Twisted Fate Chapter 14

“How’d you find me?” I ask, still gripping the door handle tightly.

“That’s not important. The question is why did I find you here?” Caleb waits for an answer that doesn’t come. I simply stare out toward the ocean. “How dare you!” Caleb barks.

I spin around to face him. “How dare I what?”

“Be so defiant!”

“Defiant,” I smirk. Caleb’s eyes cut into me like daggers. “I wasn’t being defiant. I was trying to find some sanity. What’s the harm in that?”

Caleb lightly clutches my water saturated shirt. “The harm in it is how you chose to attain this sanity.” He drops his hand and asks, “Don’t you care about your well being because I sure as hell care about mine!”

I hate it when Caleb dances around the subject. I wish he’d get to the point already. “Is this about Rachel?”

Caleb throws his hands in the air and huffs. “This is about Lavinia. Have you even stopped to think about what she might do if she finds out about this?”

“She’s the last thing I think about.”

Caleb pokes my chest, “Well, she should be the first! You’ll be taken out, along with Rachel,” I grab his hand and push it away as he says, “and with me.”

“You?”

“I’m responsible for you. If you are punished, so am I.”

“You weren’t thrown into that torture chamber,” I snarl. Caleb turns away, pacing around the parking lot. He’s likely fighting the urge to pummel my a*s. “How is this any different from the blood w***e you associate with?” Oh, f**k! I shouldn’t have gone there.

Caleb has me pinned the ground instantly. Rage emanates from his bulging eyes. “She’s not a blood w***e!” He must read my unspoken apology from my expression. Instead of clobbering me, he backs off and sits on the curb with his head in his hands.

I sit down next to him, demonstrating my concession. “What is she then?” I ask calmly. He doesn’t speak. “Please, talk to me.”

Caleb lifts his head. A glossy haze fills his eyes. “She’s my everything. Petrova is the glue that holds me together.”

For the first time, I feel empathy for him. I never stopped to think about the things he struggles with on a daily basis. He has hidden it well, but I should have known better. He’s been devoting all of his time and energy trying to keep me in line, putting his needs on hold to help me, and this is how I repay him?

“That’s how I feel about Rachel, don’t you see? You must’ve been here long enough to see us out there. I’ve never felt better than I do when I’m with her. I don’t see the difference.”

“Lavinia doesn’t care what I do as long as I put her needs first. You are in a different boat. Hell, a different ocean!” Caleb takes a deep breath and says, “It’s not worth it, Damien. Lavinia will exact her revenge and it won’t be pretty. Is that what you want for Rachel?”

“If she touches a single hair on her head, so help me!” My fingers clutch Lavinia’s imaginary neck and I shake my hands violently.

“Don’t get cocky! She’d crush you with her pinky finger!” Caleb says seriously.

I don’t care what Caleb says. I would defend Rachel at any cost. There’s no way that Lavinia is going to lay a finger on her. If she knew about us, Rachel would already be dead. Maintaining secrecy is imperative. “You won’t tell Lavinia about this, will you?”

“Hell, no! You suffer, I suffer, remember? I rather enjoy having all of my body parts.”

Good. He’s back to his wise cracking ways. Plus, he’s on my side, not for my benefit but an ally just the same.

“That doesn’t mean I condone your behavior,” Caleb adds.

“I realize you’re trying to help me, but I have to be honest. It seems like I have the most trouble whenever you’re around.”

“I’ve noticed that. However, I can’t unleash you just yet. You have a lot to learn and Lavinia won’t allow it.”

I eye him with skepticism. I was under the impression that I had been left on my own today, but the fact that he’s here proves that I was being watched the entire time.

“Did you follow me all day?” I ask.

Caleb smirks. “No. I just kept track of your whereabouts.”

“How? Can you read minds? Some sort of tracking power?”

“Yeah, I have a superior tracking power. It’s called LoJack!”

“Figures!” I say, a little embarrassed by my propensity to over think things.

“Go home, and I mean to your new home. You don’t want Lavinia finding out about that place.”

