Rose made her way over to the fresh pot of coffee and poured herself a cup. “Maybe it was the look on your face when you looked at your phone. You started to smile, and then you looked like you were going to cry.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly, Nana.”
Rose shrugged as she poured a second cup, picked them both up and started to carry them to the kitchen table. “Or it could be because of the fact that after everything that happened last night, you’re still here and not with him. You haven’t even called to see if his family is alright.”
Sam held a plate in her hand, noticing the splotch of gravy on it. She avoided answering her grandmother at first by washing it with a sponge and replacing it in the dishwasher. The fact was, she did feel guilty about not calling Drew this morning. She’d seen the look of terror on Cole’s face last night as she’d come into the room. Everyone had done their best to comfort the boy, but he still looked near tears and wanted Drew, although he was being stubborn and refused to ask for his uncle.
“He’s got enough on his plate today,” Sam said, although it sounded lame. She picked up the silverware basket and noticed there were bits and smears of food on those as well.
“Oh maybe,” Nana said as she sat at the table, placing her cup down and the second one on the placemat across the table. “Just maybe, it’s because you haven’t realized that nobody ran that dishwasher yet.”
Sam’s back stiffened as she examined a piggy plate with a smear of bacon grease on it. The memory of her loading the dishwasher last night because she couldn’t sleep came back to her, but she hadn’t run it because it was noisy and she didn’t want to keep Nana up. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she replaced the piggy plate, and added dishwasher detergent. Slamming the door shut, she hit start and sighed.
“Fine,” Sam said, stomping over to the table and sitting down roughly. “I’m a horrible person. I don’t want to talk to Drew. There, I said it. Okay?”
Rose smiled as her granddaughter buried her head in her hands. “I’m not going to tell you what to do. I know men can be a handful. And I got a good look at how much of a handful Drew was the other night when I found you two in my guest room.”
“Nana!” Sam’s face started to burn as she lifted her head and stared at her grandmother in horror. “Please, that was embarrassing enough!”
Rose giggled as she sipped her coffee. “I’m sorry dear, but I just want to see you happy. And that’s what I saw last night at the fair. You were happy. Not as happy as the night before, but still happy.”
Sam picked up the coffee cup, more for something to hide her face behind. She gulped some to wash down the mortification she was feeling right about now.
“What happened,” Rose asked, the playful teasing no longer in her voice. “Was it because he was nearly killed?”
Sam stared down at her cup, tracing the edge of it with her finger. The idea of losing Drew terrified her, but that’s not the reason she wasn’t talking to him.
“No, that’s not why,” Sam admitted. She took another sip before explaining what Drew said last night after the intruder escaped. “Drew wants to leave Ember Falls and take his sister and Cole with him. I can’t really blame him, his childhood in this town was a nightmare, and he came back because his sister was murdered, but I thought he and I might be starting something here, something that was worth fighting for. He’d leave that in an instant if he could just convince his sister and nephew to move with him.”
Rose reached out across the table to take her granddaughter’s hand. “I suppose that after last night, Ashley might consider it. Is that what has you worried?”
Sam picked her cup up again, but didn’t take a sip. “No. It’s the fact Drew doesn’t want to be here. He’ll stay for his sister. He’ll stay for his nephew, but he won’t stay for me.” She placed the cup down on the table and got up. She walked to the window, looked out at the yard, and watched a pair of birds pecking around on the grass. With blue feathers on their backs and wings, their bellies were white with a touch of bright orange. One had more grey in it than the other. They both bounced around each other for a few moments, until the darker one flew off, leaving the other one behind.
“He and Ashley still fight all the time,” Sam said. “You should have heard her last night when he walked in. She was so upset that whoever it was broke in got away, she was blaming Drew, saying how he couldn’t even get that right.”
Rose leaned back in her chair, raising her coffee mug. “She was upset. Before he came back, she was pacing back and forth, worried sick over Drew. I heard her say to Lilly how she couldn’t stand to lose Drew now that she finally got him back.” She took a sip and shrugged. “Of course, she also threatened to kill Lilly if she ever told Drew that.”
