Chapter 445) Mama Said

 “You are loved for the boy you were, the man you have become, and the precious son you will always be.”

Newcrest
The Malton

Weeks had passed since Keira’s return, while waiting for several leads to hopefully materialize into a new job, she had started a lifestyle blog, named ‘Nomadic Keke‘, where she wrote about her travels, experiences, and observations in general. For obvious reasons, she kept it very generic, never using real names, including her own. Keke was a nickname Connor had given her when they were little. That sentiment filled her with nostalgia and melancholy, plus, only he and close family would figure out it was her behind the blog.

While she had been able to mostly get back in the swing of things, mend dinged relationships with most people she left behind when she had just up and left, Connor remained elusive, avoiding her mostly, then when she would see him, he was distant, barely acknowledging her and when he did, he was borderline rude.

Still, Keira just couldn’t let him go. Not even when he kept bringing Lexie around, again and again, even to her parents’ home for parties. Keira almost hated her now, when all Lexie was guilty of was being the new girl at Connor’s side.

Newcrest
The Elysium

Looking up at her from the pool he had been swimming laps in, Connor let out a grunt which Keira took as an invite for conversation.

“Do you live here now? Permanently, I mean?” she asked, tired of guessing answers to her burning questions.

Whatever she asked anybody, nobody would really talk to her about Connor, everyone wanted to be Switzerland. And getting anything out of him was nearly pointless.

“What if I were?”

“Just surprised, considering it would make it harder to have alone time with Lexie. She told me she lives in Windenburg, with her parents and siblings. Kinda awkward.”

A nearly theatrical pause happened when he now elegantly hoisted his firm, athletic body out of the pool, then started drying off in front of Keira, bringing his face close to her when he spoke, his tone harsh.

“Lexie didn’t tell YOU that, you eavesdropped when she answered a question someone else asked her at a party. And don’t you worry where and how I get to nail her, just rest assured we do manage, often and enthusiastically. Where there is a will, there is a way, besides, my parents have never been accused of being prude.”

Clearly, him elaborating about the sex part was another well-placed low blow at Keira, knowing it would hurt her. It worked too. She tried to not show it, and said instead

“I think this might be the longest you have spoken to me since I got back. Wow. Sad only that it has to be about some random chick you are nailing.”

“Lexie is neither random, nor some chick. And that doesn’t even make my radar of things I find sad.”

“And you almost made it a full minute without a low blow at me. New record. So, are you serious about her?”

“Keira … stay in your lane.”

“I am in my lane. Natural question from one ‘sibling’ to another, don’t you think?”

“We’re not siblings!”

“Oh? I remember vividly that’s how you introduced me to Lexie. As your sister!”

“No, I said we grew up like siblings. I also said you were a big pain in my ass, which you are proving again now.” Connor’s sound had a finality in it. Keira couldn’t peel her eyes of his broad, muscular chest, it took all she had to resist the urge to touch it.

Connor wrapped the towel around his waist, then just walked off towards the house.

“Don’t just leave me standing here! We are talking!”

“No, YOU are talking. And guess a taste of your own medicine tastes pretty bitter from the receiving end, doesn’t it. Isn’t it fun when someone runs just like that?” Connor snapped his finger.

Keira rushed towards him, stepping in his way, trying her plea again.

“I get you are still bitter; you have every right to be upset but come on Connor. I am trying here. Let me apologize. Let me make it up to you. Throw me a bone. Our parents are best friends, we both moved back in at home, so we WILL run into each other, it’s unavoidable. Can’t we at least be civil?”

“I AM being civil, trust me! If I said and did what I wanna say and do, it would NOT be pretty. I guess we both should appreciate that you caused them to live in separate places, so at least we are not in the same house together now.” he tried to leave again, but Keira followed him.

All the way up to his room, pleading with him, which he ignored.

With the doorhandle in hand, he turned to her.

“This is where we part ways.” he entered and shut the door right in her face, angering Keira enough to just follow him without thinking.

“Not like THAT! Oh …!” her anger changed to shock, her cheeks turned bright red, when before her was Connor without a thread of clothing on, the towel and his swim shorts pooling at his feet.

He stared at her too, shocked at first, which changed to an annoyed then a gleeful expression as he propped his hands into his hips, not even attempting to cover up.

Keira peeked out between the hand covering her eyes, then mumbled.

“You’re … ahem … don’t you want to … cover up?”

“What I want is for you to get out of my room! I didn’t invite you in! Get out!”

