PassionsPoison

by Lexi Post

  The image of Zach curled on his side, groaning, had her diving into her desk for an antacid. The knot in her stomach tightened to unbearable and her eyes misted. She couldn’t see him again. She cared too much to cause him that kind of pain. If only she had control when she was with him, but for some reason, she got lost in how wonderful he made her feel. She wanted to have all the crazy experiences Kayla had had, but with him. What a mess.

  She glanced at the clock again and wished Kayla didn’t have the day off. She could use a friend to talk to. She loved her mom and grandmother, but despite their frank talks, she’d prefer someone closer to her own age, and her boss’s quiet concern made her feel worse. Picking up her phone, she punched in Zach’s number. At the first ring, she hung up. What was she doing? She had to stay away from him. He might still be ill and with her luck, Dr. Josh would answer.

  Her gaze had wandered to the clock again when Gary, the front desk worker, poked his head around the corner.

  “Hey, Bea, there’s a guy out here asking for you.”

  She swallowed. It must be Phillip. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

  She should brush her hair and touch up her lipstick, but she didn’t care how she appeared for him. The sooner she met him, the sooner she could go back to work, or rather, the sooner she could go back to thinking about Zach. Her productivity was nil.

  Sighing, she rose and dragged herself to the front desk. She glanced around the lobby, but didn’t recognize any of the dozen or so people milling around. “Gary, you said there was someone here for me?”

  “Yeah, him.” He pointed to a man standing with his back to her, staring out the three-story window.

  Curious, she approached the stranger. He was built, probably used weights, maybe stood five foot ten. “Can I help you?”

  He turned to face her. “Bea, it’s me.”

  She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Chris? I didn’t recognize you without your uniform and hat. What are you doing here? Is this police business?” Sudden images of Zach being rushed to the hospital flooded her mind and her legs turned to slush. She leaned on the couch for support.

  Chris smiled, relieving her of her panicked thoughts.

  She’d forgotten how handsome he was. His blond crew cut made his jawline more pronounced and his light-blue eyes reminded her of the sky in summer.

  “No. I have the day off. I just wanted to give you a friendly heads-up.”

  She motioned to the couch and took a seat.

  Chris sat facing her. “I heard from a friend of mine at the Wrenborough Police Department that they ran the plates on your car. I guess you left it at the depot the other night.”

  Bea could feel her cheeks burn. “Yes, I did. You know how slippery it was, though it’s hard to believe with a day like today. They say it will hit sixty degrees. Zach insisted on driving me home. Why did they run my plates?”

  Chris shrugged, his shoulders looking bigger in the light-blue t-shirt he wore than in his uniform. “Standard procedure. That’s a private parking lot and the department there does a good job of watching out for the businesses in town. I wanted to let you know because if they find it there again, they’ll tow it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” His smile went crooked. “Standard procedure.”

  She chuckled. “Well, thank you for stopping by here to let me know. That was so nice of you.”

  “No problem. Hey, since I’m here, do you want to grab lunch?”

  Bea kept her smile by sheer force of will. “I’m sorry, Chris. I have an old friend who’s supposed to be meeting me for lunch. Do you remember Phillip Sutton from high school?”

  Chris thought for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed and his muscles bunched beneath his blue shirt. “Weren’t you two an item at one time?”

  Bea studied her hands. “Yes, but he got sick.”

  Chris slapped his hand on his knee. “That’s right. He’s the kid who went into a coma and missed a ton of school. I’d heard he’d come out of it, but I was in the police academy by then. What’s he up to these days?”

  Bea looked over the couch to check the lobby. She hadn’t been anxious to see Philip again, but at least he would go home. Chris was right in town, and she didn’t like how awkward he made her feel. “He works for a pharmaceutical company now. He and my mom keep in touch.”

  Chris rubbed the back of his neck. “Now that I think of it, you didn’t date anyone after Phil got sick.”

