The Good Daughter

Chapter 4

"Okay Danny! Time to go!"

"Coming!"

James smiled as his brother charged down the stairs and past him, "Race ya.."

James took off in a sprint after him and chuckled as they ran to the waiting car. Bianca beamed as she watched the two brothers joke around, "How can he be so different when it comes to him?" Her smile eased, "Because it's not you."

Her smile returned as Danny hugged her, "Can you come with me?"

Bianca cut her eyes to James as he waited for her answer, "I would love to, but I think your brother wanted the last bit of time with you."

James sarcastically chuckled, "Nonsense."

Danny mocked his brother, "Yeah, nonsense!" James bit  his bottom lip and opened the back door for her.

Bianca threw her hands up and chuckled, "Okay."

Rose uncrossed her unfriendly arms and strutted to Danny and spoke loud and slowly, "It was so nice to met you!"

Danny curled his lip to his brother, "Does she think I'm deaf?"

James and Bianca chuckled at his comment as Rose boiled with anger, "Silly me.."

Danny smiled as he hopped into the passenger seat, "Lets go!"

James smiled as the engine roared and made their way to Danny's home for the disabled. When they arrived, he slightly stood back and watched as Danny showed Bianca all of his collectibles and comic books. She sat next to him and listened to every single word as he quickly spoke with excitement. After an hour James broke the bad news, "We gotta go Danny."

He seemed sad and looked to Bianca, "Well.. Will you come back and visit?"

She smiled and patted his hand, "Sure I will."

James pressed his teeth as the thought of driving home alone with her scared him, "I'll be back soon, okay?"

Danny eased up from the bed and hugged him, "Okay. Love you."

James smiled and patted his back as he hugged him, "Love you too."

Bianca smiled as she leaned on the open car door window, "It's going to snow."

James scoffed, "Hell no, it's too warm.."

She rolled her eyes, "Its December. The humidity in the air will make it snow. Watch and see."

James cut his eyes over to her and sighed in his head. He wanted to run his hands through her blowing hair as she enjoyed the unusual warm December weather. He spoke to get his mind off of her, "Thanks for coming with me. Danny really likes you."

She gave a half smile and nodded, "Okay.." She then turned back to the window.

James flexed his jaw and wondered why he received the short response. His conscience spoke up, "Because you accused her of lying last time." He rolled his eyes, "Why do you hate me?"

Bianca turned a shocked face to him, "I.. I don't hate you.."

"Yes you do. I can tell when I walk in a room, you can't stand to be near me."

She scoffed and shook her head, "I was never mean to you." He kept his flexed face forward but it eased as she spoke, "James , Im sorry if I ever hurt your feelings. I never meant to."

To keep his lust in check, he kept up the fight, "Sorry.. That's all you ever are.. It's pathetic.."  He then quickly thought, "Was that too harsh? Ah Hell.. What am I doing?"

Bianca turned a pain stricken face to the window, "Why do you do this to yourself? You always think the best of people and they always, always hurts you." She then jumped as an alarm on her phone went off. James watched as she called Rose, "Hey, did you give Pop his meds?" Pause, "Promise?" Pause, "Thanks!" After she hung up she quickly called her father, "Hey Pop, have you taken your meds?" Pause, "Please go take them while I have you on the phone." Long pause, "Okay. Good. Love you too." Bianca pressed her eyes as she sighed.

James couldn't contain his curiosity, "Why did you call Rose if you were going to call him anyway?" Bianca hesitated but he pressed harder, "Tell me.."

"She promised me she would if I'm not there. She always ignores her alarm I set for her reminder." James was realizing her calculation. She turned a sad face to him, "She wants our father to die.."

He leaned away as he took in the confession, "Are you sure?"

Bianca's lip quivered as she looked down, "I caught her, when he had his last heart attack. I walked in when she was about to smother him as he slept. I hired two nurses to sit around him twenty four seven. When I confronted her about it, she laughed it off, said she was fluffing his pillow."

James sighed and rolled his eye, "Shit.."

"Please don't say anything. I don't want her to know I told you."

"Why are you telling me?"

She turned her tear soaked face to him, "Because I know you respect my father. You wouldn't hurt him."

James squinted his glare, "I've hurt other men."

"I know.. But they were bad people."

He turned back to the road in a daze, "Sure they were."

***********
Was Bianca right to tell James about Rose?

Will James ever stop hurting Bianca?

Is Bianca dumb to think the best of James? Or is she asking for punishment?