Despite herself, Sam laughed a little. “Yeah, she’s good at hiding how glad she is that Drew is back. So good, I’m afraid she’s going to convince him to get out once we catch whoever killed his sister.”
“Oh,” Rose made a shooing motion with one hand. “Nonsense. Drew isn’t going to leave his sister and he’s certainly not about to leave Cole. You saw them yesterday. He adores that child. His face lit up whenever Cole laughed.”
Sam smiled at the memory of Drew watching Cole with the animals. It was the first time the boy really laughed and seemed like a kid his own age.
“I know,” Sam said. “It just hurt to hear him say that last night. I just…” She shook her head and turned around again to face the window. “Am I being nuts? Am I making too much out of this?”
The second bird came back, fluttering down next to the one that stayed. They pecked around each other again for a few moments until they both took off together.
As Sam watched them fly off, she felt her grandmother’s arm slide around her waist. “As a matter of fact, yes.”
Sam’s eyes widened in shock, but she couldn’t muster any anger at her grandmother’s bluntness. She asked and Nana wasn’t one to pull punches.
“Sweetie, Drew was terrified for his family,” Rose went on. “He’s probably doubting his ability to keep them safe. I don’t blame him. As much as he loved his sisters when he was young, I think he loves that little boy even more. And he probably blames himself for Kelli’s death.”
Sam sighed, knowing it was true. “I wish he wouldn’t.”
“Yes well,” Rose moved away from her granddaughter, went to the table and picked up her coffee mug. “I wish you wouldn’t feel so worried about me that you felt as if you were anchored here in Ember Falls.” She took a sip and scowled. The coffee had gone cold. She carried it over to the sink, dumped out the remnants, rinsed it out and sat it in the sink to be put in the dishwasher later.
“I’m a big girl,” Rose said as she went to a bowl on the kitchen counter and retrieved her keys. “I can take care of myself. I don’t want you to think that I don’t love you living here with me. I do. Although there are times you do cramp my style, like the other night.”
“Nana,” Sam whined.
“Hush,” Rose said with a pointed finger. “Maybe Drew just had a moment of panic. Maybe he really does want out of Ember Falls. Like you said, who could blame him? But have you ever thought that maybe if he decided to leave, he’d want to take you with him?”
As her grandmother started to head for the front door, Sam stood rooted to the same spot in the kitchen, blinking rapidly. When she heard the front door open, she ran to catch up with her grandmother before she left.
“What? Go with him? Leave Ember Falls? But, we’ve only known each other… I can’t imagine… I couldn’t leave you and—”
“Stop,” Rose said. She held up a hand like a crossing guard halting traffic and gave her that no nonsense look that had Sam stopping in her tracks and closing her mouth. “Stop with the excuses. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you’re in love with Drew Duncan and he’s in love with you. So go take a shower, get dressed and go to see him. Work it out. Find out where his head is at. He’s what you want, so g
o fight for it. Or don’t.” Rose gave a casual shrug. “But don’t use me as an excuse. Now, I’ve got to go meet some friends at the Adirondack Diner. I’ll be back soon and I expect you to be gone. Help yourself to more condoms before you go.”
Before Sam could think of anything to say, her grandmother was through the door and headed to her car, leaving her alone with nobody to argue with but herself.
The police spent three hours going through the house, finding nothing of use and making a mess in the process. It was nearly eleven by the time they left, and Lilly, who seemed more upset over the mess than she was over the intruder, had gone to work cleaning.
She sent Drew and Ollie to work in Ashley’s room, getting rid of the glass and shards of shattered mirror. As the pair worked, Cole stood by the doorway, wanting to be close to Drew, but remaining silent.
The same could not be said for Ashley who continued to bitch at her brother, asking how he could have missed. Ollie pointed out that since Drew hadn’t returned fire, he technically hadn’t missed. That didn’t seem to placate Ashley at all. It wasn’t until Ollie handed her the ruined picture frame that she stopped taking swipes at her brother. The shard of glass had put a scratch down the center of the picture, right through the image of Kelli. She excused herself, wiping at her cheeks.
