by BWWM Club
He had a feeling he had learned more in the last three days than he had at school. Carl wondered if his parents would let him get home-schooled for the rest of the year.
"People are saying you've been suspended." Charlotte broke into his thoughts.
Carl sighed. People would say anything to maintain gossip, even if it was a complete lie. He had been on the receiving end of it too many times.
"And you're listening to the rumors?" He asked.
"No way. You told me what happened and I've set them straight."
Charlotte was silent for a moment, finishing off her slice. She looked like she was focusing on her eating but Carl knew her. He could read her easily; his best friend was debating whether to tell him something important. Something he might not like.
And he was right.
"Security at school found the footage of Jason attacking you. The school is bringing their own case against him." She bit her lip. "You're going to have to give a statement."
Carl stiffened. He knew his father had gone in to the school and told them about the assault against Carl's wishes but Toby had wanted something for Carl, even if it was a suspension. To hear there was video of Jason swinging at him with a bat put it in a different perspective. There was no way Jason could wriggle out of that.
But he still froze.
"I can't."
"You have to, Carl. The school is taking it seriously. Something like this is going to get Jason into serious trouble." Charlotte sat back. She looked like the bearer of bad news and, to Carl, she was. "Mr Robinson asked me to speak to you. He said he'll give you until Monday to think about it. They're going to the police anyway but they would like you to put forward your side."
"If they're going to the police anyway why would they need me?"
"Because it'll make it easier to expel Jason and put him in jail for assault. He's eighteen so he's classed as an adult. Assault is hard time and the viciousness of the attack means years, not months and not probation."
Unless he had a really good lawyer, Carl thought. Knowing his luck Jason would walk away with virtually no sentence. He could see it happening. And he knew that Jason would go after the one person who put him there: Carl.
"And what makes you think there won't be reprisals?" He demanded. "That people aren't going to be hurt by this?"
Charlotte sighed. Then she sat forward and hit him on the head. It nearly knocked Carl out of the booth. A few people looked around at the slap but then went back to what they were eating. They probably thought Charlotte was his girlfriend and he had said something she took offense to.
Carl straightened up and rubbed at his head. He was glad it wasn't the side with his stitches Charlotte had hit. While the bandage had come off, his head where he had been hit was still delicate. He glared at her.
"What the hell was that for?"
"Carl, stop thinking about other people and how they'll be affected and what they'll do. Focus on yourself. You were attacked. You could have been put in a coma or even killed. Head injuries are not to be brushed under the rug. You can't let him walk away from that." Charlotte jabbed at the table with her finger, her eyes flaring angry fire. "Think about what's right and not what other people feel about it."
Carl realized she had more passion about what had happened than he did. And she was right; he was brushing it under the rug. He didn't want to deal with it because the consequences would be Jason's friends coming after him, people calling him a snitch and he would be beaten up even more.
But then he thought about Jason's sneering face. If Jason got away with it he would still be in Carl's face, taunting him and waiting for another time to pounce. Carl had been taught that all actions had consequences and severe actions needed to be dealt with regardless of anything else.
He looked down at his plate and sighed.
"Okay, I'll think about it."
Charlotte grunted.
"That's the least I could expect."
They ate in silence for a while, demolishing the rest of the pizza between them. They didn't really need to speak; they had known each other since grade school and they were comfortable around each other. Carl knew everything about Charlotte and vice versa. He had never felt this comfortable around a girl before. Charlotte was his closest friend and he cherished what they had, even when she was being annoying and teasing him like crazy.
Charlotte snagged the last chicken wing and bit into it, smearing barbecue sauce all over her face.
"So, are you going to meet Louise tonight?"
Carl smiled. Ever since Louise had texted him details about their meet-up he had been feeling a slight spring in his step. For the first time in his love life it was going in the right direction.
"Yes. We're going to meet at the park and hang out for a while. Then we might walk to the diner nearby and have something to eat."
Charlotte sighed and placed a hand to her chest.
"So romantic." She cooed, her eyes laughing. Carl rolled his eyes.
"We're just chilling. It isn't a date. As such."
"Well, have fun with that. You deserve it after this week." Charlotte glanced across the room. She stiffened, her chicken wing halfway to her mouth. "Carl, who's that guy who keeps looking at us funny?"
Carl looked around. He saw the middle-aged man sitting at a nearby table, just within earshot. He was staring openly at Charlotte, a leering expression on his face. Carl groaned.
"Oh, great. That's Mike, Dad's brother."
"Your uncle Mike?"
Carl growled.
"Anyone who treats people who aren't white the way he does doesn't deserve to be called uncle."
Charlotte lowered her chicken wing and wiped her fingers on her napkin. Carl noticed that she was trembling.
"He's giving me funny looks. I don't like it."
Carl glared at Mike, who kept staring at Charlotte. Charlotte always got looked at because she was a pretty girl and always drew a man's eyes but she had never gotten uncomfortable when a man looked at her. If Carl didn't know Mike he would have trusted Charlotte's instincts.
