“And?”
“And nothing,” I said, watching as Alex’s frame stopped quivering. “I asked him what he wanted but he didn’t say anything. And then he literally disappeared into the sunset.”
“Creeper,” Alex said under his breath. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Alex cracked a smile too.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alex paced in the living room, talking out his cell phone to the police about Caroline. Things didn’t sound good.
I forced the orange juice down as I half listened to him, setting my glass in the sink. I stared out the window over the kitchen sink, not really seeing anything. I hadn’t slept at all the night before, just stared up at the ceiling, lying next to a silent Alex.
I was feeling desperate. Why couldn’t I think of a way to save him? Alex had saved me, now why couldn’t I do the same thing?
“Jessica?” I heard my mom’s hesitant voice from behind me. “Could we talk for a while?”
I felt my stomach drop out and I suddenly wished I hadn’t drunk the juice. “Sure,” I managed to squeak out.
I’d known this conversation was going to come sometime during this trip but I’d started hoping that maybe we were both going to chicken out of it. Apparently my mom was braver than I was.
I followed her into the office, settling into one of the swivel chairs. She closed the door behind us and sat as well.
We just stared at each other for a while, both unsure of what to say after all this time.
“You’re so grown up now,” she said with a small smile on her lips. It didn’t quite look real. “You’re not a girl anymore. You’ve become a woman.”
I just nodded, my lips tight.
“Tell me about your life now,” she attempted to keep her voice up, trying to sound engaged and excited. “What have you been up to?”
“Um,” I struggled to talk around the lump in my throat. “Well, I’ve been in Washington for a few years now, as I’m sure dad’s told you. I’ve made a few friends. I go to a yoga class a few days a week. The instructor is my best friend. I work in a book store. I really like my boss.”
“A book store?” she said with a smile. “You did always love to read at nights.”
I swallowed hard as the subject we were both dancing around was hinted upon. “Yeah, I really like the job. I’ve been there a few months now.”
“Tell me about how you met Alex,” she said as she tucked a leg up under her.
I felt a smile crack on my lips. “Well, I was care taking what was then his grandparent’s house. It was the middle of the night and I heard the door upstairs open. I thought someone was breaking in,” I chuckled, recalling the fear that leapt through me. “I grabbed a baseball bat and nearly clobbered him in the stairway.” Mom started laughing. “I thought he was a burglar.”
“That must have scared the tar out of you,” she chuckled, covering her mouth.
“Yeah,” I said, my eyes falling to the floor between us. “And then he told me the house was his, that his grandparents had died and left everything to him. Things were a little awkward for a bit.”
“Isn’t life crazy sometimes?” Mom sighed, shaking her head slowly.
“It sure is,” I said quietly, twisting my fingers around each other.
There was a moment of quiet before she spoke again. “I’m glad to see you so happy, Jessica. At least you seem to be.”
“I am,” I said as I met her eyes.
“I just wish we could have gotten you the help you needed sooner.”
My insides hollowed out as she finally said it.
“Did you start seeing a psychologist after you left?” she asked, her voice sounding so innocent and caring.
And every fight we had had, every plead, every scream slammed into me again. It took everything I had in me to not bolt for the door.
“I didn’t need a psychologist, Mom,” I said, my voice quivering. I closed my eyes, fighting back the
“And nothing,” I said, watching as Alex’s frame stopped quivering. “I asked him what he wanted but he didn’t say anything. And then he literally disappeared into the sunset.”
“Creeper,” Alex said under his breath. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Alex cracked a smile too.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alex paced in the living room, talking out his cell phone to the police about Caroline. Things didn’t sound good.
I forced the orange juice down as I half listened to him, setting my glass in the sink. I stared out the window over the kitchen sink, not really seeing anything. I hadn’t slept at all the night before, just stared up at the ceiling, lying next to a silent Alex.
I was feeling desperate. Why couldn’t I think of a way to save him? Alex had saved me, now why couldn’t I do the same thing?
“Jessica?” I heard my mom’s hesitant voice from behind me. “Could we talk for a while?”
I felt my stomach drop out and I suddenly wished I hadn’t drunk the juice. “Sure,” I managed to squeak out.
I’d known this conversation was going to come sometime during this trip but I’d started hoping that maybe we were both going to chicken out of it. Apparently my mom was braver than I was.
I followed her into the office, settling into one of the swivel chairs. She closed the door behind us and sat as well.
We just stared at each other for a while, both unsure of what to say after all this time.
“You’re so grown up now,” she said with a small smile on her lips. It didn’t quite look real. “You’re not a girl anymore. You’ve become a woman.”
I just nodded, my lips tight.
“Tell me about your life now,” she attempted to keep her voice up, trying to sound engaged and excited. “What have you been up to?”
“Um,” I struggled to talk around the lump in my throat. “Well, I’ve been in Washington for a few years now, as I’m sure dad’s told you. I’ve made a few friends. I go to a yoga class a few days a week. The instructor is my best friend. I work in a book store. I really like my boss.”
“A book store?” she said with a smile. “You did always love to read at nights.”
I swallowed hard as the subject we were both dancing around was hinted upon. “Yeah, I really like the job. I’ve been there a few months now.”
“Tell me about how you met Alex,” she said as she tucked a leg up under her.
I felt a smile crack on my lips. “Well, I was care taking what was then his grandparent’s house. It was the middle of the night and I heard the door upstairs open. I thought someone was breaking in,” I chuckled, recalling the fear that leapt through me. “I grabbed a baseball bat and nearly clobbered him in the stairway.” Mom started laughing. “I thought he was a burglar.”
“That must have scared the tar out of you,” she chuckled, covering her mouth.
“Yeah,” I said, my eyes falling to the floor between us. “And then he told me the house was his, that his grandparents had died and left everything to him. Things were a little awkward for a bit.”
“Isn’t life crazy sometimes?” Mom sighed, shaking her head slowly.
“It sure is,” I said quietly, twisting my fingers around each other.
There was a moment of quiet before she spoke again. “I’m glad to see you so happy, Jessica. At least you seem to be.”
“I am,” I said as I met her eyes.
“I just wish we could have gotten you the help you needed sooner.”
My insides hollowed out as she finally said it.
“Did you start seeing a psychologist after you left?” she asked, her voice sounding so innocent and caring.
And every fight we had had, every plead, every scream slammed into me again. It took everything I had in me to not bolt for the door.
“I didn’t need a psychologist, Mom,” I said, my voice quivering. I closed my eyes, fighting back the
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