Chapter 4: Blackmail
Nessie's POV
I couldn't sleep that night. No matter how hard I tried sleep escaped me. I couldn't believe that I was about to see my family again after so many years. My mind wouldn't, no, it couldn't even begin to process the idea of seeing my family again. I never thought it would actually happen. I had always thought I'd never see them again as long as I lived. The private investigator had been a spur of the moment decision. My chances were slim. Very slim. Yet somehow it worked. He'd actually found them.
Eventually I gave up on the idea of sleep and switched on my TV instead. However not even Netflix could distract me from my thoughts and imagining what my reunion with my family would be like. As the hours passed it dawned on me that my family must have landed at the airport by now. The very idea made my heart skip a few beats.
It was around 7:30am when I heard noise in the next room. I carefully got out of bed and into the wheelchair. Over the past few weeks I learned how to move around more freely and do a lot of things by myself. It was bad enough that I was paralyzed. I didn't want to become solely dependent on others to help me out. I opened the door quietly and went to go investigate.
Chris had left the door slightly open. Enough for me to peek inside and see him swallow something. I was reminded of an incident that happened a week before my accident. I was home taking care of Elizabeth and doing laundry that day while everyone else was gone. I had gone into his room to leave his folded laundry on his bed when I spotted several pills and even a needle in his nightstand. I was mortified by what I'd seen.
"Vanessa what are you doing?" the anger in his voice caught me by surprise.
"Where are you going?" I asked him. "and so early I might add,"
"I'm going out for coffee,"
"Coffee?" I laughed. "You're going out for coffee? You hate coffee! You know if you're going to lie to me you could at least come up with something believable,"
"Fine I'm going to Starbucks but I'm not actually going to have coffee. Are you satisfied with that answer?"
"Can you take me with you?"
"What?" now he looked shocked. To be honest I was shocked to but I really need to get out. I was tired of being cooped up here. Only being able to go to school. Besides after last night's sleepless night I could use some coffee.
"No you're not coming with me,"
"Oh yes I am," I retorted.
"Why is that?" he sneered.
"Because if you don't then I will tell Jasmine that you are cheating on her with her own sister,"
"What how do you-"
"Oh please I've seen you sneaking Erica in here several times already. You're not exactly quiet,"
"You have no proof,"
"No proof? I have video proof on my phone and don't even bother trying to get into my phone either. I already have several copies of it,"
"So you're blackmailing me now?"
"You mean like how you blackmail me every time you want to 'borrow' money from me? Money that I never see again. What are you doing with my money anyway? Funding your drug addiction habits?"
"How did you-"
"I saw the pills and the needle. So what is it? Dope? Crak? Meth? All of the above? Something else?"
"Fine. You can come with me but don't say a word about this,"
I shook my head. Sometimes I wondered how my relationship with my foster brother grew to be so dysfunctional. I did care about him no matter how crazy he was. Ever since he found out that I cheat on math he blackmails me. I'm terrible at math so when I found out that this guy named Lewis not only does math homework for people but also sells answer keys to important math exams I became a regular customer of his. It was good until my brother caught me one time and took a picture of me paying Lewis and getting the answer key in return. Ever since then he's blackmailed me for money every time he needs it. Now I finally had something on him.
I had a feeling I knew what my brother was really up to but I didn't say anything. The sun was up and shining brightly when we left the house. I sighed knowing that this would only mean that it would be that much longer before I saw my family again. We didn't exactly have a meeting place. Or a plan on where to meet up. It was never discussed between Matthew and my family.
I sat a table separate from my brother. I sipped on my latte and ate my blueberry scone while my brother waited for his friends. When they came the exchange was quick. My brother slid them some money and they gave my brother some pills and a powdered substance. I pretended that I couldn't see what was going on.
My brother wasn't exactly the best person out there. His girlfriend, Jasmine, was one of my best friends. She was happily in love with my brother. I didn't have it in my heart to tell her that I caught him sleeping with her own sister nonetheless. Even though that secret was killing me inside.
After his friends left my brother went and got himself a doughnut. He ignored me and I ignored him as we usually did. It was the only way we could coexist when we weren't arguing or blackmailing each other.
I glanced out the window and then I had to do a double take. Then I rubbed my eyes because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He hadn't changed at all in the last 13 years and I would recognize his face anywhere. I know he saw me to because when we locked eyes he picked up his pace. There was something present in his eyes, the way he looked at me, that I could not understand.
It was Jacob. My Jacob. With him was Leah and Seth. His first and second in command if I remembered correctly. Leah wore that same grumpy look I always remembered seeing. My heart was beating faster than he was walking.
"Come on let's go," Chris grabbed my wheelchair and steered me away from the window. Much to my dismay. But as we were about to make our exit they entered. Without saying a word Jacob grabbed me and held me into a tight warm hug. The only sounds were of him and I crying.
Through my tears I was aware of something else happening. Leah and Chris had seen each other and made eye contact. She had dropped down into a kneeling position. She looked at him like a blind woman seeing the sun for the very first time. As if my crazy foster brother were the most wonderful thing on the planet.
Please Review
