B00BR2BOUU EBOK (16 page)

I started to dice up the pancetta, as visions of Gareth
being yelled at by Bryce flashed through my head.
Music Alexis, put on some
music.
I turned on the iPod and flicked through the songs,
Edge of
Seventeen by Stevie Nicks, I love this song.
I pressed play and the guitar
kicked in. I started singing along and dancing around the kitchen in my own
little world. I often did this when I was cooking as it was a welcome
distraction from the daunting task. Unlike Bryce, I didn’t actually enjoy
cooking the majority of the time. Let’s just say I had to be in a certain mood
to enjoy it, like now, I was looking forward to cooking him something for a
change. And, it just so happens, the music was now also distracting me from
returning to the problem that was Gareth.

The pot was on the stove, and the pasta was boiling away. I
whisked the eggs together with a small amount of cream. I seasoned it and set
it aside, singing along quite loudly. I then crushed the garlic and added it to
a pan with the pancetta to fry it off. The song finished as I was chopping up
the parsley, and ‘Go Your Own Way’ started up.
Hmmm, he’s a Fleetwood fan! I
like his style. Derrr Alexis, you like more than just his ‘style’.
I
drained the pasta and put it aside, then cut the crusty bread into star shapes.
He gives me hearts, I give him stars!
I placed them on a plate, smiled
to myself, and then added the cooked pasta to the pan together with the egg
mixture and parmesan cheese, tossing it for only a couple of minutes on low
heat. I dished it up on a plate and sprinkled it with the parsley, while
dancing around singing to myself. I looked up to see where we should eat and
that’s when I noticed Bryce standing at the door watching me.
Oh my God. How
embarrassing. Not only have I desecrated his immaculate kitchen, I have sung
and danced through the entire spectacle and he has now bared witness to it.
I was frozen and wanted to disappear in a cloud of smoke. That was not an
option though, unfortunately, so all I could manage was, “Hey, I cooked.”

He slowly walked over to where I was standing, cupped my
face, and kissed me.
I really do love it when he does that
. I gently
flapped my hands in the air, as they were covered in egg mixture and cheese,
and I didn’t want to get him dirty.

“You, my love, are an angel. Have I ever told you that?”

“Yes, right after I sucked your cock for the first time.” We
both started laughing.

“Where would you like to eat, Bryce?” He rose his sexy
eyebrow. “I’m serious, you insatiable man.” He kissed me again and then pointed
to the dining table. He went to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine while I
placed the plates down on the table. When he returned, he noticed my plate of
stars and smiled. He picked one up and admired it. I cued my student voice
again. “So, Mr Astrology Teacher Clark, what is that star called?”

“This, my dear, is the most precious star of them all, and
is known as ‘the Alexis’.”

I beamed at him. He put it down next to his plate and
grabbed another one.

“Are you not going to eat ‘the Alexis’?”

“No, she is too precious to eat.”

“She will go mouldy then.”

“I won’t let her.” I shook my head as I began to eat. My
cooking was nothing in comparison to what he usually conjured up, but I was
confident he wouldn’t spit it out, or at least I hoped he wouldn’t. I screwed
up my face as he popped in his first mouthful, and then raised my eyebrows in anticipation
of his evaluation. “What, Hunny? It’s lovely, thank you.” I let out a huge sigh
of relief.

“So, did you get your work done?” I asked, with the
intention of finding out why he had yelled at Gareth.

“No, not really. I was interrupted.”

“By Gareth?” He looked up confused by my knowledge of his
interruption. “I’m sorry, but I heard you yelling at him. You really are quite
lethal and loud when you are angry. Who is Scott?”

He put his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Alexis,
I was hoping I wouldn’t have to tell you, but I now realise I will. Not only
because I don’t want to keep it from you, but because it’s for your own good.”

All of a sudden my stomach dropped, and I felt as nervous as
hell.

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

The atmosphere had changed dramatically.

“Gareth has DID with positive symptoms of Schizophrenia.”
Oh,
shit, not what I had expected at all.
“Scott is one of his ‘alters’.”

“Alters?”

“DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder, was once known as
Multiple Personality Disorder, so his ‘alters’ are also known as his
‘identities’.”

“Oh my God, how long has he had DID?”

