Chapter 15 #2
Bastian stalks toward us and demands to know what’s going on.
He continues to pepper Jorge with questions he answers, but Jorge simply won’t engage with Bastian, which only makes him increasingly irritated.
It’s my mom who steps in. She’s withdrawn further, and I can tell she grows more despondent as the hours turn into days.
“Bastian, I really don’t want to listen to this right now.
Stop looking a gift horse in the mouth. Jorge’s been nothing but polite and concerned for us.
If you’re going to pick an argument with him, then you can just go next door because I don’t want to see or hear you if you’re going to be like this. ”
My boyfriend turns toward me. “Then, Anne, you come with me, and we’ll discuss more while we’re alone.”
“No, I’m not leaving my mom and sister right now to go discuss something with you I have no answers for.”
“You won’t discuss why a man brought you to his suite alone and is bending over backwards to help a practical stranger?”
I stare at Bastian for a protracted moment before I lose my ever-loving shit.
“Of course! He’s actually useful!”
Everyone stares at me before I realize how horrible that sounds. I walk away from Bastian and Jorge. I need space from both of them, but I pass in front of the window.
“Anneliese, no.”
Everyone stares as Jorge barks at me. It’s a tone I haven’t heard since we first arrived at the suite. I look around the room and know everyone senses something happened with us. Bastian storms off, slamming the door behind him and must march next door because we hear that door slam as well.
I’m so humiliated by his behavior. This tantrum is so unlike him. I’m positive Jorge would never behave like this. He wouldn’t give anybody a glimpse into his emotions, and he’d never embarrass himself like that.
Jorge basically comes to my rescue when he suggests everybody sits down again, so we can discuss what he’s found.
He offers me one of his half smiles that’s barely a subtle twitch of his lips, but it’s enough for me to know he’s still on my side.
He walks over to the armchair he sat in yesterday, and I take the one that I shared with Bastian. It’s far more comfortable on my own.
“I spoke to my uncle this morning. He’s made some calls as well, and we think we have a lead on who sent the messages, but we aren’t positive yet.
I need to go out this afternoon and follow up on this.
I don’t want to make any false promises or get your hopes up because I can’t guarantee what I’ll find, but I think we might be making progress. ”
This time he’s not being evasive. He’s being candid about the limitations to the information he’s received.
That’s the best that I can ask for, all things considered.
My mom, Heidi, Friedrich, and I watch TV.
It’s just ambient noise for us while we’re all lost in our thoughts.
None of us are really paying attention to the movie while Jorge returns to his work.
He admits he has to get some things done while he waits to hear from his uncle.
As the morning creeps closer to noon, I haven’t heard the door open to the suite I’m sharing with the others. My mom looks over at me and raises her eyebrows.
“I know. I’ll invite him to join us. Mutti, he’s not usually like that.”
My mom didn’t ask any questions aloud, but I’m certain she’s thinking them. I call him, and he answers on the first ring, barely greeting me.
“I’m headed back to work.”
“Bastian, I’d really like you to join us for lunch instead.”
I slip into the bedroom Heidi and I used, realizing it’s now Jorge’s. He continued to let my mom have the bigger of the two bedrooms. I sense another argument coming, and I don’t want to do it in front of the others.
“No, I feel useless here. There’s no point in my staying when I could be helping people who want it.”
That stings. I can’t believe he just said that. It’s like an alien possessed him. This isn’t the man I thought I knew.
“Bastian, if you leave, I won’t forgive you for this. I need you right now. If you choose work over me when you’re already off, then we’re done.”
“Anneliese, don’t issue me ultimatums.”
“Then don’t abandon me when I need you.”
“You have Jorge.”
“What I need is my boyfriend. What I need is the man I’m supposed to rely on and know is at my side no matter what.”
“Well, I think you’re putting all your faith in the wrong man. You got one photo yesterday and have heard nothing else to prove your father’s alive. How do you know Jorge’s not lying? He probably caused all of this.”
My head might explode because my temper’s about to.
“Then all the more reason to stay with me and make sure I’m safe. How can you walk out on me if you think I’m relying on a man who could order my father’s hand be amputated?”
“Fine, I’m coming.”
When we hang up, I hardly feel reassured knowing he’s coming back. Is he doing it because I’ve guilted him into it? Is he doing it because he truly wants to help? Is he doing it because he believes I’ll end the relationship if he doesn’t?
As I consider that, I realize I truly will break up with him if he doesn’t support me when I need him most. There’s a light knock on the door as I head back into the main living room. A guard lets Bastian in. It’s clear he doesn’t want to be here as he reluctantly enters the suite.
He’s scowling and bad-tempered, which makes the rest of us uncomfortable. My mom shifts on the sofa restlessly, and I can tell his attitude’s upsetting her. I shoot Bastian a look I hope he understands means he needs to change his attitude. It just earns me a deeper scowl.
“Bastian, if you’re going to be like this, then leave.
You’re not doing Anneliese any good by being foul-tempered, and it’s just going to put the rest of us in an even worse mood.
We asked Jorge for you and Friedrich to join us because we want to keep you both safe.
But if you think you can do better on your own, then by all means, leave. ”
My mom’s words shock me. They’re a blessing in disguise, so it’s not just me saying the same thing.
It makes me feel a lot less guilty for sharing those sentiments.
It doesn’t entirely surprise me when he leaves in a huff, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.
We hear the door next to ours slam again.
So much for lunch. Once Friedrich goes next door to check on Bastian and get some work done, my mom, sister, and I sit together again. My mother turns off the television, and I brace myself for what comes next. I’m certain it’s nothing I want to hear, but it’s something I should.
“Anne, you know we care about Bastian. We’ve welcomed him into our family.
We’ve been happy that you found somebody you love and who loves you back, but he’s proven today what I’ve always known about him.
