Vengeance (10 page)

She bit her lip in an attempt to hide her smile.

“Chelsea’s got a crush,” I teased.

“Ew, that’s a bit gross now that we know he’s your brother.”

Taking another sip of coffee, I thought about that. I hadn’t had much time to get used to the idea that Lucas was really my brother. And that meant Georgia was my sister.

“How weird is the whole Georgia and Aiden thing now that you know she’s your sister?” Chelsea asked.

“Weird, no. Disgusting, yes.”

“I guess it is a bit, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And that’s the reason why I don’t want to talk about it. God, I don’t even want to think about it. Thirty seconds ago, I was thinking about having sex with Aiden again, and now…”

Her eyes went wide. “Don’t you dare! Do whatever you have to do to get over this because you are not going to screw up this thing with Aiden just because you found out Georgia is your sister.”

“Fine.”

She whacked me on the arm. “I’m serious.”

“I know, and I promise I won’t let Georgia get in the way.”

“Good. ’Cause I’d hate to see her try to get her slimy little hands on him again.”

Just the thought of her touching him made my blood boil. No way was that ever going to happen.

Chelsea nudged my shoulder. “You okay?”

“Uh huh.”

She knew I wasn’t but didn’t say anything more.

Aiden appeared beside the door to the balcony. “I was hoping you’d be ready by the time I got back, but I guess that was asking a bit much.” He sat down on the tub chair beside the window.

“Fine.” I put my coffee on the bedside table as I got out of bed. “Give me two minutes,” I said, going into the bathroom.

A minute later, I emerged all ready to go. “Let’s go get us some needles.” I walked over to Chelsea and put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I have to do this to you… again.”

“I thought I told you to quit worrying. I’m fine with you screwing with my brain,” she said with a wink.

I smiled, thinking about how awesome she was. I pushed my way inside her mind and removed all traces of the conversations and knowledge of anything relating to Nathan being my father and being the one responsible for tormenting our lives. Once I was finished, I pulled out of her mind. “Okay, we’re ready.”

Aiden stood and came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “Let’s go get us some needles.”

Chelsea linked her arm with mine, and we phased to where we usually found Harry, but the room was empty.

“That’s a first,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.

“Let’s see if anyone’s home,” Aiden said.

“But that means I have to see Mum, and I don’t know I’m ready for that just yet.”

“Why?” Aiden spun me around to face him. “You know you have to see her today.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to be able to hear her thoughts when I did. I wanted to hear her reaction to seeing me again.”

“Well, we all know how good she is at keeping her thoughts secret.” When I pulled my eyebrows together, Aiden added, “Remember back on the Coast when Chels was missing? Your mum kept shuffling her thoughts around so I couldn’t catch anything.”

“She was doing that on purpose, but she won’t be able to hide her thoughts from me anymore.”

“True.”

Chelsea put her hands on her hips. “So what are we doing? ’Cause I don’t really want to stand around here all day.”

Aiden looked at me, waiting for me to agree with him.

“Fine,” I said. “We’ll go see who’s home.”

We phased out and appeared in the lounge room. No one was there, but the sound of voices wafted in from the kitchen.

“Hello?” I said.

“We’re in here!” Mum called.

Aiden took my hand and led me into the kitchen. Mum was standing behind the bench with a glass of orange juice, and Gemma was sitting at the table.

“Harry told me you were back,” Mum said, walking over to us. “You should’ve woken me up.”

Gemma asked, “So what was it? Did Aiden do something wrong? Did you find out he cheated on you or something?”

“Seriously?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Is that the best you could come up with?”

Chelsea laughed. “She’s twelve. What do you expect? She probably still laughs every time she hears the word
boobs
.”

Gemma threw a death stare at Chelsea. “I’m fifteen. And I don’t giggle at boobs.”

“Whatever,” I said. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Please, girls,” Mum said. “Can’t you both just try to get along?”

Gemma took a bite out of her toast.

“Is Harry around?” I asked.

Mum sighed. “No, he’s not.”

“Do you know when he will be?” I asked.

Mum narrowed her eyes at me. “Why do you want to see him so badly?”

