Beth knew that if she wanted Caleb to keep Jason away from her, she had to do her part. The deal was not to tell Emma what happened so she wasn’t ‘riled up’. The look he was giving her was clear. ‘Over to you’. Hesitantly Beth turned to face Emma and summoned all her strength to do something she’d never done before. Lie to her sister.
“Gee Emma? You worry way too much. I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m a grown woman, and if I want to go out with a guy, any guy, you should just butt out.” That came out far moodier than she meant it, but couldn’t back down now.
“What?” Emma seemed perplexed with the un-Beth behaviour.
“You heard me.” Beth couldn’t change tac now. Her heart was racing, and she hated all this attention. From her overly (but correctly) worried sister, to the penetrating gaze of the creepy mayor. “I’m 18, and Mum trusts me, so you should too. You’re my sister, not my mother, so back off already.”
Beth saw the hurt blossom in her sister’s hazel eyes. She had never told Emma off, or taken a stance against her. It stung because she was right. Jason had been a handsy, oppressive, angry and down right scary dude. She shouldn’t have gotten on his bike in the first place. Never again would Beth be blindly trusting with anyone like that. She’d been so scared today, and she couldn’t even confide in her sister, because then the deal would be off and Jason could turn up and take hold of her neck again. Just the thought of that made her skin crawl and her hand subconsciously leapt up to rub the back of her nape protectively.
“…sorry Beth…I just-”
“Well just don’t.” Tears welled up in Beth’s eyes. I’m scared, and the one person I trust to protect me can’t, because I have to lie to her. Just so Caleb keeps Jason away from me. Beth flashed Caleb an angry look though her tears, and then stood. “I’m going to my room. Goodnight.”
“Beth wait!” Emma turned in her chair as Beth stormed to the doorway. “I’m sorry. I just see you as my baby sister and I just want you to be safe. The day before the guy threw you to the ground, so-”
Beth thundered up the stairs two at a time and then slammed her door for good measure. She decided she’d had quite enough of today and readied herself for bed. To cry into her pillow until she could check out of the waking world for a while.
Emma stood to go after her sister, but Joanna put a hand up to stop her.
“Give her some space. No good will come of you chasing after her.” Emma slowly returned to her chair, numb, and looking forlorn into her plate as her mother served up the dinner. “I’m sorry about that Caleb. Teen girls can be a handful.”
“Beth isn’t normally a handful.” Emma spoke under her breath bitterly. She has never snapped at me. She’s not got an abrasive or combative bone in her body. That’s why I look out for her. Too trusting and good and carefree.
“That’s quite alright. I remember my sister in her teen years. Quite a grenade at times.”
“Oh how is Lidia?” Joanna leapt on a safe topic of conversation, and deftly replaced Ben’s empty beer with a new one. Emma pushed her food around with her fork, no appetite to speak of, and let the rest of the table carry on like she wasn’t there.
“She’s doing alright. Likes to keep herself busy with her column.”
“She’ll be running the paper in no time, that girl.” Ben chuckled, also latching on to the reprieve from family drama. “How does she find the energy, considering?”
“She’s always been busy by nature.” Caleb sipped his beer, looking at Emma curiously even though the woman herself was all consumed with her own thoughts. “Aunty Del is keeping a close eye on her since she’s a high risk pregnancy.” At that Emma’s head snapped up and she couldn’t hide her curiosity from her eyes. She became caught in his cleverly laid out trap, and his icy gaze, as he smirked at her blunder. “I imagine you’ll be seeing my sister sooner or later, right Emma? By chance did you meet Deloris today, or have you not had chance yet with moving in?”
Her mother and Ben tensed and waited to see if Emma would take the bait or bite his hand off. Even Emma wasn’t sure how she’d react, considering her exhaustion levels and the gloom cloud forming over her head from her first ever argument with her sister. She began to doubt herself and her actions, which was another first for her. Was Beth right? Was she over protective? Was she out of line?
