by Penelope Sky
He rolled his eyes and took a drink. “When did you get so lame?”
“I’m gonna be a father in a few months, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“So that means you need to be boring?” he demanded. “Pussy shit?”
“You want me to slam your face into the table?” I countered. “I don’t mind going out for a drink or two, but I don’t want to watch women get naked. When you find the right woman, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.”
“I’ve found a lot of right women,” he said. “But I’ll never understand your point of view.”
“Because they aren’t the one.”
Carter dropped the hostility. “So, we’ll head to Florence for a drink?”
“That works for me. While we’re there, I think we should invite Vanessa.”
Carter looked even more skeptical than before. “Your sister? You want to invite your sister to your bachelor party?”
“It’s not a bachelor party. And yes, I think it would be good to get her out of the house.”
“Jesus, that sounds terrible. That means Carmen will have to come.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Carter grimaced, like he’d just taken a bite of spoiled food. “This is how you want to spend your last night as a single man?”
I hadn’t felt single in a long time. “I saw Vanessa last week, and she looked awful. She’s not staying at the house for the wedding because she’s still avoiding Father. She could use the company. I’m not happy about it either…but that’s what families do.”
Carter didn’t argue, understanding my point immediately. Family was important to both of us. It was something we both agreed on without saying a word. He sighed with disappointment but didn’t express his anger with words. “Alright. Let’s do it.”
Carmen and Vanessa sat across from us at the table in the bar. Carmen was dressed up in a blue dress with her hair big and curled. She wore a lot of makeup, and she was attracting attention with every passing second.
Vanessa was of the opposite nature. In jeans and a t-shirt, she was dressed too casually for the bar. The only reason she got inside was because she was still pretty no matter how sad she looked. She didn’t wear makeup, and her hair was pulled back in the same bun she’d worn the other day.
Carter wasn’t happy about the girls tagging along, but he didn’t make a fuss about it. He enjoyed his beer, his eyes scanning the room for a possible woman to take home. Carter went through women with the same efficiency I used to possess. He had good looks, lots of money, and he had the kind of confidence women were innately attracted to. It was surprising that I’d settled down, but the possibility of that happening to Carter was nonexistent.
He would never be a one-woman kind of guy.
Carmen spotted a man across the room, her eyes following him as he carried his beer from the bar to the table where his friends were waiting. “He’s cute.”
Vanessa drank her scotch, her eyes cast downward. “Go talk to him.”
“I pointed him out for you.” Carmen tucked her dark hair behind her ear, her eyelashes luscious and thick. Carmen had the same exotic look that Vanessa had, but she possessed her mother’s features a little more. As a result, she was a very beautiful woman…much to my uncle’s annoyance.
“Thanks.” Vanessa still didn’t look, obviously not interested in anyone in that bar. “So, what next?”
“What do you mean?” Carter asked.
“Are we going to a strip club next?” Carmen asked.
“Or a club in general?” Vanessa asked.
“We’re keeping it quiet tonight.” Having a drink with my family was enough of an adventure. I kept Muse in mind, constantly worrying if she was doing okay. My parents were there if she needed something, but the bigger her belly became, the more I worried.
“Seriously?” Vanessa asked, her eyebrow raised.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Carmen said, appalled.
“What?” Carter asked incredulously. “You guys want to go to a strip club?”
“Not necessarily,” Vanessa said. “But this is a bachelor party, right?”
“Not really,” I said. “We’re just getting a drink and enjoying each other’s company.”
“Enjoying each other’s company?” Vanessa asked. “You never enjoy my company.”
“Very good point,” Carmen said, her fingers wrapped around her beer. “Carter never enjoys mine.”
“I’m not interested in strippers. I’m not interested in anything crazy.” I had a famous face, and I hated being recognized everywhere I went. I was usually recognized by women, and most of the time they tried to make a move. I used to live for those moments, to have beautiful women show interest, but now my life was different. I’d never wanted to settle down because I didn’t want to be boring, to stop living life on the town. But that happened anyway, and I didn’t regret it.
“So, you are boring,” Vanessa noted.
I would normally put her down in some way, but since she was going through a hard time, I let it slide. Until she was better, I would keep my mouth shut. “I’m a committed man.”
“Boring,” Carmen said. “When I get married, I’m hitting the strip club. I’m gonna dance on the bar and give my panties to some stranger.”
Carter cringed. “Anyway…”
Vanessa turned quiet, the sadness entering her eyes.
Carmen realized what she’d said and wore a look of regret. “I just meant—”
“Don’t walk on eggshells around me,” Vanessa said gently. “Really, it’s fine. I’m going to be this way for a long time, but you shouldn’t have to watch everything you say to avoid offending me. Heartbreak is a complicated thing…I’ve never felt this way before. Everything reminds me of him, so I can never really escape this pain. Even when I sleep, he’s there…” Her eyes drifted down to her scotch. She gripped the glass tightly, the only person there who’d gone straight for the hard liquor.
