by Pamela Ann
Courtney hadn’t mentioned anything about it, but then again, that was typical her. She was thoughtful like that. I made a mental note to call her as soon as I could.
“Really? That’s so nice of her.”
“So nice,” Jackson sarcastically echoed, drawing all eyes to him.
Why was he in such an awful mood?
“Maybe if you guys weren’t always at each other’s throats about every damn subject known to mankind, you’d have a special package, too.”
“I always thought you had a crush on her. It’s too bad.” My grandmother’s statement astonished all of us.
What was she talking about? Color me extra confused.
My mother took a quick sip of her wine before shaking her head. “Jackson doesn’t like Courtney, Mom. Your memory is skewed. Jackson doesn’t like feisty women like her. She’s too much for your grandson.”
“I’m not senile, nor am I blind, Vicki,” Grandma snapped. “They all spent a lot of time together. Hell, I’m flabbergasted Drew and Chloe haven’t fallen in love yet.”
My mother placed a hand over her heart before gushing at Drew, “Chloe used to adore you. I could literally see hearts in her eyes.”
WTF?
“No, I wasn’t. You guys are being so unreal! Stop.” I wanted to crawl under the table when I felt his gaze on me. I had to do everything in my power not to flicker my eyes at him, unable to handle what would be in them.
“What happened to that boy you used to date last year? What was his name again?” Mom, bless her, came to my rescue just as the food was being served.
“She’s seeing someone,” Jackson butted in proudly. “That’s why you’re seeing all of this.” He gestured toward my salon styled hair and the tight laced-up corset dress.
Jackson was being such a dick. What was wrong with him? Did he know that he was killing me slowly? Drew was here, for fuck’s sake. Why was he being so careless? It was so unlike him.
Glaring at my lamb chops, I wished I could stab my brother so he would just shut it.
“What’s his name?” My mother looked worried as she noted me with renewed vigor.
Knowing how she worked, I bet she would have Cori investigated just to know if he had a perfect credit score. Ugh. My mother was as shallow as they came.
“It’s Cori, and no, I won’t tell you his last name.”
“Does he go to NYU, as well?” Grandma carefully asked, her eyes taking in everything my face showed her, which was too much for my liking.
Shaking my head, I feigned showing interest in the delicious food before me. “No, he chose not to go to college.”
My parents wouldn’t approve of him, but I didn’t care. This was my life, and I was going to live it the way I wanted and not according to someone else’s standards.
My mother cleared her throat, almost glaring at me with those big eyes. “Why not?”
Who cares? I wanted to quip back, but instead, I carefully chose my words. “He’s into bikes. It’s his passion.”
“Bikes?” she screeched a little too loudly.
Setting my knife down, I looked in irritation at the woman who had given birth to me. “Yes, motorcycles.”
She ignored my barbed remark before barking out the next question. “And you’re seeing him tonight?”
“We’re going to the movies.”
“With that dress you have on, you’re going to be doing a hell of a lot.” Grandma winked at me.
Thanks, Grams.
They were all grilling me, and I loathed every second of it. What was even more unnerving was how Drew’s eyes were on me, and I could sense his contempt from across the table.
“When can we meet him?” my mother lightly pressured with a calculated smile.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. When would she stop?
“No, Mom. No one’s meeting him.”
“Why ever not?”
Need she ask?
“Because maybe I don’t want him to get a glimpse of how crazy you all make me. Just leave it alone. I’m fine. Cori’s great, and before your imagination gets the best of you, no, he doesn’t have a criminal record! You seriously need to open your eyes. I’m allowed to see and date whomever I want. You guys aren’t getting anything from me. This discussion needs to shut down, or I’m walking out of here.”
“Anyone care for a fruit tart?” Grandma tried to make light of things when everyone fell silent.
I felt it, the waves, but I couldn’t care less what my mother, Jackson, or my grandmother thought of Cori. There was only one opinion that mattered most to me, and he wasn’t at all pleased.
