by Rebel Hart
She asks normal questions as we drive to the first shopping strip. How’s school going? Stressful, but fine. How’s track? My favorite thing in the world, as usual. College plans? Still freaking me the hell out.
I walk through the first boutique, doing my best to get into dress shopping, at least for my mom’s sake. But none of the froofy gowns are appealing to me. My mom stays positive and suggests a hundred different cuts and colors. But after three more stores and still nothing I like enough to buy. We decide to take a break for burgers and milkshakes.
“Do you remember when we used to do this all the time?” she asks, swirling a fry in her chocolate shake. “I’d bring you to these little diners when you were a kid. You didn’t believe me at first when I told you how good a fry dipped in chocolate could taste.”
“It still surprises me,” I laugh as I do the same.
We’re mostly quiet as we eat. By the time my mom has cleaned most of her plate, she takes a stab at addressing the obvious.
“Everything okay?” she asks. “You don’t seem too excited about any of the dresses we’ve seen so far. I think we’re running out of stores we can afford.”
I shrug and stare at my plate, unsure of how to explain the problem. “Emmett and I are kind of fighting,” I confess finally. “I guess it will all be fine. It’s just kind of putting a damper on the idea of prom right now.”
“Ah,” she says with a knowing smile. “I guess that would do it. It must be in the air. Brendan and I seem to be having some trouble ourselves these days.”
She says it so casually, but my stomach drops. “What?” I blink. “What do you mean? What kind of trouble?”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” she assures me. “It’s just normal couple stuff. I just wanted you to know it happens is all. Especially after you’ve been together a while and the honeymoon phase has worn off.”
My mind drifts back to her and Theo sitting alone at the kitchen table and I immediately jump to all of the worst possible conclusions.
“Theo?” I ask, my voice filled with dread. “Is it him? God dammit! I knew it. He’s going to fuck up absolutely everything.”
“Ophelia Lopez! Language!” she scolds. “It has nothing to do with Theo. I promise you. All couples fight. That’s all I meant.”
“Well then how come you’ve never mentioned having problems with Brendan before?” I argue.
“Because it’s private,” she states bluntly. “But also…you’re older now. Practically an adult. I feel like you and I can start talking about more things now. That’s the beauty of an adult mother and daughter relationship. I don’t have to be mean old mom all the time. I can be more of a friend now. Friends talk about their problems.”
I want to feel better, but I don’t. My mom hasn’t been around Theo since I was a baby, and I can’t help but worry that maybe she’s forgotten just how manipulative he can be. He’s won over Emmett. He could win her over too. I remember the flash of jealousy I saw on Theo’s face at our last dinner and wonder if he really could be driving a wedge between her and Brendan without her even realizing it.
“Well, what do you think?” My mom asks once the last of our food is tucked away into leftover boxes. “Should we try one more store or are you over shopping for the day?”
“I’m down for one more,” I tell her, still feeling heavy with concern. But the idea of avoiding home a little longer and spending some quality time with her is too good to pass up. Moments like this are becoming more precious since I know I’ll be leaving soon.
I notice the other whiney teenage girls shopping with their moms, seeming bothered that their mothers have to be tagging along at all. Then I see other girls shopping in groups with each other, probably not even bothering to wonder if their moms would have liked to have been there.
I know as a teenager it’d be normal for me to be so annoyed by my mom that I can’t stand to be around her. But we’ve never had that kind of relationship. We’ve both been through so much and it’s made us close. My heart aches to think of a time when we’ll live so far apart. I vow to myself right then and there that I will be one of those girls that calls her mom every single day.
Once we start digging into the next store, I’m immediately glad we did. After only a few minutes of browsing, I come across a dark blue gown that piques my interest. It’s short but cascades down in the back. The fabric flares out from the waist, which is something I normally wouldn’t like, but I can’t resist the urge to try it on.
My mom tears up when I step out of the dressing room, which seems dramatic, but I honestly feel just as excited about it. The short front is somewhat revealing and emphasizes the muscular curves of my long, tan legs.
