Lost and Found in Lavender Bay (The Lavender Bay Chronicles #2)

13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

A fter a few minutes, Maureen pulled herself together and got up, taking the baggie with her and putting it in a safe place in her bedroom. She had to get to work. She forced herself to compartmentalize what was happening, at least until later, because she had an appointment with a client. Once the washing machine was started, she headed out of the house for her next meeting.

When she returned home later that afternoon, Lance and Allan had beaten her home, Lance already showered and downstairs, looking for dinner. Ashley was already seated at the table, waiting to eat.

“Is Everett home?” Maureen asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Allan said. He looked at Lance, who shrugged.

She pulled her wallet out of her purse and plucked some twenties from it, handing them to Lance.

“Do me a favor and take Ash out for dinner.”

Lance frowned. “What? Why?”

Ashley sat there, unsure .

Even Allan looked puzzled.

“Your father and I have to have a chat with Everett, and we’ll need some privacy. Can you disappear for a while?”

Understanding, Lance said quietly, “Sure, Mom.”

“Is he using again?” Ashley asked, a hurt expression on her face.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I hope not, but we need to talk to him.”

Lance turned to his sister. “Where do you want to go for dinner, Ash?”

“Thai or sushi.”

“Yeah, okay. Either one sounds good. Let’s go.”

As soon as the two of them closed the door, Allan turned to Maureen and asked, “What’s this about?”

“One moment. I need to run upstairs and get something.” In her bedroom, she retrieved Everett’s baggie of pills that she’d hidden. When she returned to the kitchen she was about to show it to Allan, but she heard the door opening, and quickly stuffed the baggie into her pocket just as Everett came into view.

“We’re eating in five minutes,” she said.

“Great, I’m starving. I’ll be down in five minutes.” Everett’s footfall was heavy on the staircase as he disappeared.

As Maureen hurriedly put some leftover beef stroganoff in a glass bowl and put it in the microwave, Allan asked, “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Looking over her shoulder to make sure they were alone, she pulled out the baggie. “I found this today in Everett’s room.”

Allan’s shoulders sagged, and he leaned against the counter for support. “Oh no. ”

As the beef stroganoff reheated in the microwave, Maureen set the table for three, and Allan poured water into the glasses.

When the microwave pinged, she grabbed an oven mitt and pulled out the bowl. With a large spoon, she stirred everything around before dividing it up between three plates.

She carried two plates over to the table and set one down in front of her husband and one at Everett’s place. She grabbed her own plate and was just about to call Everett when there was a thunderous roar of footsteps on the staircase, followed by Everett barreling into the kitchen. Maureen took her seat at the table and placed her napkin in her lap.

“Mom, have you been in my room?” Everett demanded. He remained standing, his hands gripping the back of his chair.

“Sit down, Everett, and eat your dinner,” Maureen said quietly.

Everett pointed at his mother and raised his voice. “Answer my question.”

Allan interrupted. “Hey, hey, please don’t use that tone with your mother, and whatever you do, don’t point your finger at her.”

Maureen pulled the baggie of pills from the front pocket of her jeans. “Look what I found! Is this what you’re so angry about? That I found your stash?”

Everett reached for it, but Maureen kept it out of his reach.

Very quietly, Allan asked, “Everett, are those yours?”

“Yes, and I want them back.” He tried to reach for them again .

Allan held out his hand to Maureen, who gave him the baggie, relieved to be rid of it.

“Is this oxycodone?” Allan’s voice remained disturbingly quiet. There was no anger, which surprised Maureen.

“Yes,” Everett answered.

“Where did you get them?” Allan asked.

Everett remained silent. Their dinners sat on the table, uneaten, growing cold.

“I asked you a question,” Allan said.

Everett shrugged and said casually, “A friend.”

Allan sighed. “You gave us your word that you would quit. You said you didn’t need rehab. Remember?”

“It’s not like I’ve been taking a lot of them since I came home.”

“But you have been taking them,” Allan said.

“Yes.”

Allan leveled a glare at him. “Doesn’t your word mean anything to you? You promised us you’d stop taking drugs, but you’re doing it right under our roof.”

There was no apology. “They’re only pills,” Everett muttered.

“And they’re ruining your life!” Allan shouted. “You’re exhibiting drug-seeking behavior and you aren’t even aware of it. You had to take a leave of absence from college.”

Maureen interrupted. “Everett, you need to go to a facility for rehab.”

Her son narrowed his eyes at her. “Everything was going fine until you went snooping in my room.”

