Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 (21 page)

“What?!
I had no idea she even had a key! Why the hell didn’t I know that?!” I hear
drawers slamming and hope there’s no one in the waiting area of the office to
witness it.

“I
don’t know, but I also called the security system company and had all but our
codes deleted. I also had them add one for Jake. Just out of curiosity, do you
know why Gram would switch the account over to my name?”

“Maybe
because it would just be easier than having you do it,” she suggests. “Then you
would need legal documentation.”

“They
said it was done back in September.”

“Really?
That’s weird. I’ll check with Mary and see if she has any idea why. What was
your mom doing at your house, anyway?”

Oh,
boy. Here it goes. “She said her and my dad are taking the house. They plan on
moving in by the end of the summer.” I was expecting an uproar, but all I got
was complete silence. Seconds ticked by and still nothing. “Jade?”

“Please
tell me you didn’t just say what I think you just said.” Her voice is low and
barely controlled.

“I
wish I could.”

“Who
the fuck does that bitch think she is?! Who does something like that to their own
child?! Does she know who your lawyer is?!” And there it is. The pandemonium of
Jade Quinn begins. If I don’t put a stop to it, she will continue until the sun
sets and rises multiple times.

“Jade…”
I try to get her attention.

“I’m
calling Mary! Mary is going to fucking flip when she hears this! There’s no way
in hell she’ll stand for that no good wench thinking she can do whatever she
fucking feels like! Absolutely not! I’m not going to stand for it! I’m going
over there. I’ll give that rotten piece of shit a piece of my mind!”

“JADE!”
I shout.

“What?”

I
pause to give her a moment to quiet down. “You can’t just go over there.”

“Like
hell I can’t!” she snaps. I can almost picture her eyes popping open and
staring me down.

“I
have to go there tonight. She wants me to talk to my dad. I’ll let you know
what happens.”

“I’m
supposed to go out with Kyle, but it’ll be no problem to cancel. He’ll
understand. I’m going with you.”

“No.
You are not canceling your date. I won’t be there long. I’ll survive.”

“Kacie,
I don’t feel comfortable letting you go there by yourself.”

“I’ll
be fine. Listen, I have to run up and take a shower before Jake gets here. I’ll
call you later.”

“Okay.
I’m so sorry she’s doing this to you, Kacie.”

“Me,
too.”

“Everything
will work out. I promise.”

“I
hope so.”

I
make it out of the shower in plenty of time, so I wait for Jake out on the
front step. This was not the kind of day I had envisioned for myself. The worst
part is, something tells me it’s far from over. Trying not to think about
having to move out of the only house that has ever felt like home to me is
proving to be difficult. Right before Jake pulls into the driveway, I decide
that if my mother wins this battle, I’m moving out of Florida and never coming
back. There’s no way I’d be able to stay here and watch her ruin Gram’s home.

Jake’s
truck crawls past my car to a stop. He lowers himself out of the cab and comes
over to me. “You doing okay?” he asks, standing by the lowest step. I shrug my
shoulders. “Do you want me to change the lock on the gate, too?”

I
didn’t even think about the gate. “I guess. Just to be on the safe side.”

“I
have a lot of different doorknobs and locks stored in my garage. Do you want to
come over to pick out what you want?”

Evan’s
truck is now coming up my driveway. In all the chaos, I forgot he was coming
over before going into work today. There’s no way for me to get out of telling
him about my parents now. How the hell do you rationalize changing the locks
around your entire house? “Great,” I murmur before Evan reaches us.

“If
you don’t want to tell him…” Jake says.

“No.
It has to come out at some point.”

I
sit there watching him while he strolls over to us. He’s finishing with a phone
call, so he’s taking his time and making sure the person on the other end
understands what he wants. The handsome features of his face still impress me
as much as they did the very first time we met. The more I’m around him, the
more I’m convinced it had nothing to do with the alcohol I was drinking. He still
doesn’t have a clean-shaven face, but I don’t think I really want him to. He’s
perfect just the way he is.

Evan
hangs up the phone and looks up at me. The smile he just had is gone. He knows
me enough to sense something’s off. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

“I’ll
give you a minute,” Jake says.

“No.
I don’t want to take up any more of your time than I already have,” I tell him.
“Evan, will you walk over to Jake’s with me? I have to pick out new locks for
the house.”

“New
locks? Why?”

