Divine Mortals (11 page)

We jumped in Sally’s trashy old Mini Cooper and headed back up the track to the house.

“Have a great night.” I called jumping from the car and heading towards the house. This afternoon was just what I had needed, I felt so much better than I had this morning, the cool water had really soothed my aches and I was happy, the girly gossip session seemed to be the distraction I needed. I had an extra spring in my step as I pranced up the porch stairs, I heard Sally’s vehicle slow in its departure and turned to look over my shoulder, Robert was walking out of the stable, Sally had pulled up next to him her window wound down, I could see her talking, animatedly waving her hands, but they were too far away for me to hear. Jealousy instantly reared its ugly head and I was surprised at the intensity of my feelings, it made no sense, I frowned in their direction, my mind in knots to match my stomach.

“Damn it.” I mumbled, I was too late, Sally was going to ask Robert to the ball. As I spoke Roberts head swung instantly in my direction, I had the unnerving feeling he had heard me. I felt his eyes on me for just a moment, breaking his gaze I turned quickly, striding into the house.

How pathetic was I? I had no command over him, he didn’t owe me anything, yet I didn’t know why I was so upset at the thought of Sally asking him to the ball, how stupid was I? I should never have encouraged her to ask him. Dumping my bag on the kitchen table my ribs screamed in protest as I sat heavily.

Nan was already standing over the stove top, she turned at my abrupt entrance, raising a questioning eyebrow upon seeing my bad mood. Forcing a smile, and standing once more, I wandered over to look at what she was cooking.

“Spag Bowl?” I asked, more than a little hopeful.

“You guessed it in one dear,” she grinned, “Your dad told me once that it’s your favorite.”

“Oh?” My mood sunk even further at the mention of my father.

“Yes…” Nan looked upset upon seeing my reaction, but rallied quickly.

“Anyway…” she smiled, completely undeterred by my instant drop in mood, “Your Grandpop and I have to sweeten you up, we’re heading down to the James’s ranch after dinner, they’ve just returned from a holiday in Europe and they want to show us their photos, so you’ll be here by yourself for a while.”

“Are you sure I can look after this whole place?” I was a little scared at the prospect of being alone, I hadn’t been in a house alone at night since my last evening in Chicago, and to tell the truth I had become used to the homely sounds of my Grandparents banging around when I went to bed.

“Don’t look so terrified dear,” Nan joked, “We’ll only be thirty minutes down the road, we’ll be back around midnight and the workers huts are only a couple of miles away, you’ve seen them, if you need anything you can give Robert a call.” she gave me a sneaky smile, I ignored it.

“Well,” I announced getting over my initial shock of being abandoned,

“It’s not like anything exciting ever happens here at night anyway right? I guess I’ll just watch TV and head to bed.”

“Exactly dear, there’s nothing to do on a ranch at night you should know that by now, now go and wash up, dinners in ten minutes.”

Dinner itself was pretty uneventful, the spag bowl was delicious, Nan was even better at making it then Dad had been and I had gone back for seconds. Eating something so familiar gave me a pang of home sickness, I tried to push that aside. Nan and Grandpop were talking the entire meal about their pending photo viewing session at the James’s, and before I knew it they were gone.

After waving them off and closing the door I stood for a moment in the hallway gazing back towards the kitchen, the house seemed enormous now that I was alone in it. I shut all the doorways leading off the hall as I headed towards the kitchen, keeping my eyes averted, not wanting to see the smiling pictures that taunted me from the many frames along the wall. I wandered to the fridge, not hungry, but looking for something to keep my mind occupied. I pulled out a carrot and chewed on that as I headed towards the lounge, Sunday night, surely there was some sort of chick flick on TV. As I walked into the lounge my reflection showed in the screen of the ancient television set. I froze, turned on my heel and ran back down the hall carefully pulling my shirt off as I went, how could I have forgotten to look in the mirror when I got home. I was running blindly for a few seconds as I pulled my singlet over my head, finally it came off and my line of sight cleared again.

I stopped dead.

S
tanding in the doorway at the end of the hall was Robert.

