Twisted, Chapter 24 ( Chase, Alistair, Eve)
by evianfan84
Chapter 24
That same night, Chase sat on his bed and stared at the old photo of the
happy couple. She had a glass of champagne in one hand and his hand in the
other. They were both too busy looking at each other to notice a picture
being taken. Even though it was side view, you could easily see the bright
smiles on the faces of the happy couple. He had his hand on her face, under
her chin. He loved her. Chase knew the couple. He had run into them the night
he tried out the new song. He had loved the woman the first time she smiled
that approving smile at him. He wondered.
“So, old man, why are you showing me this picture?” He looked up at the
evil old rich man who had been paying his way since he turned eighteen. He
bought his costumes, he paid his rent during the hard times, and he even paid
for the law school from which he planned to graduate soon. He would still
do drag on the weekends but law was his passion.
“You could call me Alistair, or Mr. Crane… I have been nice to you so far.”
Alistair lit his cigar and smiled down at the fool before him.
“You have been ‘nice’ so far but you’ve always been funny about it. I can’t
let anyone know that you know me. You never come to my show but want pictures.
I know for a fact that you have paid off some of my boyfriends. All the
while, you string me along. Telling me that you know my parents.”
“I do know your parents. You are looking at them right now.” Alistair tapped
his cigar on the picture and Chase shook it off.
“WHAT?!” Chase almost said how he already met the woman. How the woman
had invited him to the man’s vow renewal ceremony. How he saw them kiss,
he saw them in love. He felt so confused but he knew that showing his cards
to the old man was a dumb move.
“Yes, she’s a doctor with two daughters and yet still continues to be my
son’s whore.”
Chase felt cold then. He knew what was happening. He knew what the old
man was admitting and it made him sick. The old man known as Alistair Crane
was his grandfather. He was not just some weird rich stranger who had picked
him for this little game. This was his flesh and blood…suddenly Chase became
full of rage.
“Why are you telling me all of this?! You want me to go up to your mansion
and say ‘Hi Daddy, Hi Mommy…why did you abandon me?’ Is that what you want?
I will not make a fool of myself. How do I even know you are telling the
truth?”
“You know. Look at her, man! You have her eyes. I’ve never lied to you.”
Alistair looked down at his disappointment of a grandson. His delicious
trick.
“What do you want from me?”
“Don’t you want to meet the people that left you?”
“Oh sure, it’s on the top of my ‘to-do’ list. Right before Dean Cain, superman
years.”
“He’s having a vow renewal service. You’ll attend in drag. This is the
address. Be there and your parents will get the shock of their lives.”
“So…I’m some freak show for you? For them?” He was not going to be used.
“Don’t get noble with me. You will go and you will be shocking. Not because
bad things will happen if you don’t, but because you want revenge. I know
you do. Hell, you’re a Crane.” Alistair left then and missed the sound of
Chase’s cell phone ringing.
“Hi.” Chase barely made out the word. He knew who was on the other end.
“Hi, Chance. I’m sorry to call so late. I’m just emotional, I guess.” Eve
blew her nose and wiped her eyes.
“It’s okay. I told you that you could call me.” Chase didn’t want to shock…his
mother, over the phone. He decided to play his cards close.
“Thanks. It’s just that you are the only person I feel I can talk to about
this. Julian doesn’t even really know what today is because I guess a part
of me is still angry at him even though I love him.”
“Angry?” Chase held his breath. He got the feeling he was about to hear
something important.
“Yes. I might as well tell you the whole story. Today is my son’s 24th
birthday but I don’t know him.”
He placed his hand over the phone and felt the suspense like a stone in
his stomach. He listened as Eve told him the intimate details of her love
affair with Julian Crane and how she still loved him. He tried not to feel
like imposter as he listened to her cry about the years she spent thinking
her son was dead but not feeling it. He wanted to comfort her as she worried
about her son’s whereabouts now and at her frustration with the dead end
she and Julian were having with the search.
“So, if I suddenly burst out crying at the ceremony…you’ll know why and
tell me to stop.”
“Honey, if you cry, I’ll just make a scene so that no one even notices
that you are there.” He smiled when he heard her laugh. This was going to
be an interesting ceremony.