Lilly insisted on doing the vacuuming herself, but had Ollie and Drew move the furniture so she could make sure she got each and every nook and cranny. They took Ashley’s bed apart last, standing the mattress up. When they did, Ollie inhaled deeply through his nose.
“Are you sniffing Ashley’s bed?” Drew said in a hushed voice.
Ollie shrugged. “It smells like her perfume. Cherry Blossoms.”
Drew snickered and Ollie’s face burned red.
By the time Lilly was satisfied they had done enough for the night, it was nearly one in the morning. They put Cole to bed, but he was up fifteen-minutes later, complaining his stomach was once again hurting. He stood on the landing to the stairs in his Spiderman pajamas, pressing a hand to his stomach for effect. Nobody believed him, but since nobody else felt like sleeping, they brought him downstairs.
Everyone spent the night in the living room. Cole ended up on the couch, his eyes glued on Drew and leaning on Ashley. He’d asked her to rub his belly like she had in the car while listening to Lilly tell a story about his mother from when the two of them had first become friends. One by one, they’d all fallen asleep where they sat or lay. Drew was the only one who hadn’t nodded off.
When Cole woke at six fifteen, he had a panicked look in his eyes, feeling his aunt’s arm on him, but he’d calmed down as he saw Drew was still awake. No words were spoken as he settled back down and fell back to sleep.
They were all up by eight, each with sore muscles and necks, but nobody complained. Lilly enlisted Cole’s help to make breakfast for everyone while the others began to make phone calls.
Ashley was on the phone with an alarm company, then with a local handy man they’d used before.
Ollie called his mother, then the station. He talked in hushed tones, looking towards Drew as he listened.
Drew called Sam, but got her voicemail. Leaving a message, he spoke with McAllister Securities, making arrangements for security to come to Ember Falls. He’d spoken at length with the General who promised he’d be on the plane with some men that afternoon. He thought about trying Sam again each time he was off the phone, but decided that was just a little too pathetic. Still, he needed to hear her voice.
Lilly prepared French toast, with powdered sugar, plenty of coffee, bacon, eggs and fruit.
Drew couldn’t stomach much. He nibbled at the toast and bacon, but didn’t finish a single piece of either. He drank coffee, but it just made him think of Sam’s and long for hers.
Ashley pushed her eggs around her plate. Cole took a bite here and there, but only when someone told him to. Lilly had eaten a few strawberries, but not much beyond that. Ollie, on the other hand, cleared his plate, took seconds and made sure to finish off the bacon, saying it was a sin not to.
Throughout breakfast while they watched Ollie eat, the phone kept ringing. The police called to speak to Lilly as the homeowner. The moment she hung up, it rang again. This time it was one of Ashley’s boyfriends who wanted to see if she was free tonight. He seemed to get off the phone quickly when she told him what was happening.
As they went about their morning, they fielded calls from the insurance company, the bookstore, more of Ashley’s boyfriends, a few friends of Lilly’s who heard what happened and called to offer their support, the police department again, the handyman asking questions about certain things he needed to purchase at the store.
That started a discussion between Lilly and Ashley. Just as he hung up, it rang again from the police and then once more for Ashley. Drew couldn’t help notice that each time one of the men called for Ashley, Ollie left the room.
When the phone finally went quiet, the doorbell rang.
Cole hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until Drew told him to relax. “If they comeback, I doubt they’ll ring the doorbell.”
It was a pair of officers assigned to patrol the area. They stopped in to see how things were and both Ollie and Drew went to speak with them. As they spoke, the doorbell sounded again. This time it was the handyman. Ashley greeted him and called Lilly over, but she was interrupted by the phone ringing again.
“Hello,” she answered. “Oh, hi. Yes, thank you. I’m afraid you called at a bad time.” She paused as Ashley yelled for her from upstairs. “What?” She said, clearly distracted. “Oh sure. He’s right here, hold on.”
