The Lawes Girl

14

Something hung in the air. But neither of them noticed. Rather they did but they were too busy talking to pay it any mind. Not when they drove into the compound or when they passed Charles when they got in with a look of... something they saw outside on his face. Nina glared for a second then waved it off. What was it? It was defeat. Each one wanted so badly to inform the girls but couldn't under orders. So instead they looked guilty and sad because they were about to be ambushed. They were betraying them. At least it felt that way. Especially for Charles who still didn't mind looking the other way if Lucille decided to kill their intruder. Hell, he'll help. While they rambled on all the way to the dinning hall, Mattie came out of nowhere. "Hi girls."

   "Hi." They chorused, laughing. 

"Hi darling." She smiled at Marvin in Nina's arms stroking his cheek gently with her index finger. He smiled and she smiled brighter. They all did. "Can I take him?"

   "Yeah?" Nina handed him over. Mattie took him quickly and turned around. Her aim was to keep him away from the hell that might break loose in there. Nina glared again as Mattie walked away. "Something's wrong."

   "What?" Lucille chuckled. 

"Seriously. Something doesn't feel right."

   "Are you psychic now? Did you get powers on your last movie?" They continued down the hall.

   "Shut up. Come on. Did you not feel it?" Lucille shrugged. "Come on. Everyone's acting strange."

   Lucille's eyes stray in thought. "Hmm... you're right. Charles looked like he wanted to say something."

   "If you noticed, why did you act like you didn't?"

"I just forgot." She shrugged. 

   Nina scoffed. "Mattie just ran away with M."

"You're right." Lucille held the door handle. 

   Nina scoffed again and rolled her eyes. "You're losing it."

Lucille laughed. "Shut up." She pushed the door open. 

   Nina stopped in shock. "What the hell is this?"

Lucille stepped out from behind her, seeing Nick seated with her parents across from him, her eyes widened and her mouth hung open for a second before closing and turning into a deep scowl. "Dad!"

    "Oh! This can not be happening!" Nina folded her arms. "What? A cut wasn't enough, you want to die now?" She glared. 

    Nick held his stoic expression. He hadn't expected Nina to be here. Too late now. 

    Madison wanted to smile. It wasn't 'daddy' this time but 'dad' it truly was Quincy's turn. She wanted to smile so badly. Even if she did pity him.

    Both girls looked from mother to father and then at Nick. "Why is he in here? Why can't you just leave her alone?"

    "Don't even ask him, he wouldn't answer that. Who let him in here to begin with? And why is he at our table? Where is Charles? Charles wouldn't let him in. He knows better."

    "Well clearly not enough. He's in here. Sitting and waiting for you."

    Quincy wanted to speak. But he found no space between their angry ramblings. "Get up and get out Nick." Lucille ordered. Staring him down. Not that it worked. His lack of a response made her shiver with rage. "Get out or I swear-"

    "Luce, let me handle this." Nina touched Lucille's hand. "Get out or I will drag your lifeless body out you son of a bitch."

    "I just want to-"

"You just want to what? You wanted to leave before and you left her. Now why don't you stay gone? After what you did. You know, I know more than they do. So what ever got you sitting here right now, it's all bullshit to me."

   "Why is he still here? Charles! Charles!" Lucille called out. 

Charles wasn't coming. No one was coming. Quincy squared his shoulders. Ready to make the move that would cause his daughters to focus their anger on him. "I invited him over." Two pairs of eyes turned to glare at him. "He is my guest." There, he said it. Now it begins. 

   "Your guest?" They chorused. "Did you forget what he did? Or do we have to remind you? Because it's a scar on my life." That part of Lucille's words hit Nick. 

   "You know what he did. And in all his stupid persistence you let him into our house?"

   "It's my house Nina."

"Fine whatever. We'll leave then." Lucille replied. 

   "He." Nina pointed at Nick while still focused on her father. "Came over almost every day when Lucille went away. Just so he can leave when she needed him the most because coming over would make him look better. He's doing it again and you've bought into it..."

