She broke the silence once our coffee’s had arrived, and bent down to reach for something under the table. She placed a box wrapped in silver paper in front of me. “For your birthday,” she said, a soft, sad smile on her face.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I replied. I didn’t want to upset her, but I was grappling with too many emotions at once and was dangerously close to losing the internal fight for control.
“I didn’t,” she replied. “Open it.”
I ripped the paper off with little enthusiasm, and when there was nothing left it revealed a black box with the Rolex symbol on it. I flipped the lid and found a vintage Rolex watch perched in the middle.
I looked at my mother. “Mom, this is…”
“It was my grandfather’s watch, from 1930. I wanted to wait until you turned twenty one, but…”
Her words trailed off, but I knew what she was going to say. We’d had that argument many times in the months after my sisters’ death. My mother pleaded with me to make better choices, and live a better life because before we knew it, Jewel was gone, and if I carried on with my drinking, and lewd behavior, I would have had nothing to show for my life.
I stared down at the watch, and rubbed the face. It had a chrome steel case, with black leather straps that didn’t even look old. I thought it was quite fitting though; a harsh reminder that time was something we couldn’t take for granted.
“I love it.” I leaned over and gave my mother a peck on the cheek. “I’ll put it in a safe place.”
My mother shifted in her seat. “I’m sorry your father couldn’t make it. He had some business to take care of.”
Of course he did. He’d been working more and more, but I guess that’s just how he dealt with his own grief. I pursed my lips, and gave a brisk nod.
“He’s having some trouble with Anthony Monroe,” she added. “But that’s been going on for years.”
The mention of Kennedy’s father twisted my insides. From what I’d heard he was a shrewd businessman, and an even worse human being. Reid had let slip that Kennedy had been at her father’s house when she came home looking like a bloody wreck, and I tried to squelch thoughts of him hurting her that way. I didn’t have to protect her, but dammit, half the time I wanted to.
“Did you know Kennedy was back?”
My mothers’ question caught me by surprise, and her gaze spoke of understanding, the kind that told me she not only knew what Kennedy had meant to my sister, but to me too. It was unnerving.
“Yes,” I replied. I cleared my throat. “She goes to Brighton.”
“Have you seen her?”
“No,” I lied. The words came out too quickly, and my mother quirked a brow.
I rushed to defend myself. “I know Reid has, because Jade and Kennedy live together, but I’ve been too busy with classes, and helping Coach Ford to get out.”
I changed the topic and asked my mother what she’d been doing to keep herself busy.
“Oh, I’ve been redecorating the house,” my mother replied. She perked up, and I listened intently. I needed to escape thoughts and talk of Kennedy, if only for a little while. I’d be dealing with that…issue…when I got back to campus.
“That reminds me,” my mother added, “Your father and I will be away for Thanksgiving. Would you like to join us?”
I didn’t have to think it through before replying, “No, that’s okay, thanks mom. Reid invited me to his house this year.”
Her face fell, only this time I didn’t feel quite so guilty. I hadn’t spent Thanksgiving with my parents since my senior year of high school, and it had more to do with my father than the absence of my twin. We couldn’t be in the same room for more than ten minutes before fighting over one thing or another, and sitting around a table pretending to play nice wasn’t appealing.
“Oh, that’s okay. But promise me we’ll do this again soon? I don’t see you enough, and I miss you. I know your father does too, even if he doesn’t say it.”
I swallowed. “Sure, mom. I promise.”
We chatted for a short while longer until my mother said she had a few errands to get done before she had to go back home. We said our goodbyes, and I watched her climb into a town car and drive away before I headed home myself. The heaviness from earlier was still looming, and by the time I stopped in the lot outside our dorm, I knew exactly what I had to do.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kennedy
TAYLOR SWIFT’S ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ played through my earphones, and all I could do was laugh at the irony. It had been a week since what I referred to as the ‘Dane Incident’, and he made no secret of the fact that he was avoiding me. Again. So, like any self-respecting woman in my situation would do, I brushed it off even though it hurt, and kept myself too busy to obsess over it.