Read Flare Online

Authors: Posy Roberts

Flare (7 page)

BOOK: Flare
9.16Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

“Thank you. Are your numbers in the mobile already?”

“Yep. Under our first names. Brooke has an e-mail and phone too.” Hugo winked at Brooke as she jealously looked at Rowan’s smartphone, which was far beyond the basic “stupid phone” she used. Hugo understood the sentiment.

“I’ve got to get Finn to his appointment at two,” Hugo said after glancing at the clock. “Why don’t you ladies take some time getting to know each other and play around with the phone while us boys go for a ride? We’ll be back before you know it.”

 

 

A
S
H
UGO
sat in the waiting room while Finn talked to Lori, he sent a text to Kevin.

Rowan is great with the kids, drives really well, seems responsible, and is at home with Brooke exploring her new phone.

It was several minutes before he got a response, but Hugo smiled when he read it.

Thank God! I was worried about the driving. I’ll be leaving in about an hour and a half so I can give you a decent good-bye. Well, maybe not decent, considering I won’t have time to worship your cock before you go.

You’re awful.

You love it.

You’re right
, Hugo finished before putting his phone away.

When Finn emerged from Lori’s office, he wasn’t his usually happy self, a slight scowl on his brow. Hugo looked up at Lori with concern, and she invited him inside, asking Finn to give them a few moments and directing him to a playroom across the hall. Hugo didn’t know what papers Kevin had signed or had drawn up by his lawyer, but Hugo was one of the people Lori was allowed to speak to about Finn’s progress.

“I feel like I need to tell this to you now rather than waiting to meet with Kevin later in the week. Do you think we could get him on the phone so we can all talk?”

“Yeah,” Hugo said with an emphatic nod. “No problem.” Lori dialed Kevin’s work number and then handed Hugo the receiver. It rang a few times before Kevin’s assistant answered and immediately transferred the call to Kevin. He picked up after the first ring. “Hey. I’m at Lori’s office and she wants to pull you into this conversation. It’s just the two of us. Finn’s in the playroom. Can I put you on speakerphone?”

“Sure,” he said, so Hugo nodded. Lori reached over and hit a button. When Kevin spoke again, his voice was heard throughout the room. “Sure thing.”

“Hi, Kevin. Do I have your permission to speak to you about Finn over the phone and in front of Hugo?”

“Of course, Lori, to both things. I’m assuming your session unearthed something today,” Kevin said, curiosity in his voice.

“Yes,” she said with an extra loud exhale that was very atypical. She was usually so reserved. “I talked to Finn about his grandma and the doll she used. You know that Finn is an authentically honest child.”

“Uh,” Kevin said.

“What I mean is that his ears and face bloom red when he lies or if he tries to fib even a little bit.” Hugo nodded in agreement. “I’m convinced what he told me today is the truth. He never once said Hugo touched him anywhere inappropriate, just to get that out of the way. According to Finn, Grandma Clarke was telling him to talk about where Hugo touched him. She asked if Hugo had fondled him ‘where his
underpants
cover him.’ She used those words, which aren’t entirely unusual, but she also used the phrase ‘intimate parts.’ That’s very unusual language for a six-year-old boy to be using, and he couldn’t even pronounce
intimate
, so I probed a bit further. When I asked him to talk about his own body, he didn’t use those words at all. He talked about his penis and balls and butt. Privates, even. When he talked about his underpants, he called them undies or underwear. Those were his words, which are far more typical.”

“She’s fishing,” Kevin said. “She’s trying to get him to say he’s been sexually abused by Hugo? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m not sure what her motivations are. What seems to be happening is that she has concerns and is trying to talk to Finn about them, but this is a very touchy area best left to experts if sexual assault is suspected. I’m concerned with what Grandma Clarke is doing, to be honest. If she truly believes Finn is being sexually assaulted by Hugo, I have to question why she didn’t file a report with Child Protective Services and chose to go with the actions she did, instead.”

“Good question,” Hugo said, and Kevin readily agreed. His voice sounded angry and affected over the line. “Lori, did any of your conversations with him raise red flags?” Maybe Hugo shouldn’t be the one to ask that, but he knew he was innocent and wanted Lori to recognize that as well.

“Nothing, but considering what’s happened, you might want to take some extra precautions.”

“Is there any way you’d be willing to talk to my lawyer about this?” Kevin asked.

