by T L Swan
“He’s a cock,” Abbie whispers as he goes inside. Bridget drops her head in sadness and I whisper: “I got goss on that later.”
Her eyes shoot up to me. “Tell me now,” she demands.
I shake my head as Joshua approaches. “Ready?” He smiles and I melt—for you, my love, I will always be ready. He takes my hand and we walk through the beautiful double doors into the house with the girls following us. The walls of the huge foyer are all white and the floors are dark polished concrete. A huge bright abstract painting hangs on the wall and a large pendant light hangs in the space.
“Joshua,” Bridget whispers through her shock as her eyes look around the room.
“It’s just a house Didge,” Joshua replies nonchalantly and as we turn the corner we see Ben deep in conversation with Birgetta who looks over, catches my eye and smiles broadly.
“Excuse me,” she says to Ben and then she comes over and gives me a huge cuddle. “Darling, you have come back.” She holds me at arm’s length to look at me and smiles again and then she grabs Joshua into an embrace.
“Birgetta, I have news. I am getting married,” Joshua says gently to her.
“Ah,” she cries. “Oh my boy.” She grabs me again and spins me around and then she hits Joshua in the chest as she tears up and shakes her head.
“You will be the death of me, son. Sick with worry I have been over you.”
She then laughs out loud and shakes her head. My eyes wander over to the girls who are standing still watching the interaction.
Ben walks over. “Um, Stan, the police are on their way.”
Joshua frowns. “What for?”
“Mike hasn’t turned up for work for three days and Birgetta can’t contact him.”
Joshua rolls his eyes. “Has anything been taken?” He sighs.
“I’m not sure, but he worked his last shift here on his own,” Birgetta replies. “So I thought I had better call the police just in case.”
Ben shakes his head. “It will be all good; he has probably just broken up with his girlfriend and done a runner.”
I turn to look at the girls who are listening intently to the conversation. Joshua frowns and turns to Adrian. “Murph, can you show the girls up to their rooms in the west wing. I just want to look around a bit.”
“Sure thing,” he replies and gestures to the girls to the sweeping split staircase and they exchange looks and giggle like schoolgirls. Can’t they even pretend to be cool?
I grab Joshua’s hand gently to show my support. “I won’t be long, presh. Make yourself at home.” He gently kisses my lips and then disappears with Ben down one of the hallways toward his office. I turn and see Max standing awkwardly at the door.
“Hi Max.”
“Hey Tash.” He smiles warmly. “What’s going on?” he asks as his eyes follow the boys up the hall.
I shrug. “Not sure. Someone didn’t turn up for a guard shift or something and they are checking that nothing has been stolen.”
He frowns. “Who?”
I screw up my face. “Matt?” I shake my head as I try to remember the name. “I think it was Matt.”
He nods as he thinks.
“Can you and Joshua try to get along for my sake?” I ask. I know he wants go up and see what’s going on.
“Natasha, I have apologised to Joshua numerous times and he has made it clear that if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be here.” He sighs.
I narrow my eyes. “I’m going to talk to him; this is ridiculous.”
He shrugs. “It’s ok. Don’t worry about it. I would rather guard you than him anyway.”
“It’s uncomfortable for me, Max, having a boyfriend and a guard that despise each other. It’s damn uncomfortable.” I shake my head. “You have no idea how it makes me feel.”
He smiles as he gently puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk into the kitchen.
He smiles. “It will be fine, worrywart. It will eventually sort itself out.”
“Get your fucking hands off her!” Joshua snaps from the other side of the kitchen where he stands with Ben.
Max’s hand immediately drops from my shoulder. “Joshua,” I stammer, embarrassed.
Joshua stands furious before us. “Let me make myself clear, Max. You do not fucking touch her. Got that!”
Ben winces from his position behind Joshua and pinches the bridge of his nose with his other hand on his hip.
Max stands defiantly before him. “Yes,” he replies sarcastically.
