28. Nick
28
NICK
I tried to stay away from the study and dining room downstairs. George had taken over most of the first floor for another long day of gatherings for this internship process. I watched from the second floor as professors showed up, chatting and at ease with each other. After them, the students arrived. Tiffany was elsewhere in the mansion, getting ready, and the others would arrive on their own.
Hearing a noise in the hallway, I left my post at the window to see if my mother was around. I hadn’t noticed her all morning, but I wasn’t surprised. With her knowing George was cheating on her, she’d make herself scarce around here.
It wasn’t depression making her acting like this, but sadness in another form.
All this time since we’d lost Dad, the loose and general advice to move on remained ever-present for us to heed. She’d moved on, or tried to, even in a platonic way that might have eventually led to something more. But George dashed that progress.
I’d moved on too. Finally, I had something else to consider my purpose in life. I was still angry. I was still sad. But Sabrina was making me see that it wouldn’t hurt any to let some light in to break up my darkness. That it was okay to let her in and feel lighter and better about my future.
That was why I wanted to see when she arrived and figure out a way to sneak her to the side. We had to discuss this. We had to stand together against Tiffany’s lies. If George was the one to screw up his marriage with my mom, then she wouldn’t be left penniless. And when I exposed Tiffany for her manipulation, Sabrina would be in the clear to go for this internship spot.
But we had to present as a couple. As two together, not just two parts of deceit.
I didn’t see her come in, but when I walked past the rooms where they were meeting, I saw that she must have slipped in when I looked for my mom in the hallway. They were already talking and I couldn’t interrupt now.
I hung out in the smaller morning room off to the side of them, waiting expectantly for when they’d have to break for lunch. The chef and his staff were already preparing rolling carts with trays of food, so it had to be soon.
Come on, Sabrina. We need to talk.
I was riled up with impatience to see her after all that happened last night. And I was eager to talk to her and jointly take the first step toward the future I couldn’t stop thinking about.
People filed out of the study and dining room, but Sabrina wasn’t among them.
What the fuck?
I stood, noticing the short guy Sabrina always seemed to sit next to. “Do you know where Sabrina is?”
“What?” He furrowed his brow and leaned forward. “Sabrina?”
I nodded. “Where is she?” As I waited for him to answer, I looked past him, wondering if my impatience to see her and case of missing her was making me jump too soon and assume she wasn’t here anymore.
“She went out back, looking for Professor Lorsen. He went out the glass doors.”
Outside, then.
I nodded my thanks and took off for the wide, wraparound patio area out back. And I arrived just in time to see them up ahead. Tiffany walked before Sabrina, alongside the pool. The sight of my cruel, lying stepsister filled me with rage, but I tempered myself, knowing she wouldn’t have any power over me once I revealed her manipulation.
What happened next spiked adrenaline to mix with red-hot fury.
As I jogged to catch up to them, my focus on the curvy, sweet woman I couldn’t think about not having in my life, Tiffany spun quickly and charged back at her. In the next blip of time, Sabrina was falling. It wasn’t a mere nudge, but a full-on tackle and shove.
“No!” I sprinted, determined to spare Sabrina any more suffering. She’d already faced enough—too much—at the Lorsens’ expense. It was just a pool. It was only water. But I knew she couldn’t swim.
Tiffany staggered back, her mouth open in surprise at my yell. I paid her no attention as I reached the pool, diving in to retrieve Sabrina. No hesitation came. Not a second to spare. I jumped in to reach her as she went under, her arms flailing and water splashing with her frantic movements to stay afloat.
I swam toward her, gritting my teeth and hating that vile woman watching me save her. Tiffany wasn’t just cruel. She was sadistic. Evil.
But as soon as I grabbed hold of Sabrina and urged her to hold on to me, I let that raw anger fade back. I concentrated on the good I could do instead. The love and comfort I could—and would—offer Sabrina, not the hatred I would direct at my stepsister.
“I’ve got you.” I shoved Sabrina’s hair back from her face as she gasped and trembled. “Okay? I’ve got you, Sabrina. I’ve got you.”
She nodded shakily, clinging to me as I treaded water, keeping us up. Then without releasing her at all, I turned and swam toward the steps, intent on getting her out and dry, to being there to comfort her after this unnecessary scare.
“Pathetic,” Tiffany spat as I carried Sabrina out. “Can you try to be the center of attention any more than this?”
“Get the fuck away from me,” I warned her as she followed us toward the pool house, where Sabrina could have privacy to calm down.
“No. I don’t think I will,” Tiffany said as she continued after us. With the glass doors open to the pool house, it wasn’t as shut off as I wanted. Sabrina didn’t need any more eyes on her when she was vulnerable after that scare. But no one else was around.
“You’re okay,” I told her as she shivered in my arms.
“Of course, she’s fine. It’s just a pool. She’s acting like a fucking baby, needing attention to get ahead, and I’m sick of it.”
I sat on a wicker couch, keeping Sabrina in my lap, a sopping-wet mess, as I reached for towels from the stack on the coffee table. “I told you to get the fuck out of here.” Nothing would abate this possessive need to take care of Sabrina.
“No.” Tiffany set her hands on her hips and smiled. “No, I won’t. I ”—she pointed at herself for emphasis—“told you ”—she pointed at me—“to ruin her. Not pretend that you care.”
“He… he…” Sabrina narrowed her eyes as she faced her. “He’s not pretending.”
