Stepbrother Untouchable(19)
Author: Colleen Masters

“And here I thought I was covering well,” I say, stalling for time.

“Maybe to other people, but not to me.” I stare at him for a moment as his features are illuminated by the light of one of my favorite, willow-shaped fireworks.

“There’s a woman…she’s going to go on the news tomorrow and say that your dad sexually harassed her.”

“That’s crazy,” he hisses at me.

“I’m just the messenger—you insisted I tell you—” I stammer, taken aback by his tone.

“My dad, he’s a great man. He’s a pillar of the community—”

“A pillar of the community?”

“What? He is!”

“It’s just, sometimes the way you talk about him…he’s not perfect, Nate.”

“You don’t know anything about him. When my mom abandoned us, he took care of me all by himself. He’s always been there for me.”

“OK, I’m just—”

But Nate storms off back to the house. I stand in shock for a moment. I knew that conversation wasn’t going to be fun, but I didn’t think he’d turn on me like that, as though I were attacking Pierce, or something.

I turn back toward the crowd just as the finale begins and the sky lights up. I glance at the people around me, their faces upturned, their expressions joyous. Maybe it was silly of me to look forward to everyone leaving. Because now I realize that tomorrow, it will be back to the four of us alone in the house—and no buffer zone.

My eyes fall on Pierce and I realize he’s staring at me. He smiles quickly when he realizes that I’m looking at him, and leads the applause as the last firework dies out.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I was half-worried that the plan was for all four of us to watch the TV program together, but thankfully there’s no such expectation. Or at least, I haven’t been told of it. It’s the first time in a while my mom hasn’t insisted on a family dinner. She’s been holed up in her room most of the day, while Pierce fields calls from his attorneys in his study.

I decide to grab some leftover pasta from the fridge to eat in my room, and peer into Nate’s room as I pass. No sign of him.

I shut my door behind me and open my computer to check out some of the coverage online. I feel nauseous as I read the woman’s claims, though slightly relieved that she isn’t accusing Pierce of any kind of violence. She talks mostly about lingering touches, shoulder massages, and being stonewalled by management when she complained.

I finish eating and click around the internet for a while, feeling restless. When I can’t stand my boredom any longer, I take my plate and walk back down to the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher. The phone on the counter rings as I’m headed past it. I pause for a moment, waiting to see if someone else is going to answer it. What if it’s a reporter? Do I just say ‘no comment,’ like they do on TV?

On the third ring, I decide to bite the bullet. “Hello?”

“Hi, is Nate there?” a female voice asks breathlessly. Ah, another admirer.

“Sorry, I don’t think he is,” I reply honestly. “Can I take a message?”

There’s a slight pause. “Is this Holly?”

“No, this is her daughter, Brynn. May I ask who’s calling?” There’s another long pause, and I begin to feel uneasy.

“It’s Eileen…Nate’s mom.”

I almost drop the phone in surprise. “Oh, um, I don’t—”

“Wait! Please, please don’t hang up. I just saw the news, and thought that Nate might be willing to talk to me now.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Because he’ll know the truth about Pierce, and then maybe he won’t believe whatever he says about me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I should be in the middle of this.” Whatever it is.

“Please, please…” I hear her gasp and the clear sound of crying. “I haven’t talked to Nate in so long…he’s my son, he’s my son.”

“But you chose to leave him…”

“Is that what Pierce told you?”

“No, Nate.”

“He heard it from Pierce. I left Pierce because he was cheating on me. But Pierce is used to having everything his own way, and he was furious. He was the one with the money, I came into the marriage with nothing, and signed a pre-nup. I mean, I barely even looked at the thing at the time—I thought we’d be together forever. He had an expensive lawyer and managed to get full custody in the divorce. I never had a chance. I’ve been trying to get in touch with Nate for years to tell him the truth…I left Pierce, not Nate. I would never leave my son. I never would have divorced Pierce, even though he was cheating on me, if I had known I’d never see my son again. I thought after seeing this woman on TV, maybe he’d believe me…” She dissolves into sobs.

“Eileen, Eileen, it’s OK,” I whisper, feeling sick. Something about what she’s telling me rings true. I can feel it in my gut. “I want to help you, but…Nate, he’s really touchy about his father. I don’t know what I can do.”

“I know, and I’m sorry to put this on you. I call the house now and then trying to get Nate, and I was just hoping that he would pick up tonight and not hang up on me.”

A sound behind me makes me fly around. Pierce is standing in the doorway to the dining room.

“Everything OK?” he asks.

“Yep, everything’s fine, Pierce,” I reply so that Eileen can hear me.

“Just take down my number, alright?” Eileen says quietly. “Please, just tell him what I said.” I write the number down on a small notepad on the counter, conscious that Pierce is watching me.

“Got it, thanks. Talk to you later,” I say, and hang up.

“Not a reporter, I hope,” Pierce says with a sad smile.

“No, just a friend,” I reply as nonchalantly as possible, and rip the paper off the pad and stuff it in my pocket.

“God, this has been the longest day of my life,” he says with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. “I hope you and your mom don’t get dragged into anything. There might be some reporters hanging out by the gate tomorrow. Probably best to just avoid them.”

“Sure, no problem.” He looks so tired, and I find myself quickly feeling sorry for him. He seems so genuine right now that it’s hard to believe what Eileen and this other woman are saying about him. The man in front of me paints such a different picture.

“On the other hand, though, I’m glad that you and your mom are here right now. Maybe it’s selfish of me. But I don’t think I’d make it through all this without her. She’s really brought light back into my life.”