Chapter 28

Adam and his mother entered the living room on the apartment, freshly washed and dressed. Erin was still gently teasing her son about being sore, and they had become remarkably comfortable with each other considering the short time that had passed. Adam was trying to give his mother some space. Despite everything they had done, Adam was still feeling aroused. Whatever it was that had happened when he’d visited the Cave that morning had changed him again. He felt like he could literally have sex all day.

Adam sighed. If only life could be that simple.

“So I guess we better get the day started. Although we’ve already missed lunch.”

Erin laughed lightly, leaning against her son’s side.

“Yes, and I’m quite hungry. Someone has made me burn a lot of energy today.”

Adam flushed slightly but grinned down at his mother.

“Sorry not sorry.”

“It’s a good point though. We should see about having lunch. Although I’m not sure if I want to risk seeing your father at the restaurant.”

Adam shook his head.

“No, it’s fine. We’ll order some food and I’ll go get it. I should track down Emily and the girls as well, they might not have eaten either.”

“Yes, and we should get Delilah as well.”

“Delilah — she said she would get in touch with us when it’s time for me to pick her up. Anyway, I’m sure she has food at her house.”

“I know Adam, but that was a while ago now.”

Adam smiled at his mother reassuringly.

“She said she would call. That she had things to do. I’m sure if anything had changed we would have heard from her by now.”

Erin looked uneasy, but nodded reluctantly.

“Okay, I’ll leave it a while longer.”

They looked at each other for a moment. Adam took a breath.

“We should work out what we are going to do with you and dad as well. Because I meant what I said. You aren’t going back to him.”

Erin hesitated.

“Adam ... I appreciate it. Truly. But it won’t be that simple.”

“I don’t care, now that I know —”

It was Adam’s turn to hesitate. He had been meaning to bring it up, but had never found the right time. But he didn’t want to hide his knowledge any longer.

“Mom. I know about him and your sister.”

Erin started. Then she flushed, looking ashamed as she stared down at the floor.

“Oh. You do?”

“Don’t you look like that. That’s not your fault. It’s that ... bastard. And bitch. But I saw them. So dad knows that I know as well.”

Erin’s lips for a moment at the convoluted convoluted statement.

“ ... thank you, Adam. But it doesn’t change the way I feel.”

Adam looked at his mother for a long moment.

“How long has it been going on for?”

“A long time. From before I ... a long time.”

Adam shook his head in disgust.

“I know dad’s a creep, but I cant believe that Tessa was so okay with fucking her brother-in-law. I mean, isn’t that —”

There was a muffled noise from behind the door in the closed bedroom. The room where they had thought Fiona still slept. Adam and his mother looked at one another, Erin biting her lip. After a long pause, the bedroom door slowly creaked open.

Fiona slunk out, rubbing at her face. She kept her eyes low, and she didn’t look at either of them at first. Her cheeks were pink, and Adam wondered how much she had heard.

“Oh, Aunt Erin. And ... Adam. Where am I? I don’t remember...”

Erin nodded at her, eyeing her niece carefully.

“Fiona. Are you ... feeling better?”

“What? Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Adam looked his cousin over. She seemed to be fine. No trace of her confused state at least. She had slept for hours without stirring though.

“I found you down by the pool area. You looked a little ... out of it. And you were upset.”

“The pool...? why was I down...”

Fiona’s brow furrowed. Then she glared at Adam, beginning to look uneasy.

“So you just brought me back here? Where am I?”

Adam sighed.

“It wasn’t just me. Holly and Kendra were there. You’ve been asleep, and they were here watching over you. Mom and I have only just got back here.”

Some of Fiona’s rising outrage faded.

“Oh. Them.”

Erin stepped closer to her niece.

“Everything is fine, Fiona. You’re in an apartment that...”

Erin trailed off. Adam could tell she was hesitant about saying why they suddenly had a seperate room. But if Fiona took it into her head to go and tell her mother about it, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do at this point.

“ ... it doesn’t matter. But do you remember what happened?”

“What do mean? No, I — wait. I was with ... Todd, and...”

Fiona stomped her foot. She glared at Adam like it was somehow his fault.

“That rat bastard! He was cheating on me with your slut sister!”

Erin hesitated.

“Fiona...”

Fiona’s eyes flickered over to her aunt, and her face flushed slightly.

“Oh, whatever! It’s not like I’m ... fuck! I don’t care, when I see her next I’m still going to kick her ass!”

