Miracles - Live and Learn, Book Nine: Live and Learn, #9

By Amanda Vint

Eleanor is in turmoil, as her life veers in the opposite direction of her aspirations for the future. She feels trapped, and with her heart wanting more, should she follow its lead?
Knowing that her heart has led her astray in the past, it's a bold move to try and ignore it.
With Cressida out of the picture, the last truths emerge. There's big news to face, and a family to keep together.
With the reality TV show still going ahead, things take a turn in an unexpected direction, and someone is taken away for good, leaving an aftermath that nobody expected. The past, present, and future, is about to catch up with her.

Who will remain?
Find out, in the last part of Eleanor's journey. It's time to count blessings and see who has truly been there all along.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Vint
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223127321

Amanda Vint

Amanda Vint started writing romance novels in July 2016, self publishing her debut novel "Live and Learn" in the October of the same year. Following on from the positive feedback that the first book prompted, it then went on to become a series; with the next books "Twists and Turns" and "Clarity" being published. Specialising in the romance genre, she also uses her educational background in the field of psychology to incorporate a darker side to some characters, thus adding dramatic plot twists to the storylines. Amanda loves to connect with her readers and has a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AmandaVintBooks) and blog (www.amandavint.com) dedicated to doing so.

Book preview

Chapter One - Suspects

Holding the cell phone to my ear, I wasn’t sure whether I’d heard that right or not. Cressida was dead? Yes, I hated the woman, and I always wished she’d permanently exit my life, but she was actually out of it for good? How?

Chelle, what’s happened? I asked into the receiver.

They don’t know. It’s all so strange. One minute everything was fine... and then... then...

The sobs started again.

Michelle, who’s ‘they’?

The police. They’re round at dad’s place now.

The police? Where’s dad? He said he was going away on business. Is he there?

Dad – oh my days, he couldn't have...? Could he?

He’s on his way back from wherever he went. El, I don’t know what to do, she wept.

Just sit tight. Where are you?

I’m at home. I couldn’t stay there any longer.

Okay, I’m coming over to your place now. Is Brandon with you?

Yes, she whimpered.

Right, I’m coming over now. Stay put and I’ll be with you soon.

Cutting off the call, I stood, dumbfounded, for a moment. It was still unbelievable that she was dead! The woman who’d always cropped up to cause trouble in almost every scenario of my life, was now gone, and it was all so strange.

Last night, she was all apologetic to me – had she taken her own life? No, I couldn’t see that happening. As bad form as it was to speak ill of the dead, Cressida liked her lifestyle too much to go and end it.

I had to see Michelle.

Not even waiting for Rick and James to come with me, as I’d be safe with Brandon, I grabbed my car keys, abandoning all other plans for today, and made my way over to their home. It was a bit of an ordeal to convince the security at my front gate to let me through on my own, but I told them that I was seeing Brandon, and that it was a family emergency.

Geez, even being let out alone nowadays was a feat in itself, and this certainly wasn’t freedom. Instead it was like being a teenager again with really overbearing parents.

After a drive that I didn’t pay much attention to, I arrived at Michelle and Brandon’s condo, to be met with the sight of Brandon comforting Michelle, as two officers were leaving the building.

When she saw me, to my surprise, she stood up and ran into my arms. But I understood that we had grown up together, and Cressida had always played the role of ‘mom’, so I could sympathize with her loss a bit more than anyone else.

Getting her settled on the sofa, still being cradled in my arms, the grief washed over her as the tears fell. My heart broke, not for Cressida, but for the impact this was having on my sister. It was her real mom that had died, and while in life I couldn’t stand the meddling witch, my own feelings had to be pushed to one side on this occasion.

When she had managed to compose herself, she told me that she had gone to visit her this morning, and that’s when she had found her. The front door had been open, and Cressida was lying, face down, in the hallway, in a pool of blood.

Tears glittered in my own eyes, as I listened intently to what she was telling me, with the pain of loss etched on her expression. That wouldn’t have been a nice sight for anyone, and it was terrible that Michelle now had to deal with the memory of it, which would stick with her for life.

So what are the police doing about it? I asked, looking to Brandon for clarification, due to Michelle being in pieces.

They’re treating her death as suspect, he stated, standing in front of us both with the helpless look on his face at not being able to help Michelle with her grief.

Suspect? How did it happen? I wondered.

She was shot, Brandon answered.

Shot? By whom? I gasped.

He shrugged, as Michelle started sobbing uncontrollably again, and the conversation ceased to continue. It was too much to be talking in front of her about this, so we both quietened down.

After staying for a while longer, Michelle’s cries turned into whimpering sobs, and soon she fell asleep in my arms through sheer exhaustion. She was worn out with emotion and it was better to let her rest.

