Zenith Rising (38 page)

“Are you Dr. Heathersby?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“You’re Erica Heathersby?”

“Yes.” She waved her hand towards the
nameplate on the front of her desk.

“Sorry. I’m nervous, I just didn’t dare to
hope I’d actually found the right Erica Heathersby. You’re really a
doctor?”

“Hope so. Do we know each other?”

The woman flushed. “Oh no. No. excuse me. You
must think I’m deranged. My name is Lydia Briggs.”

Erica sat down, and motioned for Lydia to do
the same.

Lydia was staring at her, taking in her
office, her decor, her hair, her stethoscope. Erica wondered what
warranted such scrutiny.

“I’m sorry, did you want to see me about
becoming your doctor? Or is there a specific condition you felt was
urgent?”

Lydia’s gaze came back to her face. “Oh no. I
don’t need a doctor. I work for a local magazine. I’m a
contributing editor of the society pages.”

Erica frowned. “You’re a reporter? Did you
want some kind of interview?”

“No. Nothing like that. I ran across your
name in an article we’re working on. It was for eligible
bachelorettes in the Seattle area. You know, an expose on local,
professional women who have successfully become outstanding in
their chosen fields. However, when we looked into your background
and achievements, someone mentioned you weren’t single and that you
already had a boyfriend.”

Erica grimaced. Spencer would love this. “Uh,
that’s private, Ms. Briggs, I can tell you right now that I don’t
want to be featured in any column, or interviewed for any article
unless it’s related specifically to my work.”

“My reason for coming here is more about the
name I ran across as being connected to yours.”

What the hell? What did this woman want? She
visibly swallowed before taking a deep, calming breath, and seemed
to Erica on the brink of tears.

“The name was Spencer Mattox. Do you know
him? Spencer?”

“I’m sorry, I really prefer not to be
interviewed, on any personal subjects.”

“Please, is his name Spencer Martin
Mattox?”

Erica was growing as agitated as Lydia
Briggs. “And I’m not going to say anymore to you. Please be so kind
now to leave me alone.”

“I can’t. I just need to know for sure.
Please, I’ve searched for a long time.”

Erica jerked forward. “Why? Why are you
searching for this man?”

Lydia licked her lips. “Because he’s my
son.”

Chapter
Twenty-Four

“You’re Spencer’s mother?”

“So you do know him! It’s my Spencer. He’s
alive! He’s really alive!”

A stab of guilt filled Erica’s chest. Spencer
would have skinned her alive for talking to the very woman who
betrayed him so mercilessly, and behind his back. But God, the
woman Erica saw before her appeared to be in so much pain, and
hearing Spencer was alive seemed like the only thing that could
cure her. Erica couldn’t look Lydia in the eyes and play dumb. No
matter how much Spencer didn’t want to know or see his mother
again, here she was. “He’s alive. He’s fine. Spencer is fine.”

Lydia closed her eyes for a long moment and
tears streamed down her cheeks. She was not like Erica pictured
Spencer’s mother to be. Erica envisioned a cold bitch that all but
abandoned her helpless son. Not a well dressed, classy-looking
woman who could have been Erica’s own mother. Not a woman with fat
tears and pain in her eyes, now profoundly relieved to learn her
son was still alive.

“Thank you. Oh God, thank you. I didn’t think
after all this time, he’d be alive and well. I can’t believe he was
only twenty minutes away from me all these years.
Twenty
minutes.
God, oh my God. I gave up looking for him years ago. I
thought he was dead, or in prison, or strung out on drugs. I
thought I was too late. And he’s here, and dating you. My God, he’s
dating you, a beautiful doctor. Is that really true?”

“You were looking for him?”

Lydia opened her eyes, but was still
breathing with difficulty. Looking so touched by the good news,
Erica didn’t think she was faking it. The woman was practically
resurrected at hearing her son was alive and well. This woman loved
Spencer. “Yes. Of course. I looked for him for years. He followed a
punk who lived next door, Rob, and left home at only age thirteen.
One day, they were both just gone. They seemed to just evaporate
into thin air. He never let me know he was okay. Or that he was
even alive. That Rob Williams somehow convinced him to leave
us.”

