Chapter 31: I Can’t Stop You

Get reacquainted we did. We sat on the sofa, kissing and cuddling with the telly on for background noise—I couldn’t even tell you which channel it was on.

Vicky looked in on her way out to work but made no comment. She just smiled at me and left. Once our initial release of passion was out of the way, we simply held each other. I wrapped her up in my arms while she rested her head on my chest. And for the first time in a month, I felt whole.

“I really should go and confront Mom,” Clarissa said. She lifted her head to look into my eyes. “Come with me?”

“If you want me to. But don’t you think that might antagonise her just a little.”

“That’s the point. I need her to know I’m serious and that I’m not taking any more of her—” The ringing of her phone cut her off. I had to smile when I realised she’d set her ringtone to the theme song of the movie we had watched the night she gave me her special dessert.

She picked up her handbag and fished out the handset. “It’s Mom,” she said after looking at the screen then pushed the button to answer the call. “Yes, Mom?”

The volume was just loud enough for me to make out what she was saying. “Where are you? You’re supposed to be getting ready for your date tonight.”

“It’s Wednesday, Mom. I asked you not to arrange dates for school nights. You wouldn’t let me see Paul on a school night.”

“Yes, well this is different. James is only available tonight and you need to go out with him before you decide who’s taking you to The Ball.”

“Well, I’m not going.”

“Yes, you are, young lady. I had to pull a lot of stings to get this set up and you will not back out now. You’ll do as you’re told. Or else.”

“Or else what?”

“You know what.”

Clarissa glanced at me then took a deep breath. “The thing is Mom ... I know now that that’s just all an idle threat.”

“What?”

“Do you want to know where I am? Do you want to know who I’ve just been talking to?”

“What? Where?”

“I’m at Paul’s. Yes, Paul’s. And I’ve just been speaking to Mr Brown. You know, Daddy’s lawyer. Well, Daddy’s friend, apparently. And, I guess, he’s my lawyer now too.”

“What?”

“And do you know what he told me? He said you can’t stop me from having Daddy’s money. He told me it’s not only up to you but up to him and Mr Williams too. And they don’t see any reason to hold the money back.”

“What? Wait, he told you that? Uh ... I’ll call you back. Just ... Just, don’t go anywhere.”

Clarissa clicked her phone off and put it away. “She said not to go anywhere, so how about I cook us something nice to eat? What’s in the fridge?”

My wonderful girlfriend—I assumed she was my girlfriend again from the way she was acting—whipped up something sumptuous in record time from ingredients I would never have thought to put together. Hell, I didn’t even know half of them were in the fridge. Moments after she’d put the plate in front of me and I’d licked my lips in anticipation, the doorbell rang.

“Who can that be?” Clarissa asked.

I shrugged. “Kevin, maybe? I don’t know.”

I was wrong.

“Mrs Rodgers?” I said when I opened the door.

“Liddington-Rogers,” she replied. “Is Clarissa still here?”

I pointed towards the rear of the house. “In the kitchen.”

She nodded her understanding and breezed past me as if it was her house, not mine. I followed, thoroughly confused.

“Mom?” Clarissa said as we entered the kitchen. “What are you—”

“I spoke to Will. He confirmed he’d spoken to you.”

“And?”

“And...” She took a deep breath. “And I realise I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to. Not anymore.”

“So, I don’t have to go out tonight?”

She glanced at the table. “It looks to me like you already are out.” She looked at me, then at Clarissa. “You know how I feel about this.” She waved her hand at me. “You can do better.” With a sideways glance at me, she said, “No offence.”