“But we were finally talking. I mean, I wanted to say things to you … I … Nope, I can’t do this! “

As if the devil himself was chasing her, Keira ran out of his room, out of the house and back home. She wanted to talk to Connor so badly, but instead of words, bitter tears were coming, choking her, blurring her mind. There was no use. Not like this.

***

Awkward moments like this one, albeit not quite as drastic, kept happening again and again, over and over in various ways. One afternoon, days after the Connor incident, Keira was over again, dropping off something band-related, when Hailey invited her to lunch.

“Connor … why did you only get one plate?” Hailey challenged.

“I don’t know mom. Just not hungry enough for two, I guess?” he retorted.

“Listen smartass, unless you desperately need glasses you can see we have a guest, so be a good host and get Keira a plate too, please. I raised you better than that!”

“Host? I didn’t invite her. She can get her own damn plate, the kitchen is only a few feet away, I am sure she can manage those few steps or are you afraid she’d run away again for another year if you let her out of your sight?” Connor dug in his heels.

“It’s fine, I can get it myself.” Keira said.

“I am sure you can, but you’re not gonna, cos I kindly asked my son, so … Connor, would you please!?” Hailey’s warm voice now had a warning undertone. Connor’s younger siblings knew it well and looked over, wondering if their older brother was about to get into trouble with mom.

“Really, it’s fine Hailey … I don’t really need a plate. You know, the whole vampire thing and not eating. I didn’t take any elixir. I didn’t mean to interrupt your family meal.”

“Oh, sweet girl, you ARE family and missed the injections, that’s right. I bet your parents totally forgot about it, this happened very soon after you left, and even though this would be Connor’s job as your Sire-Master until you reached your full vampiric skillset, I’ll ask Chase to talk to his grandpa Caleb about this to get you fixed up ASAP. While you were gone, they found a medication, a series of injections, permanently allowing us eat and actually taste the food again. Don’t ask me how that works, I honestly couldn’t care less, it’s probably one of those secrets Caleb sits on anyway and none of us are privy to, I just know it works and that is good enough for me. No need for elixirs anymore! We still need to feed on blood for actual sustenance, but at least we can have our cake and eat it too, pun fully intended. We have some elixir for you, so you can join us for lunch today until we get you fixed up.”

“I can take her to get the injections, mom. No need to have dad do it. I can talk to great-grandpa Caleb about getting her squared away soon. I am her Sire-Master, she’s my responsibility. I’ll do it.” Connor grumbled.

“Hear, hear. Seems like my upbringing wasn’t all wasted on you after all then, you kinda-sorta-gentleman. Yet, I still do not see a plate for Keira. Do I really have to ask AGAIN?!” Hailey’s eyes shot daggers at her son, who rolled his eyes, went to put his plate down on the table and obliged his mother’s demand.

Keira had to bite back a gleeful giggle, instead forced a polite smile and said

“Oh! Wow. That is great news. I definitely want that injection too. That would have been great to have before my travels, so I could have actually tasted all those exotic flavors.”

“Dick tastes the same the world over.” Connor snarled walking past them.

Or he tried to. His mom caught his arm, grabbed the plate from him and handed it to Keira, then dragged Connor with her into the home office, where she turned to him and laid into him.

“I have just about HAD it with this! I get it, baby boy, you got your heart broken, and that sucks, I am so very sorry for you. I gave you time, I gave you space, I let you mope and mourn and be cranky, I doted on you, but enough is enough, get yourself together. And you will watch yourself around your little sisters! Am I clear? They do not need to hear your dick-annotations, and frankly, neither do your father and I!”

“Why do you keep inviting HER over?! Especially when you know what she has done to me!? I am your son, not her! I should be your priority!”

“You always ARE my priority, and you know it! In those months after she left, I took care of you like an invalid, coddled you like a sick toddler! I did everything for you short of spoon-feeding you and wiping your butt, young man! Keira screwed up, we all agree there, but everyone fucks up at some point and she is like a daughter to me, I was part of the village that raised her, I cannot nix the past 25 years just because you two broke up and you can’t get over it! You like to talk about dicks and balls so much, well, here’s a thought, Connor, grow a pair and get the heck over it already!”

“We didn’t just break up, mom, she dumped me so she could run around to go suck some random dudes’ dicks abroad calling it freedom hoping to find herself while some Joes and Jacks are screwing her brains out! And I don’t like talking about that fact, but that doesn’t make it any less true! When she dumped me, she even told me she wanted us to see other people. Guess she wanted to taste the rainbow from all around the world – male specimen only – and preferably pantless!” Connor nearly spat the words out, clearly consumed with jealousy.

