Twisted Proposal (34 page)

Outside, he led me to his car, which was parked in a loading zone. Dumping me into the passenger seat, he handed a security guard a $100 bill. "I got my package. Thanks." Then he slammed my door shut and locked it.

I lunged for him when he climbed in the driver's side, but he batted me away from him like a minor irritation. "Cool it, Addison. You're going home."

“You're a monster,” I yelled.

“No, I'm not. But I could be. Don't test me. You don't want to see the real monster."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, unnerved by his confidence. “Can I at least go back to the hotel and get my stuff?” I played casually with my phone, wondering if there was someone I could text for help, but I couldn't think of a single person.

“Not a chance.”

“But my clothes are there.”

“Oh well, you're not a materialistic girl, remember?”

“But…” It was pointless to say anything more.

Jackson sped through traffic. At the border crossing, he flashed his ID, and we passed through to the USA without any questions. I thought about appealing to one of the border patrol guards, but I was weary and too afraid. Jackson eased onto the freeway and headed north toward home. Exhausted, I curled up on the seat and dozed off. When I awoke, it was dark. We were parked in Stuart's driveway.

“Get out,” Jackson ordered. The door lock clicked open.

I sat up and stretched. “Fine.”

But Jackson stopped me. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

              “What?” I lifted an eyebrow.

He didn’t say anything and leaned forward for a kiss, so I kissed him. Then I was released.

I entered an empty house. For a second, I thought my dreams had come true, but when I went into the kitchen, the maids and cook were playing poker. They quickly scrambled to clean up their mess.

“We’re sorry. We didn’t expect anyone back till tomorrow,” the cook explained.

“Don’t stop on the account of me. I don’t care. Where’s everyone at?”

              “They went on their family vacation to Cabo,” he said.

              “Finally,” I muttered. I opened the fridge, grabbed a beer, popped the top and drained the can. “I’m going out,” I said as I left.
Like they cared.
No one cared about me.

Upstairs in my room, I changed into a jeans skirt and strapless shirt. If they wanted to pimp me out, then fine. It would be on my terms. I called Kevin, but he didn’t answer. Five minutes later, he called back. “What's up?”

              “We need to talk.”

              “No joke. That man busted my nose in three places, not to mention he had one of his goons steal my shoes and leave me in the middle of nowhere.”

“I’m sorry.” I didn’t expect Mr. Van Buren to be so rough.

              “Yeah. Well, how was your trip?”

“Nothing worth mentioning. Do you want to come over? Or we can go to your house. I just need to--”

              “Get away, yeah, I know. Meet me at the park in an hour. Dress normal. We’re going to a party.” He hung up.

Normal?
I used to dress normal, relaxed even. But now…. I went to my closet and pulled on a pair of jeans with holes and kept the shirt on. I exchanged my heels for flip flops and pulled my hair back. Nothing was normal anymore.

Chapter Thirty-Four

When Kevin picked me up, there were two other guys in the car. Kevin moved to the backseat and sat next to me. One of the guys slid into the driver's side and started the engine while I lay down across Kevin's lap as we cruised quietly out the gate and down the street. I was glad I had decided to leave my phone at home in case Jackson had a tracking device on it. I didn’t want him showing up.

At the party, I knew I was headed for a meltdown. I drank everything I could get my hands on. The music throbbed in my bones, and I danced and made out with anyone who was available. A few hours later, I found myself hugging a toilet while Kevin held my hair back. I heaved one more time and pushed unsteadily to my feet.

“What happened on that trip?” Kevin asked after I washed my face.

              I shook my head and rinsed out my mouth.

              “You’re going to have to talk about it at some point.”

              “Take me somewhere to watch the sunrise.”

              He led me outside to a fire escape where we climbed up to a roof deck and faced east. Kevin motioned for me to sit next to him. Nodding, I leaned against his shoulder and watched the soft pink glow of the sun break through the dim gray clouds of morning. For a moment, the world seemed less grim.

              “I’m worried about you,” Kevin said. He brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. I squeezed his hand and didn’t let go.

“I can’t be that way with you.” I kissed his fingers, my lips grazing over his rough skin. I had to make him understand.

“Why not? Is it because I’m not hot or something? I know I’m not rich like that other guy you’re seeing. And I know--”

I silenced him with a kiss. “Because I care too much about you, okay? I don’t want to lose you. So we’re going to be friends. Just friends.”  He still didn’t understand, but I had just saved his life.

“Whatever.” He grunted and moved a few inches away from me.