“Umm… I just wanted to speak with him about the whole Grandma thing. By the way, where is Grandma?”

“She’s outside. Gemma?”

“Yeah?” Gemma asked around a mouthful of toast.

“Can you go and tell Grandma that Jade’s here?”

Gemma huffed as she pushed her chair back and stood up. She opened the door beside the table and stepped outside.

When she was out of earshot, Mum said, “You know, you really should let up on her. It’s not her fault that any of this has happened. And considering you’re the oldest, you should at least try to be more mature.”

“Well, maybe we would’ve been closer if you had told me about her… what… fifteen years ago?”

“We’re not going to get into this again. Your grandma’s about to walk through that door, and I’d appreciate it if you leave her out of this drama.”

“Touchy, aren’t we?”

Grandma came in, saving me from whatever my mother was about to say. “Jade,” she said with a smile. She held out her arms for a hug.

“Hi, Grandma,” I said, wrapping my arms around her.

She put her mouth beside my ear and whispered, “Gemma was right. He’s cute.”

I laughed and turned to Aiden. “Grandma, this is Aiden. Aiden, this is my grandma.”

“So nice to finally meet you,” Aiden said oh-so-politely.

“Likewise,” she said with a smile. “I’ve heard so much about you, it’s like I already know you.”

“All good I hope,” Aiden said, sounding a bit nervous. I didn’t think he was actually worried there was anything bad said so much as he was concerned that someone had been telling her about him.

“I give you one guess who that could’ve been,”
I said silently to Aiden as I glanced sideways at Gemma.

Gemma noticed me looking at her and gave me a fake smile. God, I couldn’t wait to hear what went on inside that head of hers. On second thought, I’d probably end up doing something I might regret.

“And this,” I said, turning to Chelsea, “is my bestest friend in the entire world.”

“Who’s otherwise known as Chelsea.” Chelsea held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Chelsea,” Grandma said, loving that she was meeting another important person in my life. “Why don’t we all go sit down and get to know one another better?” Grandma took me by the hand and dragged me toward the lounge room a little too forcefully for a woman of her age. She sat down on the sofa, pulling me down beside her. “Now tell me all about how you two met,” she said.

Chelsea sat at the end of the couch, leaving room for Aiden to sit beside me.

“Well?” Grandma prodded.

But what could I say? The truth was such a sore spot with me, and I couldn’t think about anything but the fact that Nathan was responsible. Aiden put his hand on my knee and proceeded to tell her the same story we had once believed to be the truth.

“Oh, my God,” Gemma said, sticking her head into the room. “Can you two get any sappier?”

I made a face at her. “Oh, my God, can you get any more pathetic?”

Mum put her hands on Gemma’s shoulders. “Jade,” she said, giving me a warning glare. She turned Gemma around. “Come on. You can help me in the kitchen.”

Gemma groaned but did as Mum asked.

“And how about you, dear?” Grandma asked Chelsea. “How did you and my granddaughter become best friends?”

Chelsea smiled. “Well, I didn’t have much of a choice. When I wouldn’t play with her, she hit me over the head with a bat.”

Grandma gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, God, Chelsea. We were three,” I said. “And it was plastic.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Chelsea laughed.

Grandma chuckled. She hated that she hadn’t been around to watch me as I grew up, and she wanted to make up for all the missed time. She really wanted to be a part of my life, and I kind of liked it.

“Enough about us,” I said, putting my hand on Aiden’s thigh. “How about you tell us what you’ve been up to since you got out of hospital?”

Mum walked in with a tray of steaming mugs. “Ha! What hasn’t she been up to?” Gemma followed her, looking as though she’d just had the “you behave or else” talk.

“I feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life.” Grandma had a twinkle in her eye as she thought about how the pains of old age had completely disappeared after the transfusion.

“So everything’s good then, is it?” I asked as Mum put the tray on the coffee table.

“Better than I could’ve ever dreamed of,” Grandma said. “And I owe it all to you. Whatever you have running through your veins feels like it’s the fountain of life that we’ve all been searching for.”

I laughed. “Well, I just hope for your sake, and ours, that it doesn’t wear off.”

She laughed. “So do I.”

