Chapter 54 - 09/22/2024
Two thousand square feet, three bedrooms, two full and one-half baths townhouse is a lot for 1 person to live in. Amy has been here before but it's the first time she got to take a closer look at everything. The couch still looks and feels brand new. Everything looks unused except for the kitchen. Everything looks good except the backyard.
"It's uneven." Amy said, now realizing that Will never noticed. "Come here" It would be easier to see from outside the fence. Can't tell from close range.
"Wow"
Now he noticed.
"You are sensitive."
What? Amy wanted to ask but didn't since Will is hurrying back inside. Hopefully, whatever he's cooking is not burnt. I'm sensitive? That doesn't sound like a compliment. If he can't see it, then he must not have felt it when he's up there. If the porch is uneven, then there must be something wrong with the poles. There are cracks. That's not uncommon. Cracks can turn into splits. Splits can get worse very fast especially in this area with the numerous rain days. He must not have noticed this either. The intruder is not hard to notice though even if it's small. "ohh...you must be Emily." It's walking in here like it's her place. It's 'meowing' like she's asking who I am. "You are cute." Will did say that and he got everyone laughing after making everyone think that he's describing a woman. It does have captivating gorgeous blue eyes just like Emily's and a sweet voice like Sydney's. The first time she heard the name from Will, it immediately reminded her of her cousins. As much as she wanted to call Aunt Erin, she resisted the urge to, not just for their safety but also because she's not ready to talk about her situation. Lying wouldn't be right. Aunt Erin is so looking forward to having a grand-niece/nephew. The truth will just disappoint her. The truth will only get her asking many questions just like this curious little girl. "Well, hi there." Amy said instead of responding to her questions (Who are you? What are you doing here? What's your name?) since she doesn't need to know.
"You don't live here."
For a little girl, she sure is rude. The gate is closed yet she is coming in without asking for permission and now ringing the doorbell and looking at me like I'm the one trespassing. Only 1 month, it seems that Will has made himself known to more than just the neighbor next door. Whoever this little girl is, she must come here often. Her aunt too. Why else would she ask if her aunt is here? At this time? It's almost dinner time. Surprisingly, Will is not denying it except that a few times is not considered often. That's true. "But why would she need your help with homework?" Amy stopped chewing after noticing Will's familiar stare, the same one he gave Brie this afternoon after she accused Doc of turning Hope into a sex addict with her experimental drugs.
"She's a drama major."
Acting? Line reading? Role playing? He must enjoy her company since he's talking about what they did the last time like he can't wait for the next time. Living alone can be boring. Being with someone who doesn't know what he's been thru may be the only way to move on. But even so, a 20 year old should know it's not safe to be alone with a man so she must like him or she knows he's not a man. Whatever her intention is, taking precaution is necessary. "What's her name?"
"I already checked."
That's good. Will isn't the same weak vulnerable person that was crying in the Underground chamber. Background check is not all he did. It seems that Hope knows as much as Scud does in terms of setting up security systems. Cameras are outside and inside. Nothing will prevent anyone from breaking the windows but there are glass break sensors so that will help. Having their conversation recorded every time she's here is a good idea too. If Brie were here, would she still think that he cannot live alone? Probably. "Does she have a boyfriend?" If she does, then that's weird.
"I'll ask her next time she comes over."
"Do you think she likes you?"
"You can ask her the next time she comes over."
He has changed or is he always this witty? Maybe he has been asked before? Possible.
But he definitely doesn't have any acting lessons before. He's terrible…but funny. The 20 year old college student, Eva, came just like he said she would and they did exactly what he said earlier, line reading and role playing. He wasn't kidding. He may not be good at it but he sure did a great job at creating laughter which did allow her to forget everything else at that moment until Faith called. Despite the interruption, the last two hours had been unexpectedly fun.
Eva has already left. The sky has already darkened. It's too early to go to sleep but sleep is the only way to forget, temporarily. Most likely, Will wants to avoid talking about it too since he is again using the 20 year old drama major as the topic of conversation. This could be the reason he wants to continue to stay here even if he's not interested in Eva but what makes him think that she's not interested in him? "I don't think she has a boyfriend."
"Maybe she has a girlfriend."
Amy chuckled since she was expecting a question (How do you know?), not that.
"I think she likes you."
Oh Will. Keep it coming. Unlike her niece, Eva wasn't rude and easy to get along with. "She doesn't dislike me." Smiling, Amy took the other end of the bed sheets with Will taking the other end.
"I'm serious. She thought you were going to kiss her."
(laugh) It was Eva's request since Will's reading in dull monotone voice was making her laugh instead of helping her get into character. She didn't want to but did so because befriending Eva now would be easier to find more about her later and to prove to Will that she can do a better job. Acting isn't difficult. The difficulty is remembering the lines. It was fun. The script needs improvement though. "It's in the script."
"It didn't say to touch her face or her hand."
"It didn't say to look into her eyes either." Not everything is written in the script. It's implied. It's improvisation. Acting requires that. The script isn't…. "Wait, did you mess up deliberately?" Will is laughing so it's possible. But why? It's a scene where Eva's character is having relationship trouble with her boyfriend and her friend(Will's character) tries to console her and stop her from drinking. So there's no reason for him to mess up intentionally unless he thinks it's inappropriate to be touching her. But she didn't ask him to. She just asked him to put more feeling into it but he wasn't unable to so she asked me. Regardless of what the reason is, one thing is obvious. "I think she likes you."
