Shattered Treasure

by Cindy Patterson

  After dressing, she walked toward the kitchen and her phone rang again. Philip’s name flashed across the screen. She pressed the mute button and dropped it into her purse.

  Aunt Brenda was sitting on the couch watching the TV screen, though she didn’t seem interested. “What’re you up to today?”

  “Nothing much. But I need to run out for a while. Can I borrow your car?”

  “Sure. I’m not planning to leave.” Aunt Brenda lowered the TV’s volume. “Are you meeting Philip? He’s stopped by a couple of times looking for you.”

  “No ...” I broke up with him. “Not today.”

  Her stomach tensed as she filled a cup with orange juice. She hadn’t explained about Philip yet. It would be best to wait until she got through to him first.

  “Where are you off to, then?”

  “Ami’s.” Addison didn’t feel like answering questions about why she would be going to her house again. Aunt Brenda was shocked when Addison had told her about showing up to apologize last week, though she seemed proud of her choice.

  Aunt Brenda stood and came toward her. “You mean the Tant girl?”

  Addison nodded, keeping her mouth occupied with her cup.

  “Why would you be going there again? I thought you told me it was the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.”

  “I forgot to mention that as I was leaving, Ami asked for my number. I’d forgotten all about it, but she called me this morning and asked me to come.”

  “Okay, but honey, you shouldn’t feel like you have to do this. You shouldn’t let your guilt guide your motives.”

  “That isn’t it. I don’t know, maybe Ami just enjoyed my company or something.” Addison was just as baffled that the girl had called her. Though guilt may play a big part in her decision to accept the invite, it was more curiosity than anything. “It’s just something I feel I have to do.”

  “If you’re sure, I won’t talk you out of it. It’s honorable for you to visit her. But you can’t keep blaming yourself. You had no control over blacking out.”

  Addison always cherished these moments with her aunt. If only her mama could be more like her sister-in-law. But they were completely different.

  This wasn’t the first time Aunt Brenda had questioned her guilt over the accident with Ami. Aunt Brenda only wanted to ease her pain … to somehow take the responsibility from her, but no matter how Addison tried, she blamed herself.

  5

  Addison stood on Ami’s porch. That ever-present sting of guilt over her choice to drive that night loomed and stole her breath as footsteps drew near. Then the door opened. The guy who appeared in the door frame observed her with wide, vigilant eyes. Her hand flew to her mouth. It was him. The guy from the library.

  “Hi, can I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Ami.”

  He reached out to take her hand. “Oh, you must be Addison. I’m Nathan, Ami’s brother.”

  Despite the familiarity of his face, those dark eyes set apart at just the right distance, the straight nose, the smooth skin, there was something different.

  He tipped his head, motioning for her to go first. She entered the Tants’ trying to remain calm. Could the guy from the library be his twin brother?

  “Addison,” Ami squealed from the kitchen.

  “Hey.” Addison’s throat swelled and she felt the need to bow her head in shame.

  “I see you met Nathan. He’s only here for the weekend. Addison’s your age, Nathan. She’s at UNC Wilmington,” Ami added.

  “No, kidding.” Nathan was staring at her in unbelief as Addison lifted her head with a shake. “So is Logan.”

  “I told her.”

  Logan. Logan Tant. How on earth was it possible that he ... he the one she couldn’t stop dreaming about, could be the brother of the girl she almost killed?

  They were talking, but thankfully her response wasn’t necessary, not with the lump in her throat thickening with each mention of Logan. So, she smiled and nodded at the appropriate times.

  The subject of the accident never entered their conversation. And that fact alone loosened her shoulders.

  Someone bounded down the stairs, and it wasn’t until she got a good look at the older gentleman that she blew out the breath she’d been holding.

  “Hi, I’m Alan Tant, Ami’s dad.” He offered his hand. “You must be Addison.”

  She took his outstretched hand and relaxed under the warmth of his eyes. “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, it’s certainly nice to meet you. I hope you’ll join us tonight. We’re barbecuing out.”

  “Thank you, sir, but I have to work tonight.”

  “That’s too bad. Maybe next time,” he said as he disappeared around the corner.

  Nathan moved into the small space next to her. “Have you met Logan?”

  She swallowed hard. “No, not yet.”

  “She’s only been here once.”

  Nathan shrugged. “I didn’t know. I thought you had been friends awhile.”

  Again, her response wasn’t needed, but they were treading dangerously close to the topic she dreaded.

  An hour later, Addison had decided that Nathan and Ami Tant were angels sent by God to minister to her though she had been the one seeking forgiveness. When she finally said her goodbyes, Nathan walked her to the door, but she kept silent, awed by the acceptance this family had shown her.

  Ami was disappointed that Addison had to leave before her other brother arrived, but Addison promised to stop by after her classes one day next week.

  It dawned on her as she turned onto the main highway headed for home that Ami had never showed her anything.

  Images of Ami lying in the emergency room filled Logan’s mind and without warning he slammed his fist against the steering wheel. There were no charges pressed against the other driver. The scum would never pay enough, not for what he’d done … drinking and driving and slamming into his sister. An unhealthy shot of adrenaline rushed through him every time he thought of the guy.

