by Samolu Pearl
I look away and he leans closer, flicking my eyes back to him. "Just like I can't stand to see you hurt, or your family," he says sweetly.
I close my eyes and lean my head against his chest and he envelops me into a hug. "You know," he says, "with the cover charge and everything, we made over three thousand dollars for your family."
I choke on the breath I just took in and he laughs at my expression. "Are you serious?" I ask.
He nods. "It was five to get in and those boys sold for a lot more than we ever thought they would," Darren smirks, his arrogant smile, pleased with himself for his deeds.
I throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight. "Thank you so much, Darren," I whisper.
"You're welcome. But if we don't find somewhere with a clock, we aren't going to get our New Years Kiss and that's like, the main reason I put this whole thing on," he jokes.
I laugh as we walk back out of the room when we run into Patrick and Jessa. They are walking back downstairs, similar to Darren and I—hand in hand.
"I'm so sorry, Duke," Patrick says quickly. "I had no idea that Allison had been acting like . . ." He sighs and looks as though he's looking for the words to say. "I wanted to believe in her so badly that I ignored the things I didn't like," he locks eyes with mine, "but I'm done pretending."
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Patrick," I say, smiling softly. "You've always been a good friend to me. I don't blame you for anything." We laugh softly as the four of us stand awkwardly in the hall.
"I'm sorry, too, Duke," Jessa says, her voice meek and quiet. "At first I just wanted to be popular, but . . ."
"Did she really threaten you, Jess?" I ask.
She nods and I see Patrick scowl. "It was just little things at first, but the more pissed she got at people, the more she took it out on me." She sighs "I just never had the guts to stand up to her. And . . . I didn't want to stop being around Patrick." She whispers the last part, embarrassed and both she and Patrick blush.
"Wait, what?" I look at their hands, entwined, and start forming an idea.
"So the two of you have liked each other for a while . . ." Darren speculates.
Patrick nods. "Just little things made me look at her differently, especially as Allison started picking on you more this year, Duke. I just realized it tonight how much I think I . . ."
"I've known for a while, but . . . Alisson . . ."
"Yeah," I say. "I think I can understand that.
We smile at each other and Jessa looks up, catching my eyes. "Is there any way we can be friends again, Duke. I know I've acted like such a jerk and I've got a lot of making up to do . . ."
"It might be strange at first," I say softly, "you've been gone for a while . . ."
"I know," she whispers.
"But there's no reason we can't try . . ."
We smile at each other and hear the T.V. in the living room where the adults are gathered being turned up.
Darren squeezes my hand, turning my gaze upon him, "Come on. If we don't hurry we'll miss midnight."
The four of us head back downstairs where the party has continued and no one notices our entrance. We each grab a plastic glass of sparkling cider from the bar as the room starts counting down.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Darren pulls me to him and kisses me in a way that my breath catches and my eyes flutter. I think the only reason I'm still standing is because he is holding me around my waist and supporting most of my weight.
"Happy New Year, Delaney Rose Knight," he says softly, his eyes closed as he gently nuzzles my face. "How is it so far?"
I place a hand on his cheek and smile, his eyes opening to look into mine as I respond. "It's looking pretty good from here."
* * *
The Knight family has a tradition on New Years Day mornings that anyone is invited to, so long as they participate.
We have a pancake-flipping contest, and thanks to Darren and Pete and the amazing friends we have in town, we were still able to keep up our tradition.
The Teigan's and the King's had joined us, so our kitchen was packed full with people, but they were all smiling and laughing. Patrick and Jessa had showed up as well, trying to make up for the hurt Allison had caused by bringing more pancake mix and chocolate chips for the contest.
Pete was, so far, the best pancake flipper and had been for the past few years. Mom accused him of practicing all year in the café and he didn't disagree.
I smile as I watch the two of them interact in the kitchen and with the guests, and I hope that Pete would be around much more.
