Bottled Up (A Broken Lives Short Story Book 4) Read online

  BOTTLED UP

  (A Broken Lives Short Story)

  Marita A. Hansen

  Copyright

  Bottled Up

  (A Broken Lives Short Story)

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright 2018 © Marita A. Hansen

  Editor: John Hudspith

  Cover design © Marita A. Hansen

  Cover photography by Tom Eversley

  and sourced from pexels.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means whatsoever without the written permission of the author, nor circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. For subsidiary rights inquiries email: [email protected]

  All characters, names, places, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  CONTENTS

  Copyright Page

  Clara

  About the Author

  More Books by Marita A. Hansen

  UK English is used due to the New Zealand setting.

  All other variations are also due to where the short story is set, as well as the characters’ cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. This is why some characters use different speech patterns from others.

  This short story directly runs on from Demon in Disguise (A Broken Lives Short Story #3).

  CLARA

  “I’m scared,” I said, cradling Tyson to my chest, my baby breast feeding from me. He’d woken up just as Tiana had arrived at my place, ravenous for milk. “Ever since Dante’s ex disappeared with his daughter, he’s been acting out.” I grimaced, still shocked that my partner had a ten-year-old daughter to his first girlfriend. Though, not as shocked as Dante had been when he’d found out after his ex had tried to extort money out of him.

  I continued talking to Tiana, “He’s been turning up to work late and going off without telling me where, and just last night, I swear I smelt alcohol on his breath. He denied it, getting mad at me for even suggesting he’d drank. He stormed out of the house, not returning for hours. I really don’t know what to do.”

  Shifting nervously in her seat, Tiana pulled at the hem of her pretty wrap-around skirt, looking as distraught as I felt with a heavy dose of guilt thrown in, the fallout affecting her even worse. Not only had Dante blown up at her for keeping Lavinia’s secret about him having a daughter, his brother—Tiana’s ex—had also lost his temper with her. She was still trying to placate Ash, attempting to win him back, but it didn’t look good, especially with L hanging around, trying to make things up with Ash too. Both women wanted him, and both were fighting hard to win his affection. Though, it looked like he’d had enough of their attention, preferring to concentrate on recording a record with Jade. Ash had finally accepted a record deal, his new found popularity over his viral sex video propelling another Rata brother into worldwide fame—or more accurately, infamy. Women were throwing themselves at him, but as with Tiana and L, he was ignoring all of their advances, preferring to focus on his work and his baby daughter.

  “I’m so sorry,” Tiana said.

  “You don’t need to apologise to me,” I said. “You didn’t cause this trouble, Dante’s ex did. I don’t blame you at all, she backed you into a corner.”

  Tiana grimaced. “But I knew about Dante’s phobia, knew he’d want the child with him.”

  “He was thirteen when his daughter was conceived, fourteen when she was born. There was no way he could’ve helped raise her.”

  She shook her head. “Knowing him, he would’ve found a way. He’s always been overly protective of children, he even punched a father in the face at a supermarket once when the guy smacked the back of his kid’s head, calling the child some horrible name. He was lucky the man didn’t press charges against him. Honestly, I shouldn’t have kept his daughter a secret, it’s just... Lavinia was my best friend, even now I still call her my best friend even though she’s been in Australia for years. I just chose her over Dante at the time, feeling closer to her. But over the years, I grew closer to Dante. He’s like a younger brother to me now. If the same situation happened again, I would’ve told him straight away.” She screwed up her face. “I honestly feel like I lost a brother. He won’t talk to me at all cos of this, and Ash...” She swiped at a tear as it fell onto her cheek, “he’s civil, but that’s all. I bend over backwards for him, letting him see Angelo whenever he wants, hoping it’ll make up for what I did, but he’s always so cold, treating me like a stranger. Don’t get me wrong, he’s polite, but there’s no warmth to the way he looks at me anymore. I don’t think I can repair what I did.” She covered her face, now full-out crying.

