21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Cora

Cora was so busy keeping an eye on Kimble that she didn’t notice Pike’s disappearance at first. He’d been chowing down at the table and now he was nowhere to be seen.

How long had he been missing and who was responsible?

Undaunted by his monosyllabic responses, Darcy, Trevor’s wife, had been trying to converse with Kimble. She was doing most of the talking but then again, she usually did. She was the sweetest chatterbox Cora ever met.

It left Cora free to talk to Janet and Caleb about all their current challenges. Out of all her siblings, she was closest to Caleb, probably because Dad gave him as much shit as he gave Cora because both of them had refused to join the family business. As the first-born, Caleb should’ve been at Dad’s side building the Walsh behind the large playhouse in the corner of the backyard.

Full of food, most of the kids had moved indoors to watch movies or play air hockey in the game room. It left the backyard far quieter, so she heard her brother talking long before she got to the playhouse.

“He was crying!” Trevor exclaimed dramatically. “Poor Seb didn’t deserve that. She humiliated him in front of everyone and then acted like she was the one who was hurt.”

At those words, Cora stopped and felt her skin flush. Trevor was telling Pike about the time Seb had proposed to her at one of these BBQs. It had been the height of summer, so the sun was still up at eight at night. Seb waited till everyone arrived then got everyone's attention, went down on one knee, and pulled a ring out of his pocket.

Cora still ranked that night as one of the worst of her life, but her family only saw the first part of it. They hadn’t been there later, when Seb had cornered her at her old apartment or the horrible year that followed.

“That’s an interesting story,” Pike murmured in his familiar deep voice. “But it was his choice to propose in public without talking to Cora about it first.”

“Of course he didn’t talk to her!” Cooper exclaimed. “That’s not how you’re supposed to propose.”

“He even had balloons and a cake waiting in the kitchen,” Trevor said.

“So he goes down on one knee, holds up the ring, and Cora doesn’t say anything except no,” Ted said. “Then she turns and walks away, but she doesn’t just leave the backyard. She walks to her car and leaves!”

“I don’t think Seb had even gotten to his feet before we heard her tires slinging gravel around,” Cooper added.

“You should’ve seen the expression on the guy's face,” Tim said. “I’ve never seen anyone so devastated. Did I tell you there were tears? Big fat ones!”

It wasn’t often that Cora had the urge to do something truly horrible to her family. She’d threaten them often and occasionally stop talking to them until they realized she meant it, but she almost never wanted to do them actual physical harm.

Tonight was an exception.

And it wasn’t only Trevor, Cooper, and Ted she wanted to hurt. These three would’ve never thought to tell Pike this story if her father hadn’t suggested it.

Furious and hurt, Cora stormed around the playhouse to see Pike shaking his head at her brothers and about to say something. When he saw her face, he pushed past them and rushed to her side.

“Cora?” he whispered, stopping short of touching her. “What’s wrong?”

“I heard everything,” she said loudly, her voice tight from suppressed emotions.

“You know I don’t care about Seb or any man in your past,” Pike said.

“I’m not angry with you,” she whispered, then took one of his hands and tugged him to her. With Kimble on one side of her and Pike on the other, she faced her brothers .

“How dare you?” she hissed.

Trevor tried to look innocent while Cooper and Ted had identical expressions of surprise on their faces. The idiots didn’t understand why she was reacting so badly.

Of course she’d never told them what happened, but maybe it was time her family found out.

“Seb wasn’t the nice guy everyone thought he was,” she spat out. “I’d already tried to break up with him several times before that night.”

Cooper looked confused. “You had? He said you guys were happy and were even looking into buying a house together.”

“Never,” she answered. She could feel herself shaking. Telling her brothers this was hard, but she was determined to finish.

“Easy,” Pike murmured. He pulled his hand from hers and stepped behind her to wrap his arms around her shoulders. The press of his big, strong body against her back made her feel better.

Kimble pushed gently against her side, lending his strength to her also. “We go?” he asked.

“When I’m finished,” she whispered, thankful that he was willing to let her say her piece. She looked at her brothers and willed her eyes to stay dry.

“Each time I broke up with him, he raged and cajoled his way back into my life. He would call or come by my apartment at all hours of the night and demand I let him in. Then he’d keep me up all night talking until I didn’t know what was up or down. I’d finally let him stay because I needed sleep and that was the only way to get him to stop.”

“Why didn’t you call the cops?” Ted asked as Cooper growled at the same time.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“No one believed me!” she screamed at them. “Don’t you remember when I told you he wasn’t the sweet, sensitive man you guys all thought he was? I told you he had a violent temper. I did call the cops, but he’d charm them into leaving without doing anything.”

“But he never hit you,” Ted said, looking for reassurance. “You would’ve told us if he hit you, right?”

Cora shook her head at him, her features twisted in disgust. “No, he never hit me, so I guess it was okay when he threatened to go to all my clients, so I’d never work again. There was no physical abuse, so it was fine every time he made it impossible for me to hang out with my friends. He didn’t lay hands on me, so the mind games and manipulation must not have been a big deal. Is that what you’re trying to say, Ted?”

