“I’m going to go home,” she announced, reaching out and squeezing Keirah’s hand. “If you need me, call me any time, okay? I’ll pick up.”
“Thank you,” Keirah said.
Andie turned and walked out of the room without another word.
17
Keirah
She woke up in a hospital.
How did I get here? Keirah wondered. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she gritted her teeth. Oh. Right.
She had been stabbed. By Noir. She glanced around the plain room, wondering what it was, exactly, that had woken her up. She was careful not to move so she wouldn’t strain her wound, but her eyes darted around until they rested on the window. Keirah couldn’t tell whether or not it was evening because it was so cloudy outside; rain fell from the sky, hitting the window with a soft tapping sound. It was soothing to hear, calming her, causing her to sigh softly and her eyelids to droop.
She was tired.
Someone turned the knob of her door and opened it. A man in light blue scrubs smiled at her, seeing that she was awake. He had light green eyes and shaggy brown hair that framed his angular face quite nicely. “Well, good afternoon, sleepyhead,” he teased, flashing her a smile. “You have had quite the busy five hours.”
“I’ve been out for five hours?” she asked, her voice croaking.
“You’ve been out for the better part of five hours,” the man corrected. “My name is Dan Reynolds, and I’m your doctor. I made your mother wait in the lobby because of how frantic she was when she arrived around eight. The Onyx police requested that once you were awake and stable, I call them so they can question you. If you don’t feel up to it, we can wait for another couple of hours, but they really pressed the importance of questioning you as soon as possible.”
“That’s fine,” Keirah murmured, glancing out the window again. After a moment’s pause, she fixed her eyes back on her doctor. “What time is it?”
Dr. Reynolds glanced at his left wrist. “It’s about noon,” he told her. “I’m going to place a call to Commissioner Jarrett. When I get back, we’ll go over the procedure we had to do in regards to your injury. While I’m out, would you like me to bring you back anything?”
“Water’s fine,” she said with a soft smile. “Thank you.”
He returned her smile and then disappeared out the door, leaving Keirah alone with the rain.
She looked out the window again, letting her thoughts wander. Noir stabbed her, even after he told her he wouldn’t hurt her. Maybe the bastard was immune to piercing pain and figured everyone else was as well. Her thoughts drifted back to the moment just after he surprised her with the knife in her side.
He was coming back for her. Only God knew why. They hadn’t known each other for very long - ten days - but apparently Noir didn’t need to know her well for him to decide he’d return for her. She should probably be scared, and part of her was, but it was repressed; she wasn’t feeling fear right now. However, it wasn’t as though she was looking forward to seeing him again. Who knew what he would do to her?
A knock on the door caused her thoughts to scatter. A second later, Dr. Reynolds walked in with a plastic cup of ice water, complete with a bent straw. He handed it to her and while she held it, she tried to sit up.
“Careful,” the doctor said. “Your wound is still fresh. When you were brought in, you lost a good portion of blood. Oddly enough, it wasn’t life-threatening. Whoever did this to you was careful not to puncture any of your vital organs. I believe, if anything, they wanted to temporarily disable you so he or she could make a hasty getaway.”
You’re wrong, Keirah thought once she managed to sit up right. She took a long sip of water, relishing its temperature. He stabbed me in order to leave his mark on me.
“Anyway, we stitched you up and you should be able to go home tomorrow,” he concluded.
Another knock on the door interrupted impending silence, and the familiar, tired-looking face of Commissioner Jarrett entered the compact hospital room, followed by two uniformed officers. Keirah felt a smile touch her lips. Despite the fact that she knew these men were only here to question her about the events that had taken place, this was more visitors than she expected. She didn’t even expect her mother to be here, though Keirah was glad she was forced to wait in the lobby. She couldn’t deal with drama right now.
“I knew this was a bad idea from the moment he asked for you specifically.” He spoke after Dr. Reynolds left the room, sighing through his nose. “Ms. Shepherd, I am so sorry. When we had him detained, I fully believed we had confiscated every weapon he had on his person.”
