CORAL - Fallen (A Romance Trilogy, Book 2) (28 page)

“No!” I cry out and pull my hand out of
hers. I am scared.

The lady picks me up into her arms.
No!
Let me go!

“I won’t let her hurt you,” she says. I nod
my head at her, she doesn’t seem bad, not like Mommy. I cling onto her and hide
my face on her shoulder. The lady sits down in the chair, I am on her lap – I
don’t like it.

I peek at Mommy from behind my hand. Mommy
is mad, her eyes are black and strange. She pulls her hand back and jumps
forward to smack me, just like she used to.

“You little bitch, it’s all your fault’ – I
cover my ears. I don’t want to hear it.

The lady carries me away. I look over her
shoulder, two men are holding Mommy down, she is screaming at them…

Fuck!
– I scramble up from my sleeping position, feeling totally
disorientated. My heart is hammering, my throat dry, I sound like I’ve been
running uphill.
Why the hell did I just dream that?
I squeeze my eyes
shut trying to blank it out. I still don’t get why I dreamt that, why it’s come
back – It’s an old memory, a very old memory?

I shiver internally. I hated that place, I
can still smell the disinfectant, hear the cries of other patients. I shake my
head in wonder and question it again –
Why did I just dream that memory?

I lie back down and try to figure out the
answer, I wonder for a moment if there’s something wrong with her. Maybe she’s
got sick in that Psychiatric Hospital?

I shake my head at myself –
Who cares!

Turning on my side, I try to go back to
sleep but all I can see is a pair of black eyes staring back at me...

WHEN I WAKE THE
following
morning with a banging headache, I know it’s because I’ve hardly slept. After
the dream about my mother, all I kept getting every time I fell back to sleep
were more nightmares. Each one becoming more strange and unpredictable, mostly
Susannah and my Mother, several times they morphed into the same person, black
eyes, lips pulled back, teeth exposed, looking totally deranged and psychotic.

As I lie in bed trying to understand it
all, I decide to ditch my morning swim. I really don't feel too good at all, my
stomach twists with anxiety confirming my thinking –
Great!

In fact, I’m starting to feel really
freaked out about it all. I still can't work out why that memory of my Mother
came back, and I definitely can't get my head around the fact that she kept
turning into Susannah, or the other way around – Pulling my quilt off me, I
stagger to my robe, wrap it around me and try to forget about last night.

As I wonder down the stairs in a zombie
like state, I check both doors. All is well. Heading to the fridge, I pour myself
a veggie juice. As I lean against the kitchen sink, slowly drinking it down, I
have a sudden thought –
What if my subconscious is trying to tell me
something? Am I getting another premonition?
I frown deeply, trying to work
it out. I think that question through, but nothing comes to the surface. I
wonder for a moment if I should go and talk to Gladys, she has always
understood my weird psychic ways. It used to be stronger when I was in my
teens, but rarely happens now. I used to freak Gladys out when I would hear the
phone ring, and tell her who it was before she picked it up, and she was most
freaked out when she was due to travel with her bowling club.

I woke up that morning and this voice kept
telling me she shouldn’t go. I begged her not to, and she finally agreed. That
night, the coach lost control on the ice and crashed. One woman died, several
other were injured, and from that moment on Gladys told me she would always
listen to me, believe me, if I ever asked her to do something like that again.
I contemplate going over to see Gladys before work, then I decide that I'm
being silly. I'm going to see her tonight anyway. Finishing my drink and
washing up my glass, I shuffle into the bathroom, telling myself to forget all
about the nightmares and concentrate on today – I think I need a very long
shower to help wake me up...

HEADING INTO WORK,
I push
through the glass doors, look up and see Joe is at her desk.

“Hey Joe. You ok?” I ask.

She smiles warmly at me. “Yeah, I’m good
thanks.”

“Good.” I try to smile back at her.

“Oh Coral! She’s already in,” she whispers
to me.
Ugh! Susannah!

