“Nothing” I say.
I hear her following me but once I get in my room I slam my door shut. I grip my head, circling around my room. I don’t know what is wrong with me. It’s like all I think about is either Claudia or Christian and it drives me insane. All I see when I sleep at night. Claudia. Christian. That ring. That fucking ring! I just want it all to be over.
I walk out to my balcony and scream as loud as I can for the whole world to hear me.
Claudia
I sit in the dark staring at my phone. I’m looking at the time. I’ve been waiting on my father for two hours now. Its 2 am and he is still not home. Finally, I hear the door open.
“Dad.” I say, before he passes the living room. He doubles back to look at me.
“Claudia?” He says squinting to see me.
I walk towards my father out of the darkness so he can get a better view.
“Where were you tonight?”
“I was at the office.”
“Dad, I want you to be fully honest with me okay? Were you with another woman?”
“What?” My father asks shockingly. “Claudia, how dare you ask me that?”
“Dad I’m sorry it’s just you’ve been gone late at night a lot lately and I notice okay. Julia is here all by herself wondering where you are. The late phone calls. The times you leave after random calls without a word.”
“Claudia I am working on a very important case okay? You know I can’t give you detail. I am working on the Roman Pierce investigation. This is a very important case for my career and this family.”
“Well you know what dad I really hope so because I’m really tired of this family being affected by the Pierces.”
He doesn’t even get how much this feud has affected not only Julia, but definitely me.
Chapter
5
“Stolen Moments”
Donovan
I really don’t feel like going to this thing.
Tonight is Saturday and it’s the annual fundraiser banquet. I’m all for a good cause, but I just haven’t really been up for being around people lately.
It’s basically an event where rich people come and spend money to donate to the charity of that year. According to Ella, it is also the fundraiser where everyone kisses the mayor’s ass. See Mayor Hawthorne has a lot of friends everywhere, including my father. Apparently, he and Hawthorne go way back. My mother informed me that dad helped Hawthorne with something a long time ago; therefore he looks out for my father. I’m sure Stonem hates that.
“Hey.” I peek through the reflection of the mirror to see my mother staring at me. She looks beautiful in her long black dress. I don’t think she will ever look less beautiful the older she gets. “You need help with your tie?”
“Of course.” I turn around smiling at her, reminded that I could never tie a tie at all in any type of form. However, it was one of the many things Christian was good at.
My mother grabs my black tie off my bed and walks towards me. She throws it around my neck and begins the impossible process… at least for me it is.
“So, I need to tell you something.” My mother says as she continues focusing on my tie.
“What’s up?”
She finishes tying it and places her hands on my chest.
How does she do it?
“I was very disgusted with what you said to your father the other night.” My curiosity of how to tie a tie is stopped by mother’s shocking admission to me.
“Mom, the last thing I ever wanted to do….”
“No, you listen.” She orders me in a soft, yet forceful way. “I know I haven’t been the best mother in the world. I’ve made mistakes and I have suffered the consequences. I lost Christian and I almost lost you, but your still here Donovan. You are still here. And what you said to your father was not only disrespectful to him, but to me, your sister, and your brother. Chris would have given his life for you and you the same for him. It was not your fault. It was mine and your father’s and we will have to live with that, but if you ever say the better son died again. I swear to you I will hurt you myself.” She gently grabs my face with both of her hands. “The better son did not die. One of my amazing, beautiful, and wonderful sons…. died. You hear me? Never disrespect yourself like that again. ”
I can see the water tearing up in my mother’s eyes as she looks me dead in my face. I never want to see that look again. The fact that I hurt my mother disgusts me. More importantly I’m trying to let her words sink in.
“Yes mom. I’m so sorry.” I say while holding back my tears.
My mother embraces me in one of her loving hugs with her hand rested on my head and the other rubbing my back.
Even though I still feel the same way, my mother was right. I had no right to disrespect my family like that because in the end I wouldn’t exchange any of them for the world, not even my father.
She releases her embrace and carefully wipes her eyes, the way women do when they don’t want to mess up their makeup.
“Alright let’s go to this shindig and do what Pierces do best.”
“And what is that?”
“Give them something beautiful to look at.” She slowly smiles at me and I do the same.
I have a really cool mom.
