Chapter 9 #2
All three of them stiffened before Drake’s dad turned. “Really, Trace?” he said in exasperation, noticing the hurt on Jemmy’s face.
“Yes, Damon, really. You and Drake need to stop babying her,” Tracey spat out. “She does act like a baby. She can’t even remember to brush her hair or teeth. And even after I told her to grab things every day, she still forgot her binder and lunch box.”
She held both items at arm’s length. “I know you aren’t stupid, so why do you act–”
“Enough, Tracey,” Damon barked. “It’s not a big deal. You behave as if she forgets it every day. She doesn’t.”
“Stop covering for the little dummy,” Tracey sighed. “You studied her spelling words with her every day last week, and what did she get on her test Friday?”
I flinched while Drake made a sound of dismay. I knew Tracey had been horrible to Jemmy, but I hadn’t realized to what degree. The pure venom spewing from her mouth was disgusting. I wondered how much of this treatment Jemmy had forgotten or how often it had happened.
“She passed, Mom,” Drake argued, hugging Jemmy.
“You did great, princess,” Damon agreed.
“A seventy–” Tracey spat with vitriol before Damon cut her off.
“Is great,” Damon interrupted, giving Jemmy a large grin before storming over to Tracey.
“Drake and Jem keep walking. I’ll catch up,” he called over his shoulder before continuing.
“Enough, Trace,” he hissed in an angry whisper.
“Stop attacking Jem over everything. She’s a normal eight-year-old girl.
She forgets things. She doesn’t pass every test. As long as she tries, that’s all that matters.
“I’m done talking about this. I’m going to walk the kids to the bus, and then I’m going to work.”
He whirled around but stopped short when he realized Drake and Jemmy hadn’t walked on without him. The look of devastation on his face hit me in my heart. I saw him attempt a smile as he walked back over to his kids.
“It’s thinking like that that makes her such a slacker,” Tracey stalked after them.
Tracey didn’t seem to care about the hurt she was causing her children, Jemmy in particular.
The pure evil and malice on her face made my skin crawl.
She didn’t seem to notice that she was tearing her daughter down one hateful word at a time.
She didn’t seem to care that she was hurting Drake as he courageously tried to soothe his sister.
Tracey was like a dog with a bone. Damon seemed determined to ignore her until she reached one manicured hand toward him and curled her fingers around his bicep. It seemed to be the catalyst for Damon to lose the cool he had been valiantly trying to maintain.
“Enough!” Damon growled. “I’ve heard enough. Your children have heard enough. We can talk about this when I get home.”
A horn blaring down the road made me jump. I whirled around to see a bus at the end of the street. I finally noticed the bus stop and the children boarding. The bus driver leaned over, smiled, and waved at Damon.
“Last one to the bus is a rotten egg,” Damon tried to sound cheery once more. “Come on, my beautiful, smart princess,” he cajoled.
All three of them took off running toward the bus. Jemmy shot her mother a heartbreaking look, her eyes swimming with tears. Tracey pulled a face, and I reached out instinctively to smack her. Then I remembered I was in an incorporeal form. Gah! I wished I could slap her.
Drake seemed unable to move as he watched his father kiss him and then hug and kiss his sister. Tracey remained rooted to the spot, her arms crossed over her chest, one foot tapping impatiently. She was fuming and seemed in no hurry to return to the house.
“Was she always like that?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Toward Jemmy, yes,” Drake said heavily. “Dad and I tried to protect her, but we didn’t always succeed.”
I hugged him and felt his chest shudder against mine as he tried to compose himself. I knew this wasn’t easy for him. He was already emotionally raw, and this dive into his memories seemed to pile even more onto his fragile state.
“She’s a bitch,” Patrick stated.
“The biggest,” Kade agreed.
I squealed as Drake spun around. He seemed to understand what was happening before I did. We were here because of Patrick and Kade. My mind couldn’t wrap around the concept. I hadn’t even known they could use their gifts simultaneously.
“What’s going on? Why are we here?” Drake finally asked.
Patrick seemed suddenly hesitant, while Kade gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “There’s something you should see,” he said, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
They appeared to be bracing themselves to explain when Damon returned. Any responses they had were forgotten as we continued to watch the events unfold in front of us.
