Chapter 22
Rated "M"
XXII - A Childhood Worth Forgetting
I had spent that whole night and morning trying to put all the puzzle pieces together about Dallas' murder. Despite having every single damn piece of information there was on the planet, I couldn't seem to figure it out, to put each and every piece together to turn the complex puzzle pieces into a beautiful picture. Or really a picture of the guy who murdered a man. A man who just happened to be both my partner's brother and a man who was going to propose to his girlfriend as soon as he got the chance. Either I was loosing my ability to infer how the hell something like this couldn't add up, or something was missing. Or both, for all I knew. Everything seemed to be go not-as-planned lately. Hell, I cried at a funeral and it wasn't even because of the guy who was dead!I was sick of sitting there at the desk in the hotel room, staring at files that looked as blank as Zak's face when he first heard about sex. I was annoyed, pissed, raging, sick, temperamental, everything that I wished wasn't going on in my brain was happening. And it was all because of that God damn murderer.
I stood up and flung the files off the desk, papers flying onto the ground at record speed. I stared at the painting in front of my, my breath uneven as I attempted to calm myself down. But whatever I was doing wasn't helping. I just seemed to get angrier at the fact that I hadn't heard from Roxanne in hours and I was in literal hell trying to piece together all the shit in those stupid files. All the information that I didn't even need to give a damn about because they didn't make any sense. I swallowed and took a breath.
"House keeping!" I heard from outside my door as a hard knock came to light. I choked and snapped my head toward the direction of the door.
"Uh... not right now!" I yelled back. I felt myself twitching as a side affect of not getting any sleep. I thought of my first day meeting Roxanne. She had tried to get me to pull an all-nighter, but I couldn't do it. Why? Because I was that guy who needed sleep no matter what situation came to light. Why did Roxanne not care about sleep? Probably because she was fucking crazy. That was the only explanation I could come up with...
I suddenly became dizzy, my vision spinning as I made my way to the bed, collapsing on the neat, fixed comforter and not even bothering to lay my head on a pillow as I closed my eyes.
I knew from the start that it had been a bad idea letting myself fall asleep. I had so much work to do. From, again, trying to figure out the stupid murder case, to going out and buying a suit, or tux, that I'd probably never wear ever again. But the need to sleep was too much for me to fight as I drifted off, thinking of no one else but that blonde. That blonde...
I suddenly thought of Zak. At Violet's birthday party - if you could even call it that considering half of us were drinking while she opened her presents - Zak had said that I had been in denial. Was I? In denial? No. I was not in denial. I had no feelings for Roxanne, no matter what everyone else said. I was not attracted to Roxanne in any way. Physically, mentally, emotionally. If half of those are even real. No. I wasn't. Roxanne was an ice cold bitch who hated me as much as I hated her.
So then why didn't I believe myself?
"Oh, shit..." I muttered as I ran up the steps and to the door of the community building, making sure to not scratch up my new dress shoes on the concrete steps too early.
"Name, please." A deep voice spoke as I looked up to see a dark-colored man blocking the door. I stopped and checked my shoes for a moment, almost dazed by his sudden appearance and then looking back up.
"Alexander Semepers." I said, my heart racing and my body out of breath as I had ran all the way from the end of the block to the building.
"You're not on the list." He said, almost glaring at me. I sighed.
"Isabel Winston invited me yesterday at the funeral. Talk to her. She'll back me up."
"If you're not on the list then you can't go in. Host's orders." I sighed again, reaching into my pocket as I spoke.
"Does it help that I'm NYPD?" I asked, holding out my badge. The man looked from me to the badge and back again. His eyes landed on me and he straightened his posture, moving away from the door, nodding for me to go in. I reached for the door in mere seconds when I heard heels clicking behind me. I noted that the officer next to me had widened his eyes slightly. I swung the door open and held it for the last and first person I wanted to see. Roxanne.
"Wow. Holding the door open for women..." She muttered. "Deacon's taken. Sorry to burst your bubble." She said almost slyly as she stopped right in front of me and looked me in the eye, a smirk being displayed lightly on her face. I swallowed as I looked at her lips, which were painted with a light pink, unlike the rest of her outfit which by looking from the corner of my eyes, I could see contained all dark colors.
She couldn't have gone any quicker as I felt my heart speed up just looking at her. I suddenly wanted to memorize her lips, every curve, every crease, every taste, whether sweet or sour. I wanted it.
I clenched my fists at the thought. What was happening to me? Why was I thinking like this? It had never happened to me before. Twenty-eight years, a million women, a thousand opportunities to please every person on my list, from my parents to myself. Why? Why did I have to see Roxanne this way? Why couldn't I have just hated her?
I did hate her. I didn't like her. I just had to keep telling myself that.