I couldn’t deal with him being mad at me. So I scooted closer to him and interlocked my hand in his. “We can try, but I’m warning you, it’s not a good idea.”

“Are you serious?” he asked, his voice softening. "Addison, I care about you so much."

I hesitated, then pressed my lips to his. “If this is what you want,” I said when I pulled back. Then I kissed him again.
What was I doing?
This was a mistake, a huge mistake, but I couldn’t afford to lose him. He could be my only way out. I pushed him down and unbuttoned his shirt, kissing his neck, his shoulders, and his chest. One hookup, I told myself as I unzipped his jeans. That was all.

Afterward, we shared waffles and coffee at a 24-hour diner near his house before heading home. He dropped me off at the top of the driveway, far away from prying eyes. It was obvious he didn’t want me to leave; I had to literally pry myself away from him. I promised to call or text.

I watched him drive away, then jogged down the hill. Mr. Van Buren’s grey Lexus was parked in front of the house.

I stopped short. “Shit.”

When I entered the house, Van Buren was standing in the foyer staring at a painting on the wall above him. He turned to face me. His dark blue shirt made his eyes appear greener than usual. “Where have you been?’

“Does it matter?” I brushed past him toward the kitchen. 

Van Buren followed me. “It does when you’re dating my son.”

“Like he cares. He got what he wanted. Now he can leave me alone.”

“He’s very upset. When he came over last night, you weren’t here.”

“He’ll get over it.” I grabbed a cup and poured some coffee and strolled into the atrium where I took a seat on the couch. Van Buren was still in the kitchen but how
long would it be before he joined me? Five seconds. I know. I counted.

“Your actions are a concern.” He stood over me, glaring.

Reaching behind the couch, I latched onto the bottle of Jack I had swiped from the bar. He watched as I poured a little into my coffee and took a sip. “Your son’s actions concern
me
.”

He snatched the coffee cup from my hand and emptied the liquid into a plant. Then he took the bottle of Jack.

“Give that back.” As I jumped up to reach for the liquor, he caught me around the waist with one arm and held the container above my head.
Maybe now was the time to drive a nail between him and his son.

“You’re cut off,” he said, his voice hoarse with either anger or desire. I couldn’t tell.

“Like hell I am.” Ever so slowly, I eased the bottle from his grasp. All the time, I was aware of his hand on my waist, holding me against him. I unscrewed the cap off and sipped, relishing the familiar burn. He took the bottle away and set it on the table while still holding me.

“You’re a child, Addison.”

“Am I? Why do you get to decide when I’m a child and when I’m an adult?” I leaned close to his face, tempting him. He let me go, but I didn’t back away. “Let me tell you something, Mr. Van Buren.”

I closed the gap between us, and he put his hands on my hips to stop me from moving closer to him. “I haven’t been a child for a long time now. So don’t lecture me as though you are talking to Lexus or your own children.”

He pushed away. “Acting like a cheap floozy will get you nowhere with me.”

‘Who said I want you at all?”

He scoffed. “Stick to what you know, Addison.”

“And what’s that?”

“College boys and juvenile delinquents who hang out at parks.” Without another word, he strode out of the room.

Furious, I hurled my empty coffee cup at his back, missing him by a hair. Glass shattered across the tile floor.
College boys and Kevin
. I hated him more than his son. As I picked up my mess, Frances came in to see what had happened. “I’m sorry,” I said as I handed her the pieces. “I didn’t mean to make more work for you.”

“Miss Addison, don’t worry about it. I’ll finish here.”

I nodded. Screw this and screw everyone. My hangover headache banged like a drum, making me feeling slightly dizzy, so I staggered upstairs and crawled into bed.

Stuart and the family returned from Mexico later that night. Lexus barged in my room to show off her tan and the new dress she had bought. I wanted to ask her about the pregnancy, but then decided against it. She seemed too happy.

Zach insisted I play video game with him downstairs later that night after supper. “She got rid of it.” He stabbed the buttons on his controller.

“What?”

"The baby. That’s why we went to Cabo. Dad took her to a doctor. He promised her a new car if she’d have an abortion.”

I dropped my controller. “A new car?”

“I know. Isn’t it sick? I hate her for doing it.”

When we came upstairs, Stuart and Lexus were eating ice cream together like best friends. I decided not to say anything and returned to the safety of my room. These people were so messed up. I would never be one of them.

Carli was missing from school on Monday and Tuesday, but was back on Wednesday sporting her arm in a cast.

She avoided me most of the morning until I cornered her in the cafeteria. “What happened?”

“I fell.” She turned her face away, avoiding eye contact. “Did Quentin give Jackson what he wanted?”