Brandon quietly showed me to the door, and I asked him to let me know when there were any updates. He agreed, and we hugged each other to say goodbye.

I walked out of that building in a complete daze, and the glare of the piping hot sunshine on the white sands seemed to be surreal in comparison to what was truly occurring today.

Getting into my car, I sat there for a moment – surely I’d wake up soon and this would have all been some kooky dream. Observing people in the distance, holding hands and looking happy, it was abstract in reflection to what the scenario was, so after a few minutes, I turned the key to the ignition and drove away.

Cressida, although gone, was still having an impact on our lives, and I honestly didn’t know whether I should miss her or not.

A WEEK HAD PASSED, and it was filled with confusion. I’d been on and off the phone to Michelle, who was keeping me updated, but more than anything she just needed to talk. The police investigation continued, and I’d even had to give in a statement of where I was when that had happened to Cressida. Geez, Stephen had found the gun in the draw in the living room, and I wondered whether he thought it was me. When I had called him that day to cancel seeing his new place, he hadn’t said anything, but I wondered whether it had crossed his mind.

Speaking of which, I’d spoken to him on a couple of other occasions. Even though he wasn’t living with me, he was still trying to be there no matter what happened, and I didn’t know where our relationship stood anymore.

But, I had more pressing issues on my mind, like who in the world would murder Cressida? Did she have other enemies out there? Then again, people around her seemed to always be sucked in by her way with words – it had always been a problem of mine, for people to not take her seriously in her displays of making out she cared, when in all reality, she didn’t.

My dad had arrived back in town, and had returned to a scene of police cars and interrogations. He had an alibi, and when the police found out who he was, they backed off, but I couldn’t help but wonder. But this was my dad – the dad who had always supported Cressida. He had never been cruel to her, yet she had somehow still met her demise, when I thought he would have been protecting her. I couldn’t figure it out at all.

Feeling dreadful about doubting him, I couldn’t help but continue to wonder whether he had done it himself. Maybe she had crossed a line and said something to him? I remembered the sort of ‘hold’ she had on him – did she know something that the rest of us didn’t, and would push my father over the edge? Did I really know what he was capable of?

When he had first landed back in my life, I’d had no idea that he was some sort of special forces action man, so did I truly know what went on with him? Maybe this was his version of getting rid of her after all these years? Ugh, I was driving myself nuts with these thoughts.

I had no time for this today, as it was the day of Cressida’s funeral, and I was dreading it. Word had spread about her death, and I wasn’t sure whether I was bothered or not. It was the weirdest sense of non-emotion that I’d ever had.

My mom had called and asked whether I was okay, and I told her that strangely, I was fine. I felt guilty on behalf of Michelle because I still had both of my parents, when, biologically speaking, she didn’t have either. Of course she had my dad, who she deemed as her own, and for that, I was grateful.

The funeral was being held at 1pm at a local church, and then Michelle had hired a function room for the wake afterwards. When I had spoken to my mom, I’d asked her to meet me at my house this afternoon, because I really needed someone to talk to. My head was mashed with different scenarios, and I knew that she would be the best person to turn to for some clarification. My mom had a way about her of grounding me, and I needed that.

Dressed all in black, and with Rick and James by my side, I was driven to the church where the funeral was being held. There wasn’t a chance that I was going without my bodyguards – Cressida had never been my number one fan, and who knew who else around her hated me. I was taking no chances. Plus there was the fact that she had been murdered, so I was well and truly on guard.

Seeing the church through the tinted windows of the car, it was surrounded by groups of people dressed in all black, and a variety of vehicles which had brought them here. I think I was the only person who had turned up mob-handed, but there was no chance I was going alone and unprepared today.

I could see Michelle with Brandon, stood in the middle of the sombre goings on, and she looked like she didn’t know what day it was. My heart wept only for her as we pulled up at the church, and Rick and James let me out of the car.

The congregation of people did look on at me with fascination, as I was escorted by my bodyguards to the entrance of the church. I think a lot of them had seen the show on television as well, so I was probably like some sort of celebrity turning up to the funeral. Cressida probably would’ve loved that.

Spotting Michelle near the doors, I brought her into a hug and she wept on my shoulder. As I kept a tight grip of her in my arms, I could feel her body sag as her knees buckled, so I sought to keep her upright in my grasp.

As I held onto her, in the corner of my eye, I could see my dad approach us, and yet I couldn’t read his expression. He looked fairly poker-faced, but maybe he wasn’t that sad to see the back of Cressida. It seemed my lack of hypocrisy at events such as this, about people I couldn’t give a rats ass about, stemmed from him.

