by Claire Adams
The lunch extended longer than we expected, so I headed straight home. I sat and thought for a while in the silence. God, what had caused Dad to become an alcoholic? And why would Mom stop communicating with me?
Fuck, were these related or was it more of a coincidence?
It was difficult for me to get my head around it, and I thought I needed someone who I could chat with about it that had no part in the history of it. Peter had played a major part, and from the sound of it, he had played a bigger part in it than any brother or person should have done. He risked his health for me, his little brother.
I came to the conclusion that Kendall was the only option, she made me feel good and had a clear conscience and a good point of view against the whole thing. There was also the fact I had left for the day without letting her know. So, she may have become worried, even though she knew I was out with Peter.
I realized I missed her. I thought it was only right to keep her in the loop and update her on the conversation that I had with Peter at our extended lunch. The second thing was, she could stay the night, and I could hold her body next to mine again, and make a full night of it.
I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Kendall’s number, “Hi, Kendall, guess who this is?” I blurted down the phone.
“Creepy caller?” she replied with a laugh, “I knew who it was, your name came up on the screen, you dope,” she commented in sarcasm.
“Ah, yes, modern technology, how clever it is,” I replied.
“So how was lunch?” she asked.
“There is too much to tell over the phone, but a lot was said, and Peter and I bonded a little more,” I said.
“That’s good to hear since the accident, you have been close, and there is no harm in getting closer to each other.”
“I agree with that, especially after what Peter told me today, he has been a real trooper in all of this,” I added.
“I take it you went straight home after your long lunch seeing as you never returned to the office?” she asked.
“Yeah, we got carried away with all that brotherly bonding stuff, and I learned a few facts today, a real eye opener it was.” Her voice made me feel safe.
“You will have to tell me all about it. It sounds really interesting,” she said.
“Well, that is the reason for me calling, do you want to come over tonight?”
“I would love to, but I’ll need to bring Bo. Otherwise he will be upset if I leave him alone again,” she replied.
“No, problem, bring him along, there is more than enough space for him here to run around, and it would be nice to see him again,” I said, happy about our arrangement for the night.
“Great, I’ll get my stuff together and see you in a while,” Kendall said.
“Bye for now, pretty girl. I’ll see you later,” I replied.
Chapter 26
Kendall
I was excited to be going to Elijah’s house, and I made up an overnight bag for Bo and for me. I had just thrown the bags in the car and returned to the house for Bo when the phone rang.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hi Kendall, it’s Mom.”
“I was just, I… it’s alright, what do you want?” I asked.
“I was just calling to see if you were coming to the house over the weekend?” It has been a while, and you did promise you were going to visit,” she added.
“I was going to, but something cropped up last minute. I have to go to Elijah. He needs me,” I explained.
“Kendall, what did I tell you? I thought you were well over this. You know he isn’t good for you,” she commented in a rough tone.
I hated to upset my mother, but she didn’t know how I felt about Elijah and how he felt about me, and it had gone past just a caring personal assistant who was helping a boss in need. We had clicked, and I could see there was chemistry between us, and not just when we had sex.
“Yes, I know what we discussed, but he’s different now, he’s good to me, the situation is totally different than it was before,” I replied trying to explain.
“Well, it may seem like that to you, but you know how he was, so there must still be part of that man inside of him somewhere,” Mom added, blind to my words.
“It’s just that we have, well we have gotten close, and it’s not forced, it all has happened naturally, it’s a great feeling. I have experienced anything like this before,” I said as I sat on the couch and hugged my big cushion.
“Kendall, Kendall, Kendall, I thought you were a lot smarter than this, relationships are not all fairy tales and unicorns, you know that. You have to think with your head and not just your heart,” Mom explained as I became more annoyed by her words.
Mom was right, but Elijah had not just whisked me off my feet and dated me in a normal way, the relationship had started from compassion and a caring attitude and from his side. And it had all stemmed from being grateful to me. This was different and not something you see in a movie or read in a book. Our relationship wasn’t a fairy tale, it was true, and it meant something to both of us.
I listened to what Mom had to say, but I started to get defensive because no matter what she said, I was fighting the notion that she was correct. I wanted the relationship to progress, and she wouldn’t change my mind. She had always told me to live by my choices. No matter what, either right or wrong and if the relationship did go belly up, I had to accept that I had been wrong.
“Mom, I should be going, I have packed all my bags, and the car is ready. I told Elijah I would be there soon and I have been over an hour now, he will be worried as it’s getting dark and I have to drive through the trees,” I commented.
“Okay, dear, do what you think is right, but just watch out for yourself, and don’t forget to think with your head,” she said.
“Okay, Mom will do,” I said.
“Bye Dear.”
“Bye Mom, love you,” I said as I hung up the phone.
“Well Bo, it’s just you and me. Mom was a little pissed about it, but you will see, it’s not all bad,” I said to Bo.
