Seven Days

by Charles, Rhoda

  Seven Days

  Rhoda Charles

  Seven Days

  Copyright © 2016 Rhoda Charles

  All Rights Reserved. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or journal.

  First edition: 2016

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, establishments or events is strictly coincidental.

  www.rhodacharles.com

  To my mom, who always kept the faith

  Acknowledgements

  This book has been a long time in the making. As I’ve worked on writing it off and on over the years, I’ve been blessed to receive a lot of encouragement from my family and friends. This book would not be complete without acknowledging their support. In particular, Serene, Sharon, Elvin, Dawn-Marie, Darrell, Jillian, Robyn, and Sandy who have read, listened, and advised. A special mention is due my copy editor, Jennifer Sankowski, whose attention to my details has made Seven Days all the better. Thank you all. I’m so grateful.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  SATURDAY

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  SUNDAY

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  MONDAY

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  TUESDAY

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  WEDNESDAY

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THURSDAY

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  FRIDAY

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  About the Author

  About Seven Days

  SATURDAY

  CHAPTER ONE

  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  2000

  Carolyn scanned her mirrors looking for the police. No way was she going to get a ticket. Though she was parked legally at Philadelphia’s Thirtieth Street Station, her meter had run out. Rhys was due at any moment—actually twenty minutes ago—and she would not be feeding that thing anymore coins.

  “Are you sure you got the time right?” Luke asked from the back seat.

  She met her brother’s deep brown eyes in the rearview mirror; they matched her own. “I think so,” she said and reached into the cubby hole in the dashboard to retrieve her phone so she could check the text from their older brother. It started to ring just as she picked it up.

  Julian, Rhys’ best friend, turned expectant eyes to her from the passenger seat where he’d been sitting with his arm propped up on the ledge of the open window. He’d been just as anxious as she and Luke for Rhys’ return home from New York. Rhys was Julian’s best man and his arrival would mean that the wedding countdown had finally begun.

  “He’s here,” Carolyn said and turned the key in the ignition. “He’s been waiting for us on the other side,” she said as she pulled into traffic and turned onto Market Street.

  Philly’s main train station occupied an entire city block just west of the Schuylkill River and had entrances on three sides. Like Julian, Carolyn felt the best parking was on the west side. Apparently, Rhys didn’t agree. He had been waiting on the east side with its view of Center City, the downtown section of town.

  “There he is,” Julian said, though Rhys was hard to miss. Her oldest brother drew the eye and not just because he was tall and attractive. Rhys had the charisma of the most popular guy in high school and the intelligence of the nerds in the computer lab. He was good looking, smart and personable. People flocked to him. Carolyn, like Luke, was more subdued.

  Luke, followed quickly by Julian, hopped out of the car to greet Rhys when Carolyn pulled to a stop in front of him. Though Luke and Rhys shared the same parentage, it was Julian who was often taken for Rhys’ brother. Similar in height and looks—both dark haired and dark eyed with smooth, brown skin—they both shared that likability factor that made them the center of attention. Friends since kindergarten, Rhys and Julian had gone through life orbiting each other in their own cosmic universe.

  “Looking good, Luke,” Rhys said and gently tugged on a springy coil of black hair acknowledging Luke’s new grown-out style. Rhys stepped out of their embrace to hug Julian, who gripped his hand and patted him hard on the back the way that men do.

  Julian stepped back to get a good look at his friend, “It’s good to have you back, man.”

  “I can’t believe it’s been two years,” Rhys said, taking a moment to absorb the sights. Like many before him, Rhys had left his hometown and gone to New York to make it big and put his stamp on the world. Driven and focused, he hadn’t been back since he’d left.

  “I know. I had to get married to get you back here.”

  “Don’t blame that on me,” Rhys said and walked around the car to say hello to Carolyn. He poked his head through her open window and dropped a peck on her cheek. “Thanks for picking me up.”

  Luke packed the trunk with the two duffel bags, suitcase and backpack Rhys had traveled with, and then he got in the back seat next to his brother. “You moving back?” he asked. “That’s a lot of luggage for a week’s visit.”

  “I’m the best man. I gotta look good.”

  Julian turned around in his seat as Carolyn pulled out of the station, “Hey, don’t blame me. All you needed to bring with you was the ring.”

  “I’ll remember that next time. So, how is the lucky lady?”

  Julian turned back around, observing Carolyn as he did so. She was focused on the road, carefully driving the men in her life home. “Milan’s good. She’s meeting us later. Be nice, okay?”

  “I promise.”

  Lincoln Drive was a narrow two-lane road with twists and turns that resembled a writhing serpent. It wound its way into the northwest section of the city in between a narrow offshoot of the Schuylkill River and a high rock face that seeped moisture onto the road, which made winter driving that much more interesting. The posted speed was 25, but the locals drove on it way too fast, making it both a thrilling and terrifying ride.