“You’d need to sign some release forms, but we can talk about that when you’re here in a few days, Kevin. I just felt you should know about this sooner rather than later.”

“How is Finn after talking about it?” Kevin wondered.

“He looked angry,” Hugo answered and looked toward Lori for a better explanation.

“I think he’s worried. Apparently, she said things about Finn and Brooke coming to live with them, and he’s afraid he’s going to have to leave you.” They already knew that. “We talked about his concerns, and I encouraged him to talk openly with you two about it as well. I understand there’s a new nanny who arrived today too.”

“Yes,” Hugo said. “And I’m leaving for a few weeks.”

“I told him he could share things with the nanny when he felt ready, but I didn’t push it. Be ready for some hard questions over the next week or two,” Lori warned with a grim smile. “Answer as honestly as you can, but please, make sure you fully understand his questions first, and don’t give him too much unnecessary information. A good rule of thumb is to only answer what he asks and then leave it open for him to ask more. And take the time to clarify his questions. I’ve seen how you both interact with him in person, and you’re both good at doing that naturally, especially you, Hugo.”

“Thanks, Lori,” Kevin said and then sighed. “Thank you so much. Is there anything else we can do?”

“Actually, I’d like to talk more about this. I’m not suggesting anything has occurred that’s inappropriate, but I’d like to probe further, just to make sure Finn is in no danger. There have been no red flags that I’ve seen, or I would’ve had to report my suspicions to Child Protection, since I’m a mandated reporter.”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” Hugo said. “If we need to do a case study, interviews, lie detector, anything. I’ll do it.”

“I’ll talk to a colleague of mine who handles more cases like this. It might be best if I step back from this issue, considering I already have an established relationship with all of you. No matter what, I’ll have more information on Thursday when we meet, Kevin.”

“I’ll see you then,” Kevin said over the line, “and Hugo, I’ll see you in a bit. I’m not good for anything else today, so I’m heading home right now.”

 

 

K
EVIN
WAS
home before Hugo and Finn were, and he was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Rowan. Finn ran to Kevin and hugged him, looking up at his dad with a watery smile. “I love you, Dad.”

“I know you do, Pickle. I know. I love you too.”

After getting his fix of physical comfort from Kevin, Finn gave Hugo a quick hug and kiss and was out the back door with Lulu on her leash, where he ran with her up and down the property line so she could sniff out her favorite scents.

“How soon before you have to leave?” Kevin asked Hugo.

“I should be at the airport in about an hour.”

“Are you packed?”

Hugo nodded. “I finished packing today.”

“Excuse us for a moment,” Kevin said to Rowan and then led Hugo upstairs and shut the bedroom door behind them. “What are we going to do about Tasha and Kyle? I’m sure it’s just Tasha, though, based on experience.”

“I don’t know,” Hugo said, pulling Kevin so he’d join him on the bed. “Kyle nearly hit Finn. I think you need to tell Mark everything, and if possible, get Lori to tell Mark everything she found out. Maybe he can file some sort of paperwork with the court to get things dismissed or delayed, if that’s how custody stuff works. I’m clueless. It’s only Tuesday, so not much could’ve happened since you were served on Saturday morning.”

“That fucking bitch did that on purpose.”

Hugo’s brows dipped in confusion.

“Tasha. She had me served on a Saturday, thinking I’d be sitting around able to do nothing but worry all weekend long. I’m sure she thought we’d argue and speculate about it enough that we’d…. I don’t know. I don’t know what she’s thinking. She’s always been one of those passive-aggressive people that lies in wait and then strikes hard and fast and in the dirtiest ways imaginable, all with a sweet, innocent smile on her face so most people think she’d never be capable of such things. At least that’s what Erin always used to say. But the thing is, she has no clue how much this is hurting Finn. She’s blinded by something. I’m not sure what.”

“Fear? Grief? Ignorance?” Hugo suggested.

“All of the above and then some, I’m sure. Prejudice. All she ever needed to do was talk to me about this. I would’ve talked. I would’ve told her everything I knew. If she was concerned about you, she could’ve spent some time to really get to know you to see who you are. She could’ve eased her own fears just by talking to you as an equal.”

