Fae Second Chance

Chapter 5 - Evil Twin Brother

Chapter 5

My parents stay for a few more days.  We have lunch and dinner together and then they explore Border City checking out all the tourist traps the city has to offer while I am at work.  When they finally decide to head home, we hug, and they make me promise to call more often.  They get in the cab to head to the airport while my father is muttering the whole time about the lack of slot machines and dancing girls.  I laugh and wave them off.

Jordan and I take advantage of John absence to meet pretty much every day and go over the basics of how to control my gift.  She shows me how to block and channel it so I can direct who I influence and how.  She even shows me some basic spells.  I can feel my power growing as my control becomes better.  Jordan says it was like my magic was shielded and now the shield is coming down.

When we are not working or practicing magic.  I hang out with her and her children.  They look a lot like her but completely human, but like me they have this quiet undercurrent of magic.  Jordan tells me she is not sure if they will be able to wield it like her, but they are definitely dark fae.  “Peter feels outnumbered at home.”  She giggles. 

“Can you have a different species of child?”  I ask her one afternoon.

“It is all about genetics.”  She tells me as she is folding clothes for the kids.  I sit down next to her and start assisting.  “You understand that the child gets 50% of the genetics from each parent.  If Peter has some underlying DNA of a different species and so, do I, then there is a possibility that that will be the dominant species.  The same goes for the human genes as well.  If John is ‘pure,’” she fingers quotes the pure. “Then there is a chance they pull all your human DNA and his DNA and then they are human.  But no one is pure on either side.  I know it is a big deal for humans, but you would be surprised that the magic side likes to claim they are pure too.  They are all being ridiculous.”

The children practice the same lessons I do and sometimes we have magic class together.  I get really frustrated as they seem to pick it faster than I do.  Jordan tells me not worry that its natural for kids to pick it faster than adults.  As the days progress though I feel it.  I feel the control start to come and the ease of it.  Before long I am better than the kids, which I am sad to say make me do a little happy dance.

John comes home a couple of weeks later.  He is annoyed and storming through the apartment.  “None of this would have happen if you did what you were told and come with me.”  He rages at me.  I have no idea what he is talking about.  Could I have really been helping him all this time channeling my power to assist him?  Well, that was going to stop now.  He did not get to benefit from my gift when I am with him or away.

“John, why are you so upset?” I ask him.

“You don’t understand.  I couldn’t get out of this appointment.  I have to stay here until I get what Clark wants done or I lose the next election.”   He is pacing around the house getting more frustrated.  “I cannot lose my next election.  This is my life.”  He stops pacing and comes to stands in front of and grabs my arms a little harder than I was expecting. “You understand that, right?”  He is staring directly into my eyes with such an intensity for the first time I am really scared.

“Yes.” I squeak out.  He releases me and I rub my arms where he grabbed them. 

He storms off and turns pointing a finger directly at me, “Next time you are coming with me.  I don’t care if you have to quit 50 jobs.”  He then turns and grabs his briefcase looking through the files.  When he does not find what he is looking for he throws the briefcase across the room.

I am watch him start pacing the living room like a caged animal again.  He is running his hands through his hair, and I can tell his mind is running a mile a minute.

“What does Mr. Clark want you to do exactly?  Maybe I can help.” I ask.

He stops pacing suddenly and turns to me, “Nothing really.  Don’t worry about it.  What’s for dinner?”  He walks into the kitchen and ignores me.

“It’s almost done.”  I follow him into the kitchen and finish up dinner.

I have never been so scared of John in my life.  He is annoying and talks down to me.  Then comes back telling me he is sorry and loves me, but I have never been afraid he would actually hit me.    We finish dinner and I escape to the bedroom room while he gets on the phone and starts talking to his people.  After a while he comes into the bedroom and turns off the light, kisses me on the forehead, tells me he loves me, and climbs into the bed.  It was like nothing had happen earlier.  I drop my book on the nightstand and lay down, turning so my back is to him.  He curls up next to my body and promptly falls asleep.  I on the other hand stare into the darkness and try to figure out what to do next.

