“I came as soon as I heard. Danny has always been a good friend of mine and I didn’t want him to deal with this alone,” she said as she looked out across the water.
“He’s not alone, he has Jordan to take care of him and I’m here too,” I said.
“Well I know that now silly. I had no idea he even had a cousin, they never mentioned you before. Do you live nearby?”
I shook my head. “No, I live in West Virginia. I grew up in Charleston but now I’m in Morgantown attending W.V.U.”
Her smiled brightened. “What a small world! I went there for a couple of years before transferring back here. I didn’t want to leave, but my mom needed me here.”
“I guess it is, isn’t it? Are you still in school?”
“Nah, I graduated earlier this year, but I’m taking a year off before I start job hunting.”
“I see,” I said, unable to think of anything else to say.
We were silent for several minutes before she spoke again. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you and Jordan together?”
My eyes widened, “No, why would you think that?”
“I thought I was walking in on some kind of private moment in there earlier. I was just curious,” she said.
“No, Jordan and I are just friends. I have a boyfriend,” I said as I thought of Drake and smiled.
“Oh, you’ve got that love struck look written all over your face. He must be something special! Tell me about him,” she said excitedly.
I felt like a fourteen year old telling her friends about her first real boyfriend, but I couldn’t help myself. Kadi was surprisingly easy to talk to and it felt nice to talk about Drake.
“I don’t even know where to start; Drake is just… Drake. He’s moody and bossy at times and he tries to act all badass, but he’s really not. He is so sweet when we’re together and tries his hardest to take care of me. He just makes me feel… I don’t know, I guess he makes me feel alive. And he has to be the hottest guy I have ever seen in my life. Dark hair, dark eyes, tattoos, piercings, dear lord I could go on forever,” I smiled sheepishly as I finished my speech. “Sorry, I think I got a little carried away there.”
She laughed. “Not at all, I think I just fell for him after that description. He sounds like the perfect guy.”
“He is,” I sighed happily.
“Then why isn’t he here with you?” She asked.
“He’s in a band and they’ve had shows scheduled for months in advance. I couldn’t let him give that up just for me. Once everything is settled here, I’m going to catch up with him on the road.”
“I don’t blame you, but doesn’t it make you nervous to have him out on the road all by himself?”
“No, I trust him. He wouldn’t do that to me,” I said.
“I’m glad you guys are so tight, I bet it makes it a lot easier to be around Jordan all day.”
I had no idea what she was trying to say with that comment, but it bothered me. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“Oh come on, Jordan is to die for. Being stuck in a house alone with him day after day has to be a big temptation, no matter how good this Drake guy is. You’re only human.”
“Not at all,” I said calmly, even though my temper was starting to rise, “Jordan is just my friend. Are you asking this because you think I’m cheating on my boyfriend with him or because you’re interested in Jordan and are trying to find out if he’s available?”
She bit her lip. “Am I really that obvious?”
“Depends on which option you’re talking about.”
“I have a bit of a thing for Jordan, but I don’t think he’s interested. I was with Danny for a while and I think that threw him off,” she said as she smiled timidly.
“I don’t really talk girls with Jordan, so I can’t help you out there. All I can tell you is that there is nothing going on between the two of us.”
I actually felt kind of sorry for her. I knew she had no chance with Jordan; he could barely stand her, yet here she was, trying to get information out of me about him. Maybe he was overreacting about her going after Danny; maybe she really was just here to help him. I decided to pass no judgment on her until I got to know her better.
“Well that’s good to know. I’m sorry if I came off kind of rude, that wasn’t my intention.”
I smiled as I stood. “No problem, I get it now. I’m going to head back inside to check on my aunt. Were you planning on staying for dinner?”
“No, but I want to tell Danny bye before I leave. I’ll swing by tomorrow for a little while to hang out if that’s ok with you?”
“That’s fine with me. Danny could use some company, he never leaves this place anymore,” I said as I walked to the patio doors and slid them open. I made it no further than the stairs when Jordan came running down them and almost knocked me over.
“Whoa! What’s wrong?” I shouted as I grabbed him to keep from falling.
“Chloe! I was just coming to get you. It’s Jen,” he said in a near panic.
In that moment, I knew. Seeing Jordan like this told me everything; Aunt Jen was gone, but I had to ask.
“What? What about her?” I asked as tears filled my eyes.
“She’s gone. Her nurse came to get us, but by the time we made it back up to her room it was too late,” he whispered.
I felt my legs give out as he supported me. I knew it was coming, but now that it had happened I realized I hadn’t prepared myself at all. I hadn’t known my aunt that well, but I knew enough to realize the world had just lost someone very special. I let my tears fall as he held me close and tried to comfort me.
“It’s alright Chloe Bear, don’t cry. She isn’t suffering anymore,” he whispered into my ear as he sat down on the stairs and pulled me into his lap.
“I should go, I’m sure you guys want to be alone right now. Just let Danny know I’m here if he needs me,” Kadi said from the doorway.
