by Mann, Cat
August caught me staring at he and Collin during dinner and threw a dinner roll right at my head. He didn’t anticipate Ari’s quick reflexes. Ari caught the roll right in front of my face and whipped it back in one fluid motion, hitting August square on the forehead. Aggie started shouting that there would be no more throwing food and Ari threw his own roll at her, causing her to blink in surprise. She put on an angry face while trying to hide her laughter from everyone else.
In the middle of the laughter, Nick’s cell phone rang from his pocket. There had always been a strict ‘no phones at the dinner table’ rule at the Alexander’s home. Nick pulled the phone out of his pocket. He scooted his chair back from the table and took the call while he walked towards the living room. Gianna pursed her lips. Thais took his napkin off his lap and began to scoot his chair back.
Nick could be seen just beyond the dining room and his voice carried in to us all seated at the table. He was clearly panicked.
“Is she ok?” He asked his question three times to the person on the other end of the line before he came to pieces and dropped to his knees on to the hardwood floor. He held his cell phone in his hand, cried and shook with fierce emotion. The family all looked at one another, confused and worried at Nick’s obvious grief. I saw Ari make eye contact with Collin just across the table. Collin eyes grew large with shock and Ari put his head in his hands.
Thais went to Nick’s side to see what had had his son so upset. Nick pushed him off and shouted angrily at his father.
Ari stood up, fished his car keys out of his pocket and went to Nick’s side. He took Nick’s cell phone out of his hand and began to talk to whoever was still on the other end of the line. Ari talked quickly and then ended the call. He brought Nick to his feet. “C’mon. Let’s go for a ride.”
Collin whispered something to August and then stood up and went along with them.
“Ava, I’ll call you.” Ari said to me before he closed the door behind them.
The crowd that was gathered at the table looked from Ari to me.
“What is going on?” Thais demanded.
I swallowed. “I honestly do not really know what just happened,” I answered. Although, in my heart I knew the phone call and Nick’s breakdown somehow involved Misha.
“Rory? Do you know what is going on with Nick?”
Rory, wide eyed, shook his head from side to side. “No. I really haven’t seen much of Nick lately until tonight.”
Julia, Gianna, Lauren and I helped Aggie pack up leftovers, wash dishes and wipe down counter tops. Everyone was quiet as we worked.
We all sat in the living room and waited for a phone call. August had tried Collin’s cell phone a few times but he didn’t answer. Thais tried to call Nick but his phone went straight to voicemail.
“Ava, phone Ari, please. Find out what is going on with my son.” Thais asked with his head in his hands.
“Sure.” I agreed and called Ari’s cell. He picked up on the first ring.
“Ava, Baby, I will call you in a minute.” He hung up the line without saying another word.
I shook my head no at the group.
A minute turned in to an hour. The group had grown restless. My phone rang and various family members let out gasps, and relieved breaths.
“Are you alone?” Ari asked as soon as I answered my cell.
I looked around at all the faces staring at me. “No. I am with your family.”
“Go home. We will talk there, I am pulling in the drive as we speak.”
“Ari, they want to know what’s going on.”
“I just dropped Nick off at his parents’ house. He wants to be the first to talk with them about some things. Tell Gianna and Thais that Nick is home and then come out the back door; I will meet you outside. I am walking your way now.”
“Ok…” Ari hung up. “Umm…” I stared back at the solemn and worried faces of my family members. “Nick is home. He wants to talk with you there, Gianna and Thais. I still don’t know what happened; Nick wants to be the one to talk with you.”
People stood up and began to talk in hushed tones. They speculated and stretched their legs.
Without saying goodbye, I walked out the back sliding glass door.
Ari waited for me at the bottom of the steps on the sandy beach. He wrapped his arms tightly around me in a hug.
“Let’s go home.”
“Tell me what happened first, Ari.”
“I will tell you everything, I promise. But first I just want to get you safely home.”
Ari scooped me in his arms and carried me down the sandy path. He walked up the wooden deck steps, passed our pool and went through our sun porch. Ari walked through the house and finally ended in our bedroom where he set me down in our bed. He sat down next to me.
“Misha died tonight of a drug overdose.”
I gasped.
“She has been battling with a prescription drug problem for a long time.” Ari’s voice was sad and hoarse. “She and Nick were going through a lot. He told her he would introduce her to his family as his girlfriend as soon as she sought help for her addiction. She agreed to clean up her act but had a hard time following through with the treatment. Misha found out that she was pregnant a month ago.”
Tears filled up in my eyes.
“Nick was very worried about the baby and so he checked Misha in to the rehab center again about a week ago. She stayed for a few days and then checked herself back out, she went on a drug binge and came to our house. Nick got really angry with her for that. He left her at their apartment to come home for the weekend – to get some space and clear his head. He had not heard from Misha until Nigel called him tonight. Misha had called Rachel earlier in the day. Rachel said she didn’t sound right, that something was wrong so she and Nigel left to check up on her. Rachel and Nigel found Misha unresponsive in her and Nick’s apartment. She was already dead when they arrived.”
“The baby…” I whispered.
Ari slowly shook his head no.
“Oh, Ari! That’s so sad.” I cried.
“Yes, it is absolutely horrible- what happened. I still can’t believe it myself.”
We hugged and sat quietly for a bit.
“When is the funeral? Does Nick want us to help him with anything?”
“He called Misha’s parents, they are driving down from Etna now. They told Nick to stay away. They don’t want to see him or anyone in his family. They asked Collin to pack her belongings from Nick’s apartment so they can take it all home with her when they burry her.”
