Confessions and Olivia (Olivia #2) (9 page)

I didn’t deserve to get my heart broken. I don’t deserve to be treated like this by my parents for finally having a voice and I don’t deserve to be lied to.

Chapter Eight*

I’ve had an amazing few days up El
ise’s. She and Dante have been incredible company for me, it’s just what I needed. I would love to stay here, but like I explained to Elise I need to get home and sort my life out and its true, but it’s also what I had to say to convince her to let me leave. She is still oblivious to Dante taking her to Egypt tomorrow night so I made that my escape strategy. I also need answers from my parents, from Calvin. Just something.

I told Tyler I would drive to New York to see him for the weekend. It's Saturday morning and
I really should leave as soon as I'm home to go see him. I know he will hate it if I don’t turn up after I said I would, but really, my life can't stand in purgatory for much longer.

I sit again, in silence
, as Elise reluctantly drives me home. We’re almost back at mine when we hit a blasted traffic jam. "Great." Elise sighs annoyed hitting the steering wheel with her palm as the car comes to a stop. I ease my head out of the window to try and get a better look at what causing the disruption.

"I can see cop lights ahead."

"I see them too."

Before long, a short police man is walking up the road. It looks like he's informing cars of the incident and trying to sort a diversion.

Elise winds her window down as he gets closer.

"Sorry mam you might be waiting a while
, there’s been an accident."

My ears perk up curiously.
"What kind of accident?"

The officer
frowns as he looks up the road. "That's all I can tell you mam, but we will try our best to get you moving as soon as possible."

What? That's all he can say? Surly he can tell us something?

"Wait!" I shout after him leaning over Elise, trying my luck.

I’m so nosy.

"You don’t have to sweeten it up, just tell us what's going on so we can at least have an idea of the situation."

The policeman hesitates for second then gives in.
It didn’t take much.

"There has been a minor explosion in a vehicle so we have had to seal off the area. We’re trying our best to divert the traffic so you can get out of here as soon as possible."

I call him again before he leaves. “What car was it?”

The officer frowns at my random question.
“Um, a black one.” A black one? That’s not what I meant!

He touches his cap and continues up the road. The blood rushe
s from my face as he walks away. A bomb? A black car? Right here?

Elise shakes her head in disbelief.

"What’s wrong with the world today, and in broad day light?" She then looks over at me seeing my reaction. "Hey, you Okay?"

I shake my head trembling.
"Why do I have a horrible feeling it might be Calvin? The car is black." My stomachs is in knots. She thinks I’m being ridiculous. "Don’t be silly you’re just feeling paranoid. There are plenty of black cars around Olivia.”

Elise looks at me worried again, as I start biting my nails out of nerves.

"Olivia, if you’re that worried call him, use my phone." I scrunch my eyes closed and exhale sharply. Why am I being so stupid? Elise is right, I can't think like this.

We finally get moving after around a half hour. I try not to look at the crime scene as we pass. I won't get the picture out of my head if I do.

We arrive home an hour later.  I notice Mauricio’s car is absent from the drive. I sigh a relief knowing that he can’t be home.

I walk through my front door with Elise behind me. She sets my suitcase down in the hall way.

"You sure you’re going to be Okay? I don’t want to leave you here Olivia but if you promise me it won’t be for long?" She whispers anxiously not wanting anyone to hear her, before I can answer her, Sophia comes marching towards us frantically.

"Come in here quick, you have to see this." She urges. We both shrug clueless and fo
llow her lead. She has the news on the TV and I know what's coming. I hear the deep voice of a women reading the headlines before I enter.

"It has just been confirmed that a man we believe to be around the age of thirty years old was in fact in
side the vehicle at the time of the explosion. The police are treating it as a suspected murder investigation. The driver of the vehicle has been killed while three others are seriously injured…."

I try to listen to more b
ut Sophia interrupts. "They think it might have been a bomb planted in the car but no witnesses have come forward how strange is that?" Sophia is also in utter disbelief, staring at the TV screen listening to every word.

Mauricio enters the room as we watch the news further. So he is here? Elise ignores his entrance as do I. It's like as soon as I see him my mood drops, it's bad anyway but he makes it a whole lot worse.

"See, what do I tell you girls? Every day I tell you what a dangerous place the world can be, and this is proof."

He points to the TV nonchalantly. He then walks to the side table and picks up the remote control and switches it off.

I stare at him furiously, his eyes are dark and cold. It's disturbing.

Sophia whines.
"Dad, we was watching that."

He looks at her impassively keeping the remote firmly in his hand.

"The less you know about these things the better, otherwise it results in you being too scared to go out of your own front door. Especially if you read into things like that all day."

What? He's the one who makes us scared to go out the front door with his rules and regulations bullshit.

Sophia stands up and places her hands on her hips in a Sophia strop. "Dad, some man has just been killed in a place where we live. I think we need to know about this." She marches up to him to fetch the remote from his hands but he snatches it away.

"He probably deserved it." He mumbles dryly walking out of the room leaving us all speechless.

We all turn to each other gob smacked at his inhuman comment. Elise reeling the most. "Did he just say what I think he said?"

Sophia try’s to play it down.
"Oh come on, he didn't mean it like that."

I shake my head in exasperation as Elise pinches the ridge of her nose. Only Sophia could stick up for him being so cruel.

"And you wonder why I think he's such an asshole?" Elise scoffs.

Sophia i
s too quick to defend him again. "He’s not an asshole Elise that’s our dad you’re talking about."

“Soph
, you would defend ‘your dad’ to your death. Do you realize any normal person would not make a comment like that? And you say he’s not an asshole?”