  She stood. Okay, enough was enough. “Thanks for letting me know about my car, Chris. I’d better finish the billing, if I can, before Phillip arrives.”

  Chris stood. “Right, forgot you’re on the clock. Well, if you ever need anything, just give me a call.”

  Bea accepted the card he gave her. “Actually…”

  “What?”

  She glanced toward the lobby and caught Phillip, in a pale-gray suit, entering the main doors. “Nothing important. I’ll call you. It looks as if the billing will have to wait.”

  Chris turned as Phillip joined them and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  She sensed Chris stand straighter. Maybe because Phillip was so tall. He had to be six four. Great, the testosterone levels elevated another notch. “Phillip, this is Chris Ledoux. He went to high school with us.”

  Phillip reached out his hand and the two men shook. “I don’t remember you, but then again there are a lot of things I can’t recall from high school. Luckily, Bea is the bright memory for me.”

  Chris put his hand on Bea’s shoulder. “Yes, she’s definitely special.”

  Bea stiffened. Time to end the posturing. “So, Phillip, are you ready for lunch?”

  “That I am.” He held his arm out to her.

  She gritted her teeth as she stepped away from Chris and linked her arm with Phillip. “Thank you, Chris, for the information.”

  He nodded at her before Phillip led her to the inn’s restaurant. She could feel Chris’ gaze on her until she had rounded the corner of the lobby. One down, one to go.

  As they settled into a private booth, Bea took a sip of water and dove in. “So, Phillip, tell me about your great discovery. Have you found a perfect match? Developed a new medicine for the company? Oh, have you been promoted?”

  He glanced sideways before making eye contact with her, an old habit she’d forgotten he had.

  He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Bea, it has nothing to do with my job and everything to do with you.”

  Huh? She pulled her hand away, watching him gauge her reaction. “What is it, Phillip?”

  “I’ve found an antidote.” He sat back and waited.

  She shook her head. “For what?”

  “You.”

  “Me? What about me?”

  He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Your poisons. I know about your toxic orgasms.”

  Bea’s blood chilled, her heart slowed. “What are you talking about? What poison?”

  “My coma. It was the poisons in your orgasm that caused it. I know, Bea. Your mom admitted it to me. She thought if I knew, I could forgive you and then you could forgive yourself.”

  Bea shook her head. This couldn’t be. Phillip couldn’t know. Would he tell others? What had her mother been thinking? Fear skidded up her spine as the full implications of Phillip’s knowledge penetrated her brain.

  The waitress came over at that moment. “What would you like?” She smiled as if everything were normal.

  Bea would like her world back the way it had been less than five minutes ago. She couldn’t even manage a smile for the girl, so she kept her eyes fixed to the menu while she ordered her usual sandwich. Maybe she could eat it later when she could think straight.

  Phillip waited for the young woman to leave. “Bea, it’s okay. I forgive you. You didn’t know at the time.”

  Her shock transformed to anger, mostly at her mother. No one outside the family knew their secret. Did her mother have a death wish? Was her mom so determined to see her married th
at she would risk their very existence? Or worse, was she clueless?

  Dread seeped into Bea’s heart. She stared at Phillip, who looked away before meeting her furious gaze. Her body shook as she tried to keep her voice low. “You forgive me? There is nothing to forgive. I didn’t do anything wrong here.”

  Phillip sent a furtive glance around the room. “Shh, you’re attracting attention. We need to keep this a secret.”

  Bea laughed, hysteria building in her throat. She dug her nails into her palms to hold on to her sanity. “So, now you want it to be a secret. Now that you’re in on it. What right did you have to dig into my family’s past? We dated as teenagers, Phillip. Teenagers. There was nothing to it but young love. Damn, it was thirteen years ago.”

  He reached across the table again, but she was ready this time and pushed back against the seat.

