“It’s like the inside of a coffin,” Digby said.
That.
“My great-grandfather had it built in 1940 for the daughter he never ended up having. My grandfather didn’t have any girls either,” Sloane said.
“This room’s been waiting for you since 1940?” I said. “That’s creepy.”
“You have no idea. This is a replica of an actual doll’s house in a museum in Chicago,” Sloane said. “It’s Sleeping Beauty’s room.”
“And you sleep in the bed she lay comatose in? No one between 1940 and now saw how symbolically messed up that is?” I said.
“I’ve never wanted to be a princess,” Sloane said.
“Well, glory be, have you two actually found something to agree about?” Digby helped himself from an oversized tray of little sandwiches and mini tarts that had been set up for us. “So what’s the problem, Sloane? Why are we here?”
Sloane sat down on her bed. “Henry’s cheating on me.”
“What? How do you know?” I said. “Wait, do you know so? Or do you just think so?”
“I know so,” Sloane said. “He’s been really distant and suddenly he has a second phone I don’t have the number to. Plus, he’s been working out like he’s back on the market . . .”
“My father did the working out thing too when he was cheating . . . but I think that’s more like a midlife crisis . . .” I said. “Right, Digby?”
Digby kept right on eating.
“Digby,” I said.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah,” Digby said. “She’s right, Sloane, Henry’s working out for spring training.” He polished off a sandwich and reached for another.
“He tells me he’s at work, so I go to the diner but he isn’t there. I ask him where he really was and he says he was with the football team. I ask him what they were doing and he says they were talking about plays . . .” Sloane said. “It sounds like BS.”
“Austin says stuff like that too. I figured it out, though. It’s because they aren’t allowed to do any training during the off-season and their coach tells them to deny any team prep they do—”
“I found cash in his wallet last weekend. Lots of cash. I thought he was going to take me somewhere or buy me something, but he went out Saturday night and when I checked again on Sunday, the money was just gone,” Sloane said.
“You looked in his wallet?” I said. Wow, she really was worried.
“He isn’t cheating.” Digby laughed at Sloane. “You should see your face. You look disappointed. What, did you want him to be cheating on you?”
“But I’m telling you . . .” Sloane said.
Digby cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. “He’s. Not. Cheating.”
“But he’s up to something,” Sloane said.
I pointed at Digby. “You’re up to something. What is it?”
“Let it go, Sloane. Henry isn’t cheating.” Digby put a pile of cookies in his jacket pocket and walked out the door.
After he was gone, I said, “What did you want us to do, Sloane?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was hoping Digby would say something . . . tell me I’m right or make me believe I’m wrong,” Sloane said. “But he didn’t do either, did he? I hate this bros before hos crap.”
“I cannot stand that saying,” I said. “But yes, that’s definitely what’s happening here.”
“Meanwhile, my mother and Elliot are sitting around discussing how many points it’ll cost Dad if my boobs end up on the Internet,” Sloane said. “I feel like I’m going insane.”
I thought I spotted the tiniest tears forming in the corners of her eyes. I realized I didn’t really know what I’d do if she got upset. Maybe it was time for her regular crew to step in. “What do your friends say? Have they heard anything about Henry?”
“My friends?” Sloane said. “I can’t talk to them about this.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because it’s fricking ridiculous and impossible.”
“What do you mean? Cheating happens all the time.”
“Maybe to people like you.”
And with that sucker punch to the soul, I got up. “I should go. Digby’s my ride.”
• • •
Digby already had the engine running when I got in the van.
“What was that?” I said.
“That was Sloane driving herself nuts.” Digby pulled out onto the drive.
“Maybe she is, but you’re being weird. Something’s going on,” I said. “You sure there isn’t something going on with Henry?”
Digby laughed. “Ha. You just want to believe he’s cheating on Sloane because then she’d be on your level.”
“‘On my level’? Meaning what?” I said. “Are you implying Austin is cheating on me? Because if that’s what you want to say, then have the guts to actually say it.”
“No, I’m not saying that—”
“That’s what I thought,” I said. We spent the rest of the ride in silence.
• • •
I saw Austin’s car parked outside my house and became newly enraged that he’d bailed on me.
“Hey, Digby,” I said. “Do you want to come in for some food? We can ask Cooper to make us ramen,” I said. “The vegan ones are actually edible.”
Predictably, Digby accepted and hopped out of the van with me. On the way to the porch, he said, “This sudden hospitality doesn’t have anything to do with that blue Ford with the River Heights Buccaneers bumper sticker, does it?”
I shrugged.
“And I’m the cold dish of revenge you’re serving up for dinner?” When I didn’t answer, he pulled off the knit cap I’d been wearing. “Nice streaks, by the way.”
“I know. They look crazy.” I brushed the streaked bits back into my ponytail. “Allie left them in too long last night.”
“I’m not asking you to apologize for having other friends, Princeton.”
“Ha-ha.”
“Now, should we practice our scene?” Digby threw his arm around my shoulders. “How’s this?” He pulled me closer. “Too much?”
“Maybe a little . . .”
