by Anna Albo
"I don't know. He finished high school, but didn't go to university. I think he may regret that, but he’s never said so. He and my grandpa have an antique shop. My dad does a lot of buying and selling online too. He's been successful."
"So if Jake's brother and your dad are best friends, now what happens?"
"I'm not sure. I'm going to call my dad later. I'll have to tell him something."
A thoughtful expression spread across Zach's face. "I’ve said it before and I'll say it again: I think you should tell the truth."
The truth was that I had a history of telling the truth and it getting me into trouble. When I was eleven I made a good friend. Her name was Leslie and we hung out 24/7. She was the first true friend I'd had besides Jake. Then one day we were sharing a candy bar on one of the schoolyard benches and she told me a secret. She made me vow to keep it to myself, but I couldn't. It was too horrible. I told Dad and a day later I lost my friend. Leslie was pulled from school for a while and when she returned, she never spoke to me again. At the end of sixth grade her mother divorced Leslie's stepdad, moved her and her two little sisters away, and I never heard from them again. While Dad maintained that I'd done the right thing, and today I know what I did was right, it had cost me Leslie.
"I don't want to tell him what I did. It's not like he'll hear about it. I don't want him to know what Jake did either. It's too humiliating and not only that, he'd get so angry and I don't want him to take it out on anyone."
Zach shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Why are you still protecting Jake?"
My cheeks flushed. "I'm not, but I don't want to upset my dad."
"I think your dad deserves to know what kind of person Jake is."
"I'll tell him, but not today." Or tomorrow. I wanted to put if off forever.
The server came around and slapped down our platters. Maggie, the name on her nametag, wasn't friendly, but I understood why. Ben's was a college hangout and students weren't exactly the best tippers.
I attacked my burger like I hadn't seen food in weeks. For a few minutes we ate in silence. People wandered in and Zach gave them a wave. He knew half the school, but then I guess a senator's son was on everyone's radar.
"So about Monday," Zach said, "I wanted to give you some advice."
I put down my nearly finished burger. "Why?"
"Bianca knows a lot of people. I'd keep a low profile."
Concern masked his face and nerves bubbled up in my full stomach. "What's going on? What have you heard?"
"Let's just say that she's connected. I've put out there that she better not seek any retribution. I'd like to think I have more reach and pull than she does, but watch your back. Don't put yourself in a vulnerable position."
I pushed away my plate and wanted to throw up. "Is she coming after me?"
"No, no," he said, his voice light but unconvincing.
"I'm worried. She has tons of friends. Some of them are nasty bitches."
"Don't be worried. I talked to Jake, and the deal was that everyone stays away from each other. Bianca agreed, but I'm not sure I trust her. So the first few weeks we should go to and from school together. If we can't go together, we'll figure out something else until I can be sure this has blown over."
My skin prickled. "I'm freaking out." My voice may have sounded calm and collected, but any second I thought I'd pass out.
"I’m sure they're not going to try anything crazy, but I don't want them to harass you either. If they see you with me they’ll back off. So starting Monday, we go to and from school together."
"My own personal bodyguard," I said, trying to sound upbeat.
"And if they bother you, I want to hear about it."
"How long do you think I have to live this way?"
"Not long. Something else will happen and you'll be a memory."
I groaned. "I hate this."
"Next time keep your fists to yourself."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
EMMA
My last day of freedom before school started. I decided to stay in bed a while before heading to the tennis club to meet Helen. I still hadn't told Dad anything. We spoke after Ben's Burger Barn and I pretended that the world was wonderful and everyone was happy. Today I would try to call Jake and if he didn't answer, I'd leave a message that I had to tell Dad something. If he ignored me, I'd come up with some kind of story.
I heard Zach get up. I could have dragged myself out of bed and offered to make breakfast, but I preferred feeling sorry for myself. I heard him talking to someone on the phone before heading back to his room to take a shower. I read for a bit before pulling myself out of bed and just as I was about to leave my room, there was a knock on the front door. I retreated. Whoever it was, I didn't want to see them.
"You're late," Zach said.
The door was ajar and I could hear the conversation perfectly.
"Slept in. Is she here?" The voice was male, and it dropped to nearly a whisper when I came up in conversation.
"She's sleeping."
"Man, you're crazy. Why are you getting mixed up in all this?"
"Because she's a nice girl and didn't deserve what happened to her."
His friend snorted. "Sure. There's only one reason you'd help her. So have you been in her pants yet?"
"Cut it out."
"Of all the chicks to get a hard-on for, you pick her? Every girl at Western will kneel at your dick, and you find a nutter."
"Stop being an ass. Let's go."
The front door opened and shut. Silence. I sat on my bed and tried to absorb what I'd heard. He didn't confirm or deny it. Could someone like Zach really like me? I shook my head. No, not possible. His stupid friend was right, he could have his pick of any litter, so why would he choose me? The simple answer? He wouldn't. Would he?
I CALLED HELEN AND apologized for standing her up for our tennis match. More lies spewed from me about a friend being rushed to hospital. She bought the story and we settled for a rematch that afternoon. It gave me the opportunity to blow off some steam and forget about Zach's conversation with his friend and my first day back at school after the Bianca affair.
