Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (21 page)

I could feel Michael’s leg nervously bouncing up and down. He looked at me again and looked at my mom. “Stop with the name calling, Rachel, right now. It’s not cute.” She warned.

“Eat something, Alex,” I kept telling myself. The room was spinning and I thought I had been drugged again. I put my head in my hands, feeling it pounding. Michael’s leg was bouncing faster and faster. I started shaking, not knowing why. He took my hand from my face and looked in my eyes, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” I said, “I’m just cold.”

“Brad
said
his
uncle
can get super cool carpeting, because I will want new carp
eting, and maybe decorate it in
to a little studio. I am so ready to get out of that little room. The Little Bitch doesn’t think privacy is an issue. She just struts around in her bra and panties, like I want to see that horrid skanky body in my face.”

I raised my head and saw Brad was looking at me, looking like he was undressing me with his eyes. Michael’s leg was bouncing faster and faster and my mom was talking to me. She yelled something at Rachel and then said something to me.

Michael jumped up, “There’s something wrong.”

“Daddy, The Little Bitch is being such a drama queen.”

I felt a sharp pain on my forehead and blackness.

“Alex, are you okay?” I heard Michael saying over and over.

“Uh yeah. What happened?”

“You fainted. Here, drink some juice.”

“Oh man, my head hurts.”

“You hit it on the table. You’re mom is calling your doctor to see what to do.”

“I’m okay,” I said, slowly felling my head getting clearer.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Mom asked, walking into the room. “Do you think we need to take you to the ER?”

“No, no, I’m fine. Just give me a minute.” I took another drink of juice. “I’m not sure I ate anything. I guess I was just hungry.”

I could hear Brad in the kitchen say, “diabetic coma.” Rachel laughing and she added, “Probably knocked up.”

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Michael stood up. “You ok?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”

He kissed the top of my head and whispered, “I’m sorry for this.”

I watched him walk over to my dad.

I heard him say, “We need to step out back for another talk.”

What’s he doing? What’s he sorry for?
             
I saw them go out on the patio. I moved to the chair by the window
so I could
hear.

Michael was standing just a foot away from my dad and said, “I warned you about this and I was hoping you would see how much of an ass you are, but you didn’t. So here is how it’s going to go. You need to get your worthless loser ass in there and tell that vicious daughter, that you find so precious, that the Little Bitch name is finished. You also need to tell her that she will no longer treat your other daughter like a doormat. Then, you are going to go to your younger daughter, tell her that you are sorry that you have been a worthless piece of shit father for making her live through this bullying for so long. Then, you will go to your wife and tell her you are sorry you didn’t help her control your oldest daughter and made her an evil bitch. If you do that, I won’t beat your head in with my fist.”
             
“
Are you threatening me, Michael,” Dad asked.

“You are fucking right I’m threatening you. Now do I need to repeat what you need to do?”

I was in absolute shock. I had never heard anyone in my life stand up to my dad. He was a boss and always did the intimidating.

Michael just looked at him like they were talking the about weather
. If I hadn’t heard it myself,
I would have never known he was about to beat the living hell out of my dad. But was he? Would he actually have beaten him up?

Dad turned around and walked back into the house. I saw Michael sit down in the lounge chair facing the yard.

I went outside and sat down on his lap. “Thank you,” I whispered.

He took a deep breath and pulled me against him hugging me so hard I thought I was going to break in half.

“I just couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted them to stop. I knew you were getting upset and still weak from being in the hospital. I couldn’t believe that a father would let one daughter talk about what she wants and needs in one breath, destroy someone in another, and he was allowing it to go on.”

He sat quietly for a moment and sighed, “I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I will always protect you.” He placed his hand on my check and kissed me, “I love you, Alex. I truly am in love with you.”

“Let’s go on over to my grandparents. I don’t want to be here,” I stood up, pulling Michael’s arm.

“Alex, you can’t run away from this,” he said, without budging. “I want them to know this is your house and you will be respected in it.”

“Just give them a while. I guarantee if, and that’s a big if, he said anything to Rachel, it is going to be a long debate on why she needs to continue hating me. You can’t expect it to change in ten minutes.”

“I don’t have a problem
with
her hating you, but she will not talk to you like she does anymore.”

I heard the door open and Mom stormed out. I was so scared she was about to tell Michael to leave
and neve
r come back. “What in the world is going on?” She yelled at Michael angrily.

“You need to calm down before I talk to you,” Michael said, standing up.

“Are you going to threaten me
,
too?” She yelled.
             
I could tell he was getting mad, but he still had that cool calm tone, “I want to make one thing clear to you. I will not fight with you or yell so if you want to talk, I will talk, but I will not have a screaming match with you. I know that is all you are used to doing in this house because your husband and daughter won’t listen to you, but I will be more than happy to listen. You will never have to yell at me to be heard.

“Do you want to talk?” He continued, “Or I can leave, but I am taking Alex with me until your family gets their shit together.”
             
“I just want you to explain;” Mom said, sounding calmer, “Why you think you can come in my house and threaten my family.”

“First of all, I didn’t threaten the family. I threatened your husband. I told him before the game that I was not happy with the way Rachel treated Alex and was aware of her being physical at times with her. I told him that it had to stop. His response was that Rachel is high-strung and Alex needs to learn to defend herself or ignore her. I saw the size difference when I got here and realized that Rachel and Alex’s size was comparable to him and mine.

