Chapter 16
Hayleigh
Morgana lied, and I should’ve known.
My own mother lied to get me back home.
My dad was never ill, and now that I’m here, I can’t leave. I mean, sure, I could walk out the door, but that doesn’t help Thea. She’s the only reason I didn’t turn right back around and go home.
To my real home, where Nate is. Poor Nate, that I haven’t been able to ring or text because I can’t bring myself to face whether running away has ruined my chances, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t kicked myself every night since.
Thea bangs open my door. “If I have to listen to mothers' incessant ramblings about whether or not we serve the Robinsons Champagne or Cava one more time, then I may sprinkle some arsenic into her evening brandy.”
“Oh, Thea, hello there. Do come in, make yourself at home.” I wave my hand around the room as she looks at me like I have three heads.
“Did you not hear me?” Sometimes she is so literal.
“Oh, I heard you, alright. Be careful, though, you shouldn’t really be telling people of your plans to kill your mother; you should just do it.”
She shakes her head. “You’re very strange sometimes.” She sits, her back ramrod straight and crosses one knee over the other. “What are you looking at?”
I wave my phone and snatch it back before she can see. “Seven-foot blue aliens with dicks the size of tennis rackets who rail human women…” I sneak a look at her face and burst out laughing at the horrified expression plastered across it.
“I’ve decided I don’t want to know. Help me with our mother.”
Sighing, I close my blue alien smut. “What do you need me to do?” But she doesn’t get to answer because, in that moment, Morgana bursts through the door, her eyes looking wildly around as a stray lock of hair falls out of place.
“Sure, come in. Nice to have you.” I deadpan, but my mother ignores me.
“There you are. Really, Thea. We have a wedding to prepare for; it’s irresponsible for you to be running off at every given moment.” Her gaze cuts to me. “And you, what is it you’re doing exactly?” The disdain for me drips from her lips, but I’m used to it.
Thea’s shoulders drop and her eyes dim. That, I won't have.
Well, mother, I’m reading about great big, blue alien cocks.
Of course, I don’t say that. So, I smile. “Thea was telling me that she has an appointment at the salon. I’m going to get her out of your hair so you can concentrate on what you need to do here.” I turn to Thea. “Ready?” She’s quick on the take and nods.
Our mother narrows her eyes at us before pasting on a smile.
“How wonderful. Thea dear, nothing too drastic, we don’t want you spoiling your looks on the big day, best to keep it at a trim.
” She gives me one last scathing look before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.
We follow straight after and head to my car.
As I climb in and turn the key in the ignition, my phone rings, so I press answer on the hands-free. “Hello?”
“Big blue alien dicks are among us!” Archie’s voice rings out loud, and I can’t help but burst out laughing as Thea makes a strangled sound.
“Archie, you’re on speaker phone.” I giggle as I put the car in reverse.
He snorts on the other end of the line. “Whoops. Hi, I’m Archie, the boy best friend.”
I roll my eyes and look to Thea to see the side of her mouth twitch. “Hello, I’m Thea. Hayleigh’s sister.”
“Archie, did you want something other than big, blue alien dicks?”
He sniggers on the line. “I’m checking that you’re still coming back next week for when Lacey and Cole get home?”
I don’t look at Thea. “Yeah, I’ll be coming back for that, but…”
He sighs. “I know, I know, you haven’t finished doing what you need to do yet.”
“How is he, Arch?”
He hesitates for a moment. “Oh, he’s great.” His voice is too high-pitched, but then he says. “Gotta go.” And before I can say anything else, he ends the call. My stomach drops, and my fingers tighten ever so slightly on the steering wheel. Have I messed things up?
The silence that follows is deafening. Say something.
Usually, I don’t have an issue with talking; in fact, my grandad used to tell me I could talk a glass eye to sleep. Yet for some reason, with Thea, I struggle.
I love her, there’s no doubt about that, but she’s my younger sister, and for some reason, I don’t know if I can trust her.
Maybe it’s because she’s always been the perfect child in Frank and Morgana’s eyes.
She never questioned them growing up, and I was the one who was always outspoken, constantly pushing against what our mother wanted, yet still going along with it anyway, but not Thea.
Even when we were kids, we weren’t close. Thea was always a little cold towards everyone and everything. She wouldn’t offer hugs freely and would prefer her own company, but the older I get, the more I can’t help thinking this is her way of keeping her distance from our parents.
We arrive in town, where I find a parking space right outside the salon. I kill the engine, and when I release my belt, Thea’s hand is on my arm.
“Hayleigh, I wanted to thank you for earlier and intervening between my mother and me.” Her words are stiff, but I soften at them anyway.
Covering her hand with mine, I say, “Thea, I’m your big sister. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” She nods and gets out of the car, not uttering another word.
Okay, good talk.
I walk around to where she stands and link my arm through hers, steering her away from the salon.
“Hayleigh, you said we were going to the salon?” Thea’s brows crease before she looks behind her as we move further away from the salon.
“Nope. That was an excuse to get us away from Morgana’s clutches. We’re going to spend some time together.” I smile widely at the look on her face.
She grimaces, although I think that’s maybe her trying to smile. “Great.”
Or maybe not.
**********
Thea looks at the bowling ball in her hands as if it personally offends her. “Now what do I do?”
Maybe I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it. “You throw it down the lane, like how everyone else is doing.”
