by Debbie Civil
Chapter 14
“Another cheeseburger!” Peter exclaims with false cheeriness, as the goodness is placed in front of me. He steals a fry from my plate and chuckles at my glare.
“Get your own food,” I playfully whine.
“Why would I do a thing like that when eating yours is more economical?” His grin is wide and makes my heart clench. What a beauty he is. I’m not saying that Peter is perfect. But he’s the closest to it.
“I still can’t believe that you guys drove up here to see us.” Peter doesn’t answer. Instead he stares as Jake and Carmen make their way over to our table. Actually, Carmen his rushing toward us, her expression pinched with aggravation, and Jake is trying to catch up to her. She quickly slides in beside me and steals a fry. Jake stands their awkwardly until Peter smirks at him.
“Are you eating lunch with us?” Jake pauses, decides that this might be a good idea then plops down. It sucks not having any alone time with Peter. In a way I sort of wish that he was rude. Adam would have told Jake and Carmen to take a hike. But, my boyfriend isn’t like that. The waiter, a guy dressed in a buttoned down shirt, black slacks with an apron over the
Ensemble takes Jake and Carmen’s orders. Jake gets a turkey club while Carmen chooses a salad. Because we don’t want to be awkward, Peter and I stop eating and Carmen begins to speak.
“Jake, it was nice of you to agree to check on us,” she shyly says. I’m worried that Danny’s brother will ignore her. But he doesn’t. In fact, it appears that his eyes are all for her.
“It was no problem. I didn’t have anything else to do. So Chelsea,” Jake says, his eyes land on me and he grins. “How are you liking the mansion?” Carmen looks between Jake and me in confusion. I shrug and contemplate how I’m going to answer his question.
“I…” This is the time to tread carefully. It isn’t like the rich life has grown on me or anything. Though, it is highly convenient to have an endless supply of money. But what can I really say about living with my grandmother that won’t sound superficial? Peter isn’t into the snooty type. He’s more into a laid back girl that enjoys life. My boyfriend’s eyes rest on me, trying to figure out the real answer. I play with a fry.
“Well, I like the company,” I opt to say. Jake nods in understanding.
“But you don’t like Grandma’s company,” Carmen adds, her voice sounding disapproving. I glance at her, surprised by the comment.
“I…”
“It’s amazing if you think about it,” Carmen responds, interrupting me. Just like that, I’m in the bathroom. Everything’s gone wrong. Adam has just cheated on me. He probably did so because he had an ugly girlfriend who he couldn’t stay faithful to. Looking in the mirror, all I can see is my ugly face. My…
“Chelsea,” Carmen calls, sounding aggravated.
“What,” I hiss. For goodness sakes, Carmen isn’t going to see me break. I’m stronger than her. All she ever does is hide in Danny’s shadow. I don’t hide in anyone’s shadow. I’m strong.
“All I’m saying is that if you hate Grandma so much, why don’t you just leave?” she inquires. Leaving isn’t much of an option anymore. Where would I even go? My parents are over a thousand miles away. That would also mean not seeing Peter anymore. Over the last weeks, he has become my best friend. That’s something that you don’t find every day.
“My parents want me to stay,” I quietly respond. Thank goodness, the waiter returns with their food and I continue eating my burger. Peter absentmindedly picks at his tuna sandwich. That’s odd considering that he usually eats with more enthusiasm.
“Bull,” Carmen says after standing up straighter. Her cool eyes lock on my face as she continues talking. “I think that your family is using grandma.”
“What!” The explosive shriek turns heads. Jake ducks his head, not liking that much attention. Peter sighs, obviously wanting to just run away.
“Chelsea, here’s how I see it. You don’t hang out with Grandma. She gives you an allowance. You spend it on Peter, no offense to you. What do you do for her?” Peter glares at Carmen. That’s something that takes everyone even Jake by surprise.
“She hasn’t spent any money on me,” he interjects.
“Who’s going to pay the bill for this lovely restaurant?” Carmen asks. Jake smirks.
“I am. It’s the least that I can do since I’m the reason why she’s in this mood,” Jake announces before slipping out of the booth and walking over to the receptionist table.
