Next part
Yup, back to posting. Remember non of this has been beta's, hence all the mistakes. Hope you enjoy this next bit.
While she weeded, Marissa went over everything the two men had said and hadn’t said. Something about the whole encounter felt off. Why would people from the government be interested in the Havenwards? Why lie about whom they were? Was it the Havenwards they were interested in, or was it the house? They hadn’t asked any questions about the Havenwards, but they’d wanted to look at the house.
The two men had seemed surprised when she said the family was living there. When she’d said we live here now…WE…as if she was a member of the family. Like she had a place in the family. A place next to Jason. A place with Jason. Oh, gawd, what had she said?
“Marissa.”
She gave a startled screech and jumped up, causing her hat to fall off. The breeze caught it and carried it over to the house. Jason bent down and retrieved the hat, chuckled. “This seems to be turning into a habit.” He returned the hat to its place on her head. “Do you have any plans for this afternoon? I know a place in the park where you can watch the boats.”
“Umm, sure.” Jason gave her one of his rare real smiles. It was the kind of smile that transformed his usual cold and remote features into what Marissa could only describe as charming.
“Good, can you be ready to leave around one? I was thinking we could walk there.”
“What time is it now?” She really had no idea how long she had been out.
Jason glanced up at the sun, “A little after 10, I would guess.”
Three hours, good, Marissa thought to herself, that would give her enough time to sort out what was going on in her head.
*****
Rather than spending those three hours calming her jumpy nerves, she obsessed. She was analyzing why they were going to the park. Did he not want his family to know they were spending time together? Come to think of it, Franny hadn’t been spending much tiem at the coffee shop since Jason told her their secret. Was he trying to get her out of the house because he didn’t want her and Franny bumping into each other?
By 12:30, everyone in the house had a reason to hate her and maybe even kill her. Jason was getting her out of the house because he felt responsible, and didn’t want his family to do anything to her that would call any unwanted attention on them.
Who was she kidding, she wasn’t a member of the family; she never would be; she was a nobody; a college dropout that made coffee and had been squatting in their house for the past few years.
When the church bells tolled 12:45 Marissa had the urge to run up to her room and hide. She was on her way to do just that when Jason appeared in the doorway to the mudroom.
“You looked so focused I was not sure if you would know what time it was.”
“About the park…I think I’ve spent too much time in the sun already I didn’t know if I’m up for it.”
Jason wasn’t fazed, “If you are not up to walking, we can drive. Knowing you, you have not had anything to drink since you came out here am I right.”
He was. Marissa knew better than trying another excuse, Jason would get curious and want to know why. She didn’t want to explain that she had figured out that he family, his family, didn’t want her around.
Jason watched intently as she downed a large glass of water without coming up for air. If they were going to do this, she wanted to get out of the house fast. She’d run upstairs grab the first clean cloths her hands touched, change and go.
“You are looking pale are you feeling okay? If you are not, we can go to the park some other day.”
“Just give me five minutes to change. I’m fine, really.” Marissa fled out of the kitchen.
Jason watched her escape, perplexed, something was off, but he could no pinpoint what it was. Shaking his head, Jason retrieved the glass from where Marissa had abandoned it, intending to put it directly into the dishwasher. The moment his fingers touched the glass the image of the two men Marissa had encountered flashed into his mind. He heard the whole conversation. Jason found it odd, usually he only got images from something directly related to an event. This event must have been very prominent in her thoughts for it to have been transferred to him from the glass.
*****
Marissa was silent the entire way to the park. Jason tried the best he could to draw her into conversation, but it was as if she was not really listening to him.
Marissa was vaguely aware for Jason leading her down a shady path.
The park was at the top of a hill over-looking the river. Jason was telling her that the park had once been owned by a very rich family that fell on hard times, and rather than loose the land to pay off debts, they sold it to the city of New Orleans with the provision that the land would become a park.
Only a random word or phrase broke through Marissa’s pre-occupied thoughts. What she did hear did not help settle her turbulent thoughts. Words like, “respected family,” “bad connections,” only confirmed in her mind that Jason was too polite to say outright. The story of the ruined family was a warning; the preservation of his family was Jason’s top priority. She was a liability.
Eventually Jason grew quiet. It was obvious that Marissa was not enjoying herself. She’d had a frown marring her features ever since they had gotten into his car. The frown had only grown deeper.
He had brought a lunch of chicken salad, biscuits and iced tea, but all Marissa did was pick at a biscuit and watched absently as the boats went up and down the river.
