A Debt Paid (13 page)
Authors: Joslyn Black
Calix smiled as he flipped through
the news channels. Channel after channel,
the story was the same; allegations against
Senator Richards were piling up. Every rat
was jumping off the sinking ship that was
Senator Richards. His longtime manager
Edward Johnson had already lawyered up
and denied knowing anything about the
alleged events along with publicly
denounced Richards. Calix was happy he
had kept his promise to Anya. Wedding or
not, he gave her what he promised. At least,
he did that right. He just hoped she was
watching the news wherever she was. He
had called his mom earlier, so that they
could be prepared if anyone tried to
contact Carol.
Anya was in the kitchen making a
snack when her cell phone went off. Only
her mother and Nicole had her number,
and Nicole was currently still asleep in her
room. She had come home late from work
and only intended to sleep for a couple
hours but was still sleeping, and Anya
didn’t want to wake her.
dishtowel, Anya went to answer her phone.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Anya, have you seen the news
today?” Carol’s voice had a hint of
excitement as she rushed her question.
“No, I’ve been sleeping off and on
today. I’ve also been watching
North and
South
on DVD.”
news channel; it’s on almost every one.”
“Okay, what am I looking for?”
“You’ll know when you see it.”
Anya did as her mother said and
turned on the cable. She flipped through a
few channels until she came to the evening
news.
TV Anchorman:
“And more on our
leading story; Tonight, allegations are piling
up left and right not only on Senator Tomas
Richards but also on his son Dillon Richards,
who seems to be connected with his father in
several embezzlement and fraud schemes.
Wife Carol Richards and daughter Anya
Richards have no financial ties with the
Senator, and, as we mentioned earlier, Mrs.
Richards's attorney made the statement that
she had no knowledge of what was going on
and had filed for divorce before going
abroad. We will keep you updated as new
information comes in. Next a petition…”
Mom!”
“I know, over forty charges have
been brought against him and more are
coming in, witnesses coming forward with
notarized statements. People our flipping
on your father left and right. Ed even
turned on him.”
“How do you think? I told you about
what Calix told his mother.”
How could she not know? Only one
man has ever threatened her father, and he
had promised to do this exact thing as his
wedding gift to her. Her mouth slightly
dropped opened as she gasped.
so fast?” she breathed.
“I don’t know. He called to let us
know that we might get calls from the news
channels asking me questions, but he never
said exactly why. He wanted to make sure
that I only let my attorney speak for me
and to make sure I didn’t interfere. I am a
little upset about Dillon, but, I guess, he has
to learn. He’s young yet, maybe
redeemable.”
“Mom, you did your best with him.
He chose to follow Dad. So, uhm, you talked
to Calix?”
“No, Maria did. I have to be honest
with you; I’m a little mixed up as to what to
think about Calix.”
“You seemed happy with him.”
“I think I was.”
“You know I loved your father once,
and I forgave him many times for hurting
me. You don’t know this, but he even hit me
a couple of times. I started to see that he
was never really sincere when he
apologized, and sure as his heart grew cold,
my love for him died. Calix seems sincere.
You ran out, canceled the wedding, told me,
I told his mother, and he still kept his
promise to you. A man doesn’t do that
unless he’s sincere.”
“Mom, what are you saying?”
“Anya, the night you called crying,
you told me the basics of what had happen.
I know this is personal and may be hard for
you to talk about, but how many times has
Calix hurt you?”
“Anya?”
“Just that morning.”
“You lived with each other for over
two weeks and you were never intimate
after that morning?”
Anya was hesitant in answering her
mother. What would her mother think of
her? Enjoying being with him as she did.
But she would never lie to her mother
again. That’s how this all got started; Anya
had kept the blackmailing from her. If Anya
had come forward, things would be
different. Then the thought came slamming
into her head; would she want things to be
different? Her voice was low—soft—
possibly even timid. “We were intimate
every day, sometimes more than once.”
first morning.”
Anya cleared her throat as it had
cracked when she started to speak. “Yes,
only that morning. Every time after that…
I–I don’t know what or how to say it. I
didn’t stop him, but then I didn’t want him
to stop. And, though I told myself I should
not be enjoying it, I enjoyed every time we
were together. I even–uhm–started us
going a few times.”
“So, then for you to have been with
him, wanting him and enjoying being with
him, you had to have forgiven him for that
morning. Anya, when you called that night
you were frantic and upset. You told me the
basics of what had happened, and I reacted
automatically, trying to protect you. I
thought you were scared of Calix and Vito
hurting you, hurting me. That’s why I
suggested such drastic measures. Now,
Anya, I want you to be honest with me.
What upset you that night, what scared
you? I know my daughter, and I did not
raise you to be meek. I raised you to be
stronger than I was, to not fear the way I
did. Given your father and brother, you had
to be strong. If you were really scared,
thinking Calix would hurt you again, I know
you would have run sooner and taken me
with you, since you thought I was in
danger. So, what was really bothering you
that night?”
and snapped. I ran without thinking.”
