"At the deli?" Chris looked confused. "But how-"
"Since you never bothered to introduced me to your parents," Brenda said, "I did it myself. I'm just sorry I had come at a bad time."
Callie's hands tightened into fists. The tramp! She had actually forced her way into Chris's private life. Talked to his parents without his permission like some sneaky, conniving-
"If there's anything at all that you need," Brenda murmured, caressing Chris's cheeks, "just know that I'm here for you during this difficult time."
Push her away, Chris, Callie begged, push her away and tell her about us. Do it!
But he didn't. Instead Chris stared at Brenda a few seconds longer before giving the woman a stiff nod. He had more things to worry about right now than Brenda's intrusion. "Excuse me," Chris brushed past Brenda and opened the door.
The sight of his father on his knees beside the small bed that contained his mother made him pause. His father held his mother's pale hand, head bowed as if he was praying...and maybe he was.
"Chris," his mother's sweet voice made him look up. She smiled at him. "Come in."
Chris stared at his mother, suddenly frozen in place at the sight of her. She looked like his mother...but laying there in a blue hospital gown, the matching blue covers over her...she didn't look like herself. Her usual flushed face was now pale, lips colorless. Her bright eyes were still bright, but it also looked like it was dimming, as if she was forcing herself to keep the brightness there.
Eliza Walker looked weak and fragile. This wasn't the same healthy mother who had kissed all his booboos away as a child. Not the same healthy mother who had cheered for him the loudest when he had scored the winning touchdown during a high school football game. Not the same healthy mother who had cradled his head against her as he cried for his fallen friends in the war. Not the same mother he had seen last week. The drastic change in her cut his heart to pieces.
"Chris?" Eliza's smile dimmed. "Won't you come in, sweetie?"
"Chris?" He heard Cal's voice whisper behind him. Chris looked back and met Cal's sad, worried eyes. Hesitating slightly, Cal placed a comforting hand on his. "Go in, Chris. Hold your mother."
Shaking, Chris walked into the room and went straight to his mother, taking his place across from his father. "Mama," he whispered, lifting her hand as if it was made of glass. He fell to his knees. "Mother."
Eliza smiled. "Hello, baby."
He laid his head on her lap and squeezed his eyes shut. "There, there," he heard his mother murmur, "it's alright. I'm alright."
"Why?" He said, "why did you keep this from us?"
"I didn't want to worry you two."
"Still...you should have told us. You and Dad wouldn't have been all alone through this, Mom."
"Chris, what's done is done."
Mother make it better, he wanted to beg, but it was all out of her hands. It was up to the doctors to save her life now.
"Cal," Eliza beamed, "I see you hovering by the door, dear. Come in, come in!"
"Mrs. Walker." Callie greeted the older woman with a smile as she walked into the private room. "Hello."
"Why, Cal!" Eliza chuckled, "you look wonderful."
"T-thank you."
"Mrs. Walker," Brenda walked around Callie. "How are you feeling?"
"Better thank you," Eliza smiled. "Nothing to worry about." Sighing tiredly, she nestled her head against the pillow. "Now that my boys are here, I'm feeling a lot better."
"You should get some sleep, my love," Mr. Walker said, brushing his hand against his wife's forehead. "The doctor said you should get as much rest as possible."
"Oh do stop worrying so much," Eliza patted her husband's hand. "I'm perfectly fine." But to the others she didn't look fine. She looked colorless and sick.
"Oh if only I had some cute grandchildren to cuddle," Eliza said mischievously, "I'm sure I'd miraculously heal."
"Mother." Abel rolled his eyes. "Is that all you think about?"
"Actually, Mrs. Walker," Brenda cut in, taking her place beside Chris. "Chris and I have been talking about children and getting married for a while now."
Everyone in the room looked at her with surprise, including Chris. "Brenda," he said warningly.
Brenda laughed and patted his shoulder. "Look, Chris, your mother's color is already coming back! You'd like that wouldn't you, Mrs. Walker? Some grandbabies plus Chris finally settling down?"
