Corrupt Idol

by Dinah Harper

“I’m not driving to Alaska,” she grumbled as she belted herself in.

  “Still. You can get into trouble at a kid’s birthday party,” Abel said as he pulled into traffic. “It’ll give us all peace of mind if you have someone to back you up.”

  “What does that mean?” Jesse asked from the back seat.

  She shot him a quelling look that he returned with a stoic one.

  “You’re her brother. You must know,” Abel said with a grin. “She attracts the wrong kind of attention and always gets herself into trouble.”

  “Abel,” she said in a suppressive tone.

  He laughed and pat her hand. “It’s not your fault, Vi.”

  “No,” she said with great restraint. “It isn’t.”

  “Men won’t leave her alone,” Abel shared as he pulled onto the interstate. “And she tends to put them down hard. Men don’t take kindly to that.”

  Nothing from the back seat.

  “By the way, Mason stopped by,” Abel said with a sidelong glance.

  “What for?”

  “To get you back, I suppose. Reese told him you’re moving. He wants you to call him.”

  “If I wanted to talk to him, I would have returned his calls.” But that was a difficult feat since she blocked him. “He didn’t cause any trouble, did he?”

  “Nah.” His voice changed. “I’m sorry about your Mom.”

  She gripped the door handle and tried to stop the immediate surge of emotion. During the whole flight, her mind replayed past memories that made her heart weep. Just the thought of losing Lynne made her feel as if she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t bear to talk about it. “Thanks. I need to leave as soon as possible.”

  “We figured that. We’re gonna help as much as we can.” Abel’s attention went to the rearview mirror. “I didn’t know Vi had a brother. Do you live in Texas?”

  “I’m in the Air Force,” Jesse said.

  Abel brightened. “My brother’s in the Army.”

  She tuned them out as they made their way to her home for the past four years. Even though she knew moving to Texas was the right thing to do right now, she felt a pull in her gut. Salt Lake City had given her a fresh slate. She made friends here and created a new life. This city helped her grow and heal… or so she thought.

  Did running away work?

  A wave of heat washed over her. She didn’t run, she moved on with her life. Did he think she would wait around so when he came home on leave, she would be at his disposal? Selfish motherfucker. She had a life to live and wasn’t going to waste any more of it wallowing on the past or him.

  Listening to him and Abel put her on edge. She didn’t like Jesse encroaching on her life. This was hers. Here, he was nobody, and she wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, he and Abel seemed to be getting along swell. She strangled her seat belt as she listened to him extract information from Abel she wouldn’t have provided—that she had originally dated Abel before she realized they didn’t suit and introduced him to Reese. Abel filled him in on her short college experience, some of her jobs, and was starting on her extensive dating when she cut him off.

  “That’s enough,” she snapped.

  Abel grinned. “Don’t want him to report back to your parents?”

  No, she didn’t want him to know. “You should be careful. You were at all of those wild freshmen parties with me. I have a lot of ammunition for the speech I’m going to give at your wedding.”

  “Don’t be so touchy, Vi. I’m talking to your brother, not your boyfriend.”

  She looked out the window. “Yeah, whatever. Let’s not bore him with this shit. Have you guys set a date yet?”

  “No.”

  When she caught the note of hesitancy in his voice, she turned to him. “What?”

  He shrugged. “It might be delayed a little longer. We put an offer on a house.”

  She straightened. “You did?”

  “Yeah, and we got it.” He shot her an uncertain look. “We’ve been thinking about it for a while. Reese wanted to wait, but it was too good a deal to pass up.”

  That explained the abrupt announcement that Reese wanted to move out and Meg had agreed. As she had suspected, everyone was moving forward. She ignored the pang of regret in her chest and squeezed his forearm. “That’s great news. I’m happy for you.”

  Abel shot her a quick glance. “You know, you don’t have to move back to Texas if you don’t want to. We can delay our move or you can come to the new house with us. We’re gonna have lots of room—”

  “You guys are so sweet, but I’m good,” she said, even as a part of her considered the offer.

  Life was still shoving her along too quickly for her to think. She had to make big, life changing decisions on the spot. Was she in or out? It was tempting to stay when the city looked so pristine. It was a beautiful day with the mountains jutting toward the sky.

  “Reese feels so bad. She’s going to try to convince you to stay,” Abel said in a low voice. “And I know you need a job. I talked to my dad. Our receptionist is going on maternity leave so you can see if that fits.”

  “Abel.” She was touched. “You know my track record and would still let me work at your family’s company?”

  “You’re not a bad worker. You just haven’t found the right job yet.”

  Her eyes stung with tears. Reese, Meg, and their men had become her support system. She was a fucking screw up and was forever dragging her drama along with her, but they never gave up on her. They were loyal and amazing and at that moment, she seriously reconsidered her move back to Texas. If she was here, she wouldn’t have to see Jesse when he came home on leave, but what about her father? An image of Lynne swam into focus and her indecision died.

  “I may take you up on it in future, but right now I need to move back. I think it’s best.”

  Abel nodded. “Family is everything, but if it doesn’t work out…”

  “Yes.” She rubbed his arm. “I’ll be on your doorstep.”