“Joshua, Max and I are friends… that’s all,” I whisper horrified. How in the hell can he be jealous of Max?
“No, Natasha. Max is your guard.” His angry eyes flick to Max. “And I don’t trust him,” he sneers.
Max shakes his head angrily. “I’m not putting up with this shit,” he snaps. “I’m out. I quit!” He then storms from the room. My horrified eyes meet Ben’s and he shakes his head in frustration.
“Stan, calm down,” Ben sighs.
“No. Fuck off. I will not have him pawing my fucking girlfriend. He’s lucky I didn’t sit him on his ass,” Joshua snaps angrily.
I roll my eyes. I really want to chuck a tantrum right now but I know Joshua has a lot on his mind and now is not the time to do it.
Ben scratches his head in frustration and looks at me and I know that he knows something is going on that he doesn’t know about.
“Has anything been stolen?” I ask flatly. Nothing would give me more pleasure than fighting you right now, asshole.
“Who knows?” Joshua snaps and then leaves the room in a rush.
Ben lingers in the kitchen and waits till he leaves. “Can you ring Max and tell him not to be stupid and that I will ring him later?” he asks.
I smile and rub his arm gratefully. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“Don’t touch me. I like my job,” he teases as he pulls his arm from my grip and I smile stupidly.
“That was innocent, Ben. Joshua is overreacting,” I whisper, mortified.
“I know. He’s acting crazy.” He sighs and heads off after Joshua.
I walk out to the front garden and I see all of the guards checking things. Then I head over to the pool area to ring Max. I need somewhere private. I dial the number and it rings.
“Yes,” he answers and I can tell he’s walking briskly from his breathing.
“Max, Joshua has a lot on his plate at the moment and I can’t tell you what but I was hoping that you could just ignore him.” I am talking in a rush to try and get the words out. I can’t believe Joshua spoke to him like that.
“Natasha,” he sighs.
“Ben asked me to ring you and he said don’t do anything stupid and that he will call you later.”
He stays silent.
My mind is in overdrive and I know Joshua is going to be stressed as hell over the next few weeks. I need to keep them apart. “Have a couple of weeks off with full pay and you can both calm down. Go and see your folks.”
He stays silent.
“And then when you get back we will have a meeting and if you two can’t come to an agreement then that’s ok, but just don’t do anything rash. Max, I know you can’t get this money anywhere else. Please, for me will you think about it?”
“Natasha, I can’t see this improving,” he replies.
“Max, if I have to live this ridiculous life and have a guard I want it to be you and you can guard me only when Joshua is at work and then I don’t have to be with losers all the time. You won’t even see him. Please, Max, don’t leave. You are my bodyguard, not Joshua’s. I will talk to him, I promise. He’s being ridiculous.”
He stays silent as he thinks.
I try to sweeten the deal.
“Take three weeks and we will talk about it when you get back, ok?”
“Fine.” He sighs and I smile broadly and hold my chest in relief.
“Thanks, Max. I’m sorry about Joshua’s behaviour. I know this is hard for us to understand but when I left LA with you it affected
Joshua more deeply than we thought. It will take time.”
“Hmm,” he grunts.
“See you in a couple of weeks.” I smile hopefully.
“Bye Tash.” He hangs up.
Oh, thank god. Relief fills me and I go in search of my lunatic man. I find him in his huge office with Ben. I stand at the door.
Joshua has his back to me and is undoing the combination of the safe.
“No one could get into this safe. I can’t get into it myself,” Joshua mutters.
Ben sees me and smirks as I hold my finger up in a sh signal.
“Seriously, what is Max playing at?” Joshua sneers.
Ben plays along with my game. “He is twice her age, dipstick.”
“Nope, guns still here,” he mutters as he finally gets the safe open and looks inside with his back to us.
“Guns.” I frown. “Why do you have guns?” I ask, horrified.
