Silver Edge

by Ciara Knight

  Drake spun me around, and his eyes narrowed at me. “Don’t say that. You’re not a freak.”

  I lowered my head and tried to escape his hold, but he tipped my chin up. “Come back to me. I don’t know where you went, but please let me back in. I’m so sorry if I hurt you.”

  “I’m fine.” I swallowed back the rising lump in my throat and realized my legs weren’t shaking any longer. “I can walk now. Thanks.” I grabbed some clothes out of my duffel Drake had retrieved from the warehouse the day after he brought me here. He’d said he was making a food run but showed up with all my stuff.

  I wasn’t gonna argue with him any longer. Instead, I’d just sneak out while he was with the reporter and go home where I could be alone. Once dressed, I joined Drake downstairs. He sat on the bottom step with car keys in his hand, waiting for me.

  “You sure you don’t want me to stay behind? I’m sure you want some alone time with your grandmother.”

  “No. I want you with me.” He stood two steps below me, eye to eye with me, so I couldn’t look away. “Scarlet, I feel something for you. It’s strong. I don’t know exactly what will happen, but can you put up with me a little longer?”

  “Put up with you?”

  He smiled and cupped my cheek. “Yes, with me.” His eyes dipped to my lips and I knew he’d kiss me, but I didn’t stop him. It was gentle, sweet, and tentative, yet I still felt it to the tip of my toes.

  When he broke away, I slid my fingers between his. “Let’s go see your grandmother. She’s waiting.” My words were rewarded with a grin from Drake. The kind I hadn’t seen in days. It warmed me to know I could make him smile. Now, if we could figure out how to trust each other and ourselves.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A beautiful spread of food laid out on a white cloth-covered table waited for us in the dining hall. There was some kind of decorative chicken salad, bread, and a green salad with bright red tomatoes. Drake’s grandmother stood with her cane and waved us over. “You made it.”

  “Sorry we’re late, Nana.” He kissed her cheeks then helped her into her chair.

  “I’m afraid it’s my fault,” I blurted.

  She waved a brown spotted hand at me. “No worries, darling. You’re here now.”

  Drake rushed to my side and pulled out my chair, too. I sat, and he scooched me closer to the table. They both picked up their napkins and placed them in their laps, so I did the same. Perhaps I could follow their social cues and learn proper manners.

  Drake slid his hand under the table and held mine. He’d done that the entire drive up to the mountains. I didn’t pull away, but I wasn’t sure what it meant, either.

  “I hear you have big plans coming up in the next few weeks, Scarlet. According to my grandson, you’ve single-handedly saved the club.” She cut a tomato in half, smeared it through some kind of white dressing, then delicately raised it to her mouth.

  I shrugged. “I didn’t do anything.”

  Drake squeezed my hand. “How can you say that? You came up with the concept for the entire event, managed to get hundreds of entries for the competition, and you’ve listened to all that music to pick out the best. You’ve been brilliant.”

  The corners of my mouth tugged upward involuntarily.

  “What a pretty smile.” His grandmother clapped her hands together in that theatrical way she had.

  “It’s a beautiful smile,” Drake echoed.

  His grandmother gasped. “Oh, dear. I forgot my pills. Drake, hon, would you go to my apartment and get the white pill case on my counter? I’d go, but you both would be done eating by the time I returned.”

  I released his hand and scooted my chair back. “I’ll get them.”

  “No, dear.” Her hand clamped down on mine like a vice grip. She wasn’t as frail as she acted.

  Drake kissed the top of my head and dropped his napkin into his chair. “I’ll be right back.” He swaggered out the main door toward the lobby.

  “I thought he’d never leave.” Linda rested her thin elbows on the table and propped up her chin. “We need to talk. My grandson’s got it bad for you, but that knucklehead seems to be screwing it up. He told me about what he said and how he’d upset you. Listen, I know he cares deeply for you. I’ve never seen him so knotted up before. He doesn’t know which way to go. That boy has never been in love. Oh, he might’ve been in lust a few times in high school, but lately he’s been so caught up with making money and a name for himself he hasn’t cared about anyone else.”

