Sera Ch. 05

Once he did regain his composure, he went back to eating his breakfast with his eyes trained on his plate, slowly and deliberately, as though calculating the nutritional value of every bite. Finally, he replied in a careful tone that you'd expect to hear at a poker table.

"Yes. Son to the infamous Jeffery Golding. What of it?"

" ... Well, I... I'm just... surprised..."

"Yep. So was I."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

He shook his head, attention still on his plate, either dismissing my apology or the fact that I felt I owed him one, I couldn't be sure.

"I mean... well, it's not your fault. You didn't steal from all those people."

"May as well have."

He was right, too. I remembered the news footage and how I thought he was cute, but guilty as sin. I was actually disappointed that the police couldn't get anything on he and his mother, my certainty of their complicity offended at the outcome and their seeming innocence. Daddy once told me about how the news can shape our perceptions of truth and I had to wonder what it would be like being the target of mass media and all the viewers like me who followed it with flaming yard implements.

"I'm sorry," I said in a small voice, managing to tear my eyes away from his and adding after a silent pause, "I know you're a nice person. I can tell."

He broke a small, humourless grin, even this being better than his poker face, and said, "Thanks for your vote."

After yet another uncomfortable pause, I cleared my throat and changed the subject, offering, "Y'know... Sheila's not such a nice person. Hanging around with her leads to trouble."

"What?" he asked defensively.

"I'm just saying..."

"She's never done anything to me."

"Not yet."

"The same could be said for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked a little too defensively.

"I don't judge people by what others say about them, I give them the opportunity to prove to me what kind of people they are and, since I just met you, that goes for you, too."

"I would never hurt you."

"I don't know that."

" ... Yes you do," I answered in a quiet voice. "And you'd never hurt me, either. I'm supposed to have your babies."

He was in the middle of swallowing the last bite of his breakfast as he pushed his plate away. He choked over my words as my mind whirled at what I'd just said, wondering where in hell that came from, but I kept on speaking. It was almost as though it wasn't even me, despite how I firmly believed in every word I said and would never deny them again.

"I wanna fuck you so bad, I can taste it. I know you feel the same. You're mine, I'm yours and I don't want Sheila near you."

He seemed to be having real trouble and I was just beginning to wonder if I should attempt the Heimlich maneuver when he finally recovered. About that time, I seemed to come back to myself, and my own shock over the things I'd said was complete. I slowly covered my mouth with my hands as I stared at him, trying to remain calm and knowing that I wasn't about to take any of it back, but did I have to actually tell him? Holy shit!

He was speechless and I suddenly realized that I had to leave. He remained seated with that stunned expression, twisting and watching me as I hurried out of the room, still with one hand covering my mouth.

It struck me that I had no idea where Auntie Ashleigh would be but, luckily, it happened that I met up with Delores. I asked her while sluttily squeezing miffy through my jeans with one hand, one of my boobies with the other. Following her up the stairs, I gave myself a loudly groaning orgasm about halfway up, she having to come back and sit with me until I could recover.

When I arrived in my auntie's den, she looked up at me, at my face first until her eyes were distracted and then widened. Looking down, I saw the faded, light blue of my denims was dark and shiny wet in front of miffy. I was as amazed at this as she was, but my need still wasn't satisfied.

"Ooooh, Auntie," I moaned in quiet, trembling desperation, "I made myself cum in my jeans!"

"Oh, sweetie pie..." she huskily breathed. "Come here, let Auntie pull your pants down and make it all better."

A small, broken, needy hum escaped my throat as I hurried over and behind her desk. She was dressed in an extremely short, black, stretch mini-skirt, so short it clearly revealed the tops of her black stockings and the garter straps that lined her thighs. In contrast, her white, satiny blouse was buttoned right up to her neck, but lacked sleeves and shoulders. The whole outfit, along with how her hair was up, really did make her seem like some sort of Domina, and it only turned me on all the more.

In the same smoky voice, she instructed me to remove my shirt while she unfastened the front of my pants. She worked them down over my hips and to the top of my thighs by the time I was dropping the yellow cotton shirt to the floor. She leaned forward and licked miffy with quick, flashing strokes as two of her fingers disappeared up inside, bringing me to hollering orgasm again. Her other hand was around my middle and holding me fast at the small of my back as she began sucking at my clitoris. God, it was so good.

