Heading back down to his office afterwards, Dr. Kelly chuckles. “You’re glowing.”
“I read them a story. No big deal,” I say under my breath.
“Oh, no big deal, huh? Care to explain why you’re still smiling then?” he asks sarcastically. When I try to stop, I just end up laughing.
Once we’re back in his office, he becomes serious again. “My personal opinion is you’re afraid of the commitment. As soon as you walk into the classroom, you won’t be able to turn your back on those kids. You’re afraid of being tied down in case things get rough with your parents because you won’t be able to run.” Looking him in the eye is no longer possible. “Kacie, they don’t get to control your life anymore. You are a grown woman with a bright future ahead of you. Sooner or later, they’re going to find out that you aren’t going to medical school. They will either accept it or not, but they don’t get to change it.”
“They’ll take the house. It’s all I have left of her,” I whisper. I always thought Gram would be here to support me. If no one else, Gram would be there. The possibility she’d be gone never crossed my mind.
“Is that the only reason we haven’t settled this yet?” he questions, leaning forward with his forearms on the aged, wooden desk. “How about if the necessity arises, I promise to help you fight for it?” I hear a bell chime in the background, indicating a change for the students. He beams because he knows he has me exactly where he wants me.
“Okay,” I finally say. When it all comes down to it, getting a job here is one of the main reasons I came back to Florida in the first place.
After my future at Shining Stars is decided and we schedule the next time we’ll get together to discuss where to go from here, I pull into my second destination for the day. Even though I’ve never been here by myself, I know exactly where to go. Very slowly, my car crawls down the long, narrow path, careful not to kick up too much dust until it reaches the very last row. About half-way down, I’m right where I need to be.
Upon exiting the car, I look around and realize there’s no one else around for as far as I can see. While others may find this to be a little unnerving, it feels oddly comforting and peaceful to me. After gathering the few items I placed in my trunk before leaving the house this morning, I slowly walk over to a large headstone which reads FOSTER across the top of it.
“Hey, Grandpop,” I whisper as I lay a bouquet of flowers in front of my grandfather’s name. “I hope you’re taking good care of her up there.”
Then I turn to my grandmother’s side and I’m unable to contain the tears that have been threatening since arriving in Tampa yesterday. They start to flow and I don’t bother to stop them. Through the sobbing, the words “I brought these for you from our garden” come from my mouth. I slide down to my knees and my head drops forward. I’m not even concerned about messing up my skirt.
Eventually, the weeping slows and some composure falls over me. “Sorry, Gram,” I apologize, placing the flowers where I want them. “It’s been a while since that’s happened. Coming home has been a little tough without you. I have no idea what to do from here. No idea which direction to go or which decision is best for me. You were always so damn good about coming up with all the pros and cons for everything.” I take a deep breath, feeling my eyes start to fill again. “I just want to make you proud. My greatest fear is letting you down after all you’ve done for me. All you’re still doing for me. It’s been one hundred and thirty-four days since you left and I got a job offer because of you. I almost said ‘no’ until I realized this was you giving me a shot. For some crazy reason, you always believed in me. You have my word that I will do my best to honor your name in the school you built from the bottom up. I promise.”
Right now, there isn’t anything else I need to say, but I’m not ready to leave her. For a little while, I sit there, just staring at her name engraved in the gray stone.
Chapter Three
Kacie
As soon as I get home, I swap my dress clothes for a new black bikini and head for my favorite place. The lagoon-shaped in-ground pool is where most of my time here at the house is spent. Across the back of it is a stone wall with a waterfall, which cascades into the middle of the pool. The landscaping is absolutely beautiful and typical of a tropical paradise. My grandfather spared no expense when he had this place built for Gram.
With every lap, my stress fades away almost to the point where my chest doesn’t ache anymore. Almost. There’s still the issue of seeing my parents in a few short hours. Just the tiniest thought of them has me kicking off the side and attempting to make it to the deep end of the pool one more time. My lungs are burning and my muscles are starting to tire, but there’s no quitting. As my face breaks the surface of the water and my hand reaches up to grab the concrete edge, my eyes open to a pair of handsome brown eyes waiting for me.
“Trying to kill yourself on your first day back in the water?” Jake asks, squatting down.
“How long have you been here?” I gasp for air.
“At least the last four laps. How many did you do before that?”
“I really don’t remember,” I confess, still trying to catch my breath.
Jake’s holding a towel for me. “Why don’t you take a little break?”
Swimming over to the ladder, I ask, “What is it with you not working?”
He laughs. “I’m the boss now. I work when I want to work. Besides, Jade hasn’t heard from you all day so she asked me to stop by to check on you.” How could I have forgotten to call her?
“She’s such a worry wart,” I mumble, pulling myself up out of the water.
“Holy shit, Kacie! You…you shouldn’t be walking around like…like that,” Jake stutters as he throws the towel over my shoulders.
“You’re in my backyard, Jake. If you don’t like it, go home.”
“It has nothing to do with me not liking it. Trust me,” he grumbles which, for some reason, makes me laugh. “Real funny.”
“Are you coming with us tonight?” I ask, changing the subject before it gets more uncomfortable.
