Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Beulah
I understood stepsiblings weren’t related by blood, but pondering Presley and Stone together was still disturbing. Did they grow up together in the same house? Because if that was true, their relationship was…well…gross. Wasn’t it? I couldn’t decide if I was being judgmental or not. Maybe I should be more open-minded. They were obviously in a relationship of some kind. Her angry outburst when she assumed he was sleeping with me sure made it seem as if she was his girlfriend. Besides how could I judge them when I had slept with someone actually blood related to me.
Stone had been a distraction for a moment. Continuing to ponder his personal life however was intrusive. I would keep my mouth shut about it and out of their way.
I laid my head back and closed my eyes as I soaked in the large claw-foot tub.
Thinking about my life however caused my stomach to turn. Thoughts of Jasper and all I knew now began to run through my head again. I should have stayed focused on Stone’s situation. That was safer for my mental health
My life had taken a disturbing tragic turn I hadn’t seen coming. Focusing on Heidi through all of it had kept me from looking at how I was affected. In the silence it was hard not to think about it.
The ringing of my phone startled me, and I sat up to see where I had left it. When it rang again, I turned toward the sound to find I’d put it on the vanity. I didn’t want to get out of the tub yet, but it could be Heidi calling. But what if it wasn’t…
Jasper hadn’t called or come looking for me today. I had thought perhaps he had accepted the harrowing truth and known my leaving was best for everyone. What we had was over just as quickly as it had begun. My feelings for him were complicated and different than they had been. Finding out the truth had changed many things.
Standing, I grabbed the towel on the white and gold stand beside the tub and wrapped it around my body before hurrying over to the vanity. I reached for my phone then snatched my hand back at the sight of Jasper’s name on the screen. He shouldn’t be calling. We had nothing more to say. Not right now. Time was required for this. Time for the things we had felt to fade. Hearing his voice…I wasn’t ready.
Fate didn’t like me much.
I stepped away from the phone as the ringing ended. Cringing as the sound alerting me that it had gone to voicemail filled the silence. I didn’t want to hear his voice. I would just delete it. This was the way it had to be. He would see it too. Soon. He had to.
The sound of a slamming door echoed down the hall. Holding my towel tighter around me, I walked back into the bedroom, somewhat concerned. It could just be Presley.
The shouting I heard wasn’t Stone’s angry stepsister. It was Jasper’s voice.
My eyes flew to the door to make sure I’d locked it. Did he know I was here? Would Stone tell him? I walked closer to strain my ears to hear what he was saying.
The thick ornate door muffled their voices, but Jasper was loud and angry. I could tell that much from the little I could make out. Although, I couldn’t understand exactly what he was saying, I heard my name. I strained to hear Stone but if he was talking, he wasn’t raising his voice.
Footsteps started down the hall.
“Don’t!” Stone’s stern command went ignored though because my door knob jiggled followed by a hard knock.
“Beulah! Talk to me. Please, I can’t…” he paused. “I can’t lose you completely. What Stone found out about my parents…I’m sorry. It’s so fucking twisted. Don’t hate me because of them. Talk to me. There’s got to be more to this. We need each other.”
I backed away. No. We couldn’t have each other. We should have never had each other. My throat burned and I closed my eyes tightly trying to block it all out. Why hadn’t he accepted the truth by now? He’d had all day to think about it. Let it sink in.
“She needs time,” Stone told him.
“Beulah. Listen, I don’t even know what to believe. The one thing I’m sure of is I love you. Don’t shut me out. We need each other.”
I sank down on the edge of the bed and held onto my towel tightly. Hearing the pain in his voice was crushing. I didn’t want to hurt him. But the truth…what we had done. It was sickening. Loving someone shouldn’t be sordid and shameful. For us, it was.
“For once, stop being so goddamn selfish.” Stone’s voice was furious. I didn’t want him to fight with Jasper because of me. This wasn’t his problem. I shouldn’t have come here.
