by M. V. Miles
“Why don’t you just leave? No one wants you here anyway!” Lexus’s signature was scrawled across the bottom. Fine. I wouldn't stay here since it was obvious I wasn’t wanted. Not to mention, I didn’t want to wait to see what the Van Buren’s had planned for me. I formulated a scheme as I packed a few outfits and headed downstairs. If I could make it to the main highway and hitch a ride, that might buy me enough time to figure out my next move. Things would be better this way, plus I would be in control. Just the way I like it.
I smelled coffee as I made it to the foyer. Pausing, I set my bag near the door. One cup before I left couldn’t hurt. I tiptoed through the dim dining room. The fragrance of mild roasted Columbian greeted me, and I smiled. I would miss this. Cradling the mug in my hands, I turned around and froze.
Stuart was sitting at the table reading the Wall Street Journal. “You’re up early. Did you sleep well?” He didn’t look up.
“Good morning. And no.” I wasn’t expecting to see anyone, especially him. Did he ever sleep?
“Care to join me?” Our eyes met. Did I have a choice?
“I guess.” What was I going to do now?
“I’m sorry about last night,” he said.
“Ready to tell me why I’m here?”
“As I previously stated, you’re here because you're my daughter. Nothing more."
Narrowing my eyes at him, I sipped my coffee not believing him. “Fine, don’t tell me, but it’s only a matter of time. Besides, I’m leaving anyway.”
“Is that why you’re up early?”
“Yes, I found a note from your daughter suggesting it. So rather than being an inconvenience to anyone else, I’m gone.”
He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. “You know she’s just threatened by you, especially since Jackson seems to like you. You’ve caught his eye.”
“That’s because you set us up.” The cook entered the room and began getting things out of the fridge. Shifting in his chair, Stuart went back to his newspaper.
I rinsed my cup in the sink before placing it in the dishwasher. “I’m going now.” I started for the front door. I didn’t have the energy to deal with the secrets anymore.
Just as I stepped out on the front porch, Stuart grabbed my bag ripping it from my hands and tossing it in the ground. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Watch me.” I went to walk out the door and he stiff-armed me, pushing me forward. One foot went forward, the other slipped to the side landing me on my butt. Not exactly the escape plan I had counted on.
Stuart leaned over and offered a hand.
I smacked it away. “Give me my bag back,” I said getting to my feet, ignoring the pain in my knee hurt.
“You’re not leaving.”
“Fine, keep it.” I jolted down the steps and ran up the steep hill out onto the street. Stuart padded behind me, so I picked up my pace.
Running had always been one of my strengths and I enjoyed it, but no matter how I much I pushed forward, Stuart stayed close behind me. I’m sure to an onlooker we appeared to be going for a morning jog. The sun rose, pouring light through the trees as we made our way past a park and down another street. Pain shot up my legs, but I commanded them to keep going.
After yet another cul-de-sac, I bent over to catch my breath. Stuart joined me seconds later.
“Ready to head home?” He wheezed slightly. At least I had given him a challenge.
I glared at him and sat down on the asphalt road. “That’s… not… my home.”
His phone jingled. He turned away to answer. Part of me wanted to take off again, but I couldn’t feel my legs.
He hung up and faced me. “Come on, we've got to get back. I have to go to work.”
“I’m not –“
“Enough, Addison.” He pulled me upright. I jerked my hand away and pitched forward, scraping my knees. I bit back tears as I surveyed the damage. No blood, just few bright pink scratches.
“Come on,” he said again.
This time I ran next to him, both of us keeping the same pace. Even so, I was out of breath by the time we reached the sloping driveway.
Stuart watched me collapse in the front yard. His eyes were cold. “When you’re finished, come inside.”
The tears didn’t come until after he was gone. I sat up, but my legs refused to move and so I lay back, propped up on my forearms. I screamed out in frustration and hit the ground. No one came to check on me, besides it wasn’t like I was going anywhere.
After stretching for a few minutes, I was able to stand and go inside. I wasn’t finished with our conversation yet. The cook was scrambling eggs as I limped into the kitchen.
“You’re back,” Petra said from the island, her voice full of disappointment. She wore a short gray robe and no makeup, making her look old. A Bloody Mary was in front of her, complete with a stalk of celery sticking out of it like a straw.
Leaning on the counter in front of her, I said, “Look, Petra, I know you don’t like me, and honestly, I can say the feeling's mutual. So if you’d kindly convince your husband that everyone would fare better if went back to Illinois, I would greatly appreciate it. You can do that, can’t you?” I pulled the celery from her drink and bit into it, watching her mouth drop open.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Stuart said, taking the celery away from me and pitching it in the trash. He gave me a dirty look as he kissed Petra on the forehead. I turned away and was handed a cup of coffee and a plate with eggs and toast by the cook.
“Thanks.” I sat down.
“The next time you decide to run off without as much as a word of where you’re going I’ll be calling the cops. Understand?” Stuart took a seat across from me. His face was still flushed from the run.
As if that would deter me. “I’m not going to stay somewhere I’m not welcome.”
