13
Elijah
“So, what’s the deal with the name Bisley?” Felix asked. “As soon as my mom brought it up, your whole demeanor changed.”
“Caught that, did you?” I said. “Sly omega.”
I leaned back against the couch. With Felix curled up next to me and River at our feet below, it was as comfortable as I could have been before approaching such an uncomfortable topic.
“Remember before you moved in, when I told you I didn’t like bullies?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Felix said. He laid his head on my chest and gently stroked it, like an animal tamer calming down an angry bear. “You like protecting those who are weaker than others.”
“Exactly.”
“So I’m guessing something happened with the Bisleys.”
I frowned. Even the name alone made me want to punch something. I must have tensed, because Felix’s stroking motions grew in broad, soothing circles.
“Long story short, I used to work for them.”
“What?” Felix gasped. “Are you sure it's the same family and not someone with the same name?”
“Yes, I’m definitely sure.” I shrugged. “I worked with small celebrities and wealthy people with too much money and no knowledge of what to do with it . . .Those types tend to get paranoid, you know? Think that people are out to get them because of their success.”
Felix nodded against me. “Right.”
“Well, the Bisleys are one such family,” I said, hating the taste of the name on my tongue. “Before I lost my vision, they hired me as a personal bodyguard for their son. He was an adult still living at home, so I was often in contact with the whole family.”
“So, what happened?” Felix asked cautiously.
“Everything was fine until I started losing my vision,” I explained. “To be honest, I always thought they were a bit on the kooky side, but people with too much money tend to be that way, you know?”
“But not you, right?” Felix teased.
“I have enough to be comfortable.”
“You’re being modest. Your home is beautiful, and when you actually feel like using it, you have a nice car, and a chauffeur.”
I smirked. “Hey, I’m blind. What do you want me to do, fire him so I can drive it instead?”
“No. But you’re right. Compared to Larry’s home, you don’t have as many, er, unnecessary extravagances.”
I shrugged. “I like to spend money on nice dinners and experiences, sure, but I live within my means. What use do I have for fancy marble countertops and other shit I can’t see?”
Felix chuckled and patted my chest. “Continue your story.”
As I formulated the words, I was pulled back in time--back to when I was still sighted. I remembered, clear as day, the expression on Larry’s face when I’d told him what I was going through. The anger, the disappointment, the disgust. All of it came flooding back to me.
It infuriated me that I rememberedthatimage, but I couldn’t see my own boyfriend’s face.
“When I first told him I was losing my sight, he thought I was lying,” I mumbled. “Talking to him was impossible. It was like he didn’t even hear me.”
Felix winced. “I’ve felt the same way with him many times. The words go right over his head if they’re not about him.”
I stroked Felix’s hair, feeling a pang of sympathy that he’d lived with that horrible man as well.
“Right,” I continued. “Except this time, itwasabout him. If I couldn’t see, I wouldn’t be able to do my job properly. So when it was clear I wasn’t just having a bad day and that there was something seriously wrong with my eyes, I told him that our situation wasn’t going to work out and that he needed to tell his parents to cancel my contract. But he didn’t care.” I frowned. “Instead, he got angry. Said I was being lazy, said that if I didn’t want to work for him I should just say so instead of making things up.”