   Lucille felt cold and sick to her stomach. She'll have to thank Mattie for taking Marvin away. The tension in the compound made sense. The ambush was upsetting. She didn't want to be in the house any longer. She shook her head. "Dad how could you?" She could feel a lump forming in her throat. Just when she thought he was gone he came to the one place she felt safe and clear from him. "I- you know how I feel about this. About him. Why? Why did you let him in?"

   "I can't believe you daddy. I really honestly ca-"

"Enough!" Quincy stood up, banging the table. Nobody jolted at his out burst.

   "Why?" Lucille folded her arms. "Why should we?"

"What? We can't say what we feel about thi-"

   "Shut up." He moved out oh his chair. "Both of you, come with me." He walked out of a door close to where he was sitting and they followed. Neither one of them paying any attention to Nick or Madison. 

   Charles finally entered the dinning hall. He looked around. "Mrs. Lawes?"

    "Yes Charles?" She looked up with a smile. She felt good about herself. To not be attacked by them was something else.

    "Mister Rangle is on the phone."

"Quincy is busy. I'll take it." He nodded. Glancing at Nick before leaving.

    They stopped when Quincy stopped. Glaring with folded arms when he turned to face them. "Not a word." He ordered. "Now. I am well aware of his crime against you. Hurtful as it is. You cannot take it out on Marvin."

   "What? No. That's n-" Nina started.

"What did I say?" Lucille sighed, Nina glanced at her. "Nick is here. And he wishes to see his son. Will you refuse him?"

   "Is that even a question? Yes and you know it."

"That's not fair on Marvin. Nick left, yes. But he came back. He could have stayed away-"

   "He should have." Nina murmured. 

"But he is here. And he is not dead. Darling, I know you can take care of him by yourself. But he needs a father. So don't keep him away from his father for hurting you."

   "For hurting me? He hurt him too. Marvin wouldn't know it. And he's always smiling. But he hurt him too. He left him. And came back when it was convenient for him. It's not just me."

   True. He couldn't deny the truth in that. "He's here now. I'm not asking you to forgive him. But Marvin doesn't know any of this. And Nick wants to fix his mistake now that he can."

   "Did he tell you that?" Nina asked.

"Yes." She scoffed and shook her head at his answer. "Marvin needs both his parents, since he can. Whether you like it or not. And he has a chance to have his even if you didn't get to have yours for years." Silence for three seconds. "You don't have to talk to him. Just have dinner. He wouldn't see Marvin if you don't want him to. And when dinner is over, he will leave. Just dinner."

   They went back to the dinning room in agreement. At least Lucille and Quincy were. Nina sat beside Nick and Lucille beside Madison. A heavy silence among them as silverware clinked gently against chinaware. Except Lucille stared at her food and Nina glanced up restlessly at Lucille unable to take what felt like t*****e to both of them. Even Madison reached out to touch Lucille's hand with concern in her eyes and a small smile Lucille didn't bother to acknowledge in any way. Nina's restless swaying legs stopped. She had had enough. "This is insane. She shouldn't have to be here. Luce, I can't believe you're being such a suck up right now."

   "Nina-" Quincy's voice was stern.

"No. Daddy look at her. Lucille honestly. This is not the time to be a suck up. Not now. Not in this situation. For heaven's sake Luce-" Lucille got up. She'd wanted to leave for more than half an hour now. What is she waiting for? While everyone watched her, she headed for the door and was gone. "Good." Nina said, satisfied... kind of.

   Lucille went to Mattie, took Marvin before Mattie could say a word and left. Lucille left the house. Thinking of another place to hide and shove away all the memories of Nick that reeked of fraud. 

   How, in this moment, could her mind be somewhere else? A small smile plastered on her lips, she stared at nothing. While father and daughter argued. A few weeks after the girls came back home for the first time in eleven years, they were not what she expected. Hardly excited and nothing like she had dreamed. Both of them behaved so much better and bolder than she could have imagined and didn't need her. They didn't want what they were going to get. They shared a room even though they had two large ones and they thought of going back and talked too much about aunt Rachel. There was the fact that almost two years before, they wanted them to come home and they said no. They refused. And they had to go to them. Then they decided to let them finish school first. 

