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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Chapter 2.8: Dear J, Admissions & Regrets

Dear J, I wish you were here now more than ever. Out of the two of us, you were the smart one. Even if I didn’t always follow it, you gave the best advice. I know you would modestly be downplaying your importance, but really, sometimes I’m still lost without you.
I told myself I would not get close to anyone because then I wouldn’t get hurt. But I didn’t protect myself as well as I thought. Why is it I’m the first one to get suckered?
You would be like Aunt Keniesha. You would tell me to buck up and face this head on. Yet the only thing I really want to do is gather up Blue and leave this place far behind.
As enticing as it sounds, though, to just chuck it all and start over, I know I can’t do that. It isn’t who I am.
Anyway, you’re probably wondering what happened after we found out that Cricket is actually a Covington.
1
I went on a search for her and found her in the basement studio. Her back was to me, so I couldn’t see her expression but her body language told me she knew I was there.
“I’m looking for my planner. I thought I left it down here,” she said with a quiet voice.
2
“Why didn’t you tell me who you are?”
“How could I? You can’t possibly understand the situation I was in.”
“Try me,” I sighed. What I really wanted to do was lay into her about all the lies. Instead, that stupid part of me – that part of me that can feel other peoples’ pain and then write a song about it – held back.
3
There was a long, pregnant pause, and then she began talking. “All I ever wanted was for my father to accept me. To be glad I was alive. He never paid any attention to me at all and even called me a ‘useless girl.’  I spent most of my childhood away from him, obviously, as he was in prison. So, when I grew up and he was released, all I wanted was to make him happy.”
I stared at my feet as she spoke. She didn’t cry, but there were tears in her voice. With all my might, I reminded myself that I was the one who’d been wronged here and that her sob stories were just that.
“But there were conditions to gaining his approval,” she continued. “My mother had already told me about the trouble he’d gotten in to. But I didn’t want to believe he would ever purposely hurt anyone. He was still my father.”
4
She turned to face me, her cheeks flushed and her eyes red from crying. “He pulled strings to get me this job right out of university. I was thrilled because he finally saw some worth in me.”
“So what happened?” I asked, wishing that I didn’t care.
5
Tears brimmed her eyes and spilled down her cheeks but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. Her shoulders slumped forward as she went on, “He doesn’t love me at all and I don’t think he ever did. He made it very clear that he’d only gotten me this job so I could mess with you. I don’t think he’ll rest until every last Noble has suffered the same way he has.”
My head reeled and my face began to burn. I clenched my hands into fists as I listened to her. “He has suffered? Really?”
How could Garret Covington be so delusional? He’d gone to prison, yes, and rightly so! According to my mom’s diary, her father Prescott had been a scientific genius who had created the formula that had eventually eradicated Fading Finger Disease. Garret’s father, Don Covington, had not only stolen Prescott’s scientific formula and claimed it as his own, he had also arranged the car accident that had killed both of Mom’s biological parents! Don Covington had reaped the benefits of the formula my grandfather had created, thereby stealing the fortune that rightfully belonged to my mother. Don’s wife, Victoria, had tried to manipulate my mom into marrying Garret because she was afraid that Mom would figure this all out eventually. Victoria couldn’t stand the thought of losing the money or the Covington image.
Luckily, my dad had been hot on the trail before even meeting Mom and had been instrumental in bringing the Covingtons’ down. Later, it was discovered that the Covington family was also responsible for the deaths of Aunt Keniesha’s parents. When all of this came to light, Garret took a plea deal. In exchange for providing evidence against his own mother, his prison sentence was reduced to twelve years. Don had died years before any of this happened and his wife Victoria died before the trial even began.
6
Cricket’s eyes told a story of guilt and shame. I could almost feel myself getting sucked in, so I looked away from her quickly.
“He thinks he’s suffered. And I believed him, Leo,” she lamented. “I came here ready to do whatever he wanted me to do. I spent my entire childhood wishing for nothing but his attention and love.”
“Did you get it?” I spat the words at her.
“No!” she wailed, completely breaking down into a shuddering mess of tears. “I couldn’t do the things he wanted me to. I refused.”
My emotions were a wreck. On the one hand, I had the irresistible urge to take her in my arms and comfort her. On the other hand, I wanted to scream at her and make her understand the pain she was causing me.
7
Finally, I choked out a question. “What did he want you to do?”
