MoLex Pt. 04

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I apologize that this chapter took a little longer. The first one I submitted was rejected. I had to rewrite a portion of it. Honestly though, after reviewing it, I like this version better. So, thanks Literotica.

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Monique, her sister Ci Ci, and her mom gathered around the computer in her bedroom as the line rang for their Zoom call. It was 6 pm here, so doing the calculation, they knew it was 8 am in Japan.

This 14-hour time difference was one of the things that made it hard to keep up with Charles. It was nearly impossible to coordinate a moment to steal him away from his life. He worked during the day, as did the rest of the world. When he was getting off from work at around 4 pm, it was 2 am for his family back in the U.S.

Even during the slim window of time they could speak, he still had a life to live that was separate from work, complete with new friends and activities. As time wore on, the brother and son who was once readily available to the women in his family, became a series of emails, texts, and minute long phone calls.

But today, the women combined their efforts. They coordinated amongst themselves and planned an ambush. Any other day, they'd accept his excuses. But not today. He was theirs, even if for but a half hour.

His face appeared in the camera. He looked like he was still in bed, rolled over on his side, but just waking up. His chest was bare, but he was wrapped up in his blanket at the waist.

Groggily, he said, "Hey Mo."

He was only expecting her. He wasn't expecting a unified assault. Capitalizing on the element of surprise, they let him have it.

"HAAAAAPPY BIIIIIIIITHDAAAAAAY TOOOOOO YOOOOOUUU!" they belted out in unison, having the chorus melody of a group of cats crying out in pain. But they sang with all their heart for the most important man in their lives.

Reeling from the surprise serenade, he said, "Wow. That was..."

"Beautiful?" Mo asked, presumptuously finishing his thought.

"Ehhh...yeah yeah. That's the word I was searching for."

They all laughed together. It was so good to do that. Never had they missed him more than they did at that moment. To finally see him, laugh with him, watch him smile on his birthday...all of it reminded them that he was thousands of miles away.

As they talked, Monique noticed something in the background; a movement behind him. At first, she just thought it was something with the camera, or the way he was moving underneath the blanket. But she saw that his blanket was moving independent of him.

Without realizing what she was asking, Monique blurted out, "Charles, is there someone in bed with you?"

Everything instantly stopped, and awkward silence filled the call. Charles' eyes got wide with culpability, then he told on himself by throwing a quick glance over his shoulder.

"Charles?" their mom asked questioningly.

A small woman's head peeked up over his shoulder. Not much, just enough for the top of her head and her eyes to be visible. She shyly looked at the camera, unsure of what she should do or say.

"Awww...Charles got a girlfriend!" Ci Ci said teasingly. This just sent the poor girl back into hiding.

"Come on out, baby. Let us meet you." Their mom said, her words more like an order than a request. She did try to sound inviting, but her mama-bear heckles were up.

Charles rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go."

"NOOOOO!" all three yelled out at the same time. Monique then whined, "We never get to talk to you face to face. It's your birthday! C'mon! Don't hang up!"

He turned slightly towards his companion. A whispered exchange between them happened before he turned back to his family and said, "Guys, I'd like you to meet Akari."

With that, his lady friend's head rose once again, but this time in full view. She was also naked to her shoulders; her modesty kept preserved with the blanket she clutched over her breasts with one hand.

She was beautiful. Her soft-brown, almond shaped eyes that peered at them added to her smile. Long, jet black hair cascaded down her head and fell off her shoulders like a waterfall. Her coconut complexion accentuated her Japanese features.

Their mother was the first to speak. Speaking slowly and loudly to be understood, she said, "HELLO AKARI! I...AM...CHARLES'...MOTHER. THESE...ARE...HIS...SISTERS. MONIQUE...AND CIARA!"

Akari and Charles grinned at each other with humorous amusement before bursting out into laughter. It was cute how she bashfully covered her mouth as she did so. Then, in perfect English with only a hint of an accent, she returned their mother's presumptuous greeting with, "Nice to meet you. Charles has told me a lot about you."

Of course, the exposure of their mom's unconscious bias had them all cracking up. After a sheepish apology, the ice was broken and Akari fell into a comfortable conversation with them. Despite the precarious situation of her being naked, she was surprisingly at ease.