“Carmen, I don’t know why you rich people always think that we less fortunate are using you for something,” I snap. When I’m angry, my voice will carry for miles. This is enough. First, Danny wants to give me problems because who could ever ask her to keep her mouth shut? Next, Eli comes up with a ridiculous plan to take a road trip, which I only agree with so Carmen could see Dominic. I’m sore, tired, and irritable because I had to do all of the driving. Besides that, Malcolm and Nathan had the dumbest argument known to man. And now, a little brat is accusing me of using Grandmother? That woman has been a constant thorn in my side for as long as I could remember. She has alienated my parents and disinherited them. And now, this stuck up nosy brat wants to say I'm taking advantage of her?
“Chelsea,” Peter calls softly. But his gentle voice doesn’t soothe me.
“Are you stupid, naive, or just clueless? I’m not using Grandma. She offered to do a favor for my parents. Think, Carmen. My parents are in a new city, trying to set things up for me. They need a few months to afford necessities like a bed, furniture, and other things you take for granted. My poor parents had to sleep on the floor, the first week they stayed there because they didn’t have enough money to ship their things. You have no idea what it’s like for me. I didn’t want to live with Grandma, she insisted. My parents just thought that they were giving me a better life,” I hiss. Jake, who has returned to the table, holds up a hand.
“Carmen, apologize,” he orders. My cousin shakes her head.
“I think your father is the thief,” she announces. Peter stands, walks over to me, and wraps his arm around my elbow. But it’s too late. Because I’m so angered by that ridiculous comment, I take my glass of juice and toss the contents in her face. Jake sighs as Peter and I walk out of the restaurant.
“I can’t believe this,” I hiss as we make our way into the hotel lobby. My anger is slowly fading and exhaustion is making my limbs heavy. He wraps an arm around me and sighs.
“Carmen is angry, confused, and desperate. Whoever stole from your grandmother must have taken something valuable,” he figures.
“My parents would never steal from her. They really are in Minnesota. I…”
“Chelsea, I know that. It’s okay,” he softly says as he wraps me in his arms. I wrap my arms around Peter and press my face into his shirt. He holds me to him.
“I want to go back to Gately,” I say into his chest.
“Will your grandmother be okay with that?” he asks.
“I don’t care. Peter, I’m not in the mood to see Carmen right now.” He kisses me on top of the head before releasing me.
“You can drive back with us. We weren’t planning on staying long anyways,” Peter tells me as we make our way to the elevator hand and hand. The suite is quiet when we enter. Nathan and Eliza are sharing a bag of chips in the living room. She looks up when she hears the door open.
“Chelsea, what’s wrong?” Eliza asks.
“I’m leaving,” I mumble, not wanting to talk about it. Eliza straightens, her eyes looking very confused.
“You’re going to Minneapolis?” she asks.
“No, I’m going back to the mansion. Carmen and I got into a huge fight, and I think its best that I leave,” I say. Eliza shakes her head.
“Everyone fights with Carmen. She’s difficult,” she pleads.
“Eliza, this is the kind of fight that ends friendships,” I warn. My cousin pats the couch and I sit beside her. Peter sits in the love seat. It sounds foolish but I l
ong to sit beside him, feeling the heat radiating from his body.
“Tell us about it. I’m sure that whatever it is, it can be fixed,” she says with confidence. I shake my head.
“Eliza, once people say certain things to you, there is no taking the words back,” I respond. Peter sighs. This has apparently been too much drama for him.
“As soon as Malcolm comes back, we can be on the road,” he says.
“Chelsea, my uncle has your car. How will we drive it back if we don’t have the keys?” Eliza asks.
“I’ll take Chelsea to the dealership. She will drive you guys back and…”
“No,” Eliza shrieks. “Chelsea, Carmen says a lot of stupid things. You can’t just leave.” I finally give in and tell Eliza how Carmen has embarrassed us. She groans.
“Go, I totally understand,” she admits. Her eyes grow wary and the disappointment is obvious. I want to tell her that maybe this will all blow over. But those would just be empty words. Carmen has crossed a line and there is no turning back. As much as I have grown this summer, I can’t forgive something like that. And that is just too darn bad.
“Have you guys eaten?” Nathan asks.
