Live-In Position (21 page)

“Whoa. No! I don’t know any Juliet.” I put my hands up defensively.

Ilene’s laughter picked up and she sounded like a sick hyena.

“No, no…it’s not her.” She sniffed a couple of times before turning her eyes to Allison.

“Wh-what?” Allison seemed to break before our eyes. She began to wail loudly and collapsed. Jonathan picked her up bridal style and headed toward the stairs.

“Thank your sweet father, dear!” Ilene shouted as Jonathan carried his wife away. Jonathan’s head snapped toward Ilene, filled with disgust and hatred.

“Mother,” Max hissed.

“Allison is Juliet’s daughter?” Dr. Bishop whispered in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never wondered why she looks the least like any of us,” Ilene snorted.

I couldn’t believe how callous she was being. My hands were clenching my thighs so tightly I swore I was going to give myself bruises.

“You heartless bitch!” Larissa snapped.

My jaw dropped.

“Babe…” Max tried to calm her.

“How dare you?” Ilene accused.

“How dare I? You have the nerve to ask how dare I? I’ll tell you how I dare.” Larissa stepped toward her and slapped her face. “Why do you have to be so mean? She’s your daughter!”

“Obviously she’s not,” Ilene sneered.

Larissa raised her hand again, but Max grabbed her and took her out of the room. Larissa was still shouting over Max’s shoulder. Obscenities I never thought I would hear from Larissa spilled easily from her lips.

“Collin, darling?” Her voice was sickeningly sweet toward him.

Dr. Bishop didn’t move. He stood staring off into nothing. Then he just fell back into the chair next to me. His arms flailed out. The warmth of his arm soaked into my thigh and spread.

“Collin?” Ilene pleaded for a respond.

“I think you should go lie down, Mother.” He barely got the words out.

“Darling, you know how much I love you. I never wanted any of you to find –”

“But we did.” He looked at her with sorrowful eyes. “And you hurt Allison deeply.”

Ilene stiffened.

“I need to be alone,” he spat angrily and closed his eyes tightly.

“Very well,” Ilene brushed away nothing from her skirt and stood. She held her chin high as she climbed the stairs.

I shifted slightly and stood quietly, his arm lost contact with me.

“Is that what happened with Jonathan?”

“Yes,” I said in a whisper. “Nothing happened. Nothing will happen.” I couldn’t face him.

“The night of the dance recital…there was…”

“Yes, but I handled it.” I was eyeing the doorway like it was the Holy freaking Grail.

“You should’ve told me,” he said in a robotic tone.

“I handled it.” I took a step to leave.

“I believe you.” I heard the chair creak. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched him disappear into another hallway.

C
hapter
T
hirteen

THE NEXT MORNING, I rubbed my chin and decided it would probably be best to get out of the house after everything that had happened. “How about we see if there’s a movie playing at the theater?”

Victoria smiled brightly. “I’ll get my shoes.”

I laughed as she ran toward the coat closet and started digging out her shoes.

“Hey, don’t throw everyone else’s shoes all over.” I moved to help her find a pair of shoes to match her outfit. Once our shoes were on, I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and across my chest.

“Where are you two going?” Dr. Bishop’s voice caught us before we stepped out.

In a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a white t-shirt with a pair of leather sandals on his feet, he looked very tempting. It wasn’t until Victoria spoke that I snapped out of my lingering assessment of him.

“We’re going to the movies!” Victoria jumped around me with a big smile for her father.

“Oh.” He seemed to stare without focusing on Victoria’s face. Then he snapped out it.

“What are you going to see?”

“Umm…” Victoria looked up at me for an answer.

I shrugged and looked to Dr. Bishop.

“I don’t really know what’s on.” I pulled her under one of my arms. “We’ll just check it out and see what’s playing at the theater.” I shrugged again. The nervous feeling he invoked began to creep across my skin.

Dr. Bishop stayed silent so Victoria and I headed out the door. Victoria skipped toward the car. I shook my head.

“We aren’t taking the car?” I shook my head again. “Then how are we going to get there?”