"I'll send you a card if we decide to get marry. Okay?"
(laugh) If Brie were here, she would be able to see that Will wasn't lying. He is happier now…and he definitely loves the way he looks. Moisturizer, facial night cream, hydrating revitalizer? He may be the only guy who uses these. "Thanks." Amy said without saying what she's thanking him for because there are a lot. Thanks for making dinner, for letting her take the bedroom instead of the couch, for getting clean sheets, pillow case, and duvet ready, for making her laugh and supporting her by not asking questions which made her feel like she made the right decision unlike everyone else.
"good night"
"good night" Amy responded with the same before closing the door, then headed straight to the bed and tried not to think of anything else other than what happened earlier with Eva because Will has a good point. Keep thinking of happy thoughts may be the only way to lead the mind to a peaceful sleep.
-next morning-
He was right. Falling asleep didn't happen right away though but she was able to sleep thru the night without nightmares or dreams and she got enough sleep to be able to wake up at the same time she always does and go for a jog around the block which is different from what she's used to because jogging alone hasn't happened for a long, long time. Will is still sleeping. Kato isn't here.
"It's fine. It takes time to get used to. That's all." Amy said to herself while looking left, then right before crossing the street even though there's no need to since there are only parked cars. No one jogs around here? It's early Sunday but still. No one else is outside but someone woke up earlier than usual. It's Faith calling again. Dozens of texts from last night aren't enough? What now? "Yes?" Amy said instead of saying good morning to let Faith know that she's not in the mood to talk about the same thing again. It didn't work since worry kept Faith up late last night. It's not just worry. It's curiosity and that led her to listen to Doc's confession over and over again last night which is the reason she called so early this morning.
"She's lying!" Faith said.
"That's what we've been saying. We're not brainwashed." Will would be happy to know that Faith finally understood.
"Well, brainwashing affects people differently. It depends on the person. I'm saying she's lying about that night."
What? If Will heard, would he again be disappointed? Amy exhaled a long frustrated breath because Faith is defending Lucy again! "What about the birthmark? Did you check? Does she have one?" Maybe Doc is lying about everything but the birthmark or whatever it is can't be a lie unless she put that there after finding out that Brooke has one. But that doesn't make sense unless it's just to make her story more believable. The details given didn't sound like a lie. If there's more, sure, I'll listen to it. It's the only way to see what changed her mind. Most likely, it's because she doesn't want to be wrong since she once said Lucy is who she's always been. Lucy had many exes because she was looking for true love. That's what she said. Having a one-night stand with Doc proves that Lucy wasn't looking for love. Calling Doc a liar proves that Lucy told her to. Calling so early could be Lucy's idea too. "Where are you?"
"Home. Why?"
"Call you back later." It's not Lucy's idea after all because Lucy isn't with Faith.
Amy picked up the pace even though Will's message didn't say to hurry but the four words(Come home, she's here) showed that something must have happened because Will would not say come home and there's no reason for Lucy to be here so early. The only reason would be because she's worried just like Faith but Faith called, Faith didn't try to climb onto the back porch like an intruder! What! Amy calmly proceeded to the living room after getting a short explanation from Will.
"Hey babe. Nice run?" Lucy said, keeping her smile even though she knows what's coming. "Did you eat yet?"
"What were you thinking?" Amy asked since she can't think of a good reason. Last time, Lucy almost broke the window to get in because Will didn't pick up the phone. If the neighbor didn't say Will wasn't inside, Lucy would have. This time, she didn't even call first.
"Did you notice how low the porch is? I was trying to see if I could. If I can, then intruders can too. You should put an alarm up there, a motion sensor, so it lights up, big bright lights and it would say something like security system has been activated, police has been been called, run now if you don't want to get caught, OW!...sss" Lucy quickly pulled her foot back before Will makes it worse. "I can do it myself." The ice pack doesn't hurt. Will's grab did.
"You should go get an x-ray to make sure." Will said.
That's good advice but no one is offering. So that means nothing has changed. Will is still standing, with his arms crossed. Amy is doing the same, looking like she's still waiting for a better explanation. "I brought breakfast…in the back. It's going to get cold." Will got the hint this time. But this is still not a good place to talk. "Can we-"
"What the fuck are you doing?" Amy held the urge to yell since Will would be able to hear.
"I was trying to make sure this place is safe. There are blind spots. The porch is too low so I thought-" Lucy didn't continue after getting cut off with an unexpected explanation. It's unexpected because it's not from Will. It's from Brie?
"Is she always like this? I mean, before you married her, did she climb into your house to see if you're sleeping with someone else?" Brie said.
This day is getting worse than yesterday. "Don't listen to her. That's not true. I rang. I knocked. No one answered so I thought something's wrong. I was worried so I-" Lucy again didn't continue but this time it's because the collar of her jacket is being grabbed onto.
"It's over. I meant it. Go apologize to Will and get the fuck out of here or I'm going to move so far away, you'll never be able to find me."