“Commissioner Jarrett, I don’t blame you or your officers,” Keirah told him, her head causing the hospital pillow to crackle as she leaned back.
He looked like he didn’t believe her but said no more on the issue. “As the doctor probably informed you, I am here to ask you a few questions,” he said as he pulled out a pen and pad. “When did Noir tell you he was planning to escape from isolation?”
“I think the first time he mentioned it was during a session,” Keirah replied after thinking for a moment. “He said he was getting tired of isolation. Didn’t Dr. Hawkins tell you? I had no idea he was going to put his plan into action so soon.”
Jarrett tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. “He does that,” he said. “He speaks so casually you can’t ever tell if he’s joking or not. This isn't our first time dealing with him and it won't be her last.”
“I knew he wasn’t joking,” Keirah corrected as gently as she could. “Dr. Hawkins didn’t make a big deal about it, so I didn’t either.” She shook her head. “The next time he said something was just minutes before he escaped.”
Jarett nodded, muttering something under his breath that almost sounded like, “She should have known better.” He looked up at Keirah when he finished writing. “Did he mention anything else we should know? Maybe he said something that didn’t make sense at the time, but when you look back, it does now?” He smiled in amusement. “I’m sorry, that makes no sense.”
“I understand.” Keirah paused. “All he really said, Commissioner, is that he’s coming back for me.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Shepherd,” Jarrett said, his voice firm. “We’ll have two guards at your door and a police car circling every half hour. The nursing staff will be informed they must check on you regularly. Your room is on the third floor so it might be difficult for him to access.” He stopped as he did a mental checklist of anything else he might suggest to her. “That should be it. If you need anything else, please feel free to call me at any time. I’m going to send in your mother now. She’s been worried sick.” He went over to speak to the two officers, probably informing them that they would be guarding her room for the day.
Keirah sighed, her eyes again returning to the window. That’s not going to work, she mused. If he wants me, he’ll find a way to get me.
Her thoughts were cut off when the door to her room was thrown open and her mother walked in. Judith’s dark brown eyes were filled with relief as she all but ran to her daughter’s side. Keirah was so surprised by her mother’s quick action that she didn’t realize she was hugging her until her side burned and Keirah yelped. Immediately, Judith sprang back.
“What’s the matter, hon?” she asked Keirah. “Do you need a doctor? What can I do?”
“I was stabbed, Mom,” she said, her face contorted in pain as she shifted in her bed, looking for a new spot where she’d be comfortable. “You can’t just hug me.”
She watched as her mother flushed, and after a slight hesitation, took the seat next to Keirah’s bed. Keirah’s eyes took in everything she could about her mother: the square face, the cheekbones, the deep-set dark eyes, and the strong jaw. Her shoulder-length dark hair was pulled up into a simple ponytail and actually looked brushed. She wore a nice white blouse and dark slacks instead of the same pair of pajamas, and Keirah noticed a bit of mascara lengthening her mother’s already long lashes.
“What’s going on, Mom?” Keirah asked. It was almost scary; looking at her mother was like looking at an older version of herself. “Why aren’t you at home watching Maury?”
“Is that what you think of me?” her mother asked, bitterness lacing her voice. She kept her eyes planted firmly on her fingernails as she picked the cuticles. “Some mother who stays at home all day, watching trash TV?”
“That’s all you are,” Keirah said, her voice harsher than she intended it to be. She closed her eyes, needing to get a firm grip on her patience. “Since Dad left, you completely retreated from me and Andie. You quit your job and we lost our townhouse. Andie and I have to work to pay bills and keep a roof over our heads. All you do is watch television in your room. Some days we barely even see you. You don’t have a job, you don’t ask how our day was, and you don’t cook for us, which means I have to do it because we both know Andie can’t cook to save her life. A mother is someone who’s supposed to be there and take care of her children. But you’re not. It took me getting stabbed by a sociopath for you to put on some clothes and get out of the apartment.”
