Beecham House
Present Day...
"You wanted to see me," Cian said as he stepped into the sitting room at the family home at the Maple Grove Compound, where he'd grown up with his adopted sister, Gabrielle, and twin brother Frank. The house had once been full of love and laughter, but that was before their mother had died, before everything had changed. The house held no more joy for Cian now. It only served as a painful reminder of the past and memories he'd rather forget.
"Have a seat, son," Gordon Granger told his eldest, gesturing to a chair beside the fireplace and adjacent to his own, where they could speak face to face. They were alone for once, and that was why Gordon had chosen this place and time to summon him there.
"What's this about?" Cian asked as he settled himself stiffly in the chair across from his father. He knew it had to be important, and he was worried it was something serious. "Is something wrong" Is this about Gabi?"
Gordon smiled and leaned over to lay a reassuring hand against Cian's arm. "No, it's not about Gabi. Gabi is fine."
Cian frowned. That only left one thing then, and he didn't really want to talk about it. There was no healing the rift in the family, and both Cian and Gordon knew it. Too much had happened, things Gordon didn't even know about and that Cian was too afraid to share. His father had been through enough. He didn't want to hurt him any further. And suddenly from the look on Gordon's face, Cian realized why he'd been summoned.
"It's about Christmas, isn't it?"
Gordon smiled sadly, which was enough to confirm his son's suspicions. "I would like us all to be there this year, Kee. It's been a difficult year for everyone. We should be there together as a family."
Cian frowned, not wanting to disappoint his father, but unable to comply with his request, not after everything that had happened. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I can't."
"Cian..." Gordon started, his hand squeezing his son's arm as if to reinforce his concerns and drive them home. "I'm worried about Humphrey. He's getting older. He's not going to live forever. It would be nice if the family could put their differences aside for once. If you can't do it for Humphrey, then do it for me."
"I can't," Cian repeated, glumly.
"Why not' If this is about Frank, he's different now. He's..."
"It's not about Frank!" Cian exclaimed, though it partly was. "It's about me. I can't face them. Not after..." Cian swallowed hard, the pain and shame that had caused him to run away from home coming back in a rush of memories. "Please, don't make me."
"Cian, no one blames you for anything. I hear you're dating someone. Bring her along. I'm sure everyone would love to see you and to meet her."
"No," Cian replied bluntly, pulling away from his father's hand and moving to his feet, chewing on a thumbnail while he paced the floor in nervous agitation.
"Things have changed. People have changed. You have to let the past go," Gordon pointed out, watching his son pace back and forth. He could see the pain and anger bubbling just beneath the surface, just waiting for the right opportunity to explode, and Cian didn't disappoint him.
"I didn't hurt that girl, Dad!" Cian exclaimed suddenly. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
Gordon frowned. So, that was it or part of it. Something that had happened over ten years ago and was still eating the young man. The truth had never really come out and had faded from memory, but Cian hadn't forgotten and worried that people still blamed him for something he hadn't done.
"No one is accusing you of anything, Kee. No one is blaming you."
Cian clenched his jaw, knowing that wasn't exactly true. "Is he going to be there?"
"Who?"
"Frank," Cian replied bluntly. Not Jon. Jon didn't even remember what had transpired between them. Frank was another story.
Gordon frowned, wishing his children would put their differences aside once and for all and become a family again. "I don't know. He's been through a lot. He's trying to get better."
Cian nodded. That was enough of an answer for him. If there was any chance his brother would be at the big house for Christmas, Cian would make sure he wasn't. "I'm not going, Dad. I can't. Not after..."
Cian stopped his pacing to look out the window at the winter wonderland that was right outside the door, and he missed his mother more than ever. She'd been the glue that had held the family together, and none of this would have happened if she'd still been alive. Cian closed his eyes, remembering all the horrible things his brother had done. If his father knew the truth, it would break his heart.
"Just let it go, Dad. Just leave it be," he told his father sadly.
Cian felt a hand against his shoulder and didn't need to turn around to know his father was standing behind him with a worried expression on his face. "Cian, it was a long time ago. You're the one that needs to let it go."
"I have to go," Cian said, pulling away from his father to make his way toward the door.
"Just think about it. It would mean a lot to me and to the rest of the family." I don't have a family, Cian thought sadly to himself. I just have Tera. "There's nothing to think about. I'm not going."
"You can't run away from your problems forever, Kee."
"I'm not running away," Cian argued, his hand on the doorknob.
"Isn't that what you did when you left all those years ago to go off on your adventures?"
Cian paused at the doorway, unsure what to say. No one really knew what had transpired over the last ten years. All they knew were the stories Cian had told, some true, some not so true. It was better that way. "They're just stories, Dad. That's all they are."
"Cian, your brother's changed."
Cian closed his eyes again, not wanting to talk about his brother or even think about all the things he'd done. Frank wasn't getting anywhere near Tera, if Cian had anything to say about it. He wasn't risking the same thing happening again. Not with Frank, not with Jon, not with anyone. No one was going to hurt Tera. No one. "I have to go. I'll see you later, Dad."
Gordon Granger dropped heavily into a chair as his eldest son left, turning his back on his own family, people that cared for him, no matter what he might believe.
He shoved a hand through his hair and turned to watch the flames dancing in the hearth, hearing the engine of Cian's motorcycle roar to life and then fade as he drove away from Maple Grove. If there was one thing he wanted more than any other, it was to be a family again. Nothing else would make him happier than that, but it seemed the more time that passed, the less likely it was to happen, and Gordon was starting to wonder if it ever would.