The next day I text John that I have a meeting and will not be able to meet him at home for lunch.  I get texted back an annoyed face emoji.  I call Jordan next and tell her about everything that happened last night.  She has become one of my good friends, actually one of my only friends.  I had friends in college, but we all grew apart and I never could become good friends with the other wives.  We were friendly but I could never really trust them.  I definitely could never trust the ladies that worked for my husband.  Half of them were in love with him and the others took their job way too seriously.

Jordan suggests meeting her for lunch and I tell her no.  I do not want to risk John finding out I lied to him.  She tells me she understands and to call if I need anything.  I hang up the phone with her and feel slightly better.  I call in a lunch order and get back to work.

When I get home that afternoon. John is already there.  He has bought me flowers and suggests a night out.  He has found a restaurant that carters only to humans with no magic staff.  I nod at him and walk into the bedroom to change.  I’d not really feel like going out, but I know if I tell him no, I will have to deal with the pouting.  He is trying to be nice, so I accept the gesture and we head out.

The restaurant is nice.  It is not as fancy as some of the ones I have been to with Jordan but nice never less.  It is a more family friendly restaurant with kids running down the aisles and parents scolding them.  I look at the kids with a yearning in my heart, but I am not sure I would ever want kids with this man across from me.  The longer we stay married the more I know I do not want him to have that kind of hold over me. 

After we order John hand the menus to the waitress and grabs my hand, “I have decided that I think it is best if you go ahead and quit your job.  We don’t need the money.”

Wait, what?  I am staring at John like he lost his ever-loving mind, “But I thought Mike said it was good for your image if I was working?  Made you look all progressive and more ideal for the working women.”

“Yes, I know but I need you to focus on taking care of me, and you can’t do that if you have a job.”

“John, I can take care of you and work at the same time.”  He goes to interrupt me, but I continue on, “I know I could not come with you during the last session, but I have already talk to my boss and he has agreed to let me telework during the next session so I will be there with you for all the functions and dinners.”

He is studying me while tipping his fingers on the table.  “I don’t know,” he states looking me over.  “I still think it would be best if you quit. What about lunch today?  You were still too busy to come home to me”

“I know, but that was a one-time thing.  I will make sure I do not get scheduled any more meetings during lunch and if for some reason I do I will make sure a meal is already prepared and waiting on you.”

“I don’t think you understand how I need you to make me a priority.  I know you like to work at your little job, but what I am doing is important and I need you there to support me so I can do my job.”

“I understand John but working gives me a sense of purpose.  Isn’t that important too?”

“Not if it interferes with my purpose.”  He growls at me.

I reach over the table and lay my hand onto of his. “I know, dear, and I promise my job will not affect your purpose.  Just think of it as something to keep me busy while you are working.  You know I don’t have any friends here and there are no clubs or volunteer work her for me to improve your image.”

He turns over his hand and actually grabs my hand.  “Fine, but as soon as it gets between us you will quit?”

“Yes John, that seems fair.”  He seems satisfied for right now and releases my hand.  I place it on my lap with my other hand and wait for our meal.  I don’t know why I keep staying with him, but I do.

Over the next few weeks, I make sure I am home before John gets there and have a meal prepped and ready for him.  We sit at the dining room table, and he tells me all about his day.  He will tell me I am beautiful, and he appreciates me making time for him.  Then he gives me a quick kiss and heads back to work.  I clean up the kitchen and go back to work myself.  I usually call Jordan on my walk back to work and apologize for not being able to meet her.  she tells me it is fine and gives me some exercises I can do in private to work on my gift.  This time is a mundane cycle that does not appear to be ending anytime soon.

Dinner at least is a little more entertaining.  At least he asks about my day.  I thought we were moving past our initial fight about me working until one night I realized he is not even listening to me.  The next couple of days I start telling him the story lines from a telenovel I remembered.  He doesn’t even flinch when I get to the part where I might be having his evil twins’ baby. 

I stop and look at him “What was that dear, I missed the last part.”  He states when he finally looks at me.  He has his phone next to his plate and has been reading something on it.  How dumb can you be if you do not realize your husband has been ignoring you to play on his phone for weeks.

“Nothing interesting, dear”, I ground out, “Just telling you about this meeting with my boss.”

He nods at me and goes back to whatever he is reading on his phone.  After that when he asks, I just tell him I worked, or I am fine.  He seems satisfied with that and never asks for more details.