“I’m going to give you my thoughts
and insight, and then I’m going to let you
go. It’s really late over here, but I really
wanted you to know what was happening
with your father. Standing back and seeing
the whole picture after talking to you and
Maria, I think you are attracted to Calix.
But, because of your father, you don’t trust
men, and I don’t blame you. Calix and your
father making that stupid deal just
confirmed your beliefs about men. And,
with Calix doing what he did that morning,
it just added more fuel to the fire. He hurt
you, and you hated him because of it. No
one would blame you for that. However,
deep down you were attracted to him,
that’s why every time after that morning,
and even that morning, probably, you
enjoyed being with him. After you took that
pregnancy test you were disappointed,
weren’t you?”
Anya didn’t give one, so she continued.
“I think that when it hit you that you
were disappointed about the test, you used
what happened in the beginning as a
reason to run, which again no one would
blame you if that was your real reason.
Although if that was the reason, again I
think you would have left sooner. I really
think you ran because some how you fell in
love with him, and you are scared to be in
love, not only because of how things went
with your father and me, but also because
you feel you shouldn’t love him with the
way things started between you. Not every
man is a Tomas Richards. Some men do
make mistakes, but they sincerely repent,
learn, and never make that mistake again.
From talking with Maria, I’ve learned that
Calix has never hurt a woman in his life,
and she still doesn’t understand how that
happened with you. She asked Calix, and
his only answer was that he wanted you so
much and when you didn’t return his
affection, he shattered. He said that you
affect him like no one ever has. Don’t be
afraid to love, Anya. Without love, you
wither and die inside. I love you, baby girl,
think hard about everything, I’ll talk to you
tomorrow. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Mom.” When she hung
up, she dropped her phone on the couch
and plopped herself down next to it. She
had a lot to think about.
Anya sat and thought about her
conversation with her mother. Then she
stopped and noticed that she had been
toying with her engagement ring while she
was thinking. What did it say about her that
she didn’t take the ring off and that the
thought had never come to her about
taking it off or sending it back to him or
that even on the night she left that she
didn’t throw it at him? Her mother was
right, there were deeper things hiding just
below the surface. Was she ready to face
them? She didn’t know.
out of her room, yawning. “What time is it?”
Anya, lost within her thoughts,
didn’t seem to notice or hear Nicole. Seeing
that Anya was far off in her mind, Nicole
raised her voice trying to get her attention.
Anya started blinking rapidly as she
came back to the present. “Hmm? Oh sorry,
Nicole, I was just thinking.”
sat next to Anya. “What about?”
“Oh, my mother called, and we had a
long conversation. She also told me about
this.” Anya raised the remote and flipped
through the channels again to find a news
station that was replaying the story on her
father and brother. She finally found it
playing on the twenty-four hour news
channel. Anya turned up the volume and
told Nicole to watch. Both girls sat and
watch as the anchorman went from the
beginning of the story to their newest
updates on the situation. Nicole’s mouth
dropped open in shock and awe.
“Oh my God! Anya, how did this
happen?” Nicole’s voice was a little high
pitched with her surprise.
“Calix did this?” She turned to Anya
for confirmation.
“I told you, didn’t I? About what his
wedding gift to me was, that morning when
he threw my demands away, not agreeing
with any of them. I asked for one last thing;
to get my mother away from my father, and
he said that would be his wedding gift to
me. My mom mentioned that Calix warned
her about press that may be calling her
because of my dad. She and I didn’t have
even an inkling that what he was going to
do would be so, s…I don’t know.”
“Final, permanent, kick ass. I’m
sorry but I am loving Calix right now. Hey,
can he do the same thing to my dad?”
“Whatever you want. Your dad will
be tried, convicted, and locked up
eventually. He should be arrested and
charged soon. Don’t know if they’ll keep
him in custody till the trial or not. Depends
on the Judge and charges. Also depends on
when the arrangement is set and all that
legal mumbo jumbo. Your mom and you
will be free. Wonder if Dillon will get
probation or actual time, since there aren’t
that many charges against him. Although,
charges are still coming in. Hey, do you
think Calix will be expecting you to come
back and marry him?”
“My mom didn’t say anything, and
Calix has been talking to Maria, so I don’t
think so.”
wedding’s off?”
“I think to just show me that he
would keep his promise to me.”
Nicole turned and grabbed Anya by
her shoulders and shook her a little. “Anya,
this man loves you. How can you not see
that?”
he’s never said it.”
“Okay, so I’m one hundred percent
against abuse, but, from everything I’m
getting, you hurt him, which is something
he is not used to and acted out by hurting
you. Which I in no way agree with, but
everything after that, all his actions show
that he has feelings for you, real feelings.
No matter how much you try to reason
against it, you have feelings for him too. If
he had been a true bastard, he would never
have let you leave; he would have hunted
you down, and he would have taken your
reneging on him out on your mother and
father regardless of anything his mother
says.” She let go of Anya and huffed out a
breath of air. “Did the lab call?”
Her voice resigned, Nicole
continued, “I’m not going to tell you what
to do or how to feel, and I’m behind
whatever you decide, okay? Always. Now,
I’m hungry. I’m gonna make a snack.”
