T is for...he's a TOTAL jerk (Grover Beach Team #3)

by Piper Shelly

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but fine, get me your parents on the phone, Samantha.”

  What? My eyes shot open at my aunt’s words. She’d agreed?

  “I’m not promising anything just yet,” she warned us then, propping her elbows on the table. “I’m only going to talk to Mrs. Summers and hear what she thinks.”

  That was all we could ask of her. Punching in the number Sam recited, I could barely contain my hopeful grin. At the first ring, I handed her my phone.

  By Sam’s fast breathing, I could tell she was as nervous as I was.

  “Mom? Hi, it’s me, Sammy.” She moved her glassy gaze to me, and I place my hand to her cheek, trying to look confident. “I’m sorry. I was with friends and forgot my phone at the house.” Sam paused, taking the time to breathe in deeply. “I’m fine. Right now I’m at the house of a friend’s aunt. She wants to talk to you about an idea. A possibility for me to stay…maybe.” Another pause. “Right. I’ll give her the phone now.”

  Sam handed the cell to Carry, who rose from the table and walked to the door. “Hello. I’m Caroline Jackson, your daughter’s Arts teacher. I hear there’s an issue with her family…”

  The door closed behind her, and we heard no more.

  CHAPTER 24

  Through the window in Caroline Jackson’s kitchen, we saw her wander up and down the yard while she spoke to my mother on the phone. Damn, how long would this take? Tony and I had been waiting for over ten minutes now. My nerves on edge, I snuggled deeper into his embrace, needing his warmth and the safety I felt with him.

  “This is madness,” I whispered against the dark green fabric of his thin sweatshirt. “What if my parents don’t agree? And what if your aunt says no after all?”

  “Stop thinking that, Bungee. It’ll work out. It’s our only chance.”

  “Gosh, I hate waiting.”

  “Me, too.” He stroked his fingers through my hair. Suddenly, he pulled away from me and grabbed my hand, dragging me toward the door.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I want to show you something. Anything is better than just growing roots here and getting our nerves wrecked.” He dragged me up the wooden stairs that wound around a high, white column supporting the upper floor. There was a gallery with three doors. On the wall hung paintings, photographs, and drawings, the latter all signed with an unmistakable T.

  Tony gave me no time to examine them. He went for the very last door, pushed it open, and walked inside.

  As I followed him, my breath caught in my throat. Oh my God, this place was beautiful.

  The wooden roof sloped down on both sides, its bright beige color warming the room that otherwise had only bland white walls. There were square windows with a cross made of thin wooden strips on three walls, overlooking the paddock and the garden area where I’d sat with Tony last weekend. Against one wall was a king-size bed with white sheets and a nightstand on either side, made in the same style as the roof. The big, cottage-style wardrobe opposite the door battled with the bed for dominance. A light blue carpet ran the length of the room, then stopped at the step leading to a spacious, sunken living area with a TV, a blue couch, and a small coffee table. Two tall bookshelves were stocked with books for every age. There was also a broad desk at the other side of the room, a kitchenette, and a door that looked like it led to a small bathroom.

  I walked deeper into the room and spun on the spot. “Who lives here?” I breathed.

  “It’s one of the three guestrooms. The prettiest of them all.”

  “A guest room? This is a freaking studio.” Heck, there was room enough to dance in that sitting area.

  “Do you want to live here for the next few months, Samantha?”

  The quiet voice of Tony’s aunt made us both turn to the door. Caroline Jackson stood there with a warm smile gracing her lips.

  Oh, good Lord in heaven. “I want!”

  “Your mom would like to talk to you again.” Her smile widening, she handed me Tony’s phone.

  “Mom?”

  “Hi, sweetheart. Is this what you really want?”

  Unable to stop myself, I broke out in tears, sobbing heavily into the phone. My crying obviously unsettled Tony. He narrowed his eyes at me and mouthed, “Good tears?”

  More tears spilled over as I nodded vigorously at him. To my mom I said, “Yes, I really want this. Please, can I stay here?”

  “I would have loved to see you again. But I also want the best for you, my little darling. I’m going to call Pamela in a minute. Jack needs to cancel that flight.”