It was obvious that Charles was smitten with this woman. They didn't know the nature of the relationship between their brother and his lady friend, but there was no doubt that Akari was not just a hook up.

It was a good call. All had fun. However, it wasn't until Ci Ci opened her big, fat mouth that things turned thorny.

It started with a curious question. Charles asked, "You still with that white guy, Mo?"

Ci Ci giggled, saw her opening, and took it. "Nope. But you'll never guess who she's been hanging around lately."

Monique's eyes shot to her sister, wide with what the fuck are you doing? But Ci Ci looked back at her impishly, her smirk full of mischief.

"Who?" he asked.

"Shut. Up." Monique hissed through gritted teeth. This only aroused more curiosity and suspicion.

"Yeah, who? I'd like to know too." their mom parroted.

Of course, Ci Ci was only too happy to drop the bombshell on the family. "Mo's been kickin' it with Hector's fine ass. Literally." Their mom shot Ci Ci a look, which made her sheepishly retract and say, "I meant...fine butt."

Charles was less concerned with her language and more focused on the message. "Wait...what? You've been hanging out with Hector, Mo?"

Getting exasperated with this entire situation, she rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth as she said, "Ya'll need to stop letting Ci Ci's gossiping ass...I mean butt... get you all riled up. It's not even like that."

"So, you're not hanging out with him?" Charles asked directly.

"We just kickbox. He helps me relieve some stress." The phrasing had everyone's eyebrows cocked, so she reiterated, "With KICKBOXING! God! Get your minds outta the gutter! I'm not sleeping with him or anything crazy like that."

Charles nodded reluctantly, almost satisfied with that. But Ci Ci upped the ante by asking, "Don't the two of you go out to eat afterwards? And go shopping together?"

Monique had never wanted to punch her sister in the face more than she did at that moment. She tersely shouted, "This is why I don't tell you shit! You always starting trouble!" She made no effort to soften her language, and didn't look to apologize for it.

Batting her eyes oh so innocently, Ci Ci asked, "What? If it's all harmless, why you so upset?"

"Because you get off on causing drama where there is none! That's why."

As they did so many times over the years, the two of them began bickering loudly. It took their mother several loud, stern attempts to get them to behave like adults. When the mayhem was quiet, Charles sighed and asked, "Hey ma, Ci Ci, you guys mind giving me and Mo a minute? I need to talk to her...privately."

He sounded calm but serious. It was eerily reminiscent of how their late father used to speak when he had something important to say. Even though it was posed as a question, it was more of a gentle command. The women instantly recognized it, even their mother. There were a few brow-raised glances exchanged before their mother said, "We'll be out in the living room."

Simultaneously, he turned and whispered something to Akari. The vibe was the same. She nodded, and then looked at the camera with a smile and said, "It was nice talking to you Mo. I hope to meet you in person one day."

"Me too, Akari." She said, taking note of her reference to meeting her in person. It just added to her suspicion that Charles' relationship with her was more than casual. Akari slipped from beneath the covers and out of view. It was quick, but Monique caught the barest glimpse of her completely nude body before she was out of sight.

Once they were alone, Monique jumped in first with, "Is all this necessary? I really don't need the whole protective big brother act. I'm a grown woman, and it's kind of insulting that you feel the need to do this all the way from Japan, especially seeing as how you just had Mulan naked in your bed."

"Oh, please miss me with that liberated woman bullshit."

"LIBERATED WOMAN BULLSHIT?!"

"YES!" he emphatically yelled back at her. "This isn't me stepping on your rights, or propping up the patriarchy, or whatever the fuck ya'll call it nowadays. This is about me, your brother, warning you, the sister that I love, about a potential situation that can end badly. If the roles were reversed, I'd hope you had the balls to do the same."

Charles allowed a few moments of silence to gauge her reaction. Monique looked away with a roll of her eyes but accepted his explanation.

"I don't have balls." She half-joked. "I have a vagina."

"Ew."

They snickered, signaling their respective white flags. She then rested her elbow on the desk, propped her chin into her hand, and looked into the camera as she said, "I know Hector's a player, Charles. I assumed as much."