"Babe…c'mon" Lucy said but that didn't stop Amy from leaving. "Wait" Amy didn't wait so there's only one thing to do. Follow. "ow, ow, OW!" She realized how stupid that was after taking 4 steps. It hurts!
"Stop pretending. She can't hear you."
"I'm not. Uhhhh" Lucy continued groaning while lying on the floor even though she knows she won't get Brie to believe her but she is hoping that Will would. He just came back. That's one confused, pissed-off look so he must have heard. "I swear. That's not why. Wait. Oww!" Getting lifted with his assistance is appreciated but he's not being gentle. The foot hurts. The arm and hand hurt too.
Unbelievable! Amy sent a message to Faith instead of calling since she needs a shower and knowing Faith, she probably would continue to make excuses for Lucy which is not what she wants to hear right now. Letting Faith know is so that she can come pick up Lucy but it looks like there's no need to send the message since she's on her way with CJ which is even better. CJ isn't going to make excuses for Lucy's erratic behavior. CJ would think that Lucy crossed the line. CJ will think that there's something wrong with Lucy too.
-~1 hour later-
What is wrong with CJ?
Shower is done. Lucy left with Faith after breakfast is done. Will went out for a walk since Brie won't leave. No one else is here so why does she seem more interested in finding out how Lucy fell instead of Lucy's decision in leaving?
"Did you know about this?" Amy asked since this would explain why she's not surprised.
"Nope. I'm as shocked as you are."
Shocked? Anyone who's shocked would have a lot of questions. She doesn't have any. "Anthony didn't tell you?"
"Nope."
If Anthony didn't tell her, then Bryan wouldn't know either. Scud might but would Scud think this is weird? He's always thinking of new ways to protect the house from intruders. But no house would be safe from natural disasters. Maybe he gave Anthony the idea? "Can you stop for a sec? Something's not right. Can't you feel it?"
"What? Rich people do that. Haven't you heard?" CJ said.
"I know." It's all over the news. Only those who live in their mother's basement or watching fake news that express opinions rather than reporting facts wouldn't know. Besides buying houses, airplanes, fancy cars and super yachts that they don't need, the mega rich are now buying land to build bunkers to protect themselves from potential threats including civil unrests and nuclear bombing. Anthony is planning to do the same. This isn't the issue. The issue is with Lucy. "She said she's going with him to give me some space. That's weird."
"As long as you don't have to see her face, isn't that what you want?"
(sigh) CJ has spent a lot of time with Lucy but clearly, she still doesn't understand Lucy as well as Faith does. "She said it's because she's not going to be able to control herself from looking for me." Amy has no intention of letting anyone know what Lucy said but now it's necessary since this may be the only way to make CJ understand. "6 months, for me to decide what I want" Not only a reason, a deadline was also given. It's because of the damn dream that night. It's because of what was said yesterday. (You're right. That wasn't the first time. I had dreams of being with a man, many times. I was wrong. I do need a man.) CJ wasn't there but others heard. They too were shocked by it. If they heard about the deadline, they too would be as confused as CJ is now. At that moment, she wanted to yell at Lucy but didn't since Lucy wasn't finished. A request was given next instead of a demand. "She told me to go home." It felt like she doesn't trust Will until she said she doesn't trust Doc. But she also said to stay away from the news because it's toxic and making me curse more often. It's not an unreasonable request even it's not entirely true. She's the one making me swear. Her next comment did it again. "She said she's not going to blame me if I sleep with someone unless that person is a man." Unlike CJ who's laughing now, she did not and told Lucy to go home, calmly but impolitely using the F word. "It's not funny."
"She gave you a hall pass. That's funny." (laugh) CJ continued laughing until she realized that the former blonde agent is more outdated than she looks. "This is why spending time in movies is not a waste of time. You'll learn things." Unimportant things but still. "She can't change the past so she's giving you permission to sleep with someone else. Get it?"
"Give me permission?" Amy said each word slowly just to see if CJ finds anything wrong with that because if Faith were here, she would not be laughing. She too would find it disgusting and insulting.
"It's the only way she knows how to fix this. And there's no way to fix this. This whole thing needs to be replaced."
(sigh) Not only Will, CJ seems to have changed a lot too. Having a serious conversation with her is getting more difficult. It must be the change of status. She's engaged not married, yet she's talking like she knows what married couples go thru just because she knows the slang definition of 'hall pass.' She might not find anything wrong with Lucy but at least she agrees there's a problem with the porch. It is low. That's how all the townhouses are here. It is possible to get up there without a ladder. There's no need to prove it. "What are you doing?"
"Did she use the table or that?" CJ pointed to the big wooden box near the French doors.
"don't know, didn't ask" Will would know but he's not back yet. Will definitely would not like anyone stepping on the patio chair…and table. "Get down before you break it."
"I can do it."
"Yes you can. Now get down." Anyone who's over five feet and strong enough to pull themselves up would be able to as long as the porch railing isn't broken. "Don't" CJ did. CJ pulled herself up and over the fence railing on the upper porch with little effort like someone who has done this before many times. "What are you doing?" If she's doing this to show off, she should've waited for Brie. Brie would be impressed. Will would be upset.
"Can you see me?"