“Rob Williams actually saved your son. In
fact, if it weren’t for Rob, your worst fears would have befallen
Spencer. Of that, I have no doubt. They still live together. In
fact, I consider Rob a close friend.”

Lydia’s mouth dropped open. “But… but he was
such a little shit! And Spencer looked up to him, and followed him
around like a lost puppy dog.”

“No, Spencer stayed close to the only person
who tried to stop Barry, your stepson, from molesting him. That’s
what Rob did for Spencer.”

Lydia’s face paled. “No. No. I remember when
Spencer claimed that once. We thought he was just jealous, having
to share me with another man and live with another boy in the
house.”

“How could you ever think Spencer made that
up? At the very least, it was a blatant scream for serious help.
Were you really so shocked that he ran away after you refused to
believe him?”

“Yes, I was. I was heartbroken.”

Erica was convinced that she was. “What
happened to Barry?”

Lydia shuddered at the name and closed her
eyes. “He stayed with us for a few years after Spencer disappeared,
and then kind of drifted away. Eventually, we quit hearing from
him.”

“Did you know Spencer stabbed him the night
he ran away? Impulsively stabbed him so Barry couldn’t rape him?
Then Spencer ran to Rob’s and begged him to leave. Rob knew what
was going on. They both thought that no one believed them, and no
one would help them, so they ran away.”

“No. No, I didn’t know any of that. Barry
didn’t ever let on he was hurt, if he actually had been. He always
played dumb about Spencer’s disappearance.”

“You didn’t suspect any of that?”

Lydia took a deep breath. “I was only
seventeen when I had Spencer. For years, it was just the two of us,
always on the brink of homelessness. Then one day, I met Jerome
Briggs. He had money, and earned a decent living; but to me, it
seemed like a small fortune. He was nice to me, and eventually
asked me to marry him. So I jumped at the chance. I wasn’t overly
fond of Barry, but I considered him a minor drawback to the rest of
my life becoming easier. I didn’t want to believe Spencer.”

“Who was Spencer’s father?”

“Just a man I knew. I was seventeen. I worked
the night shift at a diner and had a brief affair with the short
order cook. He quit his job there and moved before I realized I was
pregnant. Obviously, as you can tell, he was Mexican. I never knew
what became of him, and had no way of contacting him.”

“That must have been terrifying for you at
such a young age.”

“It was. My parents kicked me out, after I
decided to keep the baby, saying they couldn’t stand it.”

“They kicked you out?”

“Yes.”

Erica nodded. “I can’t imagine how hard that
would have been.”

“It was. I didn’t want to lose him. But then,
Spencer... I should have believed him.”

“Yes, you should have. But I think thirteen
years is sufficient penance for that.”

“Do you think he’ll see me?”

Her heart sunk for Lydia. No. No, she didn’t
think Spencer would see her. Or forgive her. Or even listen to her.
“To be honest. I don’t know. He’s not exactly easy going. He’s
bitter. And he doesn’t forgive or forget easily, nor does he let
things go. He’s very intense.”

“Always was. He was the quietest little boy.
Always watching everything, not like other little boys who couldn’t
sit still. He would play for hours all by himself. I used to take
him to the dentist’s office I worked in and he would play quietly
around my desk, all day long.”

“Did you love him?”

“Desperately. I always loved him. I never
intended to fail him, or lose him for half his life.”

Erica was sure Lydia was being truthful, but
she couldn’t promise Spencer would believe her. Or that he’d even
care.

“Look, I can’t just take you to see him, and
ambush him. You hurt him, probably much more than Barry did. He
never got over your betrayal. I can’t say if he’ll see you. I’ll
talk to him, but that’s all I can promise.”

Lydia nodded with visible hope and tears in
her eyes. “Do you love him? I just hope he found someone to
love.”

Erica looked up, surprised by the question.
“Yes. I do. Doesn’t mean much yet. He spent too many years alone,
with no one to love, but Rob. So if there’s any humanity still
inside him, you owe that to Rob Williams.”

“God.” Lydia breathed audibly, shutting her
eyes. “What have I done? How wrong have I been?”

