“Peter!” Lifting her head from the carpet, she tried to focus enough to make a positive identification.
“Did you throw a glass at me?” Peter stood, staring at Sophie as she lay sprawled out in the middle of the floor.
“No . . . yes, I didn’t know it was you.” Slowly unlocking her body, Sophie stretched her limbs as far as she could to release the tension.
“What are you doing? Are you okay? I heard you screaming, so I used the spare.”
Moving herself into a sitting position, Sophie’s head felt heavy. Her attempt to find balance made her resemble a bobble head doll. The constant movement only served to increase her dizziness. She quit and resigned to lay down, back against the carpet, ceasing all movement.
“The devil is at the window,” she uttered very calmly.
Peter walked cautiously into the room, elevating his body a bit while he looked out the window. “Luce, I don’t see anything.”
Sophie was adamant. “He issss . . . out . . . there.”
“There is nothing but the night out there.” Peter joined her on the floor. “Was it your husband again?”
“Mm-hmm,” Sophie mumbled, unable to speak, ensnared on the merry-go-round moving at hyper speed, created by her mixing liquors coupled with overall consumption. That was such a rookie move.
“You should see a doctor or something, Luce. That is not healthy.”
She shook her head to contest, or at least she hoped she did. Everything moved in slow motion as her adrenaline lost its zeal and the liquor mixed in her abdomen. The night turned into a black hole as her cognitive functions ceased. The perfect ending to her less than stellar day. Tears were coming. She felt the sobs swelling in her chest like ash clouds over a volcano. The temperature in the room dropped without notice. The floor felt like a bed of feathers lined with concrete. Everything hurt, even inhaling. She didn’t want to take a breath.
“Hold on, Luce.” Peter departed the room, leaving her to contemplate his words in his absence.
What did he mean, hold on? Hold on to what? That was exactly what she was trying to do, hold on. Her sanity was slipping away, and the only true cure could cost her everything she loved. So, what did Peter want her to hold on to, she wondered. To him? Would he leave her if he knew the truth? If he knew who she really was?
“Okay, here you go.” He lifted the circular rock hiding behind the flesh of her face, sliding her pillow underneath it. She recognized the scent of her strawberry shampoo; it was nauseating.
Peter. This pillow stinks. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Screw it. She didn’t realize how badly she was shaking until she felt his arm draped over her. She was in the midst of a personal spin cycle, but Peter held her firm. Her bones felt like ice; she was so cold. Then, like an answer to her prayer, Peter draped a blanket over them. Between the blanket and the warmth of his body, Sophie started to feel a bit better.
“It’s okay, Luce. Calm down. It’s okay.”
I’m not crazy, she thought to herself, cursing her conscience for tormenting her with the ghost of husbands past. She felt herself being lured into dreamland. Wait, what was Peter even doing here in the first place? It was a question she’d have to ask later. She was already a few stages into a deep, alcohol-driven, coma type of sleep. Sophie needed to rest her mind, recuperate. Tomorrow would be the start of a new day.
Chapter 28
“I can’t undo the shit I did.”
“Damn right.”
“But you know me, Jacob.”
Jacob scoffed but did not respond.
“J, if I could walk that back—”
“Keep that shit, Frank.”
“You’re pissed. I get it, but damn.”
“Bullshit. Did you forget who you’re talking to? I know you!”
“Then you should know that I’d do anything to defend my fuckin’ family! Anything! No one is safe, J. Not you. No one.”
“Defend them from who, Frank? Me? Me, Frank? Huh? I threatened your family? When did that shit go down?”
“Jacob, I . . .” Frank scammed his mind for a viable excuse, anything but the truth. There was no need to bring Lisa into this mess. “I fucked up, all right? I fucked up.”
“We were family, Frank. Before that bitch fucked your mind up. I knew you when you were shopping for a degree at NYU. Back when your dad issued a weekly and your brother stiffed you for more than half. I shared my grub to keep you from starving when you blew the rest flossing, trying not to be the piece of shit you were. I considered you my brother. And you came into my office throwing jabs. Didn’t care about what I may have had to say about the shit.”
