Authors: T L Gray
I was hungry, but could hardly eat under all the scrutiny. Diana ate like royalty, finely cutting each piece and delicately placing it in her mouth, while Jake took every opportunity to secretly touch some part of me during the meal.
Issy hung her head over her plate and just started shoveling food in as fast as possible. The tension between her and Diana was so intense that it seemed to suffocate any other thought in the room.
Finally,
the meal was over, and we excused ourselves. I realized after I cleared my plate that I had drunk the entire glass of wine I’d poured, and I had new appreciation for Issy’s love for alcohol.
We dropped our plates in the sink
, and Issy made a beeline for the door. “Shouldn’t we help with the dishes?” I whispered.
“You can, I’m not. I’ve done my time for the day.” She jetted out right as Jake and Diana made their way into the kitchen. I smiled and complimented her again on how good everything was, not sure how to make the great escape myself.
“Diana, you worked so hard. Let Avery and I clean up for you while you rest,” Jake offered as he took the plates out of her hand.
“Oh, I couldn’t, Avery’s our guest.”
“Are you kidding, she insists.” Jake looked over to me expectantly, and I quickly agreed, having no idea what was going on. Diana took the out and headed to her bedroom, looking as fragile as a child. I turned to the sink and started running water for the dishes, hoping to keep busy enough to avoid small talk with Jake. Suddenly, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind and his lips touch my neck.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t wait to get you alone,” he whispered as he began to kiss my ear and my jawline. I quickly turned around and attempted to move him off of me.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. “You are acting like we are a couple, when we are hardly speaking!” I was so taken off guard by his affection that I didn’t know how to process it. Part of me was still so angry with him, but part me still loved him and felt connected to him.
“Only because you aren’t speaking to me. You know how I feel about you.” He was flashing me his sexiest smile and closing the gap between us again where I was locked between the sink and his body. His smell brought back memories so vivid that I felt almost woozy.
“Jake, you wanted the break. You said I wasn’t the girl for you. I don’t understand what you are doing.” I was feeling nauseous and claustrophobic under his weight.
“I’m doing what feels right.” He was still kissing my neck and whispering in my ear. “You belong to me…my sweet, innocent Avery.” I was starting to wonder how much wine Jake drank before I got here today. His body was pressing against mine to where each time I tried to move, he took the opportunity to get closer. “I knew as soon as I saw you with that other guy that I wasn’t letting you go. You bring up feelings in me I can’t explain. And now seeing you here, in this house, it just confirms that you are everything I need.” He took my face in his warm hands and looked me deep in my eyes. My legs felt weak, and my senses were so scrambled from his kisses that I almost gave in.
“Jake, you have to stop. I can’t do this with you again,” I begged, trying to break the eye contact.
“Yes you can. I know you want to. Just give me some time to remind you. Remind you of how amazing we are together.” He was whispering in my ear again
, and I was steadily falling under his spell. He reached down and kissed my lips, full of passion and intensity just like it had always been between us. My body reacted and I hated it for doing so. Jake could set me on fire with just a touch, and I didn’t have the power to resist it. Despite my inner voice screaming at me, I kissed him back with everything I had, and all the emotion I had locked away for weeks came rushing back as I poured myself into him.
A ding from my phone brought us out of our trance, and I quickly realized what I was doing. I detangled myself from his grip and walked to the door, my breath labored from our kissing. “I’ll come back later to finish the dishes. I’m sorry.” I practically ran upstairs to my bedroom and tried to collect my thoughts. I looked down at the phone and saw a text picture from Parker. It was
him and his brother doing a strong man pose in their flag football gear. The caption below said, “Wish me luck, while I wish you were here.” I smiled and felt tears invade my eyes. I didn’t answer back, just laid on my bed, holding my phone.
I sat there for a while, wallowing in confusion and frustration until I realized how ridiculous it was. I was not going to let Jake determine my happiness anymore! I’d given him everything, and he let it go. Words…he was always so good at saying the right words, but never doing the right things. I was done. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready. I had come here for one reason, to help
Issy deal with her dad. I was not going to let my drama affect my friendships or my life anymore.