  “What about Barbie?”

  Her eyebrows pinched together, deepening the lines on her forehead. “Who?”

  “Oh, sorry. Margo,” I corrected. “The blond girl.”

  “Plastic girl? Oh, I’ve seen pictures in the paper of him with that woman. She’s nothing but a leech, that one. That woman’s been trying to get her claws into Drake since she first met him in college. You see, when he turns twenty-five his trust fund will be released and he’ll be worth a fortune. That girl only sees dollar signs when she looks at him. That’s all that matters to her.”

  “Money?”

  Linda arched an eyebrow. “You didn’t know?”

  “It’s none of my business.”

  I heard whispering outside the dining hall and I turned to see several of the ladies from last weekend.

  “Pay them no mind.” She squeezed my hand in her death grip again, her eyes softening into a far off gaze. “You’re perfect for him. I’m so glad he met you. It feels good to know I’m not the only one he has left in this world. When I’m gone, I don’t want him to be alone.”

  “You’ll be around a long time.” I knew that was the proper thing to say. I’d learned that line when one of my foster moms was diagnosed with cancer.

  “You’re a good girl. You’ve had a rough life. Take it from me. Don’t waste a minute of right now worrying about yesterday. Life’s too short.”

  Drake entered the dining hall. “Here you go, Nana.” He set the white container on the table and we returned to our meal.

  “Don’t forget to take your pills.” Drake motioned with the tomato at the end of his fork.

  “Oh, yeah.” She opened the box but didn’t take any. “Silly me. I must’ve already taken my daytime pills before I came. These are my before bed pills.”

  Seemingly unfazed by his wasted trip, Drake speared another tomato. “I wish you could come to the show. It’s going to be amazing. I think Devon would be proud.” He took a sip of his water.

  I scooted what I realized was half of a purple grape around my plate. There was something wrong with the chicken salad. The meat was too soft and I couldn’t manage to take more than a bite, but the green salad seemed edible.

  “There’s no way these old bones would be able to go slam dancing again.”

  I choked on my water at the image of her on the dance floor at Bands.

  “They call it moshing now, Nana.”

  She giggled like a schoolgirl. “Silly me.”

  The image of her crowd surfing popped into my head and I dabbed the napkin to my lips to hide my laughter.

  “I’m sure it’ll be a great show. I listened to you in that radio interview yesterday. That was sweet of you to dedicate the show to your brother.”

  Drake cleared his throat. “I hope you’re okay with that, Scarlet. It kind of just came out of my mouth while I was talking.”

  “It’s your club.” Based on the looks both his grandmother and Drake gave me, it appeared I’d said something wrong.

  “Yes, but without you this event would never happen. It’s as much yours, if not more than it is mine.” He set his fork down on his plate and laid the napkin on the tablecloth. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  “Not so much right now, sorry.”

  His grandmother shook her head. “You girls are always watching your waistlines. Well, I guess I can’t criticize since I was the same way once.”

  I thought about confessing that the food looked unappetizing, but I knew it was r
ude to criticize a meal, especially one given freely, so I didn’t say anything.

  “We have a little more time. Do you want to go for a walk in the garden before we leave?” Drake stood and pulled out my chair for me, then his grandmother.

  “Splendid idea.” A big smile spread across Linda’s face.

  I tugged my hoodie sleeves down around my wrists and followed them to the back door. The fall breeze coming up the side of the mountain tickled my ears. I longed to pull my hoodie over my head, but it seemed rude, like they’d assume I was shutting them out.

  After a few minutes, all I could think about was the tickling in my ear. To distract myself, I dug my nails into my palm.

  Drake helped his grandmother down the path to a sitting area with plush chairs and a swing.

  “You okay?” Drake whispered.