“I did knock,” he chuckled gently his gaze trailing over me, lingering a little too long, before he quickly looked back into my eyes, “I didn’t realize you would be so eager to see me.”

My face burned as I flushed deeply, quickly gathering my singlet in front of me, I tried to regain some dignity.

“You could have knocked
louder
, or called out you know.” I grumped, totally humiliated, he started to speak but I was too embarrassed to stand there while I was half undressed.

“Please leave, I’m finally getting a night to myself without having to watch documentaries, go away.” Turning on my heel I marched straight into my room, his expression turned to bewilderment from where he still stood in the doorway.

“Try calling first next time!” I rolled my eyes before slamming the door, cutting him off before he could say anything.

I fell back against the door, the cool wood made me shiver, I couldn’t believe it, of all people to walk in on me stripping in the hallway. I started to laugh softly at the situation.

Finally pushing myself up I walked slowly towards my mirror, unsure of what I was going to see when I turned around. Dropping my singlet on the bed as I passed, I turned slowly, looking back over my shoulder. Starting at my neck, I moved my eyes down the length of my spine. The bruising over my ribs had crept around to my back a little, although the majority of it was definitely on the front of me.

And then I saw it, Sally was right, at the very base of my back, on my right hand side, was a hand, or should I say hand print, the bruise was as perfect as if it were tattooed there. There was no doubt it was a hand, there was no way it was an accidental shape created out of the colorful collage of bruises on my back, to start with it was on the complete wrong side.

Now I had seen it for myself I couldn’t believe I had managed to shut her up so easily, unless of course she still thought Grandpop had done it and didn’t want to press me, the thought of that made me feel nauseous. I hoped beyond hope that Sally believed what I had said, I couldn’t have her thinking my grandfather would do this to me.

Okay, there was nothing for it now, I had to talk to Robert, there was no other place this could have come from. No-one else had touched me and I certainly hadn’t done that to myself, even if I had inadvertently been the cause of all my other injuries yesterday.

Damn It! I shouldn’t have sent him away, but I had panicked, standing in my bra in front of him hadn’t made me think very clearly. It was hard enough to think clearly around him at the best of times, without being half naked.

Pulling my singlet on again I walked back into the scene of my earlier exposure, I didn’t linger in the hall.

I strode directly into the kitchen looking for the phone, I would call him and ask him to come back, no, I would tell him he
had
to come back. The phone wasn’t on its base station. I headed for the lounge, it was probably on the table next to Nans recliner, that was normally where she left it after one of her lengthy gossip sessions or should I say ‘information gathering discussions’ as she jokingly called her conversations with Marge Wilkinson down the road.

He was there, sprawled out on the couch looking completely at ease, the TV playing quietly, a football game on. I stifled a scream, my heart almost leaping from my chest in fright.

“
Geez
Robert!” I cried, taking a moment to catch my breath.

“Oh hey.” he didn’t look up from the game, “Fred and Norma stopped by on their way to the James’s, asked if I’d mind keeping you company for a few hours while they headed out.”

I detected a bit of humor in his voice, he found all this quite hilarious, I bet Nan did as well. I could imagine the smile on her face now, ear to ear as they drove through the night.

“Did they.” I murmured dryly.

“Hmmm,” he still didn’t look up, however it looked like he was trying desperately not to laugh. I stood there watching him a moment longer, it was hard not to, the contrast of his long athletic body stretched across my grandparents faded old couch was almost laughable. His blonde hair seemed to glow and his face, as usual, was indescribably handsome.

I was more than slightly annoyed at my Nans match making, but while we were alone we could discuss things and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my questions into some sort of logical order.

“You know… I don’t follow you.” I started,

“What do you mean?” his attention still on the television set,

“These changes in your mood, most of the time your arrogant and self-righteous,”

“Am I?” a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, he didn’t look up.

“And then other times you’re happy and laughing and I want to be around you.”

His expression froze,

“You do?”

I walked towards the television flicking it off, the thing was so old it didn’t even have a remote.

