Ch.20 - Conrad.
A steady blanket of rain fell over the city of Seattle the day Steven moved into his dorm. Elizabeth spent the entire drive crying, tears falling down her cheeks as consistent as the raindrops outside, as if her one and only child were moving to the opposite end of the earth instead of merely across town.
As far as Conrad was concerned, across town wasn't far enough. He had urged Steven to attend Stanford University, his alma mater, but his son had no interest in following in his father's footsteps. Right down to his field of study, Steven had fought him every step of the way. Conrad had earned an engineering degree before finally moving on to the MBA program. He'd tried to convince his son that was the smartest way to go, but Steven wouldn't listen. He'd stubbornly insisted on studying Applied Mathematics. With a degree like that, he'd be lucky to bring home 115,000 a year. Petty change compared to his annual income.
But who was he to argue? The fact was, he was just happy to have the kid out of the house. Eighteen long years of having his son underfoot was finally coming to an end, and not a moment too soon. He could barely stand to look at Steven anymore, let alone be in the same room.
Against all odds, his son had grown into a strapping, young man. Strong-willed, confident, and competent--despite his mother's constant coddling. She'd spent Steven's entire childhood hovering over him, protecting him from pain, disappointment and failure. . .a massive blow to the psyche if ever there was one. How was a child supposed to learn and grow when they had their mommy taking care of everything for them? She'd been more worried about protecting his self-esteem than allowing him to figure things out on his own. In his opinion, she'd failed their son by always telling him how wonderful and special he was instead of letting him experience the cold hand of reality. Conrad had worried Steven would be unable to function in the real world once he realized he wouldn't be hand-fed forever. And what bothered him most of all was the fear that Steven would never want to leave home. That he'd be stuck with him forever inside the four walls of his estate.
Thankfully, that was not the case. Steven wasn't going far, but at least he was moving out of the house, which was more than Conrad had ever expected to see. Of course, his mother had tried to convince him to stay home and commute back and forth to school, but Steven had resisted. He even seemed happy to leave, much to his mother's dismay. He promised to visit her every week. With any luck it would be while he was at work, that way they would never have to run into each other. And Conrad knew that would suit them both just fine. There was no love lost in their relationship, a fact that didn't seem to bother either one of them. It was almost sick, however, the way Elizabeth treated their son. Like a lover she couldn't bare to give up. Getting used to an empty house was going to be hard on her, and Conrad hoped she wouldn't become an even bigger inconvenience than she already was.
They'd met several other students while moving into the dorm, accompanied by doting parents and heaps of belongings. Excited chatter surrounded them, but Conrad and Steven didn't have much to say while they unpacked his clothing and books in the tiny room. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, interrupted by the occasional sound of Elizabeth's soft whimpers.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay at home?" She sniffled again, addressing Steven with sorrowful eyes. "What if you get sick and need someone to take care of you?"
Steven stopped what he was doing and approached her, placing his hands firmly on each one of her shoulders. "I'll be fine, Mom. If I get sick, I'll call home. You don't have anything to worry about."
"But what if you have laundry that needs tended to and you don't have time to take care of it yourself?"
Steven smiled and enveloped her in a tight hug. "I'll bring my laundry by the house every week, how does that sound? You can wash my dirty clothes if you really want to." He chuckled softly.
Conrad rolled his eyes and fought the urge to throw up. The way they acted around one another was enough to make him sick.
"Really, Mom," Steven insisted, "I'll be okay. It will do me good to be out on my own." Steven ran his hand down the length of her back as she shook with uncontrollable sobs. "I love you. That will never change, but it's time for me to grow up."
"I'm just going to miss you so much," she hiccuped, trying to catch her breath. "What will I do with my time when you're not around? What use will I be?"
Steven fixed his gaze on Conrad. "Maybe you'll discover that once I'm gone. . .you'll be free to do whatever you want. You won't have to worry about taking care of me anymore. You can focus on yourself and what makes you happy."
Elizabeth snuggled into the crook of his arm and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "You make me happy."
"Alright," Conrad said. His voice dripped with distaste. "Let's get this show in the road. We don't have all day." He yawned, bored with the whole scene, but his eyes never left Steven's.
"But Conrad," Elizabeth wailed, fresh tears pooling in her eyes. "Steven's going to be on his own for the very first time. It's so hard to say goodbye to our baby."