“Bikes,” I grabbed her hand and pulled her along with me to the bikes.

“But that’s a long ride,” Victoria whined.

“I think you can handle it.” I shook my head and pulled a bike out for her.

“Is there room for another?” Both of our heads looked up from the bike to Dr. Bishop. He approached with an unusual grin. It was both coy and suggestive. My stomach flipped.

“Really?” Victoria had the handle of the bike in her hand.

Dr. Bishop’s grin grew into a smile and he nodded. I was too thrown by his casual nature to look away when his eyes shifted to me.

“You don’t mind?”

After a moment, I snapped out of my own thoughts. “No, of course not.” I pulled my bike next to Victoria and focused my attention on her.

“You lead so I can keep an eye on you, okay?” Victoria nodded and started to pedal. I let her get a couple of feet ahead of me before I started riding behind her.

Dr. Bishop appeared in my peripheral vision, and I had to literally fight the urge to look over at him until he inched ahead of me and rode beside Victoria. She glanced at him, and I could see her cheeks give way to a large smile. He smiled back at her before looking to the road. For a moment, Dr. Bishop seemed like a real person. I started to get lost in his appearance and his behavior with Victoria. My tire hit a crack in the blacktopped road. The shaking of the handlebars pulled my attention back to the road.

He’s the Antichrist, don’t let him fool you. It’s how he draws you in to barter your soul. But, oh, what a bartering it would be.

After the movie and a stopover at the playground, we arrived back to the house. I noticed Connor’s car currently parked crookedly in front. Dr. Bishop dropped his bike to the ground and hastily made his way inside.

I wasn’t sure if taking Victoria into the house was a good idea, but she took off before I could stop her. She entered behind her father. I quickly caught up.

“Let’s head upstairs and get cleaned up,” I whispered and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the stairs.

“Allison, you cannot just barge into someone’s home and verbally assault them!” Connor exclaimed.

Oh god, here we go again. Hide the knives!

“What’s wrong, Daddy? My mother wasn’t happy to see me?” Allison spat back with a manic sound to her voice.

“Damn it, Allison, stop acting like a child. You’re an adult, for god’s sake!” Connor snapped.

“Well, perhaps you should have considered how I would react to all of this when you and my slut of a biological mother decided to have an affair and she decided to abandon me!” Allison started to sob. I actually started to feel a twinge of sorrow for her.

“Where’s your mother?” Connor questioned the room. “I can’t believe she’s behaved so ridiculously. This was her decision. She wanted us to remain married and even went as far as to threaten Juliet to give you to her. Now she just decides to put it all out there and hide away? Where the hell is she?”

I pushed Victoria up the stairs.

“Why is Grandpa so angry with Allison and Grandma?” It took a moment before I could respond.

“Um…sweetheart, it’s just…you know how sometimes you get mad at the twins for messing with your things and damaging them?”

She nodded.

“Well, sometimes adults do things that damage each other’s feelings and they argue. It will all work out, okay?” She furrowed her brow but nodded again. I urged her to move faster.

“She’s not here,” Larissa stated.

“What?” Allison shrieked.

“After you left this morning she took her bags and left in a taxi,” Max added. “She didn’t speak to anyone, and she won’t answer any calls.”

“Of course,” Connor growled. “Allison, I’m so sorry you had to find things out this way.” His voice softened with the sadness of a father and evidence of his age. “I never intended for any of this to happen, and I surely didn’t intend for your moth…for Ilene to just lay this all out like she did. What I did was enough.” The last thing I heard was his heavy sigh.

The third floor was empty. Everyone went out for the day. Victoria got cleaned up in the bathroom while I changed into some flip-flops. My plan was to get her out of the house as soon as possible. Once she emerged from the bathroom, I grabbed her and we headed for the back stairs. As we moved through the kitchen we caught a little more of the ongoing drama.

“Why, Dad?” Max questioned.

“Your mother and I grew apart, and I, well, I grew fond of Juliet. We became friends,” Connor sighed out.

“With benefits,” Allison snapped.