Marissa’s dark mood was contagious. They’d only been at the park for twenty minutes before Jason tossed the food back into the basket and stood up. Marissa followed suite without question. She reached down to pick up the blanket and fold it, but it was already gone. Jason had it wadded in a haphazard bundle under his arm. Marissa noticed and thought it odd, Jason never did anything haphazardly or messy.
It occurred to her that Jason too might not want to be around her. He had put up with her for the past 30 minutes and was done. For some reason, the thought that Jason didn’t want her around bothered her more than everyone else. The drive back to the house was even more silent than the time at the park. It seemed to take twice as long to drive back. Marissa watched Jason’s face out of the corner of her eyes. His expression was like stone, she couldn’t see it change but it seemed to grow progressively darker.
Jason pulled into the garage. There was a slight sense of de ja vu. Only this time he had no clue what was going on. Things seemed to have been going well, and now it was like she did now want to be with him.
Marissa looked at her fingers in her lap. She had no idea what to do now. Jason was just sitting there, she wasn’t sure if he was waiting for her to get out or if she should wait for him.
“Jason-I-”
“Marissa-” Their words overlapped, silence again stretched on. Marissa opened her mouth to try again.
Marissa’s words were stopped by a tap on her window. She looked up, and saw Franny. The door flew open, “Thank goodness you’re back! I am in desperate need of help, my wardrobe is sorely lacking, and no one else is around to help me.” Before Marissa could do or say anything, Franny had her seatbelt undone and pulled out of the car.
Marissa found herself propelled up into Franny’s room and then deposited on her bed. “I’m guessing we aren’t going shoping?”
“No, that was just to get you away from Jason before you did anything more damage. What in world put those thoughts in your head?”
“What?”
“I do not know where you got these ideas about you not wanted around here and all that, but get them out of your head. You are wanted here, you belong here, and no one wants you to leave. Is that understood?” Marissa was shocked at the ferocity of Franny’s words.
Not really seeing the harm she told Franny everything.
“Now the two men, you are sure they were government types?” Franny clarified after Marissa had finished.
“Absolutely positive, I’ve seen enough of them to be able to spot them at a hundred paces. Why?”
“Oh,” Franny waved the question away. “It is probably nothing, we are just extremely careful when it comes to government types. Governments and churches tend to keep records for a very long time, which can be a little troublesome from time to time if you know what I am saying. Because of this, we tend to avoid situations where we come in contact with them.
While she weeded, Marissa went over everything the two men had said and hadn’t said. Something about the whole encounter felt off. Why would people from the government be interested in the Havenwards? Why lie about whom they were? Was it the Havenwards they were interested in, or was it the house? They hadn’t asked any questions about the Havenwards, but they’d wanted to look at the house.
The two men had seemed surprised when she said the family was living there. When she’d said we live here now…WE…as if she was a member of the family. Like she had a place in the family. A place next to Jason. A place with Jason. Oh, gawd, what had she said?
“Marissa.”
She gave a startled screech and jumped up, causing her hat to fall off. The breeze caught it and carried it over to the house. Jason bent down and retrieved the hat, chuckled. “This seems to be turning into a habit.” He returned the hat to its place on her head. “Do you have any plans for this afternoon? I know a place in the park where you can watch the boats.”
“Umm, sure.” Jason gave her one of his rare real smiles. It was the kind of smile that transformed his usual cold and remote features into what Marissa could only describe as charming.
“Good, can you be ready to leave around one? I was thinking we could walk there.”
“What time is it now?” She really had no idea how long she had been out.
Jason glanced up at the sun, “A little after 10, I would guess.”
Three hours, good, Marissa thought to herself, that would give her enough time to sort out what was going on in her head.
*****
Rather than spending those three hours calming her jumpy nerves, she obsessed. She was analyzing why they were going to the park. Did he not want his family to know they were spending time together? Come to think of it, Franny hadn’t been spending much tiem at the coffee shop since Jason told her their secret. Was he trying to get her out of the house because he didn’t want her and Franny bumping into each other?
By 12:30, everyone in the house had a reason to hate her and maybe even kill her. Jason was getting her out of the house because he felt responsible, and didn’t want his family to do anything to her that would call any unwanted attention on them.
Who was she kidding, she wasn’t a member of the family; she never would be; she was a nobody; a college dropout that made coffee and had been squatting in their house for the past few years.
When the church bells tolled 12:45 Marissa had the urge to run up to her room and hide. She was on her way to do just that when Jason appeared in the doorway to the mudroom.
“You looked so focused I was not sure if you would know what time it was.”
“About the park…I think I’ve spent too much time in the sun already I didn’t know if I’m up for it.”