  I said goodbye to my mom and hung up, giving Tony his cell phone back. He slipped it into his pocket, then wrapped his arms around me, breathing a relieved sigh into my hair.

  “We’d better move your stuff here fast, before Cloey comes up with the idea of burning it,” he teased me, making me laugh.

  Miss Jackson agreed that we’d talk about everything, such as house rules, guardianship, and work with the horses, after I had settled in. While Tony drove me back to town, he spoke to Ryan on his cell phone and gave him the great news. Even I could hear the gang hollering and hooting in the background. It made my heart flutter inside my chest.

  When we reached my cousin’s house and I got out of Tony’s car, he came in with me.

  As soon as I stepped through the door, Pamela rushed out of the kitchen, flinging her arms around me. “Oh, Sammy! Where have you been? We were so worried. I had to call Jessie Hunter to hear from her son that you were all right and not running away.”

  I hugged her back briefly. “Did my mother call you?” I said in a chilled tone.

  Pamela pulled back, studying my face. “Yes, she did. She told us you’re going to move in with your teacher. Do you think this is a good idea?”

  “Seriously, Pam, do you think it’s a better idea to send me back to Egypt?” I snapped.

  Slowly, my aunt shook her head and whispered, “I’m glad you found a way to stay.”

  I couldn’t be angry with her any longer then. She’d tried her best, I knew that. I squeezed her hand, letting her know I appreciated everything she’d done for me.

  But I hated my uncle.

  As he came down the hallway toward us, I squared my shoulders and kept my expression in check. “I’m going to pack my things now,” I said to my aunt. Striding past my uncle, I acknowledged him with a curt, “Jack.”

  “Mrs. Summers. Mr. Summers,” I heard Tony say to them behind me, his tone as clipped as mine. He followed me upstairs, and when he stepped into my room, he gasped. “Holy fuck!”

  Looking at him over my shoulder, I smirked. “What? You didn’t believe me?”

  “I did. It’s just—I didn’t think it was this bad.”

  “It was a bit of a nasty shock for me too, when I woke up to this.”

  Tony picked up my clothes. I folded and set them on my bed, then placed them into the suitcase I had come here with. On top, I put my drawing stuff, my music, my toiletries, and the few books I’d brought. My school books went into my backpack, and I tucked my cell into my pocket. Now I should have everything.

  When I turned around, Tony was inspecting my laptop. Most of the screen was gone, and booting it up was impossible. He caught my sad gaze. “Don’t worry. We’ll find you a new one.”

  “That’s not it,” I said weakly. “All the pictures I had on it, files, documents. It’s like a whole lot of memories got lost.”

  “I’ll have Frederickson take a look. He’s good like that with computers. He probably can retrieve your stuff and save it on a flash drive for you.”

  I hoped so.

  We carried my stuff down to his car and loaded it into the trunk. Then it was time to say goodbye. Tony waited in the car while I headed back to the house. Pamela stood in the doorway.

  I stopped in front of her, taking a deep breath. “Well, I guess that’s it. I’m ready to go.”

  “Take care, Sammy.” She took both my hands in hers. “And if you need anything or
somebody to talk to…let me know.”

  “You still don’t believe me, do you?” It almost broke my heart again, but this time I didn’t let it get to me.

  “I’m trying to. But we’re talking about Cloey. I can’t believe she would do something this terrible to you. Just look at her now. She even cut her hair and dyed it black. You mean so much to her that she wants to be like you.”

  Yeah, right. And that’s where the bad influence from my side comes in.

  I shook my head, giving up all hope. “Tell Jack I said goodbye, okay?”

  Pamela nodded, releasing my hands. “I’ll miss you, Sam.”

  “Take care, Pamela.” I turned on my heel. The sound of the door closing behind me made my heart twitch.

  But the fiasco wasn’t over yet. Cloey’s car cruised up the street at that moment. She parked behind Tony, got out, and stalked over to me in her high heels that made her endless bare legs appear even longer. Folding her arms over her chest, she sneered at me. “Ready to go home, little cousin?”