"What?" Amy heard but has no idea what CJ is referring to.
"camera, see if you can see me"
"I don't have access" Amy said, wondering why CJ would think that she does. Yesterday was the first day. Asking Will for access to the surveillance cameras was the least of her concern.
"Guess what I found?"
"What?...Don't" (sigh) She's going to regret it if the railing doesn't hold. Luckily, it didn't. Getting down is a lot easier than getting up. She was able to do so without help and without injuries unlike Lucy. "What?" CJ has yet to show what she found. That's because it's not tangible. Fingerprints? Not footprints? CJ must miss what she used to do. Why else would she try to prove Lucy's theory as well as her own? It is possible for intruders to get up on the porch. She proved it. But why would she think that someone did something to the wood railings? It shouldn't break easily but this isn't a new house. Poor construction, corrosion due to weather, termites maybe. Crappy material could be the cause. The whole damn porch is uneven! Why can't anyone see that? She may be wrong about the railing but she could be right about the fingerprints on the porch glass door since she unknowingly proved that Lucy was lying. Even Will is surprised since he didn't bother to look at the surveillance cam recording until CJ requested. He didn't because there's no need to. The railing broke. Lucy fell. End of story. But this video shows more than that. Lucy didn't fall until she tried to get back down. She did use the box and the chair to get up but didn't use the same railings to get down. The video doesn't show where she went after she successfully got up to the porch but the time she took to appear back into the picture proved that she must have seen Will since that would explain why she wanted to get back down so fast. She didn't want Will to know. The grass would've been a softer landing than the concrete if the railing didn't break. No wonder the foot isn't the only injury. Eva thought she was an intruder.
"ouch" CJ said after hearing the screaming in pain in the video. That looks painful. That sounds painful. Landing with 2 feet would hurt too if done incorrectly. Landing on one is dangerous. Even a contortionist wouldn't have been able to escape uninjured from that awkward landing. "Is that a key chain stun gun?" It's too small to tell from the video but the sounds coming from the former diamond thief showed that it could be. "What did she say?" CJ played it again and maximized the audio since no one responded.
"I'm just looking for my wife! I'm not…OW!"
The sound is now clear enough for everyone to hear. But does anyone get it? "She wanted to let the neighbors know you're married ." CJ said.
Amy understood the smile given even if CJ didn't clarify since CJ knows how she doesn't like letting others know that she's married to a woman. That could be the reason why Lucy came with the male disguise. CJ must be very proud of herself right now because not only did she just proved that Will's security system is not full proof, she just proved that Lucy lied about ringing the doorbell. Lucy just knocked, then went to the back. CJ may have also proved what caused Lucy to get out of there quickly since Brie just said:
"Told you I heard something."
Brie heard. Will didn't? That's odd. Where was he? Whatever he was doing, Brie is using this reason to say that he shouldn't be living alone which is not a good point because:
"He's not living alone." Amy said, quickly realizing that Brie had thought this thru beforehand because she was able to come up with a quick response.
"She now knows you're married. Soon other neighbors will too. They're going to think you're the cheating wife and Will is the other man."
As crazy as that sounds, Brie could be right. This could be the reason Lucy was wearing a male disguise. She's using the neighbors' gossip to force me to go back home. That's a better explanation than CJ's. But Lucy needs to come up with a better plan if that is her intention. Brie needs to come up with a better reason for moving in. To prevent the neighbors from thinking that Will is the home-breaker is not a good reason. There are 3 bedrooms. So?
"Go home." Will said.
"If she's allowed to stay, I'm not leaving." Brie said.
Did Lucy put her up to this? It seems like it since she's blaming Will for supporting the break-up of her marriage. But she's also blaming Doc again for creating problems for everybody. That is a good point. People who hate their own lives wouldn't want others to be happy. There are a lot of those types of people nowadays. Doc could be one of them. She did look miserable yesterday. The reason for her drinking is still unknown. But what does that have to do with her moving in? "Does your sis know about this?" Amy asked since Will had nothing else to say and went to the back after CJ offered to help move the surveillance camera to a different location.
"I don't care what they think."
They? Adalyn? It's not surprising since Adalyn trusted Doc and probably still does. There's no reason not to since she doesn't know Hope. But moving to Ontario? Whose idea is this? Why now? This cannot be because of Will. Can it? "Where? Specifically? Did she say?" Lucy didn't say either and also said Anthony will be relying on realestate sites and agencies. What is going on here? Whatever it is, Brie must not know since she already picked the bedroom that she's going to be sleeping in. There were boxes in here yesterday but not anymore. "How long are you planning to stay here?"
"How long are you planning to stay here?"
Talking with Brie now feels like talking with Eva since Eva asked the same question last night. Will didn't talk about what happened yesterday but now it seems that he wasn't referring to Faith when he said he found someone who cares about him but doesn't love him. But if it's Brie, why does she want to live here? "Is there something I need to know?"
"Yes. I'm not a good cook so if you are, great. If you want to take turns, that's fine. But don't complain. Are you messy because I'm not. But I'm not super clean either. So don't tell me to clean the bathroom or whatever because I hate that. I don't need another big sister to tell me what to do, when to do it. All right?"
