[25] Saving Me

So you could imagine my surprise when I heard Antoinette's car horn. I didn't have the slightest idea why she was here and neither did Felice. I draped my jacket over her as we hurried downstairs meeting my sister on the front porch who was just about to knock. Antoinette smiled at me and kissed my cheek. She gave Felice one wistful look and turned back to me.

"Well Anthony, you look awful!" Antoinette said as she dangled her keys in her hands. She gave Felice another look and said, "Sorry dear, but you too."

"Antoinette, what are you doing here?" I asked as I looked over her shoulder and saw her car parked behind mine. There was a slight movement in the backseat, but I couldn'treally be sure because of the dark tint.

"Felice, how's your heart?" She asked while completely ignoring my question. "I'd like you to meet someone, although I think you might've met her already, I guess she owes you an apology and some few words too." Antoinette breezed through and caught me by the arm.

She pulled me roughly to the driveway and across the street towards the parked cars. Felice, bewildered with what Antoinette had been telling her, just followed suit.

"Tony, I guess she owes you an apology too." She?

Who is this she that my sister keeps talking about. I seriously need to catch up on some ZZZ's.

Antoinette opened the backseat car door and revealed a completely disheveled Karen with her hands tied behind her back. She pulled her to her feet, and Karen looked like she was mugged in the middle of the night and was immediately brought here to face me.

"Stop squirming, bitch!" Antoinette commented almost acidly.

"Karen!" I gasped as she shot me a glare. "Antoinette, what are you doing? We can get arrested!"

Did Antoinette really kidnap Karen? We are going to be in much trouble with this. I was distracted from my thoughts as I saw Felice in the corner of my eye, staggering back. "Felice?" I called her.

She stopped a little behind me. "I..."

"See?" Antoinette mumbled clearly frustrated. "So, tell us, Karen, what exactly were you doing in our house this morning?" She tapped her foot impatiently as Karen turned her icy glare towards Felice.

I took the awkward silence as an opportunity to look at what Karen was wearing. Her skimpy clothes were not a surprise to me, but her blotted make-up and party heels were definitely something weird to see this early in the morning. Antoinette was wearing a huge trench coat, over what it seemed to be her pajamas. I raised my brows at the absurdity.

"Hello, speak up!" Antoinette demanded as she pulled Karen from her gaze. "We haven't got all day."

"I don't think that this is necessary," Felice spoke clearly for the first time since we encountered this weird situation. As I glanced at her face, she looked like she was about to cry. I stiffened beside her. It wasn't my parents behind this misunderstanding. It wasn't Felice's own mind overworking either. It was Karen.

I should've known.

"No," I said as I firmly held Karen's gaze. "I think it is." Karen's brows rose as if to question what I knew from what she did. But as of now, I could already guess. "Spit it out." I drawled.

"I went to see you, Anthony." She finally said as I was trying to threaten her with my presence. I could feel Felice's tension radiating from her body as Karen tried to speak. I gently pulled Felice's trembling hand towards mine and held it securely between my fingers. She eyed our hands with a wince and continued. "I might be as confused as you are, Tony."

"I told you not to call me that." I spat acerbically as Felice jumped at my voice. I reached over Felice's face with my other hand, tucked her hair behind her ear and whispered, "Not you, Felice."

"She needed to know what went on between us," Karen said added

"There's nothing between us, Karen. I think that was pretty clear that night when you groined me." I cringed at the thought.

"You wanted me! Not her!" She said wildly. Her teeth bared as she hissed. "She had to disappear. She can't give you what you need! Only I can! You want me, Anthony, and you can't deny it just because of whatever obsession this is." She smiled bitterly. "If it wasn't for Trish, I wouldn't have made that bet. I would've given you what you wanted that night."

"Remind me to thank Trish then, for avoiding a mistake that I would've regretted for the rest of my life," I said as Antoinette smiled widely.

It was silent again, and maybe I've hurt her more than I intended to, but it was the only way so that Felice can trust me again and that Karen will leave me alone. Antoinette seemed to approve.

"I knew there was a reason why I tied you up," Antoinette said as she opened the backseat car door. "Karen, you have a whole life ahead of you. Start over."

"Remember this." She completely snubbed my sister and continued in a threatening voice. "When you lay in bed tonight, you'll think of me." She smirked. "Oh Felice, you should keep in mind what I told you the other day. If you can't do it, you can bet on it that he's going to come back begging to me. Begging me for everything you can't give"

"Really, now?" I scoffed at her absurd remark. I don't think it will be plausible. Not ever.

With that snide comment, Antoinette slapped her across the face.

"You should know better than to threaten us. Remember, your parents may be rich, but they work for us." Karen's facial expression clearly told us that she didn't know that tinny-tiny detail about her parents.

So Antoinette resulted in blackmailing now? I can't be sure if I was happy about it or not. But I was extremely pleased with the way things turned around. I loved Antoinette even more now.

Antoinette shoved Karen in the car and gave Felice a hug. "Don't listen to that bitch, Felice. I got your back." She smiled, winked at her and drove away leaving the two of us in the driveway.

"Felice, she went to see you?" I asked as soon as we were alone. I gently pulled her towards me and back to the house.

"Yes, she did." She swallowed a big lump.

"Don't believe anything she said," I said as I positioned myself in front of the sofa. "I'll wait here. You can go up and get my presents for you."

"I love you, Tony." She smiled. "But you don't have to give me presents."

"I know."

"You're honesty is a gift enough." She smiled.

With that, I didn't have an answer.