She totally broke down now, answering me between sobs. “He wanted me to woo you…. he wanted me to break your heart….. and destroy you.”
How could anyone be so vile? “And that’s why you were flirting with me?”
She nodded then shook her head. Apparently, even she wasn’t sure. “At first, yes. But I really like  you. I found that I didn’t want to hurt you. In fact, at one point, I flat out told him to forget it. He was so angry with me but I stood firm. That’s when Bexley started giving me problems.”
“You mean she’s involved with Garret?” I asked, mentally kicking myself for not having guessed this already. How deep did this run and who else was tangled in Garret’s web?
“She’s involved but I don’t know how. All I can say is she that she knew I was a Covington and she threatened to expose me. Don’t you see? I was really caught between wanting my father’s approval and not wanting to hurt you.”
“I need time to think about all of this. But one thing I can see is that even though you say you don’t want to hurt me, you haven’t once apologized for anything you’ve done.”
Before I could say another word, she scooped her planner up from a nearby table and ran from the room.
Later, I watched from a window as a taxi whisked her away. Any part of me that had wanted to comfort her felt dead now. What it came down to was that I couldn’t tolerate lies. Even if she’d been telling the truth about not wanting to hurt me, I could never trust her. My chest began to hurt as I thought about how close I had come to destruction.
8
Summoning up my resolve, I found Bexley in the kitchen.
“I thought you’d be gone by now,” I said coldly as I came into the room.
She tried to smile, but it was strained. “I was hoping you didn’t really want me to leave.”
“Why would I want you here?” After what I’d been through with Cricket, my patience was definitely nonexistent. “So give it to me from the top, spit it out. I think I deserve an explanation.”
9
As she continued to look at me, I began to see that her docile expression was a mask, carefully in place. I didn’t know if I could break through the facade and find out what her involvement was or not, but I was going to try.
“Just tell me, Bex.”
“You don’t trust me, do you?”
I shook my head. “Not even a little. So, what’s your agenda been?”
10
Realizing the jig was up, she let her guise down, and sighed, almost seeming relieved that she didn’t have to put on an act anymore. Her expression became one of increasing anger as she rapidly talked.
“Well, I guess there’s no point in continuing with this charade. Here’s the thing, you idiot, I can’t stand you!”
I was taken aback, my jaw dropping. “What the – ”
” – That’s right! You have to be the stupidest man on the planet!”
“Where is this all coming from?”
“It’s coming from the fact that you’re so trusting and easy to fool. You and that stupid family of yours. I’ve just about had it with all of you.”
11
Bexley had been the one person I thought I could trust. She’d been there whenever I’d needed to talk or confide in someone. Obviously, she’d been that person to me on purpose. Now I saw just how right she was. I was the biggest idiot ever.
“So did Garret get you this job, too?” I asked, my heart sinking and my stomach turning. In a way, this hurt even worse than Cricket’s lies.
“OMG, no,” she said, her voice going up an octave. “Do you think he’d ever do anything for me? Not on your life! That’s why I had to do this all on my own. But don’t think he isn’t proud of me now because he even said he is! Of course, he won’t be too happy about it all blowing up like this. But he’ll blame your dad, not me, so we’re good.”
12
I was speechless. It was like she wasn’t even talking to me anymore. She was just thinking out loud as if I wasn’t even there.
“I’m just as good as Cricket! I’m actually better than her any day of the week! She’s nothing but a whiny little b – ”
” – Why do you care how you compare to Cricket?” I interrupted as my mind was trying to keep up.
“Why do I – ” she sputtered, her sentence trailing off with obscenities. “Listen, and try to keep up. Cricket whined and whined about how he didn’t notice her and wouldn’t acknowledge her worth. But what did she ever do to earn his love? Absolutely nothing! By the time I came on the scene, it was pretty clear that the way to get on his good side was to take an interest in him. I was always a curious person, so I took it upon myself to figure out who Cricket is. I was shocked, of course, but it gave me more courage than ever to go after what I want.”
“Garret is the older man you’re dating?” I mumbled.
13
“OMG, Leo! Keep up! I made that up to redirect you from the truth. You made it so easy! The truth is, I’m Garret’s daughter, too. He was wining and dining both our mothers around the same time. I don’t know about her mother, but mine was a bit of a gold digger, so getting pregnant seemed like a good idea to her. I’ve known since I was a child who dear old dad was, but he was in prison, thanks to your parents, so it’s not like I could have a relationship with him. When I found out about Cricket’s existence, my only option was to edge her out of the picture. It worked, too. Dad can’t stand the sight of her because she’s such a disappointment. But not me. I’ve done everything he asked and more!”
