Page 12 of Take the Blame (Seaside Mergers #3)

Chapter Seven

ALTA

“Hell yeah!”

My little sister’s voice sounded muffled in the back of my head as my hand connected solidly with the bag in front of me. This was week two of taking lessons with her at her quasi-part-time job as a boxing instructor and I had to say I was catching on pretty swiftly.

“Al, you’re a natural,” Ceci said, a huge impish grin possessing her face. She really was gorgeous, all red hair and strange eyes. That was until she started cutting them at people. She did as such to our sister-in-law who was breathing heavily beside her own bag. “Fergy, not so much.”

I’d probably been to the gym a total of four times, each with my sister-in-law in tow and each time I left with a clearer mind. So I was extremely grateful when Ceci reminded us of our scheduled lesson on Wednesday night, because I was feeling especially pent up as of late.

“One more round, ladies, finish strong,” Ceci encouraged. Clementine, my older brother Ox’s wife, whimpered slightly. Ceci, noticed and like the little tyrant she was, said, “Make that two more rounds, since our sweet Ferguson wants to complain.”

“Ceci!” Clem whined, her breath coming out hard as she panted for air. “Please?”

“You want to make it three?” my sister warned.

Clem’s face changed to an expression of horror, but instead of complaining anymore, she rolled her lips into her mouth and took up a weak starting position, just as Ceci had taught us.

Her evil grin said it all. She enjoyed having power over us during this hour.

Even if she truly loved the sport, she was still sadistic about it. But she was a good teacher too.

“I’m going to count you through the rest of these rounds. Listen, but mainly feel the flow of the sequences. They’re all combos you’ve done before, it should start feeling natural to you now.”

On Ceci’s mark, we started our last two rounds of the session.

Just as she said, I found myself getting lost in the repetition of the practiced sequences.

My muscles began to scream in protest of the foreign movements about halfway through the set, yet I kept going.

I ran almost every day, so I didn’t find myself getting as winded as Clementine, but I did feel the wobble of my limbs and the weakening of my blows.

Still, I kept going.

I hated quitting. I always had, and I think I always would.

I think that’s why I was still so frustrated with the events of my life recently.

Because even though I’d been thoroughly put down by more than one avenue, I still hadn’t let myself think of an ultimate outcome where I didn’t get what I wanted.

I was twenty-six years old and I was still not being taken seriously by my family. They seemed content to baby me forever, even when I’d shown time and time again that I was just as adult as the rest of my siblings. They weren’t seeing it. But I was going to make them see.

Starting with skyrocketing my career.

Once I showed them what I could do professionally, they’d also start to see that I was all grown up now. That I was strong and could take care of myself. Stand up for myself. Wear the Fernandez name proudly. Like my sister did.

Unnecessary. Not a good time.

The words rang in my mind like a gong. Echoing with irritating persistence and reminding me just what everyone thought of me.

Even him.

I punched the bag harder, tired muscles be darned. And what seemed like too soon, I heard my sister’s voice calling out, “Time!”

On Ceci’s call, Clementine collapsed to a heap on the floor.

She was a thin waif of a girl, her long limbs graceful but spider-like as she laid out.

I stayed on my feet, hands falling to my hips as I sucked down air.

Just like when I ran, I walked a slow cool down, this time walking the length of the mirrored room a few times.

The path allowed me to catch my breath, shake out my muscles, and funnel my thoughts down from all over the place to being tucked back neatly into my head, I could usually organize them better after working out.

Tonight, the opposite was true. In fact, by the time I made it back to my sisters it seemed like my mind was one big scribble, tangled and turbulent in my brain.

“Something wrong, Al?” Clementine’s soft voice asked. She’d lifted to an elbow, but Ceci was trying her hardest to drag her up entirely to stretch.

“Not really,” I lied. Dropping to the floor in front of them, I twisted my legs in a casual formation as I leaned over and stretched my muscles .

Ceci scoffed. “Bullshit, Alta. Spill it.”

“You shouldn’t swear at work, Ceci!” I scolded. She just rolled her eyes and motioned her hands as if telling me to go on. I blinked at her, noting her excited expression. “And you shouldn’t be so happy at the prospect of something being wrong with me!”

