CHAPTER 48
She however focused her attention back to Teddy. He probably didn't understand he was abandoned or why his father had been like that but his voice said that there was no love lost there. She didn't grow up with a father but at least she hadn't seen anything like what Teddy had and remained silent about it. The boy harboured wounds and probably covered them up with his smiles and pure love and adoration for his mother. She looked at him.
"Do you want to know why I like you?"
"Yes,"he replied.
"Because you love your mom so much. I know she is so lucky to have you and you make her happy, really happy." He smiled. "I don't have a dad too." She swallowed before adding,"I don't have a mom either but I have my friends. Your mom and uncle Carl and you," she held his shoulder. "You all make me stronger. And that's all we need. It's not always about family. We learn to make people who care about us our family instead. And that is the greatest gift."
"Are you my family?"
She smiled,"I am your friend so yes,I am your family."
"Thanks Dylan," Teddy replied and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"You are welcome." She replied and hugged him tenderly. She was happy, really happy and it made her wonder what sort of father would be so cruel not to fall in love with a kid such as this one. Her phone rang in her pocket. She patted him before they pulled apart and took it out. It was Kenny, finally.
"Yeah." She waited for him to talk on the other end before asking,"Are you back in town?"
"Yeah,I just got back and remembered you owed me a drink."
She laughed,"Okay,where are you?"
"Just downtown. I think it's the only bar that is always open at all hours. How long should I wait?"
She turned and looked at Teddy who was looking at her curiously. She didn't want to disappoint him by leaving."
"How about some time later? Right now I'm doing something really important."
The next one hour was spent playing with both the dog and Teddy and she had to admit that it was really fun. She didn't feel left out in a family day. It had been long since she had done that and the only time she had had such a connection with a child. Teddy happened to be like Carly in so many ways that when she looked at him, she saw her. She was trying to push the thoughts about what Teddy had just told her away but it wasn't working. Imagining anyone hurting Carly made her feel like someone was driving a knife right through her heart. What drove Gavin to do such a thing was unknown to her but she hoped Carly would agree to talk to her.
"Alright, time to get back home for lunch," they both turned to the voice. Teddy didn't argue this time. He dropped his ball and went to her then hugged her.
"Bye Dylan."
"Bye Teddy,I had so much fun with you."
"Me too,"he replied then went to his grandfather and took his hand.
"Don't forget, dinner tonight at seven," Carly's father said.
"I won't."
★★★
Carly walked down the aisle in the grocery store pushing a trolley. She had volunteered to go shopping after her father had taken Teddy out to walk and she kind of had wanted to be alone with her thoughts away from her mother who was now so observant. One minute of being quiet and she would be all over her making all sorts of wild guesses. What was occupying her mind however was the previous night with Dylan. She didn't know what to think as she remembered that Dylan hadn't pushed her away the moment their bodies had made contact. She remembered standing there, taking in her face, her body and being drowned by the closeness. And then she had looked into her face and had kissed her without overthinking it. Her head had been resting against her chest and she had heard her heartbeats, beating a bit loudly than normal. She had moved in closer realizing that her own matched Dylan's. She smiled absently.
"Those must be some really nice thoughts."
She looked up and found Emily smiling at her. She didn't know how she had even gotten there and immediately she saw her, she remembered she had promised to have coffee with her but hadn't yet. She had actually forgotten about it.
"Hey Emily,how have you been?"
"Good, just taking one day at a time. How about you?"
Her answer didn't really sound genuine so she looked at her closely. We're those dark circles under her eyes? She frowned but didn't really want to seem privy so she started placing her items on the counter to be rang up.
"Good too." Then,"I have been meaning to contact you about the coffee,"she lied. "It's just that I have had a lot to deal with."
"You don't have to lie to me Carly. I get it,I wasn't nice to you in high school and you probably don't want anything to do with me and I understand why,"Emily replied without even looking at her. It sounded more remorseful and painful than just stating.
"No, really. I have had a lot going on and I kind of forgot in the process."
"It's okay, you don't have to explain."
She didn't know what to say so she touched her hand but a little hesitantly.
"Are you okay?" she asked. Emily stopped what she was doing but still didn't look at her. She saw her bit her lower lip painfully and right then knew she was struggling with something. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"How did you do it?" Emily asked when she finally looked up. I have been really thinking about it and it doesn't feel so simple. It's hard enough for me, even harder for my kids and I just don't know what to do." Her eyes were now glassy and she looked like she would break down in the next minute. She turned but there were no customers behind her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Can we maybe go somewhere quieter and talk for a bit?"
