The Second To Die

Wes: Chapter 15 Part II

Clutching the hot cup of tea between my numb fingers, I kept my eyes on the table, unable to look Wes in the eye has he sat across from me. I couldn't think straight as I tried to comprehend what was happening. I thought maybe that I had dreamed up Wes being alive, that somehow, my mind was playing tricks on me once more but, now, with him alive and breathing in front of me, I couldn't deny for a second that he was really alive. 

"How." I whispered. "I saw you die." Looking up, I saw his eyes flash with pain and guilt. 

"Doctors thought I was too. They got the bullet out, I went into extensive surgery. My parents made it all hush hush encase Henry came looking." I rolled my eyes.

"Henry was dead, the would have known that." I said. 

"Well, they weren't to sure." He replied. "I was still alive even though I had been shot, tons of others still believed your dad was alive, so did my parents. So, I got the treatment I needed and then we got the hell outta dodge." He explained. 

"Then why the hell are you back? Of all moments, why now?" The room grew silent in only moments as my eyes held his with a burning rage. "Why did you wait so long to come back for me? Until my mother was dead?" I couldn't blame him for that, but, at the moment, I wanted to. I wanted to blame him for everything. 

"I knew to much." He said. "Your mother didn't want me near you, she knew I wouldn't keep any secrets from you, knew that I'd tell you everything I knew." I slammed my hand on the table tired of the mumbling, of the beating around the bush. People have been keeping secrets from me all my life, I wanted answers now. 

"What do you know?" I demanded. 

"Vex, it's not really my-" I stood from the table, picking up my cup and setting it into the sink. 

"Then you can leave." I said, my voice cold. 

"What?" He said. 

"You can leave." I said once more. "I'm done with everyone keeping secrets from me, either you tell me flat out what you know, or you leave and never come back." That was that, I would never take back what I said, because I meant every word. No longer was I going to be this scared little Vex who let people lie to her, who let people get away with knowing secrets. I was going to do what it took to survive, to keep my friends and I alive and, to find out every dirty little secret about my family. About the James family. 

"Do you really want to know?" He finally asked, after a few moments of silence. I rolled my eyes. 

"Yes Wes, I really want to know." He leaned back in his chair, sighing. 

"Well, for starters, you have a-" 

"Sister, I know. She moved here already." He smirked. 

"Well, you also have a-" 

"Niece, named Hayden. She's my age, it's a little weird." So far, any information he knew was useless to me. 

"I suppose then you know that Henry wasn't your real father, that your real father is-" 

"Troy James, currently M.I.A and, possibly the killer. Yes, do continue." My voice cracked with sarcasm. 

"Listen Vex, you may know this stuff, but there's other things that you have no idea about so, I'd stop with the little snide comments. When the hell did you become Miss Attitude?" I turned to him, scowling. 

"How about when I thought my father had killed someone I had loved? How about, when I watched my friends go through heartbreak when Piper came to town and tore our lives to shreds? How about when I found my mother, dead in our own house? Or maybe, when I found only a few weeks ago, that my best friend had been murdered and we had all thought he up and left town? Or, to top off the cake, how about the fact that a killer is on the lose again and, I'm on my toes all the time trying to make sure I don't lose anyone else? I don't know Wes, maybe I've changed to much! Or, maybe I've changed just enough to survive!" He stared at me in shock as I shouted at him, not bothering to feel guilty. I needed this. Silence enveloped us once more as Wes began to think, his eyes shifting around the room...everywhere but my face. Finally, he spoke, hesitantly.

"Did your mom ever tell you why she didn't leave Henry? Why she put up with the abuse and, let you put up with it?" My interest sparked, my eyes flashing to Wes. 

"How do you know that?" Wes sighed, beckoning me to sit. Quickly and quietly, I did just that. 

"She told me. When I found out that you were adopted, she told me everything, mainly because she knew I had been teaching you to defend yourself. And, it was a burden. She couldn't tell you for fear that you'd say something to Henry and, she couldn't talk to Henry because, well, you know." Wes sighed. "Anyway, the reason she put up with Henry all those years was because, if Henry were to kick them out or, you two were to leave, eventually, your sister would find you." He said. 

"She already has, I don't see how that's a bad thing." Wes shook his head.

"It's not, but, what follows her is. Your real father, Troy, he isn't a good man. According to your mother, he's just as screwed up as Henry, if not more so. He was Brandon's closest friend and, practically insane. She didn't want him to find you, didn't want him to know anything about you. With Henry around, she never had to worry that Troy would come knocking. Henry was the eldest which, gave him power and, that power had scarred Troy as a child. Troy would never come into your life while Henry was alive and around which, meant that your mother and you were safe." He concluded. I shook my head, two horrors and my mom had to choose the lesser of two evils? My crazed biological father or my crazed uncle who I thought was my father? Damn when did my life becoming an episode of The Lannisters? 

"But then, when Henry died, the first thing we did was come home to Lakewood, where my mother and father both grew up. If she was protecting me from Troy, why would she bring us here?" Wes sighed. 

"Maybe because of your aunt? Maybe because why would Troy look in the most obvious place? Of course though, once you were one of the final girls and, had lost your mother, I'm sure your face was plastered on every newspaper, social media and news broadcast in the state. But, none of that matters right now Vex, we've got more important things to discuss, such as something that's coming your way, very soon." He said. I cocked my head to the side, confused. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean the fact that your mother was a lot more orchestrated in the deaths of those teens when your father was drunk than you think." My eyes bulged in surprise. 

"You don't mean-" Wes chuckled. 

"You didn't think that night was pure coincidence, did you?" Wes sighed. "Oh Vex, you should know by now that your mother wasn't your friend, not in the beginning."