Love me or hate me it's still an obsession

Chapter 31

"Alistair, you are not seriously having another drink, are you? It's 10am... Ridiculous!" Suzie exclaimed as she got out the car. She stormed round to the other side of the car and dragged him out, snatching his tumbler out his hand and shoving it in her bag. She held him up as he stumbled onto her looking angry at the whole world around him. Suzie clicked her fingers in front of his face, "Alistair, listen to me. There are a lot of people here, you need to pull it together."

Alistair turned and stared at her, "think fuck I don't know that!" he spat.

Suzie looked taken aback and turned towards the crowd in front of them. She waved as she spotted Mikaela and Aaron a few meters in front. "Your family are down there, try to be strong for them and not show them how drunk you are... You can barely stand."

Alistair ignored her and struggled down the hill, pushing her off him. His eyes ignited with rage as he spotted Ace appear with Effie by his side. Alistair ran off towards them, stumbling over some rocks in the ground. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing here?" he shouted, pointing his finger at Effie.

Effie stood her ground and pierced her eyes at him, "excuse me?"

Ace pulled Effie behind him, blocking Alistair from her, "leave it Alistair. This isn't the place."

Alistair pushed Ace's chest, "is this where you have been? With her? Whilst I have been grieving and looking after the rest of our family... SHE is the reason he died!" he shouted making heads turn towards them.

Ace looked around smiling at everyone and suddenly turned to face Alistair, gripping his collar tightly as he pulled his face towards his own, "I swear to god if you don't shut the fuck up I am going to make you. Dad died on his own accord, no one forced him..."

He stopped as Effie tapped him on the shoulder, "Ace, they're here..." she said worriedly.

Ace put Alistair down as he straightened himself out and turned to look where Effie was nodding. 10 meters in front of them stood Olette, Nidaw and Sen all dressed in black speaking to some friends of the Wesley's. Alistair snarled, "Effie, you need to leave!"

Ace turned to face him, "don't you dare speak a word to her you fucking idiot."

Alistair backed away glaring daggers at Effie as he walked past. "We're not done Effie!" he grumbled as he made his way back over to his mother, Aaron and Suzie.

The funeral was lengthy, each family member wanting to say a few words about the great man that Steve Wesley was. Effie slowly slipped out, telling Ace she needed the toilet and found Tasha exactly where they had planned. Effie had made sure to make eye contact with Sen as she left and hoped that it was all that was needed to lure him out without his parents watching his every move. Tasha moved up the winding staircase and peered out over the crowd seeing Sen slowly get up from his seat and make his way to the back of the building. She tiptoed back down the stairs and gave Effie the thumbs up to tell her Sen was on his way. Effie took a deep breath, hoping with every inch of her that their plan would work.

She slowly started walking out the building into the beautiful gardens behind. It was a maze of flowers and trees and if it had been any other day Effie would have loved to have walked round and admire it, but this morning was different. Sen caught up to Effie and pushed her behind some trees, breathing into her face, grinning. "Fancy seeing you here Miss Reynolds; I thought Ace would have you somewhere else hiding..."

Effie looked at him pettily, "why? Because you're so dangerous?"

Sen cocked his head to one side and stared at her, brushing her cheek with his fingers, "hmm, maybe I underestimated you. See you have my sister's bravery... not that that did much for her in the end."