“Beulah—”
“LEAVE!” Stone shouted, stopping Jasper from saying more.
There was silence for a few beats. I held my breath.
“Why are you doing this? Why are you keeping her from me? You saw me happy, and you hated it!”
Another pause. I didn’t think Stone was going to respond. I prepared myself for Jasper to say more to me. Glancing toward the bathroom from my perch on the bed, I decided to walk back inside and close that door.
“Beulah’s from a different life. One that would have never fit into yours even if the truth hadn’t been so finale. I tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen to reason. Stop acting like a fool and accept the facts. She was never the one for you.”
I froze, listening to Stone’s words. I wasn’t sure if he meant them to be cutting or not but they stung regardless. Only because he once again was making it clear I’d never have been good enough for Jasper.
“She’s not like us. Isn’t that what you mean? Because you’re from the same world I am. Look around you.” Jasper wasn’t yelling anymore, but his anger was still evident.
“No. My world has always been different from yours. But I’m not standing here claiming to love her either. Now, leave. I’ve had enough bullshit for one night. I need a fucking break.”
I waited to see if Jasper would walk away. I wondered if he’d do as Stone asked of him or if they’d continue to fight. Coming between their friendship was the last thing I wanted to do.
“When you’re ready to talk, call me. I’ll always be here,” Jasper called out and I knew those words were meant for me.
I bit my bottom lip as tears began to fill my eyes. Didn’t he see that was never going to be simple. At least not for a very long time.
Tomorrow, I had to leave. Stone was right. This wasn’t my world. I needed to stop living in it. So far it had only brought me sorrow.
The apartment was quiet. I’d hoped to hear someone moving about this morning, but it was after eight, and no doors had opened or closed although I had been awake listening for over an hour. Just complete silence.
I opened the bedroom door slowly and glanced down the hallway. The lights were off, but the sunlight from the large windows throughout the apartment provided enough light to see where I was going.
I had wanted to tell Stone I was leaving. It was the right thing to do. For everyone. Deep down he didn’t want me here either. He had chosen to help me yesterday for Jasper’s sake but I wasn’t his to worry about.
At the end of the hallway, the smell of coffee wafted past me. Someone was awake. If it was Presley, maybe she’d be in better spirits when she saw me carrying my duffle bag. My leaving should put her in a good mood.
The closer I got to the scent I began to hear the voices that sounded like they were coming from a television. I continued in that direction until I came to the kitchen. Stepping inside the brightly lit space, I found Stone. His back was to me as he stood watching the news on a large flat-screen television on the wall opposite the doorway. He was wearing a long-sleeved white oxford shirt tucked into a pair of jeans.
His shoulders were broad, but his size seemed even more pronounced in the fitted shirt. The guy at the pool who laughed and drank with friends wasn’t the same man in front of me. This man appeared older. One with responsibilities.
“There’s coffee and some pastries from the bakery down the street. You’re welcome to both, or you can continue to stand there and check me out while my back is turned.”
He glanced over his shoulder at me then pointed with the hand that I could now see was holding a cup toward the pastries he’d just mentioned. “Help yourself. There’s some of everything.”
I was embarrassed that he had known I’d been staring at him. It was a creeper thing to do, and I should have announced my presence.
His eyes dropped to the duffle bag in my left hand. “You’re not leaving, Beulah. You have nowhere to go.”
I hadn’t been sure if he would argue with me about my leaving or be relieved. I had gone to sleep last night thinking about all the reasons I needed to go. Jasper’s coming over here angry had been at the top of the list.
“My being here is causing problems. Presley, then Jasper—” I began but was interrupted.
“Presley will be over it today. Jasper was expected. I doubt that will be the last time he comes here. He has been spoiled most of his life, leading him to believe he can have whatever he wants. When he’s told no, he reacts without thought. Now, have some breakfast, and afterward, put your things away. I have somewhere to take you.”
He spoke as if I was to obey him.
