All Novel Romance
67
“I hate them.”Sandy said as tears started to form.“Merlin,Trent,Torrie.Since you put the restraining order on us and Isaias took over the company,they have nothing to do but sit in their house and be mean.Merlin was bad enough with his neat freak tendencies and the way he loses his mind if you drop a single sock on the floor.Holy shit he’s so anal retentive.Not to mention the fact he doesn’t have sex.Ever.I don’t think he even jerks off.How did you do it?”
Liesl watched in disbelief as Roddy rubbed her back as if consoling her.She looked to Janka,“did I step into the twilight zone?Roddy what are you doing here?With her?”
“She fucked someone else on your wedding day.A man she blackmailed for a year to keep fucking her over and over.”
“What?”Sandy frowned at Janka’s comment.“I never blackmailed anyone.”She looked to Liesl,“what is she talking about?”
“Merlin gave me a story about how you blew him in the bathroom at Mom’s party and when he realized he was making a mistake,you told him if he didn’t finish the job and fuck you right there,you were going to come downstairs and tell everyone you knew where his freckle was.”
“Okay,yeah,”she made a face,“the day of the party I did help him get the ice cream off his pants and one thing led to another and his cock was in my mouth.”She clearly had no problems with her actions as she spoke matter-of-factly,“I mean I was brushing his pants down and he got harder than a rock.I teased him a bit,blew him and then he was going to walk out and leave me hanging.I told him if he got to come,he either returned the favor and ate me out or he fucked me.He fucked me.I was good with a one and done.”
Janka spoke up,“he said you blackmailed him for months.”
“I didn’t blackmail anyone.”
“They had meetings with the board of directors because you were extorting Merlin to keep the affair going.They told him to do whatever it took to keep your mouth shut.”Liesl commented seriously.
Sandy stomped her foot,“you know what?Fine.I wanted him and I knew I could have him.He stared at my boobs all the time.My ass too.I used to catch him staring and he would mock me and say things like,if I didn’t want to be ogled,I wouldn’t dress like I did and I knew he wanted it.The day at Mom’s party was the first time either of us gave in but whenever your back was turned,he wanted in my pussy.”
“Okay!”Roddy squeezed her arm.“I said I would come here and help you talk to your sister but if you’re going to go haywire,Sandy,I’m going home.”
“The first time I had sex with Merlin,yes,I told him if he didn’t finish what he started and left me wet and horny in the bathroom,I was going to go downstairs and tell you I blew him with his fists in my hair while he railed my face.”
“Sandy!”Roddy hissed.“Please.”
“But every single time after,it was Merlin,calling me,texting me,emailing me.He came to me at the wedding,Liesl.Snuck into my dressing room.I told him he shouldn’t be there,and he was there.I got caught up in the wickedness of it all,and well,”she turned her face away,“I might have been more than a little excited to take something from you.”
“Sandy,you demanded my engagement ring,my house,you harassed me for months!”
“I know!”she shrieked.
“Why?Why are you always trying to make me miserable?”
“I don’t know.”Sandy grimaced.“If you figure it out,tell me because I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars in therapy over the last seven years to figure out why it is I derive such infinite pleasure in making you cry.I don’t know why I’m like I am but I am.The instant I have the ability to get under your skin,I feel the need to exploit it to the millionth degree.Christ,I even made a pass at Isaias and he’s the furthest thing from attractive to me I can think of yet,the minute I saw how upset he was over Merlin and Trent,I wanted to take him from you too.”
“Sandy,you’re unhinged,”Janka said dryly,leaning against the counter.“You know this right?”
“Yes.I do.I know I have a problem and everything in my life centers around Liesl.”
“Why can’t you leave me alone?”Liesl whispered.
“I’m going to.”
“Yeah,right.”
She spoke quietly.“Your act of cutting me off for a month really helped and I needed the space,Liesl.The first two weeks were hard but then I filled my days with therapy and talking to Roddy.I realize,Liesl,for my own sanity,I need to be as far away from you as possible.You’re bad for my mental health,Liesl.”
“You make it sound like she’s the problem.”Janka hissed angrily,“but she’s never done anything to you.”
“I know it’s not her,”Sandy said quietly.“I know Mom wants you to do a dinner with me and Merlin at Grans on the weekend.I need you to do it.”
“What?Why?”
“She needs to put on a show,”Roddy said quietly.“She needs to make Merlin believe she’s still obsessed with him and with you and making sure you two stay apart.”He rubbed his head,“we’re leaving the country.I have a job offer in London,England.I’m taking it.Sandy is coming with me.We feel strongly if she is away from you,away from the triggers which make her hyper focused on making you react to her,then she can heal and get to the root of whatever this mental illness is.We can’t do it here.Your family will never give her the help she needs.They all like to wash their hands of her because she’s difficult.”
“Difficult?”Sandy gave a sad sniff and leaned her head on his shoulder.“You used to make it sound like a good quality,Roddy.”
“I like you provocative,not difficult,love.”He teased her and kissed her temple.
She looked to Liesl sadly,“It pissed me off.Everyone was accusing me of being the worst,so I was the worst.Gran told Mom I was such a mean-spirited bitch I’d probably steal your wedding ring right off your finger,so I demanded the engagement ring.Auntie Maureen said I was the kind of person to fuck someone’s husband in the wife’s home and then take over the house for myself,so I demanded the house.I gave them all what they wanted.They’ve hated me since I was small.They all treated me like I was a demon.I gave them what they wanted.”Sandy sighed loudly,“look,I’m not proud of it but it is what it is.One part of my brain knows you’re my sister.I love you.I feel empty inside when I don’t see you.The other half of my brain wants to know how far I can push you and make you cry before I feel satisfied.”She looked away,“I’m sorry Liesl.For what it’s worth,I know I’m sick,but I didn’t know how to fix it until you cut me off.It seems being away from you is the best plan.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I had to report my passport stolen because he locked it up and my new one won’t be ready until Saturday afternoon.I plan on being on the Sunday night flight.I need to get out of the country before he realizes I flew the coop.Agree to the dinner.I’ll pick a fight with Merlin.He’ll leave.I’ll say I’m staying at Mom’s,but I’ll be leaving with Roddy on the eight o’clock flight.”