"Darren's getting better as he goes," Dan says as he sits down next to me. He's kind of bummed about Bethany and Mason— who, by the way, had been harnessing feeling for each other for at least a year. They both hid it well. They're most likely cuddled up together and reveling in the fact that they finally realized they liked each other and it wasn't just one-sided.
"Seems so, but he won't be able to pass you and Sean up on the mischief twin pass," I joke, nudging his shoulder. Sean and Dan's amazing routine had won them the most creative award in the contest.
What's the prize you ask? Getting to keep a special metal mug that we have for each category for that year. If you lose the next year, the mug goes to the winner. I held the mug for best presentation and planned on keeping it.
"Nah, definitely not," Dan agrees.
"So Eleni really went back to school?" I ask. I had woken up that morning to find Mom in the kitchen with Eleni's note in her hands and shaking her head. She had left on an early plane and didn't plan on coming back.
Dan shakes his head. "Yeah, she talked to me last night and told me. I tried to convince her to stay, but . . ." he sighs. "She's more of a middle kid, Duke. She's got a lot of jealousy issues because of it. She and Sarah were too different and Sean and I stuck together when we grew up. You and Ryan didn't help with that either with how close you grew up." He looks and me and says, "Cut her some slack when she decides to come back?"
I nod, "I think I can do that."
Pete's phone rings as he finishes flipping five more pancakes—we've moved on to simply feeding people for the moment. He's laughing as he answers it, but his face suddenly grows serious as I watch. Mom notices too and follows him out of the kitchen into the living room.
Dan and I exchange a look, but the rest of the people in the kitchen seem oblivious. The two come back in a moment later, Mom still looking confused and looking rushed.
"Something's come up, guys and I've got to head out," he says to the room, looking apologetic. He turns to look at mom and says, "I'll be back as soon as I can," he bends down and gives her a light kiss on the lips.
I'm not sure if I was the only one shocked, but I doubt I was alone. Even though I had speculated the two of them being together, I didn't realize it would happen so fast.
Mom looks after him, bewildered, as he leaves through the front door.
"I think it's time for the mischief twin pass," Sean says from the other side of the room. Dan gets up and walks over, wanting to get the attention off Mom, and the contest and atmosphere seems to melt back to normal. I walk over to Mom and, as soon as she sees me, she pulls me into the other room.
"What was that about, Mom?" I ask.
She shakes her head, "I don't know but it seemed like it was something to do with our problems. I don't know why he wouldn't tell me . . ."
"Maybe he wants to make sure whatever it is, if it has to do with us, is true before he tells us?"
Mom shrugs, "maybe."
"Are you two . . . together?"
Mom smiles and I can see how it softens her face. That was a yes if I ever saw one. "How would you feel if we were?" she asks carefully.
"Ecstatic, overjoyed, enthused, and happy that you're happy," I say. "And I think that goes for all of your kids, Mom." We smile at each other. "We're happy when you're happy."
"Well I'm glad you're happy with Darren too. Maybe mine and
Paula's speculations that you and he will get married might still happen after all."
"Mom!" I blush. "I don't think we're quite to that point yet!"
She laughs. "Oh, I know. Just don't let a boy take you away from other things you love. Like your dancing."
I shake my head. "Nothing could take me away from dancing Mom. I've even been excused from paying until we get things sorted out."
"Using the studio for free," Mom says. "That's nice."
The doorbell rings and Mom frowns. "I thought everyone was here," she says as she stands to get the door. I walk behind her as she opens the door.
"Happy New Year," Adam Mason says from our door step.
"Get out," Mom says forcefully. He doesn't move. I can hear other people in the room and see Dan and Sean move to the side of Mom, blocking any way he could get into the house. "I said, get out, Adam, and I mean it."
"Look, all I need is a little cash and I'm gone," he says, holding his hands up as though he's surrendering.
Everyone at the door suddenly looks bewildered. "What," he asks, "What did I say?"
"You already stole every cent we had from our accounts!" I say, moving forward. "How can you possibly ask us for more?"