For the one hundredth time today, my jaw hit the floor. “B-but, Cricket didn’t say you were half-sisters!”
She laughed but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “Because she hasn’t figured that out yet.” Her face turned beet red as she yelled, “I’m the smart one! Me!” 
14
In an abruptly freaky way, she calmed, her face as charming as it always was. “Before you ask more stupid questions, let me just say that it’s funny how you and your band are broke now, isn’t it? Don’t be too mad at Reggie, though. Once I slept with the money manager and convinced him to give Reggie the account information, it was just a matter of sitting back and watching it all unfold. I didn’t even have to prod that crook into stealing from you; he did it all on his own. It was way too easy, but then, I was always really good at reading people.”
“Well, read me now!” I growled at her. “I want your crazy ass out of this house and away from my daughter. Crawl back to wherever you came from.”
15
She smiled coyly, further driving home the fact that I hadn’t really known this woman at all.
“I want you gone.” I stiffly repeated, my mouth dry as dust.
And that’s how it was left with Bexley. Looking back, there is so much I wish I’d said to both Bex and Cricket. Some people are really quick on their feet. They always know what to say or how to get the best of someone. I, on the other hand, need more time to process things. The anger and embarrassment I feel now, though, overwhelms me. My idea of running away with Blue doesn’t seem half bad at the moment.
16
To make things that much worse, I feel like a jerk for missing my dad’s birthday. He’s everything a father should be and he deserved to be honored for that.
17
He’s an elder now and won’t be around forever. Which makes me feel worse about neglecting him.
21
Instead of celebrating a birthday, I’m thinking about how the wind has been kicked out of me. Again. Why is it that I can never seem to catch a break? Okay, J, you might think I’m just staring at the city from my favorite spot so I can feel sorry for myself. I can hear your self-assured voice now, telling me that the world hasn’t ended.
Looking at the bridge, I can see cars going along with great purpose. People, who look like little dots from this distance, are bustling in and out of shops, doing their thing. The sky is my favorite color of blue with big, fluffy clouds that remind me of cotton candy. So, no, the world hasn’t ended, but how is that? Why is everything just continuing as if nothing’s happened?
22
I was so lost in thought, I didn’t hear Aunt Keniesha come in to stand next to me. “How could anyone have a problem on a day as beautiful as this?”
“I was kind of thinking something similar,” I admitted.
23
She told me then that Mom had gone to lie down with a headache and that Blue was playing under Rachel’s watchful eye.
“I assume you went to talk to Cricket? I saw her leave in a taxi.”
I nodded. “Yeah. And I talked to Bex, too. She’ll be leaving soon if she hasn’t already.”
“I think that’s good.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
I spent the next twenty minutes telling my aunt all of the sordid details I’d learned.
24
The more I told her, the more incredulous her expression became. When I was finished, she said, “Well, good riddance to them both! Your parents will be glad they’re gone, too.”
Slowly, I nodded.
Aunt Keniesha touched my arm gently. “Leo, this may be a silly thing to say, but try not to take this to heart. They’re Covingtons and I’ve never known a more vile family. Every single one of them is a user and master manipulator. You’re not at fault.”
25
“I feel like….. it feels like everyone I’ve ever been involved with is just a liar. I can’t trust anyone.”
“Closing yourself off is not the answer. There are plenty of good people in the world who are worth your time.”
26
She was right, of course. But before I could agree with her, she resorted back to her usual speech. You know, the one I’ve heard a million times:
“I refuse to let you fall into some kind of depression over this. You’re part Noble, you know, and that means you hold yourself upright and comport yourself with dignity.”
I resisted the urge to say the words in unison with her.
19
After spending more needed time alone, some of it with my guitar, I went upstairs to tuck Blue in. Her face absolutely lit up when I approached her. If that wasn’t a reason to hold myself upright and not wallow in self-defeating thoughts, I don’t know what was.
20
“Daddy,” she said, “I saw Miss Bexley and Miss Cricket leaving today.”
This kid knew way more than I gave her credit for. “So you did. I guess I should explain.”
She giggled a little. “That’s okay, I know why they left.”
My heart stopped as fear stabbed my heart like a spear. The last thing I ever wanted was for Blue to be exposed to this ridiculousness. “You do?”
Dramatically, she rolled her eyes. “You finally realized they’re no good.”
This kid was probably surprised it’d taken me so long to see what she seemed to have noticed ages ago.
18
She rewarded me with one of her small smiles and said, “Try not to be too sad. We don’t need them.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” I agreed as I pulled her covers up for her.
 
