Dancing in Circles (Circles Trilogy) (13 page)

"Whatever." His head felt terrible, his ribs ached, but his stomach screamed the loudest. He couldn't make the other pains go away. He could silence his stomach. Wincing as he sat at the kitchen table, he was amazed at how many muscles seemed attached to his ribs. Every move he made, even wiggling his toes, caused him pain.

Julie got out the bread, peanut butter, jam and the toaster. "This I can do." With mock pride, she placed the jar on the table.

Robert coughed and grabbed his ribs. When his face whitened, Julie searched for the bottle of pain medication the hospital had given them. She offered two. He popped them into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. Julie gagged. She poured a glass of orange juice and offered it to him. He chugged it.

As the bread toasted, Julie explained the events of the preceding evening. Robert grabbed three of the four slices, slathered on some peanut butter and grape jelly and wolfed them down.

Julie dabbed jelly on her toast and nibbled at it. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded while he chewed.

She inhaled a big breath then chickened out. "No, forget it."
Just ask him
. "Does Mike beat you up a lot?"

Robert played aimlessly with the peanut butter jar, waiting for the toaster to pop. "There's a lot of my life that I'm ashamed of. Some of it's stuff I've done, some is stuff that just happened."

He grabbed the toast, offered her a slice, then picked up his knife and dug it into the peanut butter jar. "You've led a nice comfortable life with loving parents, trips to Disneyland and stuff. Violence, hunger and homelessness sums up my existence. But I've changed, I've done my time. I grew up."

Julie filled his glass with orange juice and poured another for herself. When he'd finished the next four slices of toast, he chugged his juice then shook his head. "The past, my past, is right here with me in the present. Every time I try to distance myself from it, it rears up and slaps me in the face." He scratched his unshaven cheek.

"I want to know about your past, not to judge you on it, but so I can learn about you. I want to understand you."

Julie picked up the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. "I have a question." She turned. "Last night, you said Francine was right. What did you mean?"

"Nuthin'."

"Come on. Talk to me. Friends. What were you two arguing about?" She pressed start on the dishwasher and sat at the table.

"She said if I didn't leave ya alone she'd tell ya some pretty bad stuff."

"What?"

Robert shook his head.

"I thought we decided that we could talk about anything." She wiped an invisible crumb off the table.

"Once ya learn the truth, ya aren't gonna want to have anythin' to do with me." He tried to stifle a yawn.

"But I want to be your friend. I want to know everything."

Robert pushed back the chair and turned to walk away. He held his side, released a low moan then steadied himself by grabbing the table.

Julie kicked back her chair and scurried to stand next to him. She rested her hand on his arm. When he opened his eyes, she said, "I think you should go back to bed."

"No, actually, I should get my stuff and get outta here." He'd spent the night sleeping in Westland. Miracles do exist.

"Robert, you've never seen my mother angry. It's not a pretty sight. You're sick and injured and you don't have any place to live. We have a guest room. Go back to bed."

With a mock salute, Robert did as he was commanded.

Wow, even hurt and banged up he is so hot. And those tattoos…uh, tats are awesome. That twisted, spiky vine thing down his spine and the snake that circles up to his chest. Wonder what the numbers are over his heart?

Julie heard the rattle of keys and hurried to open the back door. Her mother entered and handed her a shopping bag. "Hi dear, did you sleep well? Eat yet?"

"Yes, Mom. Robert woke me up. I fed him toast and peanut butter."

"The Julie special."

Julie peeked into the bag. It held a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, deodorant and other items. "That was nice of you. Robert just went back to bed, actually. He was going to leave, but I told him seeing you angry wasn't a pretty sight."

Mrs. Anderson laughed and pulled some papers out of her other bag. "I went to Westland and explained everything. I have your books and Robert's and today's homework."

"He'll be pleased to hear that. He'd just got caught up from before." Julie picked up the shopping bag and books then headed off to her room to do her homework.

***

As it was a quiet night with no one rushing off to ballet class, basketball practise or music lessons, the Andersons had a family meal in the dining room. Mr. Anderson explained to the younger children that Robert would be staying with them for a short time. Julie thought she heard a distinct emphasis on the words
short time
. Mrs. Anderson assigned kitchen and dish duty to the youngest three siblings.

Julie and her parents relaxed in the living room. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson read the evening paper, while Julie worked through the last few calculus questions.

The front door bell rang. "I'll get it." Julie opened the door.

The man from the Murran Estate stood on the porch. "My name is Carl. I'm looking for Robert Holiday. A friend of his, Paul, said he might be here."

"He's here."

Carl turned and motioned to the limousine parked in the drive. A chauffeur opened a back door and Mrs. Murran stepped out. When she reached the porch, she extended her hand and said, "Good evening, Julie. A pleasure to see you again." Turning to her companion, she asked, "Carl, have we located Robert?"

Carl nodded then Julie invited them into the house. "Mom. Dad. This is Carl and Mrs. Murran."

Julie's father hung their coats in the closet. Her mother offered coffee or tea, but both declined. Everyone settled into the living room on the chairs or sofa. Mrs. Murran reminisced with Mr. Anderson for a moment, then she said, "As to why we're here, we've been looking for an employee of mine, Robert. He isn't answering his cell phone, and I'm...." Mrs. Murran glanced at Carl. "We're concerned."

"Julie brought him home last night." Mrs. Anderson turned to her daughter. "Why don't you see if he's awake?"

Julie hurried upstairs.

"Bill and my daughter took him to Emergency last night," said Julie's mother. "He spent the day here." She watched her daughter cross the room. "Is he awake?"

"Nope." Julie sat on the couch.