  “I’m fine,” I mumbled, but once he had his grandmother settled in a chair I took his hand and sat on the swing next to him. The feeling of his skin on mine, his shoulders blocking the breeze, and the gentle swaying of the swing helped me settle and focus on what was being said.

  “So, do you have any plans on returning to New York?” Linda asked.

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. My hope is that we can make the club work and I’ll have a job there for a long time. I’d like to get my own place and take care of myself for a change.”

  “Independent woman. I like that.” She set her cane by her side and leaned back into her seat. “My grandson says you’re one strong lady. I have a good feeling all of this will work out. You two make a good team from what I hear.”

  “We do.” Drake squeezed my hand, and for the first time in days I relaxed at his touch.

  “I guess we do.” A bird drew my attention up to the trees, its chirping ringing in my ears, but after a moment, I forced my mind back to the feel of Drake’s skin on mine.

  “It’s pretty out here. I always like to sit in the garden, but it is a little cool. Drake, honey, would you be willing to get my shawl for me?” She tilted her head and gave him a sweet smile that made Drake jump to his feet.

  “Certainly.” He kissed the top of my head where he knew it wouldn’t startle me then trotted up the path toward her apartment.

  “Thank goodness. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to ditch him again. Now, let’s finish our chat.”

  My muscles tensed. The bird chirping above me, the squirrel skittering across the lawn in my peripheral vision, and the breeze still tickling my ears all fought for my attention, but I willed myself to remain with her. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “I’m going to be blunt, if you don’t mind, since we don’t have much time.”

  I didn’t think she could ever be anything but blunt. That was what I liked about her. “Go ahead.”

  “Drake was a son of a bitch for many years. Don’t get me wrong. He’s my grandson and I love him, but he was a womanizing, selfish corporate snob who only cared about wealth and his own personal gain. That’s why my daughter and son-in-law drew up their will the way they did. One son would have blown it in five minutes, while the other son would’ve flaunted it. Drake inherited a modest sum after they passed, but the rest comes to him when I pass or on his twenty-fifth birthday, whichever comes first.”

  “If you could give him the money to save the club, why didn’t he ask you?” I leaned forward, as if shrinking the distance between us would block out that frickin’ bird overhead.

  “Because he knows I won’t. This is something he needs to figure out on his own. You see, if I gave it to him, he wouldn’t appreciate it. He’d save the club in his brother’s name then sell it for a profit and move on. This way he has to fight for it and appreciate it more, but this isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, I know you’re struggling with your past and the things going on in your life, but you’re the first girl I’ve ever seen my grandson care about. I mean, really care about. He loves you, but he’s too much of a dumbass to realize it. He’s so caught up in making sure he doesn’t hurt you that he won’t trust himself with his emotions. I know he can’t tell you how he feels right now, but trust me, he’ll get there. Since the death of his family, he’s carried around the guilt of letting them down. Now, he’s afraid of doing it again. He doesn’t believe he’s a good person. I’ll admit he wasn’t for a long time, but he’s changed now. You’ve changed him. He deserves a good life, and my daughter would be proud of who he is becoming. It doesn’t matter if the club makes it or not. It only matters that he sees this through and knows he did everything he could to save it. Do you understand?”

  I nodded, but honestly, I wasn’t sure I did. “So, you think he loves me.”

  “Yes, and you love him.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not capable of loving, not like a normal person.”

  She waved my words away with her hand. “Hog wash. Who told you that?”

  “I’ve been told that several times. The orphanage had me evaluated after I was sent back from two foster homes for being antisocial. I frightened everyone with my strange behavior. I overheard the orphanage director telling my social worker that I’d either be dead or in jail by the time I was eighteen. That’s when they shipped me off to the foster family in the country.”

  “Well, I have a news flash for you, darling. Having a degree doesn’t make someone an expert. Sometimes it just makes them stupid. Here comes Drake, but I need you to promise me something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If something happens to me, promise you’ll take care of him. You’ll be all he has left. That boy won’t open his heart to anyone else if he loses both of us.”

