Page 21 of Sparks of Insanity
I dressed as smartly as I could, and agonised over what I was about to do. There was only one way to put a stop to things for real, without me being the bad guy, and I already hated myself for it.
I sent a message and arranged a meeting time, arriving at Ember’s house a half hour early, and waiting on the front door step as requested, was her mother, Wilma.
“What’s this about, Mr Erickson? Is everything okay?”
I stared at the closed door for a moment, praying nobody else would appear until I’d done the right thing.
“I think we need to rethink my sessions with Em, Mrs Cross. I’m afraid she’s starting to fixate on me in a rather unhealthy way, and it’s making me uncomfortable.” Yep,asshole move number one. I had the text message and the sketch as backup, if needed, but I hoped like fuck I wouldn’t need to use them.
13
Ember
Something was different thismorning, and I realised what it was when I saw my mum step outside a little while before Mr E was due to the house.
“Where’s mum going?” I asked my dads, who were both still at the table with my twin brothers, while Ash was still asleep.
“Probably just getting some fresh air, sweetheart, don’t worry about it,” dad Gray said, casting a brief look at my other dad. See, they thought they were convincing when they did crap like that, but I wasn’t buying it for a single second. Something was definitely up, but when I stood up to go and look for her, dad Dory stood up too.
“Em, sit down and finish your breakfast. We want to talk to you, actually. Cole, Phoenix? Can you go to your room for a minute?” They both grumbled, and Cole grabbed an extra slice of toast to take with him, as they left.
My dads seemed to have some kind of silent conversation with their eyes for a moment, but dad Dory finally spoke again.
“How are things going with Mr E? You’re only a few days away from exams, right?”
Why would they be asking about him? Why were they asking right now? Something was wrong, wasn’t it? Had that bitch Suzy told someone what I did?
“You know when my exams are, or at least you should, as my dad.”
“Don’t be a smart-arse, Ember. We’re just asking, just like we’re just wondering how it’s going with ‘Teach’.”
Uh huh. Dad Gray was never one to keep his mouth shut on anything, was he? He and my other dad probably planned this all out, and he was already going off script.
“I think, thanks to him, I’ll pass my exams this time. Is that what you wanted to know?” It wasn’t, I was certain of it, and they clearly weren’t looking for that answer.
“Has he… uh… does he behave appropriately, Ember?”
“I’ve asked you repeatedlynotto call me that. Why can’t you honour my wishes about something so vital to my wellbeing, dad?” Both dads looked a little guilty, but they were interrupted by mum coming back into the house, and she was followed by Mr E, who was still a bit earlier than I’d expected him.
“Mr E? Is it that time already? I’ll just get a-”
“Sit down, young lady.” Oh wow, mum just ‘young lady’d me, so clearly I was in some kind of trouble, and I was nervous about Mr E, because he wouldn’t even look at me, just like he hadn’t responded to my message this morning.
I probably shouldn’t have sent it, but I wanted him to know, because it’d been a huge deal for me. Not only getting myself off, when anything sexual had been the last thing I wanted for so long, but also knowing that I wanted more, but only with him.
Did he know how monumental that had been for me? Did he understand that a girl who’d been through the abuses I’d been through, might never feel sexual attraction for any man? Did he realise just how big a deal it was, that I was feeling that way about him?
“Do you need them to leave?” I pointed at my dads, because I could see how nervous of them Mr E had become lately.
“I’m not going anywhere, how about you, Dory? Are you gonna leave this room right now?”
Dad Dory shook his head, and watched as Mr E sat down in the furthest seat from me, even though it put him next to dad Gray.
“What’s going on?” I finally asked, because I was starting to freak out.
“Did you send an inappropriate text message to your tutor this morning, Em?” Mum looked worriedly at me, as my dads both raised their eyebrows. He told her? He called it inappropriate? How could he do that to me? I trusted him!
“What? I don’t… did you show her?” I was mortified, beyond embarrassed, dying of shame, because my first consensual sexual experience was a huge deal for me, but had he missed the significance of it? Why would he tell her?!
