Page 66 of Resurrecting the Enemy
“Yeah, a cheating slut.”
“Well, you want to know what that cheating slut was doing last Friday night?” She didn’t give me a chance to tell her I didn’t care. “That cheating slut was at my party, nursing one cup of beer, because she didn’t want to get drunk. She knew you’d get upset if you showed up, and she was plastered.” Eden was damn near snarling as she spoke. “That cheating slut was also at my party, fighting with Curt, telling him to leave her the fuck alone, because she knew you’d get pissed if you showed up and saw him talking to her.” My stomach started to roll a little, but I tapped it down. “You want to know what else that cheating slut was doing Friday night? She was at Banks Medical, getting her blood drawn and being monitored, because she’d been drugged.”
“You’re fucking lying,” I growled.
She had to be.
Satisfaction danced in Eden’s gaze as she told her accounts of what happened with Lake on Friday night. “We didn’t know it at the time, but Curt and Erica crashed my party to set her up. Curt kept bothering Lake, and somewhere in between their arguments, he dropped some GHB in her drink and drugged her.” She looked me down like I was an insect beneath her shoes. “That picture of them going into the bedroom was Curt supporting her through the door. I was in the kitchen when a guy mentioned how stupid Lake was to be cheating on you. I asked him what in the hell he was talking about, and he told me he’d seen her and Curt going into one of the bedrooms.”
“Yeah, because she a fucking slut,” I insisted because the alternative couldn’t be true.
“I raced towards the bedroom, and he followed because he knew something was wrong,” she continued. “Xavier had to kick the door down because Curt had locked it. Surprised, Curt had jumped back, and Lake fell into heap on the floor. I called an ambulance while Xavier beat the shit out of Curt.”
“You’re a fucking liar!” I roared.
“Ramsey…” But we both ignored my dad’s voice.
“Fuck you!” she yelled back. “Lake was in the hospital all night and didn’t wake up until Saturday morning! So, while you were busy being the judge, jury, and executioner, Lake was having to listen to the police tell her there was nothing they could do since she couldn’t remember being drugged!” Eden’s face was red, and fury was dripping off every part of her body. “While you were throwing parties and fucking other girls, Lake was home, thanking God that I’d gotten to her before Curt could rape her! You fucking bastard!”
“Stop it,” I growled. “You’re lying.”
“And when she showed up here to tell you the truth, evenaftershe saw you with another girl, what did you do? You tell all the assholes at Windsor that they can have her because she likes to be passed around.”
My mother’s gasp felt like a punch in the chest.
This time, Eden stepped to me. “I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what your family is capable of. I don’t care what you do to me, Reed,” she hissed. “Stay the fuck away from Lake.” Her hand waved, gesturing to our surroundings. “Stay in your castles and behind your gilded gates and leave us peasants the fuck alone!” She turned to storm out of my house, but before she slammed the door behind her, she looked back at me and said, “Go near Lake again, and I will kill you myself.” The front door slammed on her threat, and I was left behind with my parents and the feeling that my knees were going to give out.
No one said anything as I tried to process everything Eden just told me. She had to be lying, though. She had to be.
She had to be.
My eyes on the front door, I said, “Dad.”
His voice spoke immediately. “This is Ramsey Reed, I need to speak to Dr. Larsen,” he said into the phone.“Now.”He’d know exactly what I was asking of him.
I stood there, praying Eden was lying. I’d rather deal with Lake cheating on me than face what I’d done to her if Eden was telling the truth.
“Dr. Larsen, do I need to save you the trouble of discussing HIPPA laws with me by reminding you of who and what I am?” There was a bit of silence before Dad said, “Good. Last Friday night, a young girl named Lake Warren was taken into the ER. Why?” Addressing me, Dad said, “He’s looking it up, Ram.” I didn’t remark, but soon, Dad was ending he call, saying, “Thanks.”
I finally turned to look at him. “And?”
He only confirmed what the expression on his face had already conveyed. “They found a high dosage of GHB in her system. So high, that they couldn’t release her until Saturday late afternoon.” When I didn’t say anything, he asked, “Do you want me to see what the police have?”
I nodded. “Yeah, please.”
My mother was completely silent as Dad made the phone call, and he was told pretty much the same thing that Eden had said. Unless Curt confessed or Lake’s memory came back, and she could recount when and how Curt had drugged her, there was no proof and nothing they could really do. I was on the verge of losing it when Mom turned this entire thing on its head.
She looked over at Dad. “I know this isn’t about me,” she said. “But I’m going to need a minute.” She turned and walked out of the room, and I was about to ask Dad what she meant, but I didn’t get the chance before Dad lost his shit.
“Motherfucker!”he roared before grabbing the nearest lamp and hurling it across the room. I stood stunned as it shattered in a rainfall of glass and ceramic.
He started pacing, and he really looked like there’d be nothing left standing soon. “Dad?” I said, trying to get his attention. “Dad, what’s going on?”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted, his voice a wave of anger.“Fuuuuuck!”
“Dad?!” I yelled. “What’s going on?” He stopped pacing and ran his hands through his hair. I’d never seen him like this, and I was seriously starting to worry. “Dad?”
He ran his hands down his face, but finally looked at me. In a voice I’d never heard before, he said, “Just history repeating itself, son.”
