Chapter 13 #2
His phone rang which at least broke the tension in that moment. He grabbed it. “Jules? No, it’s real. What Kit is saying. Yes, almost home. I know.” He closed his eyes. “I know. Fuck. I know.”
He hung up. I touched the side of his face, and he finally lifted his lids. “What do you know?”
“That if we can’t keep you safe, we’re failing you. It’s fundamentally my job before I do anything else or think about anything else.”
I shook my head. “I love you. We keep each other safe. I’m not some precious jewel you have to keep locked in a safe.”
“You are. You are the most precious jewel. The most expensive, rare diamond in the world. More than that. That is what you are to me. To all of us. And I am failing. I have never failed at anything in my life, but I am failing at keeping you safe and happy. Did you see how Carl and Jadon reacted to you last night? You are a gift from the heavens, and I am…”
I shook my head, which seemed to stop him. “I love you. I’ll say it as many times as I need to. I love you.”
When we pulled into the driveway, all of the Lents, minus Dina and Phoenix stood there. I got out of the car and was instantly in Julian’s arms.
He didn’t say anything—maybe because his parents were right there too—but I could feel his body vibrate against my own. I didn’t try to pull back or say anything.
Barrett took off back down the driveway. Obviously Phoenix could not be left on his own. Although I sort of imagined he’d do a better job of defending himself than I had done. If they had been the least bit ready for me I would have been screwed.
I breathed Julian in. Soap. That was what I smelled on him. He had taken a shower recently.
Finally, I pulled back to stare into his blue eyes. “I can never get over your eyes.” I whispered to him. Maybe it was ridiculous to say that right now. Yet, it seemed important and what, really, was there left to say about any of this?
He cupped my cheeks. “You’re okay.”
“I am.” I nodded and pulled back. “I… I obviously didn’t plan this, but I do apologize that I am taking attention from Dina where it should be. So we can talk about this later. Okay?” I looked at Kit. “I don’t know cars. I’m sorry. Makes. Models. No idea. White. Van.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’m getting security. My family won’t be threatened. You are my family by the way, Alatheia. So that includes you. You’ll all have people watching you from now on. Just know that. For now anyway.”
Truth was, between therapy making me wildly nervous and now this, I needed a shower and a nap. I squeezed Julian’s hands. “I need to go clean up and lie down. You should go be with your granny.”
He nodded but looked at the ground. “I love you. Maybe we should leave the country.”
“Not today.” Wherever they went I would go. I was sure of that.
“Would one of you tell Phoenix that he smelled like bourbon? Would you make sure he hears that?” Now that I could think again I knew Phoenix was going to lose it over this.
He might need a meeting or however he was coping right now.
Plus, if his granny had taken a turn today it was only going to be worse.
He nodded.
“What does that mean?” Rosalind called out. It was the first time she’d spoken, and I could swear that she had paled since then. Or maybe not. I hadn’t focused on her.
I swallowed. “I guess maybe Phoenix hasn’t said anything yet and I… I mean, it’s not my story to tell but…”
Julian interrupted me. “He remembered that one of the people who held him smelled like bourbon. Really badly. Drenched in it. Might explain why he can’t stand alcohol, never could even when he was on the drugs.
Drug user but also a teetotaler. And Alatheia is saying that one of her attempted kidnappers was the same. Should we call the police?”
Rosalind rocked back on her feet. “No. No don’t do that.” She walked into the house and returned a moment later holding a gun.
Everyone gasped except Daniel who ran a hand through his hair. “Roses, that is a really bad idea.”
“I’m going to do it. They can arrest me. I don’t care.” She stormed toward the garage, which was separate from the house. “He isn’t touching anyone else who belongs to me.”
Jer looked between us. “He? You know who that is?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” She kept walking. “I always wondered, you know? I really did. And now I know. I’m sure of it.”
Kit seemed frozen, which was remarkable considering that his wife was about to go shoot some unknown person who she was now sure was the perpetrator of all of this. But Stephen chased after her.
“Roz, listen, I know who it is now too. But we should talk about what to do. How best to handle this. He can be made to suffer without you going to jail. Okay? I know you want to kill him, so do I. Maybe we do that. Okay? Not tonight.”
She stopped walking and turned around, slowly. “You promise? You promise we can kill him if that’s what we want? You won’t… decide to listen to reason. Yes, I know that is what Kit is about to say.”
He held up his hands. “I wasn’t, actually.”
“Mo vé le mort.” She spat out. I had heard her do that once before, speak a foreign language when she was upset. Right before she had thrown me out of the Hamptons.
“Who the fuck is it?” Jeremy finally shouted. “What are we talking about? And if Mom is reverting to Cajun then all shit is about to hit the fan. Someone start talking because maybe I’ll go kill him.”
Rosalind shook her head wildly. “No way, my darling. You will do no such thing. No one is fucking with my children anymore. It’s my brother.
It’s Cade. The one right below me. He stinks so badly of bourbon I can barely sit in the room with him.