“But Mom was pregnant,” Dr. Bishop added.

“Your mother was pregnant, yes.” He cleared his throat. “She lost the child early on.”

“But then how didn’t anyone know about –?”

“Ilene didn’t want to tell anyone about the miscarriage at first. Then I found out Juliet was pregnant. She hadn’t told me and had intended on keeping it from me, but…well…being in the medical field I found out through the grapevine. I panicked and finally told your mother.” Connor’s voice trailed off as I hurried out of the house.

Once we had enough of the beach, we started up to the house to clean up and get ready for dinner. On the third floor, we found Amber sitting in her room with Ryan and MJ.

“It looks like you guys had fun?” She giggled at our appearance.

“What makes you say that?” I winked at her.

“Hey, Sophia, why don’t you go ahead and take the evening off. I’ll take care of Victoria.” Amber smiled.

“You don’t have to do that.” I motioned to MJ and Ryan, both planted in her lap. “You have your hands full.”

“I’ll help out.” William appeared from down the hall, the twins at his heels.

“Maybe call that hot guy from the beach.” Amber wiggled her brows.

My snort was cut short with the clearing of a throat. William and I turned. Dr. Bishop was looking over us with obvious disapproval. I leaned down to Victoria and told her to get her bath water started.

“Miss Ashwood?”

Pushing off the doorframe, I straightened my posture and looked at him.

“Yes, sir.”

“I will be heading out tomorrow morning for work and won’t return for about a week. If you need anything, please call.”

I nodded without a word. He turned and walked back down the stairs. He had returned to his normal, cold behavior. My impression of him earlier in the day continued to intensify my confusion.

Maybe he’s bipolar – in this family it wouldn’t surprise me. Or maybe he was channeling a different demon at different times.

“I think I’m taking you up on your offer. I need a damn drink after today.” William and Amber both looked at me questioningly. I just shook my head and went to change clothes.

Victoria wasn’t happy about me taking off for the evening, but once Amber informed her they would be making cookies, she changed her tune. I kissed the top of her head before I slung my messenger bag across my chest and headed out the door.

I contemplated taking the car but decided I really needed a decent walk. Reaching town, dusk had settled around me. The barely setting sun was peeking through trees and from around buildings. I came across one of the pubs and decided I would just get something to eat and drink while I worked on my book.

After sitting down and placing my order, I opened my laptop and started to work through some plot outlines. I had moved on to some dialogue when I heard a familiar voice.

“Just give me another!” she slurred at the bartender.

“I think you’ve had enough for the evening,” the bartender rebutted.

“What do you know?” She tried to stand and lost her footing. I groaned and quickly moved to her side. I grabbed onto her arms and pulled her toward my table, forcing her to sit down.

“How about we order you some food and coffee?” I spoke with hesitation and disbelief. I couldn’t believe I was doing this.

Her eyes focused on me. “Oh, hell! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be taking care of my niece?” Allison spat.

The waitress appeared with my food, and I ordered a sandwich for Allison, as well as some coffee.

“I don’t want food. I want another drink!” She directed her last sentence toward the bar.

“Yes, well, I don’t think he’s going to give you that, so why don’t you just –?”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” She squinted her eyes.

“Just someone who’s trying to help.” My tone was flat, growing irritated with her behavior.

“You just show up in our lives out of nowhere, and now my niece acts as if you’re her mother. You try to seduce my husband. My family is being torn apart, and, fuck, if my brother isn’t following his father’s footsteps!” She opened her mouth again, but the waitress interrupted, setting the coffee and sandwich in front of her.

Allison shoved the plate away. “I don’t want this garbage.”

“Allison,” I hissed. “You can hate me as much as you want, but I didn’t seduce your husband and I sure as hell am not responsible for your family issues. I’m only trying to make sure you sober up enough that you can make it home to two little boys who love you with all of their hearts.”

Allison softened for a moment.

“You know I had to go through in vitro five times before I conceived the twins,” she huffed out and then grabbed the turkey sandwich, taking a huge bite. With her mouth full, she continued.