He didn’t speak, just swung himself into sitting position with the grace of a gymnast and beamed a heart stopping smile at me, I was sure I was going to need to be put on a cardiac monitor later with all the stress my heart was going through tonight.

“So, since I’m head baby sitter …” he actually was sniggering now, his entire body shaking softly,

“What would you like to play first?” He tried to look serious, and failed miserably, laughter danced across his brown eyes and his perfect square jaw was straining against the threatening waves of hysteria.

Well I might as well hit him with the unexpected.

“How about Truth or Dare?” I tried to smile seductively, not at all sure if I succeeded, he paused for a moment, his eyes thoughtful.

I grabbed the bottom of my shirt with both hands and slowly began to lift it.

“…I want you to…”

“Whoa…” he finally looked a little unsettled, his smile forced now, a worried look warring with the now pretend humor he was trying to portray.

“I think you’ve shown me quite enough for our first night together.” he joked,

“You wish,” I snapped, dropping the pretense I swung my back to him, lifting my top half way.

“Explain this to me if you would. The truth.” I looked over my shoulder and watched his eyes dance across my back, lingering a little too long on the shape of it. His expression reverted back to his cheeky half smile, it looked like he was going to say something smart until he saw the bruise. Instantly all emotion disappeared, his face a mask of indifference, the same look he had worn the first day I met him. Pulling my top back down I sat opposite him in the recliner. I didn’t say a word, I waited, trying to read the impossibly emotionless mask that his face had become. I didn’t think he was going to bolt, although he did look uncomfortable. Surely he had expected something like this to happen when he came here.

The seconds ticked by and nothing happened, I didn’t want to speak first, the only thing that could happen now was answers, and only he had those.

I sat back, regarding him for a moment, fine, if he wouldn’t talk then I sure as hell would!

“What were you doing in the paddock Robert?”

He stared back at me, his eyes giving nothing away, he didn’t make any move to speak and I got the feeling he was at war with himself.

“Robert I won’t tell anyone if that’s what you want, just tell me the truth at least, what was that yesterday?”

“You won’t understand.”

I pressed on, before his tongue could turn to stone again,

“Try me, it can’t be any worse than half the things I’m already imagining.”

This earned me a smirk and I felt a cold chill run the length of my spine.

It couldn’t be worse could it
…

I sighed, completely frustrated.

“I can keep a secret, it’s a little too late to pretend, I know you’re hiding something.”

“And you’re not afraid of what I might tell you?”

“No…” I was transfixed by his eyes again, “I’m not afraid.” I finally stammered, blinking to break his gaze so that I could gather my thoughts.

Everything was so quiet, I could hear the clock ticking from the kitchen, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I’m sorry,” he almost whispered, he truly looked remorseful.

I opened my mouth, stammering as I tried to think of something to say. Sorry wasn’t what I had expected. Why was he sorry?

Sorry he couldn’t tell me? Sorry he didn’t know what to say? Sorry I had found out that he was different?

“I didn’t mean to bruise you,” he continued quietly, “I thought that may have happened when I caught you last night, I had to reach for you with such force, to get to you before you hit the floor when you fainted.”

“Oh,” I floundered for something to say, “Better than letting me land in the glass,” I smiled, “Apparently you took off really quickly, although I imagine the pace was slow for you.” I gave him a knowing smile, “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for catching me.”

He wasn’t ready to lighten the mood.

“I had to,” his voice came quick and strained, “I moved so fast so I could get to you, I was terrified Claire or Norma may have noticed, may have realized.” he shook his head to himself,

“I guess I’m lucky they were so focused on you, they didn’t see just how quickly I got from one side of your kitchen to the other.”

“You didn’t have to risk yourself.” I answered in a voice just as quiet, “A few extra cuts would have just added to what I already have.”

He raised one eyebrow, looking at me like I was a little insane, I let it slide.

“Robert what’s going on?” I tried looking into his eyes but he wouldn’t meet my gaze, instead he looked torn and unhappy, as though this discussion was causing him pain. I hadn’t realized that trying to press him into answers would cause so much angst.