Gemma handed me a cup of coffee. When I stared at the coffee, she said, “I didn’t spit in it if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Gemma, don’t be so vulgar,” Mum said as she passed out the mugs.

“You better not have.” I wished I was able to penetrate her thick head and see if she was lying.

When Mum wasn’t looking, a smirk crept across Gemma’s face. After finding out Nathan had been drugging my coffee, I wasn’t about to take any chances. For all I knew, she could have put some illicit street drug in there because she wanted to see what would happen. Or maybe it was payback.

“Yeah, I think I might go make my own,” I said, getting up.

“Jade, really?” Mum said. “I was right there when she made it.”

“Still going to make a new one,” I said as I walked into the kitchen. “Chels, Aiden, do you guys want a new one, too?”

“I’m good,” Aiden said.

“Yeah, I’ll take my chances,” Chelsea called. “And if anything happens to me, you’ll kick her arse, won’t you?”

“Chelsea,” Mum scolded.

“Bet your arse, I will.”

Grandma chuckled. I felt sorry for her for having spent so many years without anyone in her life, and I wished we could’ve been there for her—especially after her husband died.

Once I had made a new coffee that I was sure was safe… well, as safe as I could hope for, I made my way back into the lounge. I sat between Aiden and my grandma again. “Hope Chelsea hasn’t been telling you any more bad things about me.”

Grandma laughed. “No, dear. She hasn’t.”

“No, that stuff is going to come out when you’re not around to spoil my fun,” Chelsea joked.

I turned to Mum. “Is Harry here yet?” I wanted to spend more time getting to know my Grandma, but I
needed
to get those drugs out of my system.

“One boy’s not enough for you?” Gemma asked.

“Ew,” I said, thinking how old Harry probably was. Aiden tensed beside me.

“Gemma,” Mum said, as I put my hand on Aiden, trying to reassure him that I would never think of Harry
that
way.

“Please, he’s only thirty-five,” Gemma said, ignoring Mum. “Like that’s too old for you.”

“Gemma!” Mum yelled. “If you can’t behave, then go.” She pointed toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “Actually, go. You’re going to be late for school, and I’m not having you miss another day—especially when it’s just to stir up your sister.”

“Sister?” Gemma and I said.

“I so don’t think so,” I added.

“Damn right,” Gemma agreed.

“Go,” Mum said more forcefully.

Gemma headed that way. “Keep an eye on your girlfriend if you want to keep her,” she warned Aiden.

Mum massaged her forehead as if we were really giving her a headache. She put her hand down and looked at me. “Are you ever going to give her a chance?”

“Is Harry here?” I asked again.

She sighed. “Yes, he’s in the room now.”

I turned to Grandma. “I’m sorry, but I really need to talk with Harry about something.”

“That’s fine, dear.” She patted my knee. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get to know one another.”

“Definitely.” I stood up. “Chels, do you mind staying here while Aiden and I go see Harry?”

Chelsea was about to ask why she couldn’t come with us but then realised she would have Grandma all to herself. “Of course not,” she said with a smile as she slid closer to my grandma.

“And so the storytelling begins,” I said under my breath. “We won’t be long.”

Aiden stood and we transported to Harry.

Chapter 11

“Harry,” I said when we appeared in the room.

He whipped his head around in surprise. “Twice in a matter of hours.”

Aiden put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer in what seemed like an ancient male tradition to warn off others, letting them know the female was taken. I was sure he didn’t mean it like that, but I had to laugh.

“What?” Aiden asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

Harry turned around in his swivel chair. “So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this time?”

“Um, I think I’ve been drugged again.”

Harry drew his eyebrows together. “What makes you think that?”

I thought about telling him the truth, but I still didn’t know if I could trust him. “It’s just a feeling again.”

“Did what I gave you last time have any effect?”

“Yeah, it worked. But only for a bit. He must be slipping me something some way that I’m taking it without knowing because I hadn’t gone to sleep when it happened.”

“Right.” He got up from his chair. “Well, we’ll have to figure out how he’s getting it in your system because I’m guessing you don’t want to have to keep coming back for another one of these.” He opened the door to the cupboard.