“Ugh!” the little troublemaker whined as she laid on her back, her arms spread wide. “If it’s something serious, I won’t be happy. But if it’s just drama…”

“Then what? You want it?” Clementine snorted. “Haven’t you had enough drama for one season?”

“See!” Ceci sprang up pointing to Clem. “I can’t take being the most dramatic one in the family much longer. Someone’s got to save me from this hell.”

Clem snickered, and I found myself giggling softly.

A couple of weeks ago, Ceci finally let the secret of her and Clementine’s older brother not only being in love with each other but being friends for over a year without any of us knowing get out rather…

melodramatically at a family dinner. I guess she hasn’t been able to live it down since.

“It’s not so bad, Ceci,” I soothed. “Nobody even remembers it… all the way.”

“Yeah Ceci,” Clementine echoed, although her voice was mocking. “We hardly even remember how you assaulted your sister, broke three dishes, and declared your undying secret love to my brother all in one night. Not to mention the snot flying out your nose.”

“ See !” she groaned. “I will never live that down. Fergy, can’t you just have another episode or something?”

“Oh yeah, I’ll be sure to find another way to get admitted to the hospital, Ceci. No problem,” Clem said sarcastically. It had been years since she’d fallen ill and was rushed to the ER, and thankfully she’d made a full recovery. Full enough that she could joke about it now .

To Ceci, Clem acted like she was insulted, but I could see the curl of an amused smirk on her lips.

These two were always like this. While Clementine was mostly sweet and even-tempered, she had this darker side that not many people saw.

My sister, who was neither sweet nor even tempered, had taken a liking to her and now the two who everyone thought might kill each other when the arrangement of my older brother’s marriage came to be, were actually the best of friends…

And I was still too nice for even one of the nicest people I’d ever met.

Great .

“So, Al?” Ceci asked, serious again. Blinking her into view I realized that I had zoned out. She raised expectant eyebrows at me. “Spill it. And no bullshit.”

I winced. “Have you spoken to Lis?”

Ceci winced too. “No. And I’m not going to.”

“You two really need to talk,” I said, unable to keep myself from throwing my hat in the ring for Melissa even though I was upset with her too. “You guys can’t fight forever.”

“Yeah well,” Ceci shrugged, her jaw going tight. I guess we were avoiding the subject then. “You were saying?”

“Well,” I looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling guilty. “We fought a little too.”

Eyes so hazel they were almost yellow peered at me.

Pierced me with their intensity. Some might think that just because Ceci was also fighting with Melissa she might be happy that I was too.

But my sister wasn’t like that. Sometimes the brashest of us all, she could also be the most feeling.

And I think right now she felt how much this was mixing me up.

“What happened?” she asked. Not one to keep secrets, I told her everything about this terrible week in one big breath. A few moments later she was leaning back on her hands as she exhaled a sharp whistle. “I hate to say it, Al… ”

I covered my face with my hands, readying myself for criticism I didn’t want to hear. “Say what?”

“You should talk to her,” Ceci finished. “She seemed like she was being genuine and you sort of shot her down.”

I frowned, feeling guilty. Sulking, I wrapped my arms around my legs and smashed my cheek onto my knees. “She was being genuine with you too. In her own way.”

“Agree to disagree,” she clipped.

“She’s poring over all the old shelter financials for you, you know?” I added. Watching her face, her eyes blinking a couple of times and her chin tilting slightly, I could tell she hadn’t known. “She’s trying to make it up to you.”

“Yes, but she hasn’t apologized,” Ceci finally said. Then she turned those exacting eyes over to me. “Not for what she did or what she thought of me. Wouldn’t it be hard for you too? If someone you trusted had you all wrong?”

It is ! I wanted to scream. It really, truly is !

But instead, I thought of certain tattooed arms and a smiling face. I guess it hurt worse when expectations were involved.

“Well,” a soft voice interrupted. “As your older, wiser sister figure, I think you should both apologize. Ceci, you know what you did. And don’t even think about saying anything when Sylvie is still finding apple chunks lodged in places they should not be.