Author’s Note: Since this chapter was published, I’ve had two inquiries as to where Keniesha’s outfit could be found. It is called Balmain Crop Top/Pant (mesh by AllAboutStyle included). 
THIS is the link to the outfit (which is the second one in the top row).
All of the places I get CC from are listed on this page: CC/Mods. But if there is a specific item you are wondering about, feel free to ask.

Kymber Hawke
Kymber Hawkehttps://booomcha.com/
I am a simmer, Rennie garb wearer, author, and dog petter. Judy Garland is my queen, horror movies & classic movies are my jam. INFJ with "Unity Hayes" as a pseudonym. A little bit eccentric, owned by two cats, Cesare & Josie-Pye. 🐱🐱

62 COMMENTS

  1. Oh man! I hate to say it, but poor Leo got played lime a violin by both those piranhas. I was totally taken in by Bex but eventually thought she was Garret’s girlfriend. Good riddance to all that trash. Blue is rigjt: she and Leo don’t need them.

    I feel so bad for Leo. I want to give him a big hug and take care of him. My Golden Retrievers would give him a bunch of kisses and tail wags. LOL!

    Speaking of Blue, it’s uncanny just how wise she is. She had their numbers right from the getgo.

    • You’re so right about Leo being played. Blue is always right. LOLOL

      Awwww I bet he would love your Golden Retrievers. 😀

      Blue is a bit uncanny. She seems to have a more level head than Leo. lol

      • My Golden Boys are rather irresistible and would cheer Leo up in a heartbeat. 😄

        If Blue is this wise and level headed now, I wonder how she’ll be when she grows up. I’m looking forward to seeing that.

          • They totally are adorable! 😄 Caleb, my older guy, loves to give kisses and will take scratches and luvins all day. He’s a total love sponge. ❤️❤️ Alex, (his full name is Alexander Graham Bell) will bring you his toys and plunk them right in your lap to play with him. LOL. He’s quite the character. HaHa.

            well, I guess everyone has to regress at some point and Blue is probably no exception.

            • Awwww Caleb and Alex (love his full name! ha!) sound so sweet and adorable. ❤️

              Yeah, you’re probably right about regression. lol

  2. First of all, hats off to Keniesha who is looking as fabulous as usual! I just love her!!!
    Oooh, I had not seen the half-sisters thing coming.
    I’d been taken in by Bex’s lie and felt sure she was Garrett’s girlfriend, lol. Good riddance to them both!
    How fantastic that Blue had known all along!
    I’m sad the Liev’s an elder now. (;_;)

    • I just love Keniesha, too!