"You wanted to see me," Cian said as he stepped into the sitting room at the family home at the Maple Grove Compound, where he'd grown up with his adopted sister, Gabrielle, and twin brother Frank. The house had once been full of love and laughter, but that was before their mother had died, before everything had changed. The house held no more joy for Cian now. It only served as a painful reminder of the past and memories he'd rather forget.
"Have a seat, son," Gordon Granger told his eldest, gesturing to a chair beside the fireplace and adjacent to his own, where they could speak face to face. They were alone for once, and that was why Gordon had chosen this place and time to summon him there.
"What's this about?" Cian asked as he settled himself stiffly in the chair across from his father. He knew it had to be important, and he was worried it was something serious. "Is something wrong" Is this about Gabi?"
Gordon smiled and leaned over to lay a reassuring hand against Cian's arm. "No, it's not about Gabi. Gabi is fine."
Cian frowned. That only left one thing then, and he didn't really want to talk about it. There was no healing the rift in the family, and both Cian and Gordon knew it. Too much had happened, things Gordon didn't even know about and that Cian was too afraid to share. His father had been through enough. He didn't want to hurt him any further. And suddenly from the look on Gordon's face, Cian realized why he'd been summoned.
"It's about Christmas, isn't it?"
Gordon smiled sadly, which was enough to confirm his son's suspicions. "I would like us all to be there this year, Kee. It's been a difficult year for everyone. We should be there together as a family."
Cian frowned, not wanting to disappoint his father, but unable to comply with his request, not after everything that had happened. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I can't."
"Cian..." Gordon started, his hand squeezing his son's arm as if to reinforce his concerns and drive them home. "I'm worried about Humphrey. He's getting older. He's not going to live forever. It would be nice if the family could put their differences aside for once. If you can't do it for Humphrey, then do it for me."
"I can't," Cian repeated, glumly.
"Why not' If this is about Frank, he's different now. He's..."
"It's not about Frank!" Cian exclaimed, though it partly was. "It's about me. I can't face them. Not after..." Cian swallowed hard, the pain and shame that had caused him to run away from home coming back in a rush of memories. "Please, don't make me."
"Cian, no one blames you for anything. I hear you're dating someone. Bring her along. I'm sure everyone would love to see you and to meet her."
"No," Cian replied bluntly, pulling away from his father's hand and moving to his feet, chewing on a thumbnail while he paced the floor in nervous agitation.
"Things have changed. People have changed. You have to let the past go," Gordon pointed out, watching his son pace back and forth. He could see the pain and anger bubbling just beneath the surface, just waiting for the right opportunity to explode, and Cian didn't disappoint him.
"I didn't hurt that girl, Dad!" Cian exclaimed suddenly. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
Gordon frowned. So, that was it or part of it. Something that had happened over ten years ago and was still eating the young man. The truth had never really come out and had faded from memory, but Cian hadn't forgotten and worried that people still blamed him for something he hadn't done.
"No one is accusing you of anything, Kee. No one is blaming you."
Cian clenched his jaw, knowing that wasn't exactly true. "Is he going to be there?"
"Who?"
"Frank," Cian replied bluntly. Not Jon. Jon didn't even remember what had transpired between them. Frank was another story.
Gordon frowned, wishing his children would put their differences aside once and for all and become a family again. "I don't know. He's been through a lot. He's trying to get better."
Cian nodded. That was enough of an answer for him. If there was any chance his brother would be at the big house for Christmas, Cian would make sure he wasn't. "I'm not going, Dad. I can't. Not after..."
Cian stopped his pacing to look out the window at the winter wonderland that was right outside the door, and he missed his mother more than ever. She'd been the glue that had held the family together, and none of this would have happened if she'd still been alive. Cian closed his eyes, remembering all the horrible things his brother had done. If his father knew the truth, it would break his heart.
"Just let it go, Dad. Just leave it be," he told his father sadly.
Cian felt a hand against his shoulder and didn't need to turn around to know his father was standing behind him with a worried expression on his face. "Cian, it was a long time ago. You're the one that needs to let it go."
"I have to go," Cian said, pulling away from his father to make his way toward the door.
"Just think about it. It would mean a lot to me and to the rest of the family." I don't have a family, Cian thought sadly to himself. I just have Tera. "There's nothing to think about. I'm not going."
"You can't run away from your problems forever, Kee."
"I'm not running away," Cian argued, his hand on the doorknob.
"Isn't that what you did when you left all those years ago to go off on your adventures?"
Cian paused at the doorway, unsure what to say. No one really knew what had transpired over the last ten years. All they knew were the stories Cian had told, some true, some not so true. It was better that way. "They're just stories, Dad. That's all they are."
"Cian, your brother's changed."
Cian closed his eyes again, not wanting to talk about his brother or even think about all the things he'd done. Frank wasn't getting anywhere near Tera, if Cian had anything to say about it. He wasn't risking the same thing happening again. Not with Frank, not with Jon, not with anyone. No one was going to hurt Tera. No one. "I have to go. I'll see you later, Dad."
Gordon Granger dropped heavily into a chair as his eldest son left, turning his back on his own family, people that cared for him, no matter what he might believe.
He shoved a hand through his hair and turned to watch the flames dancing in the hearth, hearing the engine of Cian's motorcycle roar to life and then fade as he drove away from Maple Grove. If there was one thing he wanted more than any other, it was to be a family again. Nothing else would make him happier than that, but it seemed the more time that passed, the less likely it was to happen, and Gordon was starting to wonder if it ever would.