With my pep talk finished and my mind almost convinced that Jake no longer affected me, I went through the motions of getting ready for dinner. I opted for black dress pants, with a sleeveless cream and gray ruffled blouse that would work for the party if I needed it. I pulled on my gray cardigan sweater to make the look dinner worthy and touched up my makeup. My hair was a disaster, so I twisted it up with a clip to keep the wildness under control. One last look in the mirror
, and I knew I was ready.
I was slightly petrified of this dinner especially considering that lunch had been a nightmare, and this wasn’t even the house that
Issy was worried about. I knocked on Issy’s door to see if she was ready and almost fell over when she opened it.
Issy
had gone out of her way to take her punk look to the top of the charts. Every inch of her hair was a neon pink fuchsia color that had been flat ironed straight to reach her mid back. She had a black dog collar around her neck and a stud nose ring in that I had never seen her wear before. Her outfit was even more shocking. She had on gray and white stripped, knee-high stockings that stuck out a good six inches above her high heeled combat boots. Her flare skirt was gray pin-stripped with an attached chain dangling from it, and the skirt length barely hit her mid thigh. The most conservative thing on her body was the long sleeved black sweater with a red and orange flame that ran across the side of her torso.
Before I could even utter a word,
Issy looked me up and down and scoffed, “You look like my mother. Don’t even think you are wearing that to the party.” She had her hand on her hip like she was lecturing me.
“First of all, I thought we were changing before the party, and second…you can’t possibly wear that to your dad’s house,” I exclaimed still reeling from the look.
Issy pulled me into her bedroom and shut the door. “I decided we’re not going to change. If I’m going to get lectured and judged, I want to make it worth it.” She walked over to her bag on the bed and pulled out a sage green shirt that looked like it only had material on one side of it.
“Your pants are cute, but you are wearing this top. You can keep your cardigan on until we leave my dad’s, but it’s coming off as soon as we get to Ben’s.”
I held up the green top. It was a beautiful silky green halter with fine beading woven throughout. It was cut with three crisscross straps along the back and fell just an inch below the waistline of my pants.
“
Issy, this had to cost a fortune. You sure you want me wearing it to a college party?” I was being practical as usual, and Issy’s response was one of exasperation.
“Just put it on so we can go. Oh, and the hair comes down.”
“Issy, it’s a mess.”
“Better than looking like a frigid CEO!” she retorted as she pulled the clip out of my hair. I could feel my frustration starting to get the better of me, but pushed it down and took a deep breath.
Issy’s spunk was what I loved most about her…except when it came to dressing me.
“Much better. I don’t know why you complain about your hair so much. Most women would kill for half of it.” She was done with my look and went about putting her things in her purse. She grabbed her car keys and spun around saying, “Let’s go!”
“I don’t think so, I’m driving,” I said taking her keys from her. Previous experience had taught me never to rely on Issy for a ride, especially when going to a party that included unlimited alcohol.
“Works for me.
” She smiled sweetly and bounced out the door. I grabbed my sweater and purse to follow her, hoping we’d get out of the house before her mom saw what she looked like. We weren’t so lucky.
Jake and Diana were sitting in the living room, Diana with a novel and Jake with his laptop open. He looked up first as we hit the bottom of the stairs
, and his face immediately became rigid. Diana was the next to look up, and her face held a mix of shock and horror at the same time.
Issy
didn’t seem to register any reaction and walked over to kiss her mom on the cheek.
I watched from the bottom the stairs as Diana simply shook her head and returned to her book, not saying a word. I quietly followed
Issy and almost made it out the door, when I felt Jake grab my arm.
“I want to talk to you,” he whispered
, scowling, as he pulled me onto the porch and closed the door.
My frustration hit a boiling point. Between Jake’s earlier advances,
Issy’s absolute control over my clothes and now the lecture I knew was coming, I just lost it.
“What do you want?” I yelled at him. “I have no control over her, and why you have this expectation that I do is beyond me. This sick relationship you two have…just leave me out of it!”
Jake’s face looked stunned and then a little amused, making me even angrier than I already was.
“What is so funny?” I blurted, still folding my arms and staring at him in utter defiance.
“Nothing. I just think it’s cute that you thought my reaction was for Issy.”
I stared at him totally dumbfounded.
“It’s for you. You look way too hot to be going anywhere without me tonight, even if it is just to dinner.” He winked at me and then closed the space between us again, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him. “We never finished our earlier conversation.”
