Chapter 39

After the past couple of days, seeing Jeri dressed was—weird. As soon as I’d replied to dad’s message, we’d dashed into action. Well, really, she did. All I could do was stay out of her way and keep Shayna occupied. And the latter didn’t require much because after my bath, she’d laid by the glass doors. My only distraction was finally receiving a text reply from Beth, who’d fallen silent after her orgasm. At least, she’d survived, but all she could send was a heart since she was eating with her mom and sister.

Meanwhile, Jeri was a whirlwind, tossing bedding into the washer, flinging open windows, and slapping a small floor fan on the sill to pull out the lingering aromas of our—lovemaking. Yeh, lovemaking. That felt both scary and exhilarating to admit.

Somehow, she found enough time to feed us while everything dried. She’d barely gotten the bed made and packed her things before dad’s car pulled into the driveway. Still sweeping shaky hands along the hips of her jeans, Jeri flashed me a smile. It was taut and anxiety flickered in her eyes. Oh, but how they also glimmered with lingering hunger. I’m sure mine appeared similar.

Once I released her, Shayna, with her tail wagging, dashed to the front door. She tugged it wide just in time for dad, his shoulders drooping and face gray, to help my mother into the house. Although she wore the same dress, it hung over a much slimmer figure. Jeri and I shared curious glances; there was no crying from the car and neither carried a baby.

Though Jeri’s eyes widened, I shrugged. To this day, I’m unsure why, but the fact they’d returned empty-handed didn’t surprise me. With a snuffle, Shayna slid under my hand to settle her muzzle on my thigh.

“Welcome home, uh. Mr. Clarke. Are you okay, Mrs. Clarke?” Despite Jeri starting for my mother, dad moved her past us with a nod and a taut grin.

“Yes. Thank you, Ms. Richardson,” my mother replied in a weak voice, before attempting a smile that became a wince as she leaned on dad.

As my parents headed for the bedroom, Jeri’s eyes caught mine. Had she gotten everything cleaned? Where were my siblings? What the hell had happened to my mother? She’d looked ... Well, not like the pictures of her, smiling in the hospital with me wrapped tight in that little blue and pink banded blanket and matching striped hat.

Once dad returned, he flashed a tired grin before hauling in their luggage. After he came back from their bedroom, the shower ran as he sighed and filled a glass with water.

“Okay. Sorry ‘bout that. Just wanted to ensure Wendy was settled. I’m sure you want to get home, Ms. Richardson. Any problems?”

“No, Mr. Clarke. Kyle was”—she paused to beam at me—”an absolute joy.”

After a deep laugh—somehow, I felt that was the first one he’d uttered in a long while—he raked his fingers through my hair and flashed her a grin. “Call me ‘Dave.’”

“You know, um, if you...” While clasping her hands in front of her, Jeri rolled her glossy lips—she wore fresh red lipstick—and gazed at me over his shoulder while he looked at Shayna. “If you’d like, uh, Dave. Well, um, school’s out soon for the summer. I could, um, you know, take Kyle for a day or ... Or I could, um, come over ... Uh, here again. If you, um, needed a break. I don’t mind. Kyle even taught me how to swim.”

“Well, started to,” I blurted while glancing at Jeri, my eyebrows raising. She hadn’t said anything about this grand plan.

When dad lifted his head to scan her, a twinge of jealousy rippled through me. From his widening eyes and lingering gaze, he was imagining her in a swimsuit. Then I held in a snort; she hadn’t worn one. That brought another sliver of jealousy. Was he picturing her without a suit?

“Uh, well,” dad murmured while straightening, before taking one more gulp of water.

“I can drive the van—Dave. If you’d let me borrow it. I don’t mind. I’ll rent a lift. Take Kyle to the lake or the city pool if you want. Whenever...” She peered at the closed bedroom door. “If you need some time alone with your wife. Kyle can keep teaching me”—as she flashed her dark pools at me, her lips curled into an impish grin—”to, uh, swim. And I’d help him with his studies. Make up for the lost classes and, uh, set him up for success next year.”

“Well, um. I’ll...” His eyes also drifted to the bedroom door. “We’ll, um, think about it. Thanks for the offer, Ms. Richardson.”

“Okay. Well ... Just, um, call me. Kyle was an angel.”

As Jeri stood on the threshold, her bag in hand, time dragged. Twitching, her muscles were as tense as mine. At any second, she could fly to me, or I’d roll forward to take her in my arms.

Except, of course, nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the Universe whipped ahead to catch up with us. At the quiet squeak of brakes, she looked out to see her ride-share arrive. After flashing me one last grin, she slipped into the darkness towards the car. Another pang of jealousy twinged as I caught my dad holding the same prolonged glance I was giving her.

