She had yet to divulge to Avery, or any of the housewives, about Harper’s changed personality and abuse. Why would she when she was the one to blame for his erratic behavior? If only she had kept her legs closed and not given in to Seth.
The next morning, following the party, they got up, went to church, came home, and enjoyed a nice brunch together. He didn’t mention anything else about their explosive argument. It was like the old Harper. The Harper who was gentle, kind, attentive, and loving. The next two days were also good days.
Yesterday is when things took an abrupt change. Eva had an enjoyable day at culinary school. She was learning more than she ever had about cooking utensils, knives, and all types of food. They made a meat dish, something that she would think would be relatively simple, yet was surprisingly detailed. She had envisioned attending school and jumping right into preparing food, but it wasn’t like that. It was so much more to learn and she soaked in every piece of knowledge she could.
When she got home that afternoon, she showered, changed into some casual clothes, and chilled. Marissa had prepared dinner, as usual, and she had very little, if anything, to do.
She watched several shows on television well into the evening, and video chatted with her family in Bolivia, which always put a smile on her face and made her heart glad. After that she got prepared for bed. She had learned not to expect Harper until late at night—tonight was no different. She studied her culinary book for a couple of hours until sleepiness overtook her.
In her sleep, she dreamed about owning a chain of restaurants and saw herself traveling all over the world. There was a man in her dreams too. He had swept her off her feet and travelled the world with her. At first the face of the man wasn’t visible, but just as she felt a deafening thud against her head, she saw the face of the man belonged to Quentin Winters.
Eva screamed as she was beaten awake by Harper. He accused her of having an affair with Quentin again. Another night of torment. She raised her hands to shield herself from his vicious blows across her semi-nude body. She wanted to get away, but she knew she had to stay.
Eva drove along the private drive leading to Avery’s home. Once inside the foyer, she was met by Avery who had been waiting on her best friend’s arrival with eager anticipation and worry.
“What’s going on? Come on inside.” She took Eva by the hand like she would Heather or Lexie and led her down the long, winding foyer and hallway to the far side of the house where there was a luxurious room with an expansive view of the beachfront.
“Sit down, take off your sunglasses. Relax. You sounded uptight over the phone. It scared me.”
Eva slowly removed her sunglasses to a horrified Avery.
“Oh, my God. What happened? Were you in an accident?”
Tears poured out of Eva’s blackened eyes and trailed down her face. Silence.
“Eva, talk to me. Tell me what happened? I asked you if you were in an accident.”
Avery got up, exited the room, and returned with an opened box of tissues. She walked over to where Eva was and sat down next to her. She wrapped her arm around her friend. She was worried. What had happened? Why wouldn’t Eva tell her what was going on?
“You know you can talk to me, Eva. You’re my best friend. You can trust me.” She pulled out a couple tissues and began wiping Eva’s face. As she wiped away her tears, Eva’s concealer came off on the tissue and Avery placed her hand over her mouth to stifle her own cries.
Eva cried even harder, and Avery pulled her to her bosom like she was one of the girls. She patted the back of her head. “Who did this to you? Please, Eva, talk to me.” She pushed Eva away from her. Tears gathered in the corners of her own eyes at seeing Eva bruised and beaten.
“Harper.”
“What did you say? Please tell me that you didn’t tell me Harper did this? Why? I don’t understand.”
Eva used the tissue to dab at her own face and then she tearfully and shamefully confessed to Avery everything that had been going on over the past months.
Avery listened intently to every word, her anger fuming, and her disbelief mounting. Harper? Harper did this? He was capable of exacting this kind of violent, vile act on another human being when he had taken a vow as a doctor to save people’s lives? No matter what she’d done, she didn’t deserve this, no one did.
“Why are you still with him, Eva? Why? Did you call the police?”
“Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said?” Eva retorted, trying not to be angry with Avery. She understood that Avery wanted what was best for her, but she didn’t think Avery understood how much Eva stood to lose.
“Yes, and I understand that he’s taking care of your family. I know you want to finish culinary school and try to set up your own restaurants so you can be self-sufficient, but my God, who says you’ll be around to do that? If Harper is capable of doing something like this, God knows that the man could kill you in one of these fits of rage you say he goes into. You have to leave, Eva. You have to get as far away from him as you can.”
“I left for a few days, got a suite at the Setai.”
“And you went back? Why?”
“I couldn’t stay there forever. It was on his account. He didn’t say anything to me about it, but I knew that at any moment all he had to do was call the Setai and tell them to kick me out of there. I wasn’t going to wait until that happened. I don’t have any money saved. I trusted Harper and so I haven’t put a dime aside. I should have been saving money whenever he gave it to me, but the truth is, he’s never given me lots of cash. I mean, I always use a credit card for spending. And before you say it, I’ll say it first--I’m estúpido. Stupid, stupid, stupid.” She started crying again.