There’s no question in my mind. We wondered if it was my family, and it was. ”
“Sure.” I nodded. It was clearly time to talk to them.
“But it can’t only be your family. Look what they tried to do.
They tried to shove me in a van. They failed.
It was the middle of the day on a street Barrett drives up and down constantly.
Anyone could see. Lazy and poorly thought out.
What happened to Phoenix? That was constructed and well done.
Otherwise you would know by now who it was.
How did they get to you? How did they have the ability to send a text we cannot trace?
They are being funded by someone with resources. ”
Everyone stared at me in silence. I could practically feel my own heart beat, it was so wild.
Finally, it was Eric who spoke. “That’s smart. We never thought about it like that. You’re so smart.”
“She is.” Julian squeezed my hand. “We have been pseudo investigating the families you’re friends with. The ones who would have reason to have been there that day. To not be accidently discovered. We know Sam’s family is fine. I think next up is the Trevors.”
That was right.
Kit crossed his arms over his chest. “They lost River. There is no way they would have placed that child in danger knowingly. None. They have never been the same. No way.”
“None,” Eric nodded. “But it’s a good thought. I get why you would think that.”
“One of our friends.” All the fight seemed to be gone from Rosalind. When she would have dropped the gun, Stephen took it from her.
It was like Kit had his voice back. “Stop your investigation. You’re already at risk. No one is hurting any member of my family. I’ll do it. Clearly I should have done it five years ago. I’m blind to this. I can see it now.”
I pointed at the house. “I’m going to shower. Maybe take a nap. I might not be able to. And if it wouldn’t be too intrusive, could I please stop by and see Dina for a minute after?”
Daniel nodded fast. “It’s not intrusive. You’re ours. Hers. We’d love you to visit.”
I would. When I could see straight again.
I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror.
My eyes were haunted, but that wasn’t new.
My hair was fuzz on top of my head. I was still beat up looking and scarred.
Maybe I should ask Eric if there was something I could do about that.
I didn’t want all of these scars for the rest of my life.
Maybe the new ones wouldn’t scar, but it seemed lately everything did.
Jeremy was in my room. I chewed on my lip.
I wanted to be brave. I wanted to be alive.
I wanted to be somewhere other than where I was today.
I wanted to be with him. I grabbed what was probably Barrett’s bathrobe and put it on.
I had heard Barrett and Phoenix pull into the driveway.
They hadn’t come storming in, so they were probably visiting with Dina.
Maybe Julian had told them I was showering and sleeping, to leave me alone.
Jeremy hadn’t stayed away and that was fine by me.
I stepped out in the bathrobe to find him staring at the ceiling. He leaned back on his elbows, a tilt to his head. “Something wrong?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Wondering if I could shower in your bathroom.”
He blinked. “Sure. Don’t like yours?”
“I do. A lot. I just want to shower in your bathroom and maybe take a nap in there, too. What do you think? Fine to tell me no.”
Jeremy got to his feet, slowly. He walked over to me, tugging me by the belt of the bathrobe toward him. “What are you saying? Be clear with me. My head is befuddled.”
I smiled, stealing a phrase for Phoenix. “Oh, look, SAT word.”
“Princess?” He was dead serious right now. Not the time to joke with him.
“I thought we could get in your shower together and make out in your bed. Maybe… maybe move things along a little bit if you want to. If you don’t, I understand. That’s fine, too.”
He bent over to whisper in my ear. “Yes. I want to. So much you can’t believe it.”
I probably could. “I just had the IUD put in, I feel pretty good, but we could stop short of actual… penetration.” I was getting good at saying these things. “We could, ah, touch each other.”
I had to be red in the face. Completely and totally red. But I’d done it. Jeremy didn’t make it any easier because he seemed to be determined to hold my eye contact the entire time. He simply, through the force of his own gaze, wouldn’t let me look down.
He nodded. “Have you, ah, ever done that before?”
“I have… touched someone but never been touched myself. Oh forget it. If you don’t want to then…”
Jeremy kissed me, gently, silencing my response.
“I want to. I’m simply trying to ascertain whether or not you know what you’re asking for.
I want to follow instructions and boundaries.
I want to make you happy. Come with me.” He took my hand, and we practically ran into the hall, stopping in his bedroom.
He was the one who had his bathroom. The only one. He locked the door to his room.
Then he kissed me again. And again. And again. Finally, he lifted his head. “Shower. Come.”
Were we down to one word at a time? I let him bring me into the bathroom.
His room was exactly like Phoenix’s had been, with one framed photo of him and Julian in the corner.
Someone had set frames in these rooms. They were identical.
Jeremy turned on the shower. I wanted to be brave.
That had been on the list. So I had to be brave.
I dropped the robe. I had never been entirely naked in front of anyone for very long. He caught his breath.
“I know I’m pretty beat up right now.”
“Hush, Princess. You’re beautiful. So beautiful you take my breath away.”