Never Ending (11 page)

Chapter
19

         
T
he rest of the evening passed by in a haze.
Between Terrence, Danny's marriage proposal, and my own guilt over Luc, I found
myself distracted. Even making the idlest of polite conversation felt like a
real effort. I could hardly bring myself to talk about music, or tell Terrence
about the Never Knights. By the time the dinner was over, I felt a palpable
sense of relief. At last I'd be able to go home, to tell Danny everything, to
beg him to forgive me. Even his anger – even if he was furious at me – had to
be better than this waiting!

          We drove home
alone in silence.

          “Are you OK,
Neve?” Danny turned to me as we approached the cottage. “You didn't dislike
Terrence, did you?”

          “No,” I
exclaimed. “No – not at all. It isn't that...it's just...”

          How could I
explain how I felt?

          And then we drove
into the driveway.

          “Hm...” Danny cut
me off, distracted. “Did you leave the lights on, Neve?”

          “No...”

          “Shit!” Danny all
but jumped out of the car and went to the door, pushing it on its handle. It
creaked and swung open.

          Someone had
broken into the house.

          “You stay here,
Neve...” Danny called. “Stay where you are...I need to call the police...”

          Even from the
threshold I could see the extent of the damage. Clothes strewn everywhere,
furniture turned over, photographs ripped apart. My heart sank.
Kyle's
father?
Kyle had been so worried about his father's release from prison,
but I'd hardly been able to think about that in the past few days, so obsessed
had I been with my own problems. I'd let my guard down, stopped thinking about
security. Was I about to pay the price?

          And then I heard
a click behind me.

          My heart all but
stopped as I turned around.

          It wasn't Kyle's
dad holding the revolver. It was Roni. Drunk, disheveled, sloppy – but armed.

          I opened my mouth
to call Danny's name, but the cry caught in my throat.

          “So, this is
where the bitch and Danny boy go at it?” I could smell the whisky on her
breath; I could feel it in the slurring of her words. She grabbed my wrist,
turning over my hand so that she could see the ring I wore. “How dare you take
this? The Blue Diamond ring. That was meant for me, you stupid bitch. For me
and Danny. Not his prick father.”

          “Roni...” I tried
to keep my voice as calm as possible. “You've had a bit to drink, you're upset.
Maybe you want to sit down, for us to have  a talk, to think about some
things.”

          “I'm
through
thinking
about things,” she snarled. “I married Clarence to get to Danny, but he moved
away to the States before I could show him how much I loved him. I've loved him
since I first heard him play, so many years ago, when he and that little slut
Peyton had their act going on. And I loved him, even then. And he wouldn't look
at me. You and your little nothing band of yours have stolen him away. Because
everything works out for you perfectly, you stupid little princess? Your money,
your wealth, your famous family, your posh connections, your looks, your talent
– does
anything
go wrong for you, Neve? Or do you just walk on clouds
everywhere you go?”

          I would not let
her see my fear. “What are you talking about, Roni? You're living the dream.
You've got the money, the power, your work at RRR, billions of dollars – you're
beautiful...”

          For a split
second, Roni hesitated. “You think I'm beautiful, do you?” There was a note of
insecurity behind the bitterness. “Who are you to make judgments on me?”

          “For crying out
loud, Ron,” a gruff male voice echoed through the house. “Get her in here
already. I've already got the boy.”

          “Move!” shouted
Roni, and instinctively I backed into the house. Out of the corner of my eye I
could see Danny lying prone of the floor, his hands on his head. My heart began
to pound faster. All I wanted to do was to run to him, to shield him with my
own body, but I forced myself to stay still. “

          Now, it's your
turn, Roni. You do the thing with the girl. Fulfill your side of the deal. Then
you can do what you want.”

          “You heard the
man,” Roni shouted. “Tell him where his son is.”

          For a second my
mind went blank. “What son.”

          “You know. Your
other
lover. Kyle.”

          And then it hit
me. This sneering man with the soulless eyes was Kyle's father. I recognized
him, all at once.

          “Don't play dumb,
girl,” he snapped. “You think I don't recognize you?” His eyes were lifeless,
empty – like the eyes of dolls.

          I gulped.  I'd
seen those eyes before, as a teenager, when I'd taken Kyle to visit his dad in
prison for the first and last time. I would never forget how those cold, dead
eyes bore through me. He stepped up to me and slapped me so hard my ears rang.
The pain was blinding, all-consuming.