She turned and held out the phone to Cole who blinked in surprise. “It’s for you,” Lilly said. “It’s someone from your old school, Mr. Mongello.”
Cole nodded. “He was the principal.” Cole said as he accepted the phone. Lilly ran upstairs as Ashley yelled for her again.
Cole wasn’t sure what to say to his old principal. He had always been a friendly man, often joking with the kids and making them laugh. Cole remembered he sent flowers to his mother’s funeral. It hadn’t surprised him as it seemed in character for Mr. Mongello. Both his aunt and Lilly commented on how nice it was. He decided to try and use words that sounded like something Lilly might say.
Taking the phone into the kitchen, Cole raised the phone to his ear. “Hello, Mr. Mongello. Thank you for the flowers you sent.”
“Well hello, Cole,” said a voice Cole recognized immediately. All the air was sucked out of the room as Cole started to shake and sweat. A warm wetness spread across his crotch area as he lost control of his bladder. “I heard about your mom. Such a pity.”
Cole tried to move, tried to call out to his uncle, but it was as if he’d been pulled out of his world and into an alternate dimension. He could vaguely make out the voices of his uncle and Ollie talking to the two officers in the living room, but couldn’t make out a single word they were saying. The handyman with his Aunt and Lilly walked above him, but even though they were only one floor up, he might have been on the other side of the country. Urine dripped down his leg, but had no ability to stop it.
Memories of cheap whiskey and a basement kept extra chilly flooded Cole’s mind. The beat of Cole’s heart slammed in his chest, and his pulse pounded in his ear like their old water heater. He was back in that cold room with the man who still haunted his nightmares. Cole closed his eyes to memories of what he’d seen in that cellar.
“You still there Cole?” His Stepfather said. “I’ll assume you are. I can hear you whimper. Now I want you to listen up. As of right now, you remember that deal we made? About how you keep your mouth shut? I know you do, and I know you remember what I promised you I’d do. Don’t you?”
There was a pause as the memory of that promise came flooding back into Cole’s head, the images he’d seen that night rose to the surface of his mind and Cole’s breakfast nearly came up as well.
“Don’t you!”
The
shout had Cole moving, away from where anyone might see him. He found himself in the laundry room and collapsed to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest, but kept the phone to his ear.
“I’ll take your whimpering as a yes. Let me get to the point of my call. It occurred to me that you might think since some rank amateur slit your mother’s throat that you might now believe the original deal is no longer in place. After all, I can’t hurt her anymore. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you what I would have done. You know full well, don’t you?”
Cole didn’t answer with more than a nod, something his stepfather couldn’t see, but Cole was convinced Edward Hunter was right there, inches from his face.
“I’m sure you do,” Edward said with a snicker. “But let’s cut to the chase. My secret remains my secret. If I find out you talked to anyone, and I’ll know because I always know, then I’ll come to my old home town myself. You’re living with your aunt now, aren’t you? And that short little piece of ass, Lilly. And then there’s what I’ll do to you. After I make you watch. Of course, maybe you’d liked that? You want me to come to town and give you a little reminder of what I can do?”
Cole shook his head, feeling his hands and feet weighed down as if chained.
“How about this, Cole,” Edward said. “Why don’t you go on with your cozy little life there in Ember Falls? You stick with your Aunt and her gal pal. I even heard your uncle is back. You stay with them and keep your mouth shut, and I’ll leave you and your new little family alone. You talk?” There was silence for a moment, where Cole pictured Edward’s sadistic smile. The silence was broken by a low, cruel laugh right before the line went dead.
With trembling hands, he shut the phone and tried to remember how to breathe. When the buzzer for the drier went off, he nearly screamed.
“So earlier when I was on the phone with my mom,” Ollie said, looking around to make sure nobody was in earshot. “She told me McAlister Securities is bringing equipment that will be able to tell if there are bodies underground. You really think they’re going to find more bodies?”
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