Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
He stood up abruptly and stormed out of the kitchen leaving me to wonder what the hell just happened.
Chapter Fourteen
Nick
I avoided Frankie for the next couple of days because I couldn’t stop thinking about that lost expression her eyes that reminded me of a kicked puppy. She had no right to look so wounded when she was the one who’d caused the irreparable damage.
I didn’t necessarily have to trip her that way at breakfast, but I was still angry and confused. It had been my intention to make her uncomfortable, but the harsher I was toward her, the guiltier I felt. Maybe it was time I reread Kenny’s journal again to renew my justification for treating her exactly the way I had been.
I couldn’t keep letting her get under my skin. Every time she was around me, my dick had a mind of its own, and I could think of nothing else than to touch her, hold her, devour here until she had no other thoughts than me. Most importantly, I wanted her to realize that she’d made a big mistake leaving me for Kenny. I wanted to whip him out her memory until I was the only man in her thoughts.
It made me feel like a shitty person for having such uncharitable thoughts about my own brother. It was bad enough my brother had been dealt a tough hand with his disability, but to have had someone like Frankie attach herself to him who basically found a way to shorten his life was worse. The coroner had said that he’d died of natural causes, so there was no real way to prove that she had harmed Kenny in some way.
My mother was certain of it. My mother was always full of conspiracy theories and had a bit of a persecution complex, but this time I had to agree with her. Maybe if I continued to make Frankie miserable enough, she’d end up confessing somehow. And there it was: excuse number 125 for why I had taken her into my home. It seemed as though a new one popped into my head to justify the fucked up thing I was doing. It was my way of dealing with the guilt.
I glanced at my watch impatiently as I waited for my mother to arrive for lunch. She was the one who suggested the country club. I hated coming here because it was nothing but a bunch of pompous jackasses and overpriced food. This place was nothing more than a status symbol where people could flaunt their wealth amongst themselves.
The only reason I had purchased a membership here was to entertain clients, and it afforded a degree of privacy that wasn’t given in public restaurants. I had added my mother under my account as a member, and she loved it here. It was funny how she loved this place so much considering we didn’t grow up wealthy. After our Dad left, my mom struggled like most single mothers. It had been up to me to be the man of the house, and I was the one who helped her with my younger siblings.
According to my mother, I had done a horrible job at it. It was half an hour past the time she was supposed to arrive before my mother came sauntering inside dressed to the nines. If nothing else could be said about her, she never left the house looking nothing but her absolute best. Her designer skirt suit combo seemed tailored just for her, and I could tell her hair was freshly done by the way her silver curls glisten. Make up expertly, done, she could actually pass for an older sister rather than my parent.
I didn’t know why my mother never remarried because she never seemed to be short of male attention. She smiled as she made it to our table and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek just enough not to smear her lips stick. “How are you, darling? I’m so sorry I’m late but I wanted to look my absolute best for my son. I had an appointment with Mr. Maurice, and one simply does not rush Mr. Maurice.” She fluffed her hair with a smile as she waited by her chair.
I hoped to my feet and went to pull out the chair for her. “My apologies.”
“I was wondering where your manners were.”
“I suppose I have a lot on my mind.”
“Hmm, well, you’re forgiven this time.” She looked around. “It looks as if they’ve redecorated this place since I’ve been here last. I’m glad they changed that dreadful wallpaper.” She reached across the table and touched my hand. “I’m so happy that we can get together like this. It’s been so tough since…well, you know. I feel so lonely without him.”
“But Kenny hadn’t lived with you for a couple years. He’d moved out of the house when he got married.” I don’t know why I needed to point that out, but something seemed off about my mother today, and I didn’t know what it was. Everyone grieved in different ways, but my mother loved saying how sad she was about my brother’s passing, but it was hard to tell if she wasn’t actually talking about it. It could have been a situation where she was putting on a good front to cover her emotions, but I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was all in my head.