When my front door opened, Austin was standing in the threshold. “Babe, why aren’t you answering my texts? Where were you?”
“Actually, where were you?” I wiggled out from under Digby’s arm.
“I had to go do my conditioning,” Austin said. “Football team stuff.”
Digby cleared his throat and cocked his eyebrow at me.
“Henry’s at work. Digby just picked up the van from him, Austin. How is there ‘football team stuff’ without the quarterback?”
“It wasn’t anything official. Just a bunch of us doing some workouts Coach Fogle gave us.”
“Then when you said ‘football team stuff,’ you weren’t telling the exact truth.” Digby stepped up to Austin.
“Can I help you, guy?” Austin took a step forward too, and bumped up against Digby’s chest until they were nose-to-nose.
“Digby, can you give Austin and me a minute?” I peeled Digby away from Austin.
“Princeton, make sure he has the decency to work for it when he lies to you,” Digby said.
“Seriously, bro, what are you doing here anyway?” Austin pushed me into the house so he could get between Digby and me.
“Actually, Austin, I invited Digby,” I said. “Which is more than I can say for you since your invitation expired when you didn’t bother turning up this morning.” When Digby started laughing, I said to him, “You. Living room.” I waited until Digby was gone before saying, “Austin, I don’t know how you and past girlfriends used to do it, but you can’t just not show up when you know I’m waiting for you.”
“Sorry, Zoe, but I texted,” Austin said.
“After you were supposed to be here,” I sai
d.
“This is crazy. I said I’m sorry. Can you hear yourself? You’re acting like a little . . .”
“Like a little what?”
Austin just stared.
“That’s what I thought.” I grabbed his coat off the rack and shoved it into his chest as I pushed him out the door.
• • •
In the living room, Digby and Cooper were talking over a pile of Cooper’s case files. Mom was drinking coffee and grading papers. Their chatter died down when I walked in trembling.
“Door slam. You okay?” Digby said.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“For what it’s worth, Austin was in here for an hour telling us how sorry he was,” Mom said.
Digby and Cooper both rolled their eyes.
“And on that note, I should go,” Digby said.
“What about dinner? And, wait, where are you living?” I said. “Does your mom know you’re back in town?”
“Not yet exactly . . .”
“I hope you’re not a runaway again,” Cooper said. “Your dad knows you left this time, right?”
“Yeah, he knows, Mike.” Digby retrieved an envelope from his pocket. “Besides. I got my bona fides. State of Texas declared me my own man.”
Cooper pulled out the paperwork and we started reading. It took me a while to digest that I was looking at a court order. Removal of Disabilities of Minority. Mom snatched it away, alarmed. “This says you have to provide for your own food, clothing, and shelter. Your parents aren’t legally obligated to do anything for you.”
“How much of that were they doing before?” Digby said.
“Can you do this?” Mom turned to me. “You think this is a good idea?”
“What? This is the first time I’m hearing about it, Mom,” I said.
“I’m fine. I’ll be at Henry’s for now,” Digby said.
“You’re staying at Henry’s?” I said.
“For now. His sister’s not going to let me stay very long. I walked in on Athena doing morning yoga in her nightgown,” Digby said. “It was as horrifying as it sounds. For both of us. But don’t worry. I have options . . . maybe see what’s going on at my mom’s place.”
I followed Digby to the front door. “About Sloane. She’s really worried Henry’s cheating.”
Digby laughed. “It’s nothing. Henry doesn’t have it in him to cheat.”
“Well, would you talk to him anyway?” I said.
“Wow. You really are a good girl. Love your enemies and everything,” he said.
“Put her out of her misery already, okay?” I said.
“Sorry, Princeton, I don’t do matrimonials.” Digby opened the door, took two steps outside.
“Matrimonials? What does that mean?” I realized how late it had gotten. “Just stay for dinner and drive to Henry’s afterward.” When Digby hesitated, I said, “Eat here already. When did you ever say no to food?”
“You realize this would be the first time I’d be eating at the dinner table instead of hiding up in your room?” Digby came back in and took off his coat. “Wow. This is an occasion.”
“Well, don’t get too excited yet. Like I said, I’m going to ask Cooper to make ramen, but earlier, I heard him talking about a nut loaf,” I said.
“What the hell is that?”
“Exactly. And you still won’t know after you eat it either.”
SIX
The next morning, I turned on my phone and it immediately chimed with the latest of many missed messages from Austin and Sloane. I had nothing new for Sloane, and I wasn’t ready to slide back into my fight with Austin from last night, so I turned it off again. There’d be no avoiding Austin at the mall, though, because he’d scheduled to work too. After a while, just to give me a break from worrying about what I’d say to Austin, I instead contemplated what Digby had told me the night before about his plan to track down the stray crack dealer who may or may not have seen Sally after her abduction nine years ago. I wondered if the futility of all that was apparent only to me.
Eventually, overwhelmed by the massive problem salad my mind had thrown together, I got out of bed and got ready for work.
I made the mistake of lingering over my cereal in the kitchen and Mom walked in before I could make a non-rude escape. Her phone trilled right before she came into the room.