“No he isn’t. Just because you have this
, somewhat hatred towards him, don’t try tarnish us with the same brush.”

Elise inhales
deeply getting furious. They always have a little animosity between them but they have never had it out. “Have you ever asked yourself why I act this way towards him? You’ve always been too wrapped up in his world to ask about anything else. Yeah, Sophia the daddy’s girl. Sophia who thinks her dad is God! Sophia the fucking spoiled brat.”

Sophia crosses her arms laughing like Elise has gone insane. “I know what this is, jealously. Always has been.”

Elise shakes her head in amazement. “Jealous? Have you lost your fucking mind?”

Sophia po
ints her finger accusing Elise. “You have always been jealous of mine and dad’s relationship. Ever since we were little, you’d always try make out that dad was some kind of monster.”

“Because he fucking is!” Elise loses patience.

I don’t know what to say to try defuse the situation. Maybe it has been a long time coming.

“How can you say that? He
’s always done his best by you Elise, and you chuck it back in his face. You’re a cruel cold bitch. Just like mom was.”

I gasp at Sophia’s bitter harsh comment and look straight towar
ds Elise whose body has gone stiff. She hardly ever gets angry, but right now she looks ferocious.

“I hope you ch
oke on them words one day. The truth is, dad is the cold cruel bastard you speak of. Sophia the daddy’s girl? Oh yes, you are alright.”

Sophia recoils at the
harsh remarks seeming hurt. Elise turns her back on her and heads for the front door. I follow her out.

“Elise
, you Okay?”

Her smile is tight.
“I’m fine. You call me if you need anything." She warns me a little teary. I nod, sucking in my bottom lip. If I speak no doubt I’ll cry.

I give her a quick but firm hug and walk back into the front room.

"Okay," Sophia asks puzzled. “What was that about?"

Is she really that stupid?

"You know exactly what that was about." I snap. She’s really grating on me.

Oh god. Mauricio is back in the living room and by the look on his face he's overheard the whole argument. He stands there in his blac
k suit pants and white shirt thinking he’s the fucking don. His eyes flare at me with suspicion. "Have you got something to say?"

I stand up to him. I won't be intimated by him anymore.

"Yes, I do as a matter of fact. Don't you care that someone has been killed not far from here? The way you’re going on is so cold and callous. What is actually wrong with you?" I can’t keep the irritation out of my voice or the rage I feel towards him.

He looks at me patronizing, like I’m a stupid little girl.

"It wasn’t one of mine so why should I care?" He notes the disgust on my face, but I don't answer him back, the look says it all.

"Oh and by the way, welcome home Olivia." He walks out of the room, half amused, laughing quietly to himself.

My eyes burn into Sophia, my nostrils flaring in uproar. I don’t want to argue with Sophia, so I storm off instead. She pulls on my arm before I leave for my bedroom. "Olivia, don’t believe what Elise says about dad, you know he’s a good man right?” She looks at me in despair. I think maybe, she must feel a little ashamed of her father’s remarks, but then again, I don’t think she is.

"I don’t care what you say
, normal people don't say things that like. He laughed at someone’s death? Even the most cold-hearted must surly feel some compassion when they hear news like this. You just can't see any wrong in your father, it's shocking.”

“That’s becaus
e he doesn’t do any wrong. I don’t blame him for being a little miserable from what has gone on with his clubs and what not. Elise has no idea what’s been going on.”

I don’t understand her defense,
I really don’t. I narrow my eyes at her keeping her well informed with the irritation I feel towards her. “But you don’t see him taking it out on you do you? You have no idea how he makes me feel. I won’t be talked down to anymore. Elise understands more than you Sophia.” I throw my hands up in the air exasperated. She licks his ass so hard.

“He’s still our father Olivia. We still have to respect that.”

“He’s not
my
dad." I shout at her letting go of all my anger towards the situation.

She
blinks out of shock but it’s the truth. I sigh shaking my head at her ignorance, and leave the room.

"What’s gotten into you
?" She calls behind me.

"Just leave it." My answer is snappy as I head up into my room.

I lay resting on my bed, feeling drained. But more than most, emptiness.

I know why I feel like this. I know why I feel empty. I know why I feel the loss, the devastation.

What I don't know is, what I can do about it.

I hear a knock on my room door. I feel too exhausted to lift my head up
from my pillow and I don't want to talk. I wish Sophia would leave it out but instead, she knocks again.

I throw
my arms over my head and snap. "Go away Sophia."

The door opens and I look up ready to have another bitch but it's my mom. Today she looks awful, again. God her mood and dress choices recently are giving me a headache.

The women needs to sort her life out.

"Can I come in?" she asks softly.

I roll my eyes groaning. "You’re in anyway."

She ignores my comment and sits at the end of my bed. "Are you Okay?" She's wary. So she should be.

"Mom, I’m absolutely fucking fantastic."

I don't think I could have
emphasized any more sarcasm into that answer. She moves up the bed towards me, her tone staying soft.

"Olivia, please don’t curse. What I wanted to say was, well, I can’t apologize enough for what happened the other day. I hope my action's wasn’t the reason to why you stayed down Elise’s. I know you might not want to talk to me right now but I came to apologize all the same, that’s all. I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you know matter what happens, but you already know that right?"

I raise my head a little from the pillow and arch my brow. "Actually mom, no I don't know that. It’s what you keep saying but not doing. All that comes out of your mouth is lies. Or is it the truth? Because I can’t tell the two apart any more. I don't think anybody in this family knows what truth is. For months now you’ve been acting strange. I’ve told you this and you won't accept it. Your mood swings are obscene."