It was stifling, and I was about to have a panic attack.
Heaving slightly, I took hold of my purse before clearing my throat. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I can’t do this.” Gazing over at my grandmother, I looked at her pleadingly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise, but I can’t be here.” Lastly, my eyes landed on my one and only sibling. “Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Jackson.”
Jackson tried to explain, but I didn’t want to hear it. How could he do that, and right in front of Drew? It had been only two weeks, and everything was still so fresh. I had been trying to hold it together, but if I was prodded and poked, I would completely fall apart, and I didn’t want that to happen. Consequently, I had to leave and avoid all of them. And since I was already meeting up with Cori later, I was sure he wouldn’t mind if I came to his place early.
Besides, I had to decompress and relax after that wounding ordeal. I couldn’t wait until they left Monday morning. They were driving me crazy. I loved Grandma to death, but with Mom by her side, they were both too much to handle.
★
The following day, Jackson planned to bring them over for dinner, and instead of us cooking, Jackson ordered food. And I took it upon myself to make sure we had some sweets to nibble on. What better solution than cupcakes? It had been ages since I had made any. The more I occupied myself, the better. So I did just that, baking the little red velvet cakes from scratch.
As I was pulling the cakes fresh out of the oven, Jackson came in with the food and the biggest smile on his face.
“Sorry about yesterday. I hope I’m already forgiven.”
“You’re an ass.” I scowled at him before shaking my head in dismay. “What you did was messed up, Jacks. I’ll forgive you if you vow to never do it again. That was all colors of fucked up, and it’s not okay.”
“Promise,” he swore, doing the Scout’s honor salute. “I’ve gotta hit the shower. Mom and Grams are on their way, but I already unlocked the door. We’re good, right?”
“Sure, sure,” I muttered, smiling at him. How could I stay mad at Jackson? It was impossible. He was so likable, and I loved him to bits. Regardless, if he ever chose to do that to me again, I wouldn’t hesitate to stab him with my fork.
Reverting my attention back to the cupcakes, I was in the process of icing them when Drew strolled into the kitchen, making me lose my equilibrium for a brief moment. No one had told me that he was coming over. It would have been nice if Jackson had thrown in a warning. Apparently, that was too much to ask.
“Cupcakes, my favorite,” the man exclaimed with utter delight, ready to devour them.
What the actual fuck! Had that really just come out of his mouth? He used to call me cupcake. How could he be so cruel?
He breezily rounded the counter, standing across from where I stood then drilling me with those fathomless blue depths. “May I have one?”
Anxiously, I gave him a small nod, beside myself and unsure how to act around him.
Licking my lips, I gathered every ounce of my focus to ice the mini treats, saying, “Yeah, help yourself.” This was the first time he and I had spoken since his birthday, so my reaction wasn’t that startling. However, his spur of the moment, easy friendliness was unexpected.
As I watched his large hand pluck one undecorated treat, it took a great deal out of me not to dwell on what those hands were capable of. I had
missed him, but I hadn’t realized how much until this moment.
Overwhelmed with monumental nostalgia, I had to chew on the inside of my cheek just so I didn’t say something that would evoke another row between us.
“This is so good,” he groaned with utter delight before taking another bite. “It’s just as I remembered.”
Those sounds he was making weren’t helping my libido. Dying a little inside, I had to press my legs together, all thanks to those guttural sounds he had made.
“Thanks,” I mumbled back, trying to ignore the fact that I was getting aroused. My body was a lost cause, so I tried to think of other things, such as why he was being nice to me all of a sudden. He had been an ass last night, ignoring me, and then, less than twenty-four hours later, in he comes with a smile on his face as if we were the best of friends again.
While I was still icing the cupcakes, my phone beeped, and since my hands were literally full and sticky from the excess icing, I chose to disregard it and continued with my task.
“Is he treating you well?”