  I detached Tyson from my breast and wiped his mouth, fixing my bra and top before placing him against my shoulder to burp him. I shuffled closer to Tiana on the couch, giving the side of her head a kiss, knowing how she was feeling. I’d lost Dante for nine years, the loss having devastated me. The Rata men knew how to rip women’s hearts out without even trying.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “Here’s me complaining about Dante and you’re going through a hundred times worse. I should just be grateful I have him, because, God, Tiana, I know the hell you’re going through with Ash. When I lost Dante I’d resigned myself to being single for the rest of my life. Loving a Rata is for life. You can’t shake them even though they seem to be able to ignore us so damn well.”

  She wiped her face, pain etched across it. “Thank you.”

  I frowned. “For what?”

  “For understanding me. When I speak to my mum, she just doesn’t get what I’m feeling. She lost my dad, was devastated by it when he asked for a divorce, but she eventually moved on. I don’t think I can move on from Ash. I tried when we split one other time, but I couldn’t do it. I may have been the one who left him that time, but I didn’t want to. I only did it to protect Angelo,” she said, referring to her and Ash’s son. “Ash’s drug dealing put him in danger. Did you know that Angelo got kidnapped once cos of it?”

  My eyes widened. “No,” I gasped.

  She nodded. “That’s why I left Ash that time. It tore me apart to do it, but I had to protect Angelo. I know it wasn’t Ash’s fault, that he was forced to deal drugs, but I had to protect my son no matter how much it hurt to be away from Ash. And when Ash managed to get out of the drug trade and we got back together, I was in heaven, all that pain of not being with him disappearing. Now it’s back and far worse, cos this time he left me, and it doesn’t look like he’s missing me at all. When I see him, I feel like I’m an inconvenience he doesn’t wanna deal with. If he could, I’m sure he’d avoid me completely, only seeing Angelo. I honestly think it’s over between us and I don’t know how to deal with it.”

  I rested my head against hers, also feeling the same way, but not because I’d seen the way Ash acted around Tiana, but because of the way I’d seen him act around L. I’d gone to visit Dante at the studio a couple of days back, running into his brother in the hallway. While we were chatting, L had walked past. Ash’s eyes had followed her, the look in them telling me he was besotted with her. I’d spoken to L about it, but she’d disagreed with me, saying that he was keeping her at arm’s length, telling her that he wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone, that all he wanted was to concentrate on his work and raising his daughter. I could see the hurt in L’s eyes when she’d told me, could see that she was just as in love with Ash as Tiana was, but I c
ould also tell she was wrong. Ash wanted her just as much as L wanted him, and it was only a matter of time before he cracked, letting her in.

  Tiana let out another sob, making me feel so bad for her, because I knew deep down that she had lost Ash. Her worst fears were going to come true: L would get Ash. The look on his face pretty much confirmed it would happen sooner rather than later, he was just fighting the inevitable. But I couldn’t tell Tiana that, and if anything, she probably already knew it. Knew that Ash wanted L more than he wanted her.

  Tiana wiped her eyes again and sat up straighter. “I’m sorry,” she said, the both of us taking turns apologising for things we didn’t need to. “I shouldn’t be wasting all of your time.”

  “You’re not wasting it,” I said, running a hand down the back of her wavy brown hair, doing my best to soothe her. She was a lovely woman, so sweet, without a bad bone in her body. Like L. They were both sweet in nature, just nothing alike when it came to looks. Although Tiana had a very pretty face, L was absolutely stunning. She was beautiful in an almost ethereal way, with picture-perfect, dainty features framed by the most exquisite orange and blonde hair. I could understand why Ash was entranced by her, which made me sad for Tiana. She was beautiful... pretty in her own right, just in a more down-to-earth fashion. She was an everyday woman in comparison to L being every man’s fantasy.