      I was so sad when Liev became an elder, too. There was some kind of glitch going on because as soon as he aged up, grimmie showed up to take him. I left without saving and it happened every time thereafter. It was so weird. I ended up turning aging off because it wasn’t Liev’s time yet! lol

  3. Bexley Bexley Bexley. You’re terrifying. That was definitely a lot to take in. The Covingtons are quite influential if they were so easily able to put Bex and Cricket in the position they needed to cause this chaos.

  4. Oh my god. I did not see any of that coming! Cricket is pretty awful (and a coward), but Bexley was totally disturbing – and disturbed! Leo is better off without them! And of course Blue was onto them from the start – smart kid! 🙂

  5. Nice chapter! 🙂
    Can’t believe Bex and Cricket fight for attention from their father, seems a little silly since he doesn’t care about them at all! I honestly never saw any of this coming, but when everything revealed itself, it all just seemed to make so much sense!
    Blue is quite a sweet girl and is definitely someone that’ll see past people like Bex and Cricket, which is a good thing!

  6. DUDE! Wow. All of this is craziness! This is neither here nor there, but when exactly did Garrett have time to woo all of these women and knock them up?? LOL, was he seeing them while he was also trying to court Memphis?

  7. It feels sort of like a breath of fresh air to have everything out in the open now. I’m glad Cricket and Bexley are gone, although I’m wondering if more trouble lies ahead. Right now, I just want Leo to take a deep breath, spend a little time with Blue, and trust that things will get better 🙂

    • Thank you, Judith. 🙂 I’m glad it’s in the open now, too. I agree with what you said about Leo taking a deep breath and spending time with Blue now. I’m really looking forward to the next phase of Leo and Blue’s lives.

  8. Poor Leo! So much deceit going on around him. I understand why he feels so bad about not seeing what was happening but it wasn’t his fault. People like Cricket and Bex are good at deceiving people. I do feel bad for Cricket if her story was true. I still reserve the right to question her story since we don’t know how much is true. Bex on the other hand seemed to be proud of what she did and sounded like she was gloating. For that reason I tend to believe what she told Leo more than Cricket. IMO that makes her the idiot more so than Cricket. Leo is better off with them gone. I hope that doesn’t sour him from trusting people. Blue is a sweetie. Kids are usually good judge of character but I still wonder if her dislike of Bex and Cricket has more to do with her not wanting to share her dad with anyone else than her really knowing they were no good.

    • Thank you so much! 🙂 You bring up such good points. It’s true, Leo may have some trust issues. It seems as if what Bex did hurt him more than anything Cricket did. I totally agree with what you say about Blue, too. Like you say, kids are a pretty good judge of character. It will be interesting to see what Blue’s motives are, though. It could very well be that she saw through Bex and Cricket…. Or it could be as you wonder…. that she wouldn’t like anyone Leo dated. 😀

  9. Whoa, they’re half-sisters?!?! I really didn’t pick up on that at all. But that’s such a cool twist! I feel so bad for Leo though, his world must be crushed at the moment. At least he has Blue <3

    • Thank you so much! 🙂 I don’t think Cricket has picked up on that either so you’re not alone. lol If Leo concentrates on Blue and his career, I think he’ll be okay. 🙂

  10. Wow, I did not see that one coming!! Leo sure knows how to pick them. First Blue’s self-destructive mother (who’s name escapes me at the moment), then Cricket (I knew she was trouble, but I was shocked to see that she is a Covington), and now Bexley who is the worse blow since we all trusted her. I can’t believe that she had a hand in the manager stealing all of the money.

    • Thank you 🙂 Bexley was a complicated character to write, so while I put small clues out there, I didn’t want to make it too obvious because it was part of the overall mystery of what was going on. Everybody expected that Cricket was guilty of something so it was better to make it a surprise that she wasn’t as bad as what was first thought. And I thought it would be an even better surprise that Bexley was really the master manipulator.