  “I just wanted to make sure,” he said as he pulled up the driveway and killed the engine.

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

  Abel helped Jesse with the bags while she started toward the house. The door opened before she reached the front steps. Reese stood there in her business suit.

  “What are you doing home? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” she asked as she approached.

  “I called in,” Reese said and gave her a tight hug. “Are you sure, Vi?”

  She returned the hug and rocked her from side to side. “Yes. Abel offered to let me live with you. You guys are the best.”

  Reese pulled away and searched her face. “You said no?”

  “Yes, but I may come back to be your live-in nanny one day.”

  Reese blinked back tears. “I can’t believe you’re moving back to Texas.”

  “I know.”

  Reese’s eyes moved past her and widened. “Hello.”

  Jesse put his hand on her lower back. She stiffened and moved Reese over the threshold so they could all come inside.

  “Well, hiiii,” Reese drawled and gave her a pointed look. “I’m Reese, Violet’s roommate.”

  He shook her limp hand. “Jesse.”

  Reese looked a bit dazed as her eyes moved over him.

  “This is my step-brother,” she said and Reese jolted. “He’s here to help.”

  “Oh.” Reese looked disappointed for a moment before she asked, “Lynne’s your mom?” When he nodded, Reese’s pretty face softened into sympathetic lines. “I’m so sorry.”

  “So am I,” he said.

  “Well.” Reese clapped her hands together. “What do you want to do, Vi?”

  “Might as well start now,” she said and headed to her bedroom, which was the only one on the ground floor.

  “Let me change,” Reese said and gave Abel a kiss before she headed upstairs. “Meg and Trent are coming this afternoon and they’re available tomorrow if you need them.”

/>   She nodded as she rounded the kitchen and approached her lair. She should have been prepared, but she wasn’t. Her bedroom looked like it had been ransacked. Meg and Reese had emptied everything out of the drawers and the closet so she could see everything and decide whether or not she wanted to take it.

  Jesse came up beside her and examined the room for a moment before he asked, “What kind of car do you have?”

  “A Jeep,” she said faintly.

  “You won’t get much in there.”

  “I didn’t think I had this much stuff.”

  “We may need to rent a truck if you want to take even a quarter of this stuff home.”

  She scrubbed her hands over her face and resisted the urge to turn around and walk out.

  “All right!” Reese slipped past Jesse and held up both hands. “Don’t freak out, okay? I have a system.”

  “Thank God.”

  As Reese explained the method to her madness, Jesse left the room. She heard the rumble of male voices in the kitchen and hoped Abel didn’t disclose any more information about her. The less Jesse knew about her life post-high school, the better.

  With Reese’s help, the room began to look less like it had been hit by a tornado and more as if she really was moving. They made piles for things to donate and what she wanted to take. It became clear pretty quickly that she would have to rent a truck, but that wouldn’t be too expensive, right?

  The guys made several trips to the Salvation Army, but it didn’t seem to be clearing up the space. She kept unearthing things from the closet or under the bed.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t move,” she said as she stared at the room, which looked worse than it had when they arrived.

  “Tomorrow we’ll pack what you want to take and figure out what size truck you’ll need,” Reese said as she brushed sweaty tendrils from her eyes. “Whatever you leave behind, Meg and I will take care of.”

  Thankfully, Meg and Trent arrived with food. She gave them quick hugs before she dug into the Chinese food and retreated to the living room, which had three couches around the fireplace. Everyone grabbed their plates and joined her. Most of the focus was on Jesse, no surprise. Her friends gave her odd looks, but refrained from asking why she hadn’t mentioned him in the past. Jesse was doing his impression of a well-mannered Southern man and honorable soldier.

  Her stomach churned as she watched her friends fall under his spell. He would have excelled as a politician or businessman. If he was looking for a career outside of the military, he could take his pick. His facade of open honesty made people trust him instinctively. She had, and it cost her everything. Listening to the familiar timbre of his voice made her want to curl up in a ball and cry. When she was seventeen, she experienced a betrayal so deep, she still hadn’t recovered. He violated her love and trust for him and it had tainted every relationship since.

  Her friends offered funny stories about her, which only reinforced what a fuck up she’d become—her ever-changing jobs, failed relationships, and lack of direction. She inwardly groaned when Trent revealed that they met on the job and after a week of dating, she had introduced him to Meg. Even though she wanted to tell them all to shut up, the atmosphere was light and teasing and they wouldn’t understand why she wanted to keep this from Jesse. To them, this was harmless information, but for Jesse, it revealed how much he changed her. The cold, unaffected facade she wanted to project was now in tatters. She felt the weight of his gaze, but refused to look at him. She didn’t want him here with her friends—good people who loved and supported her when she had no one. She wanted to hide beneath their protective wings, but it wasn’t their job to care for her. She had wasted enough time and Lynne was reminding her how short life truly was. She had to learn to stand up and move forward.

  “Is he for real?” Meg asked out of the side of her mouth.

  “Really,” Reese breathed and elbowed Violet who slouched between them. “Tell me there’s something wrong with him.”

