Slice (The Elledge Family #1) (26 page)

Lucas shifted uncomfortably. “Have you talked to Mark today?”

“Yeah, I wouldn't know he was coming if I didn't.”

“He's an ass.”

“Okay, so we will see you tonight around 8.” Whitney said.

“My thoughts exactly.” I tugged his shirt. “When did you two become friends?” I asked as we walked away. “I mean I am happy to see you have friends. It is weird to see you be nice to someone besides Mark. Mark doesn't even deserve it. I mean most of the time you two are equal dicks to one another.”

“Mark is my brother. Asher is a friend. The end baby,” He grabbed a cheap wine and placed it in the cart. “And you aren't drinking any until you take the test.”

“Oh, hold up, it can't be like that already. I haven’t even pissed on a stick yet Luke.”

“Like what? Caring about my child having alcohol poisoning?”

“There will be no bossing me if I am pregnant. I want total control of the situation and I want to make sure that you understand it.”

“Even if you aren't pregnant, baby, I have control. You just don't know it.”

“Shut up Luke.”

Asher

January had flown by and I had become friends with Lucas and Mark. More of Mark, I was sure that Mark tolerated me more than friended me. I would settle for it. It felt better now that I knew that I was not on his to kill list.  It was weird that in some way I had someone to talk to when shit with sideways. I normally kept everything bottled inside.

The drive home had been awkward and quiet. Whitney did not particularly care for Lucas. I could tell by the way she slammed the pots in my sink and while she banged cabinets like it was her home. “Whit.”

“What?” She said with a weird edge to her voice.

“Are you going to slam shit the entire time?”

“I am.” The pots clanged in the sink once more and I made my way over to her. I snatched the light green pot from her. “Calm down. What is your problem?”

“I thought you were just going to invite Mark and his girlfriend. Now you have me cooking for the whole damn neighborhood.”

“You should have said something when I asked you earlier. You said yes babe invite anyone you want to, I’m in a cooking mood.” I mocked her as I imitated her voice. “If you had a problem, why not tell me before I invited someone else.”

“Whatever, I’m not arguing. There is no time to argue. I still have to cook all this shit.”

“I can help too Whitney. You have a shitty attitude today babe,” I rolled my eyes at her and grabbed the bell peppers from the bag.

“I looked through some of your work.” She blurted out.

“You did?” I hadn’t decided if I was angry or excited. Besides Mark and some professors there had not been any outside eyes on it. “Why?”

“You told me about it and ever since that guy was killed a few months back it had been irking me. You know your reaction that day was… odd.”

“Someone was murdered, was I supposed to act excited?”

“Asher, I mean you are acting like you knew it was about to happen.”

“I did not.” I thought back to the night. I jotted down notes. I made sure that I documented the date so I could observe his behavior. Lucas tended to have a ritual for the kill and after the kill. If he truly killed someone, then there would be a pattern.

“Right.” Whitney batted her eyes at me and crossed her arms. “I met Lucas once, it was a few years ago. He has been going here and at one point he was the campus celebrity. His book made millions and then on top of that he was handsome, or so they said. When I met him I could feel it. He was dark and he was the guy that gave looks that scared. He just seemed,” She paused. “He seemed cold.”

“I mean, okay. People have different vibes. You can’t punish the guy because he does not seem friendly. I’ve been hanging around him for a month or two and he seems nice.”

“I know he is the test study you are studying.” Whitney threw her hands up. “I know what psychopaths do.”

“How in the hell do you think you know?”

“I just know. He is sick and you should stop going around him. It is not worth it and you can make up shit and still get your doctoral degree. You can do that and be done with him.”

I pushed my hands through my hair and groaned. “You can’t tell me what to do with my research and most importantly, I am not going to let you dictate who I can and cannot be friends with. There is more to this story Whitney. It’s not all cut and dry like you want to believe it is.”

“You mean the pictures I found of the babies in your suitcase.”

“You went through my things?”

“I unpacked for you in California. I saw the pictures and I saw you in them with some woman who was not your mom.”

“Stop nosing through my shit please.” My father and my mother had decided that they no longer wanted to answer questions that regarded those photos. So I had done my own research and I had basically figured out that I was adopted and it opened a shit storm of a door that I wanted to get through. It was significant to me to find out who in the fuck I was in this world? If not Asher Langford, then who?

“Why are you inviting him here?”

“Because, we actually became friends. He is not a bad person.” I sat the table and watched her as she grabbed the food from the bags. “It's just one dinner and he has promised to be on his best behavior.”

“Great,” she mumbled. “Are you worried about those pictures?”

“My parents a dodging me Whit? I should be worried. I should be mad as hell. I just want to know the truth. I want to know everything so that for once in my life I will not feel like I am leading some false state of life.”

“You never told me you felt like that.”

She never asked. “Well, there you go.”

“Why do you want to know?”
      

“It's about knowing who I am in this world Whit. What if he is my brother and I can help him? You know, like I don't know. I would hate to know that there was someone else kin to me and I couldn't help.”

“You doubt your mom?”

“She won't let me have my birth certificate Whit.”

“For good reason may be. Maybe she didn't want you to turn out like him. He is a monster. I can see it when I look in his eyes. He has no soul and he barely smiles. He is not like you.”

“I’m not perfect Whitney. I have issues too.”

“Murder?”

“I never said that he murdered anyone. Just because he is a psychopath doesn't mean that he is a danger.”