  11. Wow-eeeeee. That entire family is nuts. I really hope that’s the last we see of them, but you never know. Leo can do so much better, and I hope he lets Cricket go. I know she can’t choose who her family is, but let’s just leave it be and find another woman without all this drama going on in her life. Blue is adorable, and I love that she knew all along that those two were no good.

    • Thank you so much! 🙂 Yeah, they are definitely all crazy! I agree that Leo can do better. Let’s hope he takes your advice about letting Cricket go. He needs someone who isn’t complicated, that’s for sure. I think Blue is adorable, too. 😀

  12. Blue is such a sweetheart.
    I’m shocked that Bexley is also a Covington, but it’s true that she did a good job of fooling everyone. I kind of feel like Leo can press charges on her now, about the Reggie thing.
    I do feel bad for Cricket. She isn’t to blame for who her father is.

    • Thank you so much! 🙂 I feel badly for Cricket, too. As for the Reggie thing, I don’t know if they could prove she had any involvement since she didn’t really get her hands dirty, she just talked the money manager into doing what she wanted which happened to be illegal…. that is, if she told Leo the truth. 😀 I love Blue, too.

  13. WOOO did not see that coming with Bex. Glad she got the boot. What is going to be even better is her dear ole daddy isn’t going to be so proud when this next album makes them more money then what was stolen and he has a life better then any Covenington could ever image.!

    • Thank you, Lil. I must agree with you that success is the best revenge. Garret wanted to destroy Leo so the best thing Leo can do is not be destroyed. 😀

  14. Oh gosh Bexley… I did not see that coming, she definitely is a good actor! I’m glad they are both out of the picture but they’ve done a lot of damage to Leo and the band. Blue is so smart to have noticed that about Bexley.
    Great chapter~

    • Thank you, Lila! 🙂 Hopefully Leo and the band can recover from this and Leo can learn from his mistakes. As for Blue, hopefully the “we don’t need them” attitude only extends to Bexley and Cricket and not anyone else Leo might date in the future. haha 😀

  15. Wow, talk about blind-sided!! I knew Cricket was trouble, but Bexley really took me by surprise! Of course, being a Pollyanna, I always look for the good until the bad smacks me in the face..POW! Great chapter, and I agree with Bmit – I think Blue is an old soul, maybe Jilly? I am definitely looking forward to more to come! (and I love Keniesha’s blouse!) ♥

    • Thank you, Marj. 🙂 If it makes you feel any better, I tend to be a Pollyanna, too. lol As for Blue…. you just never know. 😀 You’re actually the second person to mention Keniesha’s outfit to me so I am going to go on a hunt for the link. When I find it, I’ll update the chapter with an author’s note.

  16. Wow, talk about blind-sided!! I knew Cricket was trouble, but Bexley really took me by surprise! Of course, being a Pollyanna, I always look for the good until the bad smacks me in the face..POW! Great chapter, and I agree with Bmit – I think Blue is an old soul, maybe Jilly? I am definitely looking forward to more to come! (and I love Keniesha’s blouse!) ♥

  17. Oh my!
    Yes, Leo was a fool but along with him we were pretty fools, too. At least some of us.
    I am so disappointed with Bexley, she always seemed so nice. In my opinion, she’s even worse than Cricket. More of a liar!
    I love the ending of this chapter. People say children tend to see a bigger picture and Blue definitely does. She’s so smart.
    Great chapter!

    • Thank you, Jowita. I so agree with you about Bexley. Leo felt much worse about Bexley than what Cricket did. He thought she was a confidante. I’m so glad you enjoyed the chapter! 🙂

  18. I KNEW IT! I knew it! Well okay not exactly this but I did say Bexley was a spy didn’t I! Good riddance both of them. I wonder what Leo is going to do now. Will he run or stay? Luckily he has a great family support to get him thru this and a wonderful daughter with an old soul it seems. Jilly perhaps? I am so glad to have this solved, what a relief! Can’t wait to see what you are going to do next! More please!

    • Thank you so much! Yes, you called it on Bexley near the beginning of this Generation! lol It will be fun to see where Leo goes from here. One thing is for sure, it won’t be dull! 😀

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