Claudia
“Claudia you look beautiful.” Mrs. Winthrop says to me. She is the wife of Judge Winthrop and Naomi’s mom. Like my father, Judge Winthrop is dedicated to bringing the Pierces down.
“Thank you Mrs. Winthrop.”
“And Julia that dress is absolutely divine.” She says to Julia referring to her black halter dress. “I think I wore one just like that two years ago.
What?
“Thank You, Ellen.” Julia says. I observed Julia as she forced a smile.
She just insulted Julia like it was nothing. What a bitch! I’m not surprised. Her daughter is the same so of course she inherited bitchy qualities from the woman that gave birth to her.
My arm is immediately grabbed by Jade. She pulls… well more like drags me towards the bar.
“What is going on?” I ask her.
“Nothing I just thought we could sneak in some wine right quick.” Jade openly reaches over the bar for two champagne glasses and a bottle of wine. Yeah right, so much for sneakiness.
“Hey!” The bartender quickly jumped at the sight of Jade grabbing the bottle. “You can’t take that”
“Oh come on. Me and my friend here won’t tell anyone…. I promise.” Jade speaks in her very seductive and innocent voice. This usually works on any guy especially guys who work behind the bar.
After a slight pause and drooling over Jade, the bartender laughs and grins.
“Alright” The bartender says grabbing the bottle and popping it open. He poured gold sparkling champagne in both our glasses.
“Thank you” Jade says in the same voice.
As we walked away with our drinks, I glanced back to see the bartender eyeing Jade’s ass. I chuckle to myself. Most guys were typical when it comes to a girl. They are so easily manipulated.
“Your tricks never fail I swear.” I tell her.
“Hey he was kind of cute though.”
“Ew! Jade, he looks thirty something.”
“Hey older guys are better in bed I swear.”
“Oh my God, that’s way too much info.”
“You know I’m kidding. The oldest guy I hooked up with was twenty one and you know that.”
“Yeah I remember, but hey you have had more partners than me.”
“I’ve had five Claudia and that’s not good at all at eighteen personally, at least you only had two.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
I had two and they both sucked. I lost my virginity to Eric and it hurt like hell. He didn’t help either with the way he just threw his self on top of me. Also, every time Eric got his release during sex, he would forget all about me. So needless to say I have never had an orgasm… at least during sex. Nor have I even had great sexual ex
periences, with my boyfriend for about a year at that. That is so sad.
The second guy Jade was referring to was the guy I hooked up with while we were out of town at her mother’s cabin. He was some local that worked at the ski resort. I found out Eric cheated on me and I just wanted to get over him, so I followed Jade’s advice unfortunately, and slept with the local when I was drunk at a party. Stupid I know. I thought that maybe a different guy would be better. Again, I was very wrong. He was wack. What’s that Missy Elliot song? Minute Man, yeah, that was definitely David, the hot Ski instructor, who turned out to be a very fast worker if you get what I mean. Ugh, I don’t want to think about this now, its pissing me off all over again.
“Claudia, look who I found.” We turn around hiding the glasses behind our back to see my father with Eric. Found him, my ass.
“Eric and I were just discussing his early acceptance to Princeton.” My dad says, smiling. He was cheesing at Eric like he won the Nobel Peace Prize or something.
While Eric and I were dating, I realized why my father pushed us to be together. I don’t know why it took me so long to put it together, but Eric’s father is William Anderson, the U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York. My father is one of the top Assistant U.S Attorney’s but his dream is to have William’s job one day. So if my dad maintains a friendship with his boss, he can put in a good word for him when it’s time to elect a new one. I would love for my dad to achieve his dream, but pimping me out is not the way to go.
“Wow, that’s just wonderful dad.” Annoyed, I try not to make eye contact with Eric who is wearing a blue suit with his hair spiked up. I really hated the way he wore his hair. That is so NSYNC, the best boy band in the world, with horrible hair.
“Listen Claud, I wanted to see if we could talk for a moment.” Eric says, before Matt Weston, my father’s colleague interrupts.
“Excuse me, but Mr. Stonem the Pierces are here.” We all turn around to see the Pierce family walking down the banquet hall steps in unison.
Wow, they really are gorgeous. I mean I’ve seen them at events before but it’s something about the whole family making an entrance together. It makes me feel like I’m in that scene in Twilight when Bella first sees the Cullens.