“I told him again that he needed to address the situation that it wasn’t right that she is treated this way in her home. Apparently, he ignored me that time also.

“I heard your daughter talk about, make fun of, and whisper about her sister with the loser she chose to bring over. I found that to be extremely disrespectful, but chose to keep my mouth shut and ignore them. For an hour, I hear her, knowing that Alex’s father could hear also because we were two feet from each other and he never said a thing.

“Then, the thing that set me off, and he is lucky I didn’t jump across the table and pound him to the ground, is his youngest daughter is passing out, and he doesn’t stop listening to the other daughter’s decorating ideas long enough to make sure she is okay? Now you explain to me
,
how long has this been going on?” He asked Mom, his voice starting to sound angrier.

Mom didn’t answer.

He walked over to her an
d said, “I am sorry if you don’t agree with me
, but I wanted him to know how Alex feels in her own home. I also see you try and it seems you just give up fighting for her because it has gone on so long and you are tired. But I’m not tired at all. I will never be too tired to fight for her. I will fight for her and I guarantee I will always win, because I won’t stop until I win. So, yes, I threatened your husband and if I have to, I’ll go in there and threaten him again if he didn’t get it the first time.”

She nodded,” You’re right
. It will stop.”

She took my hand and kissed my cheek, “I am so sorry I have let you down.”

I wasn’t sure what to say.

I looked inside and saw Rachel, Brad, and Dad still talking. I was pretty sure it was about me unless she thought her decorating ideas were more important than Dad being put in a hospital.

“Can we please just leave?” I asked. “I don’t want to be here right now.”
             
He looked at me and nodded but I knew he didn’t like my choice.

We walked into the house and it went instantly quiet. I felt six eyes on me realizing Brad was involved in the conversation. I didn’t even look at my dad or Rachel, but just walked on through the house. I had never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

Chap
t
er
13

I thought you said this was a cabin,” Michael said as we drove down my grandparent’s lane.

“That’s what she calls it. I don’t get it either. It’s bigger than my house. I think she calls it that so her friends have no idea how much cash flow they have. She always tells me, don’t let on that you have a dime or a friend will ask to borrow a nickel.”

“That is really funny and really true.”

He opened the door for me. “You are such a gentleman,” I smiled.

“We are here!” I yelled.

“Hey kids,” Grandpa said, walking over to shake Michael’s hand. “Make yourself at home. Oh, Grandma has a tall-guy-list, if you don’t mind.”

I smiled, “She thinks you are family, or there would be no list.”

I heard my grandmother coming down the stairs. She wiped her forehead, “The air hasn’t fully kicked on or been doing its job. Whew!”

“Well wait till it does. You have all summer.”

“True,” she sat on the couch, catching her breath, gesturing us to sit also. “I was just getting your room straightened up. You haven’t stayed here that much the past couple of years. Always had cheer camp right smack dab in the middle. You going this year?”

“I’m not sure. I’m not really feeling cheer this year. Lots of drama.”

“Cheer means drama. You didn’t know that?’ Grandpa laughed, handing Michael a glass of lemonade. “Look it up in Webster’s.”

“They don’t say that anymore, Grandpa. It’s Google it.”

“We are going to have all summer for you to bring me up and be “with it” again. They do say that still
,
don’t they?”

“Sure,” I laughed.

“You made captain and you are thinking about quitting?” Grandma asked concerned.

“That has a lot to do with it. They are petitioning it and it is going to the school board. I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t care about being captain.”

“You earned it. Don’t let them take anything that you earned away.”

“Ok,” I smiled, reaching over to get a drink of Michael’s lemonade.

“Ok,” Grandma patted her legs catching her second wind, “Let’s get that room finished for you. Go get all your stuff from the car and I’ll help you unpack.”

“I didn’t bring anything.”
             
Michael squeezed my hand. I could tell he knew something was about to hit the fan.

I saw the three of them look at each other, “What’s going on?”
             
“We just wanted you to stay with us during the summer. Do you not want to?”

“Of course, but I never packed and brought things over. I just accumulated things through the summer. Why all o
f a sudden do I need to pack?”

“
I didn’t mean pack,” she said. “I just thought you would throw a few things in a bag and bring over today.”

“You said unpack, what’s going on?”

“Just tell her the truth, her dad doesn’t want her in the house. Am I right?” Michael asked.

“
Well,” she him hawed, “Not in so many words.
He
just think
s
it is best that until the room gets finished that she stays here. I think it’s a great idea! I get to spend the whole summer with my gorgeous granddaughter and her handsome boy. I am just thrilled! Did Buck tell you I have a tall-guy list?”

“So I got kicked out of the house, didn’t I?” It felt like I had been punched in the gut.

“No, no, not at all,” she said.
             
“Stop sugar coating everything,” I choked up. “I get it.”

I walked out of the house and stood on the porch looking at the river.

I felt Michael wrap his arms around me. I leaned my head back resting it on his chest.

“I don’t want you to see me cry.”
             
He turned me around and lifted me up
,
setting me on the balcony railing and looked me in the eyes.