“Enough. Now I’m due at the office for at least a few hours. I want things to move smoothly while I’m gone.” He turned to Petra. “I know this is hard on you, honey, but I had to do what I thought best.”
Petra shook her head. “I can’t believe you let her run around with a black eye. What will the neighbors think?”
“I’m sure no one saw anything. Besides, it’s almost gone,” he said.
“But what if they did? And I still can’t believe you left in the middle of the day and brought back your ex’s kid. You didn’t even consult me! Dr. Paul says you should have consulted me!”
I couldn't help but grin. I could only imagine who Dr. Paul was.
Stuart sighed. “She didn’t have anywhere to go. There were no options. I had no choice but to bring her back.”
I dropped my fork and stood. I hated when people talked about me like I wasn't even there. “Excuse me, but it wasn’t my fault my aunt died. And believe it or not, I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for the eleven years. I never asked either of you to step in and make a mess of things.”
They just stared at me, speechless. Even the cook gaped at me.
“You know what? Screw this.” I bolted through the dining room to my room.
Stuart pushed open my bedroom door a few minutes later. “Addison?”
“Go away.” I buried my face in my pillow.
“I’m sorry. We all have to adjust.”
“Just leave, please.” The door slammed shut. They didn’t know the meaning of the word adjust.
* * *
Later that day, I called Dr. Franklin, just to talk, but got her voicemail again. Tired of leaving messages, I hung up without saying anything. It was obvious she wasn’t going to call me anymore. But I needed to vent.
When I stumbled downstairs, I ran into Petra waiting in the foyer. She’d changed into another flowered mini dress that exposed too much leg and chest for a woman her age. Why did she insist on dressing like a teen?
“Where are you going?” She seemed surprised to see me so soon.
“Nowhere.” I past her and headed into the kitchen, where I grabbed a bottle of w
ater from the fridge. She was standing right behind the door when I shut it. I stepped back. What did she want?
“You were right earlier, but that doesn’t change the fact that you will be doing things I wanted my daughter to do,”
“What are you talking about? And why would you assume that?”
She followed me as I moved to the end of the island. “Addison, you’re gorgeous. Don’t play dumb with me. Look around. You’re in California. Perfect example--Morgan Van Buren is making clothes specifically for you. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“Uh, no. I don’t even know who she is. And I think it’s weird she wanted to take my picture. I’m not pretty. I’m quite plain, actually,” I pointed out, still unsure what she was getting at. Elizabeth always told me my nose was too big and my eyes were too far apart.
“Things are going to happen for you. Doors will be opened. And the crazy thing is you don’t even care.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, but I’m only interested in getting into college. That’s it.”
She laughed and crossed her arms. “College? Are you serious?”
“Like a heart attack.” Why did everyone doubt me?
“Just a tidbit of advice. Girls like you never need to work. Let alone go to college.”
Why would she say that? She didn’t know anything about me. “I don’t care what you think.”
She sighed as if giving up. “Fine, if you insist, but can you promise me something?”
I didn’t make deals with the devil, but it wouldn’t hurt to know her plans. “What?”
“If you are in the position to help her out, you will.”
“Who?”
“My daughter, Lexus.”
I didn’t want to do anything for her, but if it got her off my case…“Yeah, sure.”
“I just want what’s best for my daughter.”
I nodded and put my water on the counter. “Wait, does this have anything to do with Mr. Van Buren or Jackson?”
“No, dear, your father had forgotten he invited them to dinner. Mr. Van Buren’s looking for a partner to help him run his firm. It would be great if he chose Stuart, but I don’t know. Regardless, from what I can tell, it’s a huge deal.”
I know what I heard. Instead of responding, I retreated to the inside patio, the most peaceful place in the whole house. Maybe it was earthy smell of the plants or the fact that I was hidden in plain sight. Either way, I liked being there.
Zach walked in and took a seat next to me.
“She can’t help it. You should meet our grandmother.” He shook his head. "Even worse."
“I can only imagine.” We laughed.
As though she were spying on us, Petra yelled at him through the intercom, “Zach, get ready. The car will be here any minute.”
Zach threw his ball cap at the speaker and rolled his eyes.
“What, you don’t feel like going out?” I kidded, picking up the discarded hat.
“Mom’s making me go to the country club with some snobs from school. Kill me now.” Dropping to the couch, he pretended to have a seizure.
“Can I go?” I needed to get out of this house, as I was on the verge of going stir crazy.
“I don’t care. That is, if you don’t mind hanging out with a thirteen-year-old.”
“Anything to escape these walls.”
“Come on, let’s go see.” He was already at the door. Petra was on the phone and Lexus was texting at the table. I wondered what they would do without their cell phones. Probably freak out. I laughed to myself, as I imagined Lexus's fingers twitching in mid-air.
“Mom, can Addison come with me to the club?” Zach asked, leaning on the marble countertop.
“Are you sure she wants to go?” Petra stole a quick look at me.
“Yeah, she wants to go. Right?” He peered over his shoulder at me, and I nodded.