Amy didn't respond since Brie isn't waiting for an answer. This isn't what she wants to know when she asked the question but it may have answered the question. Not everyone wants to live with their sister. But is it just because of her sister or Adalyn too?
"Do you go on a run every morning? Because I don't like to wake up early. Can you do it quietly?"
For someone who's not invited to be here, she sure has a lot of requests. All the bedrooms are on the same floor. Some noises can't be prevented since the bathroom is not inside the bedroom. The only one that has it is Will's master bedroom. "Hey, you can't-" She did. She went into Will's room like it belongs to her. "You can't be here."
"I can't get anyone to move my stuff until Wednesday. When's yours coming? Because I don't want him to be sleeping on the couch again. It gets cold at night and he's not going to know and he's going to get sick. So if you can get someone to move your bed or just the mattress, we can share the mattress. If you can't, we can go get inflatable beds."
She cares about Will. There's no doubt about that. But if that is all, she's going about it the wrong way. Even Faith didn't offer to stay here. "I don't have my car. Do you?" Amy asked. This is the only way to get her out of the house, at least temporarily. There's plenty of time to change her mind. A story of a similar past experience should help. Questions are expected. But it's definitely not meant to be funny. "It's true." Maybe she thinks I'm lying? Others didn't laugh when they heard. "It's not funny."
"You have no interest in the guy. Yet you let him into your house to help him out. What were you thinking? You're lucky he's not crazy."
"not me, my roommate"
"but you agreed, didn't you? Or did you move out after he moved in?"
(sigh) No one who heard this story had this many questions. At least, she's smart enough to know not to let a guy sleep over just to help him out. But she doesn't seem to get it. "He's born with a disability. He got picked on his whole life. We had the capability so we let him live in the basement for a few months until he finds a job. She didn't know he was expecting her to see him everyday and she didn't know her phone number was given to his mother until she got a call one day because his mother couldn't reach him. Our lives got disrupted. It got to the point where we all got annoyed including our two other roommates. Their friendship ended. After that, she realized…that's not how to help a friend." Does she get the point now?
"What's his disability? Was he using his disability to get sympathy? Some do that. You know. They're not all nice. Priests abuse children. Cops don't follow laws. Old men can be rapists. You know what I'm saying. So don't fall for it next time."
(sigh) Why isn't she getting it? Amy decided not to say anymore since talking while driving is not a good time to have a serious conversation. It can wait. One hour isn't long. Three hours is. She didn't realize shopping for an inflatable bed meant shopping for food, clothing, and other things too. Not only did it not go as planned, she realized that Brie has the same motive as hers. She's speaking up for Lucy and not only Lucy.
"She said she didn't. Would she have? She said she would. If that's what it takes to save Brooke…since it's partly her fault." Brie said, knowing that she shouldn't let anyone else know how Adalyn felt since it's personal but this should clear up any misunderstand. "Look, I know I don't know everything. I'm not saying she didn't do anything wrong and I'm not saying your wife didn't do anything wrong because she did. I had nightmares after that night. Now every time I hear the name David, my mind automatically thinks of her and how stupid I was. So yes, I agree with you. Your wife is a jackass…"
(sigh) It's just a word. Amy regretted letting Brie drive since she's driving below the speed limit. Talking and driving at the same time is difficult but it seems like Brie is doing this on purpose since she has a lot to say. First, criticism. Now she's defending Lucy. It's not her fault? It's her attractiveness, uniqueness, unintentional charm and mojo? What did Lucy promise her? Lucy might have but Will definitely did not. Amy focused back on the road instead of the phone.
"…What I'm trying to say is, your wife is like your roommate. She has good intentions but she's giving people the wrong idea, unintentionally…and people are attracted to pretty things and-" Brie had more to say if the space in front of the townhouse is not occupied by a familiar car. "Shoot, I didn't know they're going to be here." It's too late for the apology. She doesn't seem to care though. "Did you know about this?" She's not surprised or confused so she must have gotten a heads-up from Will. "Wait" Brie quickly got out of car after turning the ignition off since no one else is supposed to know. "I didn't tell you anything. Okay?"
"Tell me what?" Amy said to show that she understood. It doesn't matter anyways if anyone knows that Brooke was cheating on Christian with Adalyn. Christian is out of the picture. Adalyn won't care since she got what she wanted. Whatever that includes, Brie must not be part of her plan since she's letting Brooke do all the talking to persuade Brie to go home. Brie must have known that this would happen since she didn't say why she wants to be here and instead came up with many good reasons to explain why she doesn't want to live with them. No one wants to see or hear their own sibling's intimate moments with their partner. That's a great point. Even Will is speechless and no longer standing in Brie's way to go up the stairs. Adalyn has nothing to say either. Having your intimate moment heard by others is embarrassing. But what is she really thinking? Brooke must not be thinking because how is an apology and a promise to be more quiet going to help?
"You have your life. I have mine. This is where I want to be. Okay?" Brie continued to open the box of inflatable bed.
That's another good point but it's not good enough to convince anyone who thinks that her sister is living with two killers who can be triggered to kill again. Brooke didn't say that but that's probably what she's thinking. The frustration is all over her face. Worrying about her sister's safety is understandable but why can't she see that Doc could be lying?
