Page 6

Peyton

The cab pulled up in front of the townhouse I shared with my mother. I pulled some money from my purse from the money Knox had given me when he’d dropped me off and I paid the cab driver. Thanking him, I carried my bags up to the door and let myself into the dark house.

It was weird being here without Mom. She’d decided to stay in Vancouver with Knox and Lorelai for a while. Well, they’d insisted she stay, just like they had with me. I’d fought them though because I had to work, but I was glad Mom had stayed. The last thing I wanted was for her to come back here and get involved with William again, especially right now. I figured he’d be hanging around waiting for her like some bird of prey, and it honestly surprised me I didn’t find him camped out in the driveway waiting for her return.

I grabbed the mail as I entered the house, flipped the lights on, and slipped out of my coat. I locked the front door and then glanced down the hall toward the dark kitchen. The house was so quiet, something I didn’t normally think about when Mom was here.

I grabbed the mail from where I’d placed it while hanging up my coat and went into the kitchen, flipping the lights on there. I grabbed a mug and teabag from the cupboard and turned the kettle on. While I waited for it to boil, I flipped through the mail, separating everything into piles.

Once I’d gone through everything, I saw I had three letters, Mom had five bills, and then there was a pile of what I’d deemed garbage mail that sat higher than them all. Each envelope in the junk mail pile had Mom’s name written on the outside, all in William’s handwriting.

I quickly opened the cupboard where we kept the garbage bin and deposited the pile of envelopes and all their contents into the bin without opening one of them just in time for the kettle to boil.

After pouring my tea, I carried my mug into the living room, turned the TV on, and then started tidying up the room. We’d left in such a hurry the night Knox arrived, that we’d not had time to straighten up. I folded the blankets that were on the couch and started neatly stacking them on the end when I heard a knock on the door.

Irritation flooded me. I didn’t feel like visitors. I took a sip of tea before heading to the door. I was certain it would be William. So sure, I’d have put money on it. It appeared he’d been by every day we’d been gone to drop off an envelope, and now that the lights were on inside the place, he’d knock instead.

Without checking to see who it was, I opened the door and was about to tell him to get lost when I looked up and saw Tor standing there, leaning against the house wearing his dirty, worn, and ripped leather jacket and his usual dirty jeans. It appeared he hadn’t even showered in a couple of days. His hair was such a mess. As I looked at him, I wondered what the hell had I ever seen in him?

“Tor? What are you—”

“We need to talk,” he said, not giving me a chance to finish.

“We have nothing to talk about,” I said, shutting the door, but before I could, he stopped it with his hand.

I tried to shove it closed, but he overpowered me like always and pushed his way into the house, first looking into the living room to see if anyone was here with me, then glancing down the hall to the kitchen.

“You here alone?” he asked.

Without thinking, I nodded. “What do you want?” I questioned, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Where the hell have you been?” he demanded.

It was at that moment, right there, the tone of his voice, his body language, that things changed for me. Well, perhaps it was Saturday night as I sat in the bar talking with Clay, and after we’d left, that had changed things. Regardless, until that point, the way Tor treated me had been fine. Now it wasn’t. I couldn’t believe that only a couple of months ago, I’d practically run back into Tor’s arms on his stupid, empty promises.

When I’d returned the last time, we’d worked things out, I’d talked to him about the cheating, his abusive words, and how things needed to change. I’d talked to him about not being able to support his drug habit anymore, and he’d promised me he’d change. So, I decided that I’d give him a second chance to see where our relationship could lead.

Of course, he’d treated me no differently than he ever had. Demanding to know where I was every moment of every day, dragging me deeper into trouble with his actions, and dragging me deeper into believing how he treated me was how I was supposed to be treated.

Also, in true Tor fashion, he’d done nothing but cheat and cheat again, each time making me feel like some object that didn’t have a choice in the matter.

I’d always chose the troubled men, and it seemed to follow me everywhere I went, even to Vancouver. That was what I learned that night in The Tilted Flask. In my mind, there was nothing wrong with him or the way he was treating me at first, until Clay pointed out the obvious. I was now beginning to wonder if maybe I wasn’t the problem here, and because that kind of treatment was what I knew, it was what I was comfortable around.

That night in Vancouver, the guy who’d hit on me had made me feel so uncomfortable and dirty. He’d been whispering all the things he’d do to me if I’d let him, and if I hadn’t recognized Clay at the bar, and he hadn’t come over to see if I was okay… I shuddered to think about what would have happened.

