Home For The Holidays - Jordan Silver Page 0,52
or most of it. There’re still some things I have questions about. Like why are you so adamant that the twins are not yours?”
“That’s not my fault entirely. All Deidre had to do was agree to a paternity test when I asked.”
“I don’t blame her for telling you to fuck way the fuck off. That’s not something you ask your wife, who’s been faithful to you. How do you think she felt when you asked her that after everything else? I can give you a pass with the kissing pic because it did look a bit suspect, but you never even let her explain the situation.”
“Instead, you burned every bridge between you two to a cinder and alienated everyone who loves you in the process for that viper. What? You’re having second thoughts? Please tell me that you are because I really miss my big brother.” How can I answer that? How can I tell her the worries and fears that have been plaguing me here of late without sounding like the complete ass I’m beginning to feel like?
“You think I’m a fool, don’t you? I don’t blame you; I’m beginning to think that I’m pretty stupid myself.
“You’re not stupid. You’ve just been letting evil rent space in your head for the past two years.” Someone knocked on the door, and before either of us could say anything, the door was flung open, and Tessa was standing there.
I opened my mouth to tell her that I’d be right down, but before I could open my mouth, something went flying across the room and hit her in the face. Thank goodness it was just an old stuff animal from my sister’s bed and not something that could do real harm. Sam’s words were a bit more lethal.
“This is a demon free zone; keep your ass out. And the next time you touch my door, I’m gonna knock your ass down the stairs for real.”
“Tom, let’s go.” Tessa screeched; how had I missed that before? She does that a lot. I looked from her to my sister and back, not quite sure what to do next. That’s the way it’s been for the longest while, this insecurity, and indecisiveness that has never been a part of me until now.
I loved Deidre with all my soul, and when she betrayed me, something died inside me, and this is what’s left. At least I thought she did. But now…
“If you leave this room in the middle of our conversation, you can forget you have a sister.” For some reason, Sam taking the decision out of my hands like that was just the answer I needed. For the first time in too long to remember, I told Tessa no.
“I’ll be down when we’re done here Tessa, close the door, please.” She looked at Sam, who just raised her brow at her and then back to me before stomping away from the door. “You didn’t have to hit her.”
“And you didn’t have to fuck her, so we’re, even. Now tell me, how do you plan to get this evil out of our house? We’re not catholic so I doubt we can land an exorcism but they gotta be something along those lines we can do to be shot of her. Either that or that farmland dad bought years ago that he never used.”
“I don’t get it; what’s that land got to do with anything?”
“It can be her place of rest. Remember why dad didn’t use it after he bought it? Because the area is overrun with coyotes and hyenas, and other predators that he was afraid would be a problem for the livestock he planned to raise. She’d be right at home there.”
“That’s not nice, Samantha.”
“So why is your lip twitching? Seriously though, do you want out? Just say the word.”
“What can you do?” Her smile reminded me of when we were young, and she was up to something that was bound to get us both in trouble and me more so because I’m the oldest.
“Leave it all up to me, brother mine.” She rubbed her hands together, and I was already regretting opening up to her about this.
Samantha
I was dancing around my room like an idiot as soon as he left. Yes-yes-yes, I knew my brother wasn’t a lost cause. I wanted to call Jared and tell him about this turn of events, but mom was calling up the stairs to me. I checked my watch on the way down and realized that time had