As
we start walking next door so I can pick out locks for Jake to install, I tell
Evan everything. How my parents have always treated me, how my dislike for them
goes far beyond just them wanting me to be a doctor, how they always try to run
my life, the things they said to me when I came home a couple weeks ago then,
while we’re walking back to my house, we finally get to what happened only over
an hour ago.

“She
went into your house while you weren’t home?” This seems to be the only piece
of information that shocks him out of everything I just told him. I confirm the
answer to his question. “Fuck!” he yells, looking at Jake. “I would have been
here around that time, but I had an errand to run before going into the club.
It took a lot longer than it should have.” The two of them seem to be silently
conversing. “You wouldn’t have had to deal with it alone. I’m sorry, Kacie,” he
whispers the last part and pulls me into him. For the first time today, I
finally feel better.

“Evan,
you being here could have made it worse,” I mumble against his chest.

“I
don’t know how to help you,” Evan mumbles.     

“One
way or another, we’ll figure it out. There’s no way in hell I’m letting that
woman into the neighborhood,” Jake declares from behind me. “And, more
importantly, I’m not letting you leave.”

“Thanks,
guys,” I say.

“Do
you need help changing the locks?” Evan asks. “We can knock it out in no time
if we both work on it.”

“Sure.”
Jake smiles. “Do you even know how to use a screwdriver?”

Evan
punches his arm. “Fuck you, Quinn.”

“Between
my mom and you two acting like this, I’m going to need a damn drink before I
eat lunch,” I utter, retreating up the steps into the house. They are chuckling
behind me, but I ignore them.

Kacie

After
Evan and Jake left, I spent the better part of the afternoon in my closet
trying to find something appropriate to wear to my parents’ house this evening.
There were too many wardrobe changes to count. I couldn’t find what I was
looking for. No matter what the occasion is, if you are going to be at my
mother’s dining room table, she expects a certain level of class. No wonder I’d
never bring any of my friends over to eat dinner as a kid. Who the hell wants
to get dressed up to eat a meal at someone’s house?

Just
when I was ready to head over to Jade’s room to raid her closet, I remembered
something I purchased on a whim last summer and never wore. I don’t think I
ever had the intention of wearing it, but I couldn’t leave the store without
it. Jade tried to get me to wear it a few different times, but I never had the
nerve to. I offered it to her, but she declined, saying it was made for
me…whatever that means. After some searching, I finally found it still hanging
in the clear, plastic bag it came in. I knew it would be absolutely perfect! I
hung it on the bar in front of my mirror and set out to do my hair and makeup.
It took a while to turn my tight, spiral curls into big, loopy ones, but the
end result is totally worth it.

Now
that it’s finally time to put the dress on, my nerves are a little rattled. I
can’t believe I’m actually going to walk out of my house in this thing! If Gram
were here, she would beat me senseless. If Jade were here, she’d be jumping up
and down and clapping her hands. The combination of the two is what makes it
ideal. I yank off my thin navy blue tank top, careful not to mess up my hair,
and tug the light peach dress off of the hanger. As it slides down my body, I
realize I’ve never worn a dress before that would prevent me from wearing an
actual bra. This should be interesting. Once it’s in place and my boobs are
somewhat adjusted into the built-in bra, my feet slide into the highest pair of
nude heels I own. My self-confidence takes a running leap off of my balcony and
lands on the concrete two stories below. Damn it!

I
squeeze my eyes closed as my feet drag my body in front of the mirror. At
first, I only slightly peek with one eye as if it would soften the blow if the
dress looks bad on me. Excitement takes over, forcing the other eye to also
open wide. An over-stuffed sausage isn’t what’s reflecting back at me. The
sequined, crocheted bodice lays nicely over every muscular, toned curve of my
body. It has a V-neck, exposing more cleavage than I’ve ever allowed, other
than in a bikini top. The back of the dress is what made me buy it, though. It
is scooped so low, it almost shows my tattoo on my lower right side. There are
two very thin straps that crisscross in the center of my back, barely holding
the whole thing up. “Fantastic,” I say to myself, grinning. I can’t wait to
hear what my mom has to say about this one.

Knowing
Robert will be at least ten minutes early, I collect my purse and phone from on
top of the chair and head downstairs to wait for him. The moment his car pulls
into the driveway, I set the security system and meet him outside. There’s no
reason to make him get out of the car and walk all the way up to the door.
Being the gentleman he is, he hops out of the car to greet me. He almost trips
and falls when he sees what I have on.

