The Truth About Fairy Tales

by Annie Walker

  Over the years, Sidney had grown to tolerate Serena and Genna, mostly by leaving the room, but Ben, well Ben was just too exuberant for him. All Sid did when Ben was around was snarl. I tried to keep the two of them separated as best I could.

  After Sidney and I took our usual morning walk around the apartment complex, I made coffee, gave Sid his breakfast, and started in on my Saturday morning ritual of cleaning house. For obvious reasons, this morning I did it with more enthusiasm than normal for me.

  I was trying to forget about the night before even though it kept me sleepless of the night.

  I didn’t understand Jackson Riley’s behavior toward me and my only conclusion was he’d kissed me out of anger. Probably some alpha male domination need. Figures. Just another reason to avoid the man.

  By mid-morning, I’d successfully put Ben and his uncle out of my thoughts. Although I should be studying for the huge test, I had the following week. Instead, I was knee deep in that hot romance Ben had interrupted last night.

  You can imagine my frustration when Ben called just as I’d reached one particular interesting, not-to-be-interrupted-for-any-reason page in the book.

  "Have dinner with me tonight,” he purred into the receiver.

  I held back my annoyance somehow. “Ben, I have to work to tonight,” I told him gently.

  “Oh, shit, I forgot. Can’t you call in sick for once? I mean, you never miss work. What would one night hurt?”

  Ben couldn't understand my devotion to a mere waitress job. But then, he had never had to work for a living.

  “I can’t. I’m sorry but I have to be there. They’re counting on me.” I could virtually feel his disappointment through the receiver so I tried to shift the subject to something that would definitely get his mind off taking me out to dinner. “So what’s this about your uncle that had you so worked up last night?” Why exactly I felt the need to bring Jackson into the conversation, I wasn’t so sure. Things were going perfectly well without Jackson Riley’s name ever coming into play.

  Ben blew out a very loud, very irritated sigh. “You don’t want to know. He’s furious with me and more determined than ever to ship me off to Paris. Well, I won't let that happen. I'd miss you too much.”

  I cringed over every single one of those words. “Ben, you and I are just friends. This could be a great opportunity for you. I mean, we're talking about Paris.”

  In my mind, I kept remembering Jackson’s words the night before. Part of me truly believed he had his nephew’s best interest at heart, although convincing Ben of this wouldn't be easy. I decided to do what I do best in sticky situations such as this. Ignore them at all costs.

  By midweek, as I hurried to meet my friends for lunch, I'd managed to push my problems with Ben out of my mind.

  With all of our busy schedules, it was harder for the three of us to get together anymore. Especially with Genna married and involved in her husband Layne’s life, his business, not to mention trying to have a baby to boot. And then of course there was Serena, who'd recently gotten engaged and was spending more time with her boyfriend Jeff. It was becoming almost commonplace for one of the three of us to miss the lunch entirely, or as was more often the case, cancel altogether.

  After some serious juggling on everyone’s part, we’d managed to get everyone together in one place at the deli close to Genna’s house.

  As usual, I was the last to arrive—Genna was the first.

  “So, how’s the baby making going?” Serena asked the second I slid into the booth.

  “Still no luck. I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever happen.”

  Genna and her husband had only been trying a few months now but Genna, well once she’d made up her mind about something she didn’t like to be kept waiting.

  Genna turned to me. “Maggie, when is Ben leaving for Paris?” I knew she still held out a small amount of hope I'd come to my senses before it was too late and fall into Ben’s waiting arms.

  “Next week, I think, and let me tell you it can’t be soon enough for me. Ben is sweet—don’t get me wrong,” I added that to forestall any further protest from her after I spotted that look of Genna’s that told me I was out of my mind. “But I’m not interested. Romance doesn’t fit into my plans right now. I have to concentrate on my studies. Ben will meet some nice girl in Paris and realize how wrong I would have been for him.”

  “But what if he’s the one for you? How can you be so smug about letting him walk out of your life like that?” I looked to Serena for help and the ring on her left hand finger almost blinded me.

  “Gen, we’ve been all through this. Ben is just a friend—that’s all.”

  “Fine, Maggie, but one of these days some guy is going to come along and knock you off your feet and I for one can’t wait. I can’t wait to see you fall in love.”

  This image had Serena and me both laughing and almost falling out of our seats. Unfortunately, my amusement was short lived. That uneasy feeling had returned. The one that I’d been trying to ignore for days now. The one that reminded me I hadn’t seen the last of Jackson Riley.

  ****

  Two days later, my worst fear became a reality. I was in the process of leaving Rosario’s after my shift late one night only to be accosted by someone driving a very expensive sports vehicle.

  I didn’t need to see the driver’s face to know who it was.

  Jackson Riley got out of the car and in his usual manner all but forced me inside.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded when I'd righted myself.

  Jackson didn’t answer. He smiled that little infuriating smile of his that told me absolutely nothing.

  I grabbed my purse and found my cell phone. “I’m calling the cops. They have a name for this, you know. It’s called kidnapping and it’s against the law, in case you didn’t realize that.”