“She doesn’t know?”

“No, but if she asks me about it, about any of this, I will have no choice but to tell her.”

“Okay,” I say quietly. The idea that Lavinia doesn’t know everything about my old life is a great comfort and I intend to keep it that way.

 

I arrive at the office at ten o’clock. Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, so my plan is to clean out my inbox, leaving the holiday free for the most part. The office is closed today and tomorrow, but I am more comfortable here, as opposed to doing this at home.

Sheila has the weekend off. Caleb is doing god knows what. The solitude is refreshing. I open my laptop and click on the inbox. Fifty-three messages. It’s a good thing I can type five hundred words a minute.

My phone beeps once, signifying an incoming text.

Good morning!

I answer with an identical response. Within seconds, she replies.

Not busy I take it?

I quickly answer back.

Never too busy for you

I open the first email. It’s a VIP invitation to the premiere of “Moth to a Flame”, starring Sarah Taylor, one of my prior clients. The premiere is at midnight tonight.

I need a picture of you

The email says that the invitations were sent to the office. I sift through the stack of mail on the edge of the desk. After I find the letter, I reply.

I dont have one on my phone

Immediately, she replies.

Take one

I reply with a slight grin.

Next time I see you you can take one

The letter has already been opened. The email said there were two tickets, but there’s only one in the envelope. I know Sheila wouldn’t dare open my mail, let alone take a ticket out of it.

And when will that be?

I really should go to the premiere tonight. It’s important to support my client, even if the draw to see Rachel is stronger. It’s the right thing to do.

Tomorrow night?

I’ll have to call Caleb and find out why he would take the ticket without telling me. I’m sure it’s so he can keep his tight leash on me, but he should have told me about it.

Thats the 4^th of July

I should’ve guessed that she would be busy. I reply.

Is that a problem?

I open the next email, a request for a brunette, age eighteen to twenty-five, for an upcoming role. I attach headshots of prospective clients and send the message.

As long as you dont mind meeting my mom

The idea is a bit scary, to tell the truth. I’m not sure I’m ready to meet her. I’m not exactly the ‘bring home to mother’ type, more like the ‘hide your mother’ type! I hope I’m making the right decision.

Thats fine with me if its fine with you

The next email is from Lavinia. The mystery is solved. She took the ticket! She wants me to pick her up at nine o’clock, more like ordering me to. Damn it!

Then its settled. Tomorrow night

I can’t bring myself to text Rachel any longer. My mind swirls with dread. The good news is that Lavinia and I will be in a public place. It could be worse, I guess. She is bound to behave herself.

I plug away, answering every email in the inbox. Once I finish, I glance at the clock in the bottom corner of the laptop. It’s only one o’clock. I decide to return home and spend the remainder of the day there. Maybe, I’ll try meditation again, though my plans for the evening might squelch that possibility.

When I arrive home, I spot an oversized white box with a bright red ribbon tied around it. I open the box. A jet black Armani suit and a dark blue, diamond pattern tie are neatly folded inside. No doubt, it matches Lavinia’s dress perfectly. I pick up the note that’s tucked inside the coat pocket.

Nine o’clock

Don’t be late

Reviews

[EurasianFlavour]

Eek, Lavinia is pretty scary. And it's nice to see kind of a soft side to Caleb. He's a joker and always seems so laid back and put together. It's a nice change to see he's just as vulnerable as Damien (but smarter lol)

Caught these:

“The harm in it is how you chose to attain this sanity.” The harm is in..

“Don’t you care about your well being because I sure as hell care about mine!” (split into 2 sentences...don't you care about your well being?)

"He must read my unspoken apology from my expression." He must have read
‘hide your mother’ Hide from your mother

[easybreezy]

I wanted to show that Damien has been so caught up in his own issues, not realizing the sacrifices Caleb is making to help him. Caleb and Damien are both good men :)
Thank you for reading!

[Kate Whitaker]

Damien, Damien, Damien... there are women you can juggle... some tells me Lavinia ain't one of them.

[easybreezy]

I think you might be right!