by Ruby Vincent
“I made your favorite, Mom,” he said as he came out onto the veranda. “Valentina helped.”
Her smile briefly returned. “I’m not very hungry, love, but I’ll have a little as you both worked so hard.”
Ryder lowered the tray and I saw two plates were on it. He gave one to his mom and the other to me. I took one bite and moaned. “That is incredible. How can a dish this simple taste so good?”
“Of course, it’s good. It’s my mother’s recipe.” Caroline took a hearty bite. “She was a magician in the kitchen. She could make thirty-four different meals with a bag of potatoes.”
“You’re putting us on, Mom.” Ryder pulled up a chair, grinning.
“I am not. Thirty-four. I swear.”
“So then you should be able to name them.”
Clicking her tongue, she swatted his arm. “Don’t you trust your mother?”
“I’ll never doubt a thing she says... after she lists the thirty-four dishes you can make with a potato.”
Caroline tossed her head back laughing. I may not have known how to lift her mood, but Ryder did. “You get that smart mouth from her too, but you’ll regret doubting me. It’s fries, mashed potatoes, potato soup, hash browns...”
She actually went through the whole list. I was deeply impressed but there was no stopping Ryder’s smart mouth.
“Number twelve and nineteen don’t count. Those are just two different kinds of potato salad. Potato salad counts as one.”
“If I say it counts, it counts.” Caroline made to get up and Jacob was at her side in seconds. He helped her to her feet and then she bent and kissed her son. “I’m going to rest for a while, my love. When I wake up, we can watch Casablanca.”
“We’ve seen that thirty-four times.”
“Here’s to thirty-five.” Caroline patted my cheek on her way out. “You two have fun.”
I turned to Ryder when she was gone. “The corned beef and cabbage was really good. I’ll have to make it for Mom and Adam.” I leaned back in the chair but Ryder stood.
He held a hand out for me. “Come on. It’s time.”
“Time for what?”
“Labor number two.”
I let him pull me to my feet and lead me inside. Ryder was quiet as we walked through the cavernous halls of the mansion. Our bare feet were soundless on the hardwood floors.
It’s so quiet here. This place was meant to be filled with warmth and laughter.
I shook away my thoughts before they could turn morose. My heart would always twinge thinking of what I had seen within these walls. Benjamin snapping and tearing apart a young Ryder for the smallest things. Caroline a figure only heard about and not seen while he worked to crush her spirit. The man was rotted through to his soul. Maybe the pain these walls had seen would always cling.
I just said I wouldn’t get sad. No more thinking of Benjamin Shea. He’s dead and gone, and Ryder and I are moving on. I peered at the back of his head. We’re going to have everything he tried to take from us.
“Are we going out?” I piped up. “Do I need to get changed?”
“No. We’re not leaving the house.” We rounded the corner and came out in front of the grand staircase. Ryder held me securely as he took me up.
“Can I get a hint?”
He laughed. “A hint? You’ll find out in two minutes.”
I kept up the questioning anyway. “Will I like it?”
“It wouldn’t be much of an apology if I didn’t think you’d like it.”
“I can never be too sure with you.”
He gave me a look over his shoulder. “You trying to talk yourself into losing it? ’Cause you’re doing a good job.”
I made a show of zipping my lip and tossing away the key. The act caused him to smile which made my heart do a little flutter. I swear a cardiologist would be very concerned if they found out how much my heart acted up around these guys.
We topped the landing and Ryder turned left. It was the opposite direction of my room, but the right direction for his. I didn’t hold back my grin when we stopped in front of his door.
“Oh. It’s that kind of labor.” I glided in front of him, slid my hands up his chest, and then draped them around his neck. Ryder’s eyes went round as I pressed myself against him. “Am I allowed to say that those are my favorite kind?” He grunted as I hopped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. “I am going to put you to work.”
“We— I— That’s not—” His breaths came in hot pants. “Fuck, woman! Will you behave yourself? We’re not going in there to have sex.”
I pouted. “Why not?”
“I can’t fucking remember now.” He tossed his head back and sucked in a couple shuddering breaths. He seemed to be trying to summon his resolve and I couldn’t let that happen. I bent my head and dropped kisses on his jaw as his breaths grew more ragged. “Because there’s... something I want to do with you... to show... how I feel. It’s important to me.”
I hummed. “Well, if it’s important to you, then it’s important to me.” I slid off of him but held on to his hand. “I’m ready.”
“Okay.” It took another minute for the fog to clear behind his eyes. I was the one who opened his door and pulled him inside. I looked around as we stepped through. His room was the same as always. I didn’t see anything different or out of place except for one thing.
“Your piano is back.” The black masterpiece sat in a place of honor beneath a bay window. The light shone through the curtains, making the polished wood gleam.
“It was removed from the Knight room when the others took over.” To my surprise, he walked me over to it. “When we were little, I remember you’d hide in the doorway and watch me play.”
My cheeks warmed. “I didn’t hide in the doorway. I just— just listened.”
He grinned. “I’d catch you listening a lot.” Ryder let go of my hand and trailed a finger along the ivory keys. “Once, you snuck in here to play my piano and I acted like an awful shit when I found you.”
