by Ingrid Diaz
“Hmm? What did I say?”
“Did you just say that Valerie’s my sister?”
Alix laughed nervously. “Is that what you heard? Boy, Jess, you should really get your ears checked. What I said was that I really miss my sister. Don’t know why. Momentary lapse in sanity, I guess. You know how it is. Are you hungry? I’m hungry. Let’s get some food.”
“Alix . . .”
“Hmm?”
“I am two seconds from losing my tempter.”
“I just meant . . . she’s your . . . sister . . . in that way . . . that two women are . . . when they’re not really. You know?”
“What?”
“I was speaking metaphorically. You know, sisterhood. Without the traveling pants.”
“You do realize you’re making no sense whatsoever, right?”
“No? Funny, that. So . . . lunch?”
There was a brief pause, and then, “I can’t. I’m meeting Mathew. In fact, I should probably get going.”
I glanced frantically around, trying to find some way to hide. I should’ve made a run for it right then, but Alix’s next words kept me glued to my spot.
“Are you going to give her the money?” Alix asked softly.
There was silence for a long moment, then Jessica whispered, “Do you really love her?”
“Yes.”
A sigh. “Then I will.”
My eyes burned with unshed tears and I felt my heart aching with emotions I couldn’t decipher. I had to get out of there.
I heard Alix say, “Jess . . . ?”
But I don’t know what she said after that, because I ran as quietly yet as quickly as I could toward the end of the hallway, where I hid inside the stairwell. After a minute, I peeked around the corner to see Jessica’s retreating back heading toward the opposite side. She disappeared down the stairs a moment later and I leaned back against the wall, and let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
I stood there for a while, enduring odd looks from people heading up and down the stairs. Then, when I could no longer justify my standing there, I took a deep breath and abandoned my hiding spot. At Alix’s door, I paused. Then knocked more confidently than I felt. I no longer had a plan of action. From here on end it was all improvisation.
“It’s open!”
I turned the handle and opened the door fully. Alix was sitting at her desk, her hands on the computer keyboard. She didn’t glance up at me right away and I stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before her emerald eyes finally drifted up from the monitor.
She blinked a few times as though she couldn’t believe she was really seeing me. “Hi,” she said softly.
I shut the door behind me before turning my full attention back to her beautiful face. “Hi,” I replied, lamely. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here . . .”
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again,” she admitted.
I leaned back against the door. Her eyes had this amazing way of disarming me. It was unnerving yet enchanting all at the same time. “Did you want to see me again?”
“I’m not sure.”
Well, at least she didn’t say no, I thought dryly. “I just came to say goodbye,” I said, thinking it a good opening.
Her eyes reflected surprise. “Where are you going?”
“New York,” I said without conviction. “Perhaps California. I’m not sure yet.”
She nodded mutely. Then said, “Okay.”
“Thanks for everything,” I added.
“You’re welcome.”
I nodded. “Well, goodbye.” I reached for the handle, waiting for her to stop me. But she didn’t. I opened the door. Then I shook my head, slammed the door closed, and turned back to Alix. “Look, I can’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Walk out of your life like that,” I explained. “I can’t do that.” I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “I need you to know a few things first.”
Alix leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms against her chest and staring up at me with a look I couldn’t quite interpret. “I think I know everything I need to know.”
“No. You don’t.” I glanced quickly around the room, trying to buy time. “Look, I know that I lied to you. There’s no excuse for that and I can’t expect you to forgive me. But if I walk out of that door right now, I’m going look back on this moment when I’m eighty—provided I live that long—and wish on every star out there that I could go back in time and do this all over again. So I’m going to save myself the heartache and just say what I need to say. And if you still want me to walk out the door and never return, then I will.”
“Valerie—”
I held up my hand to stop her. “Just listen.” I took a deep breath then proceeded. “When I first saw you that night at the club, I nearly dropped the tray of drinks I was carrying. Alix, you were so beautiful and so not what I was expecting that I have no idea how I even managed to make my way to your table without stumbling all over myself. And I was so torn between wanting to ask you out just because I wanted to and wanting to run because I knew if I went through with my plan it would be you I’d be hurting. But I had to go through with it for my brother’s sake.” I searched her eyes for some kind of reaction but she was just waiting for me to continue. “When you asked me if you could give me a ride home that night, I knew it was my chance to walk away from all of it. I could’ve refused and never seen you again. I could’ve figured out some other way to get the money from Jessica that didn’t involve using anybody, but at the same time I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing you again.” It was so hard to explain everything without mentioning Jade’s involvement. But I wasn’t going to drop that bombshell on her. No way.
“Valerie, what are you trying to say?” Alix asked softly.
“I’m trying to say that—” I’m totally in love with you. “I really did like you . . .” Why couldn’t I just say it?
“Oh,” she said, her eyes flashing with disappointment. She cleared her throat. “Look, I want you to know that I understand everything. And that there’s no hard feelings.” She nodded, more to herself than to me. “I do have one request, though.”
My gaze flew to hers. “Anything.”