“I’m driving you and Jade to the club, but I’m not hanging out at the party. A friend of mine manages the place, so I’ll probably hang out with him and some friends. That way, whenever you’re ready to leave, I’ll be there.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can drive,” I say as I lie back on the lounge chair.
“I don’t mind. I offered and Jade took me up on it. It makes me feel better to know you girls are safe,” he tells me, plopping down on the chair next to me.
“You’re so good to her. She’s lucky to have such an awesome big brother.”
“Your brother cares about you, too. It’s just harder for him to show it.”
“I know,” I say. Somewhere deep down, I know that Noah really does care about me. My brother is twelve years older, so we were never really close. Our father always favored him. Noah felt bad about it and would try to make Dad see what he was doing, but it never mattered. Now that he’s one of the top orthopedic surgeons at Tampa General, where my dad is the chief of surgery, I’ll likely go unnoticed for the rest of my life. Noah was the one who always did what he was told. He never missed curfew. He always excelled in all of the sports he played. Straight A’s were a given for him. My parents never understood that some of us screw up once in a while simply in hopes of getting some type of attention.
“Want to talk about why you were pushing yourself so hard in the pool?” Jake asks, sincerely.
“I stopped at the cemetery today,” I whisper, looking out over the pool at the garden.
“Gotcha,” he acknowledges. His cell phone starts to ring. Without looking at it, he takes it out of his pocket and hands it to me. “I’m sure it’s for you.”
When I take the phone from his hand, there’s a picture on the screen of Jade sticking her tongue out. “Did she put this picture on here?”
“What do you think?”
“Hey, Jade,” I answer. “
I’m sorry I forgot to check in earlier.”
“Kacie! I’ve been worried sick. What the hell happened?” Jade’s concerned voice rings in my ears.
“I went to the interview and on my way home, I stopped at the cemetery. After that, my head was a little foggy and it slipped my mind. I’m sorry,” I apologize again. Jake is cautiously watching me.
Jade sighs. “I would have gone with you. You didn’t have to go by yourself.”
“I appreciate it, Jade. I really do. It was just something I needed to do. Don’t worry about me so much. I’m going to be fine. There are some things I need to deal with on my own.”
“I’m going to worry. That’s what I do,” she states, matter-of-factly. “How did the interview go?”
“I got the job,” I tell her.
“I knew you would!” she cheers. “You can tell me all about it when I get there. I’m bringing dinner. Tell Jake so he doesn’t eat anything. I’ll see you in a few.”
“See ya.” Handing his phone back, I say, “Jade’s bringing dinner.”
“K. You got a job?” he wonders. “So, you will be hanging around for a little while then?”
“I told you I was, Jake,” I remind him, making sure the towel stays wrapped around me as I stand up.
“Where at?”
“Shining Stars.”
“What are you going to do at Shining Stars?”
There’s no reason to lie to Jake. He isn’t a fan of my family. He’d never tell them anything I didn’t want him to. “If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it between me, you, and Jade.”
“Okay…,” he says, cautiously.
“I’m teaching first grade.” When he appears thoroughly confused, I tell him the rest. “I graduated on Monday with a degree in Education. My family doesn’t know I changed my major freshman year. Gram knew that was my plan from the beginning, but I told Jade right after I did it.”
“Kacie, that’s awesome! Congratulations!” he says, giving me a hug. “How come no one knows? Why does it have to be a secret?”
“Do you know anything about my parents? They’re going to be so pissed. I can hear it now how much I’ve let them down again.” I shake my head.
“Is teaching what you want to do?”
“More than anything,” I say with a full-blown smile.
“That’s all that matters,” he tells me. Somewhere deep down, I know he’s right.
“Jake, my parents think I’m going to medical school. I come from a long line of doctors. According to my father, that’s the only acceptable occupation,” I explain as we go into the house.
“Your lazy ass mother hasn’t worked a day in her life. And Gram was a teacher.” Jake is trying to understand.
“Even if I went back to school for a doctorate degree like Gram did, that still wouldn’t be good enough for my dad. He doesn’t think being a teacher is enough to support yourself. My dad always said that if it wasn’t for my grandfather, Gram have would been on the streets.”
“That’s the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard!” Jake shakes his head in disbelief. I hand him a cold beer. “Your family makes me happier about my dad being a drunk who keeps to himself and my mom being a gold digger who will follow around any rich guy who will let her.”
“See why I went to college so far away?” I laugh.
“I’ve always known you’d run as soon as you got the chance. That was obvious since you were a kid. Can I ask you a question?” he says, sitting on a stool on the other side of the counter.
“Depends on what it is,” I hesitantly say.
Jake ignores me. “If Gram didn’t get sick, would you have come back?” I notice how he carefully phrased his question.
“I don’t know,” I answer, looking around. “I’ve really missed this place and you guys, too. But I don’t know if it would have been enough to bring me home.”
“You still think of this as home?”
“I do.”
Before he can say anything else, we hear the front door opening and the sound of bags rattling. “Hello?! I could use a little help over here!” Jade calls out. Jake doesn’t waste a second going to his sister’s aid. Someday that man will make a damn good husband for one lucky girl.