And, Alta… All I can say is, she’s your sister.

It’s hard sometimes with siblings but it’s even harder without them.

So when you’re ready, approach her. It’ll probably be better than you think. ”

I hummed half-heartedly. I guess she was right. I knew I needed to talk to Melissa. I hated leaving things badly between us, even though we had a tendency to fight often for one reason or another. But I think I needed to solve the root of the problem first.

Looking up, I took in the beautiful girl across from me.

Her brown skin looked to be glowing under the flush of activity, her hair plaited back in a long curling braid she wore pretty much religiously and her toned limbs were packaged in only the best, courtesy of my totally swept up in love brother who couldn’t stop getting her gifts.

After two plus years in the family, she was starting to be like another sister, and I wouldn’t be shy to ask my real sisters for something… most of the time.

So, with a small readying breath for confidence, I asked. “Is Ox really busy with work lately?”

“Um…” Clementine hesitated, her chin tilting up as she thought about it.

“We don’t talk about work much, but… Let’s see, he has the Sharper acquisition he’s been working on for years finally coming to a close.

He’s got Q1 planning and Q4 implementation something or other…

” she winced, obviously not confident in her delivery.

I just nodded, understanding what she was trying to say just fine.

Brightening up she added, “Oh, and he’s got Ceci’s event he’s helping with!

Everything else has been business as usual. ”

“Ah,” I said, biting my lip. If everything else was business as usual, why hadn’t I had time to speak with him recently? Instead, being thrown to the wolf that was Grace Ulburn.

“Why?” Clem asked, the two girls looking at me expectantly.

It was no use. I was as transparent as a piece of tape. I might as well just tell them. They both knew about my client work anyway, finally letting them in on the big why wouldn’t kill me. Especially since I’d already failed at it once.

“You should try him again,” Clementine said after I disclosed the details of my situation to them, immediately taking offense on my behalf. Yep, she was a real sister alright . “And you shouldn’t leave out what an asshole that Grace was to you either. I know he won’t stand for it.”

“No!” I said immediately. “I won’t be a tattletale. No way. Do you know how embarrassing it will be if I’m the girl who runs to her brother when she has a problem?”

“Melissa does it,” Ceci pointed out .

“That’s because Melissa only ever has important problems,” I said.

“Yours is important too, Alta,” Clem tried.

I shook my head. “I’m a secretary with a last name, Clementine. She’s the CFO. There’s a big difference. Huge, really.”

“Al…” Ceci trailed off. I could feel her eyes trained on me, but I refused to meet the pitying glance.

That’s not why I divulged to them. I’d just needed to let some of this mounting frustration off my chest. Ceci sprang up.

“I think you should try him again too. You’re good at being persistent and Ox is surprisingly good at listening, even when you’re not talking. ”

I looked at her. That was uncharacteristically sweet of her. I wondered if they were bonding after spending so much time together working on her festival. She was actually pretty cute when she was being sweet. Her sparky eyes bright and her lips pulled up in a soft tilt.

It didn’t last long as she added. “But I agree. That Grace is a grade-A bitch . You should put her in her place.”

Clementine nodded vehemently and the two locked eyes as if they were communicating something silent and evil between them. I sprang up to my knees. “No, no, no, no, no ! Neither of you can say or do anything about Grace. You hear me?”

No one spoke.

“ You hear me? ” I whined. I tried to be stern, but it always came out in a whine.

“Fine,” Clementine said, and when she noticed she was the only one who spoke, she elbowed Ceci who then echoed her own, “Fine, alright !”

“And not a word to Ox, or Lis, or even Amá and Apá. Okay?”

More silence, these little troublemakers.

“Claro, ninas?” I asked, my voice actually earning some authority this time .

“Yes! Okay!” They both burst out in a giggle, Clem speaking up next. “ Geez , I guess we know who’s really the boss around here.”

“Right,” Ceci snorted in agreement.

I just huffed. The boss .

Funny. There was still one last problem sitting on my mind. I guess not everything could be resolved in one night.