The Good Sister: Part One by London Saint James Page B

Jaguar. He looked sincerely disappointed when I of course turned him down. I remembered the look of anger on his face when he threatened L.J. over me. How he brought me a pizza one afternoon and we ate it while we listened to music and played poker. I recalled watching a movie with him, in the media room at the estate. Reid kept bugging me by throwing popcorn in my hair. Reid would taunt and tease me, other times he would go out of his way to be nice wanting to please me, but most of all I remembered how I felt that night in the moonlight when he called me beautiful.
    I flipped around in the leather desk chair . I pulled my hair up, securing it with a rubber band then buckled down to finish my job for Mrs. Addison. I’d come to a decision, and knew what I needed to do.
     

Chapter Six
    December 25 th
     
    I woke to the sound of my cell phone ringing a bell tone of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata . It was probably Bentley calling to wish me a Merry Christmas. After all, this phone was only used for access to someone when I was alone. It was my “in case of emergencies” phone. It wasn’t as though my social life was so hopping that I was on the cell phone all the time. In fact, I could count all the times this particular phone had rung on one hand.
    I scrubbed at my eyes before I glanced over to see the time on the alarm clock. It was 5:47 in the morning. I groaned, wondering why Bentley would call so early. I grabbed the slick black phone, in not quite a huff, and flipped it open.
    A yawn. “Hello.”
    “Merry Christmas, Trinity.”
    I briefly pulled the phone from my ear and stared at it. For a moment I wondered if I were dreaming. I pinched my thigh then winced. I was awake.
    “Trinity?”
    I pulled in a breath, placed the phone back to my ear, and gave myself permission to speak.
    “Merry Christmas, Reid.”
    “Sorry it took me so long to call you back. I know you didn’t believe I would call you. I can hear the disbelief in your voice.”
    “I didn’t think you ever would call, but I’m glad you did.”
    “Thank you for not hanging up on me,” Reid returned.
    “What time is it there?”
    “Ten till three in the afternoon. There’s a nine hour time difference.”
    “So did you have a good Christmas? What are you doing?” I asked.
    Reid chuckled. The sound was like coming home.
    “Sure, I had a good Christmas. Right now I’m just sitting by the fire, looking out the window and watching the snowflakes fall. It’s snowing here.”
    “Snowing? I bet it’s beautiful.”
    “Yeah, it is. It looks like a forest of white.”
    I closed my eyes, listening to Reid’s voice, and tried to picture what he saw. “Reid…” I hesitated.
    “What, baby bird?”
    “Is there a pond on the property?”
    “Yes, why?”
    “I just imagined a pond.”
    “Huh, good guess, you were right.”
    “Do you like living in France?”
    A breath. I imagined Reid running his fingers through his hair then resting his hand on the back of his neck.
    “Sure.”
    There was something going on in the background. It sounded like voices, in descript, but voices nonetheless.
    “Is that John Paul?” I asked.
    “Yes,” Reid said. “Hang on, Trinity.” Reid was speaking to someone. He sounded like he was upset. “I am on the phone. Can you give me a moment?”
    A pause rang out then a buzzing of a voice in the distance.
    Reid answered the voice in the background. “I know. I’ll be there.”
    Another pause, more buzzing, a commotion, laughter…
    “Fuck,” Reid muttered. It seemed as though he was holding the phone farther away, possibly covering the phone with his hand. Nothing else for a long moment. “Baby bird, are you still with me?”
    “Yes,” I muttered.
    “I’m sorry for the interruption.”
    “It sounds like you have a house full of roommates.”
    “Always. What’s your plan for today? Are you looking forward to opening up your presents?”
    “It’s just my mother and I this year. Bentley stayed in Georgia