Christmas with the Gerard's

13

12 days until Christmas. 

*Colton’s POV*  

Singing that song to D had been amazing, I knew the minute I saw her walk across the crowed bar, I knew I had to send her some sort of message. After what had happened between us yesterday morning in Theo’s kitchen, I had to prove to her that it hadn’t been a spur of the moment once in a life time thing. But how do I prove to a woman who has always classed herself as my little sister that I see her as the very beautiful grown ass woman she is? How do I tell her that one day, as I walked the hallways of their house, I heard her, so lost in the throes of passion, she didn’t even notice her bedroom door was open and that I had, like the dirty perv I was, wandered close to it to hear better, fully expecting to hear her little boyfriend Tomas in there with her, I was blown away when I heard her mutter my name? I couldn’t believe my ears, my best friends' little sister was in her bed, touching herself and thinking of me. I knew back then she had a crush on me, it was in fact no secret to anyone in the local community that Cordelia Gerard had the hots for me. I must admit, at first it made me uncomfortable, what could I at twenty-one years old see in a fourteen-year-old, but then, puberty seemed to hit Delia like a shovel, and from one day to the next she turned from an ugly duckling to a swan. Sixteen-year-old Delia had blossomed and I was f****d. The minute her soft sexy whimpers entered my brain, I couldn’t ever forget them. To imagine her was one thing, but to actually hear her was something inexplicable. From that day on, I couldn’t look at her the same, she became a woman in my eyes, instead of the little sister she had been most of her life. I wanted so badly to act on impulse and storm into that bedroom and take her all for myself, show her how much better my hard c**k was than her fingers, but I couldn’t. Not with her whole family sleeping in the same house, not to mention, my best friend, her older brother. He would straight up murder me and bury me in their back garden if he ever thought I had the hots for Delia, and to make matters worse, I had to act indifferent to her as I always had. That dammed fated Christmas day, why did me and Theo think it would be a good idea to break tradition and go to that stupid party? I should have just stayed home and wanked. But no, I had to go to a party, get drunk and basically announce in front of all our mutual friends that I wanted to get with Theo’s little sister. Oh, how that night had changed everything between me and Theo. Staggering drunk into their back garden hadn’t been in my plans, I was supposed to be seeking out Theo to apologize for all the lies I had told him, but I had heard her, she was crying, and I had to know who or what had hurt my baby girl so much. I hadn’t planned to kiss her, but her lips looked so soft, her face so beautiful, even streaked with her dry tears, she had looked like an angel. I couldn’t help it. Her lips were in fact soft and so warm, she tasted salty from her tears. I stopped myself before I ended up taking her against the wall and walked away. It wasn’t until Theo rang me late Boxing day to ask if she was with me that reality hit, I had kissed her.  

For weeks after she had disappeared Theo blamed me, thinking I had forced myself on her. When he found her two years later, we had fixed our friendship, but the cracks were still there. They still are. And the number of times he’s warned me off her since she’s been back, you’d think I was some serial killer. While he may appear to be ok with me and Delia ever being together, I know deep down it freaks him out. I’m brought out of my ridiculous thoughts by my phone vibrating nonstop. I grab it and chuckle. Theo.  

“Hey man! How’s it going?” I ask him, my tone chipper as if I don’t know what he’s calling about. 

“Cut the crap Colton.” He says and I try hard not to chuckle, I know I'm in trouble when he calls me Colton. “What the f**k happened yesterday in my bloody kitchen?” He all but shouts at me and this time I do chuckle. 

“You know what happened, I bet Phoebe had a grand old time telling you.”  

“f**k you Colton. I thought we were past this, I warned you fourteen years ago, I warned you three days ago when I woke up and I will warn you now. Stay the f**k away from Delia!”  

“Theo, I can’t do that and you know it. Look it’s weird, I get it. She grew up with us, I mean I saw her grown up. I... f**k I can’t explain it to you again Theo. Delia isn’t some floozy. She’s, Delia. I won’t ever hurt her Theo. Please give me a chance.” I sigh and wait. He’s so quiet I think he’s hung up; I pull my phone of my ear and light up the screen, the call is still going, he is too quiet. “T?” I ask and he shushes me. I oblige and wait. It’s nerve racking. I mean why am I even waiting for his blessing. We are boh grownups, if we want to date, we can date. I’m about to tell him this when I hear hushed voices and some banging. I hear the phone rustle and Phoebe’s voice fills the air.  

“Colton? You there?” She asks and I sigh, typical Theo. 

“Yeah.” 

“So erm, yeah Theo walked out. Look, this is hard for him ok. Truth be told, his problem isn’t what it seems. Colton, if things don’t work out between you and Delia, what happens to Theo? Think about that for a minute or two before you go in all guns blazing to tell Delia you love her ok?” She says and hangs up.  