“Are too,”Janka flicked a brush full of water at her face.
“Yes.He called me at lunchtime,”she looked to her phone,“two hours ago.”
“He’s been gone three days.You’re sullen,moody,and weepy.”
“I’m not weepy.”She grimaced at Janka.“I’m sexually frustrated.”
“I guess.If I had gotten used to nightly romps with a man like Isaias and had them taken away from me,I’d be frustrated too.”Janka teased her.
“Tell me about it.Doesn’t help he knows how much I like those deep v ridgey things which are at his hips,and he took a very strategic selfie this morning and told me he wished my tongue was right there,”she shivered.“I could almost taste it.”
Janka chortled at her.“Slut.”
“I am definitely wanton where he is concerned.He’s not going to be home until Monday.It’s three more days.I have never been one to wish my time away,but I want him home.”
“It’ll pass quick.If I didn’t have a date tonight,I’d come over.”Janka smiled.
“This guy seems promising though.”
“I guess,”Janka shrugged,“I’d rather go raid Isaias’wine cellar.”
“He wants to take me away,only the two of us and I was up until midnight looking at very exclusive resorts.Is it weird I don’t really care where we go?I just want him with me.”
She grabbed the bag of jellybeans she’d bought at the grocery store and popped a handful in her mouth and turned her attention back to the canvas.She gave a pitiful sigh and studied her project.Her heart wasn’t in it.
“What are you eating?”
“Jellybeans.I stopped at the grocery store last night to get ice cream and peanut butter filled chocolate cups and saw these and had to have them.”
“Liesl,that has to be a five-pound bag of candy.”
“Three,”she grinned over a mouthful.“My favorite are the pear flavored ones.”
“You can’t eat your feelings.”
“I’m not.I’m painting my feelings.I’m eating my sexual frustration.”NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
Janka snickered at her and then reached her hand into the bag narrowly avoiding Liesl’s smack.“It’s a giant bag.You can share.”
“Mine.”
“You’re like the freaky little guy in the movie your mom likes.”
“I’m just glad we were born before she saw the Lord of the Rings movies,or we would have been named Sam,Frodo and Pippin.”
“Nah.None of them were musicals.”
“True.”Liesl agreed and then looked to her phone a feeling of panic settling over her at the number on the display.
“How many times has she called?”
“This is the eleventh time today.”
“Are you going to answer?”
“It’s my mom.The minute she knew Isaias was out of town,thanks Fred for letting it slip,”she said sarcastically,“she started calling to ask me to talk to Granny about Thanksgiving.I want to tell her to go fuck herself.”
“Then do it.”
“Isaias said if I wanted to test the waters with a dinner at Granny’s with Sandy and Merlin there,he would hold my hand,but he doesn’t want Trent anywhere near me.”
“No wonder.The guy had a folder of you on his desktop.Filthy pig.”
“Well,I told Fred I have Granny’s painting almost ready to unveil.It’ll be ready by Sunday.Maybe they can come for the unveiling and if my Aunties are there it will be more focused on Gran and less on me and Sandy.”
“It’s a shitty idea and you know it.”The phone’s incessant ringing was proving Janka’s point as she motioned at it,“you know it’s Sandy putting her up to the calls.”
“Yes.Sandy’s made her own calls.They go straight to voice mail.I really wish I could change my number.Having so many clients and patrons who have this number is an issue.”
“Sandy called?You didn’t tell me this.”Janka sat down and flung a jellybean into the air and caught it.She chewed it thoughtfully,“these are really sweet.How is your stomach not rotting?”
“I don’t know.I feel like I can’t get enough of them.”
Is Sandy calling too?”
“Yeah.She left three voice mails.All of them sweeter than these jellybeans,telling me how much she misses me and she’s sorry and wants to talk.Bullshit.”
“Anything from Merlin?”
“He hasn’t called or reached out but as I was going to the car from the grocery store last night,I caught a glimpse of him in his car parking.Thankfully,Mallory and the brute squad were on hand to get me home without him.”
“So,it’s beginning?”
“I don’t know.What I do know is Isaias tightened up my security ten-fold while he’s away and I’m grateful.”She grinned over a mouthful of candy,“did you know I got a hand-written letter from Craven in the mail?It was part of the settlement.She had to apologize in writing to me personally and she posted a video on her social media which said she was dealing with substance addiction,and it made her think in an alternate reality.She offered her heartfelt apologies about lying about being in a relationship with Isaias and putting my life at risk with her overzealous fans.She was in a sixty-day facility.Her parents locked her right up.She seems to be back on her feet,and I do believe her apology is sincere.
“It’s what your mom should have done with Sandy.Sixty-days in a padded cell to get her head on straight.Instead,she’s back to her tricks.”
The trilling of the bells at the door made them both look up.
“Please be a customer and tell me we didn’t summon her like a demon,”Janka whispered as she headed to the front of the gallery.
“Mallory wouldn’t let her in.”she called at Janka’s retreating back with her fingers crossed.
“Oh,hell no!”Janka’s loud screech made her sigh loudly and drop her bag of candy to the table with frustration.
She exited her workshop and made her way to the front of the gallery and lifted her eyebrows at the couple standing at the counter.