At the back of my mind though, was the vague knowledge that everything had changed. It wasn't only Steven who I'd admitted my true feelings to, but also myself. I'd said it right out loud with a witness, hadn't I? I thought of Gina, then Daddy as Auntie Ashleigh laid me out on her desk to begin hurriedly removing my jeans the rest of the way, leaving me naked.

She made horny cooing sounds as her eyes and hands rubbed my body all over, telling me how she loved me and always had, halting her hands long enough to pull her skirt up, revealing no panties. Daddy and my home seemed so far away as she climbed up on her desk, straddling my face. In a sense, it didn't even seem like home anymore, not like this place and the wet snatch I eagerly met with my tongue as she in turn went down on me in earnest.

I soon stopped thinking about Gina, Daddy, home and everything.

Steven

Furious laps up and down the length of Ashleigh's pool wouldn't take my mind off the things Kitten had said anymore than they diminished the straining erection in my trunks. It began as soon as she sat across from me in the kitchen, a meeting that I couldn't help but maneuver with the offer of my coffee, and grew to what must have been personal record breaking proportions by the time she hurried off. I finally stopped at the edge of the pool, out of breath and remembering the wet spot between her legs, when I noticed I wasn't alone.

Monique, the pool-girl, was serving my reclining Aunt Ashleigh a drink with lots of fruit and a little umbrella. She watched the polite and cheery young woman in the orange micro bikini leave, herself wearing a shiny bronze coloured bikini that covered little more than that of her employee's. I was rubbing chlorinated water out of my eyes when she regarded me with a sunny smile.

"Good morning, sweetie pie."

"'Morning."

"Sleep well?"

"Uh huh. You?"

"Always. Come on out, I had Monique bring you a nice, cold white Russian."

I really didn't want to get out in front of her with the situation I had in my trunks, so I tried to dodge this invitation by informing her, "White Russians are woman's drinks, Ashleigh. Even I know that."

"Don't be stupid. Besides, vodka leaves way less smell on your breath and you can't run around in public reeking of beer all the time."

"Probably why Mum drinks vodka."

"Take a lesson, then. C'mon."

"I don't think I'm quite finished here."

"Whatever."

Several more laps didn't cure the problem in my trunks, especially not with her watching. In the end, I was exhausted and had to get out in any case, so I just did.

"Wow! Oooh, baby, yes!" she laughed, clapping her hands as I came to a resigned halt.

"I can't help it." I droned.

Moving to the lounger beside hers, I didn't mention why I couldn't help it, actually happy to be distracted by a much better view of her, the three triangles that covered the private areas of her body.

"I love those trunks."

"Mum bought them."

"I bet she did... Do you like my suit?"

"Yeah. Where's the rest of it?"

"With the retailer, where it belongs. So, what are you up to today?"

"Don't know. I did have an open appointment with you, but I'm guessing we're doing that now." I offered, taking a glance between her legs while she wasn't looking.

She spread her legs a little as though she knew what I did while replying, "Why not?"

The biggest reason 'why not' was that I hadn't had a chance to speak with Mum since their meeting. But what good would that have been anyhow? After having left the ball in my court, it wasn't as though Ashleigh would have told Mum anything she didn't want me to know. Regardless, it still bothered me, this necessity of being pressed to act while feeling like I wasn't completely informed.

"I don't like this. I don't like sneaking around behind my mother's back. I did it once before and it turned out to be a fuckin' disaster. This time, I'd actually be betraying her, and I don't like it."

"You'd be helping her. It's for her own good, you know that."

"I'd still be conspiring against her and I wasn't going to handle it that way again."

"You weren't going to handle it at all. She was going to handle you just like she has been and you never would've stopped her."

"There's no telling that, and I can't afford to have a defeatist's attitude on this. You have to understand that my only real concern here is Mum, and this problem has to be dealt with one way or another before it's too late for her. I'm not willing to accept that she has to stay here for the rest of her life while I just give up on helping her. It's no different than having her committed."