  She sniffled and pushed to her feet. “I should go anyway. Plus, I need to get back to Hunter and Angelo.”

  “Hunter?” I asked. “As in Dante’s cousin?”

  She nodded.

  “But isn’t he in the psych ward?”

  She shook her head. “He got out a few days ago. Ash couldn’t put him up since he’s still bunking down at work.”

  “But, if Ash is living at work and you’re staying with your mum, what’s happening to your place out in Howick? Is Kara looking after it?” I asked, Ash and Tiana having rented a room to Dante’s ex.

  “No, Ash kicked her out after she leaked those sex tapes of him.” Tiana bunched her hands into fists, probably wishing she could punch Kara... and L, and I couldn’t blame her. Kara might have captured the video, but it was L who’d seduced Ash, the evidence now plastered all over the internet.

  Tiana continued, “Ash is renting it out to some friends until it sells. He said we should never have bought it, that we overextended ourselves. He’s right, it was just one more thing that put a strain on our relationship.” She screwed up her face, clearly upset over the house being put on the market, solidifying their split. “I don’t blame him for wanting to be done with it, even more so with those horrid reporters and fans staking the place out. They wouldn’t give him a break, constantly harassing him.”

  I nodded, knowing the feeling, people doing the same to Dante. We were also considering moving, the paparazzi and fans making us feel unsafe. Even one of our neighbours was bothering Dante. I couldn’t believe it when she’d come on to him while I was standing right next to him, all but offering herself up on a silver platter. In response, Dante had grabbed his own crotch, telling her she would never get any of his D, that it belonged to me, leaving the woman red-faced and racing back into her house. Dante was never one to hold back on his thoughts, politeness not in his vocabulary.

  I rose to my feet with Tyson, who’d fallen asleep on my shoulder, burped, happy, and sated from his feeding. “So, how’s Hunter doing?” I asked.

  Tiana fidgeted with her handbag. “Better than in the psych ward, though I do worry about him. He has a habit of talking to people that aren’t there. I heard him chatting away to himself in his room, saying the name of his dead girlfriend. Angelo noticed it too. My boy’s now convinced that Hunter can see ghosts, while my mum’s convinced that Hunter needs to be institutionalised again.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think Hunter needs Ash to be around more. He lights up every time Ash comes over, loves him like a son, but with Ash working so much, he hardly sees him. I tried to tell Ash that we should all live together, but he accused me of using Hunter to get back with him. I want to get back with him more than anything in the world, but I would never use Hunter to do that.”

  I patted her back. “I know you wouldn’t. How about I have a talk to Ash? Maybe I can get him to visit Hunter more.”

  She shook her head. “No, he’ll think I’m trying to manipulate him through you. He’s so distrusting, so suspicious of everyone’s motives.” She let out a long exhale. “I really don’t know why I love him so much, he’s such a hard person to deal with, but I can’t help it.” She grimaced. “At times I wish I never met him. He may have given me the best years of my life, but he’s also given me the worst.”

  I nodded, understanding her on a deep, personal level, Dante having done the same to me. I may be in a better position than Tiana was right now, but I’d gone through hell for Dante. I just hoped he wasn’t going to put me through more hell, his behaviour definitely concerning.

  Tiana let out another exhale. “Anyway, I really should get going. Thanks for letting me chew your ear off.”

  I gave her a soft smile. “You can chew my ear off whenever you need to. I’ll always be here for you, Tiana.”

  She smiled back at me, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. “Dante doesn’t deserve you.”

  I snorted out a laugh. “Tell his father that, because Tane keeps telling me that I don’t deserve Dante. For all of a second, I thought he’d changed his mind about me, that he approved of me now, but he’s gone right back to being rude.”

  She grunted. “Ignore Tane, he thinks the sun shines out of Dante’s arse. Personally, both Tane and Dante are full of shit.”