“You are not stupid. You were in love. You trusted him and you had no reason to believe things would end up like this. Listen, you can stay here in one of the guest rooms for as long as you like. And if it’s money you need, I’ll give you enough to get your own place or go to a hotel. Whatever you want to do.”
“No, I can’t do that, and I won’t take your money. I have to go back. I have to do as he says until I can make things better for my parents.”
“Oh, my God, this is unbelievable.” Avery stood up and started pacing. “Is he still going out of town? I thought you told me he was going to do a tour for that new book of his.”
“Yes, thank God he left this morning. He’s supposed to be gone for a month.”
“So, he did this to you before he left? Some parting gift, huh. You’ve got to talk to Ryker. He’ll help you.”
“No, please….you can’t tell anyone, Avery. Please, I’m begging you. Not until I figure some things out. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk in the garden.”
“Yes, that would be great,” Eva agreed. She stood up, and before Avery could reach the sliding doors leading to the outside, Eva was at the doors pushing them back.
They walked along the beautiful landscaped grounds.
“How are you coping with having a baby after all these years?” Eva asked.
“I’m good. I think I’m almost back to normal. I’ve been seeing my therapist, and she says I’m doing a hundred percent better. She didn’t have to tell me that, I can feel that I am.”
“Good for you. Have you given anymore thought about ruining your marriage to Ryker for that low down, sneaky, dressed up like an angel, Carlton Porter?” Eva felt her anger rising and she tried to calm herself down. Lately she had been like a different person and she knew that it was because she had been suppressing her own horrible secret about Harper’s abuse. She was so glad that she had finally told Avery everything. It had been killing her to keep things to herself, but she had to be careful. Harper had already warned her about what he would do if she breathed a word to anyone about what was going on inside their marriage. She was not about to cross him again, but she needed Avery. She was the only one she could fully trust.
“I’ve decided that I’m going to t
ry my best to keep my marriage intact. Ryker and I are finally in a good place, a real good place, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. Anyway, this baby has his name and as far as I’m concerned, RJ is his kid. Yes, I’m heartbroken over how Carlton treated me, but I know God is in control of everything, and that all things work together for our good, but I just can’t see any good that can come out of this situation for Carlton, not in the long run at least. I’m trying to move forward with my life. You were right, Eva. I have too much to lose. If Ryker ever found out about Carlton and me he would get my kids and leave me with nothing. I can’t take that chance, no matter how much I love Carlton.”
“Then you should understand the situation I’m in. It may not involve children, but it’s my family.”
“Oh, Eva,” Avery said. She stopped walking and embraced her friend. “I do understand, sweetie. I really do, but Ryker is not a violent man. Look at what Harper has done to you. I’m afraid for you.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be okay. I’m glad you’re going to accept that RJ is Ryker’s. Let things stay the way they are.”
“The baby is Ryker’s”
“How do you know that for sure?”
“I did one of those over the counter DNA tests.”
“How did you get Ryker to agree to that?”
“Let’s just say I had my ways and it worked out just as I planned.”
“Are you sure it’s Ryker’s child?”
“Ninety-nine point nine nine percent sure,” Avery said, smiling as they started walking again.
Chapter 23
“Before you give up, think about why you held on for so long.” Unknown
Derek moved back into their bedroom the night of his surprise birthday party. Words could not describe how happy it made Peyton. Her taste for vodka had basically left and she couldn’t see herself ever going back to the old Peyton Hudson.
She began to see just how much she’d lost out on when she was nothing more than a rich drunk, and she didn’t want to experience that side of her anymore. She and Liam’s relationship was improving everyday, too. That was another blessing.
Derek took her to the orthopedic doctor and she left the doctor’s office ecstatic that she no longer had to wear the mobilizers. She couldn’t go back to wearing heels just yet, but she could wear her own shoes.
“So what other plans do you have today?” Derek asked as they drove from her doctor’s appointment.
“Me and the other housewives are having our ladies’ day out. I thought that we would meet at our house.”
Derek continued to focus on the road ahead. “Sounds good. After I drop you off, I’m going to the office. I have a busy schedule today, but I should be home in time for us to go to Liam’s game.”
“Okay, sweetheart.”
The car got quiet and Peyton looked over at her husband.
“What is it?” Derek asked.
“Since you’ve moved back into our bedroom, does that mean we have a chance of salvaging our marriage?”
Derek paused as if in deep thought. “I love you, Peyton. I always have. But we’ve been through some tough times, real tough times. I don’t have to remind you that your drinking caused a lot of the problems between us, and then the situation with Liam…that was a real shocker, too. It’s like you have never trusted me. We’ve been together for fifteen years, and you still lie and keep things from me.”
Derek was telling the truth, and Peyton couldn’t deny it. She squirmed in her seat as Derek continued the drive home. What could she say?
“Look, you’re right. You’re right about everything. I’ve been a terrible wife and a bad mother. I’ve lied, kept secrets from you, and cut you down throughout our marriage. I’ve made you feel less than a man and doubted you every step of the way, even though you’re a brilliant and successful man, not to mention a good human being. So why would you want to work out this marriage?”