“This is it,” I say confidently as I study my reflection in the mirror, turning side to side.
I can imagine Emmett in a nice tux standing next to me with my arm looped into his. All of the anger and worry that’s been building up in my heart finally softens a little, even if there’s still a lingering sadness. Whatever happens, when the time comes for me to leave Jameson, I’m excited that we’ll have such a special night to share. I have that much at least.
We’re excited but exhausted as we pay for the dress and head home. I’m just as eager as she is to slip into some comfy pajamas and veg out on the couch for a bit before going to bed. But I notice something odd as our house comes into view. Two dark figures are bouncing around on the lawn.
“Do you see that?” I ask, wondering if someone is trying to break into the house. But as we get closer, I realize one of the men is Brendan. And once we’re parked, I can see the other guy is Theo. “Why is he here again!?” I groan.
“I don’t know,” she murmurs. “What are they doing?”
Just as soon as she asks the question, I see Brendan lunge towards Theo and clock him right in the face.
“Hooolyy shiiit!” I exclaim, unable to hold in a little bit of laughter. I hear the painful smacking sound against his jaw and feel an instant sense of satisfaction. But it doesn’t erase the shock or confusion of why the hell the two of them are fighting on the lawn.
“Hey!” my mom shouts as she bounds out of the car. She rushes over to Brendan and tries to hold him back, but he’s like a charging bull and is quick to rush forward again just as Theo is stumbling back to his feet with a mouth full of bloody teeth.
She puts herself in front of him and forces him to look her in the eye. “Stop it!” she demands. His nostrils flare with rage, but the longer she stares him down, the more I see him relax.
“What the hell is going on here!?” she fumes once Brendan seems somewhat diffused.
“I just came back to get my jacket,” Theo defends before spitting out a mouthful of blood. “Then this idiot attacked me…like a madman!”
Brendan growls and starts to run for him again, but my mom pushes him back. “Go in the house!” she orders before turning back to Theo. “And you! Just go home!”
I follow Mom and Brendan inside, shooting a quick pleased smile over to Theo as he stumbles pitifully back to his car. Ha, serves him right, I think.
I’m completely shocked as I walk into the house, realizing I’ve never once seen Brendan lose his shit like that. But if it had to happen, nothing makes me happier than knowing he unleashed it on Theo. Maybe I’m not so alone in my hatred of him after all.
As my mom starts grilling Brendan, demanding to know what happened, part of me thinks I should go upstairs to my room and give them some privacy. But then I think there’s no way in hell I can go to sleep without knowing the juicy details of what caused him to snap like that. I linger in the doorway, wishing I had a bag of popcorn. Or even better, some kind of medal to award Brendan with as a thank you.
“He came knocking on the door like he has a right just to stop by anytime he likes,” Brendan snarls, still looking riled up. “He started talking about some jacket he left here earlier today. Why was he here!?”
“To talk about Ophelia’s college fund!” Mom cries. “
What did you think!? That I was having an affair with him!?”
Brendan looks ashamed, giving away that it’s exactly what he thought, even though he feels stupid for it now. “I tried asking him what he was here for,” he explains, hanging his head. “But he just laughed and said, ‘Wouldn’t you like to know.’ I just lost it.”
“Oh goodness sakes,” my mom huffs. “Is that it!? I swear…what a ridiculous reason to punch someone for.”
By this point, I am itching to chime in, even though I know she’ll probably banish me for it. But too much is building up for me to hold it in.
“It’s not so ridiculous,” I suggest. “In fact…that’s probably why Theo showed up and said that in the first place. To get Brendan to attack him just as we were pulling up. How do you know he wasn’t stalking us to time it all just perfectly?”
“Are you kidding me!?” she whips around to burn her eyes into me. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Do you hear yourself? Stalking us!?”
“He could’ve asked for his jacket back later,” I reply. “He was trying to push Brendan’s buttons. And he’s right…He doesn’t have a right to just show up whenever he wants.”