Charles nodded. "Just be careful with him, Mo. It's more than him being a player. He's...just not nice. To women."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, now more invested in what he was saying.

He hesitated, trying to decipher how much he should tell. Monique saw that he was holding back, so she prodded him with a reminder that he started all this by ominously sending everyone else away.

"Okay, fine." He said, a bit uncomfortable. "So, you know, Hector's dad wasn't at all like ours. He used to beat on him, his brother's and sisters, and his mom. It's why Hector got into kick boxing in the first place."

Monique nodded understandingly. She'd gathered all this over the years. Charles continued.

"Well, he's always been kinda...rough. You know? We became friends because one day I was getting jumped by a few jerks who didn't like me being the smart kid in class all the time. He came outta nowhere and took all four of them on. Beat the shit outta all of them. If it's one thing he can't stand, it's a bully."

Monique wasn't sure how this was supposed to dissuade her from wanting to be around Hector. It sounded heroic. But she patiently let her brother lead her to where he wanted her to be.

"So, he and I started hanging together. He always had women around him, so you know I had to stick close by."

Charles chuckled, and Monique rolled her eyes and said, "Men are fucking pigs."

"Anyways...he had this way about him. It was kinda...cold. He'd get with these women, do what he wanted, and then drop them. But sometimes, he'd let them stick around if they...er...took care of his homies."

"What do you mean by if they took care of his homies?"

"You know what I mean."

Her face screwed up in disgust. It was unbelievable to think that the friend she'd known all these years would do that.

"What kind of woman would go for that?" she asked.

"Ones desperate for his attention and coke. Oh yeah, he always had coke around. He wasn't a dealer, but he knew some. So, when he'd tell them to suck a guy's dick for a bump, they'd do it. Or if he brought them to a party he was having, he'd tell her to go up to one of his rooms and get ready. Then, one by one, he'd let some of us take turns..."

His voice trailed off, like he was too embarrassed to continue. Monique caught his Freudian slip, and instantly jumped on it.

"Wait a minute...some of us? You were involved in that shit?"

His ashamed silence answered her question for him.

"So...you were at his house gang raping some poor woman..."

"No, Mo!" he interrupted her. "We never raped anyone. They'd do it because he wanted them to. That's the point I'm trying to make here. He had this way about him that made them want to do it, just to please him. But he was so heartless about it. It made me feel bad watching him discard them after they did what they did for him."

"But that didn't stop you from running trains on them, did it?"

Once again, the shame written on his face was all the affirmation she needed. In a voice barely audible, he admitted, "I only did it once. It was...how I lost my virginity."

To say Monique was disappointed would be such a gross understatement that the word would have to be thrown out for how inadequate it was. Charles' admission was crushing for her. Her brother, the man she looked up to since the loss of their father, was just as bad as the rest of them.

"Sooooo...what am I supposed to do with all this Charles? I mean...I can't even..."

Words seemed so inefficient. She felt like the brother she knew, the one her great dad raised him to be, was all a lie.

"I know." he said, acknowledging her feelings toward him. "I was young and dumb. It was wrong, but I was horny and tired of getting teased for being a virgin. It was strange, though. When I got up there in the room, she was laying on the bed with her legs spread. I was...like...the third guy that night. She had dried cum all over her...on her stomach, on her face, in her hair. For some reason, it wasn't as sexy as it was in porn. It made me kinda sad for her. She was so pretty; too pretty to be allowing a guy like Hector to use her like party entertainment. I kept asking her if she was sure she wanted to do this. She said yes, then she unzipped my pants and gave me head to prove it. She was good at it; really good. I felt bad for letting her do it, but..."

"You fucked her anyway."

He closed his eyes and gave a small, shame-filled nod. "Yeah. But when I was done, I felt horrible. I felt even worse when I went to leave and ran into the next guy waiting on his turn, like she was a Carousel or something. I didn't even have a chance to zip up before he walked into the room with his dick out."

Monique shook her head as the pedestal she held her brother on crumbled. Unable to hide the disenchantment from her voice, she asked, "Do you even know the name of the person you lost your virginity to?"