Joshua’s eyes snap back to me. “We just keep them in case we need them one day.”
My eyes flick to Ben nervously. I’m just going to come out with it. “Ben, I rang Max and asked him to take three weeks off with full pay to give Joshua time to cool down.”
“You did what!” Joshua snaps.
My eyes hold Ben’s and I can tell he wants to smile broadly but is holding it in. I need to stop this spoilt shit Joshua is pulling right now.
“Joshua, Max works for me, not you, and you are being ridiculous. Max is like a father to me and it is not how you portray it. We are friends,” I announce as I try to act mature.
“You do not be friends with your bodyguard, Natasha, and he is too touchy,” Joshua fumes.
I raise my eyebrows and fold my arms in front of me in defiance. “You’re friends with Ben. What’s the difference?” I ask.
Ben smiles and drops his head as he tries to stay out of the conversation. I really do like Ben and I bite my lip as I also stifle my smile.
“This is my first decision as the woman of this house, Joshua. I have given Max holiday pay and when he gets back the four of us will have a meeting.” I signal at the space between Ben, Joshua and me. “And if you two can’t figure this mess out then Ben will make a decision as to whether he stays or not. Ben is in charge of security, Joshua. Trust him to do his job.”
Joshua narrows his eyes at Ben who gives me a quick nod. I can tell he was impressed with what I just said and I smile broadly, feeling very proud of myself. We walk up towards the car museum at the end of the hall.
“Now I am going upstairs to find Bridget.” I smile.
Ben’s eyes flick to mine as he opens the door.
“Want me to fix up a dinner date Ben, just the two of you?” I throw him a wink and smile broadly. “I can book a romantic restaurant.” I hunch my shoulders like a little kid. I am so matchmaking these two.
Ben shakes his head sarcastically as he rolls his eyes.
“Son of a fucking bitch!” Joshua yells from in front of us.
I spin around to see what he is talking about and there are empty spaces at the back of the garage closest to the door.
“Christ,” Ben mutters. “Four cars are missing.”
My eyes widen… oh crap.
It’s eight-thirty and Joshua is still with the police and Ben as they go over the crime scene, the girls are somewhere downstairs and Adrian has gone home. We are all exhausted and I am in my room waiting for my love. He’s had a bad day and the weight is being felt throughout the silent house. I need to talk to Cameron alone about this Margaret nightmare and now might be the time. I walk down to the west wing of the house until I find his bedroom and knock quietly on the door.
“Come in,” he yells.
I tentatively walk in and look around. His room is large. The walls are dark grey and the bed is a huge four-poster. My eyes are drawn to the red ropes and tassels on the four posts… Cameron’s into bondage. Acting casual I look around the rest of the room. It has its own lounge area off to the side, where he is watching television in boxer shorts on one of the armchairs. He cranes his neck to see who it is. I can see the disappointment when he realises it’s me.
“Hi,” I say nervously.
“What’s up?” he replies as his eyes flick back to the television.
Oh god, can’t he be more friendly. “I was just wondering if we could talk,” I reply quietly. “I know you’re mad with me and I understand why because I’m mad with myself.”
His eyes meet mine. “Sit down,” he replies, defeated.
I twist a small piece of material on the front of my T-shirt as I try to think what to say.
“Cam, I’m sorry. I should have told you that day in the hospital,” I whisper.
His eyes meet mine and he nods.
I feel my heart drop. I love Cameron and we haven’t been the same since he and I had those harsh words over Joshua in the hospital that day when Gran was sick. I feel my tears swell. “Cameron, I know you resent the fact that I love your brother.”
He screws up his face. “Tash, I don’t resent the fact you love Joshua. I wouldn’t want him to be with anyone else.”
“Why have you been weird with me?” I ask through my tears.
He just looks at me blankly.
“Cam, please can we talk, I am going to marry your brother and I can’t have this underlying animosity coming from you. It hurts me.” He shakes his head. “Don’t cry, Tash,” he replies gently.