“I’m sorry,” Carmen whispered. “I wish there were something I could do…”
Vanessa rubbed her back. “You’re already doing something.”
“You know, maybe you should start seeing someone,” Carmen said. “They say the quickest way to get over someone is to get under someone else…”
I would normally grimace or tell them to drop the subject, but I bit my tongue. Vanessa had to put up with my relationship with Muse since they were friends, so I should be quiet and not say anything.
“I’m not interested in that,” Vanessa said, her eyes heavy. “I can’t even picture myself with someone else. I’m not there. I won’t be there for a long time.”
Carmen gave a slight nod. “I understand. Griffin was really hot.”
“It was more than that,” Vanessa said. “It was deeper than that.”
My sister’s sadness bothered me, and I wished it would end. I missed her outgoing personality, her fearless ways. I knew this relationship had changed her forever. She would never be quite the same. But I still didn’t want Bones back in our lives. “Vanessa.”
My sister turned toward me, displaying features that were similar to my own. She looked more like Mama, and I looked more like Father, but it was obvious we were related. “Yeah?”
“How about you stay at the house tonight?” I knew it would make both of my parents happy, particularly my father. Vanessa used to love staying at her childhood home every chance she got, but all of that changed overnight.
Vanessa stared at me, but her expression didn’t change, still full of heavy sorrow. “I don’t want to.” She said it simply and without a drop of emotion. She held my gaze before she turned back to her scotch.
I kept looking at her, surprised she’d given such a deadpan response. “It would mean a lot to Father if you did.”
“I’m not ready to pretend everything is okay, Conway.” She spoke directly to me while our cousins listened to every single word. They were silent, blending into the background while music played overhead. “Because e
verything is not okay. I’m happy for both of you, and I’m excited to see my brother get married. Sapphire is a wonderful person, and you’re very lucky to have each other. I’m excited to call her my sister. But my issues with Father are separate, and I can’t dwell on it tomorrow. But no, I’m not going to sleep over and pretend everything is okay. Father made the wrong decision.”
Carter shifted his gaze back and forth between us, the tension palpable.
Carmen cleared her throat, twirling a strand of hair at the same time.
Our cousins were aware of the situation, but the intensity of our discussion was obviously heavy for the lighthearted evening. “Guys, could you give us a minute?”
“Sure thing.” Carter couldn’t wait to get away from the table. He headed to the bar, taking his drink with him. Carmen joined him, the two of them sitting together. They were distant with one another, so it was obvious they weren’t a couple.
Vanessa kept staring at me. “Let’s not talk about this right now.”
“Too late. It’s happening.” I drank my beer then returned the heavy glass to the table. “I know you’re upset, but Father did the right thing. He’s protecting you. I don’t have a son or a daughter yet, but I’ve been preparing for it since the day Sapphire told me she was pregnant. So I understand how he feels. I want the best for my little one. Vanessa, Griffin is not the best.”
“I’m not looking for the best. He’s the man I fell in love with. It’s not like I have a choice of who I love. That’s not how it works. If you ever had a choice, you never would have fallen in love with Sapphire in the first place.”
She had me there. “You will meet someone better, Vanessa.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll love him better. I’ve been with plenty of other guys—”
“I don’t want to hear about that.” In my fantasy world, my sister never hooked up with guys. She was a nun who painted.
She rolled her eyes. “Get over it, Conway. I’m a grown woman who can do whatever she wants. Your immaturity is completely sexist. You can sleep with every woman in Italy and nobody gives a damn, but with me, there’s a double standard. It’s bullshit.”
“I’m not sexist. I just don’t want to hear about your personal life. I don’t talk about mine.”
“Yes, you do,” she argued. “You make comments here and there. Your promiscuity has never been subtle, Conway. Mama and Father have never cared, and I’ve never cared. But when it comes to me, everything is different. Sapphire was being hunted by a psychopath that kidnapped and almost killed me, but Mama and Father never even raised an eyebrow at her. She’s been far more dangerous than Griffin has ever been. It’s bullshit—and you know it.”
We’d had this conversation before, and I couldn’t deny the stark differences between our relationships. “Sapphire has never been an enemy to this family. She’s an innocent woman who would never hurt anyone.”
“Griffin would never hurt me or any of you.”
“Except when he wanted to murder us all,” I snapped. “I’ve got a wife and a kid to look after now. It gives me peace of mind knowing I don’t have to worry about Griffin anymore. I understand that you’re angry, but Father made the right decision. It was really hard for him, Vanessa. I’ve never seen him so low. You’re all he thinks about. He thinks you hate him.”
“I told him I didn’t.”
“That’s not enough to convince him. Show it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “Did Father tell you why he changed his mind?”
“No.”
She finished her scotch and turned back to me.
“Are you going to tell me why?”
“It’ll make you uncomfortable.”
“Then don’t tell me.”
We sat in silence for a while, quiet conversations filling the bar. Carmen and Carter kept talking over at the counter.