Hope bloomed in my chest.
“He does care… about me,” Sabrina insisted.
“No, idiot. He’s using you. I told him to get a sex tape with you so I could ruin your reputation. So I could get that intern spot.” Her grin widened yet. “And I have it.”
“No, you fucking don’t,” I argued. “You don’t have anything.” And she never would. I couldn’t ever bring myself to incriminate Sabrina—again. I’d spend the rest of my life regretting sharing that painting of her.
“Oh, but I do.” Tiffany tilted her head to the side. “Forget about that, stepbrother?” She lifted her finger to point at a camera anchored to the wall.
I shook my head. “No. I didn’t forget. It’s off. It was disconnected when the electricity lines were redone.”
“Nope.” She let the P pop. “It’s on.”
“It’s not,” I shouted. “I was just looking at the cameras yesterday and it’s not there.”
“Because it’s saved under a different folder,” she said as movement behind her caught my eye.
My mother ran up, worry etched on her face as she took in the scene of me and Sabrina soaking wet.
“It’s… it’s you,” she said, recognizing Sabrina. Then she furrowed her brow to study me. She had to be so confused about why I was holding her so closely and protectively, but she didn’t focus on that. She glared at Tiffany instead. “And you !”
“Leslie.” Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Now’s not the time?—”
“I saw you!” My mom jabbed her finger at her again. “I was on the third floor and I saw you push this woman into the pool!”
“So the fuck what?” Tiffany snarled.
“So what?” George demanded, coming up behind them. “What kind of behavior is this, Tiffany?” He glowered at her, thoroughly pissed. “You know, as the rest of the applicant members do, that Sabrina can’t swim.”
“Daddy,” Tiffany said, dropping into her sweet tone she used to butter up to him. “It’s not what it looks like. She was just lost and she tripped?—”
“You pushed her!” Mom accused. “I saw. I saw you, and I’ll be damned if I can live in a place like this any longer.” In a show of anger I was glad to see, relieved to see her riled up about anything and not distant or vacant, she thrust her arms down and fisted her hands. “I’m sick of pretending to be happy here and acting like a docile wife.”
“Leslie?” George frowned at her, taking his attention off his daughter.
Sabrina trembled in my arms, and I hugged her closer.
“I’m not staying here with your… your mean, murderous daughter,” Mom shouted.
“I’m not a murderer,” Tiffany scoffed.
“Don’t speak,” George ordered her with a stern glare. He faced my mom again. “Leslie, I will handle this. I will handle her.”
“No.” Mom slashed her arm through the air. “It’s not just this incident. It’s all of it. It’s you sleeping with some younger woman on the side and not giving our marriage a chance.”
“What?” George demanded it with equal parts shock and dismay that she’d say such a thing. He didn’t look guilty, but confused.
“I saw, too,” I said. “I saw on the cameras how you’ve been getting cozy with some young blonde.”
George’s mouth hung open as he looked at me. “No. That’s my niece who wants to apply for tenure at another university.” He shook his head as he argued. “You’ve got this all wrong.”
Tiffany stopped scowling at me to speak up, clearly realizing I was not going to ruin Sabrina for her. “Yeah. You do have it wrong.” She pointed at Leslie. “She’s cheating on you!”
Mom gasped. “I am not!”
“How the hell can you accuse her of that?” George demanded of his daughter.
Tiffany crossed her arms. “Come on, Daddy, don’t be so blind. She’s distant and?—”
“She’s distant because her first husband died!” he roared. “I’ve been struggling with the grief of losing one of my oldest friends. No one is cheating on anyone. I’m only sorry that I can’t give you what you need.” He lowered his voice as he faced my mom, his expression one of sorrow. “I can’t give you what you want or need. I can’t give you love because you’re still in love with David. I promised him that I’d take care of you after he was gone. You know that’s why we married. But I hadn’t counted on starting to wish we could build something more.” He hung his head and shook it slowly. “I’m faithful, Leslie, and it pains me that you’d think otherwise.”
“That’s not true.” Tiffany blanched when George turned to scowl at her.
“Just what the hell is going on, Tiffany? How dare you stir up trouble like this? And to accuse Leslie of such a horrible thing?”
Mom glanced at me, concerned, but then she studied Sabrina too.
My wonderful girl nodded once at my mom, and I sat there in awe as my mother started to lift her lips.
I couldn’t believe how it would take everything blowing up like this for me to finally understand that everything would turn out all right in the end.
Sabrina and I didn’t have to confront my mom or George. I wouldn’t have to tell Tiffany that she could go fuck herself and that I’d never ruin Sabrina for her.
Their issues were catching up to them. It was all imploding as they fought and argued.
But that didn’t mean Sabrina and I had to stick around and watch the downfall. Helping Sabrina to her feet, I stared down at her light-brown eyes and knew I would never forget this moment. The moment of being free—liberated from my darkness and that stupid agreement with Tiffany.
I was free to start the rest of my life with her.
“Let’s go,” she said, seeming to be on the same page as me.
Before we got far, George paused in speaking harshly with Tiffany to hold up his hand and stop us. “Wait. Nick. Sabrina. Wait.”
I shook my head. “No. You guys can figure out this mess on your own. I’m done with this.”
“But where are you going?” Mom asked.
I took Sabrina’s hand and relished the comforting squeeze of her fingers around mine.
“I’m taking care of the woman I love.” And without another word, we left together.