“Have a seat, Crawford.”
Dad sits and says, “I only have a few minutes. What is this about?”
“Actually,” says Jones. “I changed your connecting flight. You have a little over an hour. Plenty of time.”
My dad’s expression contorts in anger. “I will be late for my meeting.”
“It’ll be fine,” says Jones.
“This is a major client, Jones. We already lost one yesterday; we can’t afford to lose another.”
Jones is serious, but his tone is calm and I feel like he is trying his best not to grin. “Correction… YOU lost the client, not WE. And you weren’t even supposed to be handling that client.”
“I run that office,” says dad.
“I own over fifty one percent of the shares.”
“Are you pulling rank, Jones?”
This time, Jones grins. “I sure as hell am.”
Dad looks at me for the first time since they started talking.
“What is this really about?” he asks.
“I’m moving all the big cases from your office to the office down here and giving you our small cases.”
“What the fuck? You don’t have the time for them. You don’t even know those cases!”
“True, but Blake knows them. He will be taking it over. And I’ll be moving Owen down here to help if needed.”
I try not to pretend like I’m shocked, while dad just laughs.
“Are you trying to put my sons against me?”
Jones is the one laughing now. “You are doing a damn fine job of that all on your own.”
Dad nods toward me. “Do you really think he will be focused on anything besides what’s going on with that little—”
“Watch it!” warns Jones.
Jones then looks at me and sees that I was about to reach for dad. He shakes his head and I relax back into my seat.
“You fucked up. Pull anything that stupid again and you will have no cases.”
Dad stands up and gives me a look of disgust before looking back at Jones. “You’ll be begging for my help with those cases when the kid fails.”
Neither Jones nor I bother to say anything. We just watch him walk away. We see the waitress trying to ask if he is okay, but he snaps at her and keeps walking.
I look at Jones. “Do you think he will just let this go?” I ask.
“I don’t think he has a choice. Don’t worry about him, son. I’m keeping a close eye on him.”
“So, what now?”
“Well, we can grab something to eat while we are here and then head back to the house. Dr. Patton should be there shortly. It’s entirely up to you, but I think we should give her and Arianna a good thirty minutes or so alone before we go back.”
I hesitate.
“Dr. Patton has a way with people. You’ve met her. You know. I think she could get Arianna to talk if they are alone.”
“I don’t know about leaving her alone. She wasn’t even sure about seeing Dr. Patton at all. I have a feeling she only agreed because I asked her to.”
“Let’s eat something and then head back. They won’t be alone but for a few minutes. That is, if Dr. Patton is even on time.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When we get home, I see Dr. Patton’s car parked outside and I rush inside.
I find Carol sitting in the living room. “Where is she?” I ask.
“She is in Mike’s office with Dr. Patton.”
Jones walks in after me and sits next to Carol. I put my hands in my pockets and start pacing back and forth, not knowing whether I should go in.
“What happened to her?” asks Carol in a concerned tone.
I pause and look at her. “I can’t tell you,” I say in an apologetic tone.
I see the relief in Jones’ eyes.
“Let them know you are here, son. You are going to drive yourself crazy otherwise.”
I knock on the door.
“Come in,” says Dr. Patton.
Arianna’s back is to me and she doesn’t turn around. I find myself unable to move.
Dr. Patton smiles at me like everything is fine. “Can you give us a few minutes, Blake? Then I would like you to join us. I will come get you.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask before leaving.
“Yes,” says Dr. Patton. I wish Arianna would turn around just once so I can see that she is okay, but she doesn’t.”
ARIANNA
I can’t say that Dr. Patton is what I expected. I guess I thought she would be much older and less friendly. There is something about her that puts me at ease right away.
I’m not sure what to say when she asks me if we can talk in the office for a while, but I don’t want to be rude, so I agree. We both sit down and she smiles at me. She seems to be a genuinely nice person.
I sit there awkwardly. I already made up my mind that I don’t want to talk about what happened and I know she can’t force me. She surprises me when she says, “Blake has told me a lot of really great things about you.”
“He has?” I ask.
“Of course. He really loves you. You are a big part of his support system.”
I smile at her.
She looks in my direction, studying me, watching my reactions to see how far she can go or what she should ask.
I surprise myself when I’m the one asking the questions. “Should I be worried about him drinking again?”
“I believe he has the will not to.”
I nod. “But I worry about him being around his family. I worry that someone or something will set him off.”
She cocks her head to the side. “I noticed you said his family in general and not just his father.”
I close my eyes. “I do not want to talk about him. I don’t—I just.”
I hear a knock on the door and Blake’s voice, but I keep my eyes closed, focusing on taking deep breaths. After a few minutes, I hear the door closing again and I open my eyes.
Dr. Patton leans forward and, as if reading my mind, she says, “We don’t have to talk about anything that you don’t want to.”