“Keep fooling yourself like that. I just want you safe.”

“Thanks.” I stared at the picture. “I don't know who I am.”

“You are Asher. You are smart and caring and you don't need to waste your time here with him.”

“I hear you. But you will play nice while he is here.”

“Who is the other baby?” She pointed to the second picture.

“I haven't figured it out. I want to go to England and do some investigating myself. I feel like Lucas doesn't want to reveal that his mother was a liar.”

“There might be more to it.” Whitney walked away from me and back to the food. “The girl he is with doesn't seem like his type.”

“He doesn't have a type and I actually believe that she makes him a better person.”

Whitney paused. “Are you still helping the Feds?”

“I’m gonna stop. He isn't a killer, he doesn't deserve to be harassed, he just needs to be helped. And I feel like I can help him.”

“Have you told them that?”

“Not yet, I have a meeting tomorrow and I plan on going ahead and telling them then.”

“Whatever you do, please be careful.”

“I will babe.”

“Good.”

Lucas

This was the absolute longest minute of my life. I paced the living room and waited for her to open the bathroom door. She had peed in front of my two million times, but the one time it was important she had slammed the door in my damned face. I leaned against the door and finally she opened it. “About bloody time.”

“I'm not.” She wiped her face.

“Whoa... what's wrong?”

“I kind of wanted to be.”

“Dear...” My heart beat slower as she sobbed into my chest. “Come on now, we have time. I swear I will knock you up one of these days.”

I doubted how good I would be at fatherhood. I was better at ending life rather than creating it, but it was fine. I rubbed her back and she shook in my arms. I say once again women are strange, strange creatures.

“I'm sorry.” Cypress sniffled. “I shouldn’t be acting like this you know? We just dodged a major bullet.”

“It’s not called dodging a bullet if it is something that want Cypress? You came out of that bathroom like you were hurt. Is this something that you want?” I asked.

“Yes.” I could barely make out what she said. Her head was buried in my chest and she sobbed. I hated to see her hurt.

“All you have to do is say it. But how can we be parents if you won't even allow me to buy your food or read the damn test with you. We should work on us then work on baby. I swear.”

“I don't even think I can have kids.”

“You can't say things like that Cy. Why would you even assume that you couldn’t have kids? It takes people years to have a baby with perfect health.” I nodded my head. She talked crazy when she was upset. I hadn’t even realized that she would want something more than me. We fought like cats and dogs and on our best days we were still a little cranky.

“I can't, I can feel it.”

“Stop worrying your head like that.” I pulled her off of my chest and looked into her eyes. “You worry too much about things that should not be an issue. If you want a baby with me… I am more than happy to have a child with you. It's not something we have ever discussed. Tell me what you want Cypress. What future do you expect from us?”

“I see us being happy and not this forced on happy. I mean like really happy with a family.”

“Okay, how many kids?”

“Three, all girls.” She looked at me and smiled. “After your mom… and my mom and your Nan. Then we could move to England and raise them in the country. We could leave here and have some privacy.”

“You want to move?”

“I want to be wherever will make you happiest.”

I kissed her forehead. “It cannot all be about me. You want the kids to know your parents and your aunties... no matter how annoying they can be. When you and I officially become a we… it'll be decisions made together for the best interest of our family. Perhaps we needed a score to know that there is something more to us. There are some things that we should consider okay?”

“Have you ever wanted children?”

“Before you?” I paused. “There was no desire… but when you fall in love with someone… your hopes become mine and your fears become mine. I want whatever you want and I want you.”

I watch her walk to her bedroom and begin to get dressed. “We have to be there in a little under an hour and he lives a far way out.”

“Yeah, the GPS says it’s about thirty minutes out. I can’t even fathom to think why he moved somewhere that far out. Asher is a strange guy sometimes.”

“He seems nice enough. Is that what you are wearing?” she pointed to my white shirt and black pants.

“Absolutely.”

“Put on a different shirt at least.”

“Fine, for you I will.”

Asher's apartment was dimly lit and the table was set for six. He and Whitney sat at the head of the table. Cypress finally wore a smile on her face and Shia was locked into Mark. “So you and Mark are brothers?”

“Yes,” Mark answered. “Adopted but still brothers.” Mark knocked back his drink.

“Are you from around here?” Whitney asked Mark. “Sorry to pry, I just have never seen you two anywhere else besides on campus.”

“I lived a few cities over and came here for college. Really my mum is a bit too attached to us both.”

“Agreed.” I added. “Tracy is a doll though.” I hated small talk more than I hated editing my books. It was just as tedious only a tad bit less eventful. I twiddled my fork around my plate and watched as Whitney barely made eye contact with me. It was as if she was scared of me. It didn’t bother me. I just hoped that it couldn’t be picked up around the table.

“Nice, what about you Shia?” She dismissed my comment and turned to Shia. Shia had apparently drowned herself in some sort of floral perfume that had started a headache for me. So it was torture just bland food and conversation.

“I have lived here my whole life. Just happened to be lucky enough to run into Mark.” Shia picked through her food and Mark twitched uncomfortably at her comment. He was not all for her as she was for him. She just wanted an instant husband, which was Mark and add water. “What about you two? I have seen Asher with you a few places on campus. You two look like you’re in love.”

“We grew up together in California and then met back up here. It is weird actually. And as far as love, I know I love him. He is the smartest man I’ve ever known in this world and he is all mine.” She gripped his hand and Asher nodded his head. He seemed much like Mark to me.