“If
I were taking you anywhere other than your parents’ house, you’d be marching
yourself back upstairs to change, Sweet Pea,” he tells me. “I’m actually still
considering it.”

His
fatherly instincts toward me have always been heartwarming. “I’m sorry to upset
you, Robert. I don’t normally go out in clothes like this, but tonight is a
special occasion.” He sighs and goes to open the back door. “I’m not sitting
there,” I inform him. “Do you mind if I sit up front next to you?”

He
smiles at me. “Of course not, my dear. Although, if your mother sees you
getting out, she won’t be very thrilled.”

“Don’t
worry about her. Once she sees this dress, she’ll forget all about it,” I say,
winking at him. As he closes me in, he grumbles something about giving him a
heart attack. Poor Robert.

On
the ride over, Robert tells me how his only child, Robert Jr., is doing well
and living just outside of Tampa. If I remember correctly, his son is around my
brother’s age and from a marriage that didn’t last very long. Between Robert’s
ex-wife being a total bitch and my mom always having her driver on a tight
leash, we never really saw him much. Robert now has three granddaughters who he
sees quite frequently, despite his employment with my parents that still keeps
him extremely busy. He would like for me to meet the girls sometime and, of
course, I express how much I would love to. We talk about my last semester at
school and I almost tell him about graduating, but think twice about it. No
need to involve him in my family’s drama, although he’d be proud to hear it.

“Are
you going to be alright going in there?” Robert asks me as he brings the car to
a stop just in front of my parents’ front door. Unfortunately, I’m not the only
one in attendance tonight. There are a few other cars parked out here. What the
hell is going on?

“Probably
not,” I sigh. “But I’ll get through it like I always do.”

“Do
you still have my private number?” After a quick scroll through my phone, I
confirm it’s stored there. My parents provide a cell phone for them to be able
to get in contact with him, but he also has his own that they don’t know about.
He gave me the number in case I ever needed him and promised he’d stop whatever
he was doing to come get me. I’m sure most people have someone who would do
this kind of thing for them, but they usually call that person Dad. “The second
you want to leave, you dial it. You don’t even have to speak to me. As soon as
I see your name on the screen, I’ll be here in less than five minutes.”

“I
appreciate it.”

“Sweet
Pea, you know you deserve better than what this family will ever offer you. I
really hope someday you find it so you don’t have to deal with their bullshit.”

“I
do know that. All too well, unfortunately. The moment I figure out a way to
keep them from taking Gram’s house from me, I will make sure to write them off
for good.”

“They
aren’t actually trying to do that,” he says. It looks like he’s hoping I’m
exaggerating.

“Oh
yes, they are.” His shoulders drop when the words leave my lips. I had thought maybe
he would have known, but it’s clear he had no idea. “Don’t worry about me. I
always bounce back from their attacks. It’s just another hump in a very bumpy
road.”

“If
there is anything I can do, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

I
smile at him and reach for the door handle before he can leave his seat. “Don’t
get out, Robert. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

“Good
luck, Sweet Pea.”

As
the door closes behind me and the car drives away, I summon every ounce of
confidence and courage that has ever belonged to me to make my way up the
marble steps leading to the house. The place that was once where I resided
feels completely foreign. Granted, it did when I lived here, too. There’s no
need to knock because the door swings open when my foot lands on the top step.
My mother always hires help for evenings such as this, so I was anticipating
that would happen. Some things never change.

“Miss
Foster,” the middle-aged woman greets me. She’s just here to collect a paycheck
and not to support my mother, so I greet her with a warm smile. “Everyone is…”

“Gathering
in the great room. I know the drill. Thank you,” I say, walking past her. It’s
the script she is required to say. Since I’m familiar with it, I save her from
wasting her breath.

The
walls of the long hall to the back of the house are lined with overpriced
artwork no one really cares to look at. Most people have pictures of their
children at all different ages and in various uniforms from sports they’ve
played, but not my mother. I don’t recall there ever being a picture of me
hanging on the wall or even in a small frame on a tabletop. The one room does
have framed portraits of my brother at his graduations from college and medical
school, though. There are a few short, marble pillars holding different
sculptures spaced equally along the solid wall to my right. It takes entirely
too much willpower not to accidentally knock them over. On my way out, perhaps.

