“Yes,” he says. “I’m not going anywhere, Prue. Ever.”
I nod. “Okay. Let’s go see my parents.”
As I pull up to my family’s mansion. I don’t know what the outcome from this will be. I know he is right. If I take him inside there, it ends badly. They won’t be happy with me. When theysay the wrong thing, Ben will make a scene. I’ll have to pick. Him or them.
The problem is, I have no idea which one to pick.
I either find a way to finally get Ben to leave me alone or I end up disowned just like Cameron.
And I don’t know what outcome will hurt more, or which one I want.
Ben follows me inside the house. I glance around. Nothing has changed, but the space feels different. Still makes me feel small and nervous. Ben puts his hand on the small of my back and some of the tension in my body leaves. I glance back and he offers me a smile, like he knows this place crushes my soul.
I press the intercom button. “Mom. Prue is here,” I announce myself.
“We are in the den, dear.” My mother’s voice carries over the speakers.
I grab Ben’s hand, leading him through the maze of hallways. The den is my parents’ favorite place to gather.
He locks our fingers as I lead him. I can’t look at him right now, not while my fate is hanging in the balance. The outcome of this is going to change everything. I don’t need my feelings for him swaying my decision.
When we enter the den, I drop Ben’s hand. My mother lounges on the couch, feet tucked under her knees. Her blonde hair draped over the arm of the chair. She is high on one prescription pill or maybe two, who knows these days.
My father sits by the fireplace, a whiskey glass in hand. The flames from the raging fire make shadows dance over his clean-shaven face. His face looks nothing like Cameron’s or mine. Sharp, where ours is round. Hard, while ours are soft.
The TV is on, but his eyes have been on me since the moment we entered the room. I feel myself straighten up, like I always dounder his gaze. The need to impress him crawls up my spine. His expectations are like a weight around my neck.
“Hello.” I force myself to speak, stretching a smile across my face.
“Prue, dear, you didn’t mention you brought your brother along,” my mother says, sitting up slightly. Leave it to her to not be able to tell the difference between a stranger and her own child.
“That’s not Cameron,” my father says. His voice is loud, as if he needs to assert dominance. I’ve never been on the other side of that voice. He reserves it for Cameron and people who he wants to put fear in.
“Oh. I just saw the shaggy hair and tattoos.” my mother says.
“This is Ben. He’s a friend.”
“Of yours? Or is Cameron in some kind of trouble?” Mother asks, with a sigh. “That boy is nothing but trouble.”
“He is a friend of both of ours.”
“I didn’t know you two shared any friends.” My mother’s eyes zero in on me. The look on her face is sharp enough to kill. Clearly, she is conveying that sharing friends with my brother is not acceptable.
“Hello,” my father says, stepping toward Ben. He extends his hand and I watch as Ben grasps it back. “I’m Calvin Ward, and this is my wife, Betty. Ben, was it?”
“Yes. Ben Parker.” Ben nods, shaking his hand for a moment before dropping it. My father stares at his hand. No one has ever let go of his hand first. Ben might as well have slapped him across the face.
“Nice bruise you got there, kid. Should I see the other guy?” my father asks, trying to save face.
“If you find him, please let me know,” Ben replies with a grin.
“Ha,” my father says, sitting back down. “Sit you two.”
I slide into the loveseat across from my mother. Ben drops down beside me. I shift so we aren’t touching. The more space between us the better. My parents might be acting nice, but it’s all fake. They aren’t happy with me. I can feel the tension in the air. Sense their disappointment in my gut.
“What brings you here, Prue? I thought you were enjoying being at your brother’s. Have you finally grown tired of that dump?” my mother says, tucking her hair behind her ears, and shooting me another pointed look.
“No. We were just in the neighborhood. I thought I’d show Ben where I grew up.”