  Carolyn took the exit for Lincoln Drive just as her phone started to ring. She reached forward, feeling around in the cubby. Julian grabbed the phone and handed it to her.

  “Hello?”

  “So, what are we doing tonight?” Julian tossed over his shoulder. “Are we going out? Or are you too tired?”

  He had assumed that they would hang out like they used to do, but Julian had noticed a wistfulness in Rhys that he had not expected. He hadn’t pegged Rhys as one to suffer from homesickness, but Rhys had never been away from home for so long, either. Maybe a night at home would be better.

  “You haven’t changed a bit, I see,” Rhys said, “still running the streets.”

  “Oh, no!” Carolyn said into the receiver, “Are you sure?”

  At the change in her tone Julian shot a look at Carolyn. She glanced at him then shook her head letting him know he shouldn’t worry.

  “No way,” Julian continued talking to Rhys but kept his eyes on her, “I’m about to settle down, but I gotta spend my last days wisely.”

  “Can you come by earlier?” Carolyn asked into the phone. “We’ll be at home. I’d really like it if you could mee—” she stopped talking abruptly as if she had been interrup
ted and flipped on her right turn signal with more force than was necessary.

  In the back, Rhys nudged Luke, “Who’s she talking to?” he asked quietly.

  Luke shrugged, “I don’t know, probably Mark. Their conversations often go like this.”

  “OK, call me later,” Carolyn snapped her phone shut and tossed it back into the cubby.

  Rhys leaned forward, “Everything okay?”

  She slowed as she approached a hairpin turn in the road. She checked her mirror to make sure the Lexus tailgating her hadn’t gotten too close and was met with two sets of concerned brown eyes. Her brothers were ever protective of their little sister.

  “Yeah, Mark has to work late and might not be able to make it tonight.”

  “Who’s Mark?” Rhys asked.

  She raised her eyebrows, “Mark!” she said with disbelief as if repeating his name louder would clear the fog in Rhys’ mind. He shook his head, at a loss.

  Julian turned around fully in his seat, “Mark is her latest boyfriend. They’ve been dating for about six months and from your expression, this is news to you,” he turned to Carolyn, “I knew you hadn’t told him.”

  She pulled her eyes from the windy two-lane road long enough to make a face at Julian.

  “Eyes on the road,” Luke called from the back.

  Carolyn refocused ahead and Julian shifted in his seat, quieted by Luke’s command and his own suddenly inescapable memories. “I don't know how you even drive on this road after what happened,” he said mostly to himself but he knew everyone in the car heard.

  For a moment there was absolute quiet. Then Carolyn continued trying to make Rhys remember her boyfriend. “Mark is the guy I’ve been seeing for the last few months. Remember, I told you about him?”

  Rhys’ silence was answer enough. “Sort of,” he offered to her rear-view mirror in response to her exasperated sigh. “Sorry, it’s been really crazy lately. You may have told me and I forgot.”

  They turned off Lincoln Drive onto a smaller side road in Mt. Airy, a residential neighborhood in the city. It was full of stone-faced houses and leafy trees lining the streets.

  “It’s okay. I was hoping you’d meet him tonight, but I’m not sure. He has to work or something,” she dismissed the topic with a wave of her hand and then turned into the driveway of the James family home.

  At the sight of the house, Julian was hit with a feeling of homecoming that he was sure Rhys was also experiencing. It shouldn’t have surprised him. Growing up, Julian had spent almost as much time in this house as they did. It had been some time since he’d been here; not since Carolyn had met Mark.

  They piled out of the car. Carolyn waited as they emptied her trunk of Rhys’ luggage, while Rhys stared at the building in front of him.

  “C’mon,” Julian nudged his friend on the shoulder and startled Rhys back to the present, “it hasn't changed all that much.”

  “No, it hasn’t. It’s still the same.”

  “Anyway,” Carolyn said, “I have to run,” she gave Rhys the hug she hadn’t been able to before. “I’m sorry. I’d planned to stay, but Mark needs me to pick something up for him. That’s why he called. So, I’ll see you guys later tonight.”

  “Okay,” Rhys squeezed her tight and held on, rocking side to side as he buried his head into her neck and pulled her ponytail. She giggled and he let her go, closing her safely into her car.

  Julian waved as she backed out of the driveway and watched her drive away. Then he picked up a duffel bag and followed Luke and Rhys into the house.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Ragtag’s was a bar-restaurant near Penn’s Landing that they’d been coming to since they were legal—and maybe even a little before that. Located just a hair’s breadth from the places where all the tourists are told to go, it had managed to escape the faux celebratory atmosphere that had often led college girls to screech, “Omigod, I can’t believe you’re here!” while sloshing beer on unsuspecting patrons.

  The place was dark wood and muted sconces, polished bar and working jukebox, burnished brass and deep-seated booths. Their rears had worn grooves into at least one of those booths—the one in the corner near the tiny stage in front of an even tinier dance floor. It was their place, mostly because they’d outlasted all the other regulars.