“Why?” Damon asked, a mixture of anger and weariness in his voice. “Why must you always break her spirit?”
“Because you baby her too much,” Tracey seethed. “No wonder she’s so stupid and lazy.”
“Enough,” Damon said through clenched teeth. “I warned you the last time about your mouth, Tracey.”
He began to storm toward the house, seeming like a man on a mission.
Tracey’s cruel look shifted to concern, then morphed into anger.
I frowned, recognizing Jemmy’s mutinous expression.
It was apparent where Jemmy had learned that look.
I just prayed her mother’s poison didn’t infect her while she “reconnected” with her.
Tracey let out a cruel laugh. “What are you going to do, Damon? Leave me? As if you could.”
We had reached the house. Drake and I continued to trail behind them.
One glance over my shoulder made me realize Patrick and Kade weren’t too far behind.
Their looks of concern didn’t ease any of the worry and impending doom that had settled in my stomach.
My gut was telling me this memory wasn’t going to end well.
Damon continued walking up the stairs into their home. He opened the door, and Tracey continued ranting after him. His face seemed nearly placid as he pretended not to hear a word she slung at him.
“You don’t have the balls to do that! You never have the balls for anything.
Did you ask for that raise?” she harped.
“Of course not! I should have listened to my dad when he said you weren’t going to amount to anything.
I should have listened to my mom and married Jared Granger.
He’s filthy rich. His wife stays home. She doesn’t work.
And she damn well didn’t have to shoot out snot-nosed brats for him. ”
She was so busy demeaning him that she didn’t even bother slamming the door behind her.
We all followed her in, and I wished I could block Drake’s ears.
This wasn’t something he should have ever witnessed, back then or now.
I grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it.
He didn’t take his eyes off his dad, as if he were soaking in every memory of him, but he did squeeze my hand in return.
Damon stopped before climbing the next set of stairs to the upper level of the house. He shook his head and continued up the steps, taking the right once he reached his landing.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Tracey continued to rant.
“We should follow,” Kade reluctantly prodded us.
“Why? Why are we here?” I asked.
“This is the day my dad died,” Drake said quietly, before the boys could respond. “Did…?” He swallowed thickly. “Did he really do it?”
I had to stifle my gasp. I hadn’t connected the dots yet. I should have realized, the moment we were placed in this memory, that it carried significant meaning. This whole experience had thrown me for a loop, and I should have recognized why Patrick and Kade were here.
“This is the third time I’ve been here,” Patrick admitted.
“The first time was right after I met you. I didn’t know why I had this dream, and it was only the tail end of it.
I hadn’t realized it was connected to you.
And I had only envisioned,” he swallowed, “after. A few weeks ago, I had another dream, and I saw a little more.”
“He came again last night,” Kade continued, seeing how upset Patrick was getting. “He couldn’t figure out how to get back into the house, but he recognized your mother.”
“So, this is a dream?” Drake inquired.
“Kind of,” Patrick explained, clearing his throat. “Alex, Kade, Micah, and I have been… practicing. We’ve been testing our dreams. Alex is here, but not,” he added, waving around us.
“I traveled back in time,” Kade admitted. “Just mentally, not physically.”
“And I was the nosy bitch who overheard their plans and insisted on helping tonight,” Anna said as she came down the stairs. “I think we need to hear this.”
She had a look of anger on her face as she gestured toward the raised voices. Damn, Tracey really had been a bitch. Through our conversation, I could hear her emasculating Damon, and it sounded like he was finally fighting back.
I should have been more surprised by all these revelations, but I wasn’t.
I realized then that I was unconsciously pushing feelings of comfort onto Drake.
My mind and my gifts seemed to have robbed me of the ability to focus on anything beyond being emotionally supportive to him.
Later, I would dissect everything further.
Right now, I don’t have the mental capacity to think beyond our current situation.
“Can you?” I asked Drake, noticing how shaken he was.
“I need to,” Drake said resolutely stated. “Even if it’s just to prove to myself what I’ve always known. He would never have left us and left a note on a computer.”