“Yeah, why would I?” Derek replied, glancing over at her briefly before refocusing on the road.
“Because, like you said, you love me. And believe it or not, I love you, too, Derek. I always have, and I want our marriage to work. I want our family back together. I know that I will never take another drink again and I will never belittle you ever again. I’ll keep seeing the therapist if that’s what you want.”
“It’s not what I want, it should be what you want, Peyton. Do this for yourself and for our son.”
“I will. I promise you, Derek. Just say you’ll give us another chance.”
Derek reached over and squeezed her hand tenderly, but said nothing as they entered through the gate leading to their estate. He didn’t know why it made him uneasy whenever Peyton approached the subject of them getting back together. Why couldn’t she just allow things to happen naturally? For one, he had been living in the other side of the house since he and Liam came back home—until now. He moved out of the house with Liam, leaving Peyton for a time, because he couldn’t deal with her lies and her drinking anymore. If he had stayed away, he would stand a chance at Liam hating his mother forever. He didn’t want Liam to have to deal with two parents at odds all the time. The boy already felt it was because of him that he and Peyton’s marriage had hit a snag. But it wasn’t because of their son, it was because Peyton chose to keep the truth from him about Liam’s birth mother, about Carlton Porter, about how she got Liam…about everything. Add drinking nonstop to that equation and their marriage was a recipe for failure. Peyton’s accident changed all of that, too. He returned home after she almost killed herself and those two cops.
Yet, he couldn’t shake her, couldn’t shake the hold she had on him. He loved her and he returned home. It wasn’t out of pity, not really, but he wasn’t the kind of man that could turn himself away from someone who needed him, and his wife needed him.
He still was uncertain how long Peyton would stay away from the alcohol. During the fifteen years they had been married there were times in the past when she’d stopped drinking. One time she stopped for an entire year only to go right back to the vodka bottle without any explanation. He was afraid that the same thing would happen again. It was likely that it would. It had been a little less than a year since she plowed down those two police officers. Yeah, so far she had adhered to everything that the court ordered. Thanks to Ryker’s expert defense, she’d gotten off with a light penalty. Considering the DUI and the accident, it could have been so much worse. She could have served a long stint in jail but instead she did a few weeks of house arrest, was placed on probation, and paid the courts and the officers a pretty hefty fine in exchange for her freedom. He thought about people who didn’t have the money or means to fight such cases and sometimes it made him angry that people like Peyton who abused the law could pay their way to freedom.
Derek admitted to himself that he and Peyton had seen some tough times and yet they were still together. He had been raised and taught early on that marriage was sacred and that no one belonged in it other than the couple married to one another. It wasn’t that he was such a good man, not in his own eyesight, because he had his own issues. He loved money for one thing. Growing up with very little of it, when he met Peyton and her family, they gave him a leg up and then the development of the App gave him the type of financial freedom he could only once dream about. He still pinched himself from time to time, amazed at his blessings and good fortune. He would spend hours upon hours devising ways to make more money. The more he made the more he wanted and needed. He would let nothing stand in the way of that.
Now that Peyton had come out and asked him directly about saving their marriage, he had nothing to say. It was as if he clammed up. He didn’t want to give her false hope. He wanted to take things one day at a time, because only time would tell if she was a changed person like she professed. He saw the evidence. He saw how much better things were between her and their son, and that surprise birthday party, it was one of the best nights of his life. She had really outdone herself with that, but was it en
ough for them to move forward? Then there was the fact that she had never been able to give him a child. He loved Liam like he was his own flesh and blood son, but deep inside he often longed for a child of his own—one that had been created from his sperm, but for some reason it never happened for them. Peyton was thirty-seven years old, and though it wasn’t impossible, and because it had not happened so far, he believed it was doubtful that she would ever get pregnant, and he had come to accept that. It was a portion of him that blamed her drinking for her not getting pregnant. He had no proof of that, but he secretly believed that she was the cause of her own infertility. Time would have to tell if their marriage would survive.
Chapter 24
“It is better to break your own heart by leaving, rather than having that person break your heart every day you’re with them.” Unknown
Eva parked, got out of the car, and headed to class after she dropped the dogs off at the groomer. She would pick them up after she finished class.
She felt exhilarated and free since Harper was still out of town. He would call her ever so often, and that was fine with her. When he told her that four states had been added to his tour, she couldn’t have been happier. That meant he would be gone an additional two weeks. If she never heard from him again, that would be even better but she needed his money, his influence, and in a crazy sort of way, she needed his power.
Culinary class went smoothly. It was another enjoyable day. The class had begun preparing more simple dishes, and Eva loved it. At the end of class, she lingered and talked with her instructor before leaving for the afternoon. She climbed inside her car, gave the groomers a call to see if the dogs were ready, and then turned the ignition. A knock against her window startled her. It was him.
The Real Housewives of Adverse city 3 Page 14