“Are you going to answer me or just stand there with that stupid look on your face?” Tor demanded.

“Does it really matter where I’ve been?” I questioned, keeping my back straight.

“If it didn’t matter, I would ask. Now where the fuck were you?”

I could see the anger in his eyes, but for the first time, I wasn’t afraid. After watching my mother with William, and now seeing Tor’s reaction, I knew they were the same, and that in a matter of weeks I could be in the same situation as my mother if I didn’t take control of the situation now. If that type of relationship wasn’t okay for her, then why was I settling for it?

“I went away for a bit.” I shrugged, determined not to be afraid of him any longer.

“You went away for a bit,” he mimicked, his steely grey eyes piercing into me.

“Yes, Mom and I went to Vancouver to visit Knox.”

“Ah, yes, your rich hockey player, brother. Get any money?” he questioned.

I’d made the mistake the last time of telling Tor about the money Knox had given me to get myself settled in school once they’d reinstated me. Instead of taking that money he’d given and getting the books I needed for my return to school, I’d made the mistake of telling Tor and he’d convinced me to give it to him. He’d spent every dime on alcohol and drugs, which had forced me to lie to my brother again. Instead, I’d had to scrape up some money from my part-time job and bought one textbook instead. For the rest of my courses, I used outdated books that I’d been able to get in the library.

“No money,” I said, eyeing my purse that lay on the hall table.

His eyes followed mine and landed on my bag, which he immediately walked over to and picked up. He looked from me to the purse and smiled.

My heart raced as he opened the zipper and pulled out my wallet where I’d left the five grand Knox had given me to pay up our rent for at least another month, and to take care of the overdue bills we had. I was supposed to get some food, and then the rest was to be put in the bank.

I reached out to take my wallet from him, but he raised it above his head out of my reach.

“You lying to me?” he questioned, staring down into my face.

I swallowed hard, feeling intimidated. “No, I-I’m not,” I stuttered.

“Then you won’t care if I open it and look inside,” he said, bringing my wallet down, watching me as he opened the zipper.

I closed my eyes, knowing full well the first thing he was going to see was the money Knox had given me and, sure enough, he stopped, his eyes meeting mine with anger.

“Didn’t give you money? It sure looks like big brother gave you money to me,” he said, pulling out the stack of bills then dropping my wallet to the floor. He fanned the crisp bills out in his hand.

“Tor, give it back to me,” I said, raising my voice.

He stood there, looking down at the bills in his hand and shaking his head. “There has to be close to three grand here.”

“Five,” I said, trying to grab the money again, almost succeeding.

“Sweet!” he said, folding the bills and shoving them deep into his pocket.

“Tor, I need that money.”

“So do I, sweet cheeks, so do I,” he said, pushing his way into the kitchen.

I followed him, my stomach rolling at the fact he had just taken the money from me. “We need to talk, Tor,” I said, “I need that money. It’s to pay rent and bills.”

“Guess what? I have rent and bills that need to be paid as well. I’ve also got to pay Jimmy, or otherwise your boyfriend will have no teeth and two black eyes.”

Anger flooded me. “You aren’t my boyfriend,” I said, crossing my arms once again in front of me, hoping that it would comfort me enough to stop shaking.

Tor opened the fridge, grabbing a can of cola. He turned to me and met my eyes, cracking open the can, and took a long swig. “Fuck you, I’m not.”

I could feel my insides shake. Anxiety, worry, and fear built inside of me as he studied me, making me feel like I could be sick.

“You’re not. When I came back the last time, we agreed to see how things worked out. You committed to me. You told me you were finished messing around and wanted something serious. You’ve done the exact opposite, so I’m ending it. We’re finished. You’ve had your chance.”

“Pumpkin, I certainly didn’t commit to any of that.”

“You did too,” I cried.

“I didn’t. Perhaps I was drunk or high, one of the two, when I did it then.” He chuckled, then took another swig, emptying the can of cola.

I stared at him, anger flowing through me at an alarming rate. “You need to leave, and you need to leave now. First, you’re giving me the money back.”

I was clenching my teeth so hard I thought they were going to crack.

“Fuck that I do. Nope, the cash stays right where it is,” he said, smiling smugly as he patted his front pocket.

“Get out. I’m not dealing with your bullshit anymore. You’ve stepped out on me many times. I deserve more than this,” I said, standing my ground for what was the first time in my life.

“I’ll get out when I’m damn good and ready,” he said, opening the freezer and pulling out a frozen dinner. He was about to open the box when I screamed.

“GET OUT NOW!”

