Were All Animals

by Mima

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The fraternal twins were premature. This wasn’t a surprise to the doctor, who appeared to think that this was completely normal. He seemed content that the infants were in good health, that all was well and nothing unusual had lead up to Audrey’s sudden labor. No one did, and that’s what made Chase nervous.

  He wasn’t sure how much Flora saw before calling the ambulance - or even why she walked into the house without knocking - but with his luck, she probably arrived about the same time he shoved Audrey. It was such an instinctual reaction to his fear that she was going to push him downstairs, that he almost couldn’t stop himself from pushing her away. And yet, it didn’t matter; she was the woman, she was pregnant and therefore, he was the animal. No one would see it differently. Had she knocked him downstairs, Chase was sure that people would blame it on hormones or a clumsy, accidental act, allowing her to bear no responsibility. The entire community would come together to help her out and he wouldn’t be fortunate enough to die, but end up in a wheelchair for the rest of his life; suffering every fucking day of it.

  For some reason, life always worked out for people like Audrey. Now she had something else to hold over his head.

  But he was wrong. Audrey was excited over the birth of her babies and didn’t have an ill word for Chase, even when no one else was around. She conveniently forgot about almost pushing him downstairs and when he attempted to mention it, Audrey claimed that her memory was ‘foggy’ and he should know she would never do such a thing. Her words were sugary sweet and had he not known her better, Chase would’ve believed her. He assumed the doctor had given her some strong medication that altered her mood.

  It was Flora that would be the problem. She hung around the hospital, her eyes full of tears when learning that Chase and Audrey had two more little boys; Chet and Devin. Chase wasn’t crazy about the names but once again assumed he had no choice in the matter, but his impression was echoed in his sister’s words when she later referred to them as ‘redneck’ names.

  “Sound like names of fucking cowboys in mom’s romance novels,” His sister’s comment was blunt when he called her shortly after the birth. “I’m sure they’re cute, though.”

  “I’ll send a picture,” Chase replied and glanced toward Flora who sat nearby, watching him carefully. “I gotta go, I-

  “Chase we have to talk soon,” Angel interrupted him. “It’s about dad-

  “I can’t deal with that today,” Chase abruptly replied.

  “Okay,” She was strangely compliant. “But we do have to talk about it. He’s not well.”

  “I know.”

  “Soon. You can’t keep brushing me off.”

  “We will,” he assured her. “I promise. Just not today.”

  The conversation ended on a surprisingly positive note that sent a jolt of hope through his body. He felt very emotional with the combination of the baby’s birth and fears of what happened just before, his adrenaline at an all time high, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself but he couldn’t sit still. He wanted so badly to call Maggie and talk to her about what happened but the battery on his cell was getting low and he didn’t even know where to start. There were so many things she didn’t know, that he was scared to even say out loud.

  “Chase, I know this probably isn’t a good time,” Flora was suddenly beside him, her hand resting gently on his arm. “But we have to talk about what happened earlier.”

  Noting the compassion in her eyes, he merely nodded, making sure to not show any expression as he followed her to a quiet section of the waiting room. Sitting beside her, his heart raced at an accelerated pace and he felt his face grow warm as he bit back his emotions. Chase wasn’t ready to deal with this; his nerves were on edge. He was on empty.

  “Those are lovely boys you have in there,” Flora grinned, her eyes full of kindness as she pointed in the general direction of the nursery. He felt something inside him melt as he thought of the tiny infants that were born within a short period of arriving at the hospital. Chase had slipped away to contact his parents as well as her family and by the time he finished, Audrey had already given birth. The doctor had even commented on how she was lucky to make it to the hospital in time and although Chase knew he could’ve been in the delivery room for their birth, he used the excuse that he had to look after Leland to hang back. Flora went into the room with her instead.

  “Thanks,” Chase felt slightly emotional but hid it well. “Thanks for going in the delivery room with her, I barely had time to go make those phone calls and Leland-

  “Don’t even worry about it, that little guy was sure tired when your mom picked him up,” She put her hand up in the air and that was when something changed in the conversation. He felt a chill enter the room and his stomach lurched, anticipating the other shoe was about to drop. “Chase, I don’t know what is going on with you and Audrey but from what I’ve seen and heard, especially earlier today, it’s not good.”

  Chase didn’t reply, his expression stoic.

  “Now, I always wondered about you two and was kind of worried, but I try to mind my business,” She sounded authentic regardless of Chase’s reluctance to believe her. There was something not adding up in this conversation but he was going to hold the cards close to his chest before commenting. “But I heard screaming today and I thought maybe she was in trouble. But what I saw was a shock.”

  Chase nodded and refused to break eye contact. Harold taught him that this was necessary when dealing with an enemy and at that moment, he wasn’t sure where Flora fit into the picture. She liked to play the role of friend, but was she? His short life had taught him that women often liked to play roles that seemed appropriate at the time but they weren’t always real. He had little doubt she was different.