I texted Elijah and told him I was on my way, and that my mom had delayed me on the phone. Bo and I jumped in the car and slowly headed to Elijah’s house.
We arrived at Elijah’s house and pulled up in the driveway, Bo immediately set off around the garden and sniffed everything that he could find. He busied himself with cocking his leg and scented everything to show that it was his domain now.
“Good conversation I take it,” Elijah said from the kitchen door.
“You know, she went through the whole mother speech and how she was right and I would be wrong,” I explained. “Mothers know best, huh?”
“I can’t answer that, and at least you have a better relationship with your mother than I do with mine,” Elijah said as he leaned on the door to the kitchen, and shrugged his shoulders.
“She’s a great mom, and I know she only wants the best for me, she’s just being protective.” Bo walked around the lawn.
I walked toward Elijah, and he placed his arms around my shoulders. We stood and watched in silence as Bo continued to explore the garden, and after a while, Elijah pulled on my shoulder.
“Come on, lets get inside, it’s getting a bit warm out here,” he said as he retreated into the kitchen.
I called Bo and wiped his feet before he entered the house, the last thing I wanted was his huge paw prints all over the floor.
“Have you eaten?” Elijah asked.
“Yep, I had dinner earlier, I wasn’t sure and time was running away, so I grabbed something quick,” I replied.
“Well, I’m happy you and Bo decided to come, it’s an exciting experience for me, and probably for you two as well. Something new. You want a drink?” he asked as he turned his to me in his sexy jeans and t-shirt.
“Gin and tonic please, heavy on the tonic,” I replied.
“You’re not a lightweight, are you?” Elijah asked with a smile on his handsome face.
“No, not at all. I just have a
few things on my mind, and I don’t want the gin to get in the way of them,” I replied.
“Ah, I see, you don’t want to numb the pain,” he said laughing as he passed me my drink.
“So, apart from enjoying my fantastic company, why did you ask me over tonight?” I quizzed.
“I just wanted to let you know about my conversation with Peter, it would help me to assimilate all of the new information I have learned today,” he explained.
“So, you just wanted a good pair of ears then?” I asked in a cheeky tone.
“Sort of, but you are much more than just a good listener, you can respond to the information and give me an unbiased opinion,” Elijah said as he sipped on his bourbon.
“So, how was the conversation with Peter?”
“Well, in a way it was shocking, but also enlightening,” he answered.
“Come on. Tell me all about it… right from the start,” I requested.
“To sum it all up, Dad was a raging alcoholic, who used to be quite abusive to all of us,” he said as his eyes filled with horror.
“My God, that is terrible!” I listened intently.
“Apart from being physically abusive, he used to lock me and Peter in the shed, but this was only a minor part, the beatings apparently were much worse,” Elijah said in a low voice.
“So, what about the flashbacks with your dad when you were happy with him?” I asked.
“This is the strange part. Peter said I always saw the good in Dad, regardless of the beatings. For some reason, and I always looked for his approval, and maybe that was why I spent so much time with him at the office?”
“I had read that kids actually cling closer to the one who beats them, rather than the parent that doesn’t,” I responded in confusion.
“Yes, it’s strange, but the situation gets worse.”
“How can it get worse than being beaten?” I asked feeling for him.
“Well, because I was always with Dad, I was right in his firing line and was always the first to receive his beatings. But Peter could see it and tried to protect me, but Dad was huge…”
“So, what did he do?” I asked with a concerned look on my face.
“He used to try and protect me by provoking Dad if he started to beat me, and then he would turn his attention to Peter, and that was what that flashback was about. Peter took his own beating plus mine,” Elijah had tears in his eyes.
I could see by the look on his face that what he told me disturbed him, he tried hard to understand it all, and it had been difficult to cope, the more he learned.
“So, why did you receive nearly everything? When Peter and your mother only received a little,” I asked.
“Well in Peter’s case, he became so detached from Dad. He tried to see as little as possible of him, apart from when he started beating me, and Mom. I’m not sure. Maybe this was the reason he became an alcoholic in the first place. Then he just disowned her completely,” he explained.
“It sounds feasible and possible, but it doesn’t really explain why you and your Mom had lost each other, you would have thought the three of you would actually be drawn together more in a united front against your father,” I said.
“Well you would think that, but obviously, there is some other reason behind it. I’ll find out one day, I’m sure of it,” Elijah said.
“So, to simplify everything, you and your Mom had a falling out, your Dad became a raging alcoholic and Peter, God bless his soul, took beatings on your behalf,” I said. “As a result, you tried to be close to your Dad, because, as you saw he was actually a good person. Or maybe you knew the reason why he became an alcoholic. Right?”
I puzzled it all as I placed my hand on Elijah’s shoulder.
“Exactly,” Elijah replied. “And as a result, he looked at me as the only one who supported him through his drinking, even though I was trying to gain his acceptance. Then I received the bulk of his fortune.”