He wiped his hands on his napkin and stood.
"Let me deal with him."
Chapter 7
Mike leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head as Carl approached him. He gave his nephew a pleasant smile.
"Hey, Carl. Fancy meeting you here. How's the head?"
Carl stopped by the table. This part of Charleston wasn't in Mike's territory so he had no reason to be here.
"What are you doing here?"
"What's wrong with being here? I came for some pizza." Mike glanced towards the booth. "I didn't mean to upset your girlfriend but she is pretty. She does draw the eye."
"Charlie is not my girlfriend and she's far too young for you."
"Anyone over the age of consent isn't too young."
Carl felt nauseous. Mike was in his forties. That was wrong on so many levels. He prodded the table with his finger to make his point.
"Just leave us alone."
"I am. You were the one who came over here."
"Because you're being intimidating." Carl turned away. "Don't approach us and don't look at Charlie."
He heard Mike chuckling as he started to walk away.
"You sound so much like your father. I bet he's said that to men who dared to look at his wife."
Carl heard the sneer when he said 'wife'. He stopped and swung back around on him.
"Dad never needed to do that around Mom." He snapped. "She only had eyes for him."
Mike lowered his hands and leaned forward, raising a skeptical eyebrow. His expression looked mocking.
"Don't be so sure of that." He glanced at Charlotte, who had exited the booth and was standing next to Carl. "Please to meet you, Charlie."
"It's Charlotte to you." Charlotte said stiffly. "And the feeling is not mutual."
Mike raised his eyebrows.
"Don't you kids get taught manners nowadays?"
Carl sighed an
d took Charlotte's arm, giving the waitress as she approached two twenty-dollar bills.
"Keep the change."
Then they hurried out, Carl not feeling comfortable until he left the parlor.
*****
Toby returned Emil's serve easily, slamming it harder than he needed to. The frustration and anger he was holding in boiled up and he needed to let the aggression out. So when Emil suggested that they went to the club and have a few games Toby agreed readily. Swimming a few laps in his pool hadn't helped to get rid of the anger so maybe hitting something would.
Emil came close to the net to return a drop shot, aiming to hit it over Toby's head. Toby got his racket to it easily and volleyed it hard. Emil yelled and turned away as the ball missed him by inches and rocketed off the court, bouncing off the fence.
"Jesus, Toby!" Emil glared at him, sweat beading on his forehead. "No need for that!"
Toby lowered his racket, realizing what he was doing. He took off his cap and wiped his forehead. Sweat stuck his t-shirt to his back and his shorts were clinging to his legs like a second skin.
"Sorry, Emil. I'm just not with it today."
"I can tell." Emil approached the net. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Toby frowned. "Why did I say that? I'm not okay."
He hadn't been okay for nearly a week now. Not since finding that text. Things between him and Simone were getting heavy with tension and Toby was struggling to handle it. He laid his racket flat on top of the net, twirling the handle absently.
"It's been four days and I can't approach her about...you know. I haven't been able to stay in her company long enough to ask."
"Are you still avoiding her?" Emil sounded surprised. "I would've thought you two had talked it out already."
"I try not to. But when Simone says she wants to talk to me I get scared and run off."
Simone had been trying to corner him since Wednesday about his behavior but Toby kept making excuses to leave. He tried to keep himself busy and out of the house so he didn't have to face Simone. Even sleeping in the spare room didn't get him away from her.
He missed her. He missed her a lot. But he was dreading hearing the news that Simone was not in love with him, that she was in love with someone else and she didn't want to be married to him anymore. Simone and his children were his everything and he didn't want to lose her. He wanted to hold onto that illusion a little longer.
But it was at the risk of his sanity.
"Maybe you should stay in the room long enough for her to say something." Emil mused.
"I can't." Toby protested. He adjusted his cap. "I'm scared of the answer and that I'm not going to like it."
"I understand that, buddy." Emil sighed. "But, Toby, you need to let Simone explain herself. You may dread the answer you're going to get but putting it off is making it worse."
Toby raised an eyebrow at him.
"Since when did you become so philosophical?"
Emil shrugged.
"It's what I would do. I've had plenty of practice. I don't like the elephant in the room. And you should kick that proverbial elephant out."
Toby knew he was right. Emil had been a rock for him the past week, listening to him moan for hours down the phone and trying to do things to take Toby's mind off what was going on at home. On the one hand, it could be something entirely innocent and Simone was simply planning a surprise. On the other hand, Simone was having an affair and wanted a divorce. Toby had a feeling it would be the second one and he didn't want to hear it.
That would mean that his family was right about her.
But it needed to be done. He sighed.
"I'll see. I can't promise it'll happen today, though."
"Well, you need to do it soon." Emil warned. "I love the pair of you but this is starting to annoy me that you won't address your issues. You've done it before."
"But Simone wasn't involved like this."
