Beautiful Affliction(26)

"Here. From my room."

"Oh, that's OK. Thanks, though."

"But Brent said you're really good. You even helped the police identify someone."

"It's not that…" I demur, as she continues to hold them toward me.

"Whitney, if she doesn't want them…" Brent says, leaning on the edge of the bed.

"You're both so silly," she declares. "Look, I'll just leave them in the corner of the closet here, so that you don't have to look at them, god forbid, but you can use them if you want." I have to laugh at her level of exasperation. "I mean, you could even do a portrait of me, if you wanted. Or Brent," she adds, barely able to contain a smile. I widen my eyes at her, knowing she's teasing my about that picture of her brother she found.

"Where is everyone?" We all turn to the door at the sound of Mrs. Redmond's voice. She walks in and stops short at the sight of us. "Oh. What's going on?"

Mr. Redmond stands. "This is going to be Cora's bedroom now. She can't continue to stay in Jody's old room." I shift my weight from foot to foot as Mrs. Redmond struggles to maintain her composure.

"I see. And whose idea was that?" she asks politely enough, though she's looking right at me.

"Mine," Mr. Redmond says. "And I'm very happy that Cora agreed to it."

"Yeah, me too," Whitney pipes up with a grin. I think she just enjoys seeing her mother's feathers ruffled. I watch Mrs. Redmond take a deep breath.

"Well, I suppose there's a new normal now. And I know I can be a bit old-fashioned." Whitney snorts at this statement and Mrs. Redmond quiets her with a glare. "I'm glad that you'll be staying with us, Cora. Ms. Mueller says you're a hard worker, and it would be simply impossible to find anyone else now."

Well, there was a compliment in there. "Thank you," I murmur.

"We'll let you finish getting settled in," Mr. Redmond says, signaling to his family that it's time to leave. I watch them go, Whitney sticking out like a sore thumb between her dark-haired mother and older brother. Mr. Redmond pulls the door shut behind him, pausing at the last minute to smile at me before closing it.

I sigh as I feel my heart tug toward him, as though he's walking away with it down the hall. I still want him. Desperately. More every day. I shake my head at myself and glance around the room. It's beautiful, really, with a four-poster bed made out of dark wood and sumptuous details everywhere. I've always counted it as my second favorite bedroom in the house, behind only Mr. Redmond's. His is actually less cozy that this one, I think, but his smell is everywhere. I always spend a bit more time cleaning his room than I need to.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to feel like this room is really mine. I walk over to the window overlooking the front of the house. The sun has just set, leaving a pale remnant of its light in the sky. I start as I look down to the lawn and see a strange man walking around the side of the house. I squint at him, then remember that Mr. Redmond told me there's a nighttime security guard now, and the man is indeed wearing a uniform.

I shiver as the reality of the situation sets in and turn around to look at the bed. Not even these Egyptian cotton sheets will help me fall asleep tonight.





Chapter Fourteen





"Cora! Cora!" I feel a strong pair of hands gripping my upper arms, shaking me out of the darkness enveloping me. I try to breathe but can only manage a deep, gasping sob. "It's alright, you're alright," the voice says, and my panic recedes as strong arms wrap me into a tight hug. I concentrate on trying to breathe for a moment, allowing my body to relax into the warmth against me.

My fingers twitch slightly, and I become aware that my palm is resting on a man's bare chest. My eyes open slowly and I look up in confusion and shock as I see that I'm being cradled in bed by a half-naked Brent Redmond.

"What's…what's happening?" I murmur.

"I heard you screaming…you must have been having one hell of a nightmare," he whispers down to me. My eyes shut again as I remember what I was dreaming about, and tears begin to flow down my cheeks.

"Oh god…I saw Jody's body being pulled from the lake…all swollen and pale from being in the water…and then suddenly I was above her, and they were turning her over, and it wasn't Jody anymore…it was Grace," I explain, burying my head against his chest, any idea of decorum forgotten.

"Who's Grace?" he murmurs, stroking my hair.

"My sister…my little sister," I reply.

"Just try to take a deep breath," he says, his mouth hovering just above my head. I obey, feeling my body rattling as oxygen flows through me. "There you go," he says soothingly, taking my next few breaths with me. Feeling myself rising and falling on his chest calms me, and I begin to take stock of the situation. Mr. Redmond is sitting upright against the wooden headboard, shirtless but wearing pajama pants, and he's holding me against him. I'm splayed out immodestly in a plain cotton nightie that's barely covering the essentials. And I have no inclination to move.