“Uh, yeah. I figured you would have already known about that.”

              “Yeah, well since you ditched me, I decided to take a few extra days.”

“What happened to your arm?”

“Oh, why are you asking now? I mean, I thought we were friends. You didn’t even call.”

She had me there. I had been too busy dealing with what was going on with me to me to even think about her. I figured she would have called me if something bad happened. “You’re right. I screwed up. I’m sorry. Can we talk after school?” I didn’t want her to be mad again, plus I didn’t want to deal with the drama.

“Whatever.” She dumped her tray in the trash and left.

We met after school and drove to her house where we fixed screwdrivers and lounged on floats in the pool. It took her a while to start talking. “I agree with you now. Jackson’s crazy.” She sighed and stared at her drink.

“Why? What did he do?”

“After I left the party, I went back to the hotel and he was waiting there, but he wasn’t happy. I mean, I’ve known Jackson for years and he’s never…” She wiped her eyes and sniffled.

I already knew what she was going to tell me.             

“He started blaming me for not getting what he wanted. He threw my clothes at me and told me to get out. He said he never wanted to see me again.”

There had to be more. He couldn’t have left it at that.

“But what happened to your arm?” I questioned as her father stepped into the backyard.

“Carli, I’m headed to town. Need anything?” He gave me a curious glance.

“No, thank you.” Her face was a mask.

              “Hello, Addison." Carli's dad edged closer to the pool, his gaze fixed on my bikini top. "Carli, I didn’t think you were going to have friends over today?”

“I’m only here for a bit.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. He was downright creepy.

Carli's dad blinked first. “You ladies have fun.”

              Neither of us said anything until he was inside.

              “You didn’t fall down the steps. Don’t cover for him, Carli.”

She flushed. “What are talking about?”

“I mean I just thought--”

“Jackson didn’t break my arm. I mean, I know he’s crazy, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know him at all.

“God, Addison, I can’t believe you thought that. Look, my dad and I got in a fight, and I fell down the stairs. I’m fine.”

What was it with these rich people? Did they all beat up women?
“You’re right. I’m sorry for assuming.”

Carli placed her hand on my arm. "Please. You can't tell anyone. I mean, if people knew, my dad would--"

"Don't worry. I won't say anything." But we couldn't relax after that. Carli was uncomfortable that I knew the truth, and I dreaded the moment when her dad returned. We finished our drinks, and Carli had her driver take me home.

Instead of doing homework, I changed and left the house. I needed to think and talk to someone I could trust.

The street lights were on by the time I reached the park. Kevin was sitting on the jungle gym. Instead of letting him say hello, I greeted him with a kiss and knocked him backward.

“Stop, stop.” He pushed me away.

              “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

              “Yes, it is, but it’s not what you want. I don’t want you to do something that goes against your heart.” The sincerity in his voice made me remember there were good people in the world.

I threw my arms around him and burst into tears. Finally, I had a real friend. He took my hand and led me to his car. "Let's talk," he said. "Nothing else. Just talk."

It was such a relief to open up. I told him everything. Every detail. I started back to when Eve died, how I found out that I had a father and that he was taking me back to California. Then I told him about the Van Burens and what I had done thus far for them. I left out the part about Elizabeth posing as my aunt, because that would be too much to take in. It was crazy how I couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth.

When I finished, he lit a joint and passed it to me. “Wow, that’s screwed up. I mean, who would do that to their own kid?”

“Stuart.” The pot calmed me, and I leaned back against the front seat, watching Kevin as he tapped the steering wheel.

              Kevin shook his head. "No, only a man that’s money hungry would do that crap.”

"Yeah, that’s Stuart.”

“We have to get you out of there.” He took a toke, a frown creasing his brow as he thought about our choices.

“What do you mean?” I asked, sitting up straight
. Where would I go?

“You can’t live like this waiting for them to pimp you out.”

He handed the joint back to me, but I didn't take it. His words made me sound dirty. “It’s not like that.”

“Please. The only thing separating you from being a prostitute is the money.”

I threw the joint at him and slapped him his face before I could stop myself. “Thanks for your support.”

"Ouch." He rubbed his cheek. “You’re right. I deserved that. But still...” His voice trailed off.

“I’m going to college in a year. I'll move far away from them all, and things will get better then.”

“And if they don’t?”

              “They have to.”

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

I broke the silence.
Had I shared too much?
“You know you can’t tell anyone?”

              “I know,” he said and lit another joint. “It just blows that they are treating you that way. You deserve better.”

              “I guess.” I reached for a hit.