“She’d never do that. That would open her up to doubt, and if I learned anything about Tasha through all of Erin’s stories, it’s that Tasha avoids doubt at all costs. She likes certainty. She likes feeling as if she knows what’s happening, even if she’s wrong,” Hugo said with conviction.

Kevin nodded in a solemn manner and bit his bottom lip. “You know, Finn’s been seeing Lori for months. She’s had numerous conversations with Finn about… about everything under the sun. Remember how he came home the first day they started talking about his dream neighborhood and how excited he was?” Kevin recalled with a chuckle. “I’m sure if Tasha would’ve been told about that, she would’ve wondered what good dreaming of community planning was doing Finn, but she’d be the one to miss the entire point of that exercise. Lori was giving Finn permission to dream about how his world would look, who would be in his family and living close by. Not surprisingly, Finn didn’t create a place in that community for the Clarkes at all. Who lived nearby, though?”

Lori had taken Finn’s interest in maps and satellite images and used that to help with the therapeutic process. Hugo pictured the map Lori and Finn had worked on together over a few weeks of therapy sessions that now hung on the wall in Finn’s bedroom. It was an elaborate plan with houses, apartments, and businesses for important people in his life. Each place had been drawn and colored with markers, connected to other buildings by streets lined with trees and dotted with parks he could play in. As he drew, Finn and Lori talked about why those people and places were important to him. It also showed Finn how many people he had in his life who loved him. By the time he was done, many sheets of paper had been taped together, and the entire thing had to be rolled up to be transported home safely.

“We had our own areas in the house along with Brooke and Erin and Finn. Russell and Lulu each had a house.” Hugo smiled at the memory that his dog had a house all to herself, complete with an underground tunnel that opened right up to Finn’s bedroom.

“Summer too,” Kevin reminded him.

“Yeah.”

“My mom and even your mom. The mail carrier, the librarian, and his yoga teacher. But not the Clarkes. Isn’t that odd?”

“Yes, it really is,” Hugo realized aloud. “Especially considering your mom and the Clarkes both live in the same community and see the kids about as often.”

“Hmm,” Kevin said, brows drawing tightly together. “I need to make sure Mark and Lori have access to each other and to some of those tools she’s used with Finn. Same with the new therapist when that happens.”

As they lay on top of the bed talking about their coming weeks apart and the shitstorm of the previous few days, Hugo was reluctant to leave for LA.

“You need to go, baby,” Kevin pushed. “You can’t just
not
show up at this job. Things like working on a movie don’t happen every day. Even I know that, and I know nothing about acting.”

It was a huge understatement, but it didn’t make Hugo want to go any more. Apparently it showed on his face too.

“Come here,” Kevin said, pulling Hugo into a hug and kissing along his jaw to his ear. “We’re not that far away,” he reassured him, “and if you want, you can call and text and Skype whenever you get a chance. I promise to make sure all your calls go through to me while I’m at work no matter what.”

“Okay,” Hugo said with a pout evident in his voice. “I’m going to miss you guys.”

“Maybe this will help,” he said as he handed Hugo a box.

“A new phone? I told you my contract isn’t up yet,” Hugo protested.

“I couldn’t imagine you leaving for so long without having a decent phone. I want to see pictures and videos of you at work. I want to be able to see your face anytime.”

“Kevin—”

“Stop it. What’s the use in having my money in the bank doing nothing when I can use it to get closer to you? I wanted to do this.”

“My contract—”

“You’re on mine now, just like we talked about.”

“But—”

“Shhh,” Kevin said with a shake of his head. He pressed a wet kiss to Hugo’s forehead. “Don’t worry about it right now.”

“Is it my same number?”

“No, but the guy said all you’d need to do is stop in at one of their stores and they could help fix all that. You could even do that in LA if you have time or just hook up with Wi-Fi until you get back. They’ll even transfer your contacts for you. Just put any charges on the bill, and I’ll take care of it.”

Hugo looked into Kevin’s gray eyes. How could he even think to do something so kind and selfless when his life was uprooted? “Thank you. Thank you.” He kissed Kevin’s smiling mouth.

BOOK: Flare
9.16Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The Soul's Mark: FOUND by Ashley Stoyanoff
The Recognitions by William Gaddis
Strangers at the Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes
Willow by Wayland Drew
Fury by Fisher Amelie
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Cross Country Murder Song by Philip Wilding
Won't Let Go by Avery Olive
Beauty by Robin McKinley