  Ami was standing in the foyer when he walked inside his mom’s house and punched him playfully. “If you were here a few minutes earlier, you could’ve met Addison.”

  “Addison?” He said the name out loud. Ami had never mentioned anyone named Addison. It had to be someone from her home school group. “I’ve never heard you talk about her.”

  “Of course, you haven’t? I just met her.”

  “Who is she?”

  “A friend of mine. She was here earlier. She met Nathan.” She sighed. “I was hoping you would get here before she left.”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. She’ll be back. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

  “She must be something special to get you all worked up like this.”

  “Oh, she is and she’s so pretty. You’re going to like her.”

  The thought of his sister finding a new friend made him smile.

  “She felt so bad after the accident that she wanted to check on me.”

  Ami’s words confused Logan at first, because anyone would feel bad about the accident.

  “I couldn’t believe she actually came. Most people wouldn’t even care, but there were tears in her eyes when she saw me.”

  Logan decided Ami must be talking out of her head. Nothing she said made any sense. The thought troubled him—what if she’d suffered brain damage? “What do you mean, most people wouldn’t care?” He leaned against the stair banister. “Everyone cares about you.”

  “I’m talking about when someone causes the accident. But she came last week and then I invited her to come over today.” Ami stood straighter. “And she came.”

  Logan’s blood ran cold. Surely, she didn’t mean Addison was the same person who caused the accident. The drunk driver. Before he could respond, Ami threw her arms around him. “I know you’re going to love her,” she said with delight.

  Ami pulled back and Logan stared in horror as Ami slipped the wrap from her head. “What’re you doin
g?”

  “I’m taking off the bandage. I wanted to show you how good it’s looking.”

  He looked at her cut, the long slash starting at her crown and weaving a curved line past her eyebrow, just above her eye. The cut that broke his heart. It was so close to her eye—too close.

  “Doesn’t it look better?”

  “It does,” Logan told her, giving it another quick glance. “Are you still rubbing cream over it?”

  “Every day, three times a day,” Ami said, securing the bandage back in place. “Just one more day until I can take this aggravating wrap off.”

  Logan’s mind whirled in anguish. The driver was responsible for the cut that would leave a scar, a scar that would never fade completely.

  He still hadn’t found any answers concerning the drunk driver, but he couldn’t talk to Ami about it. She was too young to understand. He had to wait and talk to his mom as soon as he could get her alone.

  How could Mom allow that monster in this house? Maybe Mom was just as upset but wouldn’t have said anything to Ami, not wanting to upset her. He bit his tongue, revulsion seeping into his veins.

  Nathan was walking toward them, so Logan rushed to the kitchen to speak with his mother.

  “Ami was telling me someone named Addison came over.”

  “Yes. It really took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure what to think, but it was nice of her to check on Ami. I couldn’t believe she agreed to come again today when Ami called her.”

  At his mother’s words, bile rose in the back of his throat. He’d thought the driver was a guy. For one moment, his hatred eased. A girl? That had to be different, right?

  No, it didn’t matter.

  It changed nothing. The girl still made the decision to drink and drive. She nearly killed his sister. A new realization hit him as he pondered his mother’s words. She had come twice. What was she trying to do, get away with what she’d done? Trying to suck up to his sister, hoping to redeem herself? Well, he wouldn’t stand for it. This would stop right now.

  “That girl shouldn’t be coming here.”

  His mother faced the sink, wiping the counters. “What? What do you mean?”

  Nathan entered the kitchen, interrupting their conversation. “What did I miss?”

  “You missed nothing, honey. We were just discussing Addison.”

  Nathan’s lips curved into a crooked smile. “What about her?”

  Logan’s fists tightened. “What do you mean, what about her? She nearly killed our sister and you just invite her into our home like she’s a friend of the family?”

  Mom and Nathan faced him, their eyes bulging, but he continued, “What? I’m not the one who’s done something wrong here. She’s only using you to get out of what she’s done. Well, she can’t. She will pay for what she did to Ami. You need to press charges.” The harsh tone of his voice surprised even him.

  “Logan Tant, what on earth has gotten into you?”

  Nathan said nothing, only stared at him in disbelief.

  Logan swallowed the growl caught in his throat and turned to walk away.

  “I’ve never seen him so mad,” his brother said as Logan walked through the front door, letting it slam behind him.

  The girl had already pulled the wool over their eyes.

  6

  Wearing her uniform and a damp head of hair, Addison sat on the front porch steps awaiting her ride.

  When Taylor parked at the curb, Addison ran out to meet her.

  Addison secured her seat belt before leaning back against the seat. “Student teaching and then waiting tables five nights a week is wearing me out.”

  “I bet.” Taylor turned to face her, in no hurry. “I have to talk to you, and you have to listen to me.”

  Addison’s stomach sank. “What is it?”

  Taylor took a deep breath. “Michael took me downtown to this off-the-wall restaurant. There was some party and I saw Philip.”

  The rush of emptiness deepened. “So? Philip parties all the time. You know that.”