Jason wasn’t fazed, “If you are not up to walking, we can drive. Knowing you, you have not had anything to drink since you came out here am I right.”
He was. Marissa knew better than trying another excuse, Jason would get curious and want to know why. She didn’t want to explain that she had figured out that he family, his family, didn’t want her around.
Jason watched intently as she downed a large glass of water without coming up for air. If they were going to do this, she wanted to get out of the house fast. She’d run upstairs grab the first clean cloths her hands touched, change and go.
“You are looking pale are you feeling okay? If you are not, we can go to the park some other day.”
“Just give me five minutes to change. I’m fine, really.” Marissa fled out of the kitchen.
Jason watched her escape, perplexed, something was off, but he could no pinpoint what it was. Shaking his head, Jason retrieved the glass from where Marissa had abandoned it, intending to put it directly into the dishwasher. The moment his fingers touched the glass the image of the two men Marissa had encountered flashed into his mind. He heard the whole conversation. Jason found it odd, usually he only got images from something directly related to an event. This event must have been very prominent in her thoughts for it to have been transferred to him from the glass.
*****
Marissa was silent the entire way to the park. Jason tried the best he could to draw her into conversation, but it was as if she was not really listening to him.
Marissa was vaguely aware for Jason leading her down a shady path.
The park was at the top of a hill over-looking the river. Jason was telling her that the park had once been owned by a very rich family that fell on hard times, and rather than loose the land to pay off debts, they sold it to the city of New Orleans with the provision that the land would become a park.
Only a random word or phrase broke through Marissa’s pre-occupied thoughts. What she did hear did not help settle her turbulent thoughts. Words like, “respected family,” “bad connections,” only confirmed in her mind that Jason was too polite to say outright. The story of the ruined family was a warning; the preservation of his family was Jason’s top priority. She was a liability.
Eventually Jason grew quiet. It was obvious that Marissa was not enjoying herself. She’d had a frown marring her features ever since they had gotten into his car. The frown had only grown deeper.
He had brought a lunch of chicken salad, biscuits and iced tea, but all Marissa did was pick at a biscuit and watched absently as the boats went up and down the river.
Marissa’s dark mood was contagious. They’d only been at the park for twenty minutes before Jason tossed the food back into the basket and stood up. Marissa followed suite without question. She reached down to pick up the blanket and fold it, but it was already gone. Jason had it wadded in a haphazard bundle under his arm. Marissa noticed and thought it odd, Jason never did anything haphazardly or messy.
It occurred to her that Jason too might not want to be around her. He had put up with her for the past 30 minutes and was done. For some reason, the thought that Jason didn’t want her around bothered her more than everyone else. The drive back to the house was even more silent than the time at the park. It seemed to take twice as long to drive back. Marissa watched Jason’s face out of the corner of her eyes. His expression was like stone, she couldn’t see it change but it seemed to grow progressively darker.
Jason pulled into the garage. There was a slight sense of de ja vu. Only this time he had no clue what was going on. Things seemed to have been going well, and now it was like she did now want to be with him.
Marissa looked at her fingers in her lap. She had no idea what to do now. Jason was just sitting there, she wasn’t sure if he was waiting for her to get out or if she should wait for him.
“Jason-I-”
“Marissa-” Their words overlapped, silence again stretched on. Marissa opened her mouth to try again.
Marissa’s words were stopped by a tap on her window. She looked up, and saw Franny. The door flew open, “Thank goodness you’re back! I am in desperate need of help, my wardrobe is sorely lacking, and no one else is around to help me.” Before Marissa could do or say anything, Franny had her seatbelt undone and pulled out of the car.
Marissa found herself propelled up into Franny’s room and then deposited on her bed. “I’m guessing we aren’t going shoping?”
“No, that was just to get you away from Jason before you did anything more damage. What in world put those thoughts in your head?”
“What?”
“I do not know where you got these ideas about you not wanted around here and all that, but get them out of your head. You are wanted here, you belong here, and no one wants you to leave. Is that understood?” Marissa was shocked at the ferocity of Franny’s words.
Not really seeing the harm she told Franny everything.
“Now the two men, you are sure they were government types?” Franny clarified after Marissa had finished.
“Absolutely positive, I’ve seen enough of them to be able to spot them at a hundred paces. Why?”
“Oh,” Franny waved the question away. “It is probably nothing, we are just extremely careful when it comes to government types. Governments and churches tend to keep records for a very long time, which can be a little troublesome from time to time if you know what I am saying. Because of this, we tend to avoid situations where we come in contact with them.