Not only her, CJ spent way too much time online so she came up with examples of brainwashed killers to prove that it's possible. Faith believes in sleepwalking killers and said the mind is too complex to understand. Holly knows people who have been brainwashed to do many things including killing themselves but 'triggered' is a term that she would use for the mentally ill. She doesn't think that Will is one of them but she agrees with Faith and Lucy since they know more about Will than she does. Nadia doesn't either but agreed that taking precaution is necessary so shut the tv off because hate speech has triggered many to do harm to others. Lucy said she doesn't but that's obviously a lie otherwise she wouldn't want me to go home. It seems that the only other person who believes in Will is Brie since she showed everyone she's having the best time of her life by getting drunk.
"…you…really, really…handsome, you know that"
So drunk, she's seeing things. "okay, take a rest, sshh" Amy repeated until Brie stopped mumbling which didn't take long. She wasn't expecting this to happen when Eva came over unexpectedly again. It's not the first time Brie met Eva. Somehow helping Eva with her homework turned to a game of 'guess who I am' and a lot of laughter which didn't seem strange until Brie suggested a game of truth or dare and the loser has to drink. That's one way to find out more about Eva and Eva would've fallen for it if that was Brie's motive. It's not. It's to show Eva, who just recently turned 21, about the consequences of drinking and to prepare her for situations that she might face when she starts working in the real world. That was a surprising moment because Brie somehow turned a serious topic into a funny moment by showing Eva what to do in case she gets pressured into drinking by her coworkers. Will must think so too since he is still wearing a smile despite getting the red wine and Brie's spit on his shirt that probably can't be worn again. "That was weird." Amy said after closing the Brie's bedroom door.
"She's weird." Will said after taking off the stained shirt.
(laugh) Alcohol can make the truth come out. He has changed a lot. Handsome is the right word. Even Eva was not shy in letting everyone know what she thinks of his new haircut. Brie did a good job. "At least now you don't have to worry about Eva." He's laughing so he must have known beforehand since he didn't reject to Brie's request to pretend to be the new employee who doesn't want to be touched by his drunken boss which was even more funny than expected since he portrayed the character as a gay guy. "Was that your idea or hers?" He didn't seem surprised with the kisses on his cheek which was so unnecessary but hilarious. If Eva didn't know before, she should now know that their relationship could be more than just friends.
"What're you talking about? Eva likes you. She asked me why you broke up with him, if you're into women."
"What?" No way. Eva doesn't look like that type but some are hard to tell. She is a drama major so maybe she's hiding herself. That all sounds possible until Will started laughing. If Faith were here now, would she still think that Will is capable of getting triggered? Maybe. But she would definitely be wondering if Brie's feelings for Will is more than just caring for a friend. Those were real kisses, even if it's just on the face.
Amy went back into Brie's room after taking a shower to check on Brie since her face was a little warm before. It still is. Hmm. She has no intention of looking after Brie since Will said there's no need to but now, there is a need to. She's groaning. "you okay?" Breathing is normal. A little warmth could turn into a fever. Groaning could be from pain. Should I? She doesn't want to but falling asleep would be difficult regardless since it's that time of the month. (sigh) Despite the discomfort and the noise, today has been fun. Having Brie around is not all that bad. Her cooking is not great but she's willing to learn and trying out new dishes is always fun and funny. She might not like to go for a jog every morning but on the days that she did, it did feel less lonely. The only thing she needs to change before she gets on everyone's nerves is stop being so nosy!
-a few days later-
"How did you two meet?" Brie asked.
Amy continued walking since she's tired from jogging and ignored Brie's questions since it would only lead to more questions and Brie cannot know anymore than she already does.
"How long were you two together before you hook up?"
What's up with her today? It's been 3 weeks already. She should know by now she's not going to get it.
"6 months? 3 months? 1 month?" Brie asked. No answer is given but she can already tell what the answer is because people would usually say NO immediately. Six months is already a short time. One month of dating is outrageous. "Why would you do that? Was it love at first sight? How did you get her to fall for you? I mean, not that you're not attractive. You are but you don't look like her type."
She must think I'm naïve like Eva. Since she won't stop, then pivoting will get her to. "What's up with you and Christian?" Oh. So there is something going on. If nothing, then why stop? Why look so surprised? "You were calling for him…that night." She wasn't just groaning. She was talking in her sleep too. It wasn't clear but the word Christian was. "You were groaning. I thought you were in pain but then you're like…mmnn…mmn...uhnn…Christian" it's a little exaggerated but that's what she said, not in that order. So she was. That's one big opened jaw. Everyone has wet dreams but with her sister's ex? That doesn't happen unless she likes him. This would explain why she tortured Doc. This does not explain why she would care if Will knows. "He knows. It's not the first time. He said." Oh. That's one seriously stunned face. Amy held it in as long as she could before laughing. Happy thoughts. That's what Will always said. It's the only way to forget.
"That's not funny."
Oh yes it is. It wouldn't be if it's true. "It is just a dream, isn't it?"
"YES!"
Okay then. Even if it's not, no one would care. Brooke might though but she'll get over it. Why would Will care if it's just a dream?
"He's going to think it's true. It's NOT. I don't want him to think that I'm that type."