What happens to Theo? Nothing. If things don’t work out between me and D, then we stay friends and they stay siblings. I stop in my tracks. That’s the thing though, if me and Delia break up, things could get strained between me and Theo, what with our business and us being best friends, he would always feel trapped between us. What if things really do go t**s up between us and he forces me out of the business, or worse, we actually fall out for real this time. I can't lose him. He is my best friend; we’ve known each other since we were eight. Theo was the first kid in school to approach me and invite me to play. Since then, we have been joined at the hip. f**k! I throw my duvet off my body and sit up in bed, my elbows dig into my thigs as I rest my head on my hands. What do I do? I get up and get dressed, there is only one person I need to talk to about this. Delia.  

*** 

I watch as Theo storms out of his room and I wait before going to knock on the door. Phoebe spent the night there and as nan had predicted, Gabe was passed out on my bed with Smeagol when I got in last night. Seems like we should have just put her things in Gabe’s room. I knock slowly on the door and a soft “Come in” ushers me in. Phoebe is sitting cross legged on the bed, Theo’s phone in her hand.  

“Everything ok Pheebs?” I ask as I sit down opposite her. 

“Yeah.” She sighs “Colton and Theo.” She says with a sad smile as she lifts his phone. 

“What about them?” I ask curious 

“Come on Delia, you can’t seriously be that f*****g dense.” She glares at me and sighs again. I scratch my head, and she laughs.” f**k's sake woman. Theo is upset because of you and Colton.” I gasp 

“Why? He’s the one that keeps teasing me about it.” I say upset now that he is so childish about me and Colton and yet he is upset. 

“Answer me this Delia, If things don’t work between you and Colton, who gets stuck between his best mate and his little sister? “ Phoebe asks me, a serious look on her face and my mind starts overthinking. Theo and Colton are starting a business together, they’ve been best friends for over twenty years. I can’t come between that, can I? I mean things could really work for us, I have loved that stupid i***t since I was fourteen, but what if they didn’t work? Would Theo take my side and be forced to sell his business? Forced to forget his best friend for ever? No I couldn’t do that to him. To either of them. What if we broke up and Theo took Colton’s side?  

“We are thinking too much into this Pheebs. Me and Colton, its not happening. “ I say and stand ready to leave, but she grabs my hand and pulls me back down on the bed.  

“Delia, I might not have known you all your life, but I know you well enough. You love him. Don’t be stupid. Don’t throw away a future for your brother, but at the same time, sit with both of them and talk. “ we hear a small commotion downstairs and shrug, probably Mallory or Avery. We hear some screaming and I decide to check it out, phoebe follows me and we stop half way down the stairs when we see Avery standing by the sofa, tears running down her face and James, standing by fire place, a stoic look on his face.  

“Ave? What’s going on? “ I ask her.  

“ Ask him. “ she says pointing at James. I look at him and he nods his head to the sofa where I spot my niece, Polly. She’s simply sitting there, staring into space.  

“James “  I ask and he sighs 

“I don’t know why she’s so pissed off, Polly is twenty years old Delia. She’s an adult. “ he says more to Ave than me.  

“I don’t get it.” I say confused. Aver turns towards me, a furious scowl on her face.  

“She” she growls pointing at Polly “is high off her f*****g face, thanks to that “she points at James “piece of s**t! He’s been supplying her with all sorts of drugs!” she shouts again and I look between the three of them. James curses and turns to Avery.  

“I gave her weed. Twice Avery. She isn’t a drug addict. She’s had a few blunts. Look I thought it’d be safer if she got high with me than some f*****g creep. “ he mutters and I take a long look at James. He is tall, but the years of drug and alcohol abuse have made him lose all his built. James used to so muscular. He used to play sports and work out and then the drugs and alcohol appeared and he destroyed himself. He has been to rehab a few times and although he has currently fallen off the wagon, he is better than before. Avery shrieks and runs towards him, crying she pounds her closed fists on his chest.  

“She’s my baby, you had no right. No right James. You should have come to me or Toby first before you gave our daughter drugs. “ she wails as his arms pin her to his chest. Her hands slowly stop hitting him and her breathing slows. Her sobs are silent now, but she is letting all her pain out.  

“What the hell is going on here? “ Toby’s voice booms as he enters the room, wearing a brown suede suit and a brown leather briefcase, he looks like he just walked out of a 70’s sitcom. “I rushed here from ab important meeting, is someone dead? “He looked around at all our faces and then back to James and Avery in his arms. “Avery? “ he called her, his voice soft, like he was talking to wild wounded animal. I suppose he was, Avery can be vicious when she wants.  