I opened my mouth twice to say something. No argument or quirky response came. Finally, I sat my duffle bag down and put my purse on top of it. I gave in and walked over to fix a cup of coffee from an ordinary coffee pot. I didn’t expect that. I’d thought he’d have a fancy machine like Jasper did.
“This is a regular coffee pot,” I said, glancing back at Stone.
He didn’t look at me when he spoke. “It makes coffee.”
His response almost made me laugh.
“Did you go to the bakery this morning?” I asked, wondering when he could have gone. I had listened for any sound that there was someone moving around and heard nothing but then he had been in the kitchen watching the television and I’d not heard it until I was almost outside the entrance to the room.
“Presley has the bakery make daily deliveries,” he replied, still watching the television.
That seemed odd. I wouldn’t have thought Presley ate pastries. She was so thin. Eating this every morning would put weight on anyone. I picked up what looked like a croissant with a chocolate glaze. I hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner yesterday, and I was starving. I wondered if he’d mind if I ate two. Or, more importantly, if Presley would mind.
Once the news he was watching went to a commercial, he turned to look at me as I stood at the bar with my breakfast. “You can have a seat at the table if you’d like. And eat more than one of those. There are too many.”
I picked up a strawberry muffin, placed it on my plate, and headed for the table. “Thank you. I woke up hungry,” I admitted.
He took a sip of his coffee and studied me. I found myself hoping the news would come back on so I could eat without his attention in my direction. Having Stone’s gaze on me made me nervous.
“How are you with elderly people?”
That was the oddest and most random question I’d ever been asked.
“What do you mean exactly?”
The news returned after the commercial, and he turned it off by touching something on his phone.
“You handled Portia, and she’s a high-maintenance bitch. You’re patient, hard-working, and trustworthy. I assume you’d be good with an elderly, slightly senile lady.”
When I didn’t say anything right away, he continued.
“Geraldine Mayweather is a friend of mine. She’s at the point in life where she needs help with her daily activities. Cleaning, cooking small meals, reminding her to take pills, and, at times, where the bathroom is or what year it is are a few things she could use assistance with. I think you’d be a perfect fit.”
Hope sprung in my chest feeling almost out of place.
“That sounds great,” I replied quickly. “Thank you. That’s, I mean, you’ve already done so much to help me. I’m very-”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m going to introduce you to Geraldine. She’ll have to approve of you, of course. It’s her decision.” He cut me off.
I wouldn’t let that concern me. “Of course. When can we go?”
“As soon as you’re finished eating and you put your bag back in the closet in your bedroom.”
I wanted to thank him again but it seemed that my constant gratitude was annoying him so I said nothing.
He sat his cup in the sink and left the room without another word.
I finished the chocolate croissant and strawberry muffin, then washed my dish and both cups. After I dried the dishes, I located the correct cabinets so that I could put them away.
As I was walking to pick up my duffle bag, the front door opened. Preparing myself I stood there as the sound of heels clicked on the marble floor drawing closer. It had to be Presley. Bracing myself, I picked up my duffle and faced the door just as she entered the kitchen.
She was in the same clothes she’d worn last night. Her face had been washed clean of makeup, and her eyes appeared slightly bloodshot. She strutted past me. “Leaving already?” she asked in a bored tone.
I didn’t want to answer her, but I couldn’t just walk out of the room without responding. I didn’t see how being rude to her would help the situation. “No, not leaving yet. I was, but I’m not now. I will be soon.” At least I expected to be.
“Why are there pastries here? Jesus, who eats these calories in the morning?” she turned and looked at me with disgust. “Did you order all these?”
She didn’t eat the pastries. I’d been right about that.
“I didn’t; I mean, those aren’t—“ I wasn’t sure how to respond to her.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, they aren’t Stones. He only eats egg whites and whole wheat toast for breakfast.”
I looked back to the pastries. He’d lied about why they were here. But why? Unless he had ordered them for me specifically and hadn’t wanted me to know it.