  “He wasn’t alone.”

  Addison wasn’t surprised. That had been the reason she ended things. Lately her emotions were on a roller coaster ride. She rolled her eyes at the irony of it all. “I know, Taylor. I caught him at the party, remember?”

  “Yes, but he denied it. And you keep letting him get away with it.”

  “I’m not letting him get away with it. I told him it was over, remember?”

  “I’m tired of him hurting you.”

  “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m handling it the best way I know how.”

  “I’m sorry, Addison. I hate seeing him do this to you.”

  “I’m okay, really. I no longer care what he does. How did your date with Michael go?”

  “Not so good.”

  Addison turned to face her. “Why not?”

  “I was so worried about you, I was getting on his nerves.”

  She glanced at her friend. The truest friend she’d ever had.

  “Someone will come along one day and sweep you off your feet. Laugh all you want to, but your true love is out there somewhere.”

  Love was something Addison knew nothing about and neither did her mama.

  “Do you love him?”

  “What kind of question is that for a nine-year-old?”

  “Do you? Do you love him the same as you did Daddy?”

  “You know better than to talk about him.”

  Yes, she knew it only made Mama worse, but she couldn’t help it.

  Maybe talking about Daddy would help Mama feel better. “I remember—”

  Mama snatched her by the arm, making Addison stumble into her. “Don’t.” The hate that emerged in Mama’s eyes scared her. “He left us. He doesn’t deserve our memories.”

  Several days later, Addison walked up the familiar steps with slow and steady breaths and rang the Tants’ doorbell. She had only stepped inside a moment when the door behind her opened again.

  Addison turned and took an awkward step back as Ami’s other brother entered.

  Blinking up at Logan Tant, she inhaled hard while reprimanding herself for not maintaining control. A glimmer of recognition filled his eyes, just before Ami burst into the front entryway, their mom following behind.

  “You’re here. Both of you. “Ami grabbed Logan from behind.

  “Ami.” The words left his lips as smoothly as if he was more than used to Ami’s hug attacks.

  “I’m so happy you came. I’ve been wanting you to meet Addison.” Ami turned and faced her. “Addison, this is my brother, Logan.”

  The creases around his lips tightened, and his lack of response ignited regret within her middle.

  It had all happened so quickly, Addison told herself it was only her imagination. She’d been so worried what this family would think of her. Nathan seemed to like her. And though deep down she knew she didn’t belong here; she’d thought she was doing the right thing by befriending them.

  But she was wrong.

  It’s her. Logan recognized her the moment their eyes met. For several seconds, all he could do was stare. Her slight smile exposed a hidden glow.

  Tearing his gaze away, he turned toward Ami, breaking the trance.

  Addison. He had thought of her often, since that day in the library, and had hoped to see her again. That she was here standing in his parents’ living room confounded him. Yet here she stood, staring up at him with those guilty eyes.

  She averted her gaze for several brief moments and Logan once again took full advantage by drinking in every feature of her unblemished face. She was strikingly beautiful. The kind of beauty that demanded his attention, the kind that made it hard to look away.

  But something in her eyes captured him even more. Something hidden beneath the midnight blue. Something—

  He refused to stare another second to prevent his heart from softening. Who was he fooling? It had already softened.

  How could she be the same girl? He’d neve
r seen her out partying, drinking, or at any of the hang outs the college students frequented. Still, she was the one responsible for nearly killing his sister. As that detail rotted into his core, his pleasure shifted from yearning to mounting anger. And beneath it, an even deeper resentment. One he’d buried. One that hadn’t surfaced for over three years.

  Her smile quivered, then faded completely. He’d made her uncomfortable. Good. She wasn’t welcome here. She should leave and never come back.

  Ami’s whining voice jerked him back to the present. “Logan, aren’t you going to say hello?”

  Logan glanced at his mother, hoping for an escape, but her eyebrows creased with a look of warning. What did she expect him to do? He couldn’t just stand here and pretend there was nothing abnormal about this. Addison was responsible for hurting his sister, almost killing her. Logan looked into Ami’s face, the cut on her forehead a pale red from the newness, her puzzlement of his silence obvious on her face.

  He unchained a burst of air from his tight lips, consenting only for Ami’s sake. “I’m Logan.” The acrid bitter taste of his anger seeped into his short stern introduction.

  The girl rewarded his effort with a conjured smile, but quickly fixed her eyes on Ami.

  Ami’s laughter broke the tension. “Logan? What’s wrong with your voice? It sounded other-worldly.”

  A grunt of laughter gripped him but, rebelling against it, he cleared his throat and curled his lips into a weak smile.

  Addison’s soft, delicate voice approached him with regret. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Logan. I’ve heard so much about you.” She reached for his hand and wrapped it inside both of hers, the warmth of her fingers placating his anger, restoring his sanity. “Your sister ... she’s been so sweet to me.”

  After another glance at her face, Logan’s remorse swelled as moisture glazed her eyes.

  As her hands slipped away from his, her meek frown deepened. “I’m so sorry, Ami, but I can’t stay.”

  “What? You just got here.”