“Thank you,” I say nervously.
I take a deep breath. “Blake loves his family and I love that about him, but sometimes I worry that he will try to protect them and get hurt in the process. I know he wants to protect his sister and his mom, but—”
I can’t hold back the tears. “When I think about everything that ever happened to him… so much of it was because he put everyone else before him. Besides his grandfather, he never had anyone there to protect him and I don’t understand…” I pause and take a deep breath before I blurt it all out. “I don’t understand how even his own mother won’t protect him.”
Dr. Patton seems surprised when I bring up Blake’s mom.
I continue. “I’ve always loved Cindy. She is so nice, but while Blake was at the center, I just kept thinking over and over… why didn’t she protect him? Why didn’t she take her kids away from so much evil?”
Dr. Patton nods. “Unfortunately, some people are just not that strong. They think they are doing the best they can.” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “And you are wrong when you say he never had anyone to protect him.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“He has you,” she smiles. “From what he has told me, you’ve changed his life. Probably in more ways than you know.”
“But I can’t protect him from so much evil. It’s just too much.”
Dr. Patton pulls her chair around and sits closer to me. “Don’t think of it like that. Think of it as both of you protecting yourselves and each other. You make him a better person and I’m sure the same applies the other way around. Hang on to that. I know both of you have many things to work through, but I have no doubts that you are each other’s strength.”
She sits back.
“He is probably worried about you. I can ask him to come in, if you are ready. Unless there is anything else you’d like to talk about.”
I sigh. “I was wo
ndering if we could keep what we talked about between us. I don’t want Blake to feel like he has to stay away from his mom because of this. In fact, she is coming down here in a few weeks. I just know he doesn’t blame her for anything and I don’t want that to change. He has enough pain to deal with already.”
She nods. “Do you think you will be okay seeing her?”
I nod.
“Is she coming alone?” she asks cautiously.
“Owen and Molly will be with her.”
“Okay,” she says. “Is there anything else at all you want to talk about?”
I shake my head and she smiles before standing up to let him in.
BLAKE
I hold my breath until she turns around to look at me. I can tell that she was crying at some point, but she seems to be okay. Dr Patton asks me to sit next to Arianna.
“You got a wonderful girl, Blake. You were definitely right about that.”
I put my hand over Arianna’s and smile.
“Are you both doing okay here?”
I nod. “What’s next, Blake?” she asks.
“We are going to stay here for a while. I’m working again and Arianna is volunteering at an animal shelter.”
“Good,” she says. “I think this environment is really good for you. It’s safe and stable… it’s exactly what you need. If you want my advice, stay here for as long as you can. And Blake, I’m not asking you to avoid your family in any way, but I think it would be best if Jones and Carol are around when you do see them.”
I wonder why she says that until she exchanges a look with Arianna. I assume it has to do with something they talked about, but I don’t ask any questions.
“Well,” Dr. Patton stands up. “I have to get back soon. It was very nice meeting you Arianna. Blake, don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
She leaves the office and I stay with Arianna.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She nods. “I know you are wondering… we didn’t talk about what happened.”
He pulls my hand up to his lips and kisses it. “You don’t have to tell me what you talked about. Just know that I’m here for you whenever you need me.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Wake up,” I feel someone poking my leg and open my eyes to see Owen looking down at me.
I fell asleep on the couch again and Arianna is sleeping against me. I try to sit up some more, but decide not to, so I don’t wake her up.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask.
“Jones invited me to go to the beach with you.”
“Oh.”
“I thought they had a guest bedroom,” he says.
“They do.”
“Well, you might want to start using it… or at least put a pillow or blanket over your pants,” he laughs.
“That is not funny, Owen.”
He throws a pillow at me, which wakes up Arianna in the process. I put the blanket over my lap while giving him a look of annoyance.
“Owen?” she says as she sits up and tries to fully wake up.
“Yep.” He smiles at Arianna. “Jones said we leave in an hour. You might want to get ready.”
Owen leaves the room and Arianna falls back into me, putting her arms around my waist. I wrap my arms around her and get comfortable again. I feel like I could stay here for the rest of the day.
“Seriously,” Owen yells from the kitchen. “One hour.”
Arianna laughs and gets up. “I actually missed him.”
I watch her as she goes to get ready. I will never understand the bond they have. How is she not resentful over him leading her to our screwed up family? I push that thought aside and go get ready.
Arianna, Owen, and I, get in the back of Jones’ SUV. The beach is an hour away, but it’s going to be a long hour trapped in a car with Owen. Honestly, he smells like cheap perfume and sex.
Arianna sits between us and I, briefly, contemplate asking if she wants to change seats; but then I would have to hear something stupid come out of Owen’s mouth, so I let it go.
Luckily, Jones is one of those guys who likes his music and he plays it just loud enough to keep anyone from talking. Arianna snuggles up on my side and even though we practically just woke up, we end up falling asleep on the way there.