“We don’t have to think about that,” I said softly.
“We do,” Ryder replied, “because I want to do what I should have done back then. I’m going to teach you how to play.”
“You are? I—” The words stuck in my throat. I had always wanted to learn to play an instrument—to make beautiful music like a young Ryder could tease from his keys. Lessons were expensive though, and after entering the academy and becoming a mom, there was no time for anything like that.
I don’t know how he does it, but Ryder keeps seeing inside to what I truly want.
“I would love that.”
I sat down and our lesson began. I wasn’t going to become a master pianist in an afternoon, but Ryder taught me the different notes and where to place my hands. He was patient as he showed me how to play a simple tune.
“Just like that. C, C, D, E.”
I struck the wrong note and the discordant sound told me right away. “Oops. That’s wrong.”
“It’s okay. Let me help.” Ryder put his hand on top of mine, lining up our fingers as he gently pressed them down to the right notes. I felt the heat from his body and it made goose bumps erupt on my skin. I could smell the lingering scent of pine soap and a musk that was all Ryder.
I looked up at him as he made my fingers dance. “Will you play something for me?”
“Of course.” Ryder removed his hand. I missed his touch, but anticipation tempered the loss. I could not wait to hear him play.
In moments, the room was filled with a melody I didn’t know. The difference between my banging and Ryder’s playing was night and day. His fingers glided over the keys in a way that was enchanting to watch and to hear. The song was hauntingly beautiful. For reasons I didn’t understand, tears were prickling at the back of my eyes by the time he played the last note.
“Ryder, that was amazing.”
“I’ve played that one so many times I’ve lost count. It’s one of Mom’s favorites.”
“It�
��s my favorite now too.” I leaned my head against his arm. “Thank you for this. I loved it.”
“It doesn’t have to stop. I can teach you to play. If you want to learn.”
“I do.” I tilted my head back to let him see my smile. “It would mean a lot to me.”
“Perfect.” Ryder closed the lid over the keys. “Is there something else you would like to do? Mom will probably rest for a few more hours so we can bowl, play pool, watch a movie, anything you like.”
“What doesn’t this house have?”
“Nothing. We have everything.”
I laughed, but it faded as I drifted back to what he said. “Caroline has to rest often. Is it okay if I ask...?”
“What’s wrong with her,” he finished.
“I wasn’t going to put it like that. It’s just today I seemed to upset her talking about the future. I want to be sensitive to what she needs. I don’t want to bring her down again.”
“It wasn’t you, Valentina.” Ryder addressed me, but he spoke to the piano. His eyes were fixed on the shiny surface. “Mom is going through a lot. She doesn’t like me to talk about it, but she gets down often. She sleeps most of the day and doesn’t get out of bed some mornings.
“This wasn’t how it always was. She used to be so happy and alive. When I was small, she’d take me out every day and we’d go to the park, the beach, and on picnics—just the two of us. Benjamin was never a good father, but he was hardly around when I was little so I didn’t notice. Mom and I were happy on our own... until things changed. Looking back, that must have been when he found out I wasn’t his son, because he did everything he could to make us miserable.”
I curled my fingers around his arm but did not speak. I let him get it out.
“The things he put us through... they leave a mark. They don’t just go away even though he has. Mom isn’t the same person, but she’s still my mom, and she’s always been there for me in every way she could.”
“I understand.”
“I know you do.” My hand fell off his arm as he raised it and put it around me. “You’re the only one who understands me. It’s a good thing I’m stuck with you.” His tone turned teasing. “There really isn’t anyone else like you who would put up with me.”
“That’s very true. You are astoundingly lucky.”
“No arguments here.”
I burrowed into his side. “Will you play another song for me?”
“Yes, but before I do, there’s something I need to tell you.”
There was something in his tone that made me pull away. “What? What happened?”
Ryder took his eyes off the piano now. He twisted around until he faced me. “It’s the guys. They wanted to tell you, but they didn’t know how you would take it, so I said I would tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“You know why Ezra went home this weekend. He decided to tell his mom the truth.”
I nodded.
“Well, Maverick and Jaxson got weekend passes too. They’re going to do it. They are telling their parents what Scarlett did to us while we were in prep school.” He gripped my shoulders. “We can’t stand watching you deal with the fallout to protect the unknown ‘student.’ They wanted their folks to be the first to know, but next we’re going into Evergreen’s office and revealing what she did.
My mouth fell open, jaw working but no sounds coming out. “Talking to their parents is a big step,” I said when I found my voice. “But I don’t need to be the reason. You don’t have to do this for me. You should do it for you.” I clambered to my feet. “I have to call the guys. I have to tell them—”
“They already did it, Val.”
That halted me in my tracks. Slowly, I turned to him, tears collecting in my eye. “I want to b-be there for them—for you. I have to.”
“You are here for us, and when they’re ready, they will come to you.” He put out his hands and they drew me back to him.
“What about you?” I whispered as he pulled me to his chest. “Should I go so you can talk to Caroline?”