“…I met her today.” Emma sat back in her chair, giving up on any interest in the food before her. It looked and smelt divine, but she just couldn’t stomach anything right now.
“And…what do you think of her?” Caleb looked nervous for the first time all evening. “Deloris is an acquired taste I know, and certainly not an easy woman to deal with, but if you just give her a chance-”
“Mr Mayor?” Emma narrowed her eyes on him, arms folded
and taking no more bullshit for one night. “Deloris is the first real person
I’ve met in this freak show of a town so far. She says exactly what she means
and doesn’t take shit. She worked me to the bone today. Patient after patient,
grilling me on my understanding and pushing me out of my comfort zone to see
how I would perform under pressure.” Emma blinked, enjoying the apprehensive
way Caleb waited on her every word. Then she broke out into a smirk and
shrugged. “I loved every second of it, and I’m looking forward to doing it all
again tomorrow.”
“Oh that’s wonderful news!” Joanna gushed, so happy Emma had finally found
something positive about the move.
“Gosh you’ve started your apprenticeship already? I thought you’d have the summer to relax a while first?” Ben tentatively engaged Emma in this good news.
“No I’m going to be very busy, and that’s exactly what I need.” Emma reached across the table, took Caleb’s beer and stood with a flourish. “Between whatever you’re all up to, and Beth weirdly lashing out, the distraction and occupation will do me wonders. Keep me out of trouble, and more importantly-” She swigged the beer. “Mmm. It’ll keep me out of whatever you’re up to. Which I’ve made very clear to Ben this morning-” She waved the hand not holding the beer bottle over at Ben, but she spoke down to Caleb. He was watching her intently. Icy gaze calculating and face impassive. “I don’t care what you have going on. Just keep me and Beth out of it, and we can live and let live.”
“There’s nothing going on!” Joanna shrilled, at the end of her tether. Caleb put his hand up to silence her, very godfather-like, and smirked up at Emma.
“Well, firstly, I’m glad you and Deloris are so compatible. I expect great things from you. Lord knows Aunty Del could use another pair of hands. Secondly?”
Caleb stood and stalked around the table with that fox grin on his face. Emma stood her ground and felt her confidence waver as he came to stand toe to toe with her. He took hold of the beer bottle, retrieve it, and took his sweet time as he sipped it. “What makes you think you have any choice in whether you are, or aren’t, involved in whatever we’re ‘up to’, Darlin? If I’m the big bad wolf you seem to think I am, then won’t I be making that decision for you?”
Emma was torn.
Option 1, say something witty and put this creep back in his place.
Option 2, smack that grin off his ridiculously handsome face.
Option 3, acknowledge the danger coming off this guy and back off.
Option 4, following the realisation of option 3, run for the nearest weapon, grab Beth and her mother, get in Ben’s pickup and haul ass out of Glen Valley for good.
So many choices, but she never got the chance to make any of them. “Well I think that’s probably enough excitement for one day darlin’. I’ll let you settle down since today has clearly been very eventful for you all. Jo. Ben. A pleasure. Let’s do this properly another time.”
“Of course. Any time.” Ben gushed and Joanna followed suit with eager nods at the right intervals. “You’re always welcome.”
Caleb chuckled once more at her flabbergasted expression, and seemed to find something highly amusing. He put the beer down on the table and left with his head high, and annoyingly victorious in their most recent bout. At least it felt that way to Emma.
“Honey you-”
“Save it, I’m to tired for lies, excuses, or chastisements. Good night.” Emma excused herself, stormed up the stairs, and slammed her door for good measure. She screamed into her pillow, beyond frustration at the gall of that asshole. She worried dearly about Beth’s outburst too, lamenting over her actions and if she’d been in the wrong. Should Beth should be allowed to go off with strange boys on their motorcycles without a chaperone? She is 18…I guess she has a point…and she didn’t lose a limb or anything, so she was fine…
Both Carter girls tossed and turned in their beds that night, destined for fitful sleep and uncertainty over what the next day would bring.
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