   Madison fell apart. "They're not... No one would think they're our girls. They're so different. They don't..."

   "They're beautiful." Quincy said, holding her. "Who cares what anyone else thinks? This is nothing to be sad about Maddy. They're stronger and better than we could have imagined." And he was right. Unlike her who couldn't stand Quincy's anger, they could. They didn't even care about it. And they will be heard. Most definitely stronger and better. And she was proud of it... of them.

    "Why did you have to bring him here huh?"

"We had an understanding. You drove her away."

    "I did no such thing."

"I shoul-" Nick started. 

    "Don't you move. You wanted to be here? Be here. You're daddy's guest after all."

    "Nina!"

She ignored her father. "Why did you have to come? Couldn't you say no?"

    He should have. But opportunity opened the door for him, and he strolled in. That look on her face. Lucille's face... "I should leave."

    "You're just chaotic aren't you? You cause trouble then you leave?"

    His expression hadn't changed in over an hour. He stood up. "Good night Mrs. Lawes, Mister Lawes."

    "Hmm?" Madison turned to him lazily and nodded. 

"Oh! Don't go yet, have dinner. Daddy invited you. Stay. Maybe you can ruin his life too." She started to leave.

    "Get back here." Quincy tried to be calm.

"No. Or what? You can't force her to do this dad. Not this. Enjoy your dinner guys." She was out. Slamming the door behind her. 

    Heavy silence followed. "I-"

"Don't." Did he know Nick was going to apologise? "It's okay."

    "Is it?" 

Madison's remark caused him to glance at her. "Good night." Quincy said. Nick nodded and left.

   His car pulled up in front of a hotel. He grabbed a plastic bag from the passenger seat before getting out. He tossed his car keys into the hands of an eager valet who couldn't keep from drooling over the car. He wasn't the only valet drooling, he was just the lucky one. He headed into the hotel with his destination in mind and worry lines on his face.

   After Lucille took the bag from him and gave him a smile that reduced his worry lines, they settled on the couch a few feet away from the bed where Marvin slept behind them and the television on in front of them. Lucille looked at Wes and sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you, you just flew in."

    He smiled, searching her beautiful eyes. "It's okay. Nothing stopped me from refusing."

    "But you must be tired."

"Well, I had been practicing before I came back. My hands are a bit stiff from holding the steering wheel tight all day but I'm used to it. It's no big deal."

    "At least you got some rest on the plane." Wes didn't answer. Not that is was a question. "What? Did you get your hands all over some pretty hostess?" Wes glanced at her with a smile on his face. Guilt and mischief clear. Lucille laughed, hitting his chest. He groaned, his fingers grazing her lower arm before he touched his chest. "I really shouldn't have called you-"

   "Well I'm here now. It's too late for that."

She sighed again. "I just couldn't stay there. And I didn't want to be alone and I can't trust Geegee or anyone else not to tell Nina where I am."

    "So you're running away again?"

"No." She smiled small. "Hiding."

    "What's the difference?" Lucille's shoulders fell. "I called the house a few hours ago. Madison picked up. She sounded cheerful. Unlike you."

    "She was probably just happy she wasn't involved in what happened."

    "What exactly did happen?" She narrated the events of the evening. And when she was done, Wes nodded. Then changed the subject. "Why didn't you take a luxury suite?"

    Tilting her head she smirked. "I like simple things. I grew up simple." It always seemed to come back. Now twice in one night her 'growing up' story had come up.

    "Maybe. But it was easy for you to grow up simple when you knew you had wealth waiting for you." 

    Did Wes not have anything to say about her story with Nick? Or did he change the subject for her sake? The answer to the question she wouldn't ask is both. "Not at first... well... at first. But we forgot about it and somehow, we came back and didn't care so much. I mean Nina and I shared a room when we weren't in school. When we got home home-"

    "Is that what you call it?" Wes chuckled. "Home home?"

"Shut up." He laughed. She went to the mini fridge, taking out the ice cream he came over with, grabbing two spoons and handing him one. "Everything was different. Mom wouldn't leave us alone for more than five hours if she tried. Daddy wanted us to learn the new old business and we just tried to adjust until we did." She set it between them. 