“So your real problem isn’t even that she went away, but that you think she went on some nookie spree? Good grief, Connor, what do you use for priorities this season!? Besides, my dear son, you haven’t exactly lived like a monk either – or am I supposed to pretend not to know about the occasional flavor of the day you ran around with until you pulled Lexie out of your hat?! How gullible and dumb do you think I am!? Just because your dad and I didn’t comment on any of this, doesn’t mean we don’t know about it, let alone that we have any illusions about what you were probably doing with those chicas! We’re not religious people, but we sure did pray every night that you used protection!”

“Oh mom – come on now!”

Connor was shaking his head when Chase joined them.

“Everything all right here, guys? Could either of you catch me up on what exactly I just walked into here?” Chase wondered.

“Dad, please tell mom that I am no brainless manwhore! Yes, I had some fun, I accepted some of the phone numbers I kept getting, I called the girls, I went out with them, mom, maybe a little kiss here, some making out there, the stray hand in a certain place, but I didn’t star in my own version of ‘Connor does Newcrest’! I am not frigging stupid, nor a slave to my primal urges that I would risk our reputation by mass-nailing randos! I went out, I made out, I might have fondled a few titties, but that concludes my wild moments! Thanks for knowing that! Just love that you think so highly of me – NOT!” Connor grumbled back at his mom, wondering how many sons would have conversations like this with their parents.

“Fine Connor, if you didn’t do what I thought you did I cannot express how happy and proud that makes me, but you still have no right to set a bad example about what is acceptable behavior in front of your sisters! THAT part you cannot explain away, you ARE acting like the first Neanderthal on earth around Keira, and your little sisters see it. Chase, no, nothing is all right. Your son keeps forgetting that I am not some idiot soccer mom, so I had to remind him by swinging my proverbial dick around. Always remember, Connor, mine will ALWAYS be bigger than yours! Talk some normalcy into your son, Chase. I am SO over this drama – eeeeevery single time Keira shows up! Enough already, for fuck’s sakes!” Hailey marched off.

“Mom! What the fuck, mom!?” Connor called after Hailey, who didn’t even turn around, but dismissed his complaint with a hand gesture.

Connor looked sufficiently cut down to size, when he turned to his dad.

“Damn. Mom was mad. All because I didn’t drop everything and run to get Keira a plate of fucking spaghetti which she can’t eat anyway cos nobody thought to take her to get her damn injections yet …”

“Connor, you know that is not the only reason. I have not seen everything that happened today, but I have seen enough, and I have seen the way you have been acting around Keira all the previous times. Your mom is right. The way you behave when Keira is around isn’t cool. We know you are hurt, you have every right to be, nobody is saying you have to kiss and make up, especially not if you are not ready, but your outbursts are starting to make you look like a douche. You do have two little sisters who look up to you. Your behavior is not setting a good example. You can be mad all day long, but the holier-than-thou behavior and dick-references have to stop.”

“I know, dad, but everything about Keira just makes me so very mad. I can’t help it. There is no way I can just forgive and forget and just kumbaya with her by the fire like mom seems to want me to. I can’t, I won’t, and I don’t want to!”

“Understood, but mind your audience, as your grandpa Blaine would say. Even he watches it around small kids, knowing cursing and crudeness comes as easy to him as breathing to a mortal, that’s something to live by.” Chase pat his son’s shoulder and left.

Joining his wife and twins in the dining room, Iris Marie burst out.

“Keira said to tell you thank you for the dinner invite, but she had to go home. Why is Connor such a meanie to her?”

“They had a bad fight and both are very stubborn about it.” Chase explained.

“Is it because she ran away?” Briar Rose wondered.

“Yeah, that’s why honey. They had a fight; she ran away and that upset Connor. That is why we should always talk about anything that upsets us.” Hailey chirped, while joining her husband, who still stood near the door to the dining room, looking out, watching Connor sulk in the office.

“Fun times ahead, Patches. Something tells me that no matter what you or I tell him, this wasn’t the last time those two blew up at each other. And I am not even really so sure who and what we are supposed to be rooting for here.”

“No shit, Gump.”

“Mommy said a bad word!!” chimed from behind them in Briar Rose’s little voice.

“That’s right baby girl, mommy did do that, and she is going to put herself in timeout in her and daddy’s room now, nursing on a bottle of mommy juice in a nice bubble bath. Have fun with his, Chasey. I need a break.”

“Patches! Come on now, girl! You know Connor will be cranky when he realizes Keira left. Don’t leave me with that overgrown pouty brat AND the two little monsters.”

“You got this! Love ya!” Haily kissed his cheek and ran up the stairs.