There was no way that I was going to cry and make out she was a wonderful person in life, just because she was dead. No doubt we were both only here to support Michelle, as if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have attended, anyway.

Eleanor, my dad softly spoke, as he approached myself, Michelle, and Brandon.

Hi, Dad, I lightly greeted, still keeping hold of Michelle who was breaking in my arms.

Come on, sweetheart, it’s time to go in, he gently ushered to Michelle, taking her out of my embrace, with him and Brandon on either side of her to prop her up as she slowly walked through the church entrance.

With Rick and James joining me once more, I entered the church and took my place at a pew at the front with my family. After a moment, the coffin was brought in, and I did notice how my dad wasn’t one of the men helping to carry it. I seemed to be right in thinking that he was quite neutral on this whole event.

Shaking off another bout of unwanted thoughts, the funeral began, and the vicar stood at the front and said some words as we all took to our seats.

Eyeing the coffin, for a split second I did wonder whether this was all some kind of sick joke, and Cressida would come into the church from the back, laughing at us all – donning one of her fur shrugs and still knowing how to make a grand entrance.

Thinking how ridiculous that was, I then realized that my doubt as to whether this was real, actually stemmed from my father. Would I ever truly believe that anyone was dead when they were supposed to be? Narrowing my eyes at him while the church erupted into a hymn being sang, it irked me that because of his actions, my version of life, and death, was skewed.

After the burial took place in the grounds of the graveyard, I was relieved that this was coming to a close. Not a single tear was shed from my eyes, and I think that spoke volumes.

The one thing I did notice in the stark light of day, was how the people who were stood around us, were strangely eyeing my father. I looked backwards and forwards from them to my dad, and there were definitely twitters among the crowd, and looks of wariness toward him.

Brushing it off, it was time to make our way to the wake, so telling Michelle that I would see her there, I was escorted back into the car by Rick and James, and we set off for the venue.

Thoughts about my dad were the only thing to cloud my mind, and I knew that I would have to talk to him properly about this. Although I couldn’t do that in the middle of a wake, so I’d ask to speak privately with him later on.

The venue was packed with the congregation, and I was surprised at how many people had shown up to this funeral. I didn’t know the vast majority of people present, and it did make me wonder how far Cressida’s poison and lies had spread. But the fact she seemed popular today was helping Michelle, as there would have been nothing worse than nobody showing up, so it was a case of sucking it up and getting through it.

I did smile inside when I thought about how most of them were probably here for the free food and drink, as that’s what Brandon used to always tell me that he went to functions for. Then again, older people seemed to love a good funeral, which I found an incredibly morbid notion. I hoped I never turned out that way.

The drum of the place was quiet considering there were a lot of people here, but it was in sync with the mood of what a funeral should be. After eating some lunch and having a glass of wine, I was stood with my dad, Michelle, and Brandon, near the bar, as Michelle was telling us stories about when her and Cressida used to visit her favorite boutiques together.

It was her way of remembering the good side to her, and that I didn’t knock. It would have been nice to have had some nicer memories of her as well, but all’s I was left with was her constant jibes and harsh attitude toward me.

As Michelle spoke, I couldn’t help but zone out from what she was saying, as I took a look about the room. Stares and whispers were definitely aimed in my dad’s direction, and I wondered whether he had noticed. He didn’t seem petered, as he stood with his back to them and a drink in hand as he spoke to us, but I did find it strange.

When Michelle had come up for air, I politely excused myself, and pulled my dad to one side out of earshot of anyone else.

Dad, is it me, or do people keep staring at you? I asked in a whisper.

Yes, I have noticed. I’m their bit of gossip for the year, he spoke while rolling his eyes.

I actually need to speak with you in private, I began, looking at him in all seriousness – I had to get this off my chest. Can you come over to my house later? I’ve got my mom coming over, but I wouldn’t mind speaking with you alone there.

Of course. I’m leaving soon, anyway. I’ll make my way over to your place.

What, you’re not staying until the end? I quietly gasped.

And stay here while I’m spoken about by these people who mean nothing to me? No.

But what about Michelle?

She’ll be fine with Brandon. I wouldn’t leave if I thought she needed me. That’s why I’ve already been here as long as I have.

You don’t sound very bothered. I eyed him curiously.

I’m not, he stated, which did take me by surprise. Yes, at one point in my life I loved Cressida, and I have shown respect for that, but in recent terms, she did more harm than good. Anyway, he commented, seemingly brushing off any further chance of conversation, I’ll say goodbye to Michelle and get going. I’ll see you back at the house.

And before I could get another word in, he left my presence.

Maybe my thoughts about him weren’t as outlandish as I’d first presumed them to be.