A Stranger In My Home

Chapter 6

Julie weighed her options. She could go back to Derek, beg for forgiveness, and have him taken away when Jason called the police. She could spend the next couple of years visiting him in jail, trying to pay the rent without his salary. Or she could trust Jason and let him handle Derek. He seemed so confident that Derek would agree to therapy. What if it worked? What if they could be happy again?

“I want to talk to Derek,” Julie said, looking up at Jason who was waiting for her decision.

“I don’t think…”

“I need to talk to him,” she insisted.

“Okay,” Jason sighed and reached into his back pocket, producing a cell phone. “I’ll be in the kitchen,” he said and handed the phone to her.

“Thank you,” Julie said and took the phone, finding Derek’s cell phone number in Jason’s contact list. She took a deep breath and dialed. It seemed like an eternity passed before the call was accepted.

“Derry’s phone, how may I help you?” a female voice cooed and Julie felt a cold fist clutch her heart. She lost the ability to speak, her mouth opening but no sounds coming out. “Baby, there’s no-one there,” the woman whined and Julie listened as a male voice growled in the background. “Damn it, Sissy, give me the phone!”

A scuffling sound could be heard and then Derek’s voice was coming across the line. “Jase! You sonofa-”

Click.

Julie hung up the phone. She stared at the darkening display numbly, not believing what she had just done. Then the screen came alive again and she shut it off, her fingers trembling.

“Did I hear my phone…?” Jason re-emerged from the kitchen, frowning.

“I changed my mind,” Julie said quickly, walking over to hand him back his phone. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”

“Of course,” he said and took the phone from her, pocketing it. “Sleep well.”

“You too,” Julie said and made her way up the stairs.

If Julie would have tried to describe the color scheme of the upstairs master bedroom in terms of flowers, she would have said calla lilies. Soft greens and milky white made for a soothing feel to the room and the sheets beckoned her.  The caretaker must have made the beds as soon as he or she heard that Jason was coming, Julie noted, because the sheets smelled fresh out of the washer.

She changed into the pajamas she’d bought and slipped under the covers, trying to block out the sound of that woman’s voice, mixing with Derek’s. Had he really forgotten about her already? Found someone else to warm his bed until he could drag her back and lock her up for good? Why did he even want her? She was a wreck, a hideous walking corpse with no personality left. Maybe he was happy to see her gone, he just wanted to make her suffer. Julie buried her face in the pillow and cried herself to sleep.

-

Jason could hear Julie crying – her bedroom being right above his – and he clenched his fists. That beautiful, sweet, kind woman was crying her eyes out because his cousin didn’t know how to appreciate what he had. Derek was sick. He’d always been a bit of a hothead, but it seemed he had gone off the deep end in the ten years that had passed. He was so much like his father and uncle it was eerie.

Jason clenched his jaw. Just thinking about his father made his blood boil. Was he destined to become his father like Derek had become his? No. Jason refused to let the fury take over. He was going to do the right thing this time around. He’d be damned if Julie suffered the same fate as his mother.