He’s an inherently selfish man. He always put you first because he wanted something in return, like your time, attention, love, or to be praised by others.
He’ll do that if he gets something in return. ”
I swallow back tears, since this is painful to hear, and I know Jorge’s listening. He appears preoccupied with work, but he’s sitting too close not to hear. She takes my hand and squeezes it as she continues.
“I hate that it’s something like this that proves who he really is. I pray we never go through another crisis like this, but better to know now than five years—ten years—twenty years down the road, and you’ve had to live with this.”
I look at my mother, and I don’t want to agree with her. I don’t want to admit the last two years may have been a mistake, that the future I planned isn’t the person I’ll really get.
It’s difficult to face my mom and sister, especially when I know my sister and Friedrich’s relationship isn’t perfect. However, it’s a hell of a lot better than mine is right now. Friedrich’s been the model boyfriend through this, and not because he has eyes on him. That’s just who he is.
I’d love to make an excuse and say Bastian’s not great in a crisis.
However, he goes to war-torn places and helps children who are on their deathbeds.
He faces crises all the time. While those aren’t necessarily personal like this is, he keeps his head on his shoulders and leads his medical teams. He does it without throwing hissy fits like he did today.
I’m not sure what to do with everything we’ve seen. Heidi says nothing, listening to my mom and me talk, but she’s nodding the entire time. When my mom finishes speaking, I look over at her, and I want to believe it’s sympathy, not pity, in her eyes.
“Heidi, have you felt the same way?”
Now she appears guilty. “Yes, I know Bastian’s Friedrich’s best friend, but there have been things about Bastian I’ve observed that I don’t like.
I’ve tried hinting at it to you, and it’s not like you’ve shut me down, but you seemed oblivious to it and happy.
So, I figured you were okay with how things stand.
Friedrich and I have even spoken about it and discussed whether he and I should intervene.
We haven’t, but I’ll be honest. Last night, we agreed that if Bastian didn’t start helping you out and being more supportive, we would talk to you separately.
Friedrich would tell him to pull his head out of his ass, and I would tell you to consider leaving him. ”
The weight of the world settles back on my shoulders, and it feels overwhelming to me just as much as everything else has in the past two days.
Not only is my father missing, but now my relationship might draw to an end.
And not just because of my attraction to Jorge.
But because I’m seeing things about my partner I don’t like.
Things I’ve been blind to while everyone else around me saw them.
The three of us fall quiet while Jorge remains silent behind us. Another fifteen minutes pass, and I feel my stomach rumble. I run my hand through my hair before turning to the others.
“Should we order lunch? I’m actually hungry.”
“Yes. Will you invite him back over?” I know my mom means Bastian.
“Yes. Maybe including him will calm him down a bit.”
I doubt it. It didn’t work with the first attempt, but I can extend the olive branch.
I step into my mom’s room in case he picks another argument.
I picture the suite next door. It wouldn’t surprise me if Bastian packed his things and then sulked, waiting for me to beg him to come back.
Even waiting for me to apologize on my mom’s behalf.
“Hallo.”
“Bastian, will you please join us for lunch? I really don’t think you should leave right now.
You can stay in the suite if you want, or you can come back here, but it’s not safe for you to leave.
If you do, you need guards along with you.
That’ll take men away from guarding us here as well as Jorge when he goes out today. ”
“Whatever, Anne, I’ll take my chances. I’m not staying here to watch you stare at another man and watch him practically undress you with his eyes.”
I know Jorge hasn’t been doing that. He’s been incredibly discreet, so maybe Bastian has picked up on something. Jorge’s certainly not being flagrant or even inconspicuous. There just have been no outward signs.
“Bastian, I’m telling you this is not a good idea. If you leave, I won’t forgive you for this because not only are you abandoning me in a crisis, but you’re now putting all of us at risk.”
“Don’t bother. Nothing’s happened since the day before yesterday. Nobody’s approached Friedrich or me.”
“You don’t know that they aren’t watching you, planning something. Something could already be in the works, Bastian, that we just don’t know about. You really willing to take that kind of risk just because you don’t like that a man is helping me? I thought you were more evolved than that.”
“Well, I guess I’m not because as many ultimatums as you want to issue me, I can do the same.
You should call the police. You should call your uncle.
There’re plenty of other options for you rather than having some narco-terrorist on your side.
Get him to back off, and we all leave, or else I’m ending it. ”
Jorge might not be a narco-terrorist, but he is a narco-trafficker. I have no intention of correcting him.
“You cannot be serious right now, Bastian.”
“I’m deadly serious right now. Either come with me and have your family leave him behind, and we call the police like normal rational people would, or we’re done.”
Rage fills me. If I had something handy, I’d lob it across the room. My death grip on my phone is all that’s keeping me from hurling it at the wall.
“Then goodbye, Bastian. Pack your shit and get out of the apartment before I get home.”
“You don’t mean that, Anne.”
“I mean it just as much as you meant your ultimatum. Or were you trying to manipulate me into staying with you by scaring me? Because I’m deadly serious right now.
If you aren’t too, then you played a hand you don’t have.
You’ve made your choices just like you said.
You can do what you want, and I will too.
I won’t put up with your selfishness while I also try to figure out what the fuck is going on with my father and keep everybody I care about safe. ”
I take a breath because my voice is rising with each word, and I know the others can hear me.
“If you can’t appreciate the one person who’s helping us, then I don’t need you around. That says too much about your character for me to ignore.”
It’s obvious there were cracks in the relationship already, and this made those fissures open up as though an earthquake ripped through them.
We’re two tectonic plates rubbing against each other right now, and the pressure has pushed us apart.
I don’t believe there’s any coming back after this without a major scar in our relationship.
At this point it is what it is; it was what it was.