The next morning, Chloe showed up at their apartment with her dark tresses pulled back into a tight pony tail, which contrasted with the form-fitting blue jeans and light pink cashmere sweater she wore. Alecia showed her to the kitchen, where she gathered the plates filled with the remnants of the pancakes she had made earlier. Trina sat at the table, fumbling with a napkin, her blue eyes wavering, probably remembering last night. The breakfast had been strained with Ryder not saying a word, but chewing his food slowly and scrolling through the news on his iPad while she and her sister chit-chatted about random topics, which at the moment she couldn’t recall.
After he left for work, Alecia reached for a cup, thinking to pour Chloe some of the hazelnut brew in the coffeepot.
Chloe laid a hand on her arm. “Ally, how are you?”
Alecia stilled and turned to look at her sister-in-law, noticing the lightness in her eyes.
“I’m fine,” she said.
Chloe smiled. “Can we talk?”
Alecia set the mug down and straightened. Had she come to apologize for bringing that snob to her home - a girl whose only goal seemed to be disrupting her life? Alecia nodded.
Chloe took her hand. “I’m here to clear something up. Ryder never slept with a child.”
“Why did he get so mad?” Alecia asked. And why did she ask that? Did she want him to find out about her question, thus provoking his anger again?
“Sheila is always lying about him, trying to provoke his anger. Can’t you see? He was afraid you’d believe her.”
Trina leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “It doesn’t make sense.”
No, it didn’t make sense, but then again so much of Ryder no longer made sense to her. It almost seemed like he had decided to rewrite the rules of their relationship and forgot to tell her.
Chloe pushed her lips into a thin line as she turned to look at Trina, slowly shaking her head. Something must weigh heavily on her mind. She turned back to Alecia, her gray eyes wavering. She bent to Alecia ear and whispered, “you have no idea what our father would have done if Ryder had slept with a child.”
Alecia eyes locked with Chloe's as a chill swept through her. She could only imagine. Chloe told the truth.
Trina pulled her sister closer as the receptionist announced last call for boarding. Ryder stood behind Alecia, looking completely calm and composed except for the glare in his eyes. A warning to behave and not to say a word.
“I will pray for you,” she whispered into Alecia ear, as a few tears slid down her face.
She was actually going to leave her sister with this monster, but there was nothing she could do.
Alecia wouldn’t listen to one ounce of reason, but had an excuse for all of his actions.
Alecia pulled from her. Her smile was bright, but her eyes unsettled. “I’m going to be fine.” She pushed her away. “Now get on that plane before it leaves without you.”
Trina squeezed her hand. “I love you,” she said before turning and getting on the plane. She found her seat and leaned her head against the window. This morning Alevia and she had fought because Trina had insisted on telling her parents what happened. But as Alecia broke down crying, her sister finally promised to keep quiet – a promise she would have to live with. She would find some way to help her sister before something happened. She wouldn’t leave her sister to face that monster alone.
Alecia turned to face Ryder, who held out his hand for her, beckoning her to him. She took a deep breath as tears built in her eyes and she went straight into his arms, letting him guide her out of the airport. Once in the limo, Alecia leaned her head on the window. Had her sister’s plane left yet? She wrapped her arms around her waist. A piece of her left when Trina got on that plane. Her old life seemed so far away, untouchable. If she could just be that little girl again, she would make different decisions. She cringed as Ryder glided the back of his hand down her cheek.
“We’ll go to Clayton this summer,” he said.
Alecia placed her palm over his hand, stopping it. She could never bring him home again. How could she ever trust his anger?
She opened her eyes and read 5 a.m. on the clock in front of her. The light sheets covered her body and nothing else. She moved her hand to her stomach. His hand was not there – nor did his body loom over her. A distant sound of repetitive clanking floated to her, a sound she heard many times at night. Alecia slid off the bed and walked to the weight room. Opening the door, she leaned her head against the side of it.
Ryder glared at the wall as he pulled down on the cords, back and forth. The muscles of his back rippled under his skin as he lifted the weights up; not being fazed by the heaviness.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
He dropped the weights, the banging sound making her flinch.
He turned sideways in the seat and pressed his hands firmly on his knees, staring at her for a second before he turned to a bat that leaned against the wall. He got up, walked to it, and grabbed it. He raised it above his shoulders and swung the bat, making it swoosh through the air. The confidence in his eyes slipped away, and was replaced with a look of sadness and a strong anger. He stood like that for a second, just a second, before he raised the bat, rested it on his shoulder and turned to look at her; his bangs laid flat against his forehead from the sweat.
“You know, all I ever wanted was to play ball.” He pointed the bat at her. “Think about that the next time you whine about something.” He turned back to the weights, dropping the bat on the floor.
“Ryder, I.…”
“We all must sacrifice.”
Ryder walked to him, placed one hand on his shoulder and slowly caressed it, feeling the sticky sweat on his smooth skin. “Just promise me something.”
Ryder turned around and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her close. “What’s that?”
“Just don’t become your father. He scares me.”
He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her up slightly towards his face. “Alecia, there is a reason why the family is so powerful.” He paused and leaned into her face. “I will become my father.”
She grabbed his arms, squeezing.
He bent to her ear and whispered, “but I won’t let you get hurt in the process.”
Alecia leaned her head against his shoulder. He sounded so confident that he could protect her from what he knew. But could he? She ran a hand down the hair on his neck. Oh no! what had she gotten into?