“If that’s what you want to do, then it’s fine by me. Just change your clothes.” She turned away. “Do you want to go, Lexus?”
“Uh no, I’m not a loser,” she said, not looking up from her phone.
“Good. We don’t want you there anyway,” Zach said as he pulled me along.
What did I just get myself into?
Chapter Sixteen
Back in my bedroom, I watched Zach rummage through my closet. “I don't get it. Why do I have to change my clothes? Is she serious?"
“You do if you want to go.” Zach's voice was muffled. A pair of expensive athletic shoes tumbled out of the closet onto the bedroom floor.
“Why can’t I just wear jeans and a tee shirt?”
“Because there’s a dress code.”
“Is there a dress code for everything?” These people liked to make life complicated.
“Yes.” He handed me a pair of short blue plaid shorts and a white polo shirt.
“No way am I wearing that.”
“You want to go, you’ll change. Come to my room when you’re ready.” He left and I stared at the clothes. Should I go with him? The club was probably just another snooty place where I wasn’t welcome. But it beat staying here. I picked up the clothes and reached for my make-up and went to the bathroom. My legs felt like rubber bands.
“Ready?” Zach asked from the doorway of my room ten minutes later. He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a blue and white striped polo shirt. I guess he was ready to go.
“In a minute. I gotta fix my hair,” I said and parted my hair down the middle while he watched. “Can I ask you a question?”
“What?” He scooted up on the bathroom counter.
“How often does Jackson come over?”
“He doesn’t. Yesterday was the first time he’s ever been over here. Lexus has invited him to like all her stupid girl parties, but he’s never showed up till last night.”
“Interesting.”
“Why?”
“Just that he’s never come over before.”
“Yeah, but his dad came, so I guess it’s only normal. Since Jackson lives with them, he would come as well.”
“He still lives with his parents?” I scoffed.
“Yeah. Trust me I know way more than I would like, but Lexus’s been crushing on him since kindergarten. I mean, gag me.” Zach pretended to choke himself.
I laughed and we headed down the steps to where Petra waited.
“Now I want you to be nice to Blake this time, okay?” she directed toward Zach. She gave me a passing glance. “You look nice, Addison.” It wasn’t sincere, but I would take what I could get.
“Thanks,” I replied and followed Zach outside.
A black Bentley was waiting, complete with a driver in a suit and hat. He opened the door for us and greeted us by our names as we got in.
“Do you guys always have people drive you around?” I asked once the door was closed.
“I guess it just depends where I’m going.” Zach said and began texting on his phone as the car began to move.
Our driver checked us out with the guards at the gate and I was finally free.
Neither of us talked on the way to the club. I was content to study my surroundings and him his phone. Once we were out of the subdivision of mega mansions, I began to see normal life again. We passed residential houses and even a downtown area that reminded me of home, with locally owned business and restaurants. Then it all disappeared as we turned onto Country Club Blvd.
Thirty minutes later, we stopped outside of Kensington Country Club, a two-story sand-colored building. As we exited the car, I made a few people lounging near a large outside pool and others were out on the greens of lush golf courses, which rolled out beyond the clubhouse.
“Welcome to my hell,” Zach complained as we headed inside. He led the way to a counter with a caged window that reminded me of an old-fashioned bank. “Need anything locked up?”
I shook my head, watching him while he checked in his phone and wallet. “There’s an Olympic-sized pool inside and out, a few tennis courts, sand volleyball, and eve
n a bowling alley.”
I was amused by his tone. “I thought you liked sports?”
“I do, but I hate the golf club. It’s just so--”
“Stuffy?” I guessed.
“Exactly,” he said and we made our way to the tennis courts.
“So you do whatever Petra wants, even though you don’t like it?”
We walked through a door leading out to the other side of the building, revealing a driving range and a basketball court.
“Pretty much. I mean, if I want to keep my cell phone and allowance. You should too.” He smiled at me.
“Nah, I’m a rule breaker by nature.”
“You get used to following the rules. It's not so bad”
“Doubtful.”
“Zach!” yelled someone from behind us and we turned to see a boy with dark brown hair running toward us.
“Hey, Blake. What’s up?” Zach asked.
“Nothing much. My dad and I are looking for someone to join us for doubles. You guys game?” He sized me up, and wiggled his eyebrows. Ewe, I wanted to throw up. He couldn’t have been more than twelve. Gross.
“I don’t know, Blake.” Zach peered at me, a questioning look on his face.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t care.” It couldn’t be that hard, right?
We followed Blake, and he introduced us to his dad. Then we broke off into pairs. I was stuck with Blake, who wouldn’t stop staring at me. I wanted to pop him upside the head.
For the next hour we played, and my legs screamed in agony as I ran from side to side, trying to hit the yellow-green stupid ball. It turned out to be more challenging than I expected, but after losing twice, I got the hang of it. We switched partners, Zach and I were unstoppable.
Blake’s father had to quit because of an emergency call from work, so the three of us headed back to the main building. Zach and Blake went to retrieve their stuff, while I stopped at a water fountain.