Issy
honked the horn from the passenger seat and yelled, “Let’s go! Jake, leave her alone; we’re going to be late.”
I detangled myself from his grasp and walked off the porch, trying my best not to look back over my shoulder at him. My hands were shaking and my thoughts were going a mile a minute. I gripped the steering wheel with both hands, making the
leather stretch as I twisted it. Taking a calming breath, I turned to Issy. “Ok, tell me where to go.”
“Wow, you are getting good at this,” she said nodding, shooting Jake a final goodbye wave. “If your face wasn’t a complete give away, I’d almost think you were over him.”
“I am over him,” I lied, hating Issy for being so incredibly perceptive.
“It
’s ok, Avery. You’re doing better than most girls. I actually think he wants you back. I’ve never really seen him pursue a girl more than once before. This is new territory for me.” Her tone implied that she was impressed, but it didn’t make me feel any better. I had just spent the last four months on a downward spiral with Jake being the center of all of it. Now that I was finally seeing some light in the dark tunnel, he was back, like my kryptonite, making me fall for him all over again.
“
Issy, be straight with me. Do you really think Jake will ever be more than the sporadic boyfriend he was before?” It was the first time I’d ever asked Issy for advice on Jake, but I had to know. He was invading my thoughts again, and my stomach was still in knots from his scent when he held me on the porch.
“I think Jake is complicated.” She was matter of fact and honest, yet it left the door open. My inner voice was yelling at me, but a smile crept on my face regardless as I thought,
You never know.
“Lord, I pray you keep her eyes firmly open so that she can see when others are there to deceive or hurt her.”
12. AFTER PARTY
I was laughing hysterically as Issy belted out another Madonna song at the top of her lungs. It wasn’t that Issy had a bad voice…it was just that it was a loud voice, and not fully in key. Her lightheartedness had improved my mood drastically. I didn’t even try and kill her when she grabbed my phone and texted Parker back for me. They engaged for barely a minute before he wised up. I was actually impressed that he knew me well enough to call it. He ended their conversation with a “good luck with your dad, and give Avery back her phone!”
“Amazing,”
Issy said as she set the phone down. “He totally nailed me. I thought for sure you two were well into the dirty talk phase.”
“Oh my Gosh,
Issy, what did you text him?” I asked with horror in my voice.
“Just that he looked sexy in his shorts and that I looked forward to rubbing out all of his hurt muscles.” Her voice was pure innocence as she turned up the stereo. I couldn’t help but laugh, mostly because Parker already knew it wasn’t me. The thought did make me blush, though. Parker was sweet and kind, and I really liked him. But the only person that popped into my head when I heard “sexy” was Jake. My smile remained u
ntil Issy got to the chorus of
Like a Virgin
, which quickly brought me back to reality. I hit the power button as fast as I could.
“Hey, I was singing that!”
Issy yelled as she reached for the stereo.
“No, we have to focus.
” The forty-five minute drive to Issy’s dad’s house was almost over, and I needed some preparation this time. I walked into a lion’s den with Issy and her mother, and I refused to do it again. “What should I expect here? You made it seem like all was peaches and cream with your mom, and you two hardly said a word to each other.”
“What to expect?”
Issy sighed, posing in the thinker position. “Ok, well my dad will act like we are best friends. I will play along. My stepmom will say all the wrong things, and I will either ignore her or say something rude. Her son will likely be reading a book or playing a video game, so he is a pretty low threat. In all, it will feel like a perfectly dysfunctional meal.”
“Ok, then clarify for me, please, why you wanted me here? I thought you and your dad didn’t get along.” I was totally confused at this point. It seemed more that her mom was the estranged one.
“Avery, just have my back. My stepmother tends to bring out the worst in me. You seem to bring out the best in me. I was just hoping they would balance each other out.”
Her comment surprised me, but I finally understood. Sometimes you just need a friend to be there, even if they don’t do anything at all. Maybe Parker was right about
Issy.
I followed her instructions down a long driveway until out of the trees loomed the largest house I’d ever seen. No, house wasn’t the right word…it was a mansion.
