Guns & Tulips

Chapter 16: The Truth

***Westly***

"Rodger, where are we going?" I called after her. She laughed and speed up,  pulling me down the street. "You'll see," she says as her short brown hair is whipping around her face. The day was beautiful, a cloudless day, I wonder how long it will last.

This peace.

Mom's gone, Mark is off in some other country, Ryan doesn't care, and James is busy with his own family. Soon, I'm leaving, and I think the only person I will miss, will be Rodger. "When we get there, will you tell me your first name?" she laughs, and then stops suddenly. "Close your eyes!" I chuckle but comply. She gently guides me forward for a while. We go up some steps, and enter a building. She then stops again. "OK, open!"

I open, and look around at an empty room except for a couch and a couple of chairs. "Rod-" suddenly Rodger's sister and a few of our friends out from behind the furniture. "Happy Birthday!" I turn to Rodger, shocked, but she just has on the grin that makes my heart melt.  "I thought you should have a real party today," she says softly. I hug her and smile so wide my face hurts. "Thank you." She blushes, and her sister comes over. "Break it up you two, it's not like this is the last time you're going to see each other." I frown a bit. Girl you don't know how right you are.

I manage to slip away when the party dies done, but I feel a slight pressure on my arm. "Where ya going, chief?" I turn and see that Rodger is smiling at me. "Home," I say and she laughs. "Why don't you stay longer?" She says, and winder her arm through mine. Because if I don't leave now, I don't think I ever will. "Can't," is all I say. She pouts and leans into me. That's when I can smell the hint of alcohol. "Hey, Rodger?" She smiles up at me, "What, chief?" I watch her lips move as she talks, and I slide my arm around her waist. "I love you."

Then I kiss her.

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I bolt up from a dream that gives me cold sweat. My sudden movement causes a growl to erupt from beside me. Through the darkness I felt fur. "Just the stupid cat." I tell myself as I rise, and go to look out the window. It overlooks the town square, and I can see that it's almost daylight. The events of last night came floating to my memory.  How could I have left her all alone like that? I was such a fool. I scratch my head angrily, and go make a pot of coffee. I don't go back to sleep. I just sit at the kitchen table and think of how much an idiot I am. 

Penny walking into the kitchen was what brought me out of my adumbration of idiocy. "Good morning," she says, in a sleep heavy voice. Now that I really look at her, I can't understand why I didn't put it together. They have the same light brown hair, the same hazel eyes. "What's the plan for today?" I ask, with fake nonchalance in my voice. She stretches and then gives me a bright smile. "I think today we are going to take it easy and just hang around town." Her stomach growls, and I smile, "How about I make breakfast?" I say, and I'm already reaching for a pan. "No, I think I wanna go out." I turn back, and raise an eyebrow. "Give me 10 minutes!" She says and races off toward her bedroom. 'What's gotten into her?'

Soon we're out the door, and heading to the local waffle House. As we walk, people wave and say good morning to Penny. She seems really well known. While we eat, Penny talks nonstop. I think that she is either trying to force cheer, or after she got to cry last night all that's left is cheer. Once finished with breakfast she takes me to the park, and we rent a boat and gear to fish. "You sure know your way around fishing gear for a city boy." I laugh, "Because my dad would take me out to the county side every summer. I was never really good though." Apparently I still can't catch a fish. It takes all afternoon, and I catch a blue gill. A bate fish. Penny looks at my face, and bursts out laughing. "Your dad was right!" My frown deepens, "There should be nothing to it! You bate, you cast, you wait. That's it!" Penny unhooks the tiny fish, and throws it back. "You move to much." She says, and casts my line for me. "Just set it down, and rest."

When she hands me the rod back, our hands touch. At the contact, my stomach does a little flip. "Thanks," I say, but my voice is husky. Our eyes meet, and hers glance down to my lips, "No problem," she says softly. I could just lean in and kiss her...

"HEY!" I grown at the voice. "Tulip!" Penny says, breaking out of our trance. "What's up?" I turn and see Tulip. She has a slightly less angry face on. I honestly don't understand why she doesn't like me. "I've been looking for you everywhere, that's what's up." Penny cocks her head to the side a little, and Tulip sighs. "I know I've been acting shameful recently, so to make it up I'm going to cook you dinner." Penny's face brightens up, and she hugs her sister. "Thank you!" Tulip hugs back, and smiles a little. "No problem, sis. Oh, and I'm inviting a few others." Penny nods and smiles a huge smile. See you at seven!"

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"Who do you think the other guests are?" I ask Penny as we walk up to a house with a white picket fence. I recognize this as the house that Rodger, I mean Penny, used to live in. "I don't know...." she mutters and dusts imaginary dust from her white sundress. We reach the house, and I knock. "Coming," A familiar mail voice says. Penny and I share a look. 

"Welcome." Says a deep voice as the door is opened. "Thank you.....Marcus?" We are starting at the eldest Hillis boy. With his deep set blue eyes, and dark brown hair. "Hey, Penny." He then looks at me, and I know he knows who I am. Who I truly am. "Hello, little mob son." I'm shocked that he says that in front of Penny, when she steps in font of him. "If the point of us coming here was so you could do more harm, then we are leaving." I'm shocked that she is acting like she knew. Then it dawns on me. 'The phone call!' I grown internally at my own stupidity.

She looks inside for Tulip, and Marcus chuckles. "Penny calm down. I was just teasing." I raise an eyebrow. Marcus steps aside, and allows us to go in. James, his family, and Ryan are also here. "So Pen, you knew he was in the mob?" Ryan says from the kitchen. "She laughs and says, "I over heard him on the phone with his parents." James, and Marcus look at me then. I meet their eyes in defiance. "Now that the air is clear, who's hungry?" Tulip says, and emerges from the kitchen in a white apron. 

We all meander our way to the table and I am somehow ended up between Tulip and Penny. Tulip is cutting the meet, and Penny is making small talk with Judy, James' wife. I try not to look at Marcus, because his gaze chills me to the bone. It is only when the table lapses into silence when he decides to talk. "Why are you here?" His voice is soft, and familiar, but his eyes burn with my betrayal. Everyone looks to me, and I sight. "I'm just here to do recon, and see if this area is worth setting up a branch. I don't even think it would be a front." Marcus' face tells me nothing, but when I look at James, I see that he's surprised. "Where are you from?" Jams asks, tentatively. I smile softy, James was the one that I actually ended up missing. "From New York. I went to Columbia University and got my bachelor degree in literature." James smiles approvingly, and Judy gently takes his hand.

"Looks like you did well for yourself, Little brother," Ryan says. My eyes cut to him for the first time. He's not smiling, but there was no malice in his voice. I actually told him I was going to leave. "Wait. Little brother?"

I freeze, and there is a gently pressure on my right arm. "Westly, what are they talking about?" I can't look at Penny. I only stare at Ryan, and let the anger that is boiling up inside of me spill into my gaze. "I wanted to tell her." I say to him, through gritted teeth. Ryan is actually shocked by my tone, and so is James. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. 

Turning to Penny, I try to smile, "I finally know your first name, Rodger."

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