    "You adjusted pretty well." He sighed. While Lucille took spoonful after spoonful of ice cream, Wes stared at her in the silence. Crazy how she concentrated on it. He liked that. Ok. Now is the perfect time. Just take a deep breath and tell her. Confess, spill, blurt it out. He wanted to. So desperately. But damn it, minutes ago he admitted to fooling around with an air hostess. What would she want with him? And why would she want him knowing that? Still. It wouldn't hurt to just say it. Just say it. His stare grew more intense the more he tried to convince himself. He opened his mouth to speak. Lucille looked at him with a smile on her face and his mouth snapped shot. Damn it. Every damn time. She made him go dumb without trying. Then there was the other reason he hadn't told her. He heard a tiny voice in his head. 'You're not ready.' And that was the truth.

    Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met and lingered for a few seconds before he blinked away and scoffed. "Don't make me finish this myself." She waved it off.

    "I got it for you. You're supposed to finish it yourself." He ruffled his hair. "I have a meeting with the sponsors tomorrow."

    "You mean daddy." She corrected. 

"He's your father. He's my sponsor." He smirked. "Will you be there?"

    "That's not what I do. And I'm very upset with him. He'll be lucky if he sees me all week." Wes chuckled. "Why wouldn't you say anything?"

    "Huh?"

"About what daddy did. And Nick." She just had to ask.

    He sat forward and they faced each other. "Cause it's not for me to tell you what to do. And it's a family thing. Of which I am not."

    "But if it were the girls, they-"

"I'm not them. They have more of a connection with you than I do. I can't tell you who's right or who's wrong. I've never met Nick Atkins so all I know is what you tell me and what I've heard. I can't judge him based on that. I do hate what he's put you through. If you want to run and hide, go ahead. Stay and kill him, sure" He shrugged. She chuckled. "Why not. My opinion shouldn't matter in this. This is all you." He bent his index finger and nudging her nose. She gave him half of the smile he liked. 

   "Okay." She sighed and nodded once. "I want to" She took the ice cream back to the fridge, then turned to face him quickly. "Order room service."

   He smiled, closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened his eyes he said, "I'm starving." She laughed and he hushed her. Clasping her hand over her mouth, they looked at Marvin. Still sound asleep. They talked for hours in whispers and laughing silently. Wes loved it. She was happier than when he walked in. And through it all, he forgot that she didn't feel the same way he did. It was good. 

   Quite frankly, Renee didn't like this. When exactly did Nick become so stubborn? Why exactly was he hell bent on not leaving Lucille alone? She didn't know what to say while Lucille complained and Nina sat across from her with folded arms except; "Lucille I am so sorry. I've told him to stop. And so has Bryan."

    "Why does he think that anyone would approve of what he's doing after what he did?" Nina asked. 

    Renee shook her head. "When Nick was younger, he was being bullied. Skinny thing that he was." How is this helpful? It was a question on both Nina and Lucille's minds. They shared a look and chose to keep quiet. "He kept it to himself. Perhaps that's how he learned to keep his emotions in check so well."

    "I'm sure it explains it." Lucille remarked sarcastically. 

"One day before he graduated high school, we got a call from the school. We don't know what really happened and Nick never admitted to it or spoke of it, but apparently, he took a few students on his father's plane and left them stranded."

   Nina was stunned by the short tale. Lucille didn't care. "So what's your point? He got revenge on his bullies? Or are you saying that I hurt him? Because in case you missed the events of the past eleven months... I should be the one leaving him stranded some where."

   "I don't know who Nick is. I thought I did but I don't."

"He's clearly capable of heartless acts Renee. That's the lesson here." Nina stated. 

   "No. Nick never admitted to what he did. But he admitted to this and he's trying to apologise."

   "Didn't you just say you don't know who he is? Maybe they deserved what they got from him but I sure as hell didn't deserve that. Well I suppose my crime was getting into his car." Lucille sighed, getting up. "Look, I don't know if you're trying to justify what he did, cause all I see now is that he's very messed up. Obviously, it was a mistake coming here, because you can't talk to him."