All three brothers grew pale as she spoke, and Cooper looked devastated. “Why didn’t you do something?”

“I did!” she bit out. “I asked you to stop talking to him because he was using you to find out what I was doing.” She focused her gaze on Ted. “I begged you to stop inviting him to our get-togethers, but you still made sure he was here, even on my birthday! Did you know he destroyed every gift you guys gave me the next day because he thought I liked those gifts better than what he’d given me?”

“But he seemed so happy for you,” Cooper whispered.

“That was the year Dad and I gave you the welder,” Tim said from behind her. She didn’t look over at him. The welder had been expensive, and she couldn’t bear to admit she hadn’t been able to save it from Seb’s retribution.

Trevor shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe what Cora was saying. “He was so much fun. He helped build this playhouse.”

“He knew how to make people like him. The first time I tried to break up with him, he said no one would believe me when I said how horrible he was,” Cora said with a harsh laugh. “Turns out he was right. By the time he proposed, things were really bad. He’d find dead animals in the road and leave them on my car.” She shuddered. “At least I hope they were animals he found and didn’t kill himself.”

“But you’re Cora,” Ted said, as if that should mean something.

“Yeah, I’m Cora,” she agreed. “And I tried everything short of murder but he wouldn’t leave me alone, no matter what I did. I changed my locks, changed my number, and carried around pepper spray and a taser. I even bought a house in secret. Why do you think I didn’t tell any of you about the new place until almost a year later? I knew you all were talking to him. I couldn’t get you to stop. ”

“Where is he?” Daniel growled as he stepped into sight. She didn’t know how much he’d heard, but it must have been enough to make him angry. “I’ll fucking kill him!”

“Why so angry, Dad?” Cora challenged him. “Aren’t you the one who gave him my new cell number every time I changed it? Even though I asked you not to?”

Daniel’s expression went from furious to shocked. “I didn’t know. He said the two of you were working it out and that you were being huffy. You didn’t—”

“Tell you?” Cora interrupted him. “But I did Dad, and you know what you said? I can tell you the exact words because that moment is burned into my memory. ‘Cora, I’m sure Seb did wrong, but you’ve got a temper too. Please don’t ask me to take sides in your couple’s squabbles.’”

“How was I to know it was more serious?” Daniel said, the beginning of anger flushing his pale skin red.

“Maybe by believing me?” Cora suggested, as she looked at him and let all the hurt show on her face. “Couple’s squabbles. That’s what you called it. As if we were arguing over what color to paint the bedroom instead of me fighting to survive. At one point, he had me convinced that I’d never get a moment of peace if I didn’t marry him and do everything he demanded. Do you know the most fucked up part of the whole thing? It took me years of therapy to realize it, but you set me up for the relationship, Dad.”

Daniel’s eyes went wide, and his mouth flattened in anger. “How can you say such a thing to me? I’ve always loved you!”

“But sometimes I wonder if you like me very much,” Cora replied. “You call me your second greatest disappointment. Every time I come to one of these events, you always ask me if I’ve burned down a house yet. You ask when I’m going to get married and start having kids and in the next breath, you’re demanding I come work for you so you can make me put in twelve-hour days for apprentice pay. You demanded I date, then tried to drive off every male except the only one you ever approved of, Seb.”

Daniel opened his mouth, but nothing came out. For the first time in her life, she watched her father be shocked speechless. It felt good to unload everything on him, things she’d only ever spoken with her therapist about. Things she never thought she’d have the courage to say to her father .

She might regret all this later, but for now she was going to revel in the moment.

“Thanks for thinking you could beat Seb up for me, but that’s not going to be possible,” she taunted him. “He’s in prison now. The only reason he finally left me alone was because he found his next victim, except when she tried to leave, he shot her. But don’t worry, he didn’t hit her first.”

Adrenaline was surging through her system, making it impossible to stand still any longer. She needed to get out of there.

“Can we leave now?” Pike asked, his arms squeezing around her.

“Yes,” she agreed. “And we might not be coming back.”

“Good,” Kimble spat out, casting an evil look over her father and brothers. “No men here, only selfish little boys.”

With that, the three of them turned and left with Kimble and Pike pressing in close on either side of her. It was awkward, but she couldn’t have stood on her own.

It wasn’t until they were in Pike’s car and leaving her father’s property that she spoke again. “I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to be inside right now.”

Kimble made a noise of agreement as Pike slowed the vehicle. The two-lane road was deserted so there was no one to get upset as he came to a stop. The Caddy’s engine rumbled unsteadily and belched out a few plumes of smoke. The car wasn’t a fan of idling.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “My skin feels thin. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like every sound or light around me is sandpaper to my nerves. Can we go somewhere outside but without people? I think I need to be somewhere quiet with a lot of open space.”

Pike blew out a soft breath, as if she’d hurt him. “Can we be there?”

“I need you there,” she responded quickly. “You guys and the quiet are what I want.”

“Then I know the perfect place,” Pike said and put the car in motion again. “I promise it’s just what you need.”