“I took Andie shopping,” her mother snapped, her brown eyes burning. “When Andie got that internship at Phillip Enterprises, I took her shopping.”
“That’s great. For Andie. What about me, Mom? What about when I got my dream internship? You didn’t do anything. Nothing! Is it because Andie’s internship is paid? You do know that the only reason she took that internship is because we needed money, right? Or is it because Andie looks like Dad and I look like you, and for whatever reason, I’ve disappointed you and Andie’s on an unreachable pedestal?” Keirah didn’t realize she was crying until she stopped talking and felt the hot, sticky tears trail down her cheeks.
“What do you want me to say, Keirah?” her mother asked. She still kept eye contact with her daughter, even though Keirah was certain she wanted nothing more than to look away.
“The truth.” Her voice, her eyes, her entire being was exhausted. “You owe me that much.”
She watched as her mother rubbed her lips together. Judith’s dark eyes were inflamed by gold, now glued to the hands resting in her lap. To anyone else, she looked like she wasn’t going to say anything, but Keirah noticed breakage, a crack.
“Keirah, I’m harder on you because you remind me of myself,” she said, her voice low, smooth, and cold. “Not because we look alike, but because when I was your age, I was like you. I didn’t sketch like you, but I wrote poetry.”
“You know I sketch?” she asked, her voice cautiously hopeful.
Judith’s eyes looked up, locking with her daughter’s. “I may be a hermit, Key,” she said, “but I still care about you.”
Key. She had called her Key. A warmth Keirah barely remembered spread through her and a tiny smile touched her lips.
“I don’t pester you about things because you’re cool, calm, and collected like I was,” she said. “You have confidence that Andie doesn’t have. Andie needs to be reassured that she’s meeting my expectations because she thinks subconsciously that she never met your father’s and that’s why he left. She goes above and beyond in order to be perfect. She’s not perfect. She’ll never be perfect. You think I favor her, but I don’t. She just needs me more than you do.”
“Then why do you pick on me?” Keirah asked, furrowing her brow. “Why do you point out things about myself that I can’t change? I wish I could put on more weight. I wish my breasts were bigger than a B cup. But they’re not. This is me. I’m happy with who I am, and I wish you could be too.”
“I’m sorry.” The words were thick with the fog of guilt and her eyes were clouded with shame as she looked back down at her hands. They were words Keirah never thought she would hear. Finally, the fog lifted and she locked eyes with Keirah. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to be better. I’m not perfect, Keirah. I’m not going to be the perfect mother. But I’ll try. That’s all I can promise.”
“I know I seem strong and tough and reserved,” Keirah murmured, “but I need you too.” Now her eyes latched onto the window, watching the rain fall.
Her mother said nothing more, but she didn’t leave. For the moment, that was enough.
18
Reese
The rain persisted through the week. When the three girls met up the next day, Andie told them everything that had happened, from Keirah being stabbed, to finding out about it from Commissioner Jarrett instead of her mother, and how insulting her mother had been when she did go visit her sister. Keirah was all right and was sent home the next morning. She had to miss school for the rest of the week and her internship was officially discontinued, but at least she was recovering.
Besides Keirah, Reese was concerned about Andie’s welfare. The usually blunt, sassy girl was replaced by a frowning, bitter one who was going to hasten the onslaught of forehead wrinkles unless she started smiling again. Reese closed her eyes, trying to get rid of her mother's jovial tone in her head. When she asked her mother’s advice about how to cheer up Andie, Edina’s answer was simple. “Go shopping, darling. That always cheered me up when I was your age and I know how it cheers you up.”
Armed with that information, Reese went to school Friday morning with a determined glint in her eyes. It had been a day since the stabbing. She was happy to see both Andie and Carey already in their seats so she wouldn’t have to repeat herself.
