Burnt Lies

Father, Father Out of Sight

Cameron

"Are you on your way?" Owen's voice spoke through the receiver. 

"I'll be there soon, my father wanted to meet with me but as soon as that is finished I'll be right there." After hanging up I slipped my phone into my pocket just as I was pulling into the driveway of my parents' house. 

Before I had even reached the door it had been pulled open by my mother, she stood their dressed in a soft mint green dress a smile spreading over her face, "Cam I've missed you," she pinched my cheeks gently and had anyone else been there to witness it I wouldn't have allowed it but there were some things that remained between a mother and a son. 

"You saw me a few weeks ago Ma it hasn't been that long," I insisted as she pulled me into a tight hug and into the house. 

"Yes weeks, weeks that were far too long without my precious boy," she led me to the kitchen were there were an array of cookies that she had freshly baked, "How's Alara by the way, she must have had a terrible week,"

"She's doing ok, I left her in the protection of the gang so nothing more should happen to her," Ma gave me a sly look to which I questioned, "What?"

"You care about her don't you?" Again had it been anyone else I would have vehemently denied the burning desire I felt for Alara. The way she could bring me to my knees if she so willed. No one else could know the extent of my feelings. 

"Maybe," was as much as I could divulge but a Mother always knew more about their son than any other, she read into the single worded response and ran with it, giving me a knowing nod. 

"You're father's in his office, best not to keep him waiting," she pressed a cookie into my hand, "Finish it before you get in there. You know how grumpy he gets with any sort of food being brought into his office," I nodded my head in understanding. 

I quickly took a bite of the cookie savouring the taste of my mother's home baked goods they couldn't be beat and I always did have a sweet tooth, on my way up the stairs I had managed to finish it and wipe away any crumbs of evidence before I entered my father's study. 

I pushed the deep mahogany doors open, with enough force the large set doors flew open, to reveal my father gazing out of his window, a glass of amber liquid, most likely whisky being held in his hand. He took a sharp sip before turning to me, his gaze forever calculated and devoid of anything resembling a modicum of emotion. 

"Cameron," he nodded slightly the only amount of acknowledgement he felt right to give me. 

"Father," my voice was cool and curt, an almost mirror image of his own. That is what he wanted me to be, the perfect replica of himself as only he could be perfect in his arrogant eyes. 

He paused for a moment, still standing with is shadow being cast of the clear glass behind him, he stood with a prominent power that exuded from his every action, even the slightest movement of his had some ulterior intent. There was nothing cut and dry about my father. 

"Where is Alara?" the question confused me, he didn't seem like the type to ask about my fiancé's well being. There was something hidden in the question, something I needed to discern as quickly as possible. 

"She's at the base with the rest of the gang, did you want me to bring her?"

He deliberately ignored the question, "What a shame, I would have wanted her to be around for this conversation,"

"What is this conversation?" I tried to school the bite of my tone playing the ever respectful son instead of the defiant one as I knew what that would lead to.

"I was thinking that we should move the wedding up, solidify this alliance with the Mortellos, we are ever so close," the last part of his statement was heavily cryptic. I wondered what he meant by being close, the alliance with the Mortellos was already in the works so that could not be what he was referring to. 

"Close to what father?"

"You must have heard all this prattle about her, you don't really think there was no reason for me wanting you to marry her," he asked with a steely tone.

"Yes, for the alliance with the Mortellos," he let out a bitter laugh, the sound unnatural coming from his lips. It unnerved me, to hear a sound so associated with joy fall from sullen lips. 

"Oh my dear boy, you are a fool if you think that is all." He set his glass down on his desk, precariously close to the edge. There was a statement in it, in everything that he did, he was showing that he had the power to teeter things to his whim. Like I needed a reminder. 

"To have her as a daughter-in-law will be invaluable to me," he stopped a moment to study my reaction, his eyes gleaming with cunning, "You really don't know."

He was about to divulge more when the door flung open, in came a storming Alara, "Stop." her voice was deadly serious as she stood between me and my father. 

"Alara?" my voice was laced with confusion, "Why are you here?"

She turned her eyes alight with fear as she rushed out, "There's something you ne-"

"Ah Alara, my dear, how nice of you to join us we were just speaking about you, and I was reprimanded my son for not bringing you," her gaze snapped to my fathers and there was a slight look of horror on her face. 

"Cameron, you..." her face grew pale as she saw the look on my fathers face, it was one I had seen many times before a look that demanded silence and submission. 

But as I had learned over the past couple of months Alara submitted to no one. 

In an attempt to cut off her speech once more my father continued, "We were just speaking about how we would like to move the wedding up," her eyes flickered towards me at the statement. 

"What?" that was not the reaction I wanted but it was a reaction that I understood. 

"Yes, but it hasn't been confirmed yet, nothing to worry about yet darling, I won't rush you into anything I promise,"

"Ok," she whispered softly. Her gaze locking back onto my father. 

"Cameron, you need to-"

"Alara would you mind if you and I spoke in private? That's ok with you is it not Cameron?" There was only one answer to that question. 

"Yes, I'll just be outside," Alara flashed me a look one of a pleading soul, she didn't want me to leave, "Only if Alara's comfortable," I added assessing her look of terror. 

My father walked up to Alara and wrapped an arm around her shoulder pulling her into his side, "There's nothing wrong with a father wanting to spend some quality time with his future daughter-in-law, now is there Alara?"

He stared deeply into those glassy brown eyes, she bit her lip softly and suddenly changed her answer, "I'll be fine Cameron, I'll see you in a bit."

"Well that settles it," my father responded with a flourish of his hand, "I'll call you back in a moment Cameron."

Without much choice I made my way outside, hoping against hope my father wouldn't show his true colours to Alara, that he would keep his more malicious side out of sight. 

It reminded me of a poem I had written when I was younger to embellish my feelings towards my father. It went:

Father, Father burning bright

Father, Father out of sight

Father, Father don't take my light

And I hoped against everything that he would not take away my light.