I smile and roll my eyes in annoyance,
making Joe giggle and walk up the stairs, but I’m actually feeling really nervous,
and I can't work out why?

Walking across the hallway towards my desk
I see it’s surrounded by all the other secretaries, and they’re all laughing. I
can guess who they are laughing about, and who’s initiating it all. Squaring my
shoulders, I march straight over to them all.

“Morning ladies,” I say loud and clear.

They all turn in one and stare at me. I
sigh inwardly – It’s just like being back at school. I spy Susannah sitting in
my chair, flicking her long blonde hair. Some of them leave, a couple of them
start tittering between themselves, and the other’s go back to whispering with
Susannah.

I decide to leave them to it, and march off
to the ladies. It’s the only way I'm going to keep my cool. If I have to wait
for her to get out of my god damn chair, I swear I’ll yank her out of it by her
perfect hair. It’s long enough to get a good hold of –
Stop it Coral!

As I stand washing my hands, I can't help
thinking back to the dream and my Mother. My stomach rolls just thinking about
it, I fight back the bile that has risen –
Oh God not today, please not
today!

As I work on calming myself down, the
sickening feeling slowly subsides, thank god! Then stalling for more time,
because I don't want to go back to my desk until they have all gone, I check my
make-up and my bun.
Jeez, I look really tired!

Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly make my
way back to my desk. With my coffee in my hand, and my chair vacated I sit down
at my desk and open my inbox, nothing! –
Great!

I smile hesitantly at Susannah, as I watch
her walk along the hallway back towards me. I guess she went down to the
communal area, where all the other secretaries are. I wonder what she’s up to? She
grimaces at me as she takes the seat next to me, and opens her laptop. I frown
at my computer screen. What is she’s doing?

“So,” she says turning to smile at me.
“What’s his name?”

“Who?” I ask, reluctantly turning to face
her.

“Your boyfriend,” she nips. “Who else?” She
adds sarcastically.
Fuck!
Quick Coral any name, top of your head.

“Justin!” I blurt. Why did I just use my
ex’s name?

Susannah nods then crosses her arms. “So what
do you think of Tristan?” She asks. That’s the second time she’s used his first
name –
I hate her using it!

“I can’t really say,” I answer, she cocks
her head to the side. “I don't really know him,” I add, feeling all the blood
drain from my face.

“Oh, I didn’t mean as a boss. I meant as a
man. He’s sexy don't you think?” she questions.

I turn in my seat and frown at her. “I
hadn’t really noticed,” I say being careful to keep my voice steady. I turn
back around, and keep my eyes fixed on the computer screen.

“Funny, I thought I saw him wink at you on
Monday.” I feel my eyes widen with fear –
Fuck! What do I say?

“Did he, I hadn’t noticed,” I calmly reply.
Eyes straight ahead Stevens!

“Is it right you live at the Marina?” she
asks.
How does she know that?

“How do you’ – “Janice told me,” she
interrupts.
Who the fuck is Janice?

“Y-yes,” I stutter, wondering if I’ve done
the right thing.

“Coral, I don't want to get you into
trouble, but’ – “Trouble about what?” I snap, my head whipping round to her.

“Well, I know about the Google page you
see. I don't think Tristan will be very impressed if he finds out, I’m pretty
sure he’ll have no choice but to let you go,” she says vindictively. I feel a
shiver run down my spine.
Shit! She did delete it!

Susannah continues. “Besides, do you really
think he would be interested in someone like you?” She adds icily.
What! How
dare she say that!

I glare back at her, she’s got that weird
look in her eyes again. I decide in that very moment, I'm better off keeping my
mouth shut and reporting all this back to Joyce, even though I want to punch
her in the face for saying that.

I turn back to my screen. “I think we
should get on with the training, don't you?” I say glancing across at her,
she’s smiling an evil wicked smile at me.