Adam decided not to mention that Emily had been one of the people watching over her. Nor was he going to mention his doubt that his skinny little cousin could physically overpower Emily. No, he was more interested in the fact that she didn’t seem to remember anything about Todd. Adam didn’t know exactly what had happened — had only gleaned the basics from her confused ramblings. But from what he had seen her boyfriend do, it seemed likely that he had tried to control her and failed.

Fiona made as if to leave, pushing past the both of them, but Adam stepped in front of her. Her eyes widened in outrage, but he held up his hands placatingly. Adam couldn’t let his cousin go wandering around — he didn’t want to risk her running back into Todd.

“Fi — Fiona. Wait. You told me a few things when I found you. Do you remember what happened? What happened this morning when you spoke to Todd?”

“Adam, get out of the — Todd? I ... I talked to him this morning. He didn’t come home last night. And then I talked to him, and...”

Fiona trailed off. Adam saw her eyes unfocus, and a hint of fear appeared.

“He ... he tried to ... what did he do?”

Fiona started to tremble. Erin looked concerned, and shot Adam a look. She stepped forward and gingerly took hold of the girl by the shoulders.

“Fiona. It’s alright. You’re safe here.”

Fiona tensed as her aunt touched her, but then she stepped closer, hiding her face on Erin’s neck. Her shoulders began to heave, her breathing quickened. She was starting to hyperventilate.

“He — I was — I don’t know what he did!”

Adam felt sick as he watched his mother hold Fiona. He wondered at what the strain on her mind doing to her — being unable to actually remember what Todd had done. She’d looked so disheveled when they had found her by the pool — but not to the point that Adam worried that something truly terrible had happened to her.

Adam watched as his mother comforted Fiona. It took her a few minutes to calm down, and when had she gently extricated herself from her aunt’s hold. She wiped her eyes as she looked down at floor.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so ... all over the place. It’s like I had a bad dream or something.”

Erin looked at her niece, her expression conflicted. Adam remembered that his mother had never really had much to do with Fiona — or any of them for that matter. Erin had always particularly kept Fiona at arms length though ... Adam blinked, narrowing his eyes as he looked at his cousin anew. Could she actually be ... Erin patted Fiona on the shoulder gingerly.

“Don’t apologise. It’s clear you’ve had ... some kind of fright. Fiona, would you — would you like to stay here a while? It’s a private apartment. If you want ... some time to yourself for a bit?”

Fiona hesitated, biting her lip. She looked embarrassed and still a little scared.

“Um. Maybe? At least for a bit. I should — I should let my Mom know I’m okay. I haven’t seen her today.”

Erin’s face closed off, but she mustered up what could have passed for a smile.

“Yes, you should do that. I’m sure she knows you’re safe though.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll just — just wash my face first.”

Fiona gave her aunt a hesitant smile, and Adam a quick unreadable glance. Then she excused herself to the bathroom.

Adam walked up next to his mother as she let out a long sigh. He leant in close, whispering so that there was no chance of Fiona overhearing.

“Fiona ... she’s not just my cousin, is she.”

His words came out my like a statement. Erin blinked, her mouth opening ... and then her shoulders slumped.

“No. She isn’t.”

Adam put an arm around his mother, hugging her close into his side. She turned within his arms and clutched at the front of his shirt. Adam wondered at how his mother had felt all these years. It would have been bad enough, knowing that her husband was fucking her little sister, but this as well? No wonder his mother had always been so cold and aloof. Adam and Fiona had been so close when they had been younger as well, always together. At least until Tessa had taken it upon herself to drive them apart ... A thought struck Adam. Fiona was a little under a year younger than he was. That meant that his mother would have just given birth to him when Tessa had turned up pregnant.

“Fuck. He’s such a piece of shit. Does Fiona know?”

Erin shook her head, rubbing her face against his chest. She sighed, and then carefully stepped back. She eyed the closed door of the bathroom, clearly worried that Fiona might come out and catch them.

“I don’t think so ... no, I’m sure she doesn’t. John ... your father was worried how it might look if it got out.”

“As if the pricks he worked with wouldn’t just hi-five him anyway...”

Adam muttered as he started to pace. He wondered if he could use that somehow. His dad’s obsession with appearances. His cousin being his half-sister ... Adam didn’t quite know how to process that part. Not yet.

His musings were cut short by Fiona exiting the bathroom. Her face was damp from splashing water on it, but she looked better.

“Thanks, Aunt Erin, but I should go find my Mom. I don’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing, Fiona —”

Adam interrupted his mother. He looked Fiona in the eye.

“Your Mom’s with my dad. They looked quite ... busy. Why don’t you just leave her a message? Your boyfriend was with them the last I saw as well.”

