Tourette’s? Ha, I have standards.”

“Hate to break it to ya, but you are married to me, meaning those standards are not very high, babygirl.” he smirked.

“Probably right. You know what I was thinking though, Blaine?” I asked, as I pulled him with me to the living room couch, where he plopped down, then pulled me into his lap.

“Hoping the same as me. Something that would require both of us to lose our clothing.” he mumbled before kissing me.

“Nope. I was thinking about how we used to go to Granite Falls so much. First just us and later we used to take the kids there all the time. Even Riordan when he was little. We had such fun times there.”

“Yeah, not even close to what I was thinking about. I can work with the Granite Falls theme, but my fantasy definitely didn’t include any kids, of any age.”

I said nothing anymore, chuckling I kissed him again.

“Oh, my growly bear, be sweet again.” I cooed into his ear, answered by Blaine’s very demanding kisses.

“Will be. My mood is already rapidly rising – along with other things, babygirl.” he replied, his voice low and husky.

We both got lost in the moment, until I winced hard, startled by someone clearing their throat and two human forms by the door.
When I looked up I saw Ana and Riordan standing there.

“Uh … yeah … Any chance you guys could move the geriatric XXX moment to your bedroom? Ri and I wanted to watch some TV and this is the only TV in the house …” Ana requested sounding borderline snotty, which immediately pushed all of Blaine’s buttons with both fists.

“You hearing this shit now, babygirl, we are keeping our personal set of live-in mooches from watching our TV. How inconsiderate of us. Fucking shame that is.”

“Blaine, let’s just not …” I tried. I wasn’t in the mood for drama.

“Oh no, let’s! You two want to watch TV, then get your own fucking place and buy one! Because your mother and I are about to …”

“BLAINE! We can probably go somewhere more comfy and continue our … uh … discussion there.” I tried to mediate.

“Discussion? We weren’t discussing jack shit, we were about to screw till it squeaks! Each other, not up, like you two excel at! Especially the tall pale one!”

“Dad, quit being so mean to Ri!” Ana protested.

“No, let him. If you have something to say to me, Blaine, just say it. Get it out there.” Riordan puffed up.

Oh great. Now the testosterone was bubbling hot. Facepalm. Stiff-legged Blaine strutted over to face Riordan. Oh please, not THIS now too. Argh!

“How much time you got, boy, cos I have a bunch to say to you, and you won’t like any of it.” Blaine roared as he was getting right up into Riordan’s business.
Blaine wasn’t a stranger to violent behavior, he spent a great part of his younger years fighting with other boys and later men, and I knew once he got started it was next to impossible to stop him until someone lost consciousness – or a tooth!

“Dad, stop! MOM, do something!” Ana exclaimed.

“Blaine, enough! You too Ri. Knock it off you two.” I said, well aware that it would do a great lot of nothing.

“Nah, go ahead Blaine. You want to hit me so bad, don’t you? Go ahead, hit me then. Maybe that will make you feel better. And if not, just hit me again. Hitting is good, right? You blame me for everything, so get it out of your system then. Be my guest!” Riordan taunted.

“Riordan, stop this! Ana, take him to your room or somewhere …” I told her.

Ana just stood there, stiffly staring on, I shook my head. This was so ridiculous.

And then the inevitable happened. Blaine shoved Riordan, it send him backwards a few steps, but he bounced right back and shoved Blaine, while exchanging gutter talk, Ana and I both let out surprised screams and in no time flat the men were engulfed in an altercation. I feared Riordan would use his vampire strength, so as soon as they separated for a moment I bravely stepped into the middle, both almost got me, but halted just in time, now both angrily glaring at me.

“Babygirl, dafuq you doing! Get your ass out of the way!” Blaine ordered very angry.

“No. You want to hit someone, hit me. Go ahead.” now I told him, my eyes narrowed.

“Mom, what are you doing?!” Ana’s was near tears, but I already turned towards Riordan.

“You ungrateful little brat! I helped raise you, I changed your diapers, I have stood by you through everything, no matter what, and yet you could not be the bigger man and leave all well enough alone, instead you taunt us and dare to shove around my husband?! No, Riordan! I am gonna be right here, if you go after Blaine, you will get me and that will be the end of nice forever! You will get to live with that on your conscience.” I growled at him.

Riordan’s hardened glare softened into a guilty expression.

“I wasn’t done with him!” Blaine poured oil into the fire I was trying to diffuse.

I turned back around and yelled right into Blaine’s face, inches from my own.

“Are you frigging kidding me?! Yes, you were! You both are done – and I am done with all of you! You are trying to hurt each other, but all you are doing is hurting me. I had just about enough. We are all worried, I tried to be supportive, the voice of reason. I consoled everyone, listened to you bitch at me in return. Yet, nobody ever dreamed of considering how I feel for even one hot second! The one thing I asked was to not escalate this and you two want to defy me in my own home to show you are real tough guys!? Seriously?! That is a priority now?! And you Ana just stand there with some half-assed attempt rather than trying to talk sense into Ri knowing how dangerous he could be if he were to lose control!? If you had dragged your feet this much about jumping his bones, then we wouldn’t be in this current mess! I have had it with you! All of you! The whole inconsiderate lot! I am taking a break from everyone! Beat each other up, or don’t, live in Sodom & Gomorrah, I don’t care anymore!”

I stormed out.

Oh yeah, I meant it! I was already packing a bag – well, truth be told I was throwing random clothing into a suitcase – when Blaine nearly crawled in, tail firmly tucked.

“Babygirl, I am sorry …”

“I have a name!”

“Vik … sorry … please … I’ll be good. Promise. Please stay! Don’t go. I need you.” he reached for me, but I shook him right off.

“Leave me be!”

“I am sorry too aunt Vik …” Riordan appeared as well.

“Quit calling me aunt! I am not, and it’s pretty inappropriate now that you are in cahoots with my daughter, don’t you think?! One thing this family doesn’t need help with is looking seriously screwed up, thank you very much!”

“Sorry … please don’t go … I’ll go.” Riordan sounded like a little boy now.

“You still don’t get it, do you? None of you! I said I needed a break, so I am taking my clown car and getting me a well-deserved break from all of you and your home-cooked problems! Fix them yourself for a change you ungrateful bitches!”

And out the door I was.
No worries, I wasn’t really leaving Blaine or anything. I would never.
As aggravating as he often was, I loved that guy, just like I loved my kids and even that Riordan.
Just needed to clear the cobwebs from my mind and have some room to breathe.