“Go to your room, Ophelia!” she shouts, pointing her finger as if suddenly I’m ten years old all over again. “Stay out of this!”
“But you said I’m practically an adult now…so can’t we talk about adult things?” I remind her.
She closes her eyes with a big groan. She hates having her own words used against her, but I couldn’t resist. Sooner or later, everyone has to start understanding Theo the way I do.
“Your mom’s right,” Brendan caves. “You shouldn’t have had to see that. I’m sorry. We’ve all been trying really hard to let your father be a part of your life, and I shouldn’t have done anything to mess that up.”
“Yes, you should have!” I cry. “I don’t want him to be a part of my life! You’re a better father to me than he’ll ever be! I’m glad you punched him in the face!”
“Well, that doesn’t sound very adult,” my mom says condescendingly.
“Being an adult means understanding that not everyone is who they claim to be,” I argue. “Why can no one else see what a loser he is!? He’s done nothing but cause trouble from the moment he popped up.”
“Giving you a new car? Your phone? Offering to help with college?” she rants. “All of that…You think that’s trouble?”
“It’s all just a part of his game to win us over!” I shout, feeling more desperate than ever to make them see. “Nothing he does is innocent or accidental. It’s all planned out. We’re just like little puppets in his game. Don’t forget this is the man that got you both run out of town and then beat you.”
“That’s enough,” she hisses, her jaw clenched tight. “I’m tired. We’re not discussing this anymore tonight.”
I want to keep arguing, but I hate seeing that look in my mom’s eyes. That haunted painful look of being reminded of everything she’s trying so hard to forget. I sink into guilt, thinking it’s not my place to use past hurts to make her see this my way. Not knowing what else to do, I storm off to my room, shouting goodnight as I go.
With the door slammed behind me, I’m too hyped up to even thinking about getting into bed now. I want to cling to the beautiful image of Brendan punching Theo out, but it’s all ruined with his regret of doing it and their inability to see how Theo obviously orchestrated the whole thing.
It’s like Theo is some kind of sorcerer that’s cast a spell on everyone, but I’m immune to it. I wonder if when he showed up here for dinner the first time had really been my first time meeting him, I could have been just as easily persuaded to believe in him. But Emmett knows Theo from before then too and knows the full story of everything that’s happened. And even he has been won over.
Then I think maybe it’s Emmett that’s behaving like Marissa and not me at all. He’s so wrapped up in all the money he’s making and the promise of this successful career, he doesn’t even care if Theo is screwing people over in the process. As long as he’s not the one getting screwed. But that is exactly what I’m afraid is going to happen if I don’t put a stop to all of this.
I was pissed enough before with everything going on with Emmett and this new job offer, but now Theo is threatening my mom’s marriage. Her and Brendan are the two kindest, hardest-working most genuine souls in the world as far as I’m concerned, and they’re perfect for each other. I’m not about to let Theo tear them apart. That’s where I draw the line.
If I’m the only one who seems to be immune to his charms, then I’ll have to be the one to stop him.
Chapter Twenty
BOOK 3
I lay flat across my back on my bed, relentlessly tossing a ball against the ceiling and catching it again. For the past few hours I’ve been manically rotating between this and restlessly pacing around my room. Anything to help rack my brain for some way to bring Theo down.
As the ball plummets back down to me again, I’m a little too slow to catch it and it ends up bouncing off to the side, sending a flurry of loose change crashing to the floor. As the coins scatter, I think…chips. Poker chips.
The whole reason Theo was blacklisted from the Elites and ran out of Jameson in the first place was that he embezzled money to pay off his bad gambling debts. A gambling addiction doesn’t just go away overnight, and while I could easily assume that high-risk business deals give him the thrill he’s seeking, I have to wonder if he’s still into gambling.