  He took the hint. “But I never stopped loving you, Bea. Surely you know that. It took me years to figure it out, and then sneaking samples of your DNA from your mom and using the lab at work to do the experiments. But I knew it would all be worth it in the end.”

  She shook her head at the stranger sitting across from her. This could not be happening. Her DNA? He stole her DNA. No, her mom and he stole her DNA. “Phillip, I’m sorry if you spent years figuring out why you went into a coma, but you have to understand, this doesn’t concern you anymore. I’ve resigned myself to my fate. I’ve made peace with it.”

  Bea couldn’t believe she could utter such nonsense. But her limited knowledge of Phillip and his motives had her instinct pushing him away. She needed him to leave, now.

  He glanced to the side before looking at her again. “I don’t think you understand, Bea. I have the cure. You wouldn’t have to be resigned to your fate. We could be together, have children. Remember how we chose names for our kids?”

  Bea shook her head. She didn’t remember. It hadn’t been important for her because their whole relationship had been buried under her guilt, but facing him now, she finally understood it hadn’t been her fault. Her mom had never told her. Her mother. She would wring her mother’s neck. Grandma Beatrice was right. Her mom’s aspirations far outpaced common sense.

  What she wouldn’t do to have Zach walk in the restaurant right now and sweep her into his arms. Maybe that would finally register with her old beau. “Phillip. I’m sorry, but there will be no ‘us’. I’ve found someone.”

  She looked down, afraid to see Phillip’s reaction. She needed him to understand, but her gut feared he would take revenge. What the heck was she supposed to do here? When he didn’t say anything, she chanced a peek.

  His smile was wide, confident. Huh? Why did she feel as if she were breaking up with him all over again? That he didn’t understand? “Phillip, did you hear what I said? I’ve met someone special.”

  He took a sip of water and shook his head. “How long can it last, Bea? A few days at best. If you spend any more time than that, he will die, if he doesn’t go into a coma.”

  He leaned forward, excitement shining in his eyes. “You see, Bea, I realized fate had saved me. By going into a coma, I couldn’t have sex with you, which, as the randy teen I was, would have killed me. We were meant to be together.”

  He sat back, picked up his napkin and laid it neatly across his lap before making eye contact again. “But it’s okay, I can wait. You’ll see. The only way you’ll ever have a normal relationship is with me. Ask your mother. She knows we’re right for each other. I just hope you don’t kill this guy before you wake up and realize the truth.”

  The blood pounded through Bea’s veins, causing her head to ache. The man was in severe denial, or certifiably crazy, or both. “Phillip, I love this man and I will control whatever I need to control to insure his health.” She ignored the twist of pain in her heart at her own words.

  Phillip glanced sideways before a Cheshire Cat grin settled on his face. “I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to come to your senses. But a word of caution, you’re not getting any younger and if we’re going to have children, we should get started right away.”

  Whoa. The conversation had disintegrated and she had no idea how to save it. On second thought, she didn’t want to.

  She stood. “I’m sorry, Phillip. What we had as teenagers died a long time ago. I didn’t realize you still had feelings for me, but I don’t love you and I don’t need your forgiveness. Find another woman to love. One who can love you back.”

  Bea took a breath and waited for Phillip’s gaze to return to her. “Phillip, don’t call me again. I don’t want to see you, ever.”

  She turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist, his grip painful, his eyes narrowing. “We are meant to be a couple, Bea. We will have our family. I have the solution and when you’re ready, we can make it happen.”

  She pointedly looked at his hand and he let go. She spun around and stalked through the door, doom settling over her like the gray sky of yesterday.

  As she strode through the hallway, she thought of her mother’s machinations and she ground her teeth. Grandma had been right. Ms. Susan Rappaccini had her priorities mixed up to have given hope to the poor, insane man who was Bea’s ex-boyfriend. She stopped in mid-stride. Or had her mother created the insanity? The idea was too horrible to contemplate. Her mother had to be made to understand the ramifications of her actions.

