Page 76 of Corrupt Obsession

Violet tracked Jesse’s voice into the kitchen, listened to the sound of him opening the cabinet to get a bowl, and heard the clink of the lid being set on the counter as he dug into the pot on the stove.

“He’s doing a little better, but you can see how exhausted and confused he is,” Mom said sadly.

Mom gave them frequent updates on Raiden, a student whose parents were in the midst of a nasty divorce, with the little boy caught in the middle. Raiden was so miserable, he begged to stay at school instead of going home.

“That’s too bad,” Jesse said. “I hoped after you talked to the mother, things would improve.”

“No, she’s too self-involved to see what she’s doing to her son. Poor Raiden. He hugs me at least ten times a day. It breaks my heart.”

“Maybe I can stop by and play basketball with him after school next week,” Jesse offered.

Mom’s face lit up. “That would mean the world to him.”

Ambivalent emotions warred in Violet’s chest. How could Jesse be the monster who had shoved her into the garage when she’d been stupid enough to get a drink of water after their parents had gone to bed to have his way with her,andthe nice guy willing to take time out of his busy schedule to play basketball with a child going through a hard time?

Jesse appeared with a bowl cradled in his large hand. She stared at the TV, not acknowledging him or attempting to make space on the three-seater couch she sprawled on. She’d hoped he would eat at the table, go to his bedroom, or sit on the floor where he belonged. Instead, he stood there, waiting.

As the awkward moment stretched, Mom started to rise from her recliner.

“You can sit here, son.”

“No need,” Jesse said easily, and lifted Violet’s legs before he sat and placed her feet on his lap.

Dad frowned at Violet, but she pretended not to notice. She hated that Jesse had so easily outmaneuvered her. His poise under pressure astounded her. Jesse had put them in some risky, compromising situations, but his unruffled composure and well-mannered, caring facade immediately disarmed authority figures who would have otherwise known he was up to no good. Could she blame them for buying into his golden boy act? Even she, who had seen him at his worst, still wanted to believe that the sweet, supportive older brother she’d known andtrusted was still in there somewhere, despite dozens of incidents that proved otherwise.

She crawled to the other end of the couch and braced her pillow against the couch arm before she resettled, tucking her legs up so she was no longer touching him. She didn’t want to be near him, but she also didn’t want to be alone with her gloomy thoughts. Since their parents were present, Jesse would be on his best behavior.

“Allison brought you home?” Jesse asked her, ignoring the fact that she had blatantly ignored him since he walked through the front door.

She inwardly bristled. It was none of his business who gave her a ride home, but knowing their parents were listening, she had no choice but to answer. “Yes.”

Jesse hadn’t been happy when Mom and Dad lifted the ban on after school activities and going out on weekends last week. She leapt on her reinstated freedom, hitching rides and hanging out with friends whenever possible. Jesse was further foiled by the start of the basketball season. He’d been strangely disinterested and reluctant to join, but Mom and Dad insisted, probably out of guilt for the horrible football season his team had.

When Jesse finished his food, he set his empty bowl aside and shuffled along the cushions. She tensed as he slipped beneath her oversized blanket. Debating whether she could tolerate him or bail and go to her room, it was a horrible shock when he grasped her foot and pulled it onto his lap. She raised her head to snap at him, but he and Dad were deep in discussion about the stats the sports announcer rattled off.

She tugged, but his iron grip wouldn’t let her go. She couldn’t believe his gall. He knew she didn’t want him to touch her and did it anyway. He was constantly pushing her and took as many liberties as possible with others present because he knew shewouldn’t cause a scene. He was such an asshole! She should jam her heel in his balls or crush his fingers with her toes, but it wasn’t worth ruining the relaxed atmosphere.

She bared her teeth as his calloused thumbs ran along the bottom of her foot. She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning when he hit a tender spot. She hated how observant he was. When she stiffened, he lightened the pressure and when she wriggled her toes, sensing she liked what he was doing, he lingered. It was ironic that their silent communication was better than their non-existent verbal communication. She had nothing to say to him. He didn’t care how she felt or what she wanted. She learned what he said meant nothing. How could he be so in tune with her in one area and completely deaf and dumb to her wants and needs in others?

“This is nice,” Mom said, surveying them with a smile.

It was rare for all of them to be together on a Friday evening. The only reason she hadn’t gone to the mall with Marie and Allison was because she thought Jesse was going out with Brody and Blaine after practice.

“We should start this weekend off right,” Mom said excitedly. “Anyone up for a movie?”

Knowing Jesse had to be up bright and early to work with the general contractor, Violet assumed he would decline. She was annoyed when he said, “Sure. What should we watch?”

She didn’t offer a suggestion, since she wouldn’t be paying attention. They debated for a couple of minutes before settling on some action movie. As Mom turned off the lights and closed the blinds tight, so the only light came from the screen, Violet tried to remember the last movie night they had. She used to love huddling under the covers, eating popcorn mixed with assorted candies. The memories were tattered and slightly out of focus, like they belonged to someone else.

It was the same four people sitting in the same room in front of the TV, but the contentment and sense of security she used to feel when surrounded by family had been replaced with a feeling of stark alienation even though Mom and Dad were mere feet away. It was like sitting in front of a fire, but not feeling the warmth of the blaze…

A soft snore made Violet shift her head. She wasn’t surprised to see Lynne had fallen asleep before the movie finished its opening credits.

“She always does that,” Violet said with a shake of her head.

“She works hard. The moment she lets herself relax, she’s dead to the world,” Dad said. “Let her sleep.”

Despite herself, Violet found herself drawn into the movie, which was non-stop action from the opening chase scene. She was so engrossed in the story that it took a while for her to realize that the massage had stopped, and she was lying there, relaxed and comfortable, with her feet propped on her tormentor’s lap.

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