Fiona hesitated, her eyes flickering. Adam wondered if she truly didn’t know, or if it was just because of his mentioning Todd. He could see his mother giving him a look, but Adam didn’t want Fiona wandering around. It wasn’t just that she could let his dad know where his mother was, it was because he didn’t think she would be safe.

“I guess I could do that, but —”

Erin stepped in.

“Why don’t you stay for lunch at least? We were just talking about ordering something when you got up.”

“I am kinda hungry ... alright. I’ll just message Mom.”

Fiona pulled out her phone and started tapping on the screen. Adam heaved a sigh, looking at his mother.

“I guess I’ll go order something. I’ll have a look for the girls as well, although they might have already eaten —”

The door burst open with riot of sound — voices talking excitedly over one another. Adam spun around, tense, but it was just those he was about to go and find. In fact, not just his sister, Holly, and Kendra. With them, looking slightly nervous, was —”

“Kalista?”

Adam blinked. There was a loud scoffing sound as a blonde woman bounded over to him. Kendra prodded Adam in the chest.

“‘Kalista’? Oh, that’s nice! You vanish for hours and you only have eyes for the new girl. Holly, you hearing this?”

“Yeah, I did. Hello, ma’am.”

Holly ducked her head slightly at Adam’s mother. Erin smiled back, looking slightly overwhelmed at all the sudden visitors.

“Call me, Erin, please. How are you all? Emily?”

Fiona’s head whipped around and she stared daggers at Adam’s sister, but she didn’t say anything with so many people watching. Instead, she stepped closer to Kalista.

“Kalista! Hi! I haven’t seen you in days. What are you doing here?”

“Oh. Hey, Fiona. How’s it going? They said you weren’t feeling well today. Why I’m here? I ran into them all at the bar, and we just started chatting.”

Kalista shrugged. She didn’t look all that pleased to see Fiona, and Adam wondered what had happened between them. Kalista gave Adam a quick glance, but he couldn’t decipher it. He didn’t have time either, Kendra was still prodding him insistently in the chest, pouting up at him.

“Ow, Kendra — I’m sorry, alright? Things just — wait, are you drunk?”

Kendra grinned up at him toothily.

“Nope! Well, tipsy, maaayyybe. But we got bored and decided to find some fun. We found Britt at the bar! We’ve been chatting about the history of this place. Well, that and drinking.”

Adam couldn’t help but smile.

“So I see.”

Kendra hugged him around the waist. She then looked around shiftily, before standing on her toes to whisper in his ear.

“Actually, Holly and I played a game, and I won! So how about you and I —”

“K, slow it down, baby.”

Holly came up to Adam, looking at him searchingly. She was smiling, and if she wasn’t as tipsy as Kendra, he could still smell the alcohol on her breath.

Holly nodded towards Fiona.

“I see your cousin woke up.”

“Yeah, just a few minutes ago, actually.”

“Does she...?”

Adam shook his head.

“No, she doesn’t really remember anything. I want to keep her around a little longer — after lunch at least. Have you guys eaten?”

“Just some bar food. Nothing substantial. Lunch sounds good actually. I can go place an order if you want —”

Kendra shook her head, bouncing on her feet.

“Nope, I will! Or rather, we will! This is perfect!”

Adam blinked.

“What’s perfect?”

Holly sighed. She sounded put out, but her lips were still quirking upwards.

“Oh, she won a bet. She thinks that —”

“Nuh uh! Keep it a surprise. In fact —”

Kendra addressed the room in general.

“Hey everyone! We are going to order some lunch. Adam and I’ll go get it. So let’s work out what everyone wants!”

Kendra started going around to everyone, and Adam leant closer to Holly.

“I was going to do that anyway. Am I missing something?”

Emily appeared at Adam’s side, and huffed out an irritated breath.

“She wants to jump you. She’s been insufferable about it for the last hour.”

Holly murmured something that sounded like ‘jealous?’ to Emily. Adam watched as his sister flushed red. He eyed her.

“So, you all seem like you’ve gotten closer?”

Holly grinned.

“Well it turns out we all have a lot in common. Right, Emily?”

Adam’s sister muttered under her breath, blushing a darker shade of red. He wondered at what they could have been talking about. From the knowing look on Holly’s face it was almost as if ... Kendra bounded back, all smiles.

“Okay, order’s done! Come on, Adam. We don’t want everyone to be hungry.”

Adam looked down at the blonde woman. She was vibrating a bit on the spot, and looked excited. Adam could see his mother giving him a rueful and amused look as she stood with Kalista and Fiona.