“Just—” Erica began to say when she stopped
dead as her door swung open.
Spencer.
Erica stood up in a
rush. Why was she so shocked to see him? He always came to get her
when she was ready to leave. But Erica had gotten so captivated by
Lydia’s unexpected visit, she lost track of the time.

“You about ready, Doc?” he asked from her
doorway before his gaze darted to Lydia as she turned towards his
voice.

Spencer started to speak… but his eyes
rounded and he quit moving. He recognized Lydia as his mouth opened
in shock. He lifted his eyes to Erica, which were wide with the
tacit accusation of betrayal, and in that moment, as quick as a
wink, he decided she was guilty.

Erica darted around her desk and banged her
hip in her haste. She immediately panicked because she knew exactly
how he would react.

He started backing up.

“Spencer! Wait. God! Just wait.”

But it was too late. He turned and was nearly
down her hallway at a brisk jog before he vanished that quickly.
Erica wilted in the doorway. He probably thought she deliberately
ambushed him and purposely set this up. The timing was too
suspicious. He just recently shared his past, and now, here sat his
mother in Erica’s office, after thirteen long years. But of course,
instead of sticking around to hear the explanation, or say hello to
his own mother, he ran. He was furious. He lost his temper. He was
awful.

Lydia stood next to her, her mouth hanging
open. “My God, he’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He is. What he isn’t, though, is
easy.”

“He’ll think you somehow planned this.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry to have put you in this position.
I had no other way to contact him. You can always explain it to him
later.”

Erica’s stomach hurt. “Yes. Of course. Of
course. He just needs a little space right now. I’ll go to his
house later.”

Lydia pulled a card out of her purse. “These
are all my contact numbers. Please, please call me, one way or
another. I know this is putting a lot on you, but please convince
him to meet with me. Just five minutes. Surely, he can give me
that.”

“With most people, yeah. With Spencer?
Really, there’s no guarantee. But I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Dr. Heathersby.” Lydia squeezed
Erica’s hand. “And I know I have no right to say this, but I’m so
pleased to know you’re his girlfriend. Please take care of
him.”

“I can only do as much as he’ll let me, which
usually, isn’t much at all.”

****

Erica tried calling Spencer all evening, but
from past experience, she knew he wouldn’t take her calls. She
didn’t really understand why Spencer wouldn’t just talk to her, or
even allow her the courtesy to explain. Spencer would react as he
always did: at gut level, his temper exploding. He was now right
back into his full “trust no one” mode, and would protect himself
at all costs while he assumed everyone else was genuinely bad, out
to get him or hurt him. And now, of course, he’d think Erica was
that way too. He’d convince himself that she didn’t really love
him. And somehow, Erica knew he’d deem her betrayal the worst
because he actually started to trust her. And care about her. And
love her.

Finally, Erica gave up calling him and just
drove over to his house. She parked, steeling herself for the
confrontation. She hated waiting at his house. She felt nervous,
almost like she’d done something wrong, when in reality, she did no
more than accidentally meet his mother. His mother sought out
Erica, not vice versa.

There was the sound of movement, and finally,
Spencer jerked the door open.

“Erica,” he said, looking surprised. How
could he not have expected to find her at his door? Erica started
to step past him when she felt his body stiffening. Oh good God,
would he not let her into his house now?

“Erica, wait.”

She looked up at him when his voice sounded
weird. He was not furious or enraged as she expected. He sounded…
what? Contrite? Nervous? Profound?

“Come on, Spencer.”

Erica froze when she heard the voice calling
from inside the house. A woman’s voice. A voice she knew far too
well.

Erica recalled the time she burst in on
Spencer and Tamira. She felt her heart sinking, and wanted to drop
right there, and wilt. Her guts started to twist when she saw her
own sister walking towards her. Her little, slutty sister. Erica’s
mouth dropped open.
No.
God! This couldn’t be happening. Her
sister was there in a little black skirt and a practically-nothing
blouse. Why was Morgan there? How could Spencer have gone to her
sister so quickly? Her own sister? Bad enough, and horrible enough
that he could do this to her, but with her own sister?

“Erica,” Spencer said again, his tone now
more earnest. Then he had the nerve to put a hand on her arm.