  I wanted to scratch out her eyes. But what good would it do me? I had won all along. She just didn’t know it yet.

  “Why did you do it?” I asked in return, my voice cold. “Why go to these lengths to get rid of me? Did you think you’d get Tony back once I was gone?”

  Shock about my accusation gleamed in her eyes, even though she tried to hide it behind a nonchalant laugh. But then the hurt took over. “I don’t care if I get him back. I just don’t want you to have him. You came here—and stole everything from me. It’s time you left, Samantha.”

  I remembered tea parties in Wonderland. Dressing up as princesses with quilts draped over our shoulders. Pretending we were dolphins in their pool…

  But this was not the girl I remembered. The happiness had gone from her laugh, the warmth in her eyes had ceased. I could turn away now and not feel like I was leaving a beloved relative behind. But first she needed to know.

  “I guess no one informed you yet. I’m moving in with Tony’s aunt. She’s happy to have me there.”

  Cloey sucked in a sharp breath.

  “What you did was so shitty. And now it turns out you failed to get rid of me after all. Goodbye, Cloey.” I whirled around, trying to rein in my shaking body, and walked to Tony’s car.

  As soon as I sat next to him, he turned the key in the ignition and drove off. I didn’t look out the window or at my cousin as we passed her. My gaze was locked on my clasped hands in my lap.

  *

  We sat on the couch in Ryan’s beach house. All of us who had come together this morning, and also Allie and Sasha, who were officially a couple since last night. Like Tony and me.

  I nestled my head under his chin, placing my feet on the couch, enjoying his stroking my hair and neck. Strange how much my life had changed in the past twenty-four hours. Everything had fallen into place. I was relaxed, happy, and awfully in love with the guy next to me. What he’d done for me today was beyond amazing.

  When Ryan went into the kitchen, Tony shouted around the lollipop between his teeth, which he’d stolen from me a minute ago, “Bring me a Coke, please, would you?”

  “Sure. Anyone else want one?” Ryan replied.

  Susan and Alex shouted Yes. Liza started to order something too, but Ryan’s phone buzzing on the coffee table cut her short. She looked up with her brows knitted together. “It’s Brinna,” she said.

  Ryan popped his head out from the kitchen. “Put her on loudspeaker.” Liza pushed a button and set the phone back on the tabletop. “Hey, Brin!” Ryan shouted from the kitchen then. “What’s up?”

  “Hunter! You must help me!”

  Instantly, everyone in the room straightened at her tear-strained voice. Shock traveled through my every nerve. This was bad.

  Ryan strode back to the living room and handed out the drinks as he demanded, “What happened?”

  “It’s Cloey. She lost it!”

  “What do you mean she lost it?” I shot out.

  “Samantha? Is that you?” I couldn’t identify if she was glad to hear my voice or shocked. “Oh, it’s so terrible.”

  “Tell me what’s going on,” Ryan said tersely, getting her attention back.

  “Cloey’s trashed. She totaled her car.”

  I clapped a hand to my mouth, imagining Cloey squeezed in behind the steering wheel of a wrecked car, and struggled to listen to what Brin tried to tell us between her violent sobs.

  “She called me ten minutes ago and told me where to find her car. I’m here now. It looks so bad, Hunter. I can’t believe Cloey got out of it alive. But she’s gone.” There was more sobbing at the other end.

  “Why is she gone? Where did she go?” Ryan’s demand was intense enough for Brinna to choke back her tears and speak.

  “I don’t know. She won’t answer her phone anymore. But when she called me, I think she was at the beach. I heard the waves in the background.”

  “Did you call her parents?”

  “No. She said I shouldn’t. That all was fine. But her car doesn’t look fine, and I don’t know what to do now. Maybe I should go to the police, or to her home and talk to her mom.”

  “I don’t want her to drive in her current condition,” Ryan whispered at us.

  Immediately, Alex rose from the couch, pulling Simone with him. Ryan nodded appreciatively. “Winter and Simone will come and get you,” he said louder again.

  “Where are you?”

  As soon as Brinna had given us the location, Simone and Alex whirled out the door. I bit my nails as I listened to what Ryan said next.