"Why...yes," Eliza said hesitantly. "Of course."
"Well don't you worry about your youngest son." Brenda beamed down at her. "We're practically already engaged! Now we just have to set the wedding date and soon you'll have all the grandbabies you can handle."
Why you manipulative bitch, Callie thought darkly.
"So you should focus on getting better after the surgery," Brenda continued. "So you'll be healthy enough to attend our wedding."
"Grandbabies," Mrs. Walker murmured wistfully, eyes fluttering shut. "Wouldn't that be something?" The room descended into silence as she fell asleep.
Chris rested his mother's fragile hand on the bed before standing. Furious, he grabbed Brenda's arm and jerked her towards the door. Abel and Callie followed behind them, making sure to close the door.
"What the hell were you doing back there?" Chris hissed at Brenda. "You lied to my mother!"
Brenda lifted her chin up. "Chris, I did it to make her feel better. Did you see her? She looks so much happier now with the thought of grandbabies and marriage for you. I just gave her something to fight for."
"You had no right to-"
"I'm your girlfriend," Brenda snapped, jerking her arm back from Chris's hold. "And you need to settle down Chris and make your mother happy. She wants grandchildren? Well I'm the best candidate to marry you and give her those grandchildren. I don't see why you're so upset, you know I'm right. How can you be mad at me when I just made her dream come true?"
"I want to punch her," Callie said to Abel darkly. "Oh god, I want to do it so badly."
"I need fresh air," Chris muttered, walking around Brenda. "Nobody follow me."
Abel studied Brenda, one brow raised. "My, you're a very bold woman and I must say that you're also one manipulative bitch."
Brenda met Abel's eyes. "I've done nothing wrong. I just secured Chris's future and made your mother a happy woman."
"Chris won't marry you," Callie said, "not someone like you who is willing to use a poor sick woman to trap him into marriage."
Brenda looked at her. "What Chris and I do is none of your business. Or what?" Brenda laughed, "did you think that you had a chance with him? Honey, he's not interested in men and even if he was I highly doubt that he'd pick someone like you."
Abel stepped back from the women and leaned his back against the wall, crossing his arms as he watched them with interest.
"You don't deserve him," Callie snapped, clenching her hands into fists. "He deserves better than you."
"And what?" Brenda crossed her arms. "You think you deserve him? Well someone's a little dreamer. You can't give him what I can. You're nothing but his friend and once we're married I'll see to it that he never see you again."
"You're pushing it, sister," Callie growled. She was so tempted to slap that condescending smug look on the other woman's face.
Brenda flipped her long, silky hair back. "What? You want to hit me? Go ahead, try it. Which side do you think Chris will take? Mine or yours? Do you really want to find out?"
Callie said nothing.
Brenda smirked. "I see you're losing weight. Nice try, but it doesn't matter how much you try to change yourself on the outside." She stepped closer to Callie until their faces were inches apart. " In the inside, you'll still be the same fat, clumsy guy who tags along with Chris, salivating like some dog in heat for something way out of his league. You're disgusting."
A loud crack seemed to echo down the hall as Callie's hand connected with Brenda's right cheek. Both woman blinked, completely surprised that Callie had actually
slapped her. Callie stared at her hand, mouth hanging open. Oh hell...
"You bastard!" Brenda cried and raised her hand up to slap Callie back but Abel smoothly went behind her and caught her hand.
"Now, now, dear," Abel chuckled, "can't say you didn't deserve it."
"Let me go!" Brenda screamed, trying to fight Abel's hold when he wrapped an arm around her waist to restrain her. "Let go!" She glared at Callie. "You'll pay for this!"
"What the hell is going on!?" Chris stalked towards them. "I could hear you all the way down the other hall, Brenda!"
"Chris!" Brenda pointed an accusing finger at Callie. "Your friend, just slapped me. He slapped me! What kind of man hits a woman?"
"What?" Chris stopped short and looked at Callie. "What is she talking about?"
"He slapped me!" Brenda pointed to her red cheek. "Because he's jealous of me!"