  No matter how hard she had tried, Milan could not get them to go someplace else…for long. She knew better than to suggest another venue tonight. The leader of the pack had come home and no place but the old place would do.

  “I reserved our booth for us tonight,” Luke said, leading them to the corner, “just to be safe.”

  Carolyn slid in first, followed by Mark and Luke. Rhys, Julian and Milan filled in the other side. Before they could look around for a server, one appeared ready to take their drink order.

  She must have been new because Luke didn’t recognize her. She was petite and cute and couldn’t seem to decide which guy, Julian or Rhys, to pay the most attention to. Rhys’s disarming smile wasn’t helping. The girl dropped her pad and after retrieving it tried her luck on Julian, who was doing the quiet smoldering thing he was so good at.

  The pair of them had always caused a stir when they went out together. They were at ease with women and accustomed to the attention they received, but not arrogant about it. Mostly, they were amused by it, though not immune. Over the years Julian and Rhys had left a line of broken hearts behind them.

  Luke waited for Milan to react to the girl’s obvious interest in her fiancé. From where he was sitting, there was nothing to see. Milan was a beauty in her own right and probably just as used to receiving attention from the opposite sex as Julian was. This waitress was no threat to her. She did not even register a warning on Milan’s radar.

  Bored by the whole thing, Milan took control. “Bring a pitcher of whatever’s on tap for the table. I’ll have a white wine,” she looked across the booth daring anyone to object, and then she leaned into Julian. “I’m going to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”

  Deep in discussion with Rhys, Julian barely acknowledged Milan, but Luke watched her weave her way through the crowd and disappear into a narrow hallway.

  “Sir,” the waitress’ voice pulled Luke’s attention back to the table. She was all business now that she realized she was going unnoticed by the guys opposite him. “I’m going to need to see some ID.”

  “What?”

  “Identification. Or I can’t serve you.”

  Luke looked at Carolyn, his younger sister, with disbelief, but he lifted his hip to reach into his back pocket and get his wallet. Instantly, he saw it sitting in the glove box of his car, which was parked about six blocks away. Parking was always tight on the weekends.

  “Look, I don’t have it with me. I left my wallet in the car, but I’m over 21.”

  She probably would have let it slide if she hadn’t been duly ignored by Julian and Rhys. Now she held the cards and by golly she was going to save a little face by taking it out on him.

  “I need to see some ID.”

  “Come on, I’m with these guys, look at them. They wouldn’t be hanging with some underage kid.” He pointed to Carolyn, “I’m her older brother and she’s 24.” Carolyn nodded in agreement but the server only gave him a fake I-wish-I-could look and held her ground.

  “Just go to the car, Luke. I’ll come with you,” Carolyn offered.

  He knew she meant it, but she was stuffed in the corner and he was at the end. No need for Mark to have to move. “No, I’ll be right back.” He got up and he swore he saw the waitress’s lips twitch.

  “Drinks will be up in a minute,” she said, suddenly sweet.

  No tip for you, Luke thought and made his way through the crowd.

  Bracing herself to return to their booth, Milan watched them from across the bar. She could tell this was going to be a grin-and-bear-it night. With his best friend finally back, Julian’s attention would be on Rhys. It had already started—the two of them were laughing about something one
of them had said. Carolyn was grinning too, and Mark, well, he didn’t seem to get the joke. Whatever.

  She gave them as much time as she could before she started to look pathetic standing alone in the bathroom hallway. She merged into the crowd and made her way back to the booth, but instead of sliding into it, her hand found Julian’s hand and tugged gently. He turned to her and she held up a dollar. “Come on,” she said, “let’s dance.”

  He took a moment to respond and she feared he would say no, but then he slid out of the seat and let her lead him over to the jukebox.

  With fewer people in their booth and one beer down, Mark had finally loosened up a bit, much to Carolyn’s relief. He and Rhys had found some common ground talking about business and markets, but she would have to put a stop to that. She liked sports—she was a gym teacher after all and she had grown up surrounded by guys—yet here she was sitting in a booth with two men talking about stocks. Yes, she’d been eager for Rhys to meet Mark. But this had to stop.

  “Mark,” she said pointedly, “Rhys also plays the piano.”

  He’d been mid-sentence and looked at her with raised eyebrows, as if he were going to ask her what that had to do with the Asian markets? She winked at him and his face relaxed.

  “Oh,” he said, chagrined. He squeezed her hand, which he’d been holding, and impulsively lifted it to his lips. “So, you play piano, Rhys?”

  Clearly playing along, Rhys answered, “Yes, a little.”

  “Don’t believe his act,” Carolyn added, “he’s practically a virtuoso. He’s been playing since he was a child.”

  “Have you?” Mark asked, this time with genuine interest. “I only started in college. I needed the credits to round out my major.”

  “And he sings, too,” Carolyn dodged the peanut Rhys tossed at her.