  Bea moved across the lobby on shaky legs. She headed behind the desk, intending to grab her phone from the back office, but Gary stopped her.

  “Bea, this came for you while you were at lunch.”

  She glanced at him, saw the plain envelope with the single line of typing on the outside and swayed.

  “Hey, Bea, you all right?”

  She grabbed on to the counter for support. “Yes, no, I don’t know.”

  “When did you eat last?”

  She shook her head, she couldn’t remember. “I’ll take that.”

  He handed her the dreaded envelope and she dragged herself into her office. The outside read, “To Bea Rappaccini”.

  Her hands shook as she used the letter opener to slit it. Unfolding the note, she read. Does he know about the other men?

  Bea dropped the letter as if it contained a rattlesnake and slumped back in the chair. She wiped the perspiration from her forehead. Had she been followed? As if she didn’t have enough problems, someone felt a need to make things worse?

  “Damn it.” She sat up. She was tired of being manipulated. She needed to take control, like she used to when having a one-night stand. Ever since Zach, she’d let herself be pushed and pulled. The question was, where to start first?

  Craig Larsen meandered into her office at that moment. “Bea, you look flushed.”

  His expression mirrored his concern.

  She brought her hands to her cheeks. “I’m not quite myself today.”

  He frowned sympathetically. “Why don’t you go home early? We can handle it. It’s pretty slow for a Wednesday. You must have come back to work too soon.”

  She glanced away from his kind face. “Yeah, maybe I did. Thanks, Craig.”

  He waved her off as he wandered toward the front desk. “Get some rest. See you tomorrow.”

  As soon as he left, she grabbed her purse and strode outside to her car, for once unhappy with the warmth of the air. The half-mile it took to drive to the police station wasn’t long enough for her to calm her racing blood. She should have done this as soon as she received the first letter. Inside the small building, she stepped to the window.

  A young man in police uniform gave her a nod. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, is Chris Ledoux here?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, he’s off today. Can I help you with something?”

  She curled her hands in frustration. She knew that. What had she been thinking? “No, I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  The young man looked concerned, but she waved him off. “Thanks.”

  Bea left the station and went to her apartment, her thoughts circling her
brain like mosquitoes hovering over water. She may be delayed in slaying that dragon, but her mother was one monster she could tackle today.

  She sat on her living room couch and opened her phone, but before she could dial, it rang.

  Zach. Or it could be Dr. Josh using Zach’s phone, which could mean the worst. Either way, she couldn’t answer. After six rings, it went to voice mail. It was for the best.

  She had lied to Phillip. She had no control with Zach, which meant she couldn’t be with him anymore. She’d have to make a clean break. It meant going back to the one-night stands. The very thought caused her stomach to roll over. But she had at least a week before she needed to contemplate that, a little longer if she used her porous dildo.

  Unable to stand the idea of having sex with anyone besides Zach for one more minute, she dialed her mom’s number. “Hello, Andy?”

  A man’s cultured voice answered her. “No, this is Tony. Your mom’s outside chatting with the neighbor. What’s up, Bea?”

  Bea ground her teeth in frustration. “I need to talk to Mom. You’re not going to believe what she did. No wait. Tell her I’m on my way over and I’m pissed.”

  Her dad’s quiet voice didn’t help her nerves. “Now, Bea, you know your mom, and she’s not going to change. What happened?”

  “Let’s just say she told someone about our family secret, and now I’ve got a man determined to make babies with me and it’s the wrong man.” She hung up on her dad, unable to say another word until she had her mother in her sights.

  Her grandmother’s words came back to her. It’s not her fault, it’s her genes. At this point, Bea didn’t care what excuse her mom gave, the woman needed to take responsibility for her actions.

  As Bea slipped into her Camry, she squinted. Grandma may have been wrong about the insanity skipping generations because right now she wasn’t quite sure what she might do when she confronted her mother.

  Chapter Nine