by Laura Gibson
Anna paused with a heavy exhale and waited with her hands on her hips, “Hurry, I’ve got stuff at home I have to do.”
Melody rolled her eyes at Anna, “Two minutes isn’t going to set you back.”
“You never know, Mel, two minutes might be all you have.” Anna answered as they walked towards her car together. “A lot can happen in two minutes.”
The ride home was quiet as Melody texted friends who lived in town, trying to plan out times to meet up.
Finally Melody said something that had obviously been on her mind for awhile, “Something’s wrong with Kelly.”
Anna didn’t take her eyes off the road. Melody was right, but Anna didn’t want to let her know that, it would give the fetus too much power. “Yeah? What makes you think that?”
“He doesn’t talk to me like he used to.” Melody replied, her voice quiet, sad.
Anna stole a glance at her passenger, this was unusually insightful for a Jeffords. “Maybe he’s just going through some stuff.”
Melody shook her head, “No, its not that. Its like, a part of him is missing now. He used to talk about stuff that mattered and now all he talks about is… nothing.”
Anna tried not to frown, she really didn’t want to make it look like she didn’t know her own brother, but Melody was so right in this instance it was scary. Kelly had been distant and he had stopped talking about the things that mattered in his life. All he wanted to do was hang out alone in his basement or hang out with Ryan. He had always hated being sociable but lately it had started bordering on a life of hermitage.
She planned on asking him about Cas as soon as she got home and she hoped the fetus sitting next to her would help out.
Anna bit her lip, trying to think of something else to say, something make Melody feel better, but all she could think about was how Melody was right and how that was almost as upsetting as the fact that her brother was acting wonky.
She pulled into the driveway and saw Kelly sitting on the front porch, smoking a cigarette. He glared at her from behind his dark sunglasses and she could feel the discomfort radiating off of him at the fact that Melody had accompanied her home.
But it wasn’t her fault. She wasn’t the one who had decided to date the fetus. She wasn’t the one who decided that was a good idea.
Anna got out of the car slower than Melody who was already shrieking and bounding towards her boyfriend like she hadn’t seen him in years.
Kelly looked shocked, but hugged her anyway, his thin lips smiled and he really embraced his girlfriend, “What a surprise!”
But it wasn’t a surprise. Kelly was a liar just like the rest of them. People just didn’t suspect it out of him is all. He had an assuming face that couldn’t smile right for cameras. He wore a crooked grin and always seemed to smile with his whole self and never held back, but that was just the best lie. The truth was, Anna wasn’t sure she had ever seen her brother really smile.
Bitterness would do that to a person though. Muck ‘em up and ruin them for the rest of the world, make them forget what it was like to feel good about anything. Anna tried not to feel sorry for her little brother, but she couldn’t help herself; if he wasn’t careful, his bitterness was going to get the better of him.
“Hey baby brother.” Anna walked towards him, smiling, letting him know it was okay to show some genuine emotion. “Saw Jefferson and Ryan for lunch.”
“Oh yeah?” Kelly was half smiling, his arm still linked around his girlfriend.
“Yeah, Ryan mentioned Cas.” Anna swallowed, gauging her brother’s reaction.
Kelly stayed nonchalant, his arm hanging loose around Melody’s waist, “What’d he have to say?” Clearly Cas wasn’t that big of a deal to Kelly.
“Nothing much, just that he was texting him.” Anna shrugged, putting her hands on her hips, wondering why it didn’t bother Kelly as much as it had bothered Ryan.
“Well, nosy sister, Cas is Casimir Volkov, and he sells dead animals from Russia. Not a big deal.” Kelly smiled, turning to go inside, “It’s hot out here.”
Anna felt herself glare at her brother’s back, whatever she had been looking for wasn’t that.
Jefferson
The time had moved into the evening hours before Jefferson knew it and he found himself driving over to Kelly’s place to have the talk that no one wanted to have.
Cas had asked Jefferson to speak to Kelly about the Bronen dilemma and Jefferson wasn’t looking forward to the conversation. Kelly had been avoiding everyone lately and Jefferson knew why, but no one wanted to broach the subject.