  “Are you dying?” A heaviness weighted my chest.

  “Oh, shoot, I’m older than dirt, so it could be any day now. It’s just the cycle of life. Now, let’s hush up and not share any of this with my grandson. He’ll be mad at me for meddling. Can you keep this our little secret?”

  I shrugged. “Sure.”

  “By the way, you might shock some people with your purple hair, earrings up your ear, and unique way of going about life, but I like you. I think you’re perfect for my Drake.”

  “I like you, too. You don’t hold any punches or dance around things trying to confuse me. I wish I would’ve had a grandmother like you growing up.”

  “Well, you’ve got one now, honey.” She held out a bony hand and I scooted forward, taking it. Tears pooled at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away. The lack of sleep must be getting to me.

  “Here you go.” Drake wrapped the shawl around her shoulders.

  “Oh, silly me. I forgot I have bridge with the girls this afternoon. Besides, you said you needed to be back in town by four.” She held up one hand for Drake to assist her with standing and held the cane with the other. “Although, it’s strange for a reporter to meet with you on a Sunday night,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Well, let’s get you inside, then.” He ushered her ahead.

  I followed their slow pace up the winding path until we reached the main building, and he settled her in the dining room. She looked tired by the end of our visit, more so than the last time I’d seen her.

  Good-byes were always awkward, so I stood in the corner willing Drake to hurry.

  “Come here, dear.” Linda tapped her cane against the floor to get my attention.

  I shuffled to her and she gave me a bright smile. “Thanks for letting me visit,” I said. “I hope I didn’t intrude on your time with Drake.”

  “Don’t be silly, darling. You were the highlight of my day.” She snagged my wrist and tugged me lower, then planted a dry kiss on my cheek. I fought the rigid motion of my back snapping me away from her, but it won.

  “I see what you mean, darling.” She kissed both of Drake’s cheeks. “Be patient and treat her well. She’s a keeper.”

  “I know.” Drake took a step back. “Now, butt out.”

  She giggled like a schoolgirl, but then her thin lips drooped. “Your mot
her, father, and brother would be proud of the man you’ve become. Heck, I’m proud of you.”

  He cleared his throat. “Thanks,” he said in a strained tone.

  “Now get out of here.” She shooed us toward the door.

  The parking lot gravel crunched under foot, and I felt like I’d left a small piece of myself back in that room.

  “What is it?” Drake asked before opening the car door for me.

  “I’m not sure. I usually can’t wait to get away from people I don’t know, but I kind of wanted to stay longer.”

  “It means you like her.” He brushed his lips against mine, but not with the passion from before. I sat in the car and waited for him to walk around the back. My mind swirled with thoughts of family, how it worked and what the point was, and for a brief second, I thought I could belong in this family, with his grandmother and him. But it wasn’t my family. Although, she said she wanted me to stay with him, no matter what.

  Drake hopped in and started the car. As we headed down the driveway from the facility, I popped another demo CD into the player. For the first time that week, I had hope that I might have a future after all. I reached over and took Drake’s hand.

  This time, he tensed.

  “What? Did I do something wrong?” I retracted my arm, but he snagged it and lifted my fingers to his lips.

  “No, you did something wonderful.”

  “What?”

  He turned onto the main road and glanced over at me. “You touched me. You haven’t reached for me in over a week. I’ve been the instigator and you’ve avoided my touch. I guess you’re starting to trust me again.”

  I shrugged. “I guess so.” I watched the trees fly by and wished the car could move slower. Inside this small box, all the outside noise faded and it was just the two of us.

  “Scarlet?”

  “Yeah?”

  He gripped the steering wheel with one hand, hesitating for a second. “Ton called me.”

  “He did? What did he want?”

  He flicked on the blinker and moved the car over to the shoulder before he opened his mouth again. “What will you do if this doesn’t work? If…you no longer have a job at Bands?”