"I was thinking," Helen said, huffing and puffing after an hour of intense rallying. I felt bad making her run all over the court. "The club is holding a tournament in the New Year. I'm looking for a partner for the ladies’ division. How about you?"
"Me?" I asked. I pulled my duffel bag from my locker and fished for a change of clothes.
"Yes, you. We could practice a few times this week and I'll do all the paperwork. I'll even pay the entry fee."
I sat on the bench and slid off my sneakers. She was going to a lot of trouble to get me to agree and the thought of playing in a tournament again did sound appealing. "Am I eligible?"
"Of course you are," she said, scoffing at the idea. "I already asked the tournament organizers. The prize money for the winners is a thousand dollars. If we win, I'll give it all to you."
Something wasn't adding up, including her complete inability to stand still. She was like a firecracker about to go off. "I'm guessing there's more to this than entering a tournament."
She sat next to me, scooting in close. "I have to beat Sally Carruthers. Every year she kicks my butt. She finds these amazing partners and wins. No one else has won in years. With you on my team, we can beat that bitch!"
I'd never seen her so animated before, in fact, I'd never heard her curse. "How do you know we'll win?"
"Because there is no one better than you. Together we can wipe the court with her."
The money was attractive, although I would insist on splitting it with Helen. The problem I had was that I wasn't as convinced as she was that we'd win. Helen's tennis game was good, but she was far from great. Her serve had no power or speed, her backhand needed hours of work and at five foot nothing, her forehand wouldn't give a woman my height and strength any trouble at all.
"Prepare yourself for the possibility that we'll lose," I said diplomatically.
"Oh, we will win. You'll make up for my lack of talent."
"It does sound fun. It's a weekend?"
"And some qualifiers."
"I'll do it only if we split the money."
"I don't care about the money. I want the trophy."
"Sign me up then."
"You made my day," she said, shaking with giddiness. She hugged me and skipped to the showers.
Helen was added to the friend column.
I MADE ONE LAST CALL to Jake. He didn't answer. I left my final message telling him that I would be calling my dad that night and I had to tell him something. Within an hour Jake called me back. Hearing his voice for the first time made my heart blip a few beats, but his tone was flat and unforgiving.
"Hello, Emma."
"Hi, Jake. How are you?"
"Good."
"And Bianca?" My voice went into a phony high pitch. Did he pick up on it?
"She's fine."
"Tell her I'm sorry."
"I will."
I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. I was alone in my new bedroom and glad that Zach wasn't nearby. He'd see how school-girly nervous I was and he'd hate it. "I haven't told my dad anything. I assume you haven't told Ron either."
"No."
"Zach thinks I should tell Dad the truth."
"I'm sure Zach thinks a lot of things," Jake said bitterly.
"I can't keep lying to him."
Jake let out a deep sarcastic sigh. "I don't want you to tell him the truth."
"I don't want to either, but I can't keep doing this."
"It's not like your dad will figure out we aren't living together anymore. It's not like he visits."
"He hasn't, but he might."
A long silence followed. It gave me time to think about what he said. Why didn't he want me to tell Dad the truth? Was it because he may come off as a jerk? That Dad would be so disappointed and disgusted with him? That Ron might get mad?
"I think you should tell Paul that you have a boyfriend and decided to move in with him."
My jaw dropped and I was at a loss for words. I hated how easily that plan would work, but Dad, and more importantly Grandpa, wouldn't be impressed. And this way Jake would have no blood on his hands.
"Okay." I can't believe how quickly I agreed to it. "I won't tell him right away because he won't believe it."
"Fine, do whatever you want."
"Jake, I am so sorry the way things happened. I hope that we can work it out."
"Emma, I have to go."
With that he hung up. I stared at my phone for a while and wanted to cry. Jake severed ties with me and didn't care one bit.
I sat for a few minutes before putting down my phone and finding Zach in the living room watching hockey. I plopped down next to him.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"Jake talked to me all of three seconds. He doesn't want me to tell Dad the truth. He wants me to tell him that I met a guy and moved in with him. Presumably you. Not sure my dad will fall for that one."
Zach tore his eyes off the game and scowled at me. "You do realize what he's doing, right? This way he comes off like an angel. I've told you before, tell your dad everything."
"He'll be gutted."
"I think he'll be outraged and proud of the fact you stood up for yourself." He shifted his body to face me. "You want to know what I think the real reason is? If you tell your dad, it officially ends whatever it is you think you have with Jake. That's why you're worried. If Jake is half the guy you think he is, if you tell the truth he'll come around and you'll be friends again."
I hated that Zach was right, but telling Dad now would serve no purpose other than starting trouble. "I know you aren't going to believe me, but I want to tell Dad in person. The last thing I need or want is for him to flip out on Ron. They've been friends their entire lives and I think if I tell Dad face to face, I can keep him calm. I'll go down in a few weeks and tell him."
"And until then?"