Jefferson pulled into the driveway of the Hill residence and paused to get his breath, thinking about the fact that Anna was inside, knowing that sooner or later he would have to tell her, because if Kelly didn’t, the charge went to him.
He turned off the car and got out, feeling his legs pull him forward with an obligation rather than himself really walking towards the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited while someone made their way to the front door.
It swung open and Anna stood there, her smiling face greeting him, making him feel more welcome than he really should be. “Twice in one day, eh? I think I could get used to this.” Anna laughed.
“I just came to see Kelly, if he’s at home.” Jefferson smiled back at Anna. She always had that effect on him. No matter what mood he was in before, the moment he saw Anna, he felt a little better inside. She was a wonderful creature, an absolute work of art. He hated the idea of sullying that with Cas’s plans, but orders were orders, and there was really no going back anymore.
“Yeah, he’s in the basement.” Anna rolled her eyes and let Jefferson inside, leading him the basement landing.
“Melody still here?” Jefferson asked, hoping he wouldn’t have to see the Jeffords girl again. He still wasn’t sure what Kelly saw in her, no one was, but until Kelly got sick of her, she was in everyone’s life.
“No, she left a little over an hour ago.” Anna called over her shoulder, going into the kitchen, “Want anything to drink?”
“No, I’m good.” Jefferson answered back, heading down the stairs, “Maybe later though.”
There was no response from Anna as Jefferson found himself in front of Kelly’s bedroom door. He had to have heard them talking upstairs. Noises traveled in this old house. Was he purposefully ignoring Jefferson or was he busy?
Jefferson raised his hand to knock on the door but stopped himself when the wood pulled away from him as Kelly opened it, staring at him with sullen eyes. Dark circles spread underneath them and made it look like he hadn’t slept in days. “Can we talk?”
“If its about Cas, I don’t want to hear it.” Kelly walked back into his bedroom, letting Jefferson in.
Jefferson took a seat in Kelly’s desk chair and ran a finger along the dust building up on the top of his computer monitor. “Your room’s a mess.”
Kelly shrugged and flopped himself down on his unmade bed. “Oh well.”
“You alright?” Jefferson studied his aging friend and tried to see past the asshole that had come back from Russia.
It wasn’t a secret that Kelly changed overseas, everyone had said something about it. But Kelly wanted to pretend like it didn’t matter, like he was still the same as ever. Jefferson gritted his teeth, he wasn’t. He had turned into one hell of a prick since he started working for Casimir Volkov. But, when you had the job Kelly did, you kind of had to, so maybe, Jefferson thought, maybe he should stop giving him such a hard time about it.
“Casimir’s back in town this week and wants to know what you decided.” Jefferson started the conversation that no one wanted to have.
“Tell him I said no.” Kelly didn’t open his eyes.
Jefferson cleared his throat, “I don’t think that was an option here.”
Kelly shrugged again, “I’ll jump through whatever hoops he wants me to, but she’s off limits.”
Jefferson agreed with Kelly on that point, Anna should be off limits. It was on
e of the original deals Cas and Kelly made before Kelly actually agreed to do anything. He didn’t want to involve Anna because that would mean that he didn’t actually have a choice. That would mean he had been right about Cas the whole time and was suckered into a job he didn’t want for money that may or may not be good enough.
“He wants to talk to you. Face to face. He said you’re not answering your phone.” Jefferson pushed.
“Yeah, cuz I’m ignoring him.” Kelly sat up, looking at Jefferson, “You’d think he’d get that.”
“Kell, you can’t just ignore him.” Jefferson felt nervous just talking about the idea. Casimir Volkov was not a man that you wanted to have as enemy. Everyone knew what happened to Mikhail, and the men who tried to hold Ryan hostage. Everyone. It wasn’t like some backroom secret. It was a fact.
“Watch me.” Kelly’s face was filled with malice, “He wants to go back on his word? Then he can do his own damn work himself. I’m done.”