He shrugged. "I think her name was Summer."

That name sounded familiar. Very familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it at the moment, though.

"So, what happened next? How many of you jerks stuck your dick into that poor woman?"

He shrugged again, this time shaking his head too. "I don't know. I left after that. But everyone was laughing about it the next day, comparing notes."

This story filled her with immense sadness. She almost wanted to cry for this girl and give her a hug. How low must she have viewed herself to allow this? And what kind of jerk manipulates a woman's vulnerabilities and uses her as a party favor?

"Do you know whatever happened to Summer?"

"Not really. I saw her hanging around the gym a lot, but I'd already started backing away from the group at that point. I was still cool with Hector and all, but I saw him differently. And you wanna know the saddest thing of all?"

"What?"

He shook his head and gave a humorless chuckle before saying, "She didn't even know his real name. He told her his name was Robbie, and he made us call him that when she was around. He said it would make it easier for him to ghost her."

"Oh my god! Charles!"

"I know." he said, not running or deflecting. "It didn't really hit me until dad died. When I had to look at you, Ci Ci, and mama, I realized what an idiot I'd been. I kept thinking 'what would I do if a guy did my sisters like that?' I felt ashamed and decided to do right by my family. That's why I got stationed back at home when pops died. I wanted to be a positive male role model for you and Ci Ci, and I wanted to make sure you guys were taken care of."

Monique felt like she was going to be sick. Her mind snapped back to her 21^st birthday, when she and Hector had sex after getting drunk. At the time, she'd only thought about how fun it was. The two of them fucked themselves crazy. She threw all of herself into that experience and never regretted it, even if she recognized it could never happen again.

Now, she found herself re-evaluating everything about that night. What was he thinking when she was going down on him? When she was riding him? When he hit it from behind? Was he planning on pimping her out to his homies?

She didn't know if she wanted to scream or vomit.

But there was something else to this story. That girl Summer. Monique didn't know why, but this girl felt...close. Maybe it was because they shared the same dick, or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, it made her brother's crude behavior hit her more intimately. Yes, he was an asshole for going along with that bullshit and not being the man he was raised to be, but her judgment of him was compounded because it felt like a personal betrayal.

She had to remind herself that despite this new revelation, he'd always been a great brother to her and Ci Ci. He took care of their mom, and he treated the three of them with respect.

She could see the shame written on his face. Charles was usually confident and self-assured, which often came off as arrogant. But in this moment, he sat humbled in the face of his sister's judgement.

After debating with herself, she offered her own confession.

"I slept with Hector." She admitted. He blanched at her, so she defensively added, "It was years ago, on my 21^st birthday. We decided it would never happen again."

"THAT MOTHER FUCKER!" he suddenly yelled out in rage. It startled her because he rarely raised his voice. His personality was more of a laid back, know-it-all sort. But now, he was someone else.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him! He knew to stay away from you. He promised! I'm catching a plane there first thing tomorrow, and I'm gonna...FUCK!"

"Charles calm down!" she said, becoming frightened at what she was seeing. "It wasn't that serious. It was a one-time thing, and we told ourselves that it would NEVER, EVER, HAPPEN AGAIN."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place. He gave me his word before I left for the Navy that he would look after you and Ci Ci, and that he would not let anyone treat you guys like that. He promised, and he broke his word."

As much as Monique loathed the thought of Hector at the moment, she had to stick up for him in this instance. So, she said, "In all fairness, he didn't break his word. He was like a brother to me. Guys were scared to come at me wrong because he made it known that he would kick their asses. I was around him and his friends plenty, and none of them ever even tried to approach me because of how protective he was. Why do you think I became friends with him? If he treated me like you're saying he treated those other girls, I woulda been out on that ass."

Charles seemed to breathe easier with that, though he was still pensive.

The two of them just sat there and stewed in today's revelations. It was Monique who broke the pregnant silence with, "You're an asshole, but I love you, Dog-breath."

That made a smile crack across his angry scowl. After a sigh, he said, "Yeah, love you too Horse-face."

The two of them looked at each other across the span of a thousand miles, and it was like a silent agreement was reached. Neither of them was to ever repeat what was discussed today.