  She had a vivid memory of him pinning her down in the back of the SUV. “There’s a lot wrong with him.”

  “Really?” Reese sounded intrigued.

  Her heart sank. “Really.”

  “He’s not married,” Meg said, still speaking out of the corner of her mouth as Trent and Abel quizzed him about the military.

  “He must have a string of women at his beck and call,” Reese said in low undertones. “Who wouldn’t want him?”

  Violet shot to her feet. “I’m wiped out. I’m going to shower.”

  “Of course,” Meg said and leaned toward Reese. “He would have been perfect for Janelle.”

  “Yes, oh my God, you’re so right!”

  She stalked into her demolished bedroom and dug through her duffel for clothes before she headed to the bathroom. She filled the tub and tossed in all the bath salts she had been saving for a special occasion and lit the ocean breeze candle that had been sitting on her toilet tank for two years. The clash of aromas soothed her. She swished her foot in the water to dissolve the last of the salts before she submerged herself. Heat penetrated her bones and melted her tension.

  Tomorrow they would pack and rent a truck. That possibility hadn’t crossed her mind, but maybe that was a good thing. Jesse could drive the truck and she would follow in her Jeep. That way, she could still get her alone time and converse with him only when they had to refuel. How much would that cost? Her hands flexed beneath the water as she tried to banish her financial worries. These were her last expenses. Once she moved home, everything would be okay.

  The sound of laughter drifting from the living room made her blood pressure rise. She didn’t want them to like him, but it was obvious that they did. No one would believe what he was capable of. Even though she was the victim of his sick fantasies, a part of her still wanted to believe it was all some misunderstanding, but she knew better. He really fucked her. Fucked her so many times that she couldn’t keep count. He forced himself on her every chance he got. He never showed any remorse for his actions either. Even now… Did running away work? She slapped the surface of the water, sending a mini wave sloshing out of the tub. He was such a fucker!

  She raised both hands and made Zen fingers—pointer and thumb creating a circle with her palms up. She listened to her candle sputter for a second before it quieted. She closed her eyes and tried to zone out. More laughter from the living room. Her breathing quickened. She forced it to even out. She tried to blank her mind, but the flashbacks she suppressed rose up to choke her. She erupted from the tub, unable to stay still or gain any semblance of tranquility.

  By the time she emerged from the bathroom, the house was quiet. She tiptoed toward the living room and saw Jesse sitting on the couch with his phone. His face, illuminated by his screen, lifted when she stopped.

  “I’ll get you some pillows,” she said.

  “Reese brought me some.”

  Of course, she did. She lifted her hand in a stiff, awkward wave. “See you tomorrow.”

  She walked into her bedroom and locked the door as she dialed Lynne’s phone. “Hey, Mom. How are you?”

  “Great, great. Jesse just called and said your friends there are so nice!”

  She gave the room a tight smile. “Yes, they’re the best.”

  “He said you’ll probably head out the day after tomorrow.”

  That’s what she had planned, but she didn’t like that he was calling the shots. This was her move, not his.

  “I can’t wait for y’all to come back. Dad and I went out today. I bought a new bathing suit. It’s yellow, my favorite color! I got you one too. It’s this lovely fuchsia that will look great on you. I’m looking forward to lying on the beach.”

  “Me too,” she said as she sank onto the edge of the bed.

  “Dad’s happy you’re moving home,” Lynne said quietly. “He’s missed you and you didn’t visit that much.”

  “Well, I’m about to make up for my absence.”

  “You’re a good girl, dropping everyt
hing to come home.”

  She blinked hastily. “You’re my family. I’d do anything—” Her voice broke and she clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

  “Vi,” Lynne cooed, which made her keel over as something twisted in her chest. “Don’t cry.”

  She tried to get a hold of herself.

  “This is the beginning of something great, a new beginning for all of us,” Lynne continued.

  She shook her head with her hand over her mouth to hold back her sobs. She didn’t want anything to change. She needed everything to stay just like this.

  “We have to accept God’s will for our lives.”

  She immediately rejected that sentiment. God had abandoned her long ago. “Everything is happening too fast,” she rasped.

  “That’s when you know God is taking over and carving out the right path for you.”

  Both of her parents were devout Christians. She had no idea how they would have handled the truth about Jesse. Would they sweep it under the rug? Pray for him and think that would cure him? Would they call her a liar? She shook those thoughts away. “I’m beat.”

  “I’m sure you are. It’s been a rough week for you. Get some rest and I want to hear your progress tomorrow.”

  “Will do. I love you.”

  “I love you more. God bless.”

  She dropped back on the bed, crossed her arms over her chest, and wept.

  Five

  “Ma’am, your card’s been declined.”

  Her fingers tingled with cold panic. “Are you sure?”

  “I tried twice. Is there another card we can use?”

  She fumbled in her wallet as her mind raced. She tried to remember how much she had available on each credit card. “Maybe we can divide the total onto three cards?”

  “Here.” Jesse extended his own card. “Put it on this.”

  She closed her eyes as mortification consumed her. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely.

  “No problem,” he said easily.

  “You have a stand-up guy,” the man across the counter said with a wink. “I think you better keep this one.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.