Tell Me Why (8 page)

The house was eerily quiet, and messy. I’d never seen it this way. Danica kept everything sparkling to avoid Hank’s temper. Caleb paused at the kitchen and I noticed my mom’s casserole dish, with half eaten lasagna still in it, sitting on the counter. The kitchen reeked of moldy food.

“Something is wrong,” I said to Caleb as he cast a worried glance toward the stairs.

“Do you want to stay here while I check things out?” he asked.

“Not on your life.” Even though I heard Hank’s truck fire up and back out of the driveway, there was no way I wanted to be alone in this house. It felt . . . creepy.

Grabbing my hand, Caleb led me up the stairs. “Mom?” he called nervously, but there was no reply. I noticed the door to the hallway bathroom was closed and I was glad. Still, the images of that room flooded my mind, flashing like something from a bad horror movie.

Moving toward the closed door of the master suite, my heart pounded faster. I was afraid of what we might find. What if Hank had done something to her? What if he had killed her? Should we call the police instead? He could be escaping right now.

“Ouch, Anna! Relax,” Caleb’s voice brought me back from the edge of insanity and I realized I was digging my nails into his skin.

“Sorry,” I replied, staring at the angry red half moon
indentations on the back of his hand. “I didn’t realize.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait here?” he asked again
, and I shook my head.

“I don’t know what’s going on
; but if it’s bad, I don’t want you to be alone when you find out.” Again, the helpless feeling I had when I found Jessi washed through me. I hated this house. I wished we never had to be in it again.

Caleb raised his hand and knocked on the door. “Mom?” he called again. There was still no answer. Reaching for the knob, he turned it quietly, pushing the door silently open as we peered inside.

The room was in shambles, bed unmade, pictures down or hanging crooked on the wall, clothes strewn across the floor. In the corner of the large room was Danica's thin frame, curled up in a rocking chair, her face turned toward the window, allowing us only a glimpse of her tangled hair.

“Mom!” Caleb shouted running to her side.

She glanced at him and smiled briefly. “Hello, sweet boy.” She reached to stroke his face and I was shocked at how thin she’d become since I’d last seen her. “Jessi’s not home from school, yet.  Is she with you?”

This was not good. This was
so
not good. How could Hank let this happen? Couldn’t he see how bad off she was?

“Mom,” Caleb said, placing his hand over hers and stroking it gently. “What happened in here?”

She glanced at the room and sighed heavily. “Oh, you know your dad. He gets mad at me for not doing something and he starts throwing things.”

“Did he hurt you?”
Caleb asked, barely controlled rage underlying his voice.

Danica appeared shocked. “What would make you say such a thing? You know Hank would never hurt me. He loves me.” A tear escaped her
red-rimmed eyes, trailing slowly down her cheek to hang from her chin before dropping onto her blue blouse. That was when I noticed the wet stains there. She’d been crying a lot.

Glancing at me, she smiled. “Hello, Anna. Did Jessi walk home with you today? She has dance practice soon and she’s going to be late if she doesn’t hurry.”

“Let me check.” I dragged Caleb across the room after me.

“Why did you say that?” he asked, clearly confused.

“Jessi hasn’t had after school dance practice since junior high, Caleb.” I looked past him to see Danica staring back out the window, again. “She’s not with it. She needs a doctor.”

Caleb gritted his teeth. “I can’t believe my dad has just ignored this.”

“Maybe she doesn’t talk to him. Maybe he doesn’t know.”

Growling, Caleb headed back to where Danica was sitting. “Mom, let’s go for a ride, shall we? I think it would do you some good to get out of the house and get some fresh air. We can look for Jessi together. Okay?”

Danica nodded, accepting Caleb’s outstretched hand and he helped her to her feet. She immediately collapsed against him, too weak to walk and the acrid smell of urine filled the air. I glanced at the rocker, noticing the giant wet spot on the cushion.

“Danica, when was the last time you ate?” I asked, as Caleb scooped her into his arms and headed toward the door.