Jefferson sighed and cleared his throat, this wasn’t good news, but it was the news he was expecting. He knew Kelly would put up a fight, he knew Kelly would have some words to say before he agreed, but he just didn’t want to go through the motions. He’d much rather have Kelly get on board like he always did and be able to move onto the next subject. “It’s up you, man.”
“I say no.” Kelly shrugged, “It’s just that simple.”
Jefferson sighed again and got to his feet, “I guess that’s that then.”
“Guess so.” Kelly didn’t look at Jefferson again as he exited the room, but Jefferson knew his friend better than that, he would come around sooner or later.
When he went back upstairs he saw Anna in the living room reading ‘Lord of the Flies.’ Jefferson smiled, she was gorgeous. “Hey, do you want to go out to dinner with me or something?”
Anna looked up from her book and studied him, “You’re not hanging out with Kelly tonight?”
“No, he’d much rather sit in his room and stew.” Jefferson made a face.
Anna crinkled up her nose and glanced at the basement steps, “Sounds like Kelly.”
“Well, how about you, Miss Hill, wanna grab a bite with me?” Jefferson smiled, resisting the urge to wink. He had always been attracted to Anna and he knew it wasn’t a secret, not in so many words, just something no one ever talked about. And he thought, they probably didn’t talk about it because she felt the same about him.
It was a curious thing, having two people like each other and just not be together. He knew what was stopping him, but he wasn’t sure what was stopping her. It wasn’t like she really cared about Connor Bronen and he had no one at the moment who was near as interesting as she was. So why couldn’t they look past the age difference and call it a day?
Anna closed her book and stood up, “Might as well. I am getting hungry, haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
“Yeah, why didn’t you grab anything at the cafeteria?” Jefferson frowned as they made their way to the front door.
“Eh, nothing looked good enough, I guess.” Anna laughed, opening the door and stepping out in the evening light. “Where do you want to go?”
Jefferson shrugged, “Kind of in the mood for pasta if that’s alright with you.”
“I’ll go where ever.” Anna looked at the two vehicles in the driveway, “Your car or mine?”
“Mine is good.” Jefferson took out his keys and unlocked the door.
They drove downtown to a nice Italian restaurant Jefferson knew had decent food. He loved the moments he got to share with Anna when no one else was around and it was just the two of them. He knew this was the way it was supposed to be, it was just a matter of when. But Jefferson was a patient man and he was alright with the idea of waiting. Anna was the type of girl you waited around for, you didn’t hurry perfection and you didn’t demand more out of it than it wanted to give. Which was why Jefferson was just as upset with Cas as Kelly was.
But Kelly was going about things all the wrong way and Jefferson knew that, too. He knew what type of man Casimir Volkov was and he knew what sort of man it had turned Kelly into over these short months. But there was still a chance that if everyone did everything just so, it would all turn out for the best.
It had to, Jefferson told himself, it had to turn out. Because if it didn’t, if Casimir got his way and Anna was in, then he would lose her.
Jefferson took stole a glance at her from across the car, he couldn’t lose this.
Dinner went by fine, they talked, they flirted, business as usual. In Anna’s eyes, nothing had changed between the two of them and things probably never would, something Jefferson didn’t want to admit.
He knew that sometime this week Casimir would talk to her, or Kelly would, or someone would, and then things would be different. She wouldn’t just be Anna anymore, she would be a part of it all.
Jefferson sighed and tried not to think of that. He didn’t want to imagine a world where Anna wasn’t just Anna anymore.
The sun had set hours ago as they exited the vehicle while Jefferson walked Anna to her door. This could have been described as a proper date. This should have been described as a proper date.
Anna paused at the front door and smiled at him, “I had a fun time, Jeff.”
“We always do.” Jefferson chuckled, feeling nervous from his decision he had just made.
Slowly, his hand reached up and brushed a stray tendril of chocolate brown hair out of her face and leaned closer, putting one hand out, supporting his weight, his face inches from hers.