"Winston..." Deacon, the officer at the door, muttered. I turned to face him, an eyebrow raised in question.
"What?"
"Winston. The Winston family... The most famous family in Jackson. Known mostly for their looks, their good genes, their seductive manner."
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." I said, again, not believing myself as I denied all evidence of myself falling for... Roxanne.
"Roxanne Winston. You know her. You work with her." I crunched my eyebrows together as he continued. "Word travels fast, you know. Especially when it has to do with the Winston family. Anyway, Roxanne Winston is the third child of Sterling and Isabel Winston. The brains of the family, yet her physical appearance challenges her older sister, Krystal Lena Winston and her own physical appearance. No one's seen Roxanne in years. People are excited to see her again. To find who men prefer."
"Who men prefer?" I repeated, interrupting him as he finished his sentence. He nodded and sighed.
"It's interestin'. You have a guy, he meets both of them, falls for one, and one only. It's Ms. Krystal verses Ms. Roxanne. A battle that could be one easily as Ms. Roxanne takes certain interest in fleeing while Ms. Krystal stays out of pure curiosity. But we all know the truth about the two. Krystal's the only one keeping up this charade. Roxanne would rather die than deal with her sister's unhealthy and uncouth habit."
I didn't say anything as I nodded slightly before entering the building, hoping to God I wasn't a candidate. Shit. Was I already?
"Alexander!" Isabel spoke happily as she embraced me. "I'm so glad you came, darlin'!" She said, letting me go to inspect me. She was wearing a green dress, which surprisingly looked good with her blonde hair and tan skin. "Look at ya'. I bought Dallas somethin' like this years back..." She said, dazing off slightly before shaking it off. "You look handsome as ever." She smiled and I returned the friendly action. My eyes suddenly met with a familiar pair of ocean blue ones and I swallowed as I stared at her. Krystal.
"Go, ahead, son. Don't be shy." Sterling spoke, his southern accent thicker than everyone else's. Isabel pushed me lightly into the crowd of people as I made my way to sit next to Krystal at an empty round table.
Krystal wore the least amount of clothing at the party. She wore a golden, strapless dress that barely covered her thighs and showed off her cleavage more than anyone could imagine. Her hair was in long, locked curls and her eye makeup brought out gold flicks in her iris'.
"You look... beautiful..." I spoke, making sure I used the right choice of words. Yes, she did look pretty, but she also looked a little inappropriate as we were at basically a party to celebrate her now deceased brother's life.
"Thanks... You look handsome." She said, biting her lip. "And you're just saying it to be nice. Admit it."
"No, no. You look... gorgeous..." I said, spitting the words harshly. She sighed softly and looked at me, a smile plastered on her face.
"Thank you..." She spoke softly and shyly. She gazed shyly, an action only meant to be a distraction from her blushing, but her eyes suddenly hardened at a sight. "Looks like my sister's going to town on that champagne. She should know better than to expect to get drunk off of it." She said and I looked across the room to see Roxanne sitting alone with a glass of champagne and a bottle next to her. She guzzled the alcohol down and I could almost imagine her sighing. She looked... beautiful...
No. No she didn't. Just no. I didn't like that midnight blue strapless dress with layers of rough, frilly fabric that enhanced her waist and made her look even more like a model. No. I didn't like that makeup that made her eyes look even more blue, and no, I didn't like those heels and no, I didn't like the jewelry or the hair or the accessories or the way she looked so fit for the event. No. I didn't like it. And again, I didn't believe myself.
"Does she drink often?" I found myself asking the woman. I could see her shrug from the corner of my eye before she spoke.
"I wouldn't know. We may be siblings, but I haven't seen Roxanne since she left for college when she was eighteen. I don't even know her major."
"Marine Biology." I said, answering a question that hadn't been directly asked, but still was visible in Krystal's voice. She rose a brow at my answer. "Marine Biology. That's what Roxanne is studying right now."
"Right now? As in currently? Then what did she do when she left? FBI training?" I wasn't sure if it was a question or secretly a low blow to her sister, but whatever it was, I was confused. Why would Roxanne go to college again if she had a bachelor's degree. I knew exactly that you had to have one to become an agent for the Bureau, so why was she going to college again? Was that her dream or something?
"I don't know..." I muttered as I looked over at the blonde across the room. Roxanne pulled out her phone and looked as if she was answering it. Her facial expression didn't change as she stood up and left the building through the front door, leaving her jacket, her purse, and her long gloves on the table. I swallowed as I watched her leave.
"I didn't mean to be rude a few days ago." Krystal suddenly said and I looked over at her to see her watching Roxanne leave. She turned to me to continue. "On the sidewalk. I wasn't trying to be pushy or anything..."