Nicole got up and walked into the kitchen
to put something together to eat. Walking
in the kitchen, she saw that Anya must have
been making something and disregarded it
after her mother’s phone call and watching
the news of her father and brother. “Hey,
Anya?” Nicole yelled.
“Looks like you were making a
sandwich and cutting carrots, you want me
to finish yours, since I’m making one for
me?”
don’t need to do it for me.”
Nicole stuck her head out and into
the living room. With an eyebrow raised,
she sarcastically replied to Anya, “Hey, I
think I’m capable of making two
sandwiches. Do you want me to or not?”
the bathroom real quick, okay?”
“You don’t need my permission,
Anya.”
Anya tightly laughed. “Yeah, I
know.” As she stood, she took her phone
with her. Walking into the bathroom, she
closed and locked the door. She put the lid
on the commode down and sat. Taking her
phone in her hand, she tapped on her
Google app and searched for a way to block
a cell number when you call someone, so
that they can’t track your number back. She
found the page she was looking for and
learned that all she had to do was dial starsix-seven before the actual phone number
she was calling. She sat there, debating
whether to call or not. Finally, choosing to
call if just to say thank you. So, she held her
breath as she dialed star-six-seven and the
number she would never forget and
listened to the ringing, waiting for him to
pick up.
At the very same moment, Calix was
sitting on his couch, flipping through the
channels on the TV. He should eat, but,
honestly, he hadn’t really had an appetite
since Anya left, so he sat there, nursing a
scotch on the rocks. His phone, sitting on
the coffee table next to him, began to ring,
but the caller ID was blocked. He almost let
it go to voice mail, because he never
answered if he didn’t know who it was, but
then again this was his private cell, not his
company cell. Only a hand full of people
knew this number. He picked up on the last
ring before his voice mail would have
picked up.
“Hello.” The phone line was silent.
“Hello? Okay, I don’t know how you got this
number, but I’m hanging up now.”
He froze; it was Anya. He pulled the
phone down to look at the number she was
calling from then remembered it was
blocked. She really didn’t want him
knowing anything about where she was. He
took a good sip from his scotch before he
answered her. He tried his best to keep the
emotion out of his voice. His uncle was
right; emotions were a weakness. He fell
for her and allowed her to hurt him. He
wanted her back. He missed her, but he
would not let it show. “Anya, how are you?”
you.”
“Thank you?”
“Yes, I didn’t keep my side of the
bargain with the wedding, but you still did
what you said you would do, and you didn’t
hurt my mother.”
Calix rubbed the cold glass against
his forehead. Fuck, how could he not show
her his emotions? He needed to be honest
with her, being cold and hard had never
helped when dealing with Anya. “Anya, I
was never going to hurt your mother, and
neither were the people your father
borrowed the money from.”
admission. “But you said, you said…”
“I lied, Anya. I knew you would do
nothing for your father, but your mother,
was another thing.”
“You lied? How could you?” Anya
eyes were starting to shine with building
tears.
“Anya, I wanted you and was going
to do anything to have you. You wanted
nothing to do with me when I tried to talk
to you.”
Anya was starting to breathe
heavily. “You bastard! You don’t hurt, lie, or
threaten people to get what you want.
What is wrong with you?” She had started
this conversation trying to keep her voice
down, to not alert Nicole that she was on
the phone, but now she was yelling. And,
just like she thought, Nicole was alerted by
her yelling and started knocking on the
door. The door muffled her voice.
“Yes, thanks, Nicole. I’ll be out in a
minute.”
Calix heard her speaking to the
person she was with, a Nicole he heard
Anya say her name, but he knew of no
Nicole’s that were associated with Anya.
Anya returned to conversation with
Calix. “You are a heartless bastard, and to
think I called to thank you and to tell you I
actually felt—I felt—never mind. A shark
who is nice to the guppies is still a shark.”
“God damn it, Anya, I love you!” He
yelled through the phone. “I’ve loved you
for years! I’m not your father, I don’t just
take because I feel like it.” He was
breathing hard now, too. His voice calmed
as he finished. “Anya, I’ve been yelled at by
my uncle and my mom, and, yes, I deserved
it. I handled things with you so badly. I was
just mad with love and wanting. And you
came with your demands, wanting nothing
with me. I snapped, I was wrong, but…” He
swallowed hard then continued. “But, I
thought that I was making it up to you. I
thought we worked past that day. I thought
we were happy these last couple of weeks. I
guess I was wrong, because you left
running and crying.” Empting his heart to
Anya had him breaking down until he was
almost in tears, but he didn’t want her to
hear him cry, so he tried hard to hold it in
so he could finish his piece. “I was so happy
when you called and said you were late,
and when the test was negative, you
seemed upset, too. I thought you had
actually started to feel something for me.
Stupid of me, I know. I did what I did with
your father to try to not only keep my word
but also to make up for the pain I caused
you. Don’t worry, though, I won’t bother
you again.” And with those parting words
Calix hung up on her.