“Last night,” she replied. “Your mom brought Jessi and me some dinner.”

Following after Caleb as he hurried down the hallway, I jumped
when Danica began shrieking as we passed the bathroom, weakly flailing, punching Caleb in the face. He lost his grip on her, tripping over her legs as they hit the floor in front of him, and they both fell.

Danica screamed
, clawing out at him, leaving bloody scratches down his arm.

“Call an ambulance, Anna,” he ordered.

I didn’t hesitate, quickly dragging my cell phone from my pocket and dialing 911.

Chapter Ten

Caleb-

I couldn’t stop staring. Danica was sedated, hooked to an IV and
resting comfortably. At least it seemed that way. She hadn’t moved a muscle since they’d given her something to make her relax. Who knew what was going on inside her head? All I knew was my life felt like it was falling apart around me.

Fresh guilt flooded through me. Angry with her for not coming to scatter Jessi’s ashes, I’d stayed away, punishing her for not participating. There was no way I could’ve known how bad things were
, because I hadn’t checked on her; and heaven knew Hank would never pick up a phone to tell me how things were. Hell, I couldn’t even remember when or if he’d ever called me. The only times we spoke on a phone was when I called him for some reason. Now, all I could think of was how much I wanted to plant my fist into his face. I’d love to see him go back to jail and rot there.

Anna was going to rub a hole through my shirt if she kept running her hand across my back in an attempt to comfort me. Her presence was calming
, though. I didn’t know how I would’ve handled this blow if she hadn’t been there. At the same time, it made me feel worse. Everything in my life seemed to point to the fact I didn’t deserve her, reminding me I was entirely to blame for this mess. My behavior was causing my family to fall apart.

Glancing down to where my arms rested against my knees, I stared at the bleeding heart tattooed there. There was a reason I’d chosen to place it in that location. It covered a scar I’d received when I was a child. Shortly after my dad and Danica had married
, I tripped and fell down the front step, landing on my dad’s chainsaw and tearing a jagged cut into my forearm near my elbow. Unbeknownst to me, I’d nicked an artery and was bleeding badly. Jessi screamed and screamed for help until Danica came running to see what was wrong. By the time I arrived at the emergency room, I needed a blood transfusion. They called my dad in from working the loading crane at the dock to give me blood. It was probably the only nice thing he’d ever done for me.

The ugly scar left behind had always bothered me. Now
, I could barely even make out where it was. It seemed a fitting place for Jessi’s bleeding heart to go—her blood, my blood.

The curtain slid back and the emergency room doctor entered. “Okay, we have Danica’s labs back and they’re normal, so she didn’t take anything.”

A wave of nausea washed through me. “I don’t know if that makes me feel better or not.”

He stared at me sympathetically. “At least you can rest easy knowing she didn’t do anything to purposely harm herself. She does appear to have had some kind of psychotic
episode. Given what you’ve told me about your sister’s recent death and your stepmother’s relationship with your father, I have to say it doesn’t surprise me. Sometimes people just can’t handle all that life throws at them.”

“Can you help her?” I asked. “Will she get better?”

“There are medications that can help her condition. We’re going to admit her and we have a psych evaluation scheduled for her tomorrow, with one of our mental health specialists. Once that’s completed, we’ll have a better idea about what we are dealing with.”

“I have a job I’m supposed to do tonight, but can I come back and stay the night with her? I’m the lead guitarist in a band and I can’t get a replacement this late or I’d stay with her now.” Irritation swept through me as I realized I was abandoning her again.

“Keep your engagement,” the doctor encouraged. “Truthfully, I doubt she will know if anyone is here with her or not. We plan to keep her safely sedated and comfortable until she can be better evaluated in the morning.”

The curtain opened and a nurse ushered Anna’s mom in. “I got here as soon as I could,” she said, coming to hug me. “How is she?”

“This is my girlfriend’s mother, Melanie Vasquez,” I said introducing her to the doctor. They shook hands.