"It's fine, really..." I said, glancing at my hands before looking back up at the blonde.
"Roxanne... she was the closest to Dallas than anyone else. They were inseparable as children." I swallowed and stared at Krystal as she glanced toward the door, almost like she needed to see her sister again. "They were so alike. So... perfect..."
"Perfect?" I asked, confused as to the description as Krystal had said before that Roxanne was basically the "runt" of the litter, or family, so to speak.
"Well, not perfect in our parents' eyes or even mine for that matter, but still perfect. They were like two peas in a pod, the two of 'em. They did everything together. They were best friends, and now look at 'em. Dallas' deader than a bent doornail and Roxanne's more uptight than a Northerner during the Civil War. I might not be the best sibling in the world, but it hurts to see what they've become. It hurts more than I ever thought it would."
"You said before that she was the runt of the family. How...?" I asked vaguely, but Krystal nodded as she understood what I was asking.
"Neither Roxanne, nor Dallas were willing to change to our parents' content. Pa wanted Dallas to join the Army, take after him in some form, but Dallas wanted to be an engineer, which to our father was the opposite of an epitome of careers. They got into a lot fights, but nothing they said or did could compare to the hell Roxanne gave our mother when she tried to get her to become just like me."
"What happened?"
"Ma wanted another Southern Belle in the family. Roxanne had the looks, she just needed to dress and act like one. Roxanne made life a living hell for my mother. At times I find that it serves her right considering that she hadn't given up on her dream for eighteen years. She'd sign her up for pageants with me all the time, and during every one of them Roxanne would go missing. It started off as a few days and then a few weeks and when things between them got really bad, Roxanne would be missing for months on end. She still went to school, but she never came home."
"What did she want to do? Instead of pageants and everything?"
"Roxanne didn't care for Ma or me and what we thought to be perfection for females. No. She wanted to be like Pa. Work and school and jobs and everything that didn't have the word 'feminine' stamped in bold letters on it. But Pa wouldn't give her the time of day, even if he knew she could succeed and make him proud. She was girl, and our family was written on pure sexism and gender roles. Everyone knew that Roxanne would rather let herself get killed than affiliate herself with the specific gender role she was meant to play. She'd never bow down to my parents. She'd never get married, she'd never have children, she'd do everything possible to get away from her family.
"It all went to hell when my mother did the last thing she could to keep her daughter from ruining herself. Or to keep her daughter from ruining her own sophisticated and perfect reputation." Kathryn said, looking at her hands.
"What was it?" I asked, even more curious of the blonde who I was now affiliated with.
"An arranged marriage..." Kathryn muttered so softly that it could've been called a whisper. She laughed lightly as she looked back at the door that hadn't opened since Roxanne left. "She lost it. Roxanne lost her temper when she was approached with it. We only thought she'd be gone for a few months at the most, so we planned the wedding. A few months went by and there was no contact from her. She left the state the day before she turned eighteen. She hasn't come back until now..." Kathryn dazed off, her eyes slowly moving to the ground a few feet away from us and I could only stare at her.
What the hell had happened to Roxanne? That. That happened.
"Who was it?" I asked Roxanne as I sat down on the concrete steps and looked at her. Her cell phone was face up on the curb next to her as she fiddled with the diamond bracelet on her left wrist. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I was quite surprised that she didn't have a lit cigarette in her hand.
"Summer Dwight." She said simply, gazing up at the sky. I followed her eyes to the bright stars above us and was immediately mesmerized by the sight. Yes, we were still in a city, but in Jackson, you could still see the millions of glowing stars lighting up the sky unlike New York City, where I was born and raised.
"What did she say?" I asked, still looking up at the glowing white and red stars.
"There was a mistake made on the record. Wrong person's files mixed with Dallas'. He still died from the concoction, but it wasn't murder. The man we're supposed to be looking for is merely a drug addict. The Jackson police took care of him hours ago. The family's safe. The boarding passes have been changed. We're leaving tomorrow."
I just stared at her, my eyes memorizing her figure in the moonlight. Her strappy, ankle-high heels shined in the moonlight, as well as the beads on her dress, and despite my angle, I could see her eyes doing the same.
I felt my heart ache as I stared at her. I wanted to ask how she was doing, but I knew what the answer would be. "We're not friends. We're partners." I couldn't listen to her deny me information again right at that moment. After I had found out what her childhood was like, I couldn't take the denial of an answer. So instead of saying anything, I stood up and walked back inside, back into the life of the party.
Another Chapter! Yes! I finished it faster than ever!
Thanks to those of you who reviewed recently (zzzeus11, Guest, Chanel C). You're all awesome, as well as the rest of you who've reviewed. :)
Again, R&R! I love to hear what you think!
✌lustfuleyes100
No comments:
Post a Comment