Chapter 25 Elsie
Elsie
Iwent home, leaving the book hidden in my bag and keeping it in my sight. This very thing could—would—change my entire life.
Checking the clock, I knew my father should be home any minute. With an overnight bag packed and the book safely tucked into the bottom, I called Lena.
“Hey, Elsie! What’s up?” Her voice sounded mildly surprised. We hadn’t really talked much since the end of school.
“I need you to come get me,” I said firmly, leaving no room for her to say no.
“Right now? I’m in Cantersburg.”
“As soon as you can. I really need this favor.” I watched the door that connected to the garage, waiting for any sign that Father was home.
“Yeah, sure, whatever you need. Is everything okay?”
“It will be. When you get here, come in and make sure my father thinks I’m staying the weekend with you.”
“You’re not staying the weekend with me, I’m guessing?”
“Correct.”
“I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Does that work?”
“That’s perfect. Thanks, Lena.”
“Uh, yeah, you’re welcome. See you.”
Lena hung up with no more small talk, and I paced around the kitchen.
After Father saw Lukas and me together, the house became tense.
He’d barely spoken to me after his huge blowup.
He’d, of course, initially yelled at me about how stupid I was to be associated with Lukas, how it could ruin his public image, how terrible a daughter I was—blah, blah, blah.
It was nothing new or shocking, so I didn’t take it too seriously, especially since I’d already decided I was done trying to please him.
Now, I just needed him to believe I was spending the weekend at Lena’s. It was something I used to do a lot last summer between semesters, so I was sure he wouldn’t think twice about it.
Lukas and I had decided that I would crash at his place this weekend to get away from my father, and so that he could drive me to Alicia Vane’s office Monday morning to present the evidence I’d found.
When he’d proposed the idea of my staying with him, I had been very quick to agree.
Yes, because I wanted to get away from my father, but mostly because it would give me uninterrupted time with Lukas.
He’d made me feel so safe and assured. Despite my withholding of my father’s identity, he’d forgiven me and then some. For the first time in a while, I felt as though I had someone truly in my corner, supporting me.
To pass the time, I put a kettle on the stove to make tea. Two teacups rested on the counter waiting for the hot water. Once it was ready, I poured the water and waited for both cups to steep. I’d unintentionally made my father’s favorite blend, but I figured that would probably work in my favor.
When I first moved in with him after my mother’s death, I made tea for him all the time.
He wasn’t a warm and fuzzy father with open arms, so I thought if I did enough favors for him, he would suddenly like me more—that we would have a more normal father-daughter relationship.
For months—years even—I did things to impress him, make him smile, or just make his day a little easier.
Thoughtful cups of tea were met with gruff thanks and not much more.
He would take whatever I offered, nod his head, and retreat to his office.
I continued my relentless acts of service until I started my mastery studies at Forrestbriar. For five years, I lived with him and did anything and everything to earn his affection. Affection that obviously never came.
I spent my undergraduate studies taking the bus to Rayleigh Academy, then coming home to make Father dinner, or dessert, or clean around the house.
During the first whole week of living at Forrestbriar, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
My brain and hands were so used to finding little things to do to impress my father, and suddenly, I had nothing but school to focus on.
Once I moved back home, I had already adjusted to not doing pointless favors for Father, so I refused to do them again—or at least, not as many.
“Hello, Elsie,” Father said from the garage entrance. It startled me out of my daze, and I looked up at him with a blank face.
“Hey. Made you some tea.” I pushed the teacup on its saucer across the island to the seat he usually sat at. He laid his work bag on the stool next to the one he sat on, a questioning brow raised at me.
“Thanks.”
Lifting my cup to my mouth, I blew across the top of it before taking a sip.
“What did you do all day?” he asked. Rarely did he make such small talk. I met his gaze.
“Just read. And did laundry.”
Father nodded in response, pulling out his cellphone and quickly forgetting my presence, as usual.
“Lena is picking me up soon. Gonna stay at her house all weekend. Movie marathon.”
He grunted, scrolling away on his phone. I watched for any sign that he didn’t believe me, but he would have to actually listen to question my words.
“Glad you’re spending time with her. Have fun.”