Issy punched some numbers on the keypad and the gates opened, giving us access to the front drive. The house was split level and three stories. It was a butter-yellow color with cream trim and had multiple balconies on each level. The entire yard was filled with tall trees and plush landscaping, making it seem even more expansive than it was.
“Oh, here we go again. Avery, you really need to stop gawking.”
I shot her a dirty look and parked the car, carefully watching her body language as she got out of the car. I’d know Issy for months and had never seen her so tense. She grabbed her purse and whispered under her breath, “Here we go.”
As if given new resolve, she shot me a big smile and pointed to the front door. I followed slowly, turning around with every step to take in the beauty.
The door opened before we even got to it, and a young man in khaki slacks and a cotton button-up dress shirt and tie stood there smiling. He was handsome in a rugged kind of way, and his broad face and tussled hair didn’t seem to match his preppy attire.
“
Issy, the prodigal daughter returns.” His voice was full of humor, but also had a tension to it. He was watching Issy carefully as if trying to read how she would respond to him. I quickly deduced that those two didn’t get along.
Issy
walked past him without a word and waved her hand to dismiss him. I watched his face tense as he shut the door behind us and walked away.
“Your butler?” I asked as he disappeared around the corner.
“No silly, we’re not that rich. He’s my dad’s assistant. My stepmom is obviously smart enough not to let a woman have the job again.”
“You weren’t very nice to him,” I reminded her.
“That’s because he’s a jerk, and not really worth my time or energy,” she explained, but I noted a slight catch in her voice and the way her body stiffened when she first saw him.
“
Issy!” Her father said as he approached her with his arms spread wide. He was a mass of a man, well over six feet and relatively built for someone his age. Issy was a good foot shorter than him and seemed to get swallowed up in his huge hug.
“Hi Daddy,” I heard her say in a muffled voice.
“You look beautiful as always, and I love the pink much better than the blue from this summer.” He was touching her hair as he said that, and I almost lost my composure. I guess Issy’s look didn’t have quite the effect she wanted. His attention was suddenly diverted to me, and his massive presence was such that I pulled my sweater tighter around me hoping to find some comfort. “You must be Avery.”
“Yes
sir, thanks for having me.”
“Of
course! Any friend of Issy’s is always welcome here. Shall we go see Anna?” He wrapped his arm affectionately around Issy and led us though the enormous foyer. I glanced up at the set of stairs that each curved up to the second story like mirror images of themselves. My eyes squinted as I thought I caught a glimpse of someone peaking through the rails, but he disappeared so quickly, I was sure it was an illusion. I turned back to follow Issy’s father, not wanting to lose them in the vastness of the house.
The décor of his home was drastically different from Diana’s. Everything here was rich and ornate with lots of gold and wood tones. There wasn’t a piece of furniture that didn’t look like it was taken from a mid-century European castle. I felt uncomfortable in the space, like I was a tourist who shouldn’t touch anything.
We finally made it to the living room, which was no different from the rest of the house. The floors were gold marble and the walls and ceilings were lined with intricately carved walnut paneling and gold leaf. The furniture was a royal purple with gold trim and looked horribly uncomfortable.
Anna was moving around a vase of flowers as we walked in and practically squealed with delight when she saw
Issy. Her mannerisms were eccentric and borderline obnoxious as she grabbed Issy in a bear hug.
“We are so glad you are here! It’s been way too long!” Her voice sounded odd as if it had been trained to hide the southern accent that was all too apparent. She had bleached blond hair
, and her dress was so incredibly short and tight that I could see her string underwear beneath it.
I was sure I stood there with my mouth wide open as I took in the sight of it all because I didn’t even notice the assistant walk up behind me until I heard him say, “Don’t worry, it’s a lot to take in all at once.” I turned to look
, and he winked at me before fixing the vase that Anna had just left dangling too close to the edge of the table.
Issy
finally detangled herself from the clutches of her overzealous stepmom and came to stand beside me. I took one look at her and almost couldn’t control the giggles.
Her face was red with fury and the likeness to her hair was quite a sight. Tears threatened my eyes as I tried my best to maintain my composure. When
Issy saw me, she started laughing so hard that I had no more resolve, and the room came to a halt as everyone watched us succumb to gut-wrenching fits of laughter. I looked up, and Anna seemed annoyed, making it even harder to stop. The only one who didn’t seem taken aback by our outburst was the assistant who watched with a sparkle in his eye. I was sure I was making a horrible first impression, but it didn’t matter at the moment.