          “I haven't spoken
to him in years...” I stammered.

          “Liar!” Roni's
voice had turned into a screech. “I remember the day we made the announcement
about buying RRR. He was on the ship then.”

          “Don't lie to me,
girl!” Another slap – harder, this time – and I began to see stars.

          “He's a g-g-g-ood
boy,” I began to stutter. “He's smart, kind. A son to be proud of. What do you
want with him?”

          “I want to give
him a fucking Father's Day present, now tell me where he is.” A third slap,
hard enough to send blood spraying from my nose. A sickening crack I prayed
didn't mean broken bones.

          I had to change
my strategy.

          “Okay,” I said,
trying to think fast. “I'll tell you, fine, fine. I know where he is.”

          “Where?”

          “Just...put the
gun away, first, okay? I can't think with you waving it at me.”

          Roni hesitated.

          “Do you want to
find your son or not?” I grew louder, now.

          This seemed to
work. Kyle's dad turned to Roni. “Put it down.”

          “But she's
lying...”

          “Why would I
lie?” I snapped. “I'm not interested in dying today. I think about myself.
That's what people do, isn't it? Think only of themselves, fuck over the people
they love?” I couldn't disguise the anger in my voice.

          “I don't know
what you're trying to say, you little bitch...” Her hands began to twitch all
too near the trigger.

          “Put away the
gun, Roni, or I'll wring it out of your hands myself.” Kyle's father took a
step forward; Roni teetered back, cowed. “I make the rules here, girlie.”

          I couldn't help
but feel a little sorry for Roni as she lowered the gun.

          “Now, what were
you saying...?”

          No sooner had he
taken a step towards me than the door burst open.

          “Everybody
freeze!”

          I recognized the
voice immediately. Warm, deep – like Luc's, but older. Throatier. Luc's father
– the police captain. And ten of his best men, their guns pointed straight at
Roni.

          “Arrest them,”
the captain barked. “Breaking and entering, attempted kidnapping, assault,
attempted murder, use of a deadly weapon – for goodness' sake, is there
anything you
can't
arrest them for?”

          Roni let out a
loud, feline wail – a screech so full of agony and fury I wanted to cover my
ears. And Kyle's father was staring like a caged beast, an animalistic glint in
his eyes as he looked at the men who were set to bring him back to the prison
he had only just escaped.

          “Take them
away....” Luc's father said.

          “How...?” Relief
flooded through me, along with shock. “How did you know we were here?

          “My son
apparently drove out to see you. Followed you to the cottage – wanted to talk.
When he saw the break-in he called me immediately...”

          Danny was
staggering to his feet. An angry bruise covered his forehead. “Neve!” He rushed
to me and gathered me in his arms. “Are you okay?”

          “I'm just....”
How could I even begin to explain. “I'm okay.”

          No sooner had
Kyle's father and Roni been led into the squad cars than the others arrived –
Kyle, Luc, and Steve, worried expressions on all their faces. I avoided Luc's
concerned gaze.

          “I'm so sorry!”
Tears were rolling down Kyle's face. “I should have known, should have
sensed...” He enveloped me in a bear hug. “I've been so selfish – making this
your problem, making all this your problem, putting you in danger...” He
sniffled, tears dripping down the end of his nose. “I'm so sorry, Neve...”

          “It's okay,
Kyle.”

          “No, it's
not
!”
He was almost hysterical. “Neve – I'm sorry – I've been a basket case these past
few months – I've been so freaked out about my dad, about everything that's
happened – I put you in danger...”

          “Never Ever!” It
was Steve's turn to grab me and pull me into a hug. “Don't you
dare
scare
me like that ever again, okay? Or I'll have to punch them in the face! I can do
that, now.” He held up his broken hand, now free of its bandages. Except for a
nasty purple spot, it looked as good as new.

          “You're better.”

          “We're all better
now, Neve,” Steve held me tight. “Me, you, Danny, Kyle, Luc...”

          Luc was in the
corner, talking to his dad. He caught my gaze, fixing his brown eyes on me. His
look was so full of intensity, so full of love, that my heart sank. I hadn't
even begun to think about what I'd tell him. That Danny and I were back
together? That it had taken all of thirty minutes after Danny's return before
we were sleeping together again? I felt embarrassed, ashamed. What kind of
person was I?