As they come around the corner, I’m gulping down half my beer wondering if I’d want that girl to be me. Life with Jake would be simple. He’s a laid back kind of guy with a steady job. He goes out with his friends quite often, but he isn’t the partying type. His dad has been a heavy drinker ever since we were kids, so that’s probably why he doesn’t drink all that much. Many times over the years, he’s shown an interest in me, but aside from worrying about my relationship with Jade, I just don’t feel it. Does that make any sense? Without a doubt, Jake’s one of the most gorgeous guys I’ve ever met, but my heart doesn’t flutter when I’m around him. I don’t lose my breath or train of thought when he’s near. There’s no longing to see him when we aren’t together. Come to think of it, though, this has never happened to me before. Maybe that kind of shit only happens in the romance novels. Leave it to books to totally screw up reality.
“Hey,” Jade says. “I bought stuff for tacos. Hope that’s okay.”
“I love tacos. Let me run up to change and I’ll help you make them.”
When I come back downstairs, Jake is lying on the sofa watching the news and Jade is making a mess of the kitchen. It always looks like a natural disaster when she cooks, but since she’s so damn good at it, no one will ever hear me complain. I immediately jump in and try helping, but she directs me to set the table, pour the drinks, and stay out of her way. We discuss what we will wear to the club tonight and what we should do for my first weekend home. Jade thinks every event requires a celebration. Over dinner, I tell Jade and Jake about my meeting with Dr. Kelly earlier today. They are equally proud and impressed.
Once everything is cleaned up, Jake heads home to get ready to be our driver for the evening, while Jade and I head up to my room. Standard procedure when we get ready to go out is a bottle of wine, loud music, and lots of laughing. Yeah, it’s a little strange that two twenty-one year olds drink wine, but we’ve been sneaking it from my grandmother for years. It’s old habit. I’m going to be under the same roof as my parents. There’s no way I can show up sober.
Jade and I walk down the stairs to find Jake coming in the door. He’s wearing dark blue jeans and a navy button-down, long-sleeved shirt. Momentarily, I find myself considering taking him up to my room, but I’m pretty sure that would send the wrong message. The stupid alcohol is messing me up. Jake catches me staring at him, so I divert my eyes to the next step in front of me, careful not to fall down the rest of them.
“Oh, man,” Jake sighs as we reach the foyer. “I said I’d drive the two of you, not fight off every guy in the place.” Jade decided on a red strapless dress, and I went with a light blue halter top I bought for a party back at school. I didn’t think either one was anything for Jake to worry about.
“Don’t worry, Jake. Kacie and I will be on our best behavior tonight,” Jade promises on her way by her brother.
“Even on your best behavior, you’re still trouble, Jade,” he tells her while still staring at me.
“I could go throw my bikini back on if you prefer,” I tease him, biting my lower lip. Drinking wine makes me a little too talkative.
“Let’s go,” Jake replies, giving me a warning glare. He opens the door for us and we go out ahead of him, laughing all the way to his Camaro.
It’s only eight o’clock, but there’s already a line out the door of the club and halfway down the sidewalk. Skyline is one of the newer clubs in this part of Tampa. It sits with its back to the water and it is one of the tallest buildings around. The top floor, which I’m sure is the room my brother’s party will be in, not only has a deck off the back overlooking the water, but has windows all around the perimeter of the room. The view of the surrounding area is absolutely beautiful, hence the name. I was here only once before when I ca
me home for a visit with Gram. She insisted I go out with Jade one night and this is where my best friend took me.
“Good thing we don’t have to wait in line,” Jade says as we walk past all of the people waiting.
“How come?” I ask.
“Jake is good friends with the manager,” she whispers. “We never wait for anything here.”
We finally reach the door and the bouncer standing guard smiles as soon as he sees Jake. “Hey, man,” he greets Jake with a handshake. “Haven’t seen you around. Find a better spot to hang out?”
“Nah. Never. Just working a little too much,” Jake says. “Joe, you remember my sister, Jade.” Jake is a big guy, but he looks like a child next to the bouncer. Joe must be over six feet tall and solid muscle. I wouldn’t piss him off, that’s for sure.
“Of course. I never forget a pretty face. How’s it going?”
“Hey, Joe. Good to see you again,” Jade answers in her flirty voice.
“This is a friend of ours. Kacie Foster.” Jake introduces me, putting his hand on the small of my back.
“Nice to meet you, Kacie Foster.” Joe smiles at me. “You related to the dude having the party tonight?”
“That would be my brother,” I say politely.
“She tends to find as much trouble as my little sister, so please help me keep an eye on them tonight,” Jake tells Joe.
“Hey! I do not, Jake Quinn!” I snap at him.
Joe laughs, but promises to watch out for us as Jake ushers the two of us inside.
The first floor is where the main bar is. There’s a dance floor off to the right and the bar is across the back of the room. Tables and stools are scattered about and appear to be full. The blue lights are already dimmed, making it hard to look around, but from what I remember, it’s very contemporary.
“Elevators are over to the left! Take it to the top floor!” Jake shouts above the music. “I’m going to hang out down here! If you girls need anything, just text me!”
Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 Page 3