I pull a really ugly face as the lump hurts my throat.
“I watched my brother nearly die and you wouldn’t even talk to him and…” He shakes his head as he tries to articulate what he wants to say.
I nod sadly. “I know, Cameron, but I had to let him go so that he could see if he loved Amelie.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t buy that, Tash. I would never let someone go if I loved them.”
I smile sadly. “Cameron, one day you will love someone more than yourself and you will do anything to give them a chance at real, deep happiness. I died a little every day I was away from him,” I murmur.
He looks at me sadly as he thinks and goes to say something but then stops himself.
“What were you going to say?” I ask.
He thinks for a moment. “Were your parents like you and Josh?”
I frown, not understanding. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“Were they, like, crazy in love with each other like you and Joshua are?”
I smile and nod sadly. “Yes,” I whisper.
He sits back in his seat as he thinks and I see confusion on his face.
“Were yours?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, not at all.”
I sit back as I understand the meaning of his question. He has never been around a couple like Joshua and me. He thinks this is abnormal.
“Cameron, there are too many mediocre things in life already… love shouldn’t be one of them.”
He nods sadly. “I guess,” he replies.
“And just because your parents are not over-the-top affectionate doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.”
He stares off into space somewhere, deep in thought.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Have you ever been so deeply deceived that it makes you question if everything you thought you ever knew is a lie?”
“Not really Cam.”
He looks back at me and I know he didn’t expect that answer.
“The thing is, when Joshua slept with Amelie… deep down I knew it was coming. He had feelings for her and I had expected it all along on some unconscious level,” I reply.
He frowns at me.
“Cam, it’s not a bad thing. Amelie is beautiful and smart. I probably would have picked her if I was Joshua to be truthful.” I widen my eyes at him.
Cameron smirks. “Well, you do hate horses.”
I giggle and nod. “That’s true. I definitely do.”
“Joshua did the right thing sleeping with her and, to be honest, I am really glad he did because now I don’t
have any doubt that we are going to make it. I’m not insecure or jealous and he is better for it too because now he knows for certain that I am the one,” I reply.
He smiles and holds out his hand to me in a peace offering and I take it in mine.
“Cam, I promise you as long as I draw breath I will never hurt your brother again.”
We sit still on the lounge, holding hands, and I can sense he still needs to talk.
“Can I ask you a question, off the record?” he asks.
I nod sadly because I already know what it is.
“Do you think my mother is going to deny having an affair?”
I shrug.
“Do you think our father knows?” he asks again.
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think he knows.”
I shrug. “I don’t honestly know what the truth is anymore, Cam. I actually felt pity for her.”
He frowns. “Pity, what do you mean?”
I shrug and frown. “Cam, I know it’s stupid but I’ve been thinking about it and I believe her. I still believe the story that she told me and I think that perhaps your father has the odd blood.”
He frowns as he thinks.
“But that would mean…?” He frowns again.
I nod as my eyes tear up. “Yes, I know what that means and I doubt it, but it is possible,” I whisper.
Cameron bites his lip as he thinks. “Gran would have never done that.”
I shrug. “I don’t know, Cam, but we have to support each other with this. We can’t turn on each other.” I shake my head as I imagine the shit fight that is going to go down with Margaret.
“Joshua said he is done with her,” Cameron replies.
I frown. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“He said he will never forgive her for putting you in that position.”
“I’m not letting him use me as an excuse to not get along with his mother,” I splutter.
Then I shake my head and stand. “What a nightmare. Come on. Let’s go and find the girls.” He stands slowly. “Sorry I’ve been an ass.”
I smile broadly and punch him playfully in the stomach. “Sorry I have been a drama-queen bitch.”
He smiles broadly. “You have, but I’m kind of getting used to it by now.” He nods as he grabs my arm and twists it behind my back and I laugh loudly.