In my shock, I had completely forgotten about her being here. I felt horrible for her seeing me with Jordan like this when I knew she had feelings for him. I pulled away slightly, but he kept his arms around me.
“Thanks, I’ll let him know,” he mumbled as he focused his attention on me.
I heard the door click and knew that we were alone again. “I’m alright, but I need to see Danny. Where is he?”
“He was still with her when I came to find you. Just give him a little while, he needs time to process it.”
I pulled away from him and stood. “I’m going to go wait in his room. I don’t…” I took a deep breath, “I can’t be around her. I just can’t.”
I had never dealt with death before this, and I wasn’t sure how to feel exactly. I’d never had so much as a goldfish to mourn and here I was trying to find a way to accept the death of a family member.
My mother decided to walk in at that moment. She took one look at my tear-stained face and dropped her purse to the floor as she ran to me. She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer to her. “What?! What’s wrong? Is it Jen?” She asked as she shook me slightly.
Unable to find my voice, I simply nodded.
She released me and ran past Jordan up the stairs.
I looked at Jordan, unsure what to do. “Should we try to stop her? I don’t want Danny dealing with her right now.”
He shook his head. “There’s no point. It’s her sister and she’s going to be in there no matter what we do. I don’t want to fight with her around him right now.”
I nodded as I started up the stairs. “I just want to be alone right now.”
“I understand, just come find me if you need someone.”
I stopped at my room long enough to change out of my bikini before continuing down the hall to Danny’s room. I knew he wouldn’t be in there, but I wanted to be there for him when he was. The door opened easily when I pushed and I looked around as I entered. Everything was neat and tidy in his room, no clothes on the floor or anything which surprised me since most guys
were total slobs; even Drake could be if I didn’t remind him to pick up after himself.
I sat down on the neatly made bed and pulled my legs up to my chest. I had no clue how to comfort Danny when he came in here; I wasn’t even sure how to handle my aunt’s death myself. All I could do was keep my promise to her and be there for him when he needed me.
I debated calling Drake, but decided against it. I knew he would know how upset I was and he’d want to come back to be here with me. I needed to calm down before I spoke with him so that he wouldn’t feel guilty. I wished he could be here for me; he always knew what to do and I felt lost without his comfort.
I looked up as the door opened and Danny stepped inside. His face was red and splotchy from crying and he looked completely broken. We simply stared at each other, neither knowing exactly what to say. He finally walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I held him tight as he broke down in my arms. I’m not sure how long we sat there together, both trying to take comfort in the other.
Chapter Nine
Chloe
The next few days passed in a blur as people I had never met before drifted in and out of the house; several of them bringing us tons of food we would never eat as they gave their condolences. Danny was still struggling with it all, but he put on a brave face as he greeted every guest with the polite and collected disposition of his status within the community. I, on the other hand, hid in my room like a six-year-old as much as possible until everyone left for the night.
Jordan drifted between Danny and I, trying to make sure we were both alright. He was obviously hurting as well; he had practically grown up here with Danny, and Jennifer was like a second mom to him, but he pushed it back to make sure we were taken care of. My mom stayed here most of the time, but she kept her distance from me. I could tell she was hurting, but I knew better than try to comfort her.
I had finally pulled myself together enough to call Drake the day after she passed away. My voice shook as I explained what had happened, but I managed to keep myself from completely falling apart. Drake had immediately offered to come back, saying that the tour could wait if I needed him. I refused, explaining that Jordan was helping me and that there was no need for him to cancel shows and cause the band to lose money. He hadn’t been happy with it, but he finally agreed.
Kadi surprised me by showing up the next day like she said she would. She had been back every day since then and was doing her best to help Danny. He seemed to truly appreciate her being there, and I was thankful that she had stuck around. She had even come with Jordan a couple of times when he would check on me in my room. I felt like maybe we had misjudged her intentions, she seemed to be trying her hardest to help all of us.
The day of the actual funeral was the hardest by far. In my daze, I hadn’t even thought about what to wear and I quickly realized I had nothing that was suitable for a funeral, so Jordan and I ran to the local shopping plaza to find a dress and a pair of heels. I finally found a plain black dress and a pair of shoes in the third store we went in. I paid quickly as Jordan rushed us out of the store and back home, trying to make sure that we wouldn’t be late.
We made it back just minutes before the limo arrived at the house. I rode next to Jordan on the way to the funeral home while Kadi sat with Danny and tried to comfort him. My mother came with us as well, but she sat on the opposite side of the limo from the rest of us. When we arrived, they gave us a few minutes to say our final goodbyes before they started letting the mourners in.
This was the first time I had seen my aunt since she passed, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew everyone said that once someone was gone, they didn’t look anything like how they did in life. As I followed Jordan to stand in front of her casket, I realized they were right.
This thin pale woman was not my aunt and I refused to remember her like this; I would picture her the way she was that summer so long ago. Her hair shining in the sunlight, her eyes sparkling with mischief, her skin glowing and tanned from the hours she spent in the sun; that’s how I wanted to remember her.
