Anticipating The Fallout

Today was my day off and I stayed in my room thinking about how much life had changed for me in the past few months for I realised you could find yourself making deals you never thought possible and asking a universe that never answers, for your prayers to be heard. I finally understood that you could spend your entire life without the person you love in it and no one would be the wiser to the misery you have inside.

When Tiah rang me, no doubt expecting me to rush over to her house to plan the downfall of Braith I wondered if she even considered that I might have things in my own life that needed tending. After I turned her down there was the inevitable call from Coco asking me if I wanted a lift to Tiah’s. Where they got the idea that I didn’t want to drive is beyond me but I guess they were reaching for reasons why I was not interested in being with them and that was the best they could work out. With Jojo and Gervais both working north and south side of town I had no place to go and home appeared to be the safest place for me right now. I had to work out a way to break it to Royce that unless he either stood up to his mother or ran off with Coco he was going to have Elyce Dubois back in his life, with the full support of his lunatic mother and indifference of his father. I couldn’t understand why Jago spent all his time chasing the approval of Zizi who was never going to speak to him unless he acknowledged her and ignored his own family which was falling apart. I wondered how people lived being apart from someone they loved and who loved them back as I was pretty sure Jojo cared for me the way I cared for him because he kept shouting and kissing me alternatively and guys don’t get emotional about people for just any reason, well, unless it’s that dumb sports thing. I wanted to break the deal with Gervais with as little fallout as possible which included not being the one to unleash an unrestrained Elyce onto them.

I knew that once I told Gervais that I was no longer interested in keeping Elyce out of their lives that he would be pretty angry with me but I wasn’t sure exactly how angry Gervais would get, I knew the rumours but I always felt they were part of the cult of keeping the Dubois terror alive in the hearts of those who dared to cross them. I decided that Caspar was the one to ask although he had not really been much of a boss so far, he asked a few questions and showed a mild interest in my well being but mostly he was far too wrapped up in his forty ongoing romances to bother about my life. I didn’t mind it as he left me alone to wander about the showroom and I left him alone to ward off whatever woman was trying to get his attention. I know that Caspar won’t do anything to help me as Gervais is important to his business but he might be able to tell me what Gervais is capable of doing so I can guard myself against it, if that is anyway possible.

After spending most of the day moping in my room I nearly jumped out of my skin when Mother burst in (a very unusual act for her) smiling like she had found an extra diamond pendant in her jewelry safe. I looked at her in astonishment when she says I had a visitor downstairs and for a second my heart froze as I was afraid it was Jojo. I could not have him pressuring me right now for I had to get out of my tangle before I was free to do anything. Mother paused dramatically and said it was Jazz then she fizzed all over the place while ranting how pleased she was we girls had become friends again. I didn’t say anything to contradict her illusions as with Mother there often was very little point in doing so.

I went downstairs to find Jazz fiddling nervously in the drawing room and Mother fussed about trying to stay and snoop but I pushed her out while giving her a glare that sent her tottering towards her gin cabinet. I was pretty sure Jazz was here because of Jojo but what I had to find out is if he had sent her. Jazz wandered about for a bit and then said that Jojo told her what had happened and I had to shake my head in disbelief, what is wrong with this family? Doesn’t her brother ever kiss a girl and not tell his sister? I stood there not saying anything because if I had I would have told her that her brother needs to just shut up for once. She added that Jojo was worried about me as I was acting strangely and was I in some sort of trouble he wanted to know if there was something I couldn’t tell him, and then I got it.

Jojo had sent his sister in the hope that whatever was wrong I might tell another girl if I could not tell him. As much as I would have loved to tell Jazz the truth I couldn’t get her involved at least not with her engagement to Braith such a target for Gervais. She had enough battles with the Vanderhavens coming up and the last thing she needed was a little taste of Gervais Dubois so I told her the truth, that I was going to straighten everything out and then Jojo and I could talk. I knew this was not exactly what the answer she was looking for but she looked relieved that I had not started shouting about how much I hated her brother. She smiled and said that if I needed someone to talk to she was there and it reminded me of warm and fun she was when we were kids. I wish I had not been such a stupid fool over Royce and Tiah and it seemed that I had to learn every lesson in life not just the hard way, but the almost destroying me hard way. I let Jazz out hoping this conversation would reassure Jojo and give me some time before he got all demanding again. I went back upstairs to spend the rest of the night trying to imagine the fallout from Gervais once I broke our deal but my mind couldn’t imagine the hell that was about to be inflicted upon me.

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