"I wouldn't go that far. Besides, what do you think you're going to do about it? Her deterioration can be slowed, controlled even, but not stopped."

"I want to find out what it is and get rid of it if possible."

"'It'?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, it. The parasite that plagues this fucked up family. You help me get it out of her and- What?"

Her expression had changed subtly, but I caught it as she turned her face away from mine in favour of staring into her glass while she lazily sipped from its straw. It was an expression of offense or indignation.

"I didn't mean to insult you, although I don't know how I could. You of all people must see this for what it is."

"Obviously you don't. I already told you that I don't want to talk about this without the others present, but let me set this straight for you. You can't get rid of it. Ever. I've looked into this and you're right; of all people, I do see it for what it is. It's us."

"I can't accept that."

"Well, one of these days you will," she announced curtly, "and in the meantime, I suggest you go along with me where your mother is concerned, but first thing's first and that's Kitten. We can't have open dialogue that will eventually help to keep your mother on the rails until she's included so, if you're serious about helping your mum, get your priorities straight."

"Kitten isn't even sane," I almost grated.

"That's preposterous."

"No it isn't. She just got done telling me she's supposed to have my babies."

She actually choked on her drink and had to lean over the side of her lounger while I watched her heaving chest until she recovered.

"She what?"

"You heard me. She's nuts."

"She actually told you that?"

"She also said that I was hers, she was mine and to stay away from Sheila."

"Oh, that's not good."

"No shit. And don't think I missed the similarities between her and your mother. She's retarded or something, just like she was."

"She's not retarded and if you ever tell her anything like that, both your mother and I will beat your head in. She's just... developmentally stunted... in some areas."

"Sounds like retarded to me," I remarked, taking a sip from my glass while imagining the scrumptious little tard sucking my cock until I came down her throat.

"Has it occurred to you..." she trailed off.

"What? She really is supposed to have my babies because the parasite wants it? Yeah, I have. So what? It's no reason to knock up my cousin."

"I really wish you wouldn't use that term."

"What?"

"Parasite," she specified. "You may not have faced up to who and what you are, but I have and I find that term offensive. Please stop using it, sweetie pie."

" ... Okay. Well, as I was saying-"

"Do you want her?"

The pause I took before answering, wondering if there was any point in lying, was taken up by another question from her.

"When did this happen?"

"In the kitchen, just over an hour ago."

"Uh huh. That explains something."

"What does it explain?"

"I saw her a little while ago and she was... riled up. And that's what's got you so horny," she said, resting her eyes on my midsection.

"Yes," I sighed, "but it doesn't mean-"

"And she feels the same about you."

"Well yes, but... Shit. Yes, we're very attracted to one another." I conceded. "And I mean very attracted."

"There ya go. See? Kitten is your concern. Didn't I tell you that?"

"Oh, no. My problem is Mum and I am not gonna fall into this and get distracted from my purpose, which is saving her from herse-"

"Wrong. Your first priority is to help me get Kitten in the know as soon as possible, and then help mend fences in this family so it's not so 'fucked up' as you put it. Then we can all talk about this together and make a family effort of helping your mum. And don't ever think I don't care about her; I do. Sure, she's a mouthy, self-important little bitch, but she's my little bitch and I love her. I'm as afraid for her as you are and, as I told you last night, she's very quickly becoming someone... unpleasant. I know why and I can..."

She trailed off at my silent, humourless laughter.

"Steven, I don't think this is very funny and, if I were you, I wouldn't laugh because I have a good idea she's killed your grandmother."

"Heh heeeeehhhh. Do you?"

"Yes, I do! No way she died of a simple heart attack."

"Well, it wasn't simple, but it was a heart attack. I oughta know, cause I was there."

" ... You were?"

"Oh, yeah. I assume that must have been your investigator's night off, or something. Anyway, after dear old Grammie killed one of her caregivers and severely fucked up a good friend of mine, all thanks to you leading me to the ungodly thing, Mum had to go put things right."

Ashleigh slowly sat up in her lounger, looking at me seriously while I sipped my drink. It really was quite good, if a bit too strong. Raising a brow and through a grim, sarcastic smile, I went on.

