Psychotic Maniac

Chapter 46

The last night's bitterness was still fresh in Nora's mouth when she decided to sit at the farther side of the table, away from Edward. Her usual chirp had taken a turn as she sat in her place, eating her breakfast in silence, lost in her phone.

Vanessa was quiet as usual although she kept her distance, not making eye contact once.

"If you're done," Edward tapped the table, asking for his sister's attention. "I'll drop you off at school on the way."

She shifted from her chair, unhooking her bag from the arm of her chair. "Don't bother," she stated in a flat tone. "It's not like you drop me every day."

Nora kissed her mother's cheek before scooting off, leaving them behind. Vanessa now began gathering the dishes to take them back to the kitchen. She piled her and Nora's plates on top of each other and began to reach for Edward when he held her hand, interrupting her in between, making her almost drop the dishes.

He let go of it just as quickly as he had grabbed her. "Umm," he bit his lips when he failed to realize why he stopped her in the first place.

Vanessa stood next to him, unsure whether to stay or keep going on with her chores. For a split second, Edward saw the familiar affection she always wanted to give him.

"Thanks for the breakfast," he cleared his throat and fisted his fingers, hoping to bring out what he was supposed to say.

Vanessa nodded and turned away to the kitchen while Edward was still pressed on his seat. His focus kept flickering on the wooden cutlery kept on the table to his stepmother, counting seconds in his mind. Finally, he pulled a fresh plate, spilled some sauce on it, and took it with him to her.

"You left this," he went for the excuse as he dropped the plate in the sink.

Vanessa saw the lie coming from a mile away. "Thanks." she busied herself with rearranging and cleaning along with house helpers.

"You don't need to say it," he told her. "In fact, if anyone should say it, it's me. Probably every single day."

His stepmother looked him straight in the eyes and he continued. "So thank you. For being there last night. When I bailed...you and Nora stayed put. I..I wanted to let you know."

Her expression had softened. "You are my child, too."

"No, I—" he bit the inside of his mouth. "I meant to say I'm not like other children that grew up in this house."

"You mean holding your sanity when it should've shattered years ago had it been somebody else," Vanessa said.

"That's a lie," Edward looked sharply at her. "And never lie to me to make me feel better about myself because it won't work."

"I did say it to make you feel better," she stated. "But that doesn't mean it's a lie. Don't forget who I am married to. You think you're everything like Theodore but there's nothing of you in him. He just wants you to think like that and you did."

Edward couldn't look at her anymore. "You know nothing about me."

He thought he heard her laugh a little. "Don't I? I saw you grew up. Your life was—"

Edward shifted uncomfortably. "You don't have to pity me."

"That's not pity," she argued. "In complete honesty, we both are living the same life. None of us could ever walk out of this house. You wouldn't because he was all you had and I couldn't because I was all Elvis had. And then Nora."

Edward felt his lungs straining. He imagined that if he had walked away from the dining table moments ago, maybe then he wouldn't be feeling suffocated at the moment. He focused his attention on the sink where one of the house helpers was scrubbing the plates but Vanessa's voice pierced through from the dizziness, slapping him like cold water.