"I get that but you need to address it as soon as you can or you're going to have whatever it is between you drive you apart. Then a marriage will be destroyed."
"It's going to drive us apart anyway." Toby said. "I know it."
Now he was sounding like his youngest son when he didn't get what he wanted or heard what he didn't want to hear. Emil rolled his eyes and stepped away.
"Only if it's as bad as you think. If it's innocent then it shouldn't break up your marriage."
There was something about the way he said it that had Toby suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at Emil.
"You know something, don't you?"
"I..."
Emil started to protest but his face went red. Toby knew his friend well enough to know when he was caught in a corner. He pounced on this.
"What do you know, Emil? Tell me."
Emil looked like he was going to crack. He always did; the man was never any good at keeping secrets. Then he turned away and nearly ran off the court, grabbing his bag and hurrying to the gate. He left his bottle behind.
"Goddammit, Emil!"
But Emil was already gone.
*****
Emil had already disappeared when Toby managed to get to the locker room. Evidently he was hiding until Toby left. Toby would track him down later. Emma would know where he was. He was going to have it out with the bastard and find out what he knew.
His cell phone was ringing in his pants pocket when Toby opened his locker. Fishing it out, he saw that it was Mike and that he had called four times already. Toby sighed. This was all he needed. He didn't want to talk to his brother but if he had called that many times it had to be urgent.
So he answered.
"What, Mike?"
"Did I catch you at a bad time?"
Toby closed his eyes and pulled back on his frustration.
"What do you want?"
"I'm so sorry, Toby." Mike sounded distressed. "I wish I'd been wrong. But I saw Simone earlier today. She was at a little cafe downtown with another man."
Toby felt like his heart had stuttered. He leaned against the lockers as he got his breath back. This couldn't be right. It couldn't be. Simone was just having an innocent lunch date with a friend who happened to be a man.
Except she never said anything about having a lunch date.
This had to be the Brett person. It had to be.
"I was meeting Candace after college and I saw her across the street. She didn't see me but I saw plenty." Mike paused awkwardly. "She was all over the guy. He was lapping it up. And the kisses I saw weren't friendly ones."
For a moment Toby believed him. He really did. But then he reminded himself that Mike had tried this trick several times and it rang of similar things he had said before. The last time had been about this time last year, right before their anniversary. Toby closed his eyes and cursed himself for even believing Mike for one second.
"Was it that time of the year to try and screw with my head again?" He snapped. "It's almost to the day you pulled that."
"No, seriously, Toby, I..."
"Why are you doing this to me, Mike? Why are you so determined to make sure I'm not happy? I have Simone and I have my family. Stop trying to break up the best thing that happened to me."
"Toby..."
"Goodbye, Mike."
Toby hung up forcefully and tossed his phone back into his locker. He grabbed his towel and shower gel before stripping and stalking into the showers. A hot shower was what he needed.
But as he stood under the hot spray he wondered if, this time around, Mike was actually right.
*****
Simone finished her last lap and lifted herself out of the pool. A long series of laps back and forth in their pool had been just what she needed and now she felt refreshed. She stood and went to her sun lounger, picking up her towel and drying herself off.
That week had been hard. Her nerves were frayed. Toby was barely talking to her and he had taken to sleeping in the spare room. When they were in the same room the children were with them and Simone wanted to talk to
them on their own. But the kids were beginning to pick up that something was wrong so Simone tried to keep it as normal as she could. Then when she attempted to approach Toby about what she was keeping from him he muttered something about being late and hurried out.
The man kept himself out of the house or locked in his office as much as he could. Simone tried texting him and calling him but he never returned them. He stayed out until late at night on Thursday night and it was only after Emil texted her to say Toby was with him did Simone relax.
She didn't want to think what Toby was up to. If he thought she was cheating he might go out and cheat in revenge. But that wasn't Toby's style; he was a loyal man and he wasn't into revenge. Simone couldn't see him doing it but her mind wouldn't stop thinking about it.
She needed to talk to him today.
Putting her towel around her and picking up her cell phone, Simone was making her way towards the house when Toby appeared in the doorway. She tried to keep things calm and smiled at him, relieved that he was home.
"Hey, honey. Your dinner's in the oven. It just needs heating."
She tried to step past him but Toby blocked her way. He glared at her, his jaw tight.
"Are you having an affair?"
Simone stepped back in surprise.
"What?"
"I know you heard me. Are you having an affair, Simone?"
Simone was reeling. She knew Toby suspected the worst but she hadn't expected him to blurt it out like this.
"You're crazy. Why would I have an affair? I've got you and I don't need another man in my life."
"I don't know about that." Toby sneered. "People do strange things when they've been married a long time. Something to make marriage more interesting."
Simone stared at him. She had never heard Toby talk like this before. He was a mild-mannered, decent man who barely had a bad word to say about anyone on the most occasions. The only person she heard him talk about in derogatory terms was Mike. She had never heard this before aimed at her.