Okay. Not wanting Will to think badly of her is a good reason. But is that the only reason since in the past 3 weeks, she has been following Will whenever the neighbors needed his help. She might have introduced herself as just a friend but her behavior would give anyone the impression that she could be his girlfriend. Friends don't follow friends everywhere. Friends don't jump on a guy friend for a piggy back ride when they can walk by themselves. If her intention is to prevent the divorced mother and Eva from having interest in Will, then that's a good idea. But "Is that all?" Clearly, it's not. The look of worry just turned to frustration.
"He's not going to let me stay here if he knows."
"He never wanted you to be here. So whether he knows or not, I don't think he-"
"It's the testosterone."
"the what?" If her intention is to create laughter, she succeeded again. She looks nothing like Dominique but sometimes the things she says reminds her of Dominique since Dominique is very open when talking about guys, their behavior, and everything else. She also said more than once that it's the testosterone that makes guys competitive which is true. Guys do compare themselves frequently to other men. But Will? His testosterone level is higher than a lot of men but he doesn't hate men. He just doesn't like them in the same way as he does with women. He never did even until he met David. Finding out that David is actually a woman made her realize why she was never attracted to men. So it's not the testosterone that made him dislike men. It's the way they think. In this case, it's also because Christian cheated on Brooke. "It's just a dream. Dreams are out of our control. We all have them, inappropriate ones too. He's not going to care." Amy said to lessen her worry, then realized Brie again misunderstood after getting the same question as before. "I didn't tell him. I'm not going to tell anybody."
"Look, I'm not kidding. Okay? Don't mention Christian. Don't say Chris, Christine, Jesus Christ, Christianity, anything that sounds similar to that word. He hates it."
For someone who believes that Will isn't brainwashed, now she sounds like she does. Will hates a lot of things but he's not going to get triggered by just a word. He will, however, change his mind. He left?
-hours later-
Will may have told Brie why on the phone but this is too much of a coincidence not to suspect that Doc is behind this because she's not home either. The only person who would know is Adalyn since she's the one whom Doc trusts most and she knows why Doc left. As a doctor, having nothing to do can be boring especially living alone. Boredom can lead to drinking and having improper thoughts. Maybe Doc did leave because she found herself a job. That's not impossible. But why wouldn't she know where Doc is? That's bullshit! "When did she leave? What flight?" Amy asked in a calm tone since saying it loudly would only get Hope(the dog) barking again.
"We really don't know." Brooke said.
Ohh. Brooke. She may be awake but she's still blind like the victims of the red cult. "What did you say to him the last time?" The last time, Adalyn had a private chat with Will. That's what CJ said and Will said Adalyn was there to apologize for herself and Brooke and asked for his understanding as well as give her a message from Doc. It did same strange that Doc would apologize and thank Will for saving her that day from the suicide bomber after telling everyone that he could be triggered to kill. Now it seems like that's not all.
"Did you ask him?"
If there's no one else here, she would tell Brooke to 'WAKE THE FUCK UP!' Brooke is answering for Adalyn again and Adalyn is just sitting on the chair, holding her injured elbow like an innocent bystander. "I want to hear it from her." Amy said, hoping that Brooke would get the hint to stop talking and just listen.
"He left with your wife. Did you call your wife?"
Why do they have to keep say that? Breathe. Breathe. "She left. Will left. Doc left. I understand why you wouldn't find that strange. You weren't there. The same thing happened the last time. She lied to me to protect me. Doc was using me to threaten her. If you don't know where Doc is, then that tells me that Doc is doing it again. So I just want to make sure that Doc has nothing to do with this." It would be difficult to make her see that Adalyn might be involved so saying 'Doc' multiple times and excluding Adalyn could get her to cooperate.
"I understand why you don't trust her. So we were hoping, I was hoping…I could change your mind. All I ask is…listen with an open mind, see the possibility, give me a chance to show you…she's not that different…from you."
What? Amy didn't ask and instead followed Brooke downstairs to another room since she just realized that Brooke could be drugged, not drugged with drugs but drugged with the mindset of a brainwashed cult follower. A follower would do and say anything to defend her leader, in this case her lover, Adalyn. A follower would make excuses for her leader regardless of what the leader did. In this case, she's taking the blame for everything that Adalyn did because she believes that Adalyn did it to save her. A follower would try to convince others that her leader is good. How is this going to convince me? "Who gave this to you?" CJ never said Brooke has a copy of Doc's confession.
"just listen"
"I already did" Amy paused the audio in the laptop.
"give me a chance…please"
Not all followers are this polite. Religion followers are but they are similar to a cult in many ways. Amy continued listening while standing up instead of sitting down and focused on Brooke's face since Brooke is doing the same. It's the same audio recording so there's no need to listen to it again. What's different is getting an explanation from Brooke who pointed out the parts where she thinks that Doc could be lying. She was able to because she was there and she saw the pattern. What pattern? What signs? Brooke didn't explain because that's not important. What is is the details given by Doc which allowed her to come up with a theory that makes no sense. Doc was forced to? What! "She wouldn't do that." If Lucy were here, she wouldn't be this calm. She would probably curse at Brooke.
"She's a foreign agent."
"I know" Amy said, surprised that she knows because Lucy said not to tell anyone.