But what good does that do me? I don’t know anything about gambling, much less how to get enough proof that Theo is doing something illegal enough to help me out. But it’s a start and the only thing I have right now. The tricky part is that I don’t know if there is anyone who could actually help me with this. Anyone who would be capable of helping me probably wouldn’t. Theo has woven the perfect web of safety for himself.
Anyone who knows about the underbelly of Jameson might be able to point me in the right direction, but the only two people who fit that description, who don’t also hate me, are Emmett and Bridgett. There’s no way Emmett would actively help me bring Theo down with this new career prospect on the line. And while I’m sure Bridgett would help if she could, she hasn’t been living in Jameson long. There’s also the lingering fear that I don’t know how much I can trust her with. She is a Henderson after all.
Lily was once a friend, or at least pretended to be, but I can’t imagine what kind of help she would be from the rehab center. I’d try to visit her, but I don’t want to do anything to mess up her recovery from what Jameson turned her into.
Then it hits me. Vivian. Emmett’s ex-girlfriend. The former queen bee of the Elites before her parents were imprisoned for running a human sex trafficking ring. While she probably does still hate me, we did have a moment of humanity right before she left for New York. It’s a long shot, but every possible option is at this point. And maybe, just maybe, she’s mad enough at Theo for exposing her parents and fucking up her whole life that she’ll offer some assistance.
I open my laptop and send Vivian a message.
Hey. I hope New York is treating you well. I know you and I were never actually friends…so this is an awkward thing to ask. But Theo Nickelson is back and needs to be brought down. Any ideas on ways you could help? I have no one else I can turn to.
I sit and anxiously wait for her response, hoping and praying that she has become less of a monster during her time in New York. And that the Vivian who replies is the same one I saw a brief glimpse of in the hallway, hiding under the stairs at WJ Prep before she left town.
Vivian: What are you thinking?
Ophelia: He probably is still into illegal gambling. Any clue where I could start from there?
Vivian: Just outside of Jameson there is an underground poker ring that goes on every Friday night. I’ll send you the address. If Theo is still into that vice, he’ll be there. Good luck.
Wow, I think. Easy enough. I tha
nk Vivian and resist the urge to try and press the conversation any further. Elites, past and present, are like landmines. You never know where or what they’re hiding or when they will explode. Better not to push my luck.
Using Vivian’s tip, I dress in my best top-secret spy outfit of all black and sneak off to the rumored location of the underground ring. It’s the kind of thing the average citizen of Jameson would probably know nothing about, but of course, an insider on the shady world of the Elites would have some clue.
I know I can’t just barge straight into an illegal gambling den. And truthfully, even if I spot Theo here, I’m not entirely sure what to do from there. I can only follow this trail of crumbs and hope it leads somewhere. There’s a big abandoned building taller than the little spot where the games are said to be held. I manage to get inside and make my way onto the roof just as the sun is setting.
While I lay in the darkness, waiting, I look up at the slowly emerging stars and think what a beautiful night it is. It’s a shame I have to spend it spying on my corrupt bio-dad. All the more reason to get out of Jameson as soon as possible. I’ve had countless moments of being baffled by the abnormality of life here.
I lose track of how much time has passed when cars finally start pulling up to the building down below. A myriad of characters start going into the building, each one knocking in a certain way and then entering after being prompted for some kind of password. Everyone from guys in fancy suits with beautiful women on their arms to nervous-looking suburban-type guys in polo shirts.
Just when I am about to give up on catching any glimpse of Theo, I see his car pull around to the side and park. But he doesn’t go into the same entrance the rest of the people did. He has a key and unlocks a secret side entrance. I use my phone to catch the best blurry and dark shots I can of him going inside, then I snap a few of his car just to be safe. But it’s not enough. I know I need more than that.
I look around the roof frantically, trying not to accept the possibility that I have hit a dead end on this little adventure. Then a door on the roof next door catches my eye. It’s next to some old and broken poles and lines, which look like they were once used for hanging laundry. If someone were using that passageway to hang their laundry to dry, where would the door lead? The basement? A laundry chute? Even if any access point exists there, is it still safe to use?