While Shayna started tugging on the front door, the car door shut with a thump. Swirling in the dusky light, the muffled sound echoed for a million years. I managed one brief view of her sad face before her ride pulled away. After closing the front door, Shayna snuggled into me, her eyes also miserable. With an ever-softer grumble, the car faded up the street.

And then she was gone. The world got colder.

Not much later, once dad had tucked me in, he hesitated in the doorway. After a yawn muffled by his hand while glancing at their closed bedroom door, he looked at me.

“Good night, kiddo.” While dragging his fingers through his hair, he sighed. “Some things may change a little, Kyle.”

For a long second his mouth hung open as if to continue, but dad shook his head and turned away, his shoulders sinking. After that cryptic statement, he pulled my door closed.

For the first time in a couple of days, there was no moaning or crying out from their bedroom. With a chuckle, my heart thumped. God, I missed Jeri. And Beth. And both of them together. Atop me.

As I lay in the darkness, listening to the silence, the bed shifted. Wordless, my phantom slipped under the covers to snuggle tight to me. When she leaned closer, the icy metal of the ring on her leather collar dug into my shoulder. As the wet warmth between her shaking legs mashed into me, her pointed tits sliced their searing tips across my chest.

Do you still love me? Lord?

Somehow, I caught a shakiness in the “voice.” Of course, she was referring to my feelings for Beth and Jeri.

“Yes. Always.”

Because it was true. Yes, I was admitting to things that I’d suspected long ago. As much as I loved those two, despite whomever she’d been with, I also continued to have the same deep feelings for my mother. But, no matter who, or what, my ghostly night companion was, she’d ... Well, I’d never leave her either.

With those shamanic drums returning, I glanced into my naked shadow’s moonlit face and smiled. Her full mouth glistening, she returned the grin. The anxiety gone; her dark eyes gleamed. With each forceful push of her sodden fleshy petals into me, her lips parted ever wider. In time with her needful thrusting, the rhythmic drumbeats grew louder while her whimpers lengthened.

Rimmed with white, her black pools became bottomless. Even as her moans morphed into soft stuttering cries, and her petite frame shuddered, blackness gripped me.

Before I knew it, the alarm roused me. Although the breakfast before they left was tense, the one after my parents returned was far more stressful.

Earlier, after receiving a text from Jeri saying she was taking off to recuperate, my motivation for school plummeted. As dad had lifted me from bed, I’d asked to skip a day. Despite me being ready with a litany of excuses, he’d said nothing and only given me a quick nod.

Turns out, that wasn’t such a bad idea. I was exhausted. As we ate, I was quiet between soft yawns. There were no sounds besides soft slurps of coffee and the clink of forks on plates or my cereal-herding spoon in the yellow bowl. Also staying home from work, my mother, appearing a little more alive and fresher with her hair in a thick ponytail, moved as if in a daze. Silent with dulled eyes.

Although she wore a fuzzy, plum-colored sweatshirt with a gold zipper down the middle, it was closed to her neck. In matching hip-hugging pants, not quite loose, the outfit clung to her enticing curves. Would she ever wear lingerie again?

And dad? In putty dockers and a green polo, his eyelids kept drooping. With his shoulders sagging, he only stared at his tablet, out through the rain-spattered glass doors, or at Shayna.

It was freaky. Beyond freaky.

Once the grueling breakfast had ended, I rolled away with Shayna, hoping to chat with Beth or Jeri or ... Why did I continue to believe Mrs. Cameron would call? Though I doubted it, I checked anyway. There were no texts from anyone. It was still too early. Perhaps.

After a long sigh, I moved onto the back deck, splashing across gray puddles. I hadn’t even heard the storm rumble through during the night, but the concrete glistened. Large globules of water adhered to the white metal lift arms, glittering in the morning sunlight. As I inhaled the crisp, post-rain air with a grin on my face, a trio of birds flitted overhead, calling to each other.

Right as Shayna started to haul on the slider to pull it closed, my mother issued a loud groan. When I looked inside, she was shuffling, coffee mug in both hands, following dad into the office. Once he’d sat behind his desk, she settled on its corner beside him, just out of sight.

“Are you okay, Wendy?” At the concern in dad’s high-pitched voice, I waved Shayna away before she could finish closing the door.

“I miss them, hon.” My mother’s reply was almost inaudible and followed by a soft sniffle.

After gesturing to Shayna, she pulled the slider wide enough for me to roll inside. Also keeping silent, she slipped to the ground beside me, watching my parents. With my mother leaning close and dad gazing into her face, they didn’t notice us peeking.

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