Bryce put his head in his hands and looked down at the
table. “Gareth was also in the car with Mum, Dad and Lauchie when it crashed.
He suffered head injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which they think
led to his DID.” I was stunned. I reached over and grabbed Bryce’s hand. He
looked up at me, misery plastered across his face. It broke my heart.

“I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”
This all makes a lot more
sense now.

“You didn’t know, Hunny, like I said, I’m telling you
because Gareth’s ‘alter’ Scott, can be dangerous. You see...How can I put this?
Scott is very protective of me, he loves me and in a sense he feels I belong to
him.”

“Oh, he loves you?”
That is really scary.

“Yes, his ‘alters’ are very different from him. On a mental
level, they are completely separate from him. Scott is obviously gay, and has
deep feelings for me, so he can be very possessive.”

“Bryce, has he ever hurt you, or anyone for that matter?”

“No, but Scott can get quite desperate. Look, when Gareth is
taking his anti-depressants, his anti-psychotic medications and he goes to see
Jessica weekly, he does quite well. I’ll need to speak to her, but I think
maybe you might be triggering Scott’s latest reappearance.”

“Me? Oh no.”
I feel sick.

“Alexis, this is not your fault. Gareth has been skipping
his meds lately and that has a lot to do with it.” I sat there shocked. The
revelation really was a lot to take in.

“If Scott is obsessed and protective of you, then why is he
in such close proximity to you? I don’t know anything about DID, but wouldn’t
it be better if you spent less time together?” He started to eat again, so I
followed.

“It’s not that simple, Hunny. Gareth and I have always been
close, and the day the accident occurred I was meant to pick him up from a
friend’s house because he’d had a couple of drinks. I completely forgot about
him. Mum and Dad were not too far from where Gareth was, so they picked him up
for me. He should never have been in that car.” Bryce put his head in his hands
again. I got up, walked over to him and knelt by his chair.

“Bryce, this isn’t your fault, you can’t blame yourself.”

“I don’t, I blame the arsehole that ran the red light.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was found guilty of Culpable Driving Causing Death and
was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.” I could see that this conviction
angered him, it would anger anybody who lost three people they loved dearly. I
shook my head.

“What do you need me to do? Obviously you are worried about
Scott, Gareth or both of them?”

He looked down at me. “I just need you to be aware that
Gareth is not always Gareth, and when Scott is around he can be quite
aggressive where I am concerned. Scott is not stupid, he is actually quite smart
and cunning. He can see my feelings for you are very different, and he is
jealous.”

“That explains the Tel V Awards.” I felt terrible, I’d stood
on Gareth’s foot when it had been Scott who was hassling me, but they were one
in the same person, or were they?
Oh this is so complicated, I really need
to do some research.

“What happened at the Tel V Awards?”

“Nothing, it was nothing.”
Crap.

“Alexis, what happened?”
Oh shit, I’m just making it
worse.
I walked back to my seat and sat down.

“Gareth, or Scott—I don’t know which one—I’m assuming Scott,
approached me outside the toilet. He grabbed hold of me, so I stood on his foot
with my heel in self-defence and got free.” Bryce was fuming and stabbed an
innocent piece of pancetta. “Bryce, I can handle Scott, but Gareth, it’s not
really his fault is it?” I had finished eating, my appetite was now gone.

“In a sense, no, but he needs to take his meds. That is his
fault, he knows better. Gareth cannot control Scott, and most of the time he
has no recollection after Scott has appeared. You see, Gareth is what they call
‘the primary identity’ and is passive by nature. Scott is an aggressive
‘identity’ and is somewhat domineering over Gareth and the others.”

“The others?”

“His other ‘alters’, although, I have not seen one in a very
long time. The meds together with the psychotherapy have been really good for
Gareth. In recent years we have only seen Gareth, apart from anniversaries and
birthdays, etc, when his memories of the trauma come back. Deirdre seems to
make an appearance on these dates, she is a caring ‘alter’, sort of like a
mother hen. Deidre helps keep the peace most of the time.”

I sat there amazed listening to the complexity of Gareth’s
condition. “So, there is no cure?”

