Betrayed By Him (Book Two in Paradise Mountains Series)

23. The Missing Piece

Well you think that you can take me on

You must be crazy

There ain't a single thing you've done

That's gonna phase me

Oh, but if you want to have a go

I just wanna let you know

                If there was an advantage in having expanded Cissy’s horizons to the Disney World, it was the abundance of music to choose from. Specially when she was decided to give a tune to everyone around her.

                Or, in her mother’s case, halfway across the state.

Get off my back and into my game

Get out of my way and out of my brain

Get outta my face or give it you best shot

I think it's time you better face the fact

Get off of my back

                Cissy had recently found out the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron recently and although she had loved the film, she had cried when she thought the mare had been hurt, and so, she had shelved it after seeing it. Summer, however, had loved the soundtrack and had used the music to apply to her mother. By then she had given up trying to find how she had gotten her hands on her number. She had tried to block her number, but Winter had simply called from others, and after a while, she learnt to ignore it.

                Cissy had helped in choosing some tunes. Aidan, for instance, had I’ll make a Man out of you, because in her head, her Sensei was still Li Shang. It had been a close call with You’ll be in My Heart from Tarzan, but she had decided that that would be her music, once she convinced her mother to allow her to have a phone.

                So now, Summer knew who was calling even before looking at the screen. And when Get Off My Back started to ring again, she muted it and yelled:

                “Cissy, hurry up, we’re going to be late.”

                There was a play in Cissy’s school, something to welcome spring. Between mouthfuls last night, Cissy had managed to say that it was something the “old people” used to do before. She had spoken with her teacher, so she could mentally translate and realized she was referring to the habit in the Middle Ages to go “maying”… whatever that was.

                I think I need to translate the translation, she thought to herself smirking.

                In the last few days, she had had little motives to smile. Cassie was still at the hospital, being accompanied by several specialists. No family had been found, and the bills were piling up. Caleb had spoken with all the teachers and they had decided to do a fund raiser to help Cassie, and Summer had joined. The school had organized a day of fair with some home-made sweets, the selling of several secondhand objects donated by students or their parents and, of course, another Shorinji Kempo demonstration.

                The high point would be the Hottie Auction. The idea had originated from a recently divorced and highly betrayed during her marriage Spanish teacher, to assemble several hotties from Paradise Mountains and auction them for a snack. Which, considering the age range of the candidates, could be one hour near the ice cream booth, or one hour near the chess table. They only had one hour and had to be within school grounds and within sight of all grownups. This actually led to some grumbling from the student’s side, since they had hopped for stolen moments.

                Even Herbie, Alexander’s grandfather, had offered himself to be auctioned. Despite his age, he kept himself in sharp conditions, and his clear blue eyes seemed full of mischief when he locked eyes with Nadine and winked at her. He was an old man in age, but his brains were as sharp as ever.

                From the seventeen-year-old student who was auctioned because he wanted to impress his friends, to Herbie, the geriatric Casanova, several were the local “hotties” who adhered to the joyful banter of the day.

                It didn’t surprise Summer when Aidan volunteered himself to the auction; what did surprise her was when Alexander was forcibly volunteered by his wife and grandfather, who seemed to have joined forces against him. He was received with cheers from the crowd when pecked her wife in the lips and growled to his grandfather:

                “You’ll pay for this, old man.”

                “No, I won’t. They will, though.” Was the rambling answer of Herbie, whose eyes were tearing from laughter.

                There was so much noise around that at first Summer didn’t hear her phone ringing. And she was so used by now to the Disney music’s that she hardly recognized the boring tune calling.

                “Excuse me, miss. You phone is ringing.” Said the old lady near her. Keeping an eye on Cissy, who was happily bouncing at the bouncing castle, she looked at the screen. She didn’t know the number, so she ignored it. But when it started ringing again, she thought it could be from the hospital and so she took it.

                “Hello?”

                “Is this Summer Belmont?” the unknow voice was male and Summer struggled to hear. There was so much noise around that she had to elbow her way to a more secluded place, whilst keeping the bouncy castle in sight.

                “Yes, who is this?”

                “You don’t know me…”

                A baby started to wail and she didn’t hear the other person, so she insisted:

                “I’m sorry, who is this?”

                A moment of silence. And then…

                “My name won’t ring a bell to you, but I met Autumn.”

                Summer stopped in her tracks, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

                “Autumn?” she repeated in utter disbelief.

                “Yes… we dated a while back…”

                Opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, Summer was blocked. She couldn’t think or say anything. Dread had crept from the pit of her stomach and was now slowly building its way up to her heart.

                The person from the other side, in the meanwhile, continued:

                “I heard about her passing. My condolences.”

                She finally found her voice and in a cold and detached voice she answered:

                “Thank you. Who is this?”

                “Miss Belmont, I have reasons to believe Autumn was pregnant with my child when she left me. And I know you’ve adopted your sister’s baby. Please… can I met my daughter?”

                Suddenly everything stopped. The drumming in Summer’s ears was so loud that drowned all the noise around. She couldn’t hear more than an unknown male voice – her worst nightmares came to life – wanting her child.

                “Miss Belmont? Are you there?”

                Somehow, the sperm donor had found out about Cissy. And worst… he wanted to know her.

                “Is this your idea of a sick joke? Just let us be.” She managed to croak before hanging up.

                Her phone fell from her frozen hands and suddenly, all the warmth of the day, all the joy, was sucked into a cold meaningless fog, leaving her numb and teary.