Mr. Pierce walks with his wife’s arm linked in his. She looks gorgeous in a long black dress. Mr. Pierce looks handsome in his all black suit with a black tie. I hate to admit it, but Ella looks beautiful in her red dress. Linked to her arm is Donovan who looks absolutely breathtaking. He looks good in a suit. It’s a dark green with a black tie. The suit is very fitting on him like the shirts he wears showing all his muscles.
I glance at my father to see his stern look of disapproval of the Pierces, along with Eric and Mr. Weston.
“Let’s go to our seats dear.” My father says to me.
I follow him to our long table where our names are labeled on place cards in front of each seat. Of course we’re sitting at the mayors table.
Oh no.
The Pierces are sitting at our table too.
Shoot me now.
Donovan
Of course were sitting with the mayor… and the Stonems.
Oh and look they’re sitting right across from us. I swear God has a funny sense of humor. Henry Stonem sat across from my father. Mrs. Stonem sat across from my mother and of course Claudia Stonem sat across from me, while Ella sat across from some really old guy hooked up to an oxygen tank.
This is going to be a very interesting dinner.
“Well people this is going to be a lovely dinner.” Mayor Hawthorne says while cutting into his salad. The mayor is a heavy set guy with gray hair, wearing a very ugly toupee on top of his head.
“Yes, I’m sure it will be Mayor” My dad says as he cut into his salad.
“So, Mrs. Pierce you have a gorgeous son I see.” The Mayor’s very young wife says.
She was eyeing me in a way she shouldn’t have, but the mayor was to busy stuffing his face to notice.
My mother turns to me and gives me a quick look.
“Ah, I guess he’s okay.” She nudges me and smiles.
She loves messing with me.
Claudia
Aw that was cute, the way Mrs. Pierce joked with Donovan. I can tell already they probably have a good relationship.
Meanwhile the Mayor’s wife is a total slut. The way she looked at Donovan was disgusting. It really annoys me when women throw themselves at guys like that. Donovan doesn’t want a slutty woman like that.
Wait, what? Claudia, snap out of it. He probably does want a slut. His sister is a slut and they are all criminals, remember that! Oh God, I’m so sorry for saying all that…..well maybe not the part about Ella.
“So, Claudia, I hear you are interested in attending Princeton.” I glance down at the mayor stuffing his face while talking to me.
“Um, well I don’t know yet I was thinking maybe…”
“I’m pretty sure she is going to make the right choice. She would love to go to Princeton.” My dad says interrupting me.
God I hate it when he does that. Yes he wants me to attend Princeton, but I don’t. I really want to go to NYU. I always wanted to move to the city. My mom and I always did our Christmas shopping in the city; it was the best moments of my childhood. Walking through Manhattan with her and being mesmerized by the beautiful decorations that ignited the beauty of New York.
Of course my dad has other plans without even considering mine.
“What are your other choices?” I look up to Mrs. Pierce who asked me that.
Wow. Why would she ask me that? I can’t help but to glance at all the Pierces who look shocked as well, including Donovan except he follows it with a grin at his mother like he was proud of her for asking me.
Isn’t she supposed to hate me? Maybe she wants to piss my dad off. Either way I’m okay with that.
“Um, well I was really hoping to attend NYU.”
She smiles. “That’s a really good school, my son Christian wanted to go there.” I notice the look on her face at the mention of his name. I feel for her. I can’t help but glance at Donovan too. He looks down at his food playing with his fork. Of course it is a touchy subject for them.
“Speaking of your son Christian, you know Donovan it was sad that you couldn’t make it for your brother’s funeral.” I turn shockingly at my dad.
What the hell is he doing? I look at the Pierces who all look like they want to kill him.
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t really something I could face yet.” Donovan says in a straight face. I can see the pain through his eyes. It’s like the baby blue color becomes darker at the sound of my father’s ignorant comment.
“Yes, because you weren’t here when he was murdered right?” My father asked in a conniving way. I look at Donovan’s hand in a fist holding on to his fork. Mrs. Pierce softly places hers on top of his trying to relax him.
“My son was with my sister in law in London for the summer. When the incident happened, he decided to stay. He was very close to his brother.” His mother kindly says giving my father a look like a female lion protecting her cub. I watch a lot of animal planet.
Love and Hate (The Pierce Family Trilogy) Page 10