Now it's his turn to look bewildered. "What are you talking about?" he asks, thoroughly confused.
"Just get the hell out of here, Mason. We don't want to hear from you. Ever again." Sean says as he and Dan step outside and shut the door behind them, herding him out to his car and away from us.
"If Adam didn't steal the money . . ." Mom whispers.
"Then who did?" I finish.
Chapter Twenty: Resolutions
It was like a big sleepover. Ryan and Emma, Darren and I had settled into my room on my mounds of pillows with our usual snacks and didn't plan on sleeping—we couldn't.
We hadn't heard from Pete all day and, though we had finished the contest with smiles on our faces, had spent the rest of the day watching movies with our minds far, far away.
Sarah and Brent had gone back to the apartment with Anthony, Adler, and Maura and planned on making some plans on budgeting and possibly getting extra jobs.
Dan and Sean were packing tonight and sleeping before they had to fly back to their schools tomorrow. We still didn't know how we were going to cover the costs, but the schools were small and we hoped they would understand.
The pair had told Adam Mason and his son to leave us alone once and for all. The boys were big enough that Adam was pretty intimidated, and when they mentioned Pete, apparently Adam had blanched. When we asked Mom what that was about, she just said that Pete had gone to school with them and hadn't liked Adam much then, either.
I don't think he'll be around again—at least not for a while.
Mom got called in to the hospital and welcomed the news—escaping the house and our questions. She wanted to do something to keep her mind off of everything. I told her to keep her phone on in case Pete showed up or called or something. She agreed to that as well as letting Emma and Darren spend the night.
"This is a disgusting combination, Ace," Darren says, looking into the bowl of cocoa puffs, marshmallows and skittles as we pass it around the circle of us sitting on the floor.
Ryan laughs. "This is just one of the many concoctions Duke and I have whipped up over the years for our late-night conversations."
Emma sighs and we give her a strange look. Emma smiles at the similar reactions between Ryan and I. "We won't be able to have many more of these," she says, explaining her sigh.
Darren laughs nervously. "Yeah. Applications are in and now we all wait anxiously for news."
"Hopefully we can even make it into college with the way things are," Ryan mutters.
I put a hand on top of his. "Pete's on to something, I'm sure of it. I mean, it's not that easy to steal from a bank out of all of our separate accounts. They have to be able to track whoever did this."
"If they could, they would have by now."
I roll my eyes. I'm an optimist at heart, so I can't just give up on the idea that all of that hard-earned money is just gone.
"Where did you apply to, Darren?" Emma asks, swerving the conversation back from the black abyss that is our bank accounts.
"The local University. I'm not really sure where I'm headed so I figure I'll get my basics done while I figure out what I'm interested in. You?"
Emma smiles, "I applied out of state in several places, so I'll tell you when I hear back about which ones I've been accepted to. Then I'll decide."
Ryan picks up her hand and plays with her fingers, staring at them as he speaks, "I just hope we'll be near each other."
Emma smiles. "Me too."
Darren's eyes lock with mine. "What about you, Ace. Where are you headed?" He looks so expectant; I can tell he's hoping the same as Ryan and Emma—that we'll still be able to be together after we graduate from Oak Ridge.
"I honestly don't know yet. I want a scholarship from somewhere with dance. I want to be a dance teacher or maybe even a performer, so . . . There's going to be scouts at my next performance in April. I'm hoping to get noticed then and, if not, I'm going to the University to do my basics."
"The University has a great dance program, too, you know," Darren says, his eyes still searching.
"Have you been researching?"
"Maybe," he says much too quickly.
I smile and say softly, "that's sweet. Thank you."
We spend several hours talking about our plans, where we want to be in five years or so and what our interests are. Ryan and Emma fall asleep on the pillows long before Darren and I tire of talking and end up falling asleep on the bed around five in the morning.
It's light out when I wake up and the clock says its past ten. Darren, Ryan, and Emma are still sleeping, so I slip quietly out of Darren's arms and out of the room to go downstairs.
