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Chapter 13
"You love my son don't you my sweet child."
Constance paced back and forth in the forbidden room at the end of the hall with a sugary tint to her persuasive lulling voice.
Chelsea sat on the floor rocking back and forth struck with fear feeling a ting of betrayal that Tate, who had always protected her from his mother was nowhere to be found.
She had never dared entered what was thought to be Constance's private bedroom in the past and was beside herself with terror to be there now.
Chelsea silently tried to reach out for Lydia in her mind hoping for help but Constance was quick to catch on swooping down to capture her attention as only she could.
Curling her peach colored nail beneath Chelsea's chin she lifted her round naïve face up towards her intense glare redirecting her attention.
"Tell me little girl, do you know that Tate picked you out special that fateful day."
Shaking her head slowly as fearful tears filled her emerald wide eyes she rose to her feet as Constance dug her nail forcefully upwards beneath her chin.
"I don't know what you mean."
Her voice was tiny, cracking under the sobs that threatened to break through at any moment.
"What I'm trying to say little girl is that there's a certain … type that my boy was ordered to bring back to me and you did not fit. Haven't you noticed the difference between those dirty whores that sulk and curse like common trash beneath this house and someone like you?"
Placing a cigarette between her lips she gave Chelsea time to ponder this notion before continuing.
"Seriously you cannot be so blind to his… affections towards you."
Immediately Chelsea responded unable to even entertain the idea because of the pain it would cause her.
"He loves Violet."
Scoffing Constance blew a steady stream of smoke from between her rosy lips as she peered at the deepening wrinkles edging out from her piecing blue eyes in the mirror on the wall.
"There is a difference between love and lust my dear and what my boy feels for that vodka drinking, self-mutilating, California plastic slut is definitely the latter."
Studying the hippy flower girl closely Constance circled her small frame searching for just the right words.
"My dear you are unaware of this but when Tate brought you back to the house that fateful day it was not for my… purposes. He wanted you for himself, a companion, a lover. He saw something in you that pierced his blessed black heart. Too bad I had not realized this until it was too late and the deed was done."
Constance circled the air with her lit cigarette motioning to the gaping hole in Chelsea's chest.
Tilting her head down the rapidly aging woman whispered sweetly keeping her fierce eyes focused on the girl's face.
"My deepest sincere apologies for my unfortunate… blunder by the way. You see the hunger sometimes blinds me, believe me, if I had known of my boy's feelings for you I wouldn't have acted so rashly."
Slowly meeting her frightful gaze Chelsea choked back tears raising her questioning voice.
"He brought me back here… because he wanted to be with me?"
Rolling her eyes as a deep sigh rushed through her parted lips Constance nodded.
"All these years has he not protected you, cared for you, treated you with a kindness that he has never once shown any other? My sweet girl, if that is not love, then I ask you what is?"
Still circling the pure innocence ripe for manipulation like a vulture going in for the kill Constance lowered her mouth to the girl's ear brushing back her auburn braids gingerly.
"Haven't you noticed the damning guilt in his tone, the all consuming shame set so deep in those beautiful dark eyes when he speaks to you? My God it's almost pathetic the way he cowers unable to gaze directly into those bright green eyes of yours when you speak to him."
Wringing her small hands together her heart leapt at the mere thought of her Tate reciprocating feelings that she had held so close to her heart for so many years.
Closing her eyes she imagined him close to her, pressing his full lips to her untouched pure body, loving her in a way that no one had ever had a chance to.
A devilish grin curved along the old woman's sagging mouth as she began to see her plan in motion.
"That's a good girl, this is what you deserve, you were an innocent child, different from the rest who had given themselves up for empty pleasures of the flesh for money or need. He loved you Chelsea… he still does."
Gripping her torn shawl Chelsea opened her eyes wide.
"But he believes he loves her, and what Violet feels for him is true I've seen it in her dreams. Even if you are right it's too late."
A sinister confident scowl lowered down to her level knowing she had won.
"Darling, it is never too late. Bring her here to me; behind these doors he can no longer protect her. Once she is inside retrieve him, convince him that you tried to help, that you did everything you could to save her. He will see your loyalty, your unflinching unconditional love for him and in that moment he will be yours."
"I-I can't hurt him, this would break him… I could never, I love …"
Stomping out the burned out bud in a crystal ashtray beside her Constance ran her fingers along the pinkish hue of Chelsea's face cementing her very point.