“Daddy, “ Polly calls with an almost baby like tone as she stands from the sofa. “Mum is blowing it all out of proportion. She caught me smoking weed so I said uncle James gave me some and now she thinks I’m this drug addict like him. “ she whines. I look at James as she speaks and the pain and hurt in his eyes when she calls him an addict is so visible. He wraps his arms tighter around Avery, a reflex I think, as he feels attacked he holds her to protect himself.  

“James, is this true? “ Toby asks him, anger lacing his tone, James was about to answer when Polly pipes up again.  

“Of course it is daddy, don’t you believe your little girl? “ she says placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot, annoyed. I snort at her attitude and she glares at me. Its clear she’s been a spoilt princess all her life and is very used to getting her own way. The fact that Toby is questioning her is screwing with her plan.  

“James, let go of my wife please, I think me and you need a little chat in private. “ Toby says, ushering Avery out of James’ arms. The second his hands touch her shoulder, she jerks away.  

“Don’t touch me you piece of s**t. You don’t think I know you’re cheating on me? Again? What did I ever do to deserve that? Get out, just get out of my sight. “  she shouts and runs out of the room just as Heidi and nan walk in.  

“What a drama queen! “ Polly breaks the silence and I glare at her. How can she talk about her mother like that. She smirks at me and I’m tempted to slap her, but Phoebe grabs my hand. “Let’s check on Ave yeah Delia? “ she pulls my hand I let her lead me to the back garden, where Avery is crouching, her back leaning on the wall, the garage window right above her head, I look at the garage door, a few feet away from us to the left and I shiver. Remembering all the events of that fated night. Phoebe sits next to Avery and slides her and around her shoulders while I kneel in front of her. She sniffles and raises her head up 

 “I found his burner phone, its full of calls and texts to this girl, he calls her C. She calls him Sir… “ she says with a sneer. “ I haven’t told him yet, but I’m gonna start the divorce procedures after Christmas.” She chuckles dryly.  

“That’s good and all, “ Phoebe says “but erm, why does your daughter speak to you like that? “  

“Because, it’s complicated ok?” Avery sighs.  

“ We have nowhere to be. “I say, and so Avery tells us how when Polly was little she was always daddy’s little princess, at first it was adorable how they did everything together, but when Nathan arrived, Avery noticed that Toby’s attention was always on Polly, the older she got, the closer they grew. Polly is very much Toby’s daughter, but not so much Avery’s. She takes Tony’s side in everything and Toby has blatantly neglected his other children in favour of Polly. Also, Avery thinks Polly has known and covered for Toby’s extra marital affairs for years. We sit there for ages, shocked at what Avery tells us. No wonder Avery has felt trapped all these years.  

* 

Tobys pov 

I love James like a brother. But he gave my baby girl drugs, he needs to pay. After the girls ran out after Avery, Heidi and Maeve headed into the kitchen to sober Polly up. I grabbed James by the arm and dragged him into the small downstairs toilet.  

“What the f**k James? “  I ask him and he cowers at my tone.  

“I didn’t give her s**t Toby. I found her by Monroe’s, off her f*****g trolley. I was gonna call you but she begged me not to. I didn’t know Avery was on her way here when I brought Polly back. “ he says quietly. James has always been easily manipulated, one of the main reasons I chose him as my best friend in high school was his feeble personality. So easy to control and so eager to be liked by everyone, when I pressured him into drinking he did it, when I bullied him into doing drugs, he easily stood down and obliged. It was so easy to watch him spiral and become an addict. And to top it all off, I convinced him to let me get with his sister. He knew I was a player, but by now I had him in the palm of my hand. You see, James is not only feeble minded, he is also very naïve. When I told him his parents would disown him if he went looking for drugs elsewhere he became convinced I was the only one who could help him, and so James became my first client.  

Twenty years later, I get all the money without lifting a finger. I have guys on every corner, bar, pub and club selling for me. Including little Thomas, another easy target. Rich kid wanting to be a rebel. I watched James as his lips trembled with every word. “ Who supplied her? “ he shook his head. Of course he wouldn’t know, f*****g useless piece of s**t. “Fine, go. I need to sort something out, before Avery gets home. “  

I fish out my burner phone and text C.  

*She knows, seen the texts and calls, we need to move to phase 2. I’m gonna end that b***h and all our secrets will go with her. Meet me at the café on Clement St tomorrow at 12. Don’t be late. * 

I slidded my phone in my pocket, but it vibrated straight away,  

*Sure thing. * simple and to the point.  

I walk out the toilet and come face to face with Theo’s little b***h. She looks me up and down and I smirk. I know she saw me that day getting blown in the kitchen, I’m just glad she didn’t see who was blowing me. God knows my plan would’ve been f****d, and I would have had to order another hit on this family to keep her quiet.