Page 51 of Hale's Pawn
“Your grump, little asshole,” I answer back.
“Who the hell else would take your mean ass?” Ainslee says, laughing harder as we walk back into the room.
Later on, we’re joined by Wyn and the other two LeClaire sisters. It’s funny how different this generation of the Founder’s kids are. We aren’t as problematic as our parents and it makes me wonder if it’s because we have different goals than them or if we’re just better human beings than some of them. It’s a wonder if they had a time like this too before we were born. I doubt it though.
26
Ainslee
The momentwe arrive at the vacation house, we get drinks. My mango margarita is just right. Karessa gives her drink to Oran and leaves her bag to Jagger. My bags are definitely somewhere... maybe in my room. Somebody is going to do it, like one of the boys. We go around the villa to check it out. We leave the men behind after our stroll, making the decision to go for a swim.
When the boyscome back around, they announce to us that we’re going sailing. Karessa and I get out of our relaxing mode and go get ready. Once we’re in our room, I flip through my suitcase, looking for something simple to wear. Oran is pacing back and forth, I look up at him. “Are you okay?” I ask.
“Hmm?” he replies.
“Your hand.” I point at the big band-aid on his palm.
“This is nothing.” He shakes his head. “No, Jagger just told me about his attack. I didn’t know that he almost lost his life. That someone actually hired someone to do it!” Oran expresses. I listen to his frustrations as he airs them out. I sit on the bed to give him my undivided attention. “I’m trying to connect the dots here. That is something you don’t just do as a simple thing. I’m angry that my father tried to kill him. All because...”
“Of Karessa. Yeah, I don’t get it. Not the fact that it’s Karessa, but because what makes him think she would even want him? It’s creepy as hell.” I shake my head.
Oran stops in his tracks. “Come again?” he asks.
I look up at him. “You didn’t know?”
“How long have you known?” Oran asks. I don’t say anything. Instead, I stand and go back to looking for my dress. I know that I packed a specific sundress. “Ainslee.”
“I’ve known from the moment Nikolai subdued the other guy that was trying to hurt Jagger. Nikolai had no choice but to tell one of the boys that is assigned to watch over on that side of town.”
“Why do you know that information?”
I continue to slowly rummage through my clothes now. “Because I’m the next in line, babe. I know everything that’s happening around Founder’s.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks.
I look up at him. “I can’t always disclose certain things. Husband or not.”
“What are you trying to say, that it’s not my place?”
“Yes and no,” I answer. “When are we leaving?”
Oran blankly stares at me for a moment and naturally, I stare back. I’m not sure what he wants to say, so I wait to hear him out. Maybe he wants to air out more of his frustrations. “Do you not care about anything? Like my best friend, a person who is practically like my brother, was about to die.”
“He didn’t,” I say to clarify that Jagger is okay.
“You don’t fucking get it, do you?”
“What don’t I get? I totally understand that you are visibly upset about what happened to Jagger and how it had to do with your father, but Jagger is fine. He’s doing okay and with each day, he’s going to get over it. A brush with death brings clarity. We’ve all been there. You see it and then you accept it to move on.” I begin untying my bathing suit top and bottom. “How long until we leave?” I ask.
Oran glares at me. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Ainslee? It’s like you don’t fucking understand anything I’m saying? That’s the most insensitive shit I’ve ever heard. Did you even consider that maybe just maybe all I needed was a fucking hug instead of a 101 on how people almost die everyday? I’m reeling from my best friend almost dying and you drop another bomb about why, then you tell me it basically is none of my business.” He shakes his head. Oran walks out of the room, slamming the door.
What the fuck is wrong with you?Those are his words, but it mirrors my mom’s. She’d ask me that all the time, and lately I’ve been trying not to think about her. I don’t miss her as much as I thought I would but her words seep into my blood, making it run cold. If there’s one thing that Andreas Bishops has taught me is that no one should ever see you crack under pressure, even if it’s your spouse.
I settlefor wearing a black strapless bikini swimsuit underneath my little black dress. When I get to where everyone is, I avoid looking at Oran. “You ready?” Karessa asks.
“Yeah,” I say. We walk out and head to the car and on the drive to where we’re going, I stare outside the window. I shut my eyes and I try to think about anything else but those words. What would my dad do right now? How would he further shove down this pain and how much it hurts coming from people that I love...love? Hell, I love Oran, don’t I? I sigh. Dammit. This wouldn’t have hurt as much if only I didn’t love the way that I do.
During lunch, I’m happy that it’s not as noticeable and no one is asking me anything. I smile when everyone else does and I laugh on cue but inside there is no happiness or emotion to pull from. It’s not all the time that I feel like this but right now I feel sick to my stomach. “Excuse me for a second, bathroom,” I quickly say. I go over below deck and head into the bathroom. I shut myself in there and I look at my reflection. “Come on, Ainslee, he didn’t mean it like that. Snap out of it,” I say to myself but it’s harder now because that shoving down of emotions has worked.