We continued to chat more about his conversation with Peter, and then we decided it was time to go to bed. I thought about our conversation and could understand why Elijah had become the way he had been, he had been influenced by his father in his attitude, and the relationship with his mother had led him not to trust women. Or at the very least, not let a woman get close to him get to a level where he could get totally attached to her.
We headed to the bedroom and laid together just cuddling, and I thought about the conversation I had with my mother previously. I knew if she knew the history of Elijah she would say that he had turned into, or was at least turning into his father the older he became.
Elijah also had a tendency to drink which could at any time, become a reliance, and he too would become an alcoholic. Before the accident… and with this would bring the temper and I had already seen the extent of his temper at work. If this had been fueled by alcohol, it would be quite easy for him to lash out for no reason and he would become out of control.
If this happened again, Mom would be correct, and I would be in a situation which was unhealthy for me, and it could be dangerous. Mom's words rang in my mind as I laid close to Elijah. I had to do something with the information I had learned. I had to stop Elijah from following this pattern, and I had to do something to stop him becoming his father. My mind was set on it, now.
Chapter 27
Elijah
I woke and had a moment of panic, I couldn’t move my feet, and then I looked and could see Bo had positioned himself and had laid across the bottom of the bed. I laughed to myself and embraced the feeling of waking up next to Kendall.
I laid in bed and let my mind run over our conversation from last night, what if? That was the question I had asked myself. I looked at what had been said about my father, and I had looked at what had been said about my past, I could see there was a trend, and I had to a certain degree, just started to follow in his footsteps.
It worried me the more I thought about it. I had to do something to take my mind off these thoughts. I headed downstairs and entered the kitchen. Kendall had cooked breakfast for me, so I thought it was about time I showed her some of my culinary skills, I was no Master Chef, but I could make a mean omelet.
I heard a noise from the stairs and Bo bounded into the kitchen, “Morning Bo, you scared me this morning, I thought I had become paralyzed,” I said with a grin on my face.
I opened the kitchen door, and Bo ran into the garden, I could smell the freshness of the grass as it flooded into the kitchen, today would be a good day.
I turned back toward the stove, and Kendall stood leaning against the kitchen counter. She rubbed her eyes as she looked in my direction.
“A good start to the day I see,” she said as she stretched her arms above her head.
“It’s, a very good start, I can feel it in my bones,” I replied as I tossed the omelet.
“Smells good, I had no idea you could cook,” she said.
“A slave in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom, that is what I am!” I said laughing.
“So, you would make a good wife then?”
“I’m not sure I could be a house husband, not enough excitement,” I replied before laughing softly.
“A woman’s work is never done, and never a dull moment. You should try it one day,” she said as she set the plates on the counter.
“I’ll stick to what I know best, I like to be in control of things,” I said taunting her as I placed the omelets on the plates.
“So, then Bossman, what do you have planned for us today?”
“I was going to send you home. You have spent the night, and that is enough for me,” I said before quickly following it up with, “Joking!”
I placed my hand on Kendall’s arm and smiled at her.
“The falls, let’s go to Niagara Falls, that would be cool,” Kendall said as she spooned a piece of omelet into her mouth. “Mmm, delicious,” she tried to add through a mouthful of food.
I raised my finger to make a point, “Great idea, I don’t know if
I have ever been,” I replied with sarcasm as I sipped my juice.
“It’s cool, but we’ll get wet,” Kendall replied.
“I thought you liked getting wet with me!” She was so gorgeous in the morning.
“A bit too early in the morning for talk like that, and you missed your opportunity by getting up before me,” she replied laughing.
“Damn, a morning in bed would have been as good as this breakfast,” I replied.
“Wrong, it would have been better, this omelet has only lasted a few minutes, and I know you can last longer than that,” Kendall replied with a wink.
“It takes two to tango!” I removed the plates from the counter.
We readied our things and packed some extra clothes, the trip to the falls could get you soaked, Kendall had explained to me. I decided to leave the garage door open so Bo could remain in the garden, he would be alone all day so it would be much better for him to roam around rather than being stuck indoors all day.
“See you later Bo,” Kendall said as she walked toward the car.
We headed down the driveway and could see Bo sat watching as we faded into the distance and exited from the gate.
***
We arrived at the falls, and I pulled the car to a stop. We could see the mist from the falls rising up into the sky. We climbed out of the car and could immediately hear the water as it crashed into the river below us, the noise was deafening and we had to shout to be heard.
We wandered around the many viewing platforms and did all the usual things. I had the camera and took plenty of pictures, and Kendall was busy positioning us for selfies against the falls.
“We should go for lunch,” I shouted to Kendall.
“Yes,” she called through the noise of the water.
We located a quaint café where we could get out of the wet and dry our things. The weather was warm, but the mist from the falls just seemed to get everywhere and soak you to the skin, no matter how good your waterproofed clothes seemed to be.
We had a large mug of cocoa while we browsed the menu to see what we wanted for lunch and that made it easier to chat.