"She's a doctor."
"medical student dropout with a lot of debt but yes, she could be lying about that" Amy said, wondering why Brooke stopped talking and looking at her with confusion. "What?"
"Why would they send a doctor to find out what she knows? A doctor is a valuable asset."
"Get to the point" Amy said since she's not in the mood to guess and being here seems like Brooke is stalling. For what and why? She has no clue. It just feels that way.
"A younger woman would've been a better choice. Don't you think? They didn't send a younger woman because they wanted to test Doc's loyalty. They were listening. They were watching. She was forced to go all the way…to prove her loyalty, to save herself."
They forced her, not Lucy? She should've said that earlier instead of saying 'she was forced to.' This is possible but it's just a theory. "Why didn't she say that then?"
"She wanted you to leave her, not sympathy."
This is about Doc not Adalyn? If she feels sorry for Doc, she's as naïve as Nadia used to be. "I get it. Doc looked after you when you were sick. But have you ever thought that maybe she did that for herself? She's still looking for the key. That's a fact." Everything else is just a guess. Amy proceeded to the door since she had enough until she heard another theory. Getting reminded of what Lucy and Doc did is not why she came. Getting told that it didn't happen doesn't make her feel any better because that can't be true. Does she realize she just contradicted herself? Now she's talking like a real cult follower. "You said she was forced to, to prove her loyalty. Now you're saying it didn't happen?" Amy said to remind her since cult members would say anything to make their point including ignoring what they said before.
"Would you go to a hotel bar to drink alone?"
She is Brie's biological sister. What's with all the questions? "She wasn't alone. She had bodyguards watching out for her. Doc said she didn't know until later."
"She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be bothered. Your gorgeous wife would've attracted attention. All it would take is one pervert to grab her ass and she wouldn't have been able to prevent it. I'm sure you've had those types of experiences too."
One more time, I'm just going to tell her. (sigh) "Get to the point" Amy said in frustration. Brooke did and this time she explained how she came up with the theory. It happened a moment ago before the intrusion because Adalyn was also wearing a male disguise. Lucy was wearing a male disguise? "She didn't say that. Why?" A better explanation than 'it's irrelevant' is expected. But Brooke could be right about Doc. Maybe she was forced to. That would explain why she would go to a hotel room with a man. Maybe she didn't know Lucy wasn't a man until later. That would explain why she was willing even after getting the cash. Maybe they were watching so she let it happen near the window. That's all possible except it doesn't prove that sex didn't happen! Breathe. Breathe. Calm down. "Are…you…okay?" Amy said, hoping the three simple words could get her to see the problem. Sometimes cult followers can't because they're surrounded by other cult followers. "What have you been doing lately?" Now that Brie left, she's going to be even more closer to Adalyn and sucked into her thinking. "Why was she in disguise? Where did she go? What was she doing?" Halloween passed already. There's no reason for Adalyn to be wearing a male disguise.
"We were just having fun."
Fun? Fun doesn't include being tied up on the bed and screaming for help. Anyone would have thought that she was being assaulted especially when that person on top of her looked like a man. "Was it your idea or hers?" The uneducated ones are the easiest to be manipulated. Those who depend on their partner are too. She fits both categories.
"Don't you have any fun with your wife?"
"Stop saying that!" God. That's so annoying.
"Are you okay?"
Am I okay? Well this is just great. Now she must think that Doc is right about me if she didn't before. "No. I'm not okay. I don't know you that well but I know Will and I got to know Brie. So I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't know Adalyn but I know what she did. Do you know what she did?" Adalyn wouldn't have told her everything. "How long have you known her? How did you two meet? Do you know who her father is?" Other questions can wait. The last one should wake her up but that's not the reaction from someone who's confused. That's a long exhale.
"I trust her because we've been thru a lot, just like Brie with Hope, just like you and your wife, sorry, your ex. She didn't tell me everything. You're right. But that doesn't mean she doesn't love me. Every relationship has secrets. Some things…are not meant to be shared."
(sigh) Amy deliberately exhaled loudly in the same way that Brooke did earlier to show how she feels. She knew it would be difficult but didn't expect Brooke to be like Grace who once said she doesn't want to know the truth if the truth would take away her happiness. It seems that she's not as smart as Brie. At least Brie was willing to find out the truth. "I hope you're right but I suggest you open your eyes, open your ears. The truth sometimes can hurt but finding out later can hurt even more. " Another one in denial, just like Annie was. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to talk to her…alone." Hopefully, she gets it this time. Amy proceeded to the door until she heard another comment. "What did you just say?"
"I met her in a hotel bar. I saved her from a guy who was bothering her. Then I…talked her into getting me a job with Christian."
That's a weird smile. What's the shrug for? What's that supposed to mean? That's not what she said earlier.
"Want to know more? It's going to take awhile. I'll go get a cup of chamomile tea. You look like you need one."
She's willing to share. That's good. But that's not what she said! "I am not in the mood to play games." Amy said after grabbing hold of Brooke's right wrist, then realized she underestimated Brooke's ability after her own wrist was grabbed onto, then forced to the back and the left arm bent into an unmoveable position.
"I guess...the Perfect Score isn't a slut after all, just a little crazy."