  Again, he smile, then he took my phone from my hand. “I wouldn’t do that, little bit.”

  “Don’t call me that. And why shouldn’t I? Are you afraid someone might see the real you behind all of that polished fake charm?” I'd hoped for some reaction. I didn’t get it.

  “As it happens, I know just about every single person on the Austin police force. Trust me it wouldn’t turn out the way you’d like it to.”

  That scared me. Actually, everything about the man scared me from the second I’d met him.

  “Calm down. I’m taking you to my place, where we can talk in peace. Where you can’t get away,” he added and I realized he’d seen my fear.

  “I don’t have anything to say to you and I certainly don’t want to hear what you feel you need to tell me.” My childish answer reflected my feelings.

  Jackson concentrated on driving through the deserted streets of one of the most influential sections of Austin.

  He turned onto a private drive leading up to a house that even from the road I could see was enormous. It sat back from the road against the hills overlooking the city lights.

  As the car drew closer, the lights outside the house came on illuminating its mass. It consisted of two stories, sprawling along the lines of the hillside almost as if it were part of the landscape itself. The driveway curved around to the side of the house where Jackson hit a button to open the garage as the car drew closer.

  Once inside the garage, he turned to face me.

  “I’m not going in there,” I told him with as much false bravado as I could manage in the face of his grin. Of course, I was going inside. I knew it -- he knew, the only question was would I go willingly or would he help. I decided the safest way would be under my own power.

  He got out of the car, came around to my door, and waited for me to get out. “Good decision.”

  The house was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the out. In the enormous living room, a wall of windows looked out beyond the deck to the city below. I knew without even considering it that this place must have cost a fortune. Not that it mattered. He could certainly afford it.

>   “Would you like something to drink?” That had me forgetting the spectacular view before me and turning back to Jackson who stood just behind me, watching me. Was he nuts? I didn’t want to be here at all. He’d brought me here against my will and now he was acting as if this was a social visit?

  “Why did you bring me here, Mr. Riley?”

  He studied me for a long moment. "Okay, we’ll do it your way then.” He left me standing alone, mouth open from shock shaking my head. I had no idea what kind of game he was playing, but I suspected I didn’t really want to know either.

  When he returned, he carried a thick folder in one hand. Even before he spoke, I knew what would be in that folder.

  “You didn’t do like I asked you to, Maggie. Ben is more determined than ever to stay and that’s all because of you.” His glance slid over me as if to say he didn’t understand his nephew’s infatuation. “The funny thing is when I ask Ben questions about you, he doesn’t really know anything except that you have a grandmother somewhere in a small town. That’s strange, don’t you think, considering he’s so enraptured with you that he’s willing to give up a very promising future to stay here with you? You haven’t told him anything about yourself, have you?”

  I tried without much success to hide my shock as well as that sickening feeling inside at what I knew was coming next. He’d found out all about my past. It was all right there in that little folder. I saw the truth in the triumphant look in his eyes.

  “That had me curious.” Jackson continued to watch me while all the dread, the sinking feeling of having to relive my horrific past in front of him resurfaced. I couldn’t even begin to hide my reaction as each of his words hit me hard. “So I decided to do a little checking up on you. I wanted to see what you’ve been hiding.”

  He held the folder up again and I felt my heart strike its usual frantic cadence whenever someone got too close.

  I’d never once shared anything about my past with Ben, or anyone else for that matter, because I was just too ashamed of it all.

  Now Jackson, the man that I’d been trying to convince myself I despised knew about my past. That much was evident in the blue eyes that observed me like a predator waiting to devour his next victim.

  “So you know.” Somehow, I got those words out.

  “I know everything. All about your mother and your past. The real question is why doesn’t Ben? Why haven’t you told him?”

  I didn’t bother sticking around to answer that question or to hear anything more that he might have to say. He could do whatever he wanted with the information in that folder as far as I was concerned. Even use it against me with Ben if he wanted to. I no longer cared.

  I started for the door, but he stopped me.

  “Where are you going?” I could almost swear there was just a little hint of regret or something bordering on human in his voice. When I turned back to him, my hand still on the door the look in those cold eyes told me I'd been wrong. Jackson wasn’t human and I was a liability to him.

  “I’m leaving. Do whatever you want with all of that.” I pointed to the folder still in his hand before opening the door. “Because you see, it really doesn’t matter to me what you think of me.” And just like that, and I think to his complete surprise, I walked out of his very expensive house and away from Jackson Riley.

  I ran down the curved drive and out of sight and yet I couldn't keep stop. I was trying to outrun my past, but just like always, it was right there with me in my head and in my heart.

  When I reached the edge of his exclusive neighborhood, I stopped and sank down on the edge of the road.

  The little girl tears that had been there so many times in the past came back to haunt me making it impossible for me to believe I would ever be more than Rachel Monroe’s illegitimate daughter. The daughter of a drug addict. A woman who sold herself for the thrill of the high.