“Good morning,” she said. “You look tired. How much sleep did you get last night?”
“Enough.”
“What time did he leave?”
I shrugged.
“Do you think it’s a coincidence that Digby comes to town and you and Austin immediately start having problems?” she said.
I knew I shouldn’t engage, but it was too irritating to resist.
“Austin and I aren’t having problems.”
“Oh? So you’ve made up?”
I stared at her, but she wasn’t shamed into going away. Her phone trilled again and I took advantage of her breaking eye contact as she read the message. I got up and put my bowl in the sink.
“I should go. I don’t want to be late. It’s going to be super-busy at the store today,” I said.
“Wait, you’re working? You don’t work Sundays,” Mom said.
“The college kids are all coming in to sell their books, so Fisher called me,” I said.
“Do you need a ride?”
“So you can interrogate me some more? Wow, let me think. Hard pass.”
Her phone trilled with yet another new message.
“And why is your phone ringing non-stop on a Sunday morning?”
Mom sighed. “I have crap going on. It’s why I love your teen drama so much.” She started typing a response. “My crap is just so . . . middle-aged.”
• • •
By the time my lunch break rolled around, I was exhausted from explaining to entitled college kids why they were not going to make a profit selling us the books they’d spent all semester highlighting and using as coasters. I was in no mood for Digby’s mind games when I bumped into him at the food court. “Not a great time, Digby. I’m going to talk to Austin.”
He fell in step with me when I didn’t stop. “Ooh . . . need some moral support?”
“Go away, gawker.” I pushed him away. “Oh, so Sloane has been blowing up my phone.” I paused so we could both absorb the weirdness of that statement. “She wants to know if you’ll talk to Henry.”
“Told you. I don’t mess with other people’s relationships,” Digby said.
“Except mine,” I said.
“Just don’t let him off easy,” Digby said.
“Great advice. Kthanksbye.” When I pushed him away again, I felt a bump under the placket of his shirt. I tapped it. “Is that . . . ?” I reached under his collar and pulled out the locket he’d given me. “That was in my drawer with my . . .”
“Diary? Don’t worry. I didn’t read it . . .” Digby said. “. . . much.”
I hit him. “You force me to keep it for you, then you steal it from my locked drawer?”
“I asked you to wear it, not leave it someplace obvious,” Digby said.
“You don’t get to tell people how to use your gift,” I said. “Give it back.” He wouldn’t. “You gave it to me. It’s mine.” I pulled it out from under his shirt and had just yanked it off his neck when I spotted Austin off to the side, watching us with a look of dismay that broke my heart. As angry as he’d made me the day before, he didn’t deserve to feel as betrayed as his expression told me he felt.
Austin walked up to us and said, “So?”
“So . . .” I looked at Digby.
“I was just leaving. See you later, Austin.” Behind Austin’s back, Digby pointed at me and made begging motions.
When we were finally alone, Austin said, “What is it with you guys?”
/> “Nothing,” I said. “We’re just friends.” I prayed Austin wouldn’t notice when I slipped the locket into my purse.
“Don’t tell me you can’t see he’s into you,” Austin said.
“What?” I said. “That’s crazy. And anyway, he’s not what you and I are fighting about—”
“Look, like I told you, I was with some guys on the team. I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier and I’m sorry I made you miss the movie,” he said.
“You still don’t get it. That’s not what’s bothering me. What bothers me is that when I asked where you were, you said ‘football’ to, like, imply that it was a team thing I should just automatically be cool with,” I said.
“It was a team thing. I was with guys from the team, talking about next season—”
“Seriously? You’re really trying to sell me that same story again?” I said.
“Sorry.”
“Because if you want to hang out with friends, you should just tell me. It’s super-insulting when you lie,” I said.
“It’s just . . . I feel bad, you know, because you never . . . you don’t really have friends . . . I mean, like, friends like mine,” Austin said.
“Wait. So now you’re saying you lied to protect my feelings? Because I’m some kind of . . . what? Anti-social loser?” I said.
“What’s with you? Suddenly, everything I say to you is, like, a problem,” Austin said.
Of course he was right. My own line of questioning was bumming me out. “Okay. Yeah . . . sorry. I guess I’m a little tired.”
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that? How late did Digby stay? Did he stay over?” Austin said.
“So it’s your turn to make accusations now?” I said.
The truth was, Digby had stayed until really late the night before. He’d chatted innocuously with Mom and Cooper until they went up to bed. Then Digby and I had heated up a frozen pizza and he told me about his visits to Ezekiel in prison.
“First couple of times I went down to Fort Dix, Ezekiel wouldn’t see me,” Digby said. “The third time I was there, I watched him pick up cigarette butts in the yard and smoke them. So I started sending him cartons of cigarettes. Anonymously. A carton at a time. Then I sent a nice little care package with cookies added in with the cigarettes. This time, I signed it and wrote a note telling him to put me on his visitors list. And then I stopped sending him stuff cold turkey,” Digby said. “I got this a week later.” He handed me a piece of paper.
Trouble Makes a Comeback Page 5