Repeating History (History #1) (13 page)

“So we have time?”

“To end your relationship yes,” Gideon nods.

That isn’t what I’d meant but I know it’s probably the only rational answer. I have to spare Mike and Sarah. Even if she cheated, she doesn’t deserve to have people talking about her miscarriage. Sarah and Mike have been really unfortunate when it comes to kids. “How?”

“Easy. I tell my source at the BBC and he discourages them from going down that direction. It means you have to cease communication with Contius though.”

I nod, “okay.”

“Right. I better go. Thousands of things to do.” He smiles sadly at me, before pulling me into an unexpected hug, “it will be okay Clarissa.” He pulls a card out of the pocket of his jacket, “you may want this.”

I look down at the card. The first thing I notice is the Stone Publishing logo. It’s my mother’s contact information, “I don’t need this.”

“Perhaps not yet, but I think you might want it one day.”

“I doubt it.”

“It’s like you said; you have sisters... and a mother.” Gideon walks out the door leaving me to the uncertainty of my situation. I’d wanted to be Aurora’s friend not her sister. I consider calling the number on the card but I can’t bring myself to do it.

I don’t check the papers and I refuse to turn on the TV all weekend. I don’t respond to any of the texts that have filled my inbox. Andrew has sent at least a dozen texts. My brothers have both tried calling and my father has emailed me perhaps the longest email I’ve ever received from him.

From: Kenneth (
[email protected]
)

To: Clara ([email protected])

RE: Everything

Clarissa,

I’m so sorry. I can only hope that your brother got to you in time. I’ve always wanted you to know your mother but it’s your prerogative to do as you please. I’d never force her upon you but this was the worse way you could possibly find out about her.

Clarissa, I know you’ve always disliked being in the spotlight. In that way, you remind me so much of your mother. She hated it too. That’s why she was in Paris, you know. Trying to run away from everyone else’s expectations. In that way, you are far stronger than her. You’ve never cared what anyone else thinks. You are so brave, princess. When I found out what happened with that Stephen, I knew I should chastise you for what you did and the potential scandal it could cause but secretly I was so proud of you.

I know you think that I have prioritised my political career over you children and perhaps you are right. Although if you are I cannot apologise enough. That was never my intention to hurt you. Your brother tells me there are other stories that might come out. I want you to know that nothing they can say will make me any less proud of you.

Your brother is worried about his career but as much as it pains me to say this, you need to put your own heart first for once. Don’t let this hold you back. Not for a second. Fly high until you are soaring above the clouds like you were born to do.

Love Dad x

He’s not the only one who has tried emailing me. She has too. Michelle Stone. She wants to meet up for lunch some time. It was a short message, barely a couple of lines, but she said that she has so much that she wants to say to me. I haven’t replied. I’m not sure if I know how to. Instead of replying to everyone’s messages, I’ve curled up in a ball in my bed with a romance novel and I am trying my best to hide away from the world.

CHAPTER ten: Andrew

Why the hell hasn’t she replied to my text messages? I’m sat in my living room with the paper in front of me. Landon has called me to ask if I knew. He says the Stone family are having the fight from hell. Apparently Aurora and Aileen are both a mess. He asked after Clara but I couldn’t tell him anything because she’s avoiding me. I try calling her once more but it goes straight voicemail. A knock at my door has me catapulting into the hall, hoping that it’s Clara. “What the hell is going on?” Maya asks as her and Jacob barge into my apartment, “how is Clara? Is she here?”

She settles down on the sofa and Jacob makes his way over the kitchen to pour a drink, “make yourselves at home, why don’t you?”

“Well?” Maya demands, “how is she?”

“She...” I don’t know what to say, “I don’t know. She’s not answering her phone.”

“Then why the hell are you here?” Jacob asks from the kitchen.

“I...” truth is I don’t know. I have no idea why I’m stood in my apartment with my siblings when the girl I care about; the girl I’ve loved almost my whole life is hurting. “I’m going to go.”

“Clara, let me the fuck in,” I call through her letterbox but there’s no response. I’ve banged on her door and rang the bell but she’s either not there or choosing to ignore me. The idea that she doesn’t want to see me cuts but I remind myself that this is not about me. “Clara, princess, please.”

Still nothing, “I’m going to stay here until you let me in.”