“Are you Dr. Vasquez’s wife?” he asked and she nodded, appearing surprised.

“I thought you looked familiar. We met at the Christmas social in December. I attended pre-med with your husband.”

Recognition flooded her face. “Keith Sampson, right?
James was going to deliver a baby for you and your wife. How did that go?”

“We have a healthy baby girl
who looks just like her mother,” he replied, beaming.

“Congratulations. I’m so happy for you. Thank you for your help with Danica tonight. I know I’m not family, but she’s a very good friend of mine and our kids are dating. Would it be okay for me to stay with her while Caleb and Anna go to their
performance? I don’t want her to be alone, in case she wakes up.”

Relief flooded through me at her words and
, when Dr. Sampson agreed, an even larger weight lifted off me. “Thanks, Melanie. I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

“No rush, Caleb. I brought a new
cookbook with me that I’ve been dying to look through.” She held up her eReader. “I have plenty to keep me busy. Just focus on your job as best you can. If I need you for anything, I’ll text you.”

I nodded and turned to the doctor. “I don’t want my dad
allowed in to see her. He’s the one who left her this way and she’s suffered from his emotional abuse for years. He served a year in prison for hitting her, previously. I doubt he’ll show up looking for her, since he won’t know where she was taken. But, in case he does, I don’t want him in here with her.”

Dr. Sampson made a special notation in hi
s chart. “I’ve requested that your mom’s information not be given to anyone except you. If he calls about her, they won’t even acknowledge she’s in this facility. I’ll add the three of you to the list of approved visitors. Is there anyone else who has your permission?”

“Dr. Vasquez,” I replied.

“Of course. The staff will ask for ID from each of you before you’re admitted, so make sure to bring it with you.”

“Thanks. That gives me some relief. I’ll go to the house tomorrow and try to get the insurance information you asked for.”

“Just be careful,” he advised. “Don’t place yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“
James and I will go with him, if needed,” Melanie spoke up.

I gave her a hug. “Thanks for everything.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Caleb. We’re here for you. You two better hurry along now, so you can get ready in time.”

***

Anna looked incredible. There wasn’t a hint of the trauma we’d both been through today. Even the guys didn’t know what had happened, the two of us choosing not to worry them before the show. Still, she sparkled like a star in her slashed black tank top over a bright neon pink one with rhinestones. Her jeans looked shredded, revealing luscious peeks of her smooth silky legs, clear down to her bright neon green and black shoes, the colors glowing under the black light and disco ball. But, it was her amazing, heavily lined eyes that mesmerized me. They were made up to match her punked-out hair with pink clip-ins. Her look matched our sound … a little emo/grungy with just a hint of techno added at times. This was Anna’s alter ego. I thought she was sexy all the time; but she was off the charts when she was rocking the house.

Keeping focused on her so
my mind wouldn’t wander off to less pleasant places was easy. I could stare at her all day and night and never get sick of it. Of course, I couldn’t stop frowning as I noticed several guys in the crowd doing the same thing. There were as many of them down in the dance pit as there were girls; and they were all eyeing the stage. I’d become used to the slathering of female attention I received each night, even taking some of the willing girls backstage for a little ride. Somehow, though, I’d missed all the attention that the guys were paying to Anna. I guess it never really mattered, because we all ushered her quickly off stage and the bouncers had never let any guys back to meet us. Suddenly, recalling her words from our previous conversation, I cringed. She already knew a lot about my past sex life. She probably remembered faces better than I did.

Glancing at Anna, I felt my temperature rise as she did a suggestive shimmy up and down the microphone pole. Heat pooled directly in the center of my groin and I was very glad my guitar landed where it did. It wasn’t the first time I’d got a hard on
watching her perform, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. But it certainly made concentrating on playing a bit more difficult.

Tearing my gaze away from her and
turning my attention to the crowd, I caught a glimpse of my ex, Jen. I was surprised to see her here. She’d made it pretty plain the last time we’d been together that she never wanted to lay eyes on me again. Her stare never left me and I knew she was up to something—I just didn’t know what.