“But why?”
“Because it’s fun. Here, let me show you.”
I take hold of her elbow and steer her towards the lane, and show her where she needs to place her fingers through the holes.
“Okay, now you need to move your arm back and then swing it forward, then release the ball from your hands. Got it?”
Thea nods as she sets her face into a determined concentration.
She swings her arm back before bringing it forward.
And…
Strike.
She whirls around, laughing and smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, wow. Did you see that? I can’t believe I did that. I’ve never done something this fun before.”
She keeps turning round and looks from me to the scattered pins, and it’s in this moment that I realise that although Thea has grown up not wanting for anything, she’s grown up alone and without me.
I haven’t been here for her, and with only four years between us, we’re not close in the slightest. We never have been, because I was always too wrapped up in what my parents wanted me to do to realise they had been doing the same thing to her.
I smile at her and say something I don’t think anyone has before. “You should be proud of yourself, Thea.”
Her cheeks blush, she straightens her back and holds her hand to the side. “I believe it’s your turn”
I snigger. So formal.
**********
Turns out I am terrible at bowling, and Thea is surprisingly good despite never having bowled a day in her life. Now we’re getting our bags, and I don’t want the day to end.
“Hey, why don’t we grab some food before we head back? I’m not quite ready to face Morgana.” Please say yes. My stomach is in knots, and my skin buzzes with energy while I wait for her response.
Thea nods once. “Sure.”
I smile. “Great, where do you want to eat?”
“Oh, around here, I’m not quite sure. Mother usually orders me a grilled chicken salad anyway.”
I scrunch my nose. “Grilled chicken? So not even crispy chicken? She’s a monster. Come on.” I link my arm through Thea’s as we walk further away from the car and deeper into the town.
It doesn’t take long before we find a bar that sells burgers and tacos, and I drag Thea inside. Her face doesn’t screw up as our mothers would; in fact, it lights up as she takes in the sights, sounds and smells.
A live band plays a Bon Jovi classic in the back corner, servers are flitting from table to table, and there isn’t a sad face in the room as we dart to a table free at the opposite side of the room from the band.
A server passes by, and I catch her attention. “Hi, can we grab our own table, or do we have to wait to be seated?”
She chuckles. “First come, first served, honey, you see a table, grab it, cos’ we’re only gonna get busier.”
We make our way over to the empty table and sit. I take my coat off and put my bag between my feet, but Thea still has hers on.
I raise my brow. “Planning on ditching me?”
She shakes her head. “No, of course not, but…Hayleigh, why?”
I look around as I ask. “I don’t get it? What do you mean by why?”
She sighs and picks at her tights. “I mean, why now have you decided to be a sister to me? You never have before.”
That cuts me deep, but it’s because the truth hurts. My heart cracks, and I swallow the guilt that swirls around me.
I open my mouth to speak, but a server arrives at the table. “Drinks first?”
Thea nods. “I’ll have a gin and tonic, please.”
“A lemonade for me, thank you. We’ll be ready to order in a little bit.”
After the server leaves, I scrub my hands down my face.
“Okay, that’s fair. I haven’t been much of a sister over the years, and for that I’m sorry.
I don’t have an excuse; I was so wrapped up in my own shit that I never stopped to consider if you were okay.
I assumed because you never argued back with our parents that you were happy… ”
I trail off as she snorts at me, her eyes widening as if she can’t believe it herself.
“Hayleigh, I’m so sorry that was so rude.”
I laugh and snort right back at her. “It’s something I do all the time.” And like that, we’re both laughing like idiots.
“Shall we order?” I hand her a menu, and I decide to go for the cheesy beef tacos. While I wait for Thea to choose, her facial features change with each pass of the menu as if she’s never seen so many options.
When another server arrives with our drinks, we place our orders. Thea opts for a cheeseburger because she’s never had one before, and I have to wonder what else I don’t know about my younger sister.
“So, are you going to tell me who you were talking about on the phone earlier?” Thea asks.
I smile despite myself. “I was talking about Nate. He’s my…uh, friend?”
The corner of her lip lifts. “Friend? Are you sure?”
Sighing, I shake my head. “To be honest, I haven’t a clue what we are. He’s probably one of the closest friends I have, and he’s been there for me since the whole thing with…you know, but I think I might have messed it up by running away.” I take a large gulp of my lemonade and avoid her eye.
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t marry Pete.”
The lemonade gets caught in my throat, and suddenly it’s burning while I cough and splutter.
Hitting my chest a few times, I garble. “What?”
Thea shrugs. “I know we haven’t been close growing up, and I know that you probably see Emmy as more of a sister–please don’t interrupt–” I close my mouth as she carries on. “But I admire you for saying no to our mother and doing what you finally want to do.”
I place my hand palm up on the table and wiggle my fingers.
Thea eyes it like a spider. “What in the world are you doing?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s the universal sign for ‘hold my hand’.”
“Oh.” She places her hand in mine.
“Thea, I love you, and although Emmy is like a sister to me, that doesn’t mean she replaces you; it means I’m lucky enough to have you both.”
Her smile is warm. “I wish I could have your strength, Hayleigh.”
My brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
Her eyes water. “I don’t want to get married, Hayleigh. I don’t love him; I don’t even like him.”
My heart beats wildly as she drops the bombshell. I swallow before saying. “Then don’t. Come back with me to Roselake.”