“I want you to tell Jessica the truth.”
Jessica. Of course. “I can’t do that.”
Alix rose to her feet. “Why not?” she demanded. “She deserves an explanation, Valerie! And if you don’t give it to her, I will.”
“Alix—”
“You owe her that much . . .”
I sighed. She was right. I did owe Jessica an explanation. I owed her a lot more than an explanation. Resigned, I nodded. “Okay.”
She seemed surprised I’d relented. “You’ll tell her?”
No. No. No. Every fiber of my being was screaming against it, yet my mouth spoke the words. “I’ll tell her.”
Alix searched my eyes. “Do you promise?”
“Would you trust my promise?”
“Yes.”
I almost smiled. “I promise.” I took a deep breath. “Alix, I—”
“Why is it so bloody hot—” Jade saw me and stopped. She threw me a questioning glance but I ignored it.
“I was just leaving,” I announced. I glanced quickly at Alix, then excused myself, nodding politely at Jade as I exited the room.
Ò
Making a promise and keeping one are two totally separate entities, and I knew that the longer I prolonged telling Jessica, the closer I’d get to chickening out. I kept running the conversation with Alix over and over in my mind as I drove to Jessica’s.
“Would you trust my promise?”
“Yes.”
One simple word and I was mush.
Three hours later, I found myself on Jessica’s property. If I’d been nervous the last time, it was nothing compared to the marathon my heart was running at that moment.
Always on cue, the door opened as I ascended the steps to the entrance and Maurice info
rmed me that Jessica was out by the pool. I was surprised he didn’t take me there himself like he had last time. Instead, he simply pointed in the direction I was supposed to go and I headed off that way, willing my heart to slow down. I can’t believe I’m doing this. I shouldn’t be doing this. Why am I doing this?
Alix.
Oh, right.
I took a deep breath as I reached the pool deck. The pool came complete with a Jacuzzi and what appeared to be a small waterfall off to the side. It reminded me of one of those pools in an expensive beach resort.
A burst of female laughter caused my head to turn, and I found its source a second later. Jessica was splashing water toward Mathew who was holding up a blue floatation device as a shield.
I stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, trying to decide on a course of action. Finally I decided that coming back some other time was probably a good idea. As I started to turn away, however, I was spotted.
“What are you doing here?” Jessica called from the edge of the pool.
Walking a few steps so I wouldn’t have to yell too loudly, I responded with, “I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
“And that’s my cue,” Mathew said, leaning over to kiss his wife before exiting the swimming pool. He grabbed a towel from one of the lounge chairs and disappeared inside the house.
Jessica proceeded to pull herself up from the water, a puddle forming at her feet. She grabbed a towel and motioned for me to sit down. “I transferred the money, if that’s why you’re here.”
I sat and stared up at her as she dried herself. “I’m not here about the money.”
A dark brow shut up in silent question, and she paused in her actions. “Well?”
I shifted in my seat. “It’s about my parents . . .”
Jessica snorted and took a seat in the lounge chair next to mine. She hung the towel around her shoulders and grabbed the bottle of water resting on the floor between us. As she uncapped it she said, “Do they need money too? No-no . . . let me guess, they were kidnapped by the mafia?” She laughed at her own sarcasm and took a long swig of water.
I waited until she swallowed, doing my best to ignore her attempts to mock me, and then said the only thing I could think of that might catch her attention. “Thomas and Leigh Michaels.”
Jessica’s expression changed from impassive, to confused, to something else I didn’t understand.
When she didn’t say anything, I continued. “I’m their daughter.”
Jessica blinked a few times, as if trying to comprehend the meaning behind my words. “You’re trying to tell me that you’re Thomas and Leigh Michaels’ daughter?” she asked, and I could tell she was trying to remain calm.
“My name is Valerie Michaels Skye,” I began, “I know—”
“Stop,” she said, holding up her hands. “What do you want from me?”
I opened my mouth to respond but nothing came out.
“Do you want more money, is that it?” Jessica asked. “How much to keep you quiet?”
I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “Quiet? I—”
Jessica was laughing nervously as she paced. “It was only a matter of time before this got out. Shit.” She turned back to me, her unreadable mask firmly in place. “How did you find out about it? Must have taken a lot of research. Man, you’re a sneaky bastard.”
Something was totally wrong with this picture and I couldn’t even begin to fathom what the hell she was talking about. Did she lose her mind? “Research?”
She rolled her eyes. “How much do you know? The whole thing?”
“Well . . . yeah . . . but I—”
“Okay, let’s cut some kind of deal,” Jessica said. “Name it and it’s yours.”
I blinked a few times and it started to dawn on me that she wasn’t believing me on the whole daughter issue. “It’s not,” I began, stumbling to form the right words. “I don’t want anything from you. I just thought you should know that . . . well, that I’m your si—”
“No!” she said, loudly, emphatically. “Don’t even think of finishing that sentence.” She continued to pace, and I could tell she was starting to panic.