  “Chase, don’t take offense to this but I don’t think that girl is all right,” Flora spoke smoothly, pointing toward her head as if to indicate that Audrey was crazy. He didn’t react, still unsure of where she was going with this train of thought. “I don’t know if I trust her with small children, she seems to let poor Leland cry a lot. I know you can’t always be there, working two jobs and all and I don’t want to seem like a busybody, but I worry.”

  Chase felt his body relax slightly, although not completely soften. There something she wasn’t getting at and he waited, anticipating her to circle back at any moment.

  “Now, I think I have a clearer understanding. There’s a whole lot not right in your house,” She commented and glanced away, her eyes finally returning to Chases’ face. “I saw the evil in your house. I see the violence between the two of you. I fear for those children being brought up in that environment and I feel that you need help from a higher power.”

  What?

  Reaching over, her soft hand touched his and she leaned in closer. “The Lord is always there for you, you gotta know that. You two are young, things are stressful and scary, the economy is a mess, I know how difficult this must be for you,” Flora shook her head slowly and Chase felt a small smile reluctantly cross his lips. “Now, I’m not going to say anything to anyone about what I saw but under one condition. I need you to start attending church with me on Sunday and I know religion probably sounds silly or not ‘cool’ to your generation but it helped me out so much after my divorce and I think once you two get back on a spiritual path, everything else will fall in line.”

  Chase was stunned and remained silent, studying her face. She was serious.

  “I know Audrey comes from a religious background and somewhere along the line, she was separated from it but this is a chance for her to get back. I think it will make all the difference in the world. As for you, I think it will open your eyes.”

  Chase silently nodded and glanced down. Clearly, what she meant was to start going to church or she would call social services. He knew he had no choice but to say yes.

  “I think you’re right,�
� he spoke softly and she tightened the grip on his hand, a smile covered her face. “We’re pretty…lost.”

  “It will help,” She spoke in a hushed tone. “I know that your marriage isn’t exactly ideal but no marriage is and you have to make the best of it for the kids.”

  He nodded.

  “I know you’re gone a lot and things are strained. I know you spend a lot of nights on the couch,” Her words were barely a whisper as she picked up his hand and guided it to her thigh. Chase was too stunned to reply, when it was met by the heat of her body, with only the thin material of her pants separating the two. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”

  That was the other thing. He didn’t just have to start going to church, he would also have to start fucking Flora Johnson.

  Taking a deep breath, he nodded, indicating that he understood. It was another secret to add to his gallery of shame. His life, of course, was further off track with each day and it almost scared him to consider exactly where it would go from there.

  The next few weeks flew by at an exhilarated pace and the next thing he knew it was the middle of summer, rapidly leading to the fall. Another year would soon be shot and his life continued to spin out of control. When he did have a spare moment, it was almost as if Flora sensed it and called him next door, claiming to an exhausted and uninterested Audrey that she need Chase for some ‘handy work.’

  Much to his surprise, the sex with Flora was surprisingly good. Fast, furious, it was the relief that he often needed and for being an older lady, she was surprisingly in great shape. Her breast only slightly sagging but her legs were long, lean and it was clear that the yoga DVDs she mentioned had a positive impact that he couldn’t deny.

  He hadn’t made any movies since the twins were born. Things were so hectic, that he generally had to leave work immediately after finishing, no longer hanging out with Bud, he missed their time together. Chase was starting to think maybe his boss no longer wanted him to perform in any of the films since he hadn’t even brought it up in months.

  Then one day he did.

  “There’s a cute little girl we’re planning to make movies with, I sure would like to get you in on it,” Bud commented casually after the doors were closed, as they were cleaning up the bar for the night. “She’s seen your work and thinks you can do better with her than Betsy. Maybe a little rivalry there, I’m not sure.”

  Chase knew that there would be some extra money involved and he certainly wasn’t in the position to say no, their expenses continually growing; the financial aspect of having three kids was starting to overwhelm him.

  The day the taping was scheduled, Chase woke up to the sound of a crying baby - then another - interrupting a beautiful dream. In it, he was with Maggie in the most intimate way possible, finally giving into their desires for one another, on the cusp of a pleasure, he fantasized about so many times and yet, reality awoke him just as the beautiful sensation flowed through his body.

  Not that it stopped him from allowing the fantasy from returning throughout the day and in a way, it almost seemed to lift him, as if it were a real possibility and not just a dream. He felt her soft hands running over his body every second of the day, a pleasure flowing through him, a temptation that was almost overpowering filling him, making it almost impossible to focus on anything.

  By the time he arrived at work, he knew he was ready; in fact, he was more than ready to take on this sexual dynamo that Bud described to him. He felt powerful, strong, confident, as he made his way to Bud’s office, almost not hearing his words as he passed the camera, Chase entered the room where this woman awaits him.

  An electrical shock ran through him when he saw who it was; a combination of panic and excitement. The reluctance when he saw her face was almost overpowered by her naked body; so perfect, just as he would’ve imagined. But it was wrong. So very wrong.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “What the fuck?” Chase finally managed to find his voice, his brain and eyes in conflict on whether or not to look at her naked body; her flawless, youthful curves couldn’t have been any more perfect as she walked toward him with a wide-eyed grin on her face. Chase found himself backing away, as a small, yet loud part of his brain screamed for him to get out of that room, he couldn’t deny that his body was full of desire, blood rushing to his groin while his heart pounded in anticipation. “Kelsey, what the fuck?”