We finally got ourselves under control and wiped the tears out of our eyes. The room was silent for only a moment and then
Issy’s dad clapped his hands and said, “Let’s eat!” as if nothing had just transpired. Issy grabbed my hand and bounced into the dining room, starting to look a little like her old self. We sat opposite of Anna and her son, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Issy’s father sat at the head of the table. I was surprised when his assistant excused himself and didn’t join the family for dinner.
I leaned to
Issy and whispered, “What’s he do again?”
“Oh just about everything. Grant’s my dad’s right hand man,” she whispered back.
“Why didn’t he join us for dinner?”
“Would you if given the option?” she replied with such sarcasm that the giggles almost returned.
“Yeah, I see your point,” I whispered back and turned my attention to Anna who was tapping her wine glass with a fork.
“I want to make a toast to
Issy,” she said standing. “To a beautiful girl with so much spunk and unrecognized potential.” She raised her glass and drank a sip, acting as proud as if she had delivered the Gettysburg address. Issy’s father beamed with pride, and I couldn’t imagine how a man so obviously smart in business didn’t just catch the way his wife subtly insulted his daughter.
I saw
Issy get up from her seat, and I immediately sensed trouble.
“To Anna,” s
he began, holding her own glass. “A woman with impeccably bad taste and even worse table manners.”
I closed my eyes, sure I had heard incorrectly, but the audible gasp from her stepmom and the stern “
Kaitlyn Isadora!” that followed proved me wrong.
“What?”
Issy shouted, her jaw rigid. “Insults are only allowed if they are underhanded?”
“I want you to apologize right now,”
Issy’s dad demanded with full authoritative measure.
“Tell you what, Daddy, I’ll apologize to her for being honest when she apologizes to me for sleeping with my mother’s husband,”
Issy retorted, and the room got so quiet, we could have heard a pin drop. I looked down at my plate, wanting to disappear. I was wrong, the silent tension with her mom was a hundred times better than this moment.
Anna stormed away from the table, and
Issy’s dad put his head in his hand and started rubbing his temples. Issy sat down, and I could feel her shaking, but her face was stone cold, devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
“
Kaitlyn, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” Her father’s voice was resigned and lost.
“Don’t call me that,”
Issy said flatly, not even acknowledging his comment. “Are we going to eat soon? I’m starving.”
Her dad looked up at her, and
Issy flashed him an innocent smile. He excused himself from the table, not saying another word. It was just us three left: Issy, myself and her quiet, little half brother who couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. He was perfectly adorable with straight brown hair combed over to the side, and he was wearing thin, round glasses. His resemblance to Harry Potter was striking.
“Are you ok?” I whispered to
Issy, not sure what the next step in the protocol might be.
“I’m fine, just hungry. Let’s eat.”
“Without your dad?” I asked, feeling really uncomfortable eating their Thanksgiving meal without them.
“Oh, they’ll be back shortly. Anna’s going to have a temper tantrum, he’ll console her, and then they’ll return. Better to shut her up now than hear it all through dinner,”
Issy said flippantly as she filled her plate. I watched her brother do the same, careful to not make a sound. I wondered how she could say all of that in front of him with no remorse. I felt sorry for the little guy and was disappointed in how Issy was acting.
“Hi,” I said, addressing him with a smile. “I’m Avery. Did I see you peaking through the stairs earlier?”
He looked down sheepishly and nodded his head.
“I bet you are a master at hiding, especially in this big house. Are there any secret hiding places I should know about?” I asked the last part in a whisper, as if we were having a secret conversation.
He took the bait and nodded enthusiastically, “There’s one door from my father’s study that leads right to the kitchen. I sneak in when Rosa’s not looking and get her homemade chocolate chip cookies.”
“That sounds fabulous! Is Rosa a secret spy?” I asked playing along.
“No.” He chuckled. “She’s my nanny, but she’s strict on the sweets.”
He was an adorable kid and super sweet. I looked over at
Issy who was eating her food in silence, intentionally ignoring the whole conversation. I rolled my eyes and returned to her little brother.