Frank took a deep, calming breath. He didn’t need to get into a pissing match with Jacob about who had been the better friend. “J, look, man. I was wrong.”
“Whatever you needed, I handled for you. No questions asked.”
Frank muted himself, deciding to let Jacob get it all out.
“All the shit I did for you, and you just rush me in my spot? No conversation. No explanation. Nothing.”
Frank stood on the balcony, leaning against its frame, enjoying the view for the last time. Both he and Lisa had been released from the hospital and were preparing to return home. The plane would not leave for several hours, and as much as he would have preferred to have this conversation in person, this phone call could not wait.
“That wasn’t me, man. Something came over me and I snapped. I lost it.”
“You spat in my fuckin’ face, Frank! Shitted on me, man.”
“I blacked out.” Dropping his head, Frank steadied his gaze on the peeling paint of the balcony beneath his feet. “My mind was gone. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Tuh, you never do. Always doing shit without considering the outcome. Judging everyone around you like your shit ain’t equally, if not more, fucked. Took weeks for me to even process what happened.”
Frank was remorseful, but he didn’t know how many more verbal blows he could withstand. He knew he was dangerously close to his limit. “Look, man, I hear you, but I didn’t call for this. I got enough going on right now.”
“You are a piece of fuckin’ work. What did you expect, Frank? Want to just chop it up like old times?”
“I wanted to apologize. I know what I did was fucked. No excuses for it.” Frank took a big whiff of the island breeze. Someone had a nice fade working nearby. “I don’t expect things to go back to NYU, but maybe something like that.”
“You are a selfish, arrogant bastard.”
“I’ll take that.”
Jacob let loose a hearty laugh. Frank knew Jacob well enough to know that his laughing was not an indication that he found anything humorous.
“Huge fucking balls. Are you serious? I haven’t talked to you in damn near two months.”
“Jacob, you know I couldn’t reach out to you with the charge, but I checked in on you.”
“Fuck you, man. Fuck you.”
Momentarily giving into the frustration flirting near the tip of his patience, Frank barked. “Dropping the charges, lobbying the judge, and getting the case thrown out meant what?”
“It meant that I am still cleaning up your fucking messes. It means that despite the fact that you beat me into a fucking coma, I still don’t want to see nothing happen to your ignorant, stubborn, selfish, pompous ass.”
“Jacob.”
“Nah, fuck you. Fuck you and that inflated, worthless-ass ego. You ain’t shit, Frank.”
“If it’s like that, let’s just cut this shit short then.”
“Not before I get this shit off my chest.”
“Talk to that reflection in the mirror. I’m done with this. I called to apologize, and you ain’t did shit but drag my ass.”
“You broke bones in my muthafuckin’ face, son! Three ribs! Fuck what you called to say! The least you can do is listen.”
“Fuck that shit. You said enough.”
“You could be sittin’ in jail right now, Frank. Jail.”
Frank seethed, heat radiating throughout his body. Jacob was right and he knew it, but he didn’t care at the moment. He didn’t want to spend one more minute listening to Jacob attack his character.
“What in the fuck do you want from me? Gotdamn. I have apologized.”
“Nothing. I don’t want shit from you.”
“If you are so pissed about it, why play Mr. Fix it?”
“Cuz that’s what I do. I fix shit. Even for society’s least deserving.”
Filling his lungs with the coping mechanism wafting through the air, choking on its potency, Frank swallowed his infant pride. “Thank you, Jacob. For everything.”
Jacob was silent a moment before he spoke. “I ain’t accepting that shit from you.”
Frank shook his head. “Look, I can’t lie. That shit hurts to hear, but I understand.”
“Maybe one day. I just don’t know. That shit is damn near unforgivable.”
“Why did you really help me?”
“Brianna.”