  “Now sit down somewhere and wait for the guys to meet you. Cloey crashed her car near Avila Beach. If she went down to the shore then we’ll find her.”

  “Okay…I really hope she’s all right.” The panic in Brinna’s voice sizzled through me before she rang off.

  Ryan turned to me. “Do you want to go and see your aunt and uncle? They need to know.”

  Of course they did. But after everything that had happened, I wasn’t the right person to tell them. I rose from the couch, my knees suddenly trembling. “I’d rather come with you and look for Cloey.”

  “I can go to your aunt’s,” Susan offered then. “With the crutches, I can’t jog down the beach anyway.”

  “All right,” Hunter agreed, grabbing Liza and his jacket, getting ready to go. “Frederickson, can you drive Susan?”

  Nick nodded.

  We all rushed out to the cars and headed off.

  Darkness pressed against the windows. I concentrated hard on the eerie circles of light that Tony’s headlights cast on the street in front of us, but my mind trailed off anyway. What if Cloey wasn’t all right? It looks so bad, Hunter! Brinna’s hysterical voice rang in my ears. Cloey had been such a mean bitch. But I didn’t want her hurt.

  A half-finished lollipop appeared in my peripheral view. “To soothe your nerves,” Tony said. “Maybe the sugar will bring back the color to your face.”

  I felt cold and numb. My fingers trembled as I took the lollipop from him, put it in my mouth, and looked out the window again. I sucked the candy absently until finally I was chewing on the empty stick.

  The taillights of Hunter’s Audi flashed deep red in the distance. We were there. Tony pulled up behind him, and we climbed out to meet the others.

  A salty breeze wafted toward us from the sea. Cold crept under my sweatshirt. Tony tucked me tight against his side and spoke up. “Okay, guys, we do it like this. Hunter, you and Liz walk up the beach. Sam and I will walk down. And Allie, you and Sasha search the street up here. Whoever finds her first calls the others. Let’s go.”

  We walked off, using the flashlights on our phones in the dark.

  “Cloey!” everyone called out at short intervals. The voices behind us faded fast.

  At a pace that had me panting after a few hundred meters, Tony and I headed down the beach. There was no sign of her, and with the many footprints in the sand, it was impossible to tell whether some
one had walked along here recently.

  “Do you think she’s all right?” I asked, unable to keep the anxiety out of my voice.

  “If she could walk away from the car and also call Brinna, it might not be too bad. But if she’s trashed, she might get into trouble down here. With the water and all.”

  “It’s probably my fault she got drunk tonight.”

  “No, Sam! It certainly isn’t your fault. With what happened last night, you saw that she has serious issues.” He paused. A sigh escaped him. “In fact, I think it’s actually got to do with me and not with you.”

  I looked at Tony, waiting for him to explain, but we didn’t stop walking.

  “I heard what she said to you today. About not wanting you to have me. I never told anyone, but from time to time, she still sends me messages.”

  “Really?” I gasped. “What does she say?”

  Tony cleared his throat, and I could be sure that this was a subject he really was uncomfortable with. “Sometimes she just writes meaningless shit. Like where she’s at the moment and if I wouldn’t like to come and meet her. Other times, she asks for a second chance.”

  Oh my God. My cousin was desperate. She loved Tony more than I had thought. It must hurt her unspeakably to see him with me now. No wonder she’d lost it. Maybe I would react the same way if it was the other way round.

  No, I wouldn’t.

  But in the end I could understand her actions and hatred toward me. “We must find her,” I whispered, frightened.

  “And we will,” Tony reassured me.

  But the farther we got, the more I lost hope when we couldn’t find her anywhere. None of the others had called yet. Where the hell was she?

  “Maybe we should go back and look somewhere else?” I suggested. “If she’s really down here, we should have found her by—” The last word froze in my throat. The beam of my flashlight had landed on a pair of discarded shoes. Skyscraper-high heels.

  “Cloey!” I croaked, turning around, lighting as much of the beach as I could. “Cloey, if you’re here, goddammit, answer!”

  “Sam,” Tony said calmly a second later, placing his hand on my forearm. When I looked at him, he pointed ahead of us.