Snapshot (34 page)

Marti feared Courtney was right but remained frozen in terror. She gasped.

Her dad looked up, and Marti knew he saw the shock in her eyes, as she witnessed his attack. He stopped and climbed off Nigel.

Courtney rushed to Nigel, crying.

“Get him out of here,” her dad yelled. His hair hung in his face. “I don’t ever want to see him in my house again!”

He stepped across the glass and food and knelt before Marti. Her teeth still chattered uncontrollably.
 

“Are you okay?” he asked gently. His blue eyes searched hers. His lip bled.

Marti nodded and wiped at her runny nose with her arm.

“I’m so sorry.” He placed his hands on each side of her head and softly kissed her forehead.

She nodded again, her adrenaline trying to shift out of high gear. She watched Nigel scramble to his feet and stagger out, Courtney right behind. The door slammed. Marti released an anguished breath.

“Did he hurt you?” The concern in her dad’s eyes revealed the love he couldn’t say in words.

“No,” she blubbered.

He leaned forward and held her in his arms. Her body shook as she tried not to sob. “It’s okay, let it out.” He patted her back, and she cried like a baby. “I won’t ever let him hurt you again. I promise.”

After a minute, he released her, and she wiped her face. They looked at the mess on the floor.
 

“I take it you haven’t had dinner yet.”
 

Marti offered a tiny smile. “No.”

“How about you go take a nice shower, and I’ll order pizza?”

“That sounds really good.” Marti accepted his help to stand. “How come you’re home so early?” If he hadn’t come back when he did… she shuddered at the image of what might have happened.

“The premiere was a joke. Ten minutes on the red carpet posing for pictures and then they expected me to sit through a two-hour movie set in outer space. Not interested.”

“Thank you,” Marti said.

“I would do anything for you,” he said. “Now go get cleaned up. I’ll figure out what to do with this mess.”

Marti rubbed the bump on her head and went up stairs. Her arms hurt from where Nigel grabbed her. She’d probably have bruises tomorrow. She still quivered from her terrible ordeal with Nigel, but her dad had saved her, and she could never be more grateful.
 

At the top of the steps, she turned around to see her dad staring at the shattered glass and knocked over plants. His body stiffened. He grabbed a ceramic lamp off a coffee table and, with an anguished roar, flung it to the floor.

After a long shower, where she tried to scrub away Nigel’s touch, Marti went downstairs with her damp hair neatly combed, and wearing a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt. After the horrible incident, she needed some quiet time with her dad; pizza together sounded great. For the first time in her life, she felt thankful to have him.
 

The doorbell rang and as Marti turned to answer it, the door burst open with a couple of young women in short skirts and high heels. One carried a pizza box, the other, two bottles of wine. Marti’s heart sank. She hung back as they rushed past to greet her dad, who reclined on the sofa, already half baked. He offered up the bong to his new guests.

Marti waited a minute to see if he remembered her or their plans. One girl uncorked the wine, while the other turned up the stereo. Her dad tapped more pot into his pipe. He forgot about Marti just as easily as he forgot about the pizza. Marti crept back upstairs to her room, her appetite gone.
 

She should have known his words were too good to be true. Why did she let her guard down and believe he might actually be a decent guy for more than a few minutes at a time?

Marti climbed on her bed and hugged her legs tight. She looked out at the city lights below. So many people out there, but she felt totally alone. A tear rolled down her face. She swiped it away. She needed to be tougher. Right then, she decided to never cry because of any of these people ever again.

*
 
*
 
*

Still shaken from the night before, Marti lingered in the kitchen and watched while Rosa gave it a thorough cleaning. The shattered glass in the great room had disappeared. Rosa didn’t ask any questions. She never did.

To pass the time, Marti snapped pictures of various kitchen items. The reflection in a spoon, the pattern in the granite counter top, the spots on a banana. The only good thing about last night was that Nigel would never be allowed in the mansion again.
Thank God
.
 

All she wanted now was to see Adam. One more day. An eternity.
 

As she focused her lens on a fern, she heard yelling. Marti glanced at Rosa. “What do you think that’s about?”

“I don’t want to know. It’s best that way.” Rosa sprayed disinfectant on the refrigerator handle and wiped.

Marti left the kitchen to investigate the latest drama. She peeked into the great room. Courtney stalked after her dad. He wore faded jeans, frayed on the bottom, and no shirt. His long hair hid most of his face. Marti stepped back, out of sight.

“How could you? I’m gone one night, and you cheat on me! You bastard!”

Her dad ignored Courtney’s verbal attack. He rubbed his stubble-covered face, yawned, then picked up his pipe.

“Steven! Look at me!” she shrieked. “I am your girlfriend. Don’t think you can bring those sluts into my bed!”

“It’s my bed,” he said, searching for a lighter.

“Well, I picked out the bedding! And don’t change the damn subject! First, you turn into a lunatic and attack Nigel for absolutely no reason.”

Marti stifled a gasp and ducked out of sight.
 

The two women from the night before appeared from upstairs with mussed hair and shoes in hand. They looked used up and old, a lot like Marti’s mom.

“You skanks! Get the hell out and keep your filthy paws off my man!”

“Back off bitch. What’s your problem?” asked one.

That raised Courtney’s hackles. She approached the woman, waving a finger in her face. “You’re my problem! Get your fat ass and bad hair extensions out of here before I rip them out and rearrange your face!”

Marti cowered in fear even though Courtney’s anger was directed at the two women.
 

“We were invited!” the other one said.

“Well I’m uninviting you, whore!” Courtney picked up the decorative poker and swung it their direction. “And if your disease-infected crotch is still here in two seconds, I’ll bash your head in.”
 