"How is he?" The concern in Carl's voice hinted at this being more a personal hunt for Robert.

"He's had a bad beating, but the doctor said no permanent damage," said Mr. Anderson.

"He came to the Estate Friday and tried to work, but he was in such pain that I sent him home." Carl didn't mention how intoxicated Robert had been.

"Do you know what happened?" asked Julie's mother.

"Yes," replied Mrs. Murran. "Robert's been working for us for a long time. Mike's been beating him up even longer." She shook her head.

Jumping at the chance to discover part of his mysterious past, Julie asked, "How did you meet Robert?"

Both Mrs. Murran and Carl laughed. "One day, this bratty kid was brought to the Estate by his parole officer." There was a smile of reminiscence on Carl's face. "The deal was Bob could have certain privileges if he worked on the Estate. At first, he resisted. You know, tough, cool kid. Then a racehorse went by. He was fascinated. Didn't take him long to figure out, if he wanted to be near the horses he had to be on the Estate. I don't think there's a job on the property he doesn't know how to do."

Julie heard a touch of fatherly pride in his voice.

"I'll confess I'm concerned about him being here." Her father glanced at Julie then turned to Mrs. Murran. "How would you describe Robert?"

"To use a cliché, the right kid born into the wrong family. Carl worked him hard. He didn't complain. Yes, he's done some dumb teenager things." She smiled at Julie. "All part of growing up, I guess. But, I know I can leave Robert in charge of running the Estate."

Mr. Anderson wanted to talk about Robert's gang involvement, but the conversation halted when he stepped off the bottom stair into the living room.

Julie's pulse raced at the sight of him standing there dressed only in his blue jeans. She flushed at the thought of rubbing her hands along the smooth hard muscles of his broad shoulders and chest.

"It took us a while to find you." The worried tone in Carl's voice gave Julie the impression he'd forgotten to add the word
son
to the end of his sentence.

Mrs. Murran asked, "How are you?"

"Hanging in, ma'am." He looked down at himself then at Mrs. Anderson. "I couldn't find my sweat shirt. Just my jeans." Sitting on the floor next to Julie caused him considerable pain, which he tried to hide but everyone noticed.

Julie wanted the others to disappear so she could kiss away that pain.

"I washed your shirt. It should be dry by now." Mrs. Anderson left to retrieve it.

"Well, now that we have found you, I guess we should be going." Mrs. Murran stood. "We don't wish to impose on these kind people."

Julie's mother returned with Robert's sweatshirt.

"I'm not hurrying you and things are quiet now, but when do you think you'll be back?" Carl held Mrs. Murran's coat for her.

"Tomorrow." Robert pulled his sweatshirt down.

"I don't think so." Julie's mother shook her head.

"Friday."

"No."

"Saturday. Sunday?"

"We'll see." Julie's mother smiled.

Carl pulled Robert aside. "Do you know where you are?"

"I think so."

"You watch yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"That comes from me also, Robert." Mrs. Murran shook her finger at him.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Yes, ma'am."

Julie's father escorted them to the door. Julie and her mother returned to the couch. "Nice people."

Robert settled into a chair. "Yea, I owe 'em a lot. Even if they do treat me like I'm eight years old."

Julie sat up straight and seized her chance to learn something of Robert's past. "Okay, we're all here. Let's talk. Robert, you go first."

Robert winced then shifted in his seat. "Uh…thanks for takin' me to Emergency, and for lettin' me stay. I'll get out tomorrow."

"No, you won't." Mrs. Anderson assumed motherly control. "You're hurt and have no place to go. It's October. It's cold out. You'll stay until you find a place."

The insult of having his living arrangements broadcast made his anger rumble. He swallowed it down. "Thanks. I'll start lookin' soon."

Having caught his angry tone, Julie glanced at him.

"Why are you in such a rush to leave?" Mrs. Anderson asked.

Julie's father cleared his throat. "He's hoping to get out before I figure out who he is."

Julie tilted her head and wrinkled her brow. The hostility in her father's voice matched Robert's.

"Then what's the point of me stayin'?" Robert pushed up off the couch. "Ya've already condemned me."

"Sit back down." Mrs. Anderson interrupted the staring match between the two men. "What's going on? One of you start talking."

Robert looked to Julie for help. Her forehead creased as she glanced between him and her father. "Um, I'm not exactly like Julie's other friends." Robert settled back on the couch. "I didn't have the typical childhood. Ya know, the two parents and a dog bit. I've got a history." He glanced sideways at Julie. "And a police record." His voice lowered. "I doubt I'm the kind of person ya want in your nice Westland house."

Julie put her hand on his arm. "What did you do?"

He shook his head.

"Talk to me."

Robert inhaled a big breath. "A bunch of little stuff. Assault, underage drinking, grand theft auto. Well actually." He rubbed his face. "I took a cop car for a joy ride." He paused, turned and faced Julie. "And I killed Francine's brother, Jeffery."

The raised eyebrows and covered gasp from Julie triggered a pain deep in his stomach. "Should I go on or just get out?"

Shock numbed Julie's vocal cords. Her mother said, "Continue."

Robert focused on the one person whose opinion of him mattered – Julie. "Ya know my aunt sent me to stay with Mike when I was eight. He didn't want no stupid kid brother hangin' 'round. I had enough of him hittin' me so I ran. Needed a place to hang and what I found was the Shoresmen."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "The gang became friends and family. Took up my colours." He held out his right fist showing his tattoo. "I learned to lie, cheat, steal and fight."

He glanced at the bare spot on his arm where Julie's hand had rested. "For my tenth birthday, they got me so drunk I passed out and was sick for like three days." He grimaced at the memory. "Can I have a Coke?"