“Barely. We’ll grab some subs on the way back,” Peter insists. And just like that, our conversation ends. With dread and weariness in my heart I make my way to the master suite and pack.
“Can I come in?” Peter asks. It has been a half an hour and he has graciously left me alone.
“Come in,” I say. Peter makes his way over to me with gentle dark eyes that always seem to make things better. If I could, I would jump inside of his skin just to get some form of comfort. He tentatively wraps his arms around me and I pull him close. His touch is exactly what could turn this day around. As Peter strokes my back, tears begin to fall. It angers me that someone like Carmen could make me feel so vulnerable. Her accusations come back to me. I’m a user. I don’t appreciate anything that Grandma has done for me. Peter spends her money. These presumptions are what trouble me most. She can say whatever she wants about me. On some level, Carmen’s right. I haven’t made any effort to get to know Grandma. Spending her money comes effortlessly. It is as if I feel entitled to it.
“Sweetheart, it’s all right,” he whispers. His endearment alone is enough to lift my spirits.
“Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am a user,” I sniffle against his chest.
“Chelsea, you haven’t asked your grandmother for anything. All of the stuff she gave you, that was all that she wanted to give you. You shouldn’t feel like you’re using her,” he says softly.
“I always felt as though Grandmother owed me something. She’s been the stuck up rich woman who always looked down on Mom and Dad. On some level, I hated her. And yet, it’s so easy to take her money.”
“Chelsea, it was she who insisted you come to Gately. She made you quit your job. What were you supposed to do?” Peter asks.
“How can you stand me?” The question is random and catches him off guard.
“How can I stand you? What do you mean?” he asks.
“After all I’ve put you through, you are still here. Why?”
“Do you not want me to be?” Peter asks hesitantly.
“No, Peter, I don’t want you here, I need you. You are the reason why this summer was filled with so much life. I have no idea what I would do without you,” I say. For a moment, he pauses as if not knowing what to say.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that you’ll never have to find out,” he whispers. His breath on my skin makes me shiver. At this moment, the only thing I want, no, I need, is to feel his lips on mine. Gently, as if to assure Peter that he has a choice in this I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his head down to mine. He lifts me up so that he could have better access to my lips and I wrap my legs around his waist. Our kiss is soft and gentle. It’s everything that I’ve ever wanted. He slowly tastes my mouth as if it’s a delicacy. I marvel at the fact that someone could make me feel so pretty, so confident, and so raw. Our kiss is what begins to put my heart back together again. Peter releases me and chuckles.
“Chelsea, are you sure you want to go? You should probably try to work things out with Carmen,” he suggests. His words are delivered with caution and I appreciate them. Peter only wants me to do what’s best for me. I run my fingers through my hair and sigh.
“I’m just not ready yet, Peter. It’s weird but I’ve always had a problem with forgiving people,” I admit.
“I don’t think that’s true,” Peter gently corrects.
“Oh?”
“I think that you have a problem with forgiving the wrong people.” He smirks at me obviously to lighten the mood then sits on the bed.
“Where’s Malcolm?” I ask.
“On the beach with Danny. They will be back in twenty minutes,” Peter informs me.
“I’m sorry that our perfectly exciting day got ruined,” I say.
“It’s no problem, I…” Danny, who’s supposed to be back in twenty minutes runs into the suite and straight into the master bedroom. I stare at her. She’s in a swim suit and her curly hair is frizzy from the water. Without saying a word, Danny wraps her arms around me and gives me a huge squeeze. I think this is the moment that seals the deal for me. Danny Jones is officially my best friend. She pulls away and shakes her head.
“I understand why you are leaving. Jake told me everything,” she says. “I just don’t get why you’re leaving. Carmen…” Danny pauses then shakes her head.
“Carmen?” I ask.
“Jake told her that Dominic is interested in another girl. He told her that she didn’t have a chance with Dominic. Unfortunately, she took it hard. I…”
“Maybe my leaving will be for the best. You guys can help her get over Dominic way better than I could,” I point out.
“I guess so. But… She pauses, sucks in a deep breath then smirks.
“Let’s just say that Jake hates problems and solutions if you get what I mean,” Danny says before kissing me on the cheek and picking up my bag.