It was Anna that acted first, Anna who changed the dynamic of the relationship as she moved forward, one hand on the back of Jefferson’s neck, the other on the side of his face.
Her lips were sweet from the hint of chapstick, not an overpowering flavor, but an enjoyable one. Jefferson moved his hands to lift her at her waist, pulling her closer, holding her against his body.
As she pulled away Jefferson felt the connection between them severing. Anna’s laugh was soft, sweet as she avoided his gaze, “I can’t do this, Jeff.”
“Yes, you can.” Jefferson tried again, moving to kiss her once more, but Anna put her hand and stopped him.
“No, Jeff, I can’t.” Anna looked sad as she placed her other hand on the door knob and twisted it, “You’re my brother’s best friend, I’m not going to do that to him.”
“Tell me it’s more than that.” Jefferson set his jaw, angry that she would use such a low cop out for what she was doing.
Anna shrugged, “It’s not, Jeff. Kelly is my brother.” She stepped inside the house and went the close the door but Jefferson stopped it with his hand.
“But you felt it too.” Jefferson nodded, “You kissed me just now, not the other way ‘round.”
“Goodnight, Jefferson.” Anna’s perfect eyes were sad as she closed the door fully and Jefferson felt the anger build in his gut.
It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t going to kiss her. That wasn’t the plan, he just wanted to be close to her. She kissed him. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Why couldn’t that just be good enough? Why wasn’t Jefferson ever just good enough?
Kelly
When Kelly heard the car doors slam, he looked out his bedroom window to see if it was just Anna and Jefferson coming back, or if Cas had finally come to talk to him himself. Kelly pushed the anxious feelings away and watched Jefferson walk his sister to the door.
He knew Jefferson liked Anna. Everyone knew Jefferson liked Anna. That was one of the selling points Cas had used in his initial argument. Anna was a very likable person. She had an easy smile and a face that was so symmetrical people couldn’t help but trust her. But she was still his sister and he didn’t want her to be involved in this. She had her own out, she didn’t need to be a part of anything Cas had to offer.
Kelly didn’t miss the moment when Anna kissed Jefferson, but he wished he had. This was going to make things more difficult. Especially when he knew just what exactly Cas was planning. Jefferso
n didn’t know the whole plan. That knowledge had been reserved for Kelly and Kelly alone. Jefferson was just along for the ride, like Ryan, neither of them truly knew what Casimir was planning with Anna, and Kelly was thankful for that. It gave him time to try and find an out for her before it was too late.
Chapter Two
February 2nd, 2007
Charleston, West Virginia
Jane
It wasn’t that Jane was worried about Alphie. Really, she most certainly was not worried about a wild animal.
Rhett was right. She was doing it again. Jane looked at herself in the hallway mirror and tried not to see her mother. But all the signs pointed in that direction. Every sibling held the same strong, physical traits, as well as some of the more undesirable characteristics.
The high cheekbones, overly pronounced jawline, stark black hair that hung flat with no light reflecting forth. Jane had seen people blessed with the deep color of blue black hair, and she wished that her hair could just take the plunge and get there, but her prayers were to no avail.
Jane felt the similarities overwhelm her and for a second it was too much, for a second she felt the full weight of her actions on her soul. Not her actions, Jane reminded herself, brushing away a stray tear that had found its way to the surface, but the actions of others. The actions of people she hardly knew.
Jane pulled her knit cap on over her disappointing hair and put her gloves on before stretching and readying herself for the bitter cold that was West Virginia in February.
Rhett had told her to move on and let it all go, had told her a thousand times that she didn’t need flesh and blood to be her family now, he could be that. He could take care of her, but Jane wouldn’t accept that sort of generosity. Couldn’t accept it. She still had one brother she spoke to, and maybe, he would finally get his life together and come to the States.
Jane stepped onto the front porch and smiled over at one of her neighbors that was going to work. They exchanged a silent wave and both went on their way, the neighbor in their car, Jane off jogging down the street, intent on putting her melancholy thoughts behind her.
