Anything For Rachel – Episode 3

Episode_3

 

 

 

I fixed the sofa for Pedro to sleep on, then went down to check on Rose. I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face when I peered in to see Rose curled up asleep against Logan. He was passed out too, his long legs hanging off the foot of her bed and his mouth slack. The sight warmed my soul, and further solidified my decision to not go to Castrum de Petra.

 

 

I walked across the hall and climbed into my own bed, laying back on my pillows and staring up at the plain old white ceiling above me. Going back would be bad. I’ve spent way too much time pushing down those memories, only bringing them up when I write them down in my books. At first it was therapeutic to write about what had happened to me, of course, my readers all think it is an elaborate work of fiction, but I know the truth. It felt good to know that it was all real, and to put it all together into a book so that when my memory does begin to fade, I’ll have that to fall back on, but now…Thinking about it now, all these years later is painful.

 

 

 

All the things that happened there, and all the people I left behind, they need to stay there. I don’t belong in that place, never have. I belong here with my little family where I am happy and free to do whatever I want, whenever I want to. As nice as it is to see Pedro again, I had hoped to never see any of those people again.

 

 

 

I hardly slept at all that night. My dreams were haunted by figures lurking in the distance, and smoky blue eyes watching me carefully. All around me I could hear his voice, calling to me.

 

 

 

“Rachel….Rachel…Rachel.”

 

 

 

“Rachel, wake up.” His voice was different now, raspier. I opened my eyes to see Logan standing beside the bed, Rose already dressed for school on his hip.

 

“You were making funny faces.” Rose giggled, making her little pigtails bounce.

 

 

 

Logan leaned down to kiss me swiftly. “We’re heading out, babe.” He told me like he does every morning.

 

 

 

I sat up quickly and I caught Pedro standing in the doorway. When our eyes met he shook his head. “I, um.” I said. “Rose is going to stay home with me today so she can get to know Pedro.” I told Logan.

 

 

 

He looked a little confused, but Rose was grinning. “No school?” She asked happily and I nodded.

 

 

 

Logan shrugged and tossed Rose over onto the bed. “Alright, my beautiful girls, have a great day!” Logan called, blowing me a kiss as he left the room.

 

 

 

 

Rose jumped into my lap and hugged my neck. “What’s a Pedro, mommy?”

 

 

 

Pedro walked in then. “Oh, darling.” He grinned at her. “A Pedro is a person, not a thing, and I am him.” He told her, pointing to himself. Even though he’d slept in it, his blue suit looked as crisp and clean as ever. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you.” He told her with watering eyes.

 

 

 

“Really?” She asked him. “I’ve never heard of you.”

 

I shushed her, hugging her tightly. That’s one thing about kids, you never know what they might say.

 

 

 

“Pedro is your…”

 

 

 

He brought his eyebrows together and shrugged. “Papa?”

 

Rose looked between us both. “Papa Pedro?”

 

 

 

He and I nodded and laughed. Rose looked at us like we were crazy but she shrugged her shoulders and went with it.

 

We spent a while talking, letting Rose and Pedro get to know each other. Every now and then over the next few hours I’d catch Pedro trying to get my attention, obviously wanting to talk to me without Rose, but I didn’t want him to bring up me leaving or Calvin anymore to me for right now. Today, all I want to do is enjoy having his company again, and make sure that Rose will be comfortable with him before he tries to leave with her.

 

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We’d spent the whole day playing and talking in Rose’s room, and she seemed just as taken with Pedro as he was with her.

 

As the sun set, the realization that I’d have to face this at one time or another finally sank in. I was just about to tell Rose that Pedro and I were going to go get dinner started when I heard a knock on the door.

 

 

 

“I’ll get it.” I said, thankful for the added distraction, and left Rose in her room to tell Pedro about her extensive fairy figurine collection.

 

 

 

I looked through the peephole and saw a nicely dressed man I didn’t recognize. I pulled open the door and he smiled. “I’m looking for a Rachel Montgomery.” He said. He had a lot of cologne on, and his jet black hair, which matched his black suit, was slicked over to one side.