His question threw me off guard. Why was he concerned all of a sudden? Wasn’t he the one who had treated me like crap, using and throwing me away? Cori, on the other hand, had been respectful enough. Although he had pushed the boundaries when making out, he had stopped pressuring me.
“Of course.”
“That’s all I need to know,” he stated flatly.
Right. Whatever his motives were, they eluded me. It was difficult to read a man like Drew who was used to hiding his motivations. Even when angry, it would take a great deal for him to unmask himself.
Thank goodness my grandmother and mother arrived, breaking the awkward tension between us.
The atmosphere between the five of us reminded me of old times. Not only did nostalgia come at me full-throttle, but Drew seemed more amiable toward me. He didn’t really do much other than passing me the bowl of mashed potatoes, but it signified how he was gradually thawing his icy treatment of me. Compared to yesterday, it was black and white.
When Mom and Grandma left, I thought Drew had left with them, but when I noticed his bedroom was open, I was startled to find him in there, sitting at the edge of his old bed, deep in thought.
“Sorry, I thought you had already left.”
Looking up, he shook his head. “I didn’t.”
Torn between leaving him and curiosity, I chose the latter.
“If you still plan on moving out, I can pack everything for you so you won’t have to bother.” My offer had a motive. I had kept some of his shirts, thinking he might not come back for a long time. And since I had grown attached to those shirts, I didn’t plan on handing them back. So hopefully, he wouldn’t notice them gone.
Pressing his lips together, he let out a deep breath before looking about the room, as if noting how much he had to pack up. “No, I’ll do it myself. I’ll come back later when I get a chance.”
Feeling as though I was interrupting his solace, I decided to leave him be. “All right, then.” Nodding at him, I gave him a tight smile before gripping the door, readying to leave.
“Chloe?” he called out to me.
“Yeah?”
Our eyes locked for what seemed like forever, but I knew it was only mere seconds. It felt as though he wanted to say something yet couldn’t bring himself to form the words.
“Goodnight.” He broke eye contact and whatever else we had just shared in those few glorious seconds.
“You, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
For the past month, I had submerged myself in work, school, and being around my boys. Not a day went by that I didn’t come home, close to passing out from exhaustion. It was the way I coped, not wanting to think about Drew and what he had been up to.
After my grandma and mom had left, I hadn’t seen nor heard from him. From what I had gathered from Jackson, they still went out to sporting events together, but Drew never stopped by the condo, nor did he ever get the chance to pack his things.
Life carried on for me, and for a time, Cori was a good distraction, but after several weeks of declining him, he became frustrated, so much so that I felt pressured to simply just give in to his demands. However, I eventually outright told him that I couldn’t do it and that he needed to find someone else, that I wasn’t ready to give him the carnal cravings he so adamantly wanted. Let’s just say that he wasn’t at all pleased. I sat him down and fully explained myself, and in the end, he apologized for pressing on the issue. We promised to keep in contact, and he said he would hold out hope that, maybe someday, we could try again.
He was a great guy, so if that time ever came and he was still willing to start over, then great. If not, then I wished him all the best in life.
Halloween came and went, which I celebrated with Manolo and Chuey. Although things were almost the same, I couldn’t help noticing something was off with Chuey. Manolo and I faulted his recent break-up with Jordy.
He tended to get depressed once drunk. It came to a point where he was in tears, recalling their memories together. Since I was in the same boat, we bonded. I didn’t divulge as much as he did, feeling like, if I shared those moments with someone else, then they wouldn’t be as special. Those beautiful memories were mine and mine alone.
The only thing that kept my memories alive and the only connection I had with him that was left behind was his bedroom. If he took that away, too, I wasn’t sure what I would do. Besides, I was sure his brand new belongings were much better than the ones he had there. His things at the condo represented his past, the old him. And the things he had in the hotel symbolized his new life. So here was to hoping Drew would stay too busy to remember his things. That was my only comfort, the anchor that kept me from spiraling out of control.