The sound of the engine being shut off wakes me up. I open my eyes to see that we are parked in the driveway of a small yellow house, with white shutters and a small patio out front. The back of the house is right on the beach. We get out of the car and follow Jones and Carol inside. Carol seems tense and I wonder if that has anything to do with her past as a mermaid.
“We only have two rooms,” says Carol.
“Arianna and I will sleep in the living room,” I say too quickly and get an amused look from Owen. Truthfully, I like sleeping with her near me. I know we agreed to take things slowly and that is what I want… that is what we need, but it feels like sleeping in the living room is a way of setting some boundaries while still being with her.
While Jones and Carol take their bags to their room, Owen stares at Arianna and I, and I know he has some smartass comment he wants to say, but he keeps it to himself.
I grab Arianna’s hand. “Do you want to check out the beach?”
She nods and we go outside. The beach is nothing like the island. It’s just as quiet, but the sand is darker and the water is not as clear, but I enjoy the smell of the ocean just the same.
Arianna and I sit on the sand, a couple of feet away from the water, and she stares at the ocean.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask.
She laughs. “I was thinking about the first time I saw you at the island.”
I smile at her. “What was I doing?”
“You were holding a book with a dark cover, and a pen. You were writing in it. You seemed so happy.”
I remember the leather bound journal where I used to write random thoughts and stories. It was a way to escape when my dad was around. Grandpa had given it to me.
“I used to look forward to summers,” she looks away and blushes, “so I could see you.”
I pull her closer, putting my arm around her shoulder.
“I wish I had you around to talk to after grandpa was gone. I think my life would’ve been easier with someone like you around.”
She looks at me and she is now serious. “Can you do something for me?”
“Of course,” I agree, knowing that it doesn’t matter what she will ask. I’d do anything for her.
“I want you to try and focus on the present. Just try to stop thinking about… well, about anything bad.”
I smirk at her. “Do you think you can help me with that?”
She laughs. “I think I can.”
I lean over. Putting one hand on the back of her neck, I pull her closer and kiss her.
“Lunch is ready!” Owen yells from the door.
When we go inside to eat, Owen and Jones are waiting, but Carol is nowhere to be seen.
“Where is Carol?” asks Arianna.
“She isn’t feeling well,” says Jones.
We sit down and eat our sandwiches.
Once we are done, I happen to glance outside and see Carol. She is sitting down, staring at the ocean.
Arianna notices me looking.
“I’m going to go see if she is doing okay,” she says.
As soon as she is gone, I want to ask Jones if everything is okay, but Owen starts talking before I can even open my mouth.
“Do you know what’s going on here? With the big cases being moved out of dad’s office?”
“Yes,” I say.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to piss him off right now, Blake.”
I look Owen right in his eyes. “I’m done being afraid of him, Owen. Besides, it wasn’t my decision. Jones is the boss,” I grin.
Owen laughs. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
Jones shakes his head, “So, are you in, Owen? You d
on’t have to move down right away. You can work from your home for as long as you need.”
“Fuck yeah, I’m in. More money and I get to piss off the old man in the process? I’m definitely in,” he pauses. “I just wanted to make sure that Blake really knows what he is getting himself into.”
I glance back outside. Arianna is now sitting next to Carol. I look at Jones. “Do you think she will tell her?”
“Tell who, what?” asks Owen.
We both ignore him.
“I doubt it,” says Jones. “It’s too soon. She is afraid Arianna will hate her.”
ARIANNA
As I get close, I hear Carol sobbing. She wipes the tears away once she hears me.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “I can leave if you need to be alone.”
“No, it is fine, sweetheart. I was just thinking about life.”
“Do you mind if I sit?”
“Please, do.”
I sit down near her and we both stare at the ocean for a while.
“I wanted to thank you and Jones,” I say. “You’ve been so good to me.”
She smiles and I can tell she is holding back the tears. “Oh, it’s our pleasure sweetheart.”
“Sometimes I wish I had parents like you. Your daughter is really lucky.”
A single tear runs down her face and she wipes it with the back of her hand.
“That is very sweet of you.” She hesitates. “Do you mind if I ask you about your parents?”
I take a deep breath. “I never met my mom. My dad raised me and he was the best, until--?”
“Until what?” Her eyes widen with curiosity.
I try to phrase things in a way that they are true, without revealing my old reality. “My dad is a man of power. He has a lot of responsibilities from his… from his job. He wanted me to live in a certain way that I didn’t agree with, so I left.”
“Did he ever marry anyone else after your mom left?”
I shake my head. “No. I don’t think he could. I don’t even think he believes in love… not after mom left.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
She looks back at the ocean and she seems distant. Maybe she has too much on her mind. I stand up, “I should go back in.”
Unbreakable (A Mermaid's Curse Book 3) Page 5