 

 

 

I smiled back, pulling my robe on a little tighter. “That’s me.” I told him and he nodded.

 

 

 

“Oh, very good.” He said. “May I please come in?” He asked, taking a step towards the door already.

 

 

 

I held up my hand and pushed it against his chest, stopping him. Just that briefest of contact was all I needed to know what he was, I could feel the chill of his skin through his shirt. I kept my cool, smiling still. “What’s this about exactly?”

 

 

 

“Oh just some things to go over with you about your, ah, wedding registry.” His lie was unconvincing.

 

 

 

I widened my fake smile, not wanting to tip him off that I know.

 

 

 

“Oh, ok, sure.” I said, backing up while swiftly reaching into the top drawer of the little table beside the door. I grabbed hold of what I was looking for and held it behind my back while he walked in.

 

 

 

“Thank you, miss.” He said as he closed the door behind him. When he turned back to look at me his smile was gone. “Let’s cut the bullshit.” He shrugged. “Does that sound good, your Highness?” He grinned eerily. “I bet you thought you escaped us, but deserters never get far, we hunt them down eventually.”

 

 

 

“Deserter?” I repeated, still playing dumb.

 

 

 

It made him angry, his eyes turning black as coals as he spoke.

 

 

 

“How dare you pretend you have no idea what I’m talking about?” He demanded. “While thousands had to sit back and watch our king suffer your supposed loss,” He looked around my living room and sneered at the pictures over the fireplace.

 

 

 

“You’re here playing house with some common fool.” He spat.

 

“You’re a disgrace, and you’ll die like one.” He told me as he took

 

a step forward.

 

 

 

I smiled at him. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” I told him when I saw Pedro creep into the hallway.

 

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The man heard him and went to turn away from me, but I sprayed him in the face with my spray bottle of juniper that I always keep at my door.

 

 

 

He lurched back, screaming in pain as his skin on his face sizzled and bubbled grotesquely. Pedro ran forward and made a quick act of dismembering the body and taking the pieces to the backyard to burn.

 

 

 

While he did that, I ran to the Rose’s bedroom, flinging open the door. I began to panic as I looked around and I didn’t see her. My heart nearly lunged out of my chest and I stopped breathing, fear crippling me.

 

 

 

“Momma?” I heard her soft voice whisper and I cried out in relief as she crawled out from under her bed, clutching a teddy bear. “Momma, what’s the matter? I heard screaming.” He little eyes were round marbles of fear.

 

 

 

I scooped her up, kissing her squishy cheek a thousand times and rocked her in my arms. “Nothing to worry about, all over now.”

 

 

 

She looked up at me. “But who was that screaming?”

 

I hugged her head back to me, staring blankly at the window in front of me. “He was nobody, he just needed some help and now he’s gone.”

 

 

 

Pedro appeared in the doorway, not a stray hair to show that he’d just been in a tussle. “Do you see now?” He asked softly. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he broke down my resolve when he walked over to hug Rose and me. “Rachel, you know I only try to do what’s best for you.”

 

 

 

I looked up at him. “I hate everyone always taking decisions away from me.” I said softly, not thinking of that night.

 

 

 

“Pig headed.” He muttered. “That’s what you are.” He said letting us go, and stepping back.

 

Rose leaned away from me. “Papa Pedro, what does pig headed mean?”

 

 

 

Pedro and I both grinned. “Well, in short, that is what you call someone when they are stubborn or won’t listen to reason.”

 

Rose grinned, her little dimples showing, then she peaked up at me before looking back at Pedro. “Mamma is pig headed.”

 

We all laughed together and I held onto this moment of normality, knowing now that as much as I don’t want to, my only choice is to let Rose go with Pedro, and for me to return to Castrum de Petra.

 

 

 

 

 

To_be_continued√

 

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ANYTHING FOR RACHEL