  I snorted out another laugh, Tiana’s language usually more proper. “Well, apart from his looks, I really don’t understand what Jade sees in... that man,” I said, refraining from calling Dante’s father something unflattering. The language that came out of Tane’s mouth left a lot to be desired, while his actions were just as bad. He had no self-decorum whatsoever, doing whatever he pleased, regardless of whether it was offensive or not, like the way he walked around the house half-naked. Hell! Sometimes he even walked around completely naked, laughing when I got embarrassed. At least he wasn’t here at the moment, though not for a good reason. He was currently in hospital, getting chemotherapy. I’d heard from Jade that it was going well. The doctors were confident that Tane would beat the lung cancer, but still, it was just another worry for Dante on top of trying to find his daughter.

  I followed Tiana to the front door. She went to open it, but it opened before she could get a hand to it. She took a sudden step back at the sight of Dante, almost banging into me and Tyson, my quick reaction only just avoiding it.

  Dante’s beautiful face twisted in anger, making him look hard and unforgiving. “What the fuck are you doin’ ’ere?” he barked at her.

  “Dante,” I hissed back, not appreciating the way he was treating Tiana. “She has apologised enough, plus keep your voice down or you’ll wake Tyson.” I ran a hand down the back of our baby, who thankfully hadn’t woken from Dante’s loud bark.

  “It’ll never be enough,” he said, thankfully lowering his voice. “Cos of her, I’ve lost a daughter.” He leaned his head towards Tiana, growling low, “So fuck off.”

  Tiana sidestepped him and shot out of the house, running for her car, which was parked on the street. She raised a hand to shield her face from a paparazzo, who had stepped out from behind the large magnolia tree across the road. Dante swore and jumped down the front steps, looking like he was going to smash the photographer over, his right hand already clenching into a fist. The paparazzo took off, sprinting down the street towards his car. Dante stopped at the gate, swearing loudly at him. A neighbour across the road looked out of her window, capturing his attention: the one who’d come on to him. Dante swore at her too, yelling, “Fuckin’ mind your own biz!” among other things. She quickly retracted her head and pulled her curtains across.

  As Tiana drove off, Dante s
tormed back up the footpath to our front door, looking like he could kill someone, his mood even worse than when he’d left for work. “I told you Tiana’s not welcome here anymore,” he growled as he stepped inside.

  “She turned up without phoning,” I replied, not appreciating his tone. “Plus, she was in a right state. She’s devastated over her split with Ash.”

  A nasty look crossed Dante’s dark eyes. “Good. And by the way, she will never get him back. My bro has it bad for L. He admitted it to me today, just doesn’t wanna deal with L’s issues. Says he has enough of his own to sort out. He just wants to concentrate on work and raising Lily, not dealing with L’s games.”

  “L’s not playing games with Ash,” I said, a bit miffed Ash thought she was. “That poor woman is just too timid to put her heart on the line for him, and I don’t blame her. Ash can be cold-hearted at times.”

  “Then maybe Ash should go back to Tiana,” he sneered. “Cos she’s a cold-hearted bitch.”

  He walked past me, bounding up the staircase, not even giving Tyson a kiss on the head like he normally did. It sent my heart plummeting, something definitely up with Dante... Well, even more than usual.

  I locked the front door, then followed him up the staircase and into our room, finding Dante undressing. He’d already removed his shirt, which he’d thrown on the floor, the man extremely messy. He started undoing his leather pants as I lay Tyson in his cot, our baby waking up. Thankfully, he reclosed his eyes, falling right back asleep, so full of milk he’d be out for a while.

  Dante shunted his pants down, along with his underwear, not even caring that the curtains weren’t drawn. I rushed over to pull them across, noticing the same neighbour was at her window again, staring right into our bedroom. She quickly shot away from the window when she noticed me, making me stiffen, the woman definitely spying on Dante.

  I jerked the curtains across and spun around to face him. “Next time shut the curtains,” I growled, capturing his attention. “Heather was watching you get undressed.”