章節 16: Chapter 15
"Hey Elliot".
The addressed man turned at the greeting. It was his fabulous neighbor just a couple of houses down.
"Morning Derek" he looked down to the poodle who just sat there. As still as a statue. "What brings you here?"
"Just taking Prince for a walk" he tugged on the leash.
Elliot was about to continue into the house, but Derek spoke again. "Also I wanted to ask a question".
"Okay. Go ahead".
"I saw the car that Matthew's friend drives. What sort of car is it? Tried going online but you know how it is" they both shared a laugh. "So what is it?"
"Are you sure you want to drive a sports car?" he asked surprised.
"What?" now his neighbor was confused. "Why would you think it's a sports car?" he furrowed his brows.
"That's what Beck drives" Derek was confusing him.
"What I saw wasn't a sports car. First it was high off the ground and it was a jeep. Popular brand too".
"Beck doesn't drive that car" Elliot stepped closer. "Are you sure you saw correctly?" he wanted to be wrong.
"Yes. It was a week back maybe more. The car was parked in front of my house. Matt was acting a bit weird though. Like he didn't want me to see Beck. I did catch a glimpse of black hair but-"
"You mean blonde hair?" he interjected. Matthew didn't have any other friends. Well it seemed that Matt was getting popular. There were more friends that he didn't know of and he seemed shy to introduce them to anyone. He didn't know he was frowning.
"…you okay Elliot?" the poodle was sniffing his feet. Could probably smell his displeasure. The editing job he was doing that he didn't like, that he really didn't earn a lot of thousands that Beck had to help him complete, but he was able to place envelopes of a thousand dollars on the table periodically. Then there was this friend with a popular brand jeep that he was hiding.
He looked up. "A week ago?" he asked waiting for confirmation.
"Maybe more".
He nodded. If he was reading this right, could it be the day that Beck showed up but he didn't see him. Which was weird because it never happened. Beck always came in. So that day that Matt had run out because he was in a hurry…he had to stop that train of thought.
"I'll make sure to ask" he nodded. Derek smiled and continued walking Prince.
Matthew wasn't doing anything bad. His words were incriminating yes but he knew his son. He would never do anything bad.
He made his way back into his house. There was something he had to talk to his son about.
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"Hey dad" Matt said in a hurry. He seemed ready to dash up the stairs.
"Hold it right there" he stopped him before he could go further.
"Yes" he whined.
"Do you need to use the bathroom?" he quirked his brow curious as to why he was jumpy.
"No" he walked from the steps to the kitchen where his dad seemed to be cooking for more than two. Was his dad expecting company?
His dad noticed him staring and he would answer the unasked question. "We're expecting company".
"Who?" he folded his arms and placed them on the counter. His eyes were dissecting him. "You're not dating someone are you dad?" his face was blank but he could hear the anger in his voice.
"Your mum" he replied.
"Why is she coming here?!" he shouted.
"Matthew" he tried to calm him down.
"When she's trying to ruin us. You're inviting her to come eat with us? What does she want?" he said once without stopping to breathe.
"Matt" he tried again. "She's your mum".
"Thar woman is not my mum!" he grunted.
"Matthew!" he had to raise his voice at that utterance.
Matthew was still fuming but he had stopped talking. "I won't be a part of this" he mumbled.
"You will and you will be on your best behavior" he told him leaving no room for argument.
Matt glared to the side and was chewing his lips from the inside. He wouldn't even try to put himself in his dad's shoes and think about how this was the woman he married and all that. How this was the woman who raised him and played the role of mum in his life. He wouldn't.
"Do I make myself clear?" he asked.
"Yes sir" he groaned discreetly rolling his eyes.
He dragged his feet all the way to the stairs. Not like that would change what would be happening later on. He really wished it could. He tossed his bag to the side and groaned all the way to the bathroom. Since the whole debacle he didn't talk to her unless he really needed to. He didn't need to. She was the one that always texted and dad still said he should be respectful.
How could he respect the enemy?
He took calming breaths counting up to a hundred in his head. He had promised his dad that he would be on his best behavior. So he took a shower, changed his hair tie and made himself look presentable. He looked in his full-length mirror. He couldn't bring himself to smile. Not like that was new. Tonight was going to go bad. It wasn't a prediction, just a well-known fact.
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He had tried eating, but it tasted like dirt in his mouth. He settled for playing with his food like he was a toddler so he wouldn't throw up. It was awkward. The three of them being in the same room all together. When the three of them were all together, arguments always ensued and he was just an unwilling spectator. Dad that had agreed to the dinner hadn't said a thing. She just sat there without a care, guiltless as she ate the food dad had spent all day preparing. Every swallow she took felt like she was displeased. He knew she was getting ready to say something.
He wasn't expecting her to turn to him though. He dropped his fork. He was happy dad didn't make his favorite. That would be a waste.
"How have you been Matthew?" she smiled warmly. Motherly.
"Fine" he replied coldly, looking away from her and back to his plate.
"So what's new with you? How's school?" she looked genuinely interested.
"School is alright as always. Well with what's new…the usual" he shrugged nonchalant. He knew his tone was snappish, and his dad's gaze was burning the side of his face but he didn't care.
"He got a job" Elliot shared.
"Dad" he didn't want her to know that. She didn't want anything good happening for both of them so why keep her informed.
Her eyes were hard and she looked to Elliot accusingly. "He has a job?!" she demanded.
Both men were taken aback.
"Are things so hard that you had to take a job Matthew?" she snapped her neck to him and he was stuck like a deer in headlights. With the few seconds of hesitation and him stuttering she had her answer.
"Unbelievable!" she exclaimed looking to Elliot.
"It's not like that" Matthew tried but it was in vain.
"You wouldn't have to add to your already busy schedule if you were staying with me" she scoffed.
"Helen" dad called.
He wondered why his dad was so calm.
He knew this was how this was going to go. Now she had gone into a full-blown rant about why Matt should be with him instead.
He couldn't take it anymore. His dad constantly calling her name wouldn't stop her so he would do it himself. He was constantly lying to his dad so what was one more?
"I wouldn't have to get another job to help around the house if you weren't constantly trying to ruin us!" he snapped, slamming both hands on the table and standing.
"Matthew sit down this instant!" his dad warned and he looked wary.
"Why should I? I'm telling the truth. You're taking everything and you still want to take. You didn't even want me and now you want to be the mum all of a sudden?" he laughed dryly.
She snapped her mouth shut nodding. She turned to Elliot and squinted her eyes. "I can see you've succeeded in turning him against me".
"Are you crazy?!" be blurted that out. He was only meant to think it.
"Matthew that is enough!" Elliot stood up. He had already lost control of the dinner. He could easily let the shit show continue or muster up courage and stop this from deteriorating. He had wanted a peaceful dinner, where the three of them could just try, maybe pretend for a few minutes that things could get better.
"I've had enough of you tonight. Go upstairs. I don't want to see you for the rest of the night".
"You're sending me away? When she's the one that wants all your money?" he pointed for emphasis.
"Upstairs!" he said tersely.
He looked at her, then back at his dad before shoving his chair back and heading to his room.
Helen stood up too smacking her lips together.
"Stop trying to make me the villain here Elliot" and she shoved her chair back, making it fall back before making her way out the door.
And Elliot was left there alone with what was left of their dinner. He just looked down breathing out, and with that exhale all the strength he had left him.
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