As the weeks carried on, I began to like working under Nola, the intern I was an assistant with. Just like the rumors, she took self-entitlement to a whole different playing field, but unlike the others who were intimidated by her arrogance and snobbishness, I actually found it refreshing. I mean, apart from my mundane life, Nola and the guys were the only invigorating aspects in my life, partly because they were so full of life. And while I was the polar opposite, through them, I got to absorb some of their amazing zest in living life to the fullest.
Nola and I weren’t friends. Heck, she was barely friendly toward me. Yet, somehow during the weeks I worked under her and her unending criticisms, we had found common ground. That happened when I accidentally learned that she had just gotten her heart broken, as well. If I hadn’t known that fact, I wouldn’t have had a clue, because she hadn’t shown any signs of it.
In some ways, my admiration for her grew. Underneath that strong-willed, bitch-better-get-out-of-my-way attitude was a vulnerable woman who had learned how to take care of herself at the age of sixteen. She was a force to be reckoned with, and if I could just get a quarter of her mentality, I could rule everything I had set my sights on. Until that day happened, I was left learning whatever I could from her.
On the day I was supposed to leave with Jackson so we could spend Thanksgiving back on the west coast, Nola called, informing me that I had an hour to meet her for an emergency shoot. Apparently, the entire spread for next month’s cover was getting scrapped.
Thanksgiving was a day away, but if I had any designs on being taken seriously, sacrifices had to be made. Therefore, I had to tell my brother to fly out, and I would reschedule my flight for the first one out.
“There’s a snow storm hitting here before noon tomorrow, Chlo. You better fly out before then, or you’ll end up getting stuck here, and we didn’t grocery shop. So make sure your flight is rescheduled now, or you’re going to get bumped if you wait until the last minute.”
It was already last minute, but I didn’t have time nor the patience to argue with him. I promised him that I would reschedule the flight while en route to the shoot, which was taking place in Central Park.
With the weather so lousy and chilly, I
wasn’t sure how they were going to pull this off without catching a cold. Of course, I supposed a cold wasn’t that big of a deal when there was a deadline.
The entire chaotic ordeal took a little over six hours due to everything going wrong, from lighting to lacking people. We were left to work with what we had. And by the time I had the chance to call the airlines to reschedule, it was already past midnight. Getting a seat at one of the busiest times of the year was hell, and the best they could do for me was to put me on stand-by.
Starving and tired from no sleep, I dropped by the condo to gather my luggage then made my way to the airport. Even at five in the morning, the airport was a jungle of people.
After getting bumped for three flights, I knew my chance of getting a seat before the snow storm hit was slim to none. The urge to cry was high. Jackson was on the phone with me, and we both conceded that it was time to give it up.
“I know you’re tired, but hang on for a little bit more until I can book a car to pick you up,” Jackson insisted as I dejectedly sunk back into my seat.
“Cabs are fine, Jacks. Don’t worry about me.”
“You’re tired, so the odds are, you’re going to fall asleep in the cab on the way back. I’d rather take my chances with a well-known, secured driver than some random guy who might take advantage.”
He had a point.
“All right. Text me when and where, and I’ll be waiting. And, Jacks … Thank you for being the great you.”
He gave a hearty laugh. “Anytime, booger face.”
His silly names for me wouldn’t ever change. And as much as he drove me crazy at times, he was a great brother.
Much to my disappointment, I had to make a quick call to Grandma, my parents, and my best friend Courtney, telling them I wouldn’t be able to make it, but I would definitely see them at Christmas.
When my phone beeped with Jackson’s message, a wave of relief washed over me.
Thirty-five minutes. Arrivals. Go to carousel 1.
It took forever to get to the carousel—forty minutes to be exact. Hopefully, the driver hadn’t arrived yet, or I would have to join in the hundreds of people milling around to get their ride to the city.