“No.” His hand was warm as he rubbed my back. “It’s different for us. Mom would never forgive herself. She’d take the blame and spend days in bed crying because she thought she wasn’t there for me when I needed her. Scarlett’s done enough. I’m not letting what she did hurt Mom too.”
I hesitated. Ryder did not always respond well to me telling him what to do in regard to his mom. “Ryder, it’s going to hurt, of course it will, but Caroline would want to be there for you. You’ve been taking care of her for so long, but you’re her son. She wants to take care of you too.”
The silence stretched between us and I feared that I went too far.
“You’re probably right,” he said so softly I almost did not hear him. “I’ve wanted to tell her so many times over the years, but nothing would come out. I don’t know how to do it, Val. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.”
I hugged him tighter. “You will. When you’re ready, you’ll find the strength... and Caroline will find the strength to be there for you.”
I don’t know how long we stayed like that, holding each other before the piano, but we didn’t move until one of the staff came to tell us Caroline was ready for the movie.
My stay at Ryder’s home was so perfect, I did not want to leave when Sunday afternoon came around. Somehow, we were able to overcome the pain that followed our talk about Scarlett and enjoy the rest of our time together. We cooked, joked, watched about a dozen old movies, and Ryder and I snuck in another piano lesson. For one weekend, I had what I wanted—a fun, normal time with the boy I cared about, but now I had to return to the academy.
“Visit as often as you can.” Caroline pressed feather-light kisses to both of my cheeks. “I haven’t had that much fun in ages.”
“I will. We’ll pick up our discussion on Citizen Kane.”
She raised a brow. “That wasn’t a discussion; it was an argument. One that I will win. Citizen Kane is the best movie of our time.”
“I still say it’s Psycho. Hitchcock revolutionized the slasher film genre.”
She waved that away. “He scared a few people out of their panties. Citizen Kane inspired a generation.”
A snicker to my right told me Ryder was laughing at us.
“Oh, yeah. We’re definitely picking up this argument next time,” I warned. “We’re also doing a Hitchcock movie marathon.”
“Oh, no.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I think I’ll have to rest that weekend.”
We laughed as she pulled me in for a hug. Underneath everything, Caroline had a sense of humor as sharp as her son’s.
I waved goodbye to her on the porch and then hopped in Ryder’s car. We soon made it back to the academy and passed through the gates. The smile faded from my face with every step that brought me closer to the dorm. Most of the group was gathered in the front room when we entered. Unease took hold of me as I looked around. I noticed immediately that Ezra and Maverick were not there. The next thing I saw were their expressions.
“What’s wrong?”
They shared a look that only made me worry more. It was Jaxson who answered me. “We’re not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“We went to grab food from our new lunchroom, but there were no trays. We were forced to go to the cafeteria and the Knights were there.”
Ryder stepped forward. “Did they do something?”
“No,” Kai replied. “But Isabella asked for Valentina. She looked annoyed when we said you weren’t here. Although that’s how she usually looks so who can tell the difference.”
Sofia got to her feet. “Val, she said that a decision had been made.”
I tensed. “A decision? What decision?”
“She wouldn’t explain. The last thing she said before the four of them walked out was that it was time to end this.”
“Time to end this?” My bag slipped off my shoulder as I collapsed next to Kai. “How the fuck do we
take that? She must be talking about the mark, right?”
Jaxson shook his head. “If it came from Natalie, I’d say it was definitely bad for us, but she just stood there. Isabella has been strangely silent while everyone else has been raging about the Spades and Scarlett. She stops the arguments from getting out of hand, but she hasn’t given an opinion either way.”
“Maybe because she was waiting on someone else’s opinion.” I looked down at my bag where my phone was concealed in the pocket.
Ace has not been talking to me, but they could be talking to her.
“We can’t sit here panicking,” I continued. “We’ll find out tomorrow what she means. We’ll end this.”
I SAID WE SHOULDN’T panic but still we spent half the night going back and forth on what the next day would bring. Were the marks going to be lifted for good this time and the Spades brought to their knees, or would we find ourselves worse off than we were before?
I did not have an answer to that, but I did have a question when the group broke apart for the night.
“Jaxson?” He stood at the window, staring unseeingly out into the pitch-black night. All night I had wanted to pull him aside and talk. “Hey.”
It didn’t seem like he heard me. I slipped my arms through his and he jumped.
“Oh, Val. Sorry. Did you say something?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t seen Ezra or Maverick. They haven’t texted me back either.”
“That’s because they never came back to school.”
“What?” I breathed. “Why?”
“Their folks called Evergreen and pulled them out of school for a few days.” Jaxson didn’t look at me. “He didn’t fight them under the circumstances.”
“Are they okay?”
“Ezra and Rick are, but their parents not so much. Amelia hasn’t stopped crying since Ezra told her. Maverick’s parents have gone between crying, raging, and talking to the police.”
“They went to the police,” I repeated.
“Marcus wouldn’t hear about doing anything else. He even threatened to sue the school for hiring her in the first place. That forced Rick to tell him the cops were already looking into her. Amelia and Marcus are going in with them when they give their statements.”