“No. From what Jessica has explained the best thing is
keeping him on the meds and making sure he visits with her frequently for psychotherapy.
The therapy concentrates on helping the ‘alters’ live in harmony together. This
enables the primary to have a sense of control which can help Gareth lead a
normal life, not a punished life. This assists him in the long run.” He got up
and cleared the table.

“Wow, that’s a lot to try and keep in control of.” I thought
about his situation a bit further while helping him stack the dishes next to
the sink. “You said helping him lead a normal life. Is that why he is still
Vice President of Clark Incorporated?”

He took my hands. “Come with me, Hunny, I need a stiff a
drink and a more comfortable seat, then I‘ll tell you everything you want to
know.”

***

We left the kitchen and went to the lounge. Bryce fixed us
both a drink from the bar then sat down. He took hold of my legs and placed
them over his lap.

“You asked if helping him lead a normal life is why he is
still VP? Well, yes, in a sense. He is closely monitored by the board, little
does he know all of his executive decisions are almost always run by me or
Arthur.”

“Arthur?”

“You’ve met him, Arthur Gordon.”
Oh yes, Santa from the Tel
V Awards.
“Like I said, when Gareth takes his medications and attends his
sessions with Jessica, he does quite well and believe it or not, he does a
decent job as Vice President.” I caught a slight sense of uncertainty in his
tone.

“Isn’t that a huge gamble, though?”

“Yes and no. It would be if he was not monitored properly.”

“It seems like a lot of work on your part. Bryce, tell me to
shut up if I’m over stepping the line, but are you taking on this burden of
having him as VP because you feel slightly guilty about the accident?”
Oh I
hope I didn’t offend him. Alexis, keep your mouth shut.

“Maybe a little, Hunny, but it has more to do with the fact
he saved Lauchie’s life. Even if it was only for a few days, those few days
meant everything to Lucy and me.”

“How did he save Lauchie’s life?”

He took a deep breath in. “Mum and Dad died instantly, but
Lauchie was still breathing and somewhat conscious. Gareth pulled him free of
the wreckage only seconds before it blew up.”
Oh, fuck.
I put my hands
to my mouth in surprise, then moved them to onto his arm to comfort him.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.” Sadness engulfed me
entirely. Just the thought of losing your parents like that was horrific. What
a terrible thing to have to endure at such a young age.

“Don’t be sorry, my love, it is what it is and it can’t be
undone. I’ve learned to accept that over the years with Jessica’s help.” He
reassuringly touched my hands. “As I was saying, Lauchie fell into a coma in hospital
and was pronounced brain-dead shortly after. Gareth was devastated, he adored
Lauchie. Gareth is an only child so Lauchie was just as much a little brother
to him as he was to Lucy and me.” My heart was breaking. This was such a
horrible story.

“Should I speak to Gareth or Scott and tell him I’m not a
threat to him?”

“No, Alexis, definitely not. You are a threat to Scott.
Scott wants me all to himself and he thinks with you around that cannot
happen.”

“So, what do we do?”

“I’m not sure. As I said, I need to speak to Jessica about
it. Gareth knows he needs to take his meds, and I’ve asked him to take them in
front of me daily from now on, which he has agreed to do.”

“That’s a good thing, you know, the fact he is co-operating.
Maybe you need to ease up on him?”

“I know, it’s just I don’t want to have to commit him, it’s
the last thing I want but I will not put you or, Lucy, or Alexander at risk
because of Scott. He should not be underestimated.” Bryce had me worried about
Scott, there was something in his demeanour and tone that made me think that
Scott was a major problem, and that Bryce knew a little more about Scott’s capabilities
than he lead on.
Oh, fuck, Samantha!

“Does Samantha know about Gareth?”

He took a long drink from his glass. “Not unless Gareth has
told her.”

“But, she could get hurt, she has a right to know.” I was
genuinely concerned for her safety.

“Maybe she does, but that’s none of my business. I can’t
involve myself in all of his personal affairs. How is that helping him lead a
‘normal life’?”

“Well, it’s not, but she has a right to know. Anyway, you
would have a responsibility as her employer to warn her, wouldn’t you?” I was
starting to get anxious.
How could he not tell her, warn her?
He placed
his middle finger and thumb on either side of the bridge of his nose as if he
was feeling the onset of a headache.