I sit and wait for what feels like hours but I’m waiting for nothing and when it goes dark outside I give up. I’ll try again tomorrow. A quiet voice in my mind tells me not to give up. I call each of her friends one after the other but none of them have heard from her either. It looks like I have no choice. I’m going to have to wait until tomorrow. My apartment is empty; my siblings having departed after eating the entire contents of my fridge.

Sunday morning brings another newspaper article. This one is all about the Delos children’s disastrous love lives. They reference the boys inability to settle down but the focus of the article is Clara’s relationship with her ex Stephen. They even managed to get an interview with that bitch Cathy. Fuck. I’m at a loss. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know how I’m supposed to help her. I try calling her again but there’s still no response. I leave a voicemail;

“Clara, I know you probably just want some time alone but baby I need you to know that I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying put. Talk to me, please.”

There’s only one thing left to do. I’m going to have to go talk to Gideon Delos. He’s the one who spoke to her. She was fine until she spoke to him. Perhaps he can give me something that I can work with because I can’t just leave everything like this. I love her. I’ve loved her almost my whole life and I need to tell her. I need her to know how much she means to me. I get Gideon’s number off of Mike and I’m pleasantly surprised when he picks up straight away, “Gideon Delos.”

“Hi. It’s Andrew Contius.”

“Hello Andrew,” he says politely but there is an edge to his voice that I don’t expect.

“Is Clara okay?”

“No.” I want more than that. I hope this conversation isn’t just going to be one word answers.

“Do you know where she is?”

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me?” he’s frustrating to say the least. I picture his face as I slam my fist into the wall of my bedroom.

“No.”

I don’t know how I’m supposed to get any information from him. It’s like getting blood out of a stone, or at least that’s what my mother would say. “Best thing you can do Contius is leave my sister alone.”

“Why?”

“If you care for her at all, you’ll give her the space she needs.” There’s a threat beneath his words. It’s clear as day in his tone.

“What have I done?” because this evidently isn’t just about what has been in the papers.

“Our past has a habit of catching up with us,” Gideon tells me with more coldness than I’d expect in the Antarctic.

I try to put the pieces together, “this is about the teasing?  The bullying?”

“No. It has nothing to do with the way you treated Clarissa. That isn’t the only thing you’ve ever fucked up.”

I have no idea what he means. There are more things than I can count that he could mean with that one sentence. There are so many mistakes I’ve made. Things that I’ve not told Clara. “Just leave my sister alone. It’s better for everyone if you do.”

I hang up. I’ll see her tomorrow at work. She has to talk to me then or at least I hope she will talk to me then.

Sometimes it feels like our history is always between us. But there’s no way to put it right when I don’t know what I’ve done. I’m a mess on Monday morning. Maya passes me an apple but I can’t even eat it. Clara doesn’t come into work though and when I check with Catherine Jenkins in HR she says that Clara has the flu but I know better. She’s ignoring me. She’s avoiding me. And I’ve done the one thing I promised I wouldn’t. I’ve made her work situation more complicated than she’d like.

The rest of the week passes in a blur. There’s a pile of apples on my desk that I refuse to eat. Landon keeps calling in to see if she’s come back yet but so far Clara Delos is still out with the flu. No one except HR has heard from her. Mrs Stone has been in to see her only to be sent away when she realised that Clara, her daughter, hadn’t been to work all week. Landon says that Aurora has tried reaching out to her but so far she’s received radio silence. It’s Friday night and normally at this time on a Friday I’d be hounding Clara to see what her plans are for the weekend but now she’s not here and so I’m going to work late. It’s all I can do not to think about her. I don’t look up when someone knocks on my door, “come in.”

“Andrew,” Landon’s commanding voice causes me to look up, “come on.”

I automatically get to my feet. “Where are we going?”

“Pub,” Landon answers, “I think you need a drink.”

I don’t know what to say to him so I just follow him out of my office and through the building. I’d like to say I have hope that my history with Clara won’t destroy us but I’m not convinced. In fact, I’m almost certain it already has.

A quick message from hanleigh

Thank you so much for reading Repeating History. I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it.

If you haven’t read the prequel then you should definitely check it out. The sequel to Repeating History, Deleting History will be coming soon.

Please check out my website
www.hanleighbradley.weebley.com

and my Facebook page at
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for more information about upcoming giveaways and book releases.