  The fact that it was Maggie’s sister was bad enough, but how old was she? Definitely not legal, that much he knew for sure. It was then, as he glanced at the top of her head, he noted the hair clips that reminded him of the ring he found under the bed months earlier and assumed belonged to a child. He suddenly felt nausea grab hold of his stomach, squeezing it so tight that he thought he would be sick. Comments Bud had made in the past suddenly made sense, the many remarks suggesting ‘little girls’ were the best, had a completely different meaning now that Chase no longer had the naive notion that he was necessarily referring to young women in their twenties, such as Maggie.

  “Oh fuck!” Chase said as he closed his eye, putting up his hand for her to stop. He ignored the indication that his body was on a whole other track from his heart and mind, as she ran her hand over his chest. “Put your fucking clothes on!”

  He finally opened his eyes and saw the look of hurt on her face, her blue eyes filling with tears and he quickly averted his eyes, turning off the camera in his hand. Shaking his head, he felt his heart soften. She was just a kid. How did she get in this mess? It was bad enough he was involved, but she was only - what? Sixteen?

  “Kelsey, please,” he spoke gently this time and pointed toward her clothing piled on a nearby chair. “You have to put your clothes on.”

  She wiped away a tear and slowly made her way across the room, silently starting to dress. His heart racing in panic, it suddenly occurred to him that maybe this wasn’t the first underaged girl. What the fuck was wrong with him? How did he allow his life to take such a fucked up turn?

  He looked away as she dressed and when she finished, standing awkwardly beside the chair, tilting her foot to the side, as if unsure of what to do or say next. Knowing that he was supposed to be the adult in the situation, Chase realized that he had no choice but to deal with this head on.

  “How many have you done?” His words were soft, barely a whisper as a chill ran up his spine. “Please tell me this was the first.”

  He wasn’t surprised when she shook her head no. Chase looked away, his heart pounded in his ears while his body still showed traces of excitement; something that greatly shamed him. In fact, he never felt more like a scumbag in his life.

  Fuck!

  “How many, Kelsey?”

  “A couple,” She cleared her throat, her voice barely a whimper, as if she were a child caught smoking.

  Not making a fucking porn.

  “A few?”

  “I wanted to do one with you but Bud said I had to do some with this other guys first,” she spoke innocently as if it were a rite of passage to get to him. Chase felt fury rise in his chest, as a picture formed in his mind. “You know, to make sure that I was ready.”

  “Ready?”

  “That I would know how to perform.”

  Chase closed his eyes and ran a hand over the short bristles of hair on his face, followed by his closed eyes. He suddenly felt weak; his muscles heavy but his body light, like he had been caught in the act of doing something wrong, even though he had stopped himself.

  “It’s okay, I kind of liked it,” Kelsey said as if this information would somehow mend the situation. “It wasn’t really an act-

  “Kelsey, please,” Chase cut her off and slowly shook his head. “You’re only 16.”

  “I’m almost 17!”

  “You’re a minor.” Chase reminded her. “This is illegal.”

  “Teenagers have sex all the time,” Kelsey insisted. “Didn’t you
?”

  “Not on camera.”

  “You’re only 20, so I find that hard to believe,” She argued.

  “I was 19, Kelsey, that’s legal,” Chase said and stood a little taller. “When I was your age, the only person I was having sex with was Lucy, my girlfriend. Not some random person on camera, for money.”

  He knew these words were harsh but it was too late. He could see her eyes water and he immediately felt bad.

  “Kelsey, you’re a kid,” he spoke gently. “I know you don’t want to hear that but this is something you shouldn’t be involved in. You’re not in trouble but if Bud gets found out, he could be in deep shit. Not that I really care about him. I’m assuming he knows you’re Maggie’s younger sister.”

  She wiped away a tear and nodded. “That’s why he waited until she was gone.”

  Fuck!

  Chase felt anger rise in him. This was all manipulated. It was carefully planned. Bud knew that Maggie would suspect something, so he waited till she moved away. He manipulated Kelsey to fuck some other guys for his movies in order to ‘get’ to Chase; whom she apparently had some kind of weird crush on. It had been planned so carefully and since Chase had feelings for Maggie, Bud probably thought he would gratefully take the opportunity to have sex with her younger sister, who resembled Maggie. Except for one thing. Maggie wouldn’t do something like this; never.

  “How did you know…”

  “I heard some guy was making movies and I thought it would be cool to try,” Kelsey shrugged. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal and when I heard you did one-

  “Wait, how did you hear that I did one?”

  “Bud told me when I approached him about doing a movie,” Kelsey replied. “He said it was a secret, though. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone.”

  The fact that anyone knew made him uneasy; especially a local. The last thing he needed was word getting out. He licked his lips, his brain racing to find an answer. What should he do?