    "You did nothing wrong Lucille."

"I know. But I don't think that was the point of your story. Have a nice walk down memory lane." Both girls left.

    With his right palm plastered over his forehead, and his other hand in his pocket, Nick walked the hallway blindly towards his office, his head banging. The consequence of trying to drown his only problem in alcohol. He'd walked down the hall too many times not to know where he was going without looking. Once he was in his office, he finally opened his eyes slightly. Bart had made himself comfortable on the couch. Lucille used to sit there. He hissed at the thought. "Good morning to you too." Nick groaned and stopped. "Did you close down the bar last night?" Bart folded his arms behind his head. "You look like you might have."

   "I did." His hand fell weakly to his side. "It's been a bad weekend." He stood in front of his desk, between the guest chairs and took out his tiny bottle of cocaine, dropping it on the table.

   "What the hell is your problem!" Bryan barged into his office, slamming the door behind him. No warning what so ever. Which is the play when attacking someone. Nick turned to his glaring father, pushing the bottle across the table. Bart watched it roll off of it successfully... If that was Nick's plan, before facing the scene about to unfold. "You went to her parents' house?"

   Nick looked lazily. "I was asked to." Hands in his pockets.

"By who? And you went there? Why in the world..." Bart got more than a front row seat to the yelling show, as awkward as it felt to sit there watching Nick get yelled at, he couldn't leave. His body wouldn't let him. Which was a lie. He just didn't want to. And anyway, who cared? Certainly not Bryan. Unfortunately, the entire office could hear it. At least they knew Bryan was yelling. The only clue being, Mister Atkins hardly ever came down to Nick's office. And for him not to have summoned Nick... what other reason could there be? But whatever caused this out right anger of the boss who was almost always cheerful was enough to keep the floor off their work and concentrated on the words they couldn't hear.

   Nick stood there. Not a hint of what he was feeling showed in his stance or on his face. Bryan continued. The same words he'd heard so many times now. "... leave her alone Nick. Leave them alone. You caused this and you can't fix it this time so stop it. Stop trying. It's annoying and it's putting everyone off. She came over yesterday. Your mother met with her. To ask us to talk to you." He wasn't there. But Renee told him what happened. Including, "Your mother told her what you did to those kids when you were in high school. Leaving them stranded on that island."

    "Wait what?" Bart finally sat up. Intrigued by this topic. It made his smirk. He wanted to know more. "You left some-"

    "Who is that supposed to help exactly?" He asked calmly. Ignoring Bart. 

    Not a single reaction. Unless the question counts. Still... "Definitely not you. Nick, Nick for crying out loud, leave them alone. This is your mess, stay in it." Bryan stormed out.

    Bart's eyes were fixed on the door as he said, "I told you thi-"

Nick's face distorted in anger, forehead creased, jaw clenched, teeth bared and gritted and his hands made into fists. He focused his anger and frustration on his desk. Banging it repeatedly.

    The first bang startled Bart. This time he truly couldn't move, eyes wide as he watched his friend slam his hands on the table more times than he could count before throwing things off the table. Again, the entire floor was watching... listening to the groans of an angry man and the sound of things falling to the floor. It was a hell of a day. Sides of the Atkins no one imagined they'd see. Yet they heard it.

   Hopeless. Nick knew no one would support him. They were right. He'd been so wrong. And now, no one would let him make it right. 

   Before Lucille could get to the door, Marvin was crawling in that direction. Easily passing the toys he had scattered around the livingroom. "Hey, get back here." Lucille ordered, knowing he wouldn't listen. Focused as he was. "Cartoons. Come watch cartoons." Nothing. He kept crawling. And whoever had knocked on the door knocked again. She got up and followed him, her long strides getting her to the door before marvin. Holding the door handle, she turned to face him. He stopped crawling and sat down instead, smiling at her. Her attempt at a glare failed. "That's not fair, you know I can't get mad at you when you do that." She chuckled and rolled her eyes, opening the door. Nick stood there. The smile she had opened the door with vanished.