“Yes let’s,” she says sweetly. I can't help
shaking my head, as a sarcastic snigger falls out of my mouth –
She’s
unbelievable!

“Something funny?” she asks sweetly again. I
turn and give her my arctic, ice cold, no nonsense glare –
I know your game
lady!

“No, nothing at all,” I snap and grit my
teeth as I glare at my screen. I swear to god, if she lays one finger on me, I
will break her nose…

I AM HAVING A
TERRIBLE
morning and Susannah knows it. All of the work I have done over the past two
days seems to have filtered out of my brain, like it was never there. I can’t
remember how to do anything that she showed me, and if I’m correct, it was all
pretty simple. Of course, I know it’s because I can't concentrate, there’s just
too much going on right now. And I have a sinking feeling she’s going to go
back to Tristan and tell him I'm crap, and that he needs to get someone else –
Well
Bollocks! –
If that’s what he wants to do then so be it, there’s not much I
can really do about it.

“Coral, will you please concentrate. I
don't want to have to show you this again,” she spit’s at me. I turn in my seat
and glare at her.
Keep your cool Coral!

“You know… if I remember correctly.
You
are here to train me, and in doing so, you will show me what I need to learn,
even if it means showing me over, and over again until I get it right. That’s
what training is, right?” I smile sarcastically at her.

She flicks a piece of fluff off her skirt
as though she hasn’t heard a word I have said. My anger turns to full scale
rage. I can feel the adrenalin pumping through my veins, I’m ready to smack the
shit out of her. I haven’t felt this angry, this explosive, since I was at
school. I’m not sure how much more I can take. I feel like screaming at the top
of my lungs.

I look up at the clock it’s 12.15 – I'm
lunching early, if I stay I swear I’m going to split her nose open. I stand
pick up my bag, and stand.

“Where are you going?” She snaps.

I completely ignore her and walk over to
Joyce’s door. I knock the door and see if she wants anything, she’s on the
phone, but shakes her head at me. I nod, shut her door and head back past my
desk.

“Coral, I asked you a question. Where are
you going?” Susannah snaps.

“To lunch,” I growl carrying on down the
hallway, glad to be getting away from her.
I feel her yank my arm, I snap it out of her grasp.

“Don't touch me,” I threaten my hands
bunching into fists. She crosses her arms and stares down at me – I hate that
she’s taller than me!

“Nice little place you’ve got,” she tells
me.

I frown at her in confusion. “What?” I
snap.

“That little studio,” she says.

My eyes widen, and my heart triples it’s
beats.
Stay cool, keep focused!

“How do you’ – “I’ve seen it,” she whispers
leaning closer to my face, her eyes darkening.
Holy crap, she knows where I
live?
My suspicions to who was outside my place Monday night come rushing
to the surface – It
was Susannah, I know it was!

“Stay away from him,” she hisses.
What
the fuck is this about?

“Who?” I snap, trying to feign innocence
because I’m sure she means Tristan.

“Tristan of course,” she says, glaring
quizzically at me, almost as though I should know this, then Susannah starts to
laugh, leaning her head back as she does; it’s a strange crazy kind of laugh. My
instincts kick in again, warning me she’s dangerous. I instinctively take two
steps.

I frown back at her. “You and Tristan are
together?” I question.

Her face falls, that crazy look appears in
her eyes. “Yes, but we’re keeping it a secret, at least until the take-over
happens. You see Coral, we’re engaged, we just couldn’t help ourselves. He
actually has taste, he knows what’s good for him’ –“Let me guess,” I snap.
“You’re what’s good for him?” I say gritting my teeth. She nods her head
several times, her lips curling up into a strange smile. “So much for your
husband,” I hiss.

“He’s mine.” She states firmly, flatly, almost
threateningly. Then she starts twisting her hair around her finger in a
childlike manner as she stares down at the floor. “He loves me’ – her eyes dart
up to meet mine – ‘I know he does.” She starts twisting her body to and fro,
rocking herself.
This woman is crazy!