"That's not true!" Callie cried. "Chris she-"
"Did you hit her?" Chris asked coolly.
Callie froze. "I...she...she said things that made me bad and..." her shoulders slumped helplessly. "I guess I snapped."
"Cal, it doesn't matter how mad she makes you! Hitting a woman?" He sounded so disappointed in her.
"Careful, Chris," Abel said, "don't make things worse when you don't even know what happened."
"It doesn't matter what happened," Chris snapped. "Our mother could possibly be dying and they're standing right outside her door fighting?" He shook his head. "I don't care who started it. Both of you, get out my sight."
"But Chris," Brenda started.
Chris held a hand up. "Shut up, Brenda. Just go."
"Chris." Callie took a step towards him but he backed away from her, shaking his head.
"You too Cal," he said. "Leave. Abel, drop him back off at the apartment." Without another word he opened the door and slipped inside his mother's private room.
Callie winched when she heard the soft definitive click of the door as it closed. Damn it! She hadn't meant to upset him!
Abel released Brenda and stepped beside Callie. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'll talk to him later. He's just...worried about mother."
"This isn't over," Brenda hissed at both of them and swirled around. She stormed down the hall towards the elevators without a backwards glance.
"Good riddance to her," Abel huffed, turning Callie the other direction. "If you hadn't slapped her, I certainly would have!"
"Chris hates me now," Callie wailed, covering her face with her hands. "He thinks I'm some kind of...of monster who hits women!"
"He thinks you're a guy remember?" Abel reminded her. "He doesn't believe in a man hitting a woman under any circumstance unless he was fighting for his life or the lives of those he love."
Callie sniffed. "She just made me so mad! The way she played your mother and Chris both like that!"
"Don't worry," Abel patted her shoulder. "I'll explain everything to him later. I'll take you home and you just wait patiently for him. He'll need your comfort later."
"I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't come home," Callie whispered as they walked down the hall. But in her heart she wished that he would.
And after hours of waiting in her apartment after Abel had dropped her off...Chris neither came back or called. Callie hardly slept that night.
Chapter Seventeen
Ah ha! There he is. Abel walked into the smoky bar, ignoring the curious open stares sent his way. After all, what was an elegant man like him doing in a place filled with drunks and troublemakers?
Because of him, Abel thought, sliding onto the vacant stool next to the hunched figure of his brother nursing a mug of beer in front of the island table of the bar. The bartender eyed them from behind the counter, noting the resemblance between the two men. Chris ignored them, drinking the mug of beer in his hand slowly. Abel crossed his legs, eyes probing, questioning.
“Go away,” Chris finally growled.
“Not on your life, baby brother. Now tell me, what’s got you so down?”
Chris shot him a sarcastic glare. “Other than the fact that our mother is dying as we speak?”
Abel waved an elegant hand. “Non-sense. Mother will be fine. If she can raise two rascals like ourselves, then she can do anything. She’ll live. She’s our mother.”
Like that’s enough to fight a cancerous tumor, Chris thought bitterly. He took a sip of the strong brew in his mug, fighting back the image of his sickly mother. He just didn’t want to see her like that anymore. Not his mama.
“Admit it,” Abel pressed on while crossing his arms. “There’s something else that drove you to a place like this. Or should I say…someone.”
“Go away,” Chris snapped, “and leave me the hell alone.”
“No.” Abel snapped back. “I won’t leave you the hell alone and you know why?” He grabbed the mug clutched in Chris’s hand and slammed it on the table. Some of the liquid spilt onto his hand but he ignored it, fierce blue eyes on Chris. “Because,” he continued without missing a beat. “ We’re brothers and brothers look out for one another and baby brother, you need someone to look after you right now because you’re being a complete idiot”
Chris remained stubbornly silent.
“What are you going to do about Cal, Chris?”
“That’s none of your business, Abel.”
“It is my business.” Abel grabbed the napkin on the table and wiped his soiled hand. He wrinkled his nose, hating the smell of hard liquor. “Cal is my friend.”
“That doesn’t give you any rights.”