I felt my breaths grow shallow and I ran to the nearest exit to avoid the panic attack that seemed to be drawing near. I flung the doors open and breathed in the fresh air, a welcome reprieve from the stale flowery air inside. My body started to relax as I stood there, and I could finally breathe again.
I jumped when warm hands wrapped around both of my shoulders.
“You alright Chloe Bear?” Jordan asked.
“Yeah, I just had to get out of there for a minute.”
“I can understand that, I know this is rough on you,” he said as he massaged my shoulders.
“It is, but it’s harder on you and Danny. I appreciate you watching out for me, but you need to mourn too. You’ve barely said anything since it happened,” I said as I turned to face him.
His hands dropped to his sides as he turned to look across the street. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. I deal with things in my own way.”
“By suffering in silence? I don’t think so Jordan, you need to talk about it. You know I’m here if you need me.”
“I know that Chloe and I appreciate it, I really do, but I don’t talk about stuff like this,” he said.
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “Well, if you change your mind come find me.”
He pulled away, looking uncomfortable, and I dropped my hand to my side.
“We’d better get back inside before someone comes looking for us,” he said as he cleared his throat.
I nodded as he took my hand and led me back inside.
The funeral services were beautiful. So many people showed up that there weren’t enough chairs for everyone and several people were forced to stand in the back of the room. It brought tears to my eyes as person after person asked to speak about my aunt. She had touched so many lives during her time on this Earth and I felt a sense of pride just being related to such an outstanding woman.
After the services were over, we followed in the limo directly behind the hearse to the cemetery. Danny finally lost it when they lowered her casket and Jordan had to help him back to the car. Most people held a banquet in honor of the deceased, but Danny had requested that no events be scheduled for her. I knew it was because he was reaching the end of his rope stress wise and I respected that. I had never seen the point in throwing a party over someone dying anyway.
When we arrived back at the house, Kadi and Jordan made sure Danny got to his room while I changed back into comfortable clothes. As soon as I had my dress off, I threw it in the garbage can. I know it seems childish, but I never wanted to look at it again; all it would do was remind me of this day.
My mother hadn’t come back with us after the services and I hoped that she would stay away, at least for a few more hours. I didn’t have it in me to put up with her and I knew Danny wouldn’t be able to watch out for me. That left Jordan to play babysitter again and I didn’t want to put any more stress on him; he had enough to deal with today.
I spent the rest of the day sitting by the pool with Jordan and Kadi as Jordan shared stories about Aunt Jen from his childhood. I laughed as he told story after story about him and Danny getting in trouble for anything from playing simple pranks to coming home drunk one night and Aunt Jen grounding both of them. Danny appeared a couple of hours later and started tell his own stories. He was still hurting, but it was good to see him smile at the memories of his childhood.
I told everyone goodnight and made my way up to my room. The day had been tiring and Aunt Jen’s lawyer would be here tomorrow to discuss her will. I needed all the sleep I could get for that fiasco, because my mother would be there and she would find out exactly what my aunt had left her; nothing. I debated on buying full body armor to wear to the reading tomorrow; I would probably need it by the time she got done with me.
It was late, but I decided to try calling Drake. I knew he was probably still working and sure enough, I was sent straight to his voicemail. I left him a message letting him
know that everything had gone ok and I would talk to him tomorrow so he wouldn’t worry about me. This was the first day that we hadn’t talked at all. It worried me, but I pushed it aside. It was only one day, not a week, and we were both busy.
I closed my eyes and imagined Drake with me, bringing me the warmth and comfort I desperately needed after today. Just the thought brought a smile to my face.
I woke the next morning to Jordan gently shaking me.
“Whatdayawant?” I mumbled, trying to pull the covers back over my head as he ripped them off.
He laughed as he grabbed them again and pulled them to the bottom of the bed. “Wake up sunshine. Lunch is ready and that lawyer guy will be here in an hour.”
“Ugh, what time is it?” I asked.
“Just after one, so get your butt up and get dressed.”
I sat up on one elbow and glared at him. “You know, I could have been naked under the covers, might want to think about that next time.”
“Do you usually make a habit of sleeping naked?” He asked with a smirk.
“Only when Drake’s around,” I said as I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Well a guy can dream anyway; now get up before I make you get up,” he said as he walked to my bedroom door, “If you’re not downstairs in twenty, I’ll be back for you. Naked or not.”
He closed the door as I stood up and crossed the room to my dresser. I had no idea what you were supposed to wear to a reading, so I settled on a simple knee-length skirt and one of the few dressy shirts I had thought to bring with me. I applied a small amount of make-up and managed to pull my hair into a semi-neat bun to keep it out of my face.
Despite the purple streaks that I had running through my hair, I felt like I looked presentable enough. Not that it mattered anyway; my aunt’s lawyer wouldn’t care what I looked like as long as I was there so he could do his job.
Just as I was about to walk out the door, my phone rang. I smiled when I saw Drake’s face pop up on the screen.
Twisted (Torn Series) Page 9