"Apparently, your mum had a little game she used to like to play when Mum was a kid, among others, called 'peekaboo'. She'd hold a pillow over Mum and Sheila's faces at night... Well, since turnabout's fair play, Mum had a little game of 'peekaboo' with her. Once the fucked up old bat was hysterical enough, why Mum just kicked in the door to her mind and ransacked the place. Ya know?"

My aunt's luscious body actually jerked in some automatic response, almost as if my story forced its way into her head as Mum forced her way into Marie's that night at Shoreline Residential.

After a pause, she managed, "She was... our mother."

"From what I can tell, your mother, with the help of our generational family guest, created a monster who eventually became my mother."

"She was our mother." She repeated adamantly. "Yes, she had problems, but she was family!"

"Know what?"

"What!?"

"Welcome to my world. Nobody's ever gonna find my father."

Her building anger dropped off as she caught my meaning and, having no answer for this, her jaw lowered a little.

"Or his girlfriend."

Ashleigh blinked her only reply.

"I keep having this mental image of Mum feeding them into a wood chipper after she's poisoned them, or something. I imagine her with that look on her face when she's-"

"She... killed your father too? Is this what you're telling me?"

"And his girlfriend," I reminded with a raised index finger. She more or less told me so."

"Oh my fff..."

"Remember that laptop bag she was carrying the other day when we first got here?"

Ashleigh closed her eyes while I continued as though, had she her way, she'd hear no more. But there was more and I wanted to know if this would put her off, how solid she was in really standing for Mum.

"It's full of money. Drug money, I suppose. It belonged to a guy named Merle Cunningham just before he met with his tragic and very unlikely demise. Oh yeah, Mum's been busy. In fact, I asked her and she told me that she's murdered no less than fourteen people in her life. Fourteen. How's that, huh?

"So, I understand your concern over how Mum is becoming a very dangerous person, but I'm afraid that ship has long sailed. This is what I mean when I say that she's my only priority here, and that I don't have time to get distracted by anything else, no matter how much I want to bang the hell out of my retarded cousin. This is serious shit for me and I'll do whatever I have to do because I made a promise to her, to my real mother, that I'd get her back. I promised and that promise has caused me a lot of grief to date- someone died because of that promise- and I'm not giving up now."

I got out of the lounger, noticing my erection had died in conversation along with my fatalistic sarcasm. Walking a few agitated steps away, I silently rubbed some stress out of my face with my back to her, away from her for a time so I could think. When I turned, Ashleigh was lying back again, although not as posed as she had been. She appeared to be absorbing the things I'd told her and I could definitely relate to that feeling. She finally spoke after I'd been staring at a spot on the pool deck three feet in front of me in silence for a bit.

"I had no idea. Like I said, my investigators were never that invasive, so I... (Siiigh) What do you want? What do you need?"

"I need to be able to trust you, to believe you when you say this thing can't be removed. Because it's not... natural, and I have to know for myself if that's true or not before I give her to you to control the problem for as long as you can."

"That's a lot to ask for right here. I can't make you trust me, but I wish you would because I'm telling you the truth and, in time, you'll see that. But in the meantime, while you're learning that you can trust me, it's your mother who'll be suffering."

After a few seconds thought, I nodded grudgingly.

"Besides, if I did know a way to get rid of it, wouldn't I have done so by now?"

" ... I suppose."

"Trust is something we'll all have to work on because you're not the only one who wants answers. Sweetie pie, you've obviously been through a lot and this promise you told me about... You need to learn some things before you can even see where you stand with that promise. And after what you told me... No way in hell your mother leaves here. Uh uh. I wouldn't let you take her. I know you can't take care of her, I know you don't even fully understand what's going on with her, and it's definitely in both your best interests that she stay here. End of."

"Maybe we'll see what she has to say about that."

"But you'll never ask her."

"Won't I?"

"No. You don't want to blow it with me in case I really am solid. You'd never burn this bridge."

" ... You have a funny way of building trust, Aunt Ashleigh."

"I'm doing you a favour that your paranoid and suspicious mind won't let you do for yourself."