"You love him. Tell me, do you really believe that a girl who barely knows him truly cares for him as much as you to do. My boy deserves true love, enduring unselfish love, not a casual fling that will end in heartbreak. What exactly do you think will happen when she finishes that vile book she's always working on? I'll tell you little girl, as soon as her lease is up she will be on a plane back to that cesspool on the west coast with the living, not with a ghost whose life is forever trapped on a lonely stretch of beach in the middle of nowhere."
"But – "
Working this out in her mind all she could think of was her Tate, her beautiful sweet Tate and how it would feel in his arms safe at last.
Constance seeing her moment to seal the deal went in for the kill.
"I've heard her talking to her publisher, she has a deadline, she never intended on staying. You know he can never leave, that he can never give her children or the life she will someday want. Don't you see, you belong together; you are one in the same. He will come to know all of this. All you have to do is bring her here to me."
Slowly Chelsea raised her tear stained face up towards Constance shivering as she now understood what she must do. What she had to do for her love, for her Tate.
vTv
Standing in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom Violet just out the shower took a deep breath letting the navy blue towel fall form her slender body.
For the first time in her life she looked upon herself in an entirely different way.
Confident fingertips now skimmed along the curve of her hips tracing the path of his mouth from the night before.
She now saw herself the way he always had, free of ridiculous imperfections that had been constantly pointed out to her.
Instead of glaring flaws she could only envision his loving eyes drifting over her with a look of love that could never be denied.
She felt weightless as a sense of joy that she had never felt before washed over her in waves of pleasure that broke the chains that had been a binding prison her entire life.
Rifling through her oversized sweaters and long loose skirts she had an over whelming need to go shopping.
Tonight she would prepare and romantic candle lit dinner in a dress that was sure to evoke a fire in him, tonight she would give him the pleasure he so selflessly had given her the night before.
After dressing she pulled back her hair in a high pony tail uncharacteristically away from her face feeling the need to no longer hide she jogged happily downstairs to greet him only to find a note tapped to the front door.
Gone for a run on the beach
Couldn't bring myself to wake you
Already missing you my beautiful Violet
I love you
Tate
Skimming the tips of her fingers along her lips she could still feel his hands that had imprinted themselves over every inch of her body.
Excited to give to him the immense pleasure in return she grabbed the keys for the truck and ran out the door.
vTv
Sitting beside him amused in her own twisted way Lydia raised her eyebrows at Tate's handy work.
"I had no idea you could sew, something you learned in girl scouts I presume?"
Letting her snide remark go Tate continued raising the black thread upwards pulling it tight as he finished the last few stitches.
Brenda folded her arms across her scrubs shaking her head in disbelief.
"Tate I have to say this is pretty morbid even for you."
Biting off the end of the thick thread Tate shook his head in disagreement as Daniel quietly groaned beneath him.
Standing he surveyed his work finally satisfied that Daniel would now understand the suffering he had caused his angel.
"The myth of the dragonfly, sewing the eyes and mouth shut as a punishment for an impure evil soul, pretty gruesome Tate."
Lydia's voice fell to death ears as Tate began to roll Daniel inside a large piece of plastic.
Brenda rubbed her temples knowing that with his many wounds he wouldn't be alive for very long.
"Tate the girls will never be able to handle him – "
Cutting her off Tate grunted as he began to drag Daniel from the attic.
"Violet just left, this fucker's going in the ocean, tell the girls not to worry."
vTv
Turning up the radio Violet caught her reflection in the rearview mirror; she smiled realizing that for as long as she could remember she was actually happy.
It was a deep contentment that went beyond falling in love, she finally was beginning to feel comfortable with herself; her book was ahead of schedule and for the first time the future felt like something to look forward to instead something to fear.
Pulling out onto the misty one lane road leading away from the cottage she rolled down the window to rub the morning dew from the side mirror when she spotted something disturbing out of the corner of her eye.
Turning the wheel quickly into the sea grass lining the narrow drive she jumped out of the truck feeling the rapid beat of her heart as she watched the rolling fog dissipate from Daniel's bright blue Mustang.
Leaning against her beat up old truck she quickly ran plausible explanations through her mind.
His car broke down and he called for a cab, seemed to be the most viable one since he was pounding on her door last night and Tate told her clearly that he was gone.
Nodding to herself as she jumped back in the truck she couldn't help but feel a sting of uncertainty and dread flipping inside her stomach.
Biting her bottom lip as her eyes flickered back and forth from the road in front of her to Daniel's Mustang behind her she recalled Tate's whispered now ominous words in her head as she drove towards the center of town.
'Daniel is gone; he will never bother you again. I promise you.'