Dusk
Chapter One
I was hungry, so freaking hungry. Mom insisted on having these family meals every week since she and Dad divorced. I guess it gave her something to hold on to. Since Ed's car was in the shop for the time being I was instructed to pick him up from his work. Even at thirty-five he still came home for family dinners. He was definitely a family kind of guy. I unfortunately live at home currently unemployed, because my previous job laid off several of its workers. Myself included of course.
"Call Edward and see if he's ready to be picked up from work yet." Mom instructed from the kitchen. She was slicing away at some vegetables for dinner. I was surprised that she hadn't cut herself yet knowing her clumsiness.
Picking up my cell phone from the coffee table I dialed the number to Ed's work. I waited for the secretary to page him for the call. After a two-minute pause of listening to awful filler music he picked up. "This is Edward speaking."
"Where in the hell are you?" I spoke lowly into the phone hoping that Mom didn't catch my words.
"Franklin don't you ever speak of Lucifer in this house." She demanded from the kitchen. That woman always did have excellent hearing, while I had Dad's sense of hearing which was selective.
"You know better then to say that around Mom." Ed chided on the line furthering my annoyance. I rolled my eyes even though I knew he couldn't see me.
"It's not my fault the woman has a talent for catching me when I don't want to be caught. Don't you remember when I had my apartment?" I referred back to the time when Mom barged in my apartment while I was in the middle of what every twenty-four year old male does when they have a girlfriend. Sex. Ashlee and I broke up after that, which I only expected after Mom's consistent rambling and not leaving my apartment to let Ash gather some of her dignity.
"Of course I remember that, I don't think that you're ever going to let her live it down. Now what exactly do you need Frankie, I'm working?" There was certain firmness in his voice that reeked of aggravation.
"When are you going to be done with work so I can come pick you up?" Knowing him, he'd never be done with work unless he was forced out of the building. Sometimes the man was a workaholic. This happened to be the week where he decided being a workaholic was necessary.
"I don't know an hour."
"Ed don't be late, I do have class tonight." I could practically see him shaking his head at my comment. The phone line went dead and I felt the urge to throw my phone at the wall. Why did he always treat me like the annoying younger brother? I wasn't annoying; I was just doing what any brother did.
"So when will he be done?" Mom asked brushing her graying hair from her eyes.
"Shortly." I responded curtly picking up the jacket that was draped over a chair next to me. "I'm going to show up early though."
She eyed me knowing that he wouldn't be pleased with my decision. "Don't provoke him too much dear, after all he did just get his heart handed to him on a silver platter."
Sadly I hadn't thought of that. Edward had always been a workaholic, but then when he and Nora started dating it wasn't nearly as bad. They dated for three years before he worked up the nerve to pop the question in which she told him she wasn't ready. They didn't last much longer after that. I honestly felt awful for him, but he didn't like to talk about it and I wasn't about ready to force it out. He'd talk when he was ready to.
After I drove to Ed's work I found myself waiting in the lobby tapping my fingers on whatever surface I could find. "That bored eh?" The girl that sat across from me said looking up from her magazine. A smirk tugged at her lips as she sat it down on her lap.