She spoke again. “Father asked Griffin something he never should have asked. He pried into my intimate relationship when it was none of his business. Griffin gave him an answer he didn’t want to hear, so Father pulled a gun on him. It was unfair. We’d spent the last two months trying to get our parents to see the man I love for who he is now. And then information from the past came up, and it was like the last two months never happened. It was unfair—completely unfair.”
I wasn’t sure what secret she was hiding, but it made me think of the skeletons in my own closet. When I met Muse, I wasn’t good to her. I demanded sex from her, took her virginity, and kept her as a slave. The only reason I started to treat her as a person was when she demanded for me to. I wasn’t a saint by any measure, but I’d never killed anyone or vowed revenge on someone’s family. “You picked the worst possible man to love, Vanessa. Mama and Father have been through a lot, and you chose the one person they can’t tolerate. With all the men out there, you come home with the only man Father can’t stand. You’re putting all the blame on him, but you didn’t give him much to work with. What did you expect him to do? He did his best, Vanessa. He’s always done his best for both of us. You’re being a brat, you know that?”
Her eyes filled with hatred. “How would you feel if Father took Sapphire away?”
“I never would have loved a woman who wanted to kill my family.”
“You say that now, but you don’t know. Trust me, I tried not to fall in love with Griffin. When he told me he loved me, I took off. But it was impossible, Conway. It was just as impossible as it was for you not to love Sapphire.”
“Even so, you aren’t giving Father the respect and compassion he deserves. We’re both damn lucky that we have a family. Sapphire has no one. You have a father who’s willing to protect you even if that means you hate him. Be grateful.”
Her eyes flashed like she wanted to sink her nails into my throat. “I never said I hated Father. Obviously, I don’t. I’ve never taken my family for granted. If I did, Griffin wouldn’t be gone. So stop putting words in my mouth. I’m not trying to hurt Father, but I can’t say I agree with him. He’s hypocritical.”
“He’s just looking after you, Vanessa.”
“I’m a grown-ass woman who doesn’t need someone to look after me.”
“If you think Griffin is a good guy, then you obviously do.”
Her eyes narrowed even further. “He’s gone, Con. There’s no reason to continue to tear me down about it. If you think he’s a bad man, you should take a look in the mirror.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Sapphire told me everything—the truth about your relationship.”
Immediately, the adrenaline flooded my system. My blood boiled, and my veins burned from the heat. Father knew my secret, but that was different. I never wanted my mother and sister to know what I’d done.
She cocked her head slightly. “You kept her as a prisoner, forced her to please you, and never treated her like a real human being. So sit there and tell me how you’re any better than Griffin.”
I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t have an answer.
“Tell me,” she pressed. “What’s the difference between you? Because I don’t see a damn thing.”
“For starters, I never tried to kill Sapphire.”
Her eyes narrowed. “But forcing her into a life of sexual servitude is any better?”
“It wasn’t like that—”
“That’s how she made it sound. Fortunately, she was attracted to you and fell in love with you. And she didn’t have a penny to her name and had nowhere to go. You had more power over her, and you took advantage of it. Don’t pretend otherwise, Conway. Griffin has always been honest about who he is, and I respect him for it. In that regard, he is better than you. He’ll say the truth even if he’s hated for it. That’s a man, Conway.”
My sister had pissed me off a lot while growing up, but she’d never said anything so insulting to me. “Don’t compare me to him.”
“Then don’t judge him unfairly.”
My hand shook under
the table because I wanted to pick up my chair and slam it onto the floor. Even if my sister was right, I didn’t appreciate the unfair sentence she’d just given me. “Maybe I don’t tell you every little detail because it’s none of your business.”
“Yet, my relationship with Griffin has been everyone’s business.”
“It’s different. He—”
“It’s not different. Father didn’t give a damn how you treated Sapphire, even though it was morally wrong on so many levels. But with Bones, it’s a completely different perception. It’s sexist. Fundamentally sexist.”
“It’s not sexist. You’re the victim in this situation.”
“I’m not a victim,” she hissed. “I was loved and protected by the strongest man on this planet. He worshiped the ground I walked on. Before he left, he bought me a gallery, an apartment, and a car. I’ve never been happier than I’ve been with him. No, I wasn’t a victim. Far from it.” She pushed her chair back and stood up, dismissing the conversation once it reached its peak. She turned around and stormed off without saying another word.
And I didn’t try to get her to stay.
Five
Vanessa
I couldn’t sleep that night.
Even though everything I said was right, I felt guilty for talking to my brother that way.
Underneath his judgments and scrutiny, there was love.
Love was always there.
I sat up in bed, my back against the headboard. The sheets were always chilly because Bones wasn’t there to keep them warm. Spring was quickly turning into summer, but the heat still didn’t chase the cold away.
Nothing but Bones could chase the cold away.
It’d been a month since he left, and while I’d stopped crying all the time, I was still just as devastated. It was like he’d just left, just gave me our final kiss. His painting kept me company but also made me heartbroken at the same time.