My
mother, being the perfect hostess that she is, is the first to acknowledge my
presence when I walk into the room. “Darling, I’m so glad you could make it…”
Her sentence trailing off as she takes in my attire only makes my smile bigger.
Mission number one accomplished and I haven’t even been here for a full minute.
She casually strolls over to kiss me on both cheeks. In front of company, she
always goes with the caring mother routine. It’s the comment, quietly in my ear
no one else can hear, that sets her apart from being a real mom. “Prostitute
really doesn’t look good on you.” Thankfully, I know it’s more about her being
jealous that she can’t pull this off the way I can, even after all the
surgeries in the world. Then, she links her arm through mine, ushering me to
the rest of the guests.

I
mumble, “You should try exercising. Then, maybe, you could borrow it.”

We’re
too close to everyone for her to risk saying anything else, so she starts with
the presentation. “I’m sure you remember your father’s oldest and dearest
friend and colleague, Dr. Walter Harris and his wife, Meredith.” I haven’t seen
either of them in a really long time, so I only vaguely remember who they are.

Dr.
Harris is at least my father’s age, if not older, but that doesn’t stop him
from glancing down the front of me and stumbling to get out of his seat. His
wife notices and I have to bite my lip not to laugh. When he’s finally on his
feet, he reaches out to shake my hand gently. “So nice to see you again, Kacie.
I hope you’ve been well.”

“I
have been, Dr. Harris. Thank you. Mrs. Harris,” I say. “Always a pleasure.” She
smiles, but that’s about it. Next up is someone I didn’t notice was here until
now. Son of a bitch! Now I know exactly why my mother wanted me here and made
sure I was the last one to arrive. She wanted everyone to see this.

“Kacie,”
the infamous Dr. Sean Murphy says, already standing. He reaches out for my hand
and my proper etiquette takes over. I place my hand in his and he brings it to
his lips. Gross.

“Dr.
Murphy,” is all I say, yanking my hand away and not-so-casually wiping it on
the bottom of my dress.

He
smiles and tries to be charming when he says, “Sean,” as if I cared to address
him by his first name.

“Of
course,” I utter and turn my back to him. Eat your heart out, bastard! My
father is sitting in his favorite brown, leather chair holding a glass of
whiskey, with no plans on getting up. Mom will be pissed at him for acting that
way in front of company. “Hello, Daddy.”

“I
can’t believe you’re actually standing in my house again. Never thought I’d see
the day.” He speaks with a bored tone. My neck begins to stiffen up, but I
don’t dare touch it.

Ignoring
him, I happily focus my attention on the last two people in the room. My
brother comes over and gives me a hug. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight,
Kacie,” he declares when he releases me.

“Why
thank you, big brother, but not nearly as beautiful as Addie.”

She
embraces me the way my brother just did, giggling. “I need to go shopping with
you someday. That dress looks amazing on you. And who did your hair?”

“Just
let me know when. It’s a secret about my hair, but I’ll tell you later,” I
whisper, smiling back at her.

I
can feel my mother’s poisonous gaze from behind me. “Kacie, the gentleman is
waiting for you to tell him what you’d like to drink.” It throws me that she’d
actually refer to someone she hired as a gentleman. For about one-tenth of a
second, I think that maybe someone like her really
can
change.

“I’m
not in any hurry, Miss Foster. If you’d like me to come back…” he offers.

“Not
at all. I’ll have a Cosmopolitan, please.” Hopefully, he can tell I need it to
be a strong one.

“Have
a seat, dear.” My mother directs me to sit next to Sean, as if I thought to sit
anywhere else in the room. My ass sinks down to just sit on the very edge of
the sofa and my legs cross. Naturally, Sean admires the view.

“Kacie,”
Dr. Harris starts, “your parents were just telling us how you are almost ready
to graduate and enter medical school. Do you know what specialty you’re
interested in?”

That
question I can answer honestly. “Anything involving pediatrics.”

He
chuckles. “Ah, yes. There are plenty of specialty areas that involve children.
I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“I
have no doubt.” I give my best fake smile and accept the glass of welcome
liquid I’m being handed.  “Thank you.” The gentleman nods his head and
exits the room. I probably should have asked him for two.

Conversation
resumes as it must have been before I walked into the room. My father, his
friend, and the jackass sitting next to me enter into a battle of
I’m-the-best-doctor-because-blah-blah-blah. If for no other reason than to
gratify my mother, Noah usually joins in, but not this time. His attention is
focused solely on his girlfriend. He’s running his fingers up and down her arm.
He moves whenever she does, making sure she’s comfortable before settling back
down again. It stings a little knowing he can openly be with who he chooses
with no consequences.