I screamed so loud he dropped the dinner to the floor, and when he spun around, I could see the shock in his eyes, which was quickly replaced with anger.

“Don’t you ever raise your voice to me,” he said, taking a step toward me, a crazed look in his eyes.

God, I wished I’d kept my word to my brother the last time I’d returned. I should have dumped him then, but in my own true fashion, because I hadn’t, things were once again way out of control. I reached for the phone and held the receiver up to my ear.

“What you going to do, call your big hockey player brother?” Tor said, pretending to shake.

“The police, Tor, I’m calling the police, unless you get the hell out.”

“Go ahead, call ‘em. When they get here, they’ll charge your ass for making a phony phone call,” he said, moving toward the back door. “Don’t call me when you need something. And I’m taking the money,” he added, opening the back door.

“Take the money, go ahead!” I screamed. “Just get out.”

The back door slammed so hard the glass rattled. I stood there, staring after him, and then I finally ran to the door, locking it and pulling the blind, then I ran to the front door and locked it as well.

Once I knew I was safe, I slid down the door and collapsed on the floor, my body shaking at what had just happened. I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, dropping my head to my knees, sobbing. I’d never thought I’d have it in me to stand up for myself, but I’d done it.

Sobs racked my body as I sat there, then fear crept into me. Knox had been right. I did not know how to protect myself. What if he came back? With Mom gone, and no idea of when she was going to return, I was alone here. Without the money Knox had given me, I had no way to pay the rent or the past due bills, so we’d be homeless soon.

Soon, Tor wouldn’t be my biggest problem. William would be my next problem. That, and needing to find a new place for us. All of that combined with explaining to my brother what had happened to the money he’d given me. I felt sick.

Two Weeks Later

I placed the frozen dinner in the microwave and set the timer, then pulled a soda from the fridge and was about to sit down at the table when I heard a knock on the door. I glanced down the hallway to see if I could make out who it was. All I could see was a dark figure in the window.

I took a deep breath and made my way down the hall, praying it wasn’t Tor. I didn’t need a repeat of what had happened.

I pulled the door open to see William standing there. My heart sank as he leaned against the doorframe, a creepy smile on his face. I’d purposely been avoiding contacting him because I didn’t have the money to pay him.

“Well, well, well. It’s about time. You realize you guys are almost three weeks behind on your rent?” he said, pushing his way into the house.

The fact I’d been able to avoid him since I’d been back had been the only good thing that had happened since I’d returned. I’d ignored the phone calls and the text messages from his office and kept the lights off at night in case he’d driven by. It was only when he’d messaged my mother that I’d received a call from her, wondering why I hadn’t already paid our rent with the money Knox had given me. In a panic, I’d made up something about working a lot and told her not to worry, that I’d take care of it.

“I know, William. Mom isn’t here.”

“Yep, I know. She’s up there with that son of hers, the one who’s got an immense surprise coming to him once my partner at the firm finishes drafting up the letter, I’m having him write.”

I swallowed hard, knowing William wasn’t lying. If he was anything at all, he was a snake in the grass, and when he figured he might be able to get money from someone, he’d do whatever it took to make sure it paid off. Unlucky for him, Knox had already had a meeting with his lawyers and William was the one with the surprise coming.

“Regardless of where your mother is, your rent is still due there, sweet cheeks.”

My skin crawled each time he called me that.

“Yes, and I’ve got the money, but it’s at the bank. I’ll have to see if I can get there before the weekend.” I shrugged.

He looked me in the eye, then shook his head.

“Enough of the games, Peyton. Give me my money,” he said, taking a step closer to me.

“I told you; I’ll get it.”

“Then while you’re there, get next month’s too. I’ll be back on Friday to collect.”

“Saturday,” I answered just as he turned around to leave.

He stopped, glanced over his shoulder at me, and chuckled. “You think I’m playing games? I’ll have the two of you booted out of here.”

“I know you aren’t playing, William. I’ll have it on Saturday. I promise.”

“Saturday, nine in the morning. Not a minute later,” he said, and then turned and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

I stood there, tears filling my eyes until the entire room was blurry. My stomach rolled. Maybe I should just be like Mom, I thought. We talked the other night. She’d expressed an interest in changing her life and had wanted me to consider the same. She told me, for now, only to pay one month’s rent, and by that time she’d have her answer whether she was going to move to Vancouver to be closer to Lorelai and Knox or return to Vermont. Maybe, just maybe, I should do the same, I thought and made my way back to the kitchen just in time for the microwave to go off.