God, this was such a bad idea. How did I expect her to react? I rose to my feet though I wasn’t entirely sure that I could be any more useful that way. “Jessica, you have to listen to me—”
Her eyes bore into mine. “I don’t have to do anything.”
Sighing, I reached into my pocket and withdrew the only thing I could think of that would serve as evidence: my birth certificate. I placed it on the lounge chair I’d been sitting on. “I can’t force you to believe me, but I can prove it to you. Keep that. You can have it checked out if you don’t think it’s real.” I stared into her eyes sadly. “I don’t want anything more from you, Jessica. Thanks for all of your help, regardless.” I turned around and walked away. Not looking back.
Chapter 9
“I have no idea how you did it,” Chris said, laughing, sitting back in her office chair. She was dressed in a silk kimono which did little to conceal the fact that she had nothing else underneath. I doubted that was coincidental. She held up her hand to stop me in case I was about to speak. “And I don’t want to know,” she added, rising to her feet.
My patience was wearing thin. I’d arrived at my apartment to find a message from Chris. The money had been transferred. Mission accomplished. Relief and regret hung over me like a cloud during the entire drive to Chris’s mansion. I could barely stand to stay in my own skin. And now I was being forced to stand there listening to Chris babble on.
“When will Aaron be released?” I asked, impatience winning out.
Chris lit a cigarette and offered me one. I refused and she shrugged. “You sure have gotten boring.” She placed the lighter back on the desk and stared at me inquisitively. “You don’t seem particularly happy.”
“Just let me take Aaron home,” I said, and hoped I didn’t sound as whiny to her as I did to my own ears. “You’ve got the money.”
“Touch-y,” Chris drawled, flicking the cigarette on the ashtray. She leaned against her desk. “What are you going to do about your hair?”
“Chris . . .” I began, impatiently.
She laughed. “It’s so much fun to toy with you, Valerie,” she admitted and returned to her seat behind the black desk. To my surprise, she turned serious. “You know, they wanted me to kill him anyway.”
My heart leapt up my throat at the thought.
Chris winked. “Don’t worry though. He’ll live.” She stared into my eyes. “We’re even now, understand? No more favors.”
“Don’t worry,” I assured her, “you’ll never see me around here again.”
Chris glanced me up and down for a moment, not bothering to disguise her appraisal. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you around here all the time. Your brother, however, must leave Florida. I can’t protect him once he’s off my property and quite frankly, I don’t care enough to try.”
I nodded.
“He knows all of this, of course,” Chris continued. She paused. “I suppose it would be out of the question to ask you to come and work for me again?”
In spite of my awful mood, I nearly laughed. Instead, I gave her a look which I hoped conveyed exactly what I thought of that proposition.
“Okay, I’ll take that as a no.” Chris put out her cigarette and stood. “He’s free to go. You know where he is.” She started to walk away, then stopped and turned back to me. “Take care, Val.”
I watched her walk away, until I no longer had an excuse to stand there. Then I headed down to the dreaded basement.
“Aaron?” I called. I found him at his usual spot on the mattress, looking like he was in desperate need of a shower and a decent meal. “Are you all packed?”
He stared up at me in surprise. “You mean . . . ?”
“I got the money. You’re free.”
He was on his feet at once, hugging me so tightly I couldn’t even breath. “Aar—” I coughed.
Letting up on me, he laughed through his tears. “Oh God, Val. Thank you so much. I thought for sure I was gonna die in this place.”
“Hey, I thought you said I could do anything,” I complained.
“And I was right.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you home and into the shower. You smell like crap.”
Ò
“So,” I started, eying my brother curiously as he proceeded to consume his third serving of Chinese food. “Hungry much?”
He grunted a response.
I sat back on the chair, watching him for a minute. I couldn’t believe he was sitting at my kitchen table, shoveling away at pork fried rice like nothing had happened. No apologies. Nothing. “What are you going to do now?”
Aaron wiped his mouth with a napkin and shrugged, his gaze never rising from the plate of food. “I’m leaving for Brazil tomorrow afternoon.”
Somehow I managed to hide my surprise. “Brazil? Why Brazil?”
“Just feel like getting in on some tourist action, seeing as I’ve got to leave the state anyway,” he answered, and I could tell he was hiding something.
“The state, Aaron, not the continent,” I reminded him, though I didn’t think I needed to. “Why Brazil?” I asked again.
He finally put down his fork and gazed up at me, his blue eyes troubled. “Look, Val,” he began, and I could sense that I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say, “I have some business I have to take care of down there. I don’t want to involve you any further into my affairs. So let’s just leave it at that.” He resumed his meal without further commentary.
“Aaron . . .” I warned.
“Don’t worry, sis. You won’t ever have to worry about me again.”
“Yeah that’s what I’m afraid of,” I mumbled under my breath. “Will you promise to stay out of trouble . . . and keep in touch . . . and not do anything crazy . . . ?”
Aaron laughed. “I promise.”
Did I believe him? Not even a little bit.
“So,” he said, raising the bottle of beer to his lips, “what’s been going on with you?”