  The memories of my mother and the years I’d spent with her had the power to make me feel worthless, dirty, and unwanted all over again. All the things I’d fought to overcome growing up. All the things I wished that I could forget now.

  I wasn’t like my mother—was I? I’d tried to convince myself of that over and over again. Our only real resemblance was our looks. My mother had the same silver blond curls as me and yes, we were both very stubborn women, but that was it. That was where any resemblance ended.

  Part of me still believed, and the very thought of it scared me to death, that if I’d remained with her for only a little while longer I would have turned out just like her. My life would have become a carbon copy of Rachel’s.

  At fifteen, she’d dropped out of school, ran away from my grandmother and disappeared from sight. A year later, she was back. She’d just showed up at my grandmother’s small house in Santa Anna with me, a baby of only a few months in tow. I think my grandmother knew even then she was abusing her body with drugs. I was just lucky she’d had the common sense not to use while pregnant with me.

  My mother disappeared again in her usual fashion, sneaking out in the middle of the night. She left me behind with a note for my grandmother, telling her that I would be better off with her. From that day on, my grandmother took care of me and loved me just like I was her own child. In fact, because of the things we went through with Rachel, we ended up closer than most mothers and daughters.

  I didn’t see Rachel again until I was almost four.

  When she came home again, fed my grandmother a string of lies about being clean and off the streets and then just like before left in the middle of the night. This time she took me with her.

  Years later, I overheard Gran and Lee talking and learned that someone, probably one of her loser boyfriends had told her she could get money from the government for me. The only catch was I had to be living with her at the time.

  Rachel had dragged me off with her in the middle of the night. I can still remember how frightened I was. I cried for days, missing my grandmother.

  We moved around a lot in those days. Living in more run down apartments in Houston than I can remember. When the money ran out, we were forced out on the streets and eventually into a shelter.

  Right before my fifth birthday, my mother decided she’d had enough of dragging a kid around with her. I suspected that it was because people were starting to ask questions and I was old enough and honest enough to answer all of them.

  I ended up back with my grandmother, where I couldn’t have been happier. But my poor sweet grandmother was forced to take on the task of making me presentable to the world.

  By that time, after being out on the streets for so long, I’m sure I resembled a little street urchin.

  Grandma Sarah got me cleaned up and into school and church. Before I knew it, and in that childlike way, I was adjusting quite well to my structured lifestyle. Especially for someone who had known very little structure in her life.

  I was happy again. I was with my grandmother—the only real family I had. It was a long time before I realized having me back in her life forced my grandmother to keep working as a teacher to support me. She never complained. Later, I'd learned the truth from Lee and I’d loved her all the more because of all the sacrifices she’d had to make to keep me.

  That was the last time I saw my mother again until after my tenth birthday. She came home one weekend and I hardly recognized her. She looked old, almost older than my grandmother did. Her lifestyle was beginning to take its toll on her physically.

  My mother had once been a very beautiful woman, or so I believed from all the earlier pictures I’d seen of her. Now she was nothing more than a shell of that fun loving girl my grandmother spoke so fondly of.

  Rachel tried again to make us believe she’d changed. She wanted me to come back to live with her in Houston. She tried convincing us that she was clean and had gotten her life back on track. I knew my grandmother didn’t buy it any more than I did, but she believed she was powerless to stop her daughter from taking me if it came to that.

  I,
on the other hand, was not. After all I didn’t really know my mother anymore. All those terrible days I’d spent living with her had become just a suppressed nightmare that would wake me sometimes late at night.

  I cried and cried and clung to my grandmother, the only real parent I’d known until finally, my mother gave up and left. With her gone, peace returned to my world. I forgot all about my mother for the time being.

  Oh, she’d turn up from time to time like a bad penny, but I didn’t really have much to do with her. She was just a visitor as far as I was concerned.

  Then, when I turned thirteen, she’d come back with a husband in tow determined to make up for lost time with me. She was clean and, I have to admit, she looked better than I’d ever seen her. She’d actually gained a little weight. She appeared happy which was all fine and good, but I had no intention of going to live with her even if she did have a special room ready for me in a brand new house.

  I’d gone to my grandmother then for help and she’d decided to put an end to this whole thing once and for all. She’d sought legal help and found it all in Lee Worthy.

  Lee was an older gentleman who had been practicing family law for more than twenty years. He’d taken my grandmother’s case for free. It wasn’t long before they became fast friends.

  Lee won custody of me for my grandmother and I became instantly enamored with the law.

  After the decision was official, my mother was forced to back down, but she and her new husband were determined to prove to me that things were different this time. For the rest of my years, living in my grandmother’s house, my mother had made herself a part of my life—whether I wanted her there or not.

  I couldn’t accept her in my life at all. Maybe that was wrong, but to me she would never be more than a stranger. That’s all she’d been for me growing up and that was the way I was determined to keep things. My grandmother Sarah was the only relative I knew or needed.

  But still, Santa Anna was a small town and almost everyone knew about my past. My friends came to my rescue in school when some kid would say something cruel to me, but there were always, throughout my life, those inevitable questions about my family that sent me back to the past.