"Sure," I have Carl's car packed right outside.
"Okay, I'll ring up your items."
They sat quietly in the car in front. She waited patiently until Emily was ready to talk. The woman sitting right beside her wasn't the same one she had known in high school. She used to be strong even though it was sometimes just false pretense. This one looked bruised,bitten by life and completely helpless. The make up in her face was probably hiding things that made her wince at the thought. A reminder of her own pain and that was something she didn't want to recall at all.
"I got married to Justin only because I wanted to please my parents. I never should have but it was great at first. I thought that even though I wasn't really in love with him, it would happen gradually and it would work out perfectly in the end," she paused and chuckled wearily,"My mother thought that having children would set the pace,that they would strengthen our bond. I guess she knew I didn't really want to marry Justin but she was so obsessed with being involved with his influential family so she chose that over what I really wanted."
"You never told her what you really wanted. You never came out to her."
"I'm not as strong as you are Carly. I pretended to be but in real sense I am a coward. I couldn't stand with my own choices when it came to my parents and that is the source of my misery."
"Does he hit you?" she asked after she mastered the courage to ask the question. It sent cold shivers through her body as she said it.
"No, it's the complete opposite of that. He doesn't even touch me but that's because I pushed him away, I always do. I know he has a mistress or mistresses outside but that's not even the issue. I care less about who he sleeps with. He yells at me,at the kids all the time and there is just no peace."
"How old are they?"
"Kimmy is nine, she was born while I was still in college and Lex is eight. So,they are old enough to understand everything that happens in the house. They are mostly locked up in their rooms but I can tell it's really affecting them."
"Teddy is quite the looker too. I started noticing that he was becoming more withdrawn everyday and that was when I decided to divorce his father. He was never around though."
"How did you do it?"
"Honestly,it wasn't easy at first. But I chose mine and my son's happiness first. I thought it would affect Teddy and that was why I still stayed but then I realized it wouldn't make any difference. Gavin was not there for Teddy and my mind and heart was no longer with him. And so I did it."
"How did he take it?"
"He accused me of cheating on him while he knew too well he was the one chasing after women. He was angry but he finally accepted."
"I'm scared that if I do that, Justin might become violent and then the kids,will they be okay leaving their father? I don't want them to go through that stress."
"Em,they are already going through much worse. The best thing right now is to choose what's best for them. I thought Teddy would be unhappy if he didn't see his father again but he turned out even a lot happier. What I would advise you to do first is talk to them,hear what they think. They might be young but those kids harbour a lot of secret emotions."
Emily looked far ahead in the distance in deep thought. She touched her arm and rubbed her softly. "It's going to be okay. And whenever it gets hard,you can talk to me."
She nodded but didn't say anything more. They sat there silently each thinking. It must have been five minutes later that Emily talked to her again.
"You don't still hate me for the things I did and said you in high school,right?"
"I never hated you Emily. I mean what you did to me and Dylan that one time really hurt but I understand why you did it," Emily turned to her. "I know,they all thought I was stupid to think that there was some good in you but it turned out I was right."
"You didn't hate me?"
"No I didn't."
"You are the only friend I really liked, genuinely. The greatest I ever had and I feel so bad I compromised that."
"We were kids, we did what kids do best. Get jealous,fight, make mistakes but it's all good."
She smiled,"How is Dylan by the way?"
"She is great,"she replied but since she didn't want to discuss about Dylan right then, she went back to her previous question. "Why did you ask if I still hated you?"
Emily sighed,"It's nothing important."
She frowned. The look in her face didn't display what she was saying. "It was probably just a stupid prank."
Now that alarmed her. Not to be paranoid or anything but the weird things that had been happening to her and Dylan heightened her curiosity.
"Maybe not. What happened?"
"I received a parcel the other day with a photograph of me in my cheerleading uniform and some words accompanying it."
Her heart skipped some beats and she turned to her sharply. "Dylan received almost the same thing some days ago."
Now it was Emily's turn to look surprised,"That couldn't be a coincidence."
"I know. What did the note say?"
"Payback is a bitch, BITCH!"
"Jesus Christ! What the hell is happening to us?"
"Are you saying that I should be worried?"
"I don't know what to say. I think you should talk to Dylan about this." Could things get any uglier? What were the chances that the only person who had been so jealous of her relationship with Dylan was also receiving threats?