The women rushed for the door. “Bye, Steven. Call me!” called one. The other scurried out, not willing to take a chance with psycho Courtney.

“Bye, girls,” Marti’s dad waved. “Catch you later.”

Courtney spun around. “Catch them later? You piece of shit, cheating asshole!” She snarled like a mad woman. “You even look at another woman again, and I’ll scratch your eyes out.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit melodramatic?” he asked, his voice disinterested. “You know what? I’m done with your self-centered lies and manipulation. It’s time for you to go.” He located a lighter under some magazines, and his face brightened. He raised the lighter to the pipe.

“Excuse me! You’re dismissing me? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
 

Her dad lowered his pipe and fixed his eyes on Courtney. “You can play your games with me all you want. You can lie and cheat and pretend you’re whatever the hell you please. I could give a shit. But your
boyfriend
assaulted my daughter. That’s unforgivable. We’re done.” His steely, sharp eyes stared Courtney down.
 

Marti couldn’t believe it. She still wasn’t used to feeling like she really mattered to him, so every time he stuck up for her, it surprised her all over again.

“What? Nigel isn’t my boyfriend!” Courtney had the gall to act outraged. “And Marti’s lying. She’s been trying to split you and me up since she got here!” Courtney’s face turned red. She rushed to Steven’s side and knelt, grabbing his arms. “Oh baby, don’t you see what’s going on?” She pouted, and Marti hoped her dad wouldn’t fall for her lies yet again.

He tossed the pipe and lighter on the table. “Listen, Sweet Cheeks, you can pretend that Nigel’s your brother ‘til the end of time, but I’ve known for months that he’s not. You’ve been screwing him in my house. Courtney, you’re a worthless piece of trash. I didn’t bother to deal with you before, but now I am. Get your free-loading ass off my property.”

“No one treats me like that!” She stepped away and glowered down at him. “You can’t throw me out. I live here. All my things are here.”

“Sweetheart, I just did. And I paid for all your things, so that makes them mine.” He leaned back, his hands behind his head and waited for her to leave.

“You fucking prick! You won’t get away with this.”

“Watch me.”

“If you think you can screw me over, well think again!” She swung the fireplace poker and brought it down on a glass-top table.

He flinched at the flying glass but didn’t move from his spot on the sofa. Marti ducked back behind the corner.

“Courtney, put the poker down,” he said, his tone suggesting annoyance more than anything else.

“Not on your life. Two can play this game. You try to destroy my life, I’ll destroy yours too!” She swung again and took out a ceramic lamp.

Marti watched as her dad got up and approached Courtney. He appeared calm and unconcerned. He smoothly evaded her swing and hugged her from behind, pinning her arms. He swung her struggling body from side to side until she lost her grip on the weapon.

“You are no longer welcome here!” he spoke evenly, carrying her to the front door as she kicked and screamed. He set her down long enough to open the door.

“You are a limp Viagra addict! I wouldn’t screw you again if you paid me!”

“Honey, I’ve been paying you for months. The free ride is over. Now go! And don’t come back!” He pushed her out and slammed the door in her startled face, then locked it.

Pounding started. “Let me in! No one treats me like this and walks away! You better watch your back, because I’m coming for you!” she screamed hysterically.

Her dad ambled back to the couch. “That felt good.” He smiled.
 

Marti came around the corner. She couldn’t believe he actually came to his senses and threw her out. “Aren’t you worried she’s gonna do something bad?”
 

“Nah, she’ll be onto her next victim in couple of days. Girls like her always are.”

The pounding and screaming finally stopped.

“Hey Rosa?” he hollered.

Rosa appeared. “Yes, Mr. Hunter?”

“I think we should throw a really big party tonight to celebrate Courtney’s departure. Would you call the caterer? Make it something special and order double. I’ll have the usual people spread the word. We’re marking a new era!”

“Yes, right away. And then I’ll clean up the glass.” Rosa bustled off with a satisfied smile.

He glanced at the mess. “Oh yeah, good idea.” He picked up the pipe again, and this time, lit it.

And that was it? The woman tried to destroy his home with a fireplace poker and he just threw her out and now was planning another party? How this party would be any different than the others, Marti couldn’t imagine. But she didn’t really care. She was happy to have Courtney and Nigel out of her life. She felt emotionally exhausted, but at least things were finally looking up.

Adam leaned back in the limo with his arm over his eyes. Press interviews were a pain in the ass. The same questions asked over and over. Do the brothers get along? How’d you break your arm? Can you still play? What’s a typical day for a teen idol? “I can’t wait to get this day over with and get the heck out of New York.”

Everyone became extra quiet. Adam moved his arm and glanced at his parents, brothers, and Wally, all crammed in the stretch limo.

His mother avoided his eyes as did Peter and his Dad. Garrett stared and said nothing.

“What?” Adam asked, already annoyed, but received no answers. He knew he wouldn’t like whatever it was they weren’t telling him.

“You’ve got to tell him. You can’t keep him in the dark all the time,” Peter said to their parents.

His mom and dad looked at each other, both with an expression of guilt. “Well? What?” he demanded.

His father cleared his throat. “Adam, things don’t always work out the way we plan.”

“Oh my god! You’re not gonna let me go to LA!” When they said nothing, yet looked guilty as charged, he threw his hands in the air. “Un-fucking believable!” They’d done it again!

“Adam. Language!” His mother scolded.

“You were never gonna let me go, were you? You just said yes to shut me up. That’s bullshit!” He slammed his fist against the leather seat.

“Adam, enough!” his father barked. “You have no reason to talk like that!”