His shoulders dropped as his muscles began the process of releasing the tension, hardening his heart. “Oh, I see.”
“She adores you, and despite everything that transpired between us, I don’t want to be the thing that takes you away from her.”
Frank’s heart sank. He had not spoken with his daughter in several weeks. She wanted nothing to do with him, and he had no one but himself to blame. “I appreciate that. She deserves a better man than me. Always has.”
“I still think you’re a piece of shit, but Brianna could do worse.”
Frank chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I appreciate it. Thanks for reaching out to the lawyer up north, too. He straightened everything out here.”
“I didn’t contact him.”
“So, who did?”
“Griffin.”
“You called my brother, J?”
“Chill. Yeah, I hit your brother. I don’t know of anyone more connected than he is. You needed more help than I could give you. I didn’t have a choice.”
“I’m good. Thank you for persuading him to make a few phone calls for me.”
“I only asked. Didn’t need any convincing. You need to call him. He is your brother.”
“Nah, I’m straight. He disowned me, not the other way around.”
“That was a long fuckin’ time ago, and he came through for you, Frank. Doesn’t that warrant something from you?”
“Stop pushing this reunion shit. He is not who you think he is.”
“Yeah, all right. Coming this way solo or what?”
That question brought a smile to his face. “Lisa and I are coming back, together.”
“No shit?”
Despite the conversation’s murky beginning, Frank relished talking to his friend. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to talk to someone. “I know. I know. She is doing much better. Still sore, but the doctors are pleased enough with her progress to let her fly.”
“That is good news. Great news.” His relief rang in his voice. “So, what happened?”
“Still tryin’ to figure that out.”
“Was she shot or stabbed?”
“Someone pushed a knife into her chest. Tried to take her from me, man.”
“Damn . . . you’re having a rough stretch here.”
Frank felt a pang in his stomach. “Lisa has had it far worse than me.”
“Can’t argue with that. Any prospects?”
“A few.” Having knowledge of Jacob’s relationship with Charlie, Frank opted to keep his suspicion to himself.
“It’s not Charlie.”
Frank smiled. Leave it to Jacob to cut through. “I don’t know that.”
“I do. I know her. She’s a little loose, but attempted murder? Too far.”
“She called minutes before. Timing is perfect. The whole setup. I took her call in another room. She warns me about Lisa, and I run out to find Lisa . . . laid out.”
“I don’t know about that, but I don’t think she got this in her. She might hate your ass, but she wouldn’t hurt Lisa.”
“I’ll find out.”
“Well, let me know if I can help.”
“Thanks.”
“Where is Bria?”
Frank’s stomach twisted into a knot at the mention of her name. “Dallas. She didn’t make the trip. Have you tried calling her? I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.”
“I tried, but her number is disconnected. Does she have a new one?”
Frank swallowed the lump in his throat. “Damn, I had it, but you know it was in my cell, and it got lost in all the commotion over here.”
“You don’t know it by heart?”
The surprise in Jacob’s voice served as a tacit reminder of the closeness he once enjoyed with his daughter, forcing Frank to deal with Brianna’s decision to exclude him. Brianna was his world, but his actions had severed her faith in him. She no longer wanted anything to do with him, and as reality sank in, the impact of the loss overwhelmed him. He had been so preoccupied with Lisa that he hadn’t even had time to try calling Brianna in the last few weeks.
He had no idea she had changed her number. For the first time in twenty-four years, Frank had no way to contact his only child; no clue as to her whereabouts, activity, or who she was with. It was a fact that broke him down so swiftly that his legs wobbled beneath him.
Frank chortled uncomfortably. “Come on, man, no one remembers numbers anymore.”
“That shit don’t even make sense. This isn’t like you or her, frankly. What’s going on?”
Frank attempted to speed through this line of questioning. “Nothing I can fix from here.”
“Is she all right?”
“Honestly, I don’t know, man. Like I said, there is not a damn thing I can do from here.”