"Duke, you scared me," Mom says as I walk into the kitchen. She must have heard me on the stairs.
"What are you doing, Mom?" I ask, going to sit next to her.
She shakes her head and places it in her hands. She's still in her work clothes so she must have gotten home not too long ago. "I heard from Pete," she sighs.
My eyes widen. "When? What did he say?" I can feel my heart beat speed up as I wait for her response. With Mom's reaction, it can't be anything good.
"He and his friend, Jarrod Barnes, he's a policeman, they're following him now and are going to bring him back for a trial."
"So we'll get our money back?"
"I believe so, yes."
I look over her and see a nerve-racked woman, not a woman relieved to have her and her children's life savings back after being stolen.
"Do you know who it was? Who took the money?"
Mom nods and chokes a sob. I wrap an arm around her back, worried as hell. "Mom, what's wrong?"
She lifts her head up and I can see the tears rolling down her face. "It was Allen, Delaney!" she says. My eyes widen and I blink, wondering if I heard correctly.
"What?"
"He took the money after I trusted him and . . ." she sobs again and buries her head back into her arms.
"Mom, Mom, you have to talk to me," I say, still hugging her from the side. "What happened?"
"We were going to tell you on Christmas when we had the whole family at the house," she says when she can manage to speak through the tears. "We . . . we were going to get married, Delaney. I had said yes to him and we were going to get married."
I let that sink in for a moment, realizing how hurt she is, and hold her closer. She hugs me back, crying and clinging to me for support. Tears form in my own eyes— I hate to see my Mom hurt and, with the way her past had run with love, this was just cruel and unusual punishment.
I hold back asking the questions I'm dying to know the answers to and just comfort her. She recovers enough to tell me more and I listen without interrupting.
"He had a friend at the bank, I remember that now, who said we could join our accounts
before we got married and it would make things easier for us to maneuver money for the wedding. He had legal access to my accounts, but he shouldn't have been able to get into yours and your brothers and sisters'.
"Pete looked into it with his friend, Jarrod, and said whatever friend Allen had got him into those accounts and then wiped the record of it."
"What the hell?" Mom gives me a look. "Oh come on, this is a situation where swearing is perfectly allowable," I say.
She rolls her eyes and I hid a smile. If she's doing that, then she's at least a little better. "It's my fault all of this happened. I should just . . . stay away form men. Forever," she says, frustrated and resolute.
I laugh lightly, "what about Pete, Mom?" She looks down at her hands and blushes. "Just . . . curious," I ask slowly, "when Allen left, you weren't that upset. I mean . . . you've moved on to Pete very quickly . . ."
She lays her head in her hands again and huffs, frustrated. I smile as I realize I do the same thing when I'm frustrated—my mother's daughter through and through. "I guess I was having doubts about Allen anyway, especially after your Grandmother talked to me about how she felt about Allen and how much she's always liked Pete . . ."
"Wait, what did Grandma Vi say?"
Mom shrugs. "She was talking about how she felt strange about him. Something about him wasn't right. Silly, right?"
I look away, silent for a moment. "Not so silly."
She sets her arm on my shoulder and I turn to look at her. "You mean you felt the same way too?"
I nod and she throws her hands into the air and starts pacing through the kitchen. "Why is it that I'm the only one who can't see when men are bad for me, and I avoid the one person who has always been good to me?"
"Not with Patrick, Mom. Patrick was a good wonderful man as far as I can tell from everything you, Sarah, Eleni, Dan and Sean say—and everyone else for that matter who knew him. And now . . . So if Pete," I offer, trying to placate her. "You've realized that Pete is there for you now."
She shakes her head again and leans on the counter facing me. "I should have realized it long ago. Grandma Vi mentioned that she had a bad feeling about Allen from the moment she met him and I told her to stop picking on the men I date, you know she picked on Patrick at first too," she adds, "but he ended up being an amazing man."