“Pfft,” Abel snorted. “Of course it does. I’m Abel.” He said this with confidence, as if being just himself made anything open to him.
Chris rolled his eyes.
Abel ignored it. “Chris, I repeat…what are you going to do about Cal?”
Without warning, Cal’s innocent chocolate brown eyes filled his head. Soft eyes hurt and accusing when he had driven him away. Chris flinched. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry,” Abel cocked his head slightly to the side. “What was that?”
Chris raised his voice louder. “I said I don’t know!”
“Well you better know fast before he slips away. Oh I know!” Abel snapped his fingers. “Why don’t you be a gentleman and apologize?”
Chris ignored the sarcastic note in his brother’s voice. “What do I have to apologize about? He and Brenda were fighting in front of our mother’s door. He hit Brenda!”
“Hah!” Abel snorted at that. “Like the little witch didn’t deserve it.”
Chris glared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You should have talked to Cal before jumping into conclusions and driving him away. You’re not the only one hurting here, Chris.”
By the time Abel finished telling him what had driven Cal to hit Brenda, Chris felt a lot worse. He buried his face in his hands and took in a deep breath. “What a mess.”
“You’re telling me.” Abel patted his shoulder. “Chris, go to Cal and make up. Sh-he’s hurting. You know how much he loves you. Do you love him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Honey, don’t lie to yourself. You and I both know that you’re in deep. Your head over heels for Cal and just don’t want to admit it. Stop running, baby brother because sooner or later Cal will get fed up and stop chasing.”
Chris lowered his hands from his face and stared grimly at his palms. “But what about Mom?”
“What about her?”
“She’s always talking about wanting grandbabies-“
“Ah ha!” Abel smirked, “so this is why you’re here, drinking your troubles away. Let me tell you something, Chris. Mom wants grandbabies but she wants your happiness even more. Don’t let Brenda the Bitch trick you into marrying her.”
“If I go to Cal…Mom will never have grandchildren.”
“There’s something called adoption, Chris. Look it up.”
“That’s not the same and you know it.”
“It’
ll have to do.” Abel looked at him sympathetically. “Do the right thing here, Chris. Don’t let Brenda manipulate you. Go to Cal…besides I have a feeling that there’s something that he wants to tell you.”
Chris’s head snapped up. He eyed Abel thoughtfully. “Actually, before you called he was about to tell me something.” He had nearly forgotten about that. “You saying you know what it is?”
Abel slid off the stool. “Go to Cal and find out for yourself.”
Chris grabbed Abel’s arm. “Abel, what is it? Is it something bad?” Now that he thought about it, Cal looked tortured when he was about to confess…confess what?
“Oh Chris,” Abel sighed. “That depends entirely on you.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Do you love Cal? If you do…well I hope you do because it’s going to take a lot of love to overcome both your issues. That’s all I’m saying.” Abel turned to leave and paused. “Oh and Chris?”
“What?”
“When Cal tells you his secret, just remember…it all started with you.”
Chris blinked. “Me?”
Abel patted Chris’s head. “Yes with you…because sometimes Chris, you’re so damn blind to the point of idiocy.”
Chris watched his brother leave. He was blind? Blind about what? And Cal…after tonight, after yelling at him, Chris wouldn’t blame him if he never wanted to talk to him anymore.
“Abel! Wait!” He followed Abel outside, the cold night wind hitting him as he rushed out the bar door. “Abel!”
Abel stopped and half turned. He’s never seen Chris like this. Cheeks flushed, hair in messy disarray. It was the confusion and hope in the eyes identical to his own that made Abel smile. “Yes darling brother?”
“What do I do?” Chris strode towards Abel and crabbed the other man’s shoulder. “What the hell do I do?”
“About Cal? I just told you-“
“No.” Chris shook his head. “About this. About the feelings I have for him. Shit I’m scared as hell but…when he’s not there I want to be close to him and when he is there I want to be closer. I’ve never been in this kind of situation. What do I do, Abel? What do I do?”
Big Fat Liar 3 (Big Fat Liar #3) Page 3