“When are you coming Stateside?”
“Soon. We have to stop through New York first, but—”
“You fuckin’ kiddin me?”
Frank rolled his eyes, seeing where this was circling back to.
“New York, and you won’t see your brother? Even after he freed your ass?” Jacob asked.
“That was the plan. Not interested in seeing him.”
“Fuckin’ joke, man.”
Frank was ready to end this call, especially with the love fest Jacob was putting up with regard to his brother. “Jacob, leave the shit alone. You don’t know him.”
“What in the fuck are you talkin’ about, Frank? He was tight with your cash. You were irresponsible as shit! I can’t blame him!”
Frank shook his head, disgusted and frustrated. His brother was a fucking monster, and Jacob couldn’t see it then, and he clearly still had blinders on. “Why do you think I pressed you to move to Dallas with me, Jacob? Ever think about that?”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m not going.”
“Either you go, or I’m reinstating the fucking charges. That’s it. No more runnin’, Frank. Deal with your shit. I’m done. Be a fuckin man for once!”
“Oh, it’s like that? For my brother, J?”
“It’s like that. Deal with your shit.”
Jacob’s campaign infuriated Frank. He had never imagined Jacob would threaten him over his brother, but he couldn’t disregard him at this point. His demons were ruining his life, and he suspected that if he kept pretending otherwise, the casualties would outnumber the living soon. Still, he was reluctant to pull out his white flag.
“Jacob, you have no fuckin’ clue about what kind of guy my brother is. No idea what the fuck you doing. You think you’re schooling me on humility? On the virtues of responsibility? You’re not.”
“Is that supposed to change my mind? Everything you have you either schemed your way into or you stole the shit outright. Enough is enough.”
“This is bullshit. It’s not going to be what you think, Jacob.”
“We’ll see.”
“You are out of your fucking mind.” Frank had an inkling Jacob was
not telling him something, but he was in no position to push the issue. He needed the possibility of going to jail completely off the table. “I do this and we’re square? Everything’s good?”
“We’ll be good.”
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Cool, call me when you touch down at LaGuardia.”
“No problem.”
Frank ended the call. He was perplexed to say the least. This shit from Jacob was a definite curve ball, and Frank was not quite sure how to handle it. Something felt off about Jacob’s insistence on him reaching out to his brother. He hadn’t spoken with him for years. Why press him now? Something had changed, and he had no idea what it could be. Maybe the near-fatal beatdown was the catalyst. Only time would tell. It was possible.
The real issue was his brother. Frank never knew what to expect from him, and he was not looking forward to the visit.
Chapter 29
“Franklin?” Lisa stepped softly, subtly aggravating her healing body, and ventured out onto the balcony.
Frank pulled his eyes away from the beachfront view to the voice of his beloved. “I’m here.” His conversation with Jacob left him with a sadness that claimed his smile, but he was determined to find a way back to it. Things were far from what he desired, but he had this woman. The love in her eyes revived him, sustained him.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Needed to make a phone call. Didn’t want to disturb your rest.”
“Haven’t slept like that in a long while.”
Frank gingerly pulled Lisa into his embrace. Wrapping her arms around his waist, he enveloped her in a bear hug. His six-foot-four-inch frame effortlessly eclipsed her scrunching body. Burying his face in the top of her head, Frank took a deep breath.
“Franklin . . . I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Frank let the bitter conversation drift away as a sweet peace replaced it. His life was a total and complete mess, but at least he had her. For now, that had to be enough.
Pulling slightly away from him, Lisa peered up into his dreamy gaze. Frank lovingly covered her lips with his.
“Please.” Lisa pouted between kisses. “More of that.”
Savoring the hint of apple cider coating her lips. Frank ran the tip of his tongue along the contour of her mouth, enjoying every second spent tasting her. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be, Lisa.” Frank witnessed the change in her eyes, confirmation that she believed him. He had never felt more powerful than he did in that instant.
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