“Reese!” Andie exclaimed as the blonde slid into her seat. “I’m so glad you’re here. I have amazing news!”
Reese shot a befuddled look to Carey who grinned in return, as though to say, “Yes, this is real. Andie’s happy again.”
“What’s up?” Reese asked, dropping her bag by her feet.
“You know how I’ve been helping my boss, Miranda, plan Jack’s annual Halloween party, right?” Andie said, her pale green eyes shining emerald. “We decided on the Spirit Museum as the venue, reserved it for Saturday the thirtieth, and now we’re coming up with themes. Anyway, here’s the best part: as an intern, I not only get to go to the party, but I get to invite you guys. I’m taking Keirah too.”
Reese let a beaming smile eclipse her face. “This is perfect!” she said. “I was going to invite you guys shopping tomorrow.”
“Really?” Andie asked.
“Wait, And,” Carey said, turning her head so she was looking at her friend. “Will Keirah come? She’s been through a lot lately and we don’t want to force her into anything.”
“I asked her last night and she said she was down for it,” Andie replied. “Of course, my mother refuses to speak to me. She thinks I’m trying to guilt Keirah into it, as though I’m trying to make up for her injury.”
“Make what up to her?” Carey furrowed her brow.
“Since Keirah told me she was leaving in the middle of the night to go to the Abby Ward and I didn’t stop her, it’s my fault she got injured. Now Mom thinks I’m trying to buy her forgiveness by taking her to this exclusive event.”
“But it’s not even your fault,” Reese said.
“You’re preaching to the choir.” Andie rolled her eyes but Reese could tell her tone wasn't completely sincere. “Keirah has told my mom over and over again that she doesn’t blame me, but you know my mom. She likes to hold grudges.”
“Do you think Keirah would come shopping with us tomorrow?” Reese asked. “She’s totally welcome.”
“Probably not,” Andie said, shaking her head. “Keirah doesn’t like shopping, and when she has to do it, she does it alone because it’s faster that way.”
“So what’s the theme?”
“We’re still trying to figure that one out. Tradition dictates that it be a costume party with decoration colors of orange and black. Personally, I think that’s boring and overdone. Later today, I’m going to suggest my idea.”
“Which is?” Carey asked, quirking a brow, humoring her friend’s flair for the dramatic.
“The Spirit Museum isn’t just about religion,” she explained, curl
ing her hair behind her ear. “It also deals with all sorts of mythologies. I was thinking that instead of doing the typical Halloween thing, the theme could be Greek Mythology.”
“Oh my gosh!” Reese squealed. “That sounds so cool! Wait, so when we go shopping, should we get Grecian-style dresses or something safe, just in case they don’t go for your idea?”
Carey snorted. “Like Andie would ever play it safe?” she drawled.
It was days like this one when Reese missed Beverly Hills. The suburb had malls where she could get an entire wardrobe, for all occasions, all in one place. Onyx, on the other hand, had various department stores lined up on both sides of Ledger Street, though they weren’t interconnected and there wasn’t a food court. It was a ritzy street, and as Andie pulled into a parking garage on the corner, Reese noticed a cluster of paparazzi camped out in front of Oasis, a jewelry store.
“So what store are we going to first?” Andie asked as she got out of the car.
“I’m thinking Padua. It specializes in everything renaissance Italy."
“Plus, they have the shoes and accessories to match,” Carey added.
They spent two hours at Padua looking through and trying on dresses. Reese narrowed it down to three and, as she waited for Carey and Andie to try on their own clothes, hung her three potentials on a nearby rack. The pad of her index finger began to tap against the point of her chin as she began the mental checklist of the pros and cons of each one.
“I like the blue one myself,” a voice said from behind her.
She rolled her eyes, glancing over her shoulder. Gabe stood there, wearing a grey V-neck shirt and designer jeans with an eye-catching gold belt buckle that said “FIRE” in red letters.
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