"I'm going to pretend that everything here is going along smoothly."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EMMA
The first day back at school was a cold one. I wrapped my pink wool scarf tightly around my face and walked, then nearly ran to my building. Zach followed closely behind and when we reached the glass double doors he grasped onto my arm. "We meet back here at three?" His intense stare said it all. Watch my back.
"Is that when the Zach train leaves?" I said for levity.
He smirked. "Yes, so don't be late. This train leaves on time."
I stuck to large crowds. I couldn't believe how paranoid I was. I went to class, ventured to the library, and hit the cafeteria. I made no other stops and saw none of Bianca's crew. Campus was enormous, I had no classes with any of her friends, and the odds of running into them were remote. I trudged back to our meeting spot at three and saw Zach there with a perky blonde. I kept my distance, not wanting to interrupt, but something tugged at me. The way they laughed and how she playfully touched his arm bugged me. If he was possibly into me, why was he flirting with other girls? Reality hit. Because he wasn't into me.
They each pulled out their phones and obviously exchanged numbers. She was blushing now, having scored the number of Zach Walker. There couldn't be another guy on campus who was a bigger catch. They said a few more words and she scampered off. I approached him and pretended that I hadn't seen a thing.
"Hey," he said, a smile still plastered on his face. "How was your day?"
"Exciting," I deadpanned. "How was yours?"
"Not too bad. Ran into Genie. She's coming over for dinner. Hope you don't mind."
"The girl you were talking to? That was your sister?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "No, that was someone from class."
Of course it was. "Oh. Well, I'm looking forward to meeting Genie."
"I thought you'd make some awesome meal to show off your skills."
I was still thinking about the cute blonde and only half-listening to what he was saying. He rambled on some more as we walked back to his truck. When he fell silent, I realized he was waiting for me to say something.
"Well?"
"I missed that last part."
"What time should I tell her to come?"
"Six. We can eat around six-thirty."
He texted her and I got into the truck and sulked. It had been nice to think that Zach had some interest in me other than pity. That dumb friend of his, the one I hadn't even seen and didn't know the name of, had gotten my hopes up that maybe, just maybe, a member of the opposite sex under the age of eighty and over the age of ten found me attractive. I hadn’t thought I was interested, but I couldn’t deny that Zach was gorgeous, smart, and had an amazing personality. What woman wouldn't want him?
"So what are we having?"
I hadn't even thought about it. I went through my last grocery run. "How about pork Wellington, roasted potatoes and a salad? Is that enough?"
"I'm foaming at the mouth just thinking about it, but Genie won't eat pork."
I know who else was foaming at the mouth. The blonde with his number. "I don't have any other protein. How about a vegetarian lasagna?"
"She'll love that."
We chatted about school until we got back to the apartment. While he stationed himself in front of the television, I got to work. Dinner was pretty simple because I was doing some cheating. I wasn't making the lasagna noodles from scratch, but I did have homemade sauce, and a variety of cheeses to add to it. A little ricotta, mozzarella and asiago for punch. If I'd had more time, I would have attempted a dessert, but after a long day at school and a whole lot of watching my back, my heart just wasn't in it.
Zach dragged himself from sports highlights to set the table as I was putting everything into the oven. I really was looking forward to meeting Genie, the sister I knew so little about. She had a boyfriend that she lived with; beyond that she was a mystery.
The front door swung open suddenly and I nearly jump
ed out of my skin. A young woman, her thick mane of dark brown hair flowing behind her, breezed in. Her enormous brown eyes fixed on me, and wide smile spread across her face. "You must be Emma," she said.
"Yes. Genie?"
"The one and only."
Zach waved over his shoulder from the position he'd resumed on the sofa. "Hey, Genie."
"It's great to meet you," she said, scooping me into a hug. I was tall, but Genie was easily an inch or two taller. I put her at five foot ten. Good looks apparently ran in the family. The Walker family seemed to be blessed with everything life could offer them. "I've heard so many great things about you," she said, releasing me and hanging her coat.
"You have?"
"Don't be so surprised. You seem so sweet."
Sweet? I'd never been called that before. "Uh, thanks."
"And I hear you're an amazing cook," she said, standing in front of me. She was stunning, but still somehow approachable.
"I like to cook. And thank you for letting me have your room."
She waved it off like it was nothing. "No problem. At least now Zachy isn't all alone."
"Zachy didn't mind being alone," he said.
"Don't listen to him. He loves having you here."
Zach and Genie started catching up on family drama, which I didn't feel comfortable listening to. I checked on my lasagna, then began working on the salad. A few minutes later I had everything on the table ready to eat. Zach and Genie took their seats as I plated food. Genie looked at her plate and whistled.
"This looks delicious. If you eat like this all the time, how to you keep that figure of yours?"
"I have my dad's metabolism."
We all started to eat.
"Emma, this is to die for," Genie said after her first bite. "Where did you learn to cook?"
"My grandma taught me, and I like to find recipes and play around with them."
"I think I might need to come around more often."
"Technically, you do live here," Zach said wryly.
Genie turned her attention back to me. "I hear you had a run-in with Zach's cohorts. You're welcome to hang out with my friends any time."
