Page 17 of The Estate
Lottie laughed, “Well, if it is, you really have an uphill battle. Girls were always trying to get his attention. They made him his favorite snacks on game days and all that. Nothing they tried seemed to work.”
“So, you’re saying she shouldn’t make him cookies,” Lisa asked with a smirk.
“Hey, she can try it. It’s not unheard of using food as flirtation. Riiight?” Lottie drawled.
Lisa rolled her eyes and stood up. “I’m going to get the burgers so I can get them on the grill.”
As Lisa left, Rachel raised her eyebrows. Lottie smiled and explained, “Jake at The Blueberry Muffin has been raising the stakes.”
“Oh? Really? Do tell.”
“He’s now expanded his signature coffee drinks menu and, wouldn’t you know it, they’re all Lisa’s favorites.”
“Oh my goodness.” Rachel melted, her hand dropping over her heart. “That is the cutest, most romantic thing ever.”
“I know, right?” Lottie squealed. “But don’t let Lisa hear you say that.”
For the past year, Jake, the chef at their local café, had been waging a food flirtation with Lisa, much to the entertainment of Lisa’s friends.
It had started with the odd breakfast special or two, then with new menu additions as Jake found out Lisa’s favorite foods. The two often got in arguments over recipes and cooking best practices. As a passionate home cook, Lisa enjoyed challenginghim on ingredients and techniques. Rachel knew Lottie was right. It was food flirtation of the highest order.
The friends knew Lisa was secretly attracted to the talented and genuinely nice guy, but she refused to acknowledge it, mostly. Rachel hoped Jake had abundant patience. Winning Lisa’s heart would be a marathon, not a sprint.
The woman in question came back out with the burgers, so Lottie and Rachel dropped the subject. Neither wanted to chance ticking off Lisa and risk the opportunity to have some of her great cooking.
“So what’s your plan for dealing with Cal… or is it Alaric?” Lottie asked. “What are we calling this guy?”
“Cal,” Rachel responded. “Not that I intend to kowtow to him, but he seems to have a clear preference for Cal over Alaric. As for what my plan is, I don’t know. Given all the red flags his behavior sets off, I’m not sure what my best course of action is right now.”
“I don’t understand,” Lottie said. “What kind of red flags are you seeing? You don’t think you’d be in physical danger from him, do you?” she asked hesitantly.
Rachel exhaled loudly. “No. I don’t think so…” Lisa was at the grill, but Rachel was aware her friend heard every word. Looking over at Rachel, Lisa raised a brow.
“I know,” Rachel said, causing Lottie to look back and forth between them. “I’m equating his behavior to Chris’ and that’s not fair.”
Seeing Lottie’s confusion, she blew out another breath. “My sister Jess was involved with a guy who became abusive.”
“Oh Rachel.” Lottie reached over and covered her hand with her own. “I’m so sorry. Is she away from him?”
“Yes. Yes, she is. She’s safe now. Thankfully.” Rachel’s gut churned once again, thinking of all her sister had suffered and how oblivious Rachel had been about the whole situation.
“You needn’t tell me, Rachel,” Lottie whispered.
“No. I feel like I should talk about it because this whole thing is bringing up all sorts of emotions, and I have no idea how to sort it all out. And,” she caught Lisa’s eye. “I think it’s time I told the complete story.”
“Whatever you need,” Lottie replied. “We’re here for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” Rachel replied, sipping her drink. It was time to rip off the band-aid and let all the ugliness be seen. “When Jess started dating Chris, I was finishing up high school and then off to college. I spent little time around him, but he seemed like a great guy. Sure, a little egoistical but nothing terrible. I was happy for her. She looked like she truly cared for him.
“I was in sophomore year in college when I realized things weren’t as nice as they seemed. Jess and Chris had been dating for several years, and I was so wrapped up in my life and college and everything, I didn’t think about her that much.” The guilt over how self-absorbed she’d been settled deep in her chest like a hundred-pound weight.
“I’d come home for the weekend and wanted to borrow something from Jess—a sweater for a party or something—so I drove over to her apartment. I knocked, and I remember thinking that it was taking her forever to answer.
When she cracked the door open, her face was pale and sweaty. Her eyes were all puffy and swollen, and her lip was cut.The dried blood in the corner of her mouth seemed so bright against her skin.
“I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I thought maybe she’d had a car accident. She said she was too sick to see me, but I pushed open the door, anyway. And my vibrant, funny, and amazing older sister moved like an old woman. Hunched over, she shuffled to the kitchen table and sat down.”
Rachel blinked back the tears threatening to swamp her. If she started crying now, she knew she wouldn’t stop. “The moment I saw the bruises on her wrist and arms, I knew. You could see where he’d held her so hard that he left finger-shaped bruises. I can only guess at the other bruises on her body.