Maureen looked at him in disbelief. “You’re angry because you got caught?”

He ignored that comment. “I’m not going to rehab. I don’t need it.”

It dawned on Maureen and Allan that there was no point in arguing with him.

“Here’s how it’s going to be,” Allan said. Maureen raised her eyebrows. This was Allan getting ready to lay down the law. “You can’t stay here if you’re going to continue to use drugs.”

Everett went pale beneath his look of incredulity. “You’re kicking me out?”

“No, I’m giving you choices. You can decide. Stop using and go into an inpatient rehabilitation center or you’ll have to find someplace else to live.”

“I don’t believe this!” Everett said. “So much for unconditional love.”

“I’m sorry, but it has to be this way.”

Sheer panic filled Maureen. She didn’t approve of these options, and she wished Allan had discussed them with her before he said anything. Images of Everett living with a houseful of drug addicts—or, worse, living on the streets with a shopping cart full of his belongings—filled her head. She felt sick to her stomach. But she and Allan didn’t contradict each other in front of the kids. That was the way it had always been. A united front. So even though she disagreed, she kept quiet. She would talk to him about it later.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow to figure it out,” Allan said.

Everett didn’t say anything at first. He looked at Allan and held out his hand. “Can I have it back?”

It was Allan’s turn to look incredulous. “You can’t be serious. ”

When he realized he was, Allan said gravely, “I’m sorry, but I’m not giving them back. I won’t allow it.” He paused and looked at his son. “There are rules that have to be followed here by all of us. There can be no exceptions to these rules. It isn’t fair to Lance and Ashley to have to live with all this turmoil.”

Everett muttered a few choice expletives beneath his breath and stormed out of the room.

Later, when they were alone, things were tense between Maureen and Allan. She’d been stunned that her husband had issued such an ultimatum to Everett, and she was afraid of what choice her oldest son would make.

She carried a basket of clean laundry upstairs and dumped it on her bed, folding the clothes haphazardly.

Allan entered their bedroom. “I suppose you think I’m wrong.”

“I wish you would have discussed it with me first before you gave him that ultimatum,” she said tightly. “I feel out of the loop.”

“How do you think I feel? It didn’t take long for him to start using again. How do we know he hasn’t been doing it the whole time? He won’t go to rehab, and if he stays here, what does that make us? Enablers?”

“How about loving and supportive parents?” she said, shaking out a T-shirt that had been left in the dryer too long. It was so wrinkled it begged for the iron, but she didn’t care. She folded it quickly and placed it on top of the pile .

“I’ve been giving him cash for helping me with moving the office,” Allan said. “I suppose he used it to buy oxycodone.”

Through clenched teeth, she said, “Kicking him out on the street isn’t the answer.” She had a feeling that Everett would leave. And then not only would she have to worry about his drug problem, she’d also have to worry about his living arrangements—who he was living with and whether he was eating properly. He was already too thin.

“Don’t say that.” Allan’s voice was sharp. “I’m not kicking him out on the street. I’m giving him choices, hoping he chooses the right option.”

“And if he doesn’t? Where will he go? Where will he live?” She glared at her husband.

Allan heaved a sigh. “As long as he’s using, he can’t live here. What about Lance and Ash? It won’t be long before he starts stealing from us.”

Maureen’s voice shook. “How dare you. He’s addicted to drugs, he’s not a thief.”

“Wake up, Maureen. Drug seeking can lead to stealing. He’s not working, he has no income, where’s he going to get the money to buy drugs?”

“He was raised better than that,” she cried.

“Yes, he was, but we raised him to just say no to drugs, and look where we are. So stealing isn’t outside the realm of possibilities.”

Maureen started to cry.

Allan softened his tone. “Look, honey, I’m not saying he’s a bad kid, because he isn’t. He’s a great kid, but the drugs are going to cloud his judgment and he’s going to make poor choices. ”

Maureen nodded quickly, swiped at her eyes, and sniffled. “I know.”

She took the last item off the bed, folded it, and stacked all the laundry into the basket. Maureen took in a deep breath, feeling anxious. “Let’s let things settle tonight, and we’ll discuss it again with him in the morning.” It was like her mother always said: everything looked better in the morning.

“Okay,” Allan said, and left the room.

She couldn’t remember the last time she and Allan had had a fight like this. Raised voices. They had plenty of disagreements, but they were always done in a civilized manner.

When they woke up in the morning, Everett was gone.