"For Christ's sake,Elizabeth! He's only half an hour away. It's not as if you'll never see him again. I'm sure he'll be by before the weeks over."
"That's right," Steven agreed, nodding his head. He stepped back from their embrace and looked her in the eye. "You'll see me before you know it. You'll probably get sick of me being around so much." He threw Conrad a look, as if he knew the statement would bother him. "Mom, why don't you step out into the hall. I'd like to speak with Dad in private."
Elizabeth's gaze softened and a faint smile played at her lips. "Of course. I knew you two would share a proper goodbye. I know that fathers and sons can have their differences, that they don't always see eye to eye, but when it comes down to it, you both care a great deal for one another." She looked back and forth between her husband and son, a hopeful gleam building in her red-rimmed eyes. "I'll leave you two alone." She reached up and planted a kiss on Steven's cheek, then cupped her hand over it. "Don't you lose that kiss. It will need to last you until the next time we see each other."
Steven smiled at her, his eyes moistening, and placed his hand over hers. "I'll keep it safe."
The corners of Elizabeth's mouth fell in defeat, and she walked into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Steven watched after her in silence before sweeping his gaze toward his father. He squared up to him, until they were standing face to face. It took Conrad by surprise to discover that Steven now towered over him. When had he gotten so tall?
"Well, this is it," Steven said, his tone low and steady. "Time to say goodbye." Conrad stared at him, waiting for his son to continue. After a quiet moment, he did.
"I won't pretend like I'm going to miss you. I've never thought of you as present to begin with." His eyes narrowed as he looked Conrad up and down. "You were never a father to me, not the father you should have been. While all my friends were busy spending quality time with their dads, I was busy trying to cover up bruises or nursing black eyes. You were a monster to me, and to that woman standing in the hall." He nodded his head toward the closed door, keeping his voice low.
Conrad raised his chin, the muscle in his jaw twitching from tension.
"But I''m finally getting away from you, Dad. I'm providing for myself and I will continue to provide for myself. This scholarship I've earned isn't only a free ride for education, it's a ticket away from you."
Conrad clenched his fists at his sides. How dare his son speak to him this way, after everything he'd done for him over the years? After he slaved night and day at the office to make sure Steven had everything he needed. This was the thanks he got? He took a deep breath, struggling to stay calm. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene at the dorm, where anyone could walk in at any moment.
"This day has been a long time coming," Steven continued. "And if it weren't for my mother, I would never set foot in your house again. But as long as she's there, I won't be far away. I'll be watching you. And if I ever find out that you've laid a hand on her. . .if you hurt her again in any way. . .I'll be there." Steven paused, allowing the momentum to build. "And I won't hesitate to kill you."
Conrad studied Steven for a long while, realizing he'd never seen that look in his eyes before. So intense. . .so dark. It was clear he meant every word he said. The dam broke free and red-hot rage swept through him. Conrad cocked his hand back, aiming his fist at his son's face, but Steven intercepted the punch midair and caught him by the arm. His grip was like steel as it dug into his flesh, and Conrad felt himself weaken underneath his strength. Steven twisted his arm and Conrad wavered before falling onto the cheap berber carpet.
Steven stepped forward, casting a shadow over the top of him. Conrad fought hard not to flinch. It was the first time in his life he'd ever been afraid of his son. "You don't have to worry about your mother," he said staring up at him, determined to keep the upper hand. "If you want someone to blame for your rotten childhood, just take a look in the mirror. You're useless. You always have been. You're a pathetic waste of space. Now that you're gone, there won't be any trouble."
Steven's piercing blue eyes bore into his. "You better hope not."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hello and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! If you enjoyed this chapter, please click that star!
This chapter's dedication goes out to TheAlvarezChronicles! Have you stopped by his page yet? If not, you're really missing out. This former homicide detective-turned-writer has lots of stories to share and has a hilarious way of saying all the things you're thinking in your head but are too afraid to point out! My personal favorites include Chasing Wattpad, an honest and humorous look at some of the drama that goes on around here, and The Body, a true crime story of a real-life murder case. So what are you waiting for? Go check him out!
I have to tell you, now that Steven has left home I'm worried for Elizabeth. With no one there to protect her, she could be in danger . . .
This week I would like to thank readers from Argentina, Haiti, Cuba, Belize and Honduras - thank you so much for reading my story!