We finished our first set and the DJ came on to fill the time in
while we took a break.  He was good at keeping the crowd revved with his loud music. Anna plopped onto the couch in the green room, looking exhausted and I walked by, placing my guitar on the rack. I felt the same way. It had been an emotional day for us both.

There was a knock at the door and the bouncer admitted Jen.
Damn.
I’d forgotten to tell him to take her name off the list.

She glanced around nervously, stopping on me. “Can we talk, Caleb?” she asked, gesturing toward the bathroom we used to occupy
, together. It appeared my ex was suffering from a bout of horniness. I recognized the suggestive look in her eyes.

Turning to stare at Anna, I waited a second to see if she would do anything. I tried not to chuckle as she rose to her feet, coming to grab my hand. “Sorry, Jen. You missed your chance. He’s occupying the bathroom with someone else now.” The guys let out a few wolf whistle
s as Anna dragged me toward the restroom.

Jen’s jaw clenched and she was clearly
displeased with me. “Turns out you were right,” I said as I passed by her. “She was the one I really wanted.”

“I don’t know why I even bothered,” she said with a scowl. “You’re an ass.”

“True,” Stix shouted as Jen turned to leave, “but he’s Anna’s ass, not yours.”

The bouncer, Jimmy, stuck his shaved head in, giving me a questioning look.

“Scratch her name off the list,” Riley said. “Caleb’s got his real girl now.”

“Took you long enough,” Jimmy said, flashing a smile in my direction as Anna pulled me into the bathroom and shut the door.

She pushed me against the wall and leaned against me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“You don’t have to do this, you know? Jen is gone, there’s no need for a show. I know you’re tired too.”

Her hands trailed down over my arms. “I’ve been worried about you. This has been a rough day for you. I simply wanted to make sure you’re doing all right.”

Sighing, I brushed her hair over her shoulders, trailing my hands down her back until I reached her butt
. I grabbed it, picking her up. She wrapped her legs around me as I carried her to the counter, setting her there. “I’m okay. Having you here helps a lot, but it’s driving me crazy at the same time.”

“How so?” she asked, completely oblivious to her allure.

“I watch you move all night around the stage. I want you to slide up and down me like you do that pole.”

A giggle escaped her and she blushed. “You mean you want to
be
my pole, don’t you?” She was growing more brazen the more time we spent together; and I knew it was because she wanted me just as badly as I wanted her.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” My hands slid up underneath her shirt, reaching behind to unhook her bra
, before sliding to the front to fondle her firm round breasts. She released a pleasant sigh.

“Mmmm
. . . That feels so good,” she said.

My body reacted even more, straining against my zipper. “This week might kill me,” I muttered, leaning forward to kiss her mouth lightly.

“Me too,” she agreed. “It’s been a lot harder than I thought it would be.” She snickered at her own joke and I couldn’t help but join her.

“You’re so bad.”

“I thought you liked it when I was bad,” she replied, leaning her shoulders back against the mirror.

“I do,” I replied, pushing her tank tops and bra out of the way so her chest was revealed to me. Just looking at her took my breath away, making me forget all the bad things happening in my life. I wanted to lose myself in her. Bending over her, I let my tongue dart out to lick her once, then blew on her ever-so-slightly, causing her skin to pucker and tighten. “You like that?” I asked, the answer obvious from her reaction.

“Yes,” she whispered, as her eyes closed and a blush traveled across her cheeks. “Don’t stop.”

That was all the permission I needed
. My mouth lowered to kiss and suck on her. The soft vanilla scent of her perfume filled my nose, driving me wild as I squeezed and kneaded my hands against her soft flesh. She arched and moaned, and I sucked harder, wanting to go much farther.

Grabbing one of her hands, I guided it down my body, bringing it to rest against my pants. “I need you,” I spoke against her skin. “You have no idea what you do to me. I’ve had this all night.”