Stepbrother Dearest(37)

“I hurt you,” he said, his fingers still locked around my skin.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. My eyes were still closed.

Elec quickly moved his hand off of me when we heard footsteps.

“There you are,” Chelsea said as she walked toward where we sat on the couch. “I don’t blame you two for wanting a breather. This night has been exhausting.”

I immediately got up and offered her probably the fakest smile I’d ever conjured up in my life. My heart was still racing from what I’d just experienced.

“The priest is getting ready to lead a prayer. I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it,” she said to him. “Are you feeling okay to head back upstairs?”

“Yeah…uh…I’m fine,” he said. “Let’s go.”

He gave me a quick look that was hard to read before turning around toward the stairs with Chelsea. I followed them and watched as he placed his hand on the small of her back, the same hand that had just been wrapped around my neck a minute ago.



***



After the wake, Greg and Clara invited a few people back to their house for tea and pastry. My mother felt obligated to go, which meant I needed to stay with her and drive her home.

Mom and I were the last to leave the funeral home, so by the time we got to the house, the dining room table was full of people. The house smelled like freshly made coffee and the blueberry scones Clara had just taken out of the oven.

I wished I could have just gone home and slept, though. Tomorrow would be another long day with the funeral. I didn’t even know when Elec was leaving to go back to California and assumed he wouldn’t be staying much longer than tomorrow.

Elec and Chelsea were nowhere to be found. Even though it was none of my business, I couldn’t help wondering where they were and what they were doing.

Just as soon as I’d had the thought, Chelsea appeared in the living room, carrying a scone on a paper plate. She had changed out of her black dress and into some casual shorts and a t-shirt. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and she appeared younger without any makeup.

“Hey, Greta. Can I join you?” She sat next to me before I even responded.

“Sure.” I scooted over on the loveseat.

“I’m glad you came back here,” she said. “Greg and Clara’s house is really nice, isn’t it? I’m so glad we’re staying here instead of a hotel.”

“It is.”

“I hope to own a house someday, but with our salaries at the youth center, it’ll be a while before that happens. Our apartment back home is really small.”

Our apartment.

“How long have you lived together?”

“Just a few months. We’ve been together almost a year. Elec was hesitant to move further away from his mother, but he eventually gave in. Pilar wasn’t well for a long time. You know that, right?”

“Yes. I knew she had issues.”

“Well, the past year has been a lot better. She actually has a boyfriend now…but when she found out Randy died, she took it really hard, so we’re worried she’ll have a relapse.”

“Where’s Elec now?”

“He’s just upstairs.”

“How is he doing?”

“Actually…he’s acting really strange tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

She looked around to make sure no one was listening to our conversation. “Okay…well, we left the wake a little early and came back here. He…”

“He what?”

She leaned in and whispered, “He wanted to have sex.”

I nearly regurgitated my tea.

Why in God’s name was she telling me this?

I coughed. “Is that unusual?”

“No, I mean…he has a huge sexual appetite, but this was different.”

Huge sexual appetite…

I did my best to play it casual and pretend I wasn’t sick to my stomach over this conversation, which I was pretty sure would traumatize me. “Different?”

“We got back here, and he immediately dragged me upstairs and started ripping my clothes off. It was like he was doing it to bury his feelings, to forget about tonight. And I understood that. But then, once we started, he couldn’t finish. The look in his eyes…it was like his mind was somewhere else. Then, he just ran to the bathroom, slammed the door, and I heard the shower running.”

“Did he say anything after?”

“No. Nothing.”

“It must have had something to do with everything that happened tonight,” I said.

And by that, I don’t mean him wrapping his hand around my neck, Chelsea.

“I can’t leave him like this,” she said.

“What do you mean leave him?”

“He didn’t tell you? I can’t stay for the funeral.”

“Why?”

“My flight leaves at nine in the morning. My sister is getting married tomorrow night. I know…a Friday night wedding, right? I guess having it on a weeknight cut the cost of the venue in half. But it still sucks for the rest of us who have to work or have lives. I’m her maid of honor. The timing couldn’t be worse.”

She was leaving.

“When is Elec going back?”