Fractured

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Her eyes seemed to have pierced mine for an eternity.  Once they came in contact with mine, they slowly grew colder and colder with every second that passed.  With every second that Clare was finding out what happened from her absent mother.  She called here to tell Clare that I was looking into her past and secretly. That I went out of my way to meet my grandmother for answers. 

Sitting there at the dinner table, stunned at what I was just witnessing, I couldn't do anything.  I sat there, my eyes locked in hers, and I could see the amount of anger fill them, the fire flaming and aimed at me at realizing what I did.  Clare was always so sensitive about her past, always punishing me for even asking her questions.  To go out and actually find the answers... she would not handle this well and I could see that from the look that crossed her face.  Her breathing picked up finally, and after what seemed like forever, she also slowly managed to look down and away from me. 

I watched her lips close and she swallowed, facing away more as I heard her speak once more into the phone.  "Everything?" I heard her ask quietly and I knew why she wasn't being more specific with her answers. 

With her breaking away, facing the sink and out of sight, I slowly turned my head and looked back in front of me.  Across the table, Luke sat there, looking just as confused as I would be if I didn't know what was going on.  Meeting my eyes though after he glanced away from Clare and back to me, I could see he knew I was stunned, shook up for some reason.  He looked so desperate, probably worried at seeing how much this was hitting me, and I watched his eyebrows dip in concern.  That look between us... you knew there would be a talk tonight. 

Because Luke was present right now, Clare had to watch herself.  She wouldn't want Luke knowing this was her mother on the other end.  In fact, she probably didn't want him to know about the abuse she went through for the fact that she knew about this family pattern.  She wanted him to remain clueless as it would be best for her.  So all she was able to do at the moment was give short answers that didn't hint at who she was talking to.

My eyes finding her back facing us, I heard her say no more before she moved the phone away from her ear and lowered it before she hung up.  Hanging up the phone, she put it back on the jack before she turned and faced us again.  And talk about awkward. 

I couldn't stop staring at her at this point, desperate to know what she will do now that she knows about what I did.  With Luke staring at her in confusion as well, she stared back between us and at this point, she hid it all so well. No anger, no nothing.  Just her neutral expression she was able to contain.  I knew that wasn't the case.  She would punish me and I knew it.  I just didn't know how as I waited, tense, not knowing at all what she would do.

The silence was between us thickly as we stared at Clare and she looked back between us.  A smile slowly came to her face though and I saw she would not react to it now but rather later.  Probably with me in private.  She sighed.  "Sorry guys," she said, nearing the table again and sitting back down where her was food still needed to be ate.  Looking up to me with a smile then glancing to Luke, she smiled more before looking down, grabbing her fork, and eating as if nothing happened.  I knew though... she was fully aware of this tension.

With her eyes on her plate, I glanced to Luke and saw his eyes move up and find mine in question.  Pursing my lips, I didn't know how to relieve his confusion.  It would have to wait.  Biting my lip in admitting fear, I looked back down to Clare... I kind of wished she freaked out right now.  Not because it would blow up in her face because Luke was here but because I wanted her to do whatever it was she would do right now, get it out of the way.

"Who was that, honey?" Luke asked her, coming across as clueless - which was accurate actually.

I watched her closely.  She didn't faze; she expected the question.  Glancing up to him as she took a bit of her food, she chewed before she answered easily. "Just an old friend.  She's a bitch though.  I didn't really want to talk to her."