Chapter 5
Reagan was seeing things in his house that he’d not noticed before, like how dark the living room was when the lamps were off.
He loved that, he told her, so that there wasn’t a glare on the television.
He also saw the kitchen for the first time and how large it was.
He needed to get himself…them a cook and thought the sooner the better.
Showing Blake around was letting him see the house through her eyes, and he was enjoying that a great deal.
“Do you like to cook?” She said that she loved to cook, but not all the time. “I know how to cook leftovers, but not a great big meal. Besides, when my family is over, I like to be with them rather than being tied up in the kitchen preparing food.”
“I never thought of your family coming over and cooking. Do you do that often?” He told her that he’d not since he’d purchased his house. “You should have a large party here to break in your house. It would be fun too to get to know them all better.”
“Mom invited you to Saturday night dinner, didn’t she?
” She said that she had. “Good. You’ll meet them all then.
We’re loud talkers, but we get along great.
Mom will make sure no one gets into trouble, but then Dad will wind us up again.
It’s a blast having dinner with my family. My grandparents will be there too.”
“I love that.” She wandered around the kitchen, and he watched her. “I can see where the table I bought could go. It would really look nice right there in that corner.”
“I think so as well.” Something was wrong, and he wanted to get it out of her before too much longer. “What’s happened? Have you talked to your sister again?”
“She’s not speaking to me. I find that all right too.
” She turned to him and smiled. He smiled back at her.
“I’m slightly overwhelmed about your house.
I do believe you do have more money than Robin.
Not that it matters, but I want you to know that she throws it around, her having money like it’s supposed to be this big deal.
I know that she has millions, but other than that, I have nothing to do with her money. ”
“We have billions. Billions upon billions. Neither one of us has to work for the rest of our lives if we don’t want to.” She said that, like him, she had to. “Yes, I can understand that. I have to work as well. I tend to get into trouble if I don’t work.”
“I don’t suffer like my sister, but I do have depression once in a while.
More so when I’m not busy.” He said he understood.
“For some reason, I knew that you would. You seem like you’d be a good doctor to have on your side when you’re talking about depression.
I see someone at least once every three months.
I find that I’m better that way. Robin was seeing someone at least three times a week and wanted him to see her more often.
That would drive me crazy having to see my doctor that often. ”
“I would imagine that it was hard on him as well. Do you suppose that’s why he dropped her?” She said that she didn’t know but thought that might be the problem. “I would have thought so as well. There is only so much a doctor can do when the patient is not helping themselves.”
“I think it’s a way for her to keep the attention on her.
” He asked her why she thought of that. “Just the way that she acts all the time. Like if she’s not the center of attention, then she’s going to be no matter what she has to do.
She told me that she takes the highest dosage of medication there is for depression.
Whenever my meds get changed, and that’s not often, then I have a bout of sleepiness.
And one of the drugs I was taking had me falling asleep about two hours after I took it.
Robin doesn’t seem to have any trouble with her drugs like that.
I’m not saying that she’s lying, but I don’t know what to think about her when she’s forever telling people that she’s depressed.
I don’t know. I could be wrong about her, and she really is suffering more than I am. ”
“Since I have no way of conversing with her doctor, I can’t tell you what’s going on.
Not that I would, but there are some things that she’s doing that make me think she’s used to getting her own way.
” Blake told him that was it exactly. That she did get her own way in everything.
“But you’ve been standing up to her, and that’s good for you.
It more than likely makes her mad when you do that to her. ”
“I have to be able to get something out of this relationship.” Blake looked thoughtful. “I guess that sounded bad. I didn’t mean that I’m only with her because I can piss her off. I love her. I don’t like her all that much, but I do love her. She’s my sister.”
They talked as he showed off the house. Blake would stop talking about Robin for a while, then talk about her again.
It was as if she needed to vent, and he was more than happy to allow her to do that.
As they were coming down the stairs from the upper levels, her phone rang, and she said it was Robin.
“I don’t want to talk to her. I’m having a good day.” He told her that it was up to her. “I know, but I don’t want to have to get into it with her again. I want to have something in my life to go well, and I believe that you’re the only one who can do that for me.”
“Thank you.” He watched as she struggled with whether or not to answer, and in the end, she did.
Since it seemed like a private call, he started to go down the rest of the stairs when she stopped him by putting her hand into his.
Reagan leaned against the staircase and waited to hear what would happen to the two of them while he waited.
He didn’t want to talk to Robin either, but he would be there for Blake should she need him.
The phone call didn’t start out well on Blake’s end.
After Blake answered, there was quiet on her end as she waited for her sister to pause in her talking. He could hear her getting louder, but not what she was saying. He knew that she’d more than likely tell him what she’d said, so he leaned in closer to hear the conversation.
“I don’t want you seeing that man again.” Blake told her sister that that was too bad, as she was going to see him for a long time. “No. I forbid it, Blake. I need you around so that I don’t have a blackout when I’m upset. You don’t want to see me when I’m having an episode.”
“I’ve been around you when you’re telling me that you’re having an episode before.
Usually, it’s because you feel as if I’ve done something to make you more depressed, and I’m sick of being your whipping post.” Robin said she was just showing off to her new boyfriend.
“I think this has been coming along for a while now. My being upset with you about being around me. I’m sick of you treating me like I’m less than you when we’re equals.
I’m your sister, and you shouldn’t treat me like you have been. ”
“Oh, grow up. We’re never going to be equals.
I’m so much more depressed than you are, and you’re jealous of me.
Just admit it. You don’t like that I’m having to see a doctor so often, and that my meds are stronger than you need to take.
Just forget about that man, and we can go back to the way things were before.
” Blake told Robin that she didn’t want things to be like before.
“Well, I do, and since I’m older than you are, you’ll do as I say.
First thing that’s going to happen after you rid yourself of that quack is you’re moving in here with me.
That way, I can keep an eye on you, and you can be there for me when I need you.
And you won’t be working either. I’ll make sure you have what you need, and that’s all.
I need you in my life, and that’s the way it’s going to be. ”
“I’m getting married.” That seemed to take the wind out of Robin’s rant, and he had to laugh when Blake continued. “We’re going to go to the courthouse soon and tie the knot. I’m going to be living in his house until then, so you will have to try and find me.”
“Why are you doing this to me? Are you trying to make it so that I can’t function?
I’m telling you right now that if I end up in the hospital, it’s going to be all on you.
I need you to stop this nonsense right now and do what I tell you.
I’m not well.” Blake told her sister that she wasn’t either.
“You’re not unwell. You have a little bit of depression that you cling to like it’s all you have.
Well, I have news for you, little sister.
You’ll never be as ill as I am. And I am too.
I suffer so badly, and you’re just making it worse for me.
Get that notion out of your head that you’re anything like I am, and I might just allow you to have one day off a week from me.
I need you with me so that I can talk about my depression when it happens.
You have no idea what I have to suffer through just to make it out of bed in the morning. ”
“Sure, I do. There are some mornings when I have to force myself to bathe and to brush my teeth. But I do it because lying around in bed all day will only make it worse, not better. You need a job, and something to do that has nothing to do with me.” She said that she suffered too much to be around other people.
“Other people can make you feel better. I’ve told you this before.
Interacting with people around you sometimes is the only thing that keeps me going.
But you know what, you just suffer at home.
I’m going to have nothing to do with you while you’re not even trying to help yourself. ”