          And now the truth
would have to come out.

Chapter 20

         
B
efore I could say anything to Danny, Luc came
over to me, a nervous expression on his face. “Neve...” His voice was shaking.
“Are you okay, Neve?”

          I nodded,
swallowing down my fear. “I'm okay,” I said. “I saw a few stars, there, but I'm
okay, now.”

          “Here you go,” he
handed me an ice pack. “We practiced here so often, I know where Danny keeps
his frozen pizzas...”

          “Yeah, sure,” I
forced myself to laugh, but it sounded awkward, feigned.

          Luc's eyes darted
over to Danny. “Do you want to...talk? Like...now?”

          I nodded, hoping
Danny wouldn't notice the blush spreading over my face – the sign of my shame.

          “Let's go.”

          I followed Luc
outside to the cliffside. Together we stood, side by side, in the moonlight,
hardly daring to look at one another.

          “You
know...Neve...” He took a deep breath and gulped. “You're so beautiful, you
know. Standing here in the moonlight. I've always known how beautiful you were.
Always found you so lovely. I've had the longest crush on you – a crush that's
lasted as long as I can remember. I put you up on a pedestal. I used to think
you'd never date anyone, never...be intimate with anyone...that you were too
perfect, too wonderful, to lower yourself to be with anybody. While I was
seeing girls every night. And that wasn't fair to you, Neve. I get that. I put
a lot of expectations on you I shouldn't have. And the truth was – I was just
jealous. I wanted to be the only guy for you – the only guy you dreamed about.
The way you're that girl for me. But
am
I, Neve? Am I the guy you dream
about?”

          I couldn't
answer. How could I possibly break his heart another time?

          “Luc...” I began.
“I care for you a lot. I always have. You make me feel warm, safe, secure. When
I'm with you, I feel safe. And I know I can count on you to be there, and I
know what to expect with you...”

          “And that and two
dollars will buy me a coffee, is what you're saying?”

          “No – I don't
mean...”

          “You
do
mean,
Neve...you mean I don't make you go wild, make you go crazy with desire. You
mean you care about me, but I don't make your mind go blank. Isn't that what
you're saying?”

          “What we had,
Luc, what we shared...it was great.”

          “I loved being
with you like that, Neve. It made
my
mind go blank. I wanted to go all
the way with you, so badly. But I held myself back. Maybe I'm old-fashioned. I
didn't want to go all the way like that with you until I was sure I was the one
you wanted to be with. Because if we'd had sex, and then if you'd changed your
mind about me, I don't think I could deal...”

          “You're so good
to me...: I whispered. I couldn't look at him. “I care for you a lot. And there
were times when I wanted to go all the way, I really did. You're handsome,
sexy, charming...”

          “But?”

          “But?”

          “But I'm not the
one, am I?” Luc sighed. “You and Danny – you're back together, aren't you?”

          “Luc – I'm sorry.
I thought he'd cheated on me – I was angry– jealous – I was wrong...”

          Tears were
running fast down his face. “Good,” he whispered, and I could see that the
words were taking every fiber of his strength to keep from breaking down.
“Because if he hurt you, if he wronged you – I'll beat him to a bloody pulp.
He'd better deserve that love you have for him, Neve...”

          “It would be so
much simpler,” I sighed, “if I could choose you.”

          “I know,” Luc
said. “I understand – or I'll try to. I see how you are with him. I see how much
you love him. I wish I
was
him, sometime – but then again, I don't.” He
brushed away his tears. “I want you to be happy, Neve. And I'll fight like hell
for you if he ever proves unworthy. But the time you and I have had together –
at least we had that. And I'll always know what it feels like to kiss you, to
taste you, to be with you like that. And those memories will stay with me
forever.”

          He held me once –
one last embrace, one last goodbye – an embrace full of love, of friendship, of
the bittersweetness of parting.

          “Am I
interrupting something?”

          I looked up to
see Danny standing in the doorway, a look of anger and pain clear on his face.

         
Had he heard
everything
?

          “Danny – wait...”

          But it was too
late.

          “
Two weeks
,”
Danny was saying, over and over. “Two weeks – at my sick father's bedside, and
you're with someone else?
Two weeks
!”

          “Danny!”

          “Two. Fucking.
Weeks!”

          And with that, he
ran into his car and drove away.