“Thanks, I will.” My tone was so neutral, which was hard. I wanted it to be clipped and searing with hatred, but I tamped that down.
“Thanks for the tea. I’ll be in my office.”
“Have a good weekend.” I watched as he held the teacup in one hand and used the other to hold his phone and grab the strap to his bag. He didn’t look back as he walked away. Perfect. Everything as usual with him.
I cleaned up the kitchen, making sure everything was in its place before walking out the front door with my bag, counting down the seconds until Lena arrived. It was drizzling outside, so I stayed under the door stoop to remain dry.
When she finally pulled up, I ran down the stone path to her car, throwing my bag in the back before hopping in.
Without a goodbye to my father, we pulled away from my house.
Hopefully, it was the last time I would ever have to see him like that again.
If everything went according to plan, he would be arrested next week.
“How is everything, Elsie?” Lena asked quietly, her eyes flickering over to me as she drove. I’d told her the general area of Lukas’s house already, so she was already on the parkway.
“Truthfully, everything is a mess. But it’ll clear up soon.”
“I feel like we’ve barely talked in months.” Her voice held a question, and it hit me the wrong way.
“Yeah. We haven’t. I texted you a few times, but you didn’t respond.” I let my frustration with her seep through my voice.
“I—I just didn’t know what to say. I feel like I don’t know you anymore.”
“Right.” I suddenly felt bad because she was doing me a favor, but I still had so much to say. “It’s been lonely, Lena. You’ve ignored me, never returned my calls. The past few months have sucked, and until recently, I’ve been all alone.”
Silence took over the car ride for a good five minutes. Then she spoke. “I’m sorry.” She sounded tired. “After everything with the potion…I just didn’t know how to talk to you. You left campus, did most of your classes remotely…I thought you needed space.”
“I didn’t. But that’s fine.” I noticed where we were and pointed to the left. “That road right there.”
Lena made a left-hand turn and pulled into the neighborhood. I gave her a few more directions, the previous conversation forcibly forgotten.
“Thanks for the help, Lena. I appreciate it.” I turned to give her my best smile.
“Els, I’m sorry. I’ve…just not been a great friend. I hope I can patch that up sometime?”
“Sure. Just give me a bit, yeah?” I softened to her as she nodded, then got my things and walked to Lukas’s front door.
All of that felt nearly pointless, but perhaps in the future we could talk it out. Right then, I didn’t have the capacity for it.
Before I even made it to the front door, Lukas was walking out, grabbing the strap of my bag to pull it from my shoulder. He gave Lena a wave as her car pulled away.
“Hey you,” Lukas purred as he walked me in. The door closing gave me goosebumps.
“Hey,” I said, feeling nervous yet relaxed all at once. Everything between us had completely changed, and I was no longer worried about that. I wanted it. I wanted him.
“I’m almost done making dinner. Join me?” He was positively grinning, and I couldn’t help but return the gesture. I’d been with other guys who’d always tried to act casual about their feelings, especially in settings like this. Lukas wore his interest in me like a badge of honor.
“You cook?” I was honestly impressed, and it only heightened my interest in him.
“Of course. I can’t keep a body like this by eating takeout every day.” He gave me a wink as we entered the kitchen. Rolling my eyes playfully, I rested my bag by the open doorway and moved to the stove, where something delicious bubbled.
Following Lukas—and my nose—I stepped closer to the stove to peer at what he was cooking.
“This is one of my mother’s recipes. My favorite, actually. Tuscan chicken pasta.” Lukas stirred the contents of the pan, then looked down at me for approval, which made my stomach flip.
“It smells amazing.” I leaned further into him, allowing my shoulder to press against his as he worked.
“Do you want some wine?” He set the spatula down and turned fully to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. It was one of the most forward moves he’d ever made, and I returned it by looping my arms around his neck.
I nodded, biting my lip. Quickly, he pressed a kiss to my forehead, his hands pulling me in closer. Then, he moved to the wine cooler built into the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a bottle.
He held the bottle out to me, and I took it, reading the Italian label. “Really going all in on the Tuscan theme.” I couldn’t help the smile that always seemed to make its way back onto my face.
“Of course,” was his response as he grabbed two wine glasses from an upper cabinet and moved back to me.