S.Y.B

Chapter 16

Reminder

Deacon's wedding is in 3 days.

I turn off my phone screen and finish dishing up. I cooked a meal for us. I was planning for Deacon and I to sit and have a chat. For as much as there was chemistry between us I knew nothing about him.

I take the food to the dinning room table, sitting the plates on polar ends.
"Deacon, dinner's ready" I call.

He appears a minute later in a pair of sweat pants and a tight shirt. He sits down at the table and smirks at me.
"I won't bite you" he laughs "why so far away"

"I wanted us to talk, play a game in fact" I say "without any distractions"

"What game"

"21 questions"

"No"

"Please, I just think there's a lot we still need to know about each other"

"We'll figure that out as we go"

"Deacon"

"Yes"

"Lust isn't Love" I sigh finally admitting the truth of how I felt "and Lust is what we currently have"

He anchors his elbows on the table.
"What is it that you really want to know"

"Everything" was my response.

He runs a hand down his face and leans back on his chair.
"Fine" he agrees "but after dinner"

"Fair enough"

We eat in silence. The sound of metal clanking against ceramic. I eat with purpose. Preparing the questions I wanted to ask him. He too was fast in his action but I presume it was only a habit.

When both our plates are empty I take them back to the kitchen. Rinsing them and leaving them on the rack.

(NB: To make things easier for the reader, as Deacon and Jessie are asking the questions. What you see in bold is Jessie and print is Deacon)

I find Deacon in the lounge with a bottle of wine next to him. He drinks directly from the bottle.
"If we are doing this then I'm going first"

I shrug my shoulders and wait for him to ask.
"Why did you start working for S.Y.B"

"My mom wanted me to find a job and it was the quickest way to make a lot of money"

He nods his head accepting my answer.

"How long have you been a customer to S.Y.B"

"About three years. So you said they wanted you to find a job, what do your parents do"

"My mom is a social worker and my dad is an independent plumber. Where are your parents"

"My parents and I don't get along well, they're focused on my siblings and other family businesses. They dumped me here and left to live in another country"

I watch him take a huge gulp of wine.

"Do you have any siblings" he asks.

"I used to have an older sister"

"Used to?"

"Yeah she died"

"I'm sorry to hear that" he says handing me the bottle. I take a sip and give it back.

"How did you and Natalie meet"

"Funny enough we actually met 2 years ago at an AA meeting, both dealing with our lives"

"You had an alcohol problem" I asked not believing what he was saying. He simply nods.

"How did your sister die"

"I'm not quiet certain but the cops told us it was a mugging, why did you start attending AA meetings"

"I was trying to deal with loss. If your parents can't afford how did you get into Wayward"

"I'm on academic bursary, used to attend a public school but I applied and got accepted two years back. What loss did you suffer"

Deacon is quiet for a moment, pondering on his thoughts.
"The only woman I had ever loved"

There it was. The story I've been trying to find out about.
"What's the worst thing you've ever done"

"Hurt my best friend, How did she die"

"It happened so quick Jessie" he says. I watch him unsure of how he felt. It doesn't take long before a lone tear escapes his eye. Soon another follows.

(NB: End of 21 questions)

"She took the dog, said she was going for a walk. She asked me to come with but I was too busy for her" he sobs "It wasn't even ten minutes into the walk when the cops came. They told me it was a hit and run"

I hold him in my arms as he cries. I admired a man who cried. It showed that they actually felt. They are strong enough to cry.

"I got to the scene, and there she was. Her body draped in a silver cover. I didn't even know where to begin when it came to telling her family that their daughter was shot" he cries.

His body was racking with sobs.
"What was her name" I ask.

"Magdaleen" he says.

The name hits my mind like a wrecking ball. I hadn't heard that name in a long time. It brought back so many memories from my childhood. Enough to make me want to join him in tears.

"Magdaleen Whenit" I question, my heart beating rather rapidly.

His eyes shoot to me.
"Yes how did you know that"

"She's my dead sister, half sister from the Whenits" I breathe "She's related to Carly"

"Carly?" Deacon questions.

"Miss Whenit. I tried to tell you but I never got the chance to say that my homeroom teacher is kinda my sister. But she looks so different that I didn't recognize her the day at S.Y.B"

I had been so busy trying to get my life in track I never put the pieces together. Of course she'd look different. The brunette hair and structural build were so different from the skinny blonde I knew.

"When they told Maggie died we didn't believe them" I said "we knew she was in love with some rich man from the city but she never told us who you were, we thought you murdered her and paid the cops to lie to us"

"I'd never murder someone I love" he says "ever"

A memory resurfaces in my head. There was a time when I caught her texting with this so called man. She had saved him as D and now I'm realizing that, that stood for Deacon.They really did love each other.

"You realize nothing makes sense right" I say getting up "If it was a hit and run then those people knew what they were doing, who they were killing"

"Yes that sounds about right"

"Which means who ever is responsible for the murder knew exactly who they were killing, possibly the girlfriend of a rich billionaire"

Deacon places the bottle of wine on the table with a loud bang.
"Someone is trying to get to me through my partners"

The ring tone of my phone plays loudly startling the both of us. I look at my phone to see a number I don't know.
"Hello"

"Hello is this Jessie Donnahill "

"Yes this is she"

"This is Officer Callihan from the police department. Unfortunately your parents have been shot and are badly injured. Please get to Memorial hospital as soon as you can"

The phone drops from my hand, shattering the screen when it hits the ground.
"Baby what's wrong"

"I have to go" I say getting to my feet.

Deacon doesn't ask questions. He just takes hold of my hand.
"I'm coming with you"