My heart sunk. “I could have helped her! She came here for help and I was too consumed with my own shit to do anything for her.”
“No! No, Ava. This has nothing to do with you. You got stuck in this mess by pure accident. If Emily hadn’t asked about Nick’s relationship status that day, you would have never known anything about Misha and him. You have nothing to do with what happened to her.”
“Ari!” I whined.
“Ava, stop. This situation with Misha and Nick - it’s awful. She was a very sweet and loving person. She really was. And if she had been well, she would have been a great mother to their baby. I know that Nick was upset over the idea of her pregnancy at first because she was so unwell. But the baby began to put things in prospective for Misha. She started to change – she agreed to rehab. Nick was getting excited about the baby, about Misha and him announcing their relationship. He was ready to start a family with her. He just wanted her to get well first. She couldn’t do that and there wasn’t anything we could have done for her.”
“What do we do now?”
Ari let out a breath from between his cheeks. “Nick is telling his parents everything now. Tomorrow he is going to talk to Rory and Julia and then he is going to tell my mom and dad. I don’t know what he wants to do for Misha. He isn’t invited to her services her family made that perfectly clear.
“It wasn’t right for Nick to keep this secret from his family but we cannot judge him
for that because we are keeping a dark secret of our own.”
“Seven.” I said.
“Yeah… No. 7. They have to know, Ava. I don’t do the deception thing. I won’t keep this secret from the people I love.”
“You’re right. I’ll tell them.”
“We will… I will tell them with you. We are a team remember?”
I nodded and smiled a small, weak smile at Ari. He returned the look. His eyes were sad.
“How was Nick holding up?”
“He is a man who has lost his heart, Ava. He was…. inconsolable.” Ari shook his head slowly at the thought.
Ari took my chin in his hand; he lifted my head up so my lips would meet his. He kissed me sweetly at first then moved closer to me and wrapped his arms around my body, closing the gap. A spark ignited between us. The heaviness of the evening came crashing down upon us and we were desperately in need of one another. I kissed him back and pushed myself up against him. Ari moved his hands up my body and cupped my chest. I moaned and my cheeks turned hot with the sound. He stood up and pulled me to my feet. He removed my shirt and then his own. He unbuttoned his pants and removed them. He did the same to mine. He peeled my pants slowly down my hips. His fingers traced delicately back up my inner thigh.
Ari’s lips met mine again, he gripped my behind pulling me up to meet him. Ari flexed his hips. His fingers began to tug at my underwear.
Ari’s phone rang. He hesitated for a moment and it rang again. He bent down, picked his discarded pants up off the floor and dug his cell phone out of his pocket. He fumbled around with it for a moment and finally hit the answer button. He walked away to talk. The moment between us was gone. The heavy feeling of what had happened to Misha crept back in to my mind. I donned on my usual sleeping clothes, Ari’s boxers and soft, white cotton tee. I was tired. It was well past midnight.
Ari walked back in to the bedroom still talking. “Come on over in a bit. We can talk about things here.” He said. “No, Ava’s…” Ari looked over at me for the first time since he came back in the room. He looked me up and down taking in the sight of my frumpy, baggy clothes. “Ava’s just getting ready to go to sleep.” He sighed. “See you in a minute.” Ari hung up the phone.
“That was Nick.”
I nodded.
“He’s coming by.”
I nodded again.
Ari slipped his pants back on, I lay down on his side of the bed. He shut off the bedside light, kissed me on the top of the head and left to open the back door for Nick.
****
I stirred around dawn, blinking my sleepy eyes. Our bedroom was bathed in soft, muted, early morning hues. Rooting around in the bed, my hands searched for Ari so I could wrap myself around his warm body. My toes were cold. He wasn’t there in bed. I was still alone.
The bedroom doorknob turned and I watched him walk quietly in our room. My eyes followed Ari to the dresser where he removed his wallet, keys and cellphone from his pants pockets. He undid the clasp on his watch and slipped it off his wrist. He undid the button on his pants and stepped out of them. He looked over at me for the first time.
“Oh, Ava; you are up early.”
“You are up late.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Ari looked beyond tired. He crawled in bed next to me and instantly wrapped our bodies up tightly together. I basked in his warmth. I nuzzled my face in to his chest and he did the same to my hair.
We slept the morning away and woke in the early afternoon to Ari’s cell phone. He stumbled to the dresser and answered.
“No, we’re home.” He yawned. He grabbed his watch off the dresser and squinted his eyes at the time. He picked his reading glasses up and slipped them on, “calm down, we’ll be right there.”
Ari hung up his cell and moaned. “My mom,” he said shaking his phone in his hand. “Everyone is at Gianna’s. Get up and start to get ready.”
“Get ready for what?” I stretched.
“To tell them all about No. 7.”
Ari turned to head to the shower. I lay around a bit longer and stretched my joints, each one loosened and popped.
“Ava!” Ari hollered. “Get up.”
I didn’t budge.
Ari emerged from the shower a bit later. I was still in bed, laying on my stomach, face first in a sea of pillows.
I heard his chuckle, then I felt the swift movement of my blankets being ripped away from my behind. I peeked my eyes up and saw a mischievous grin on Ari’s face.
“I’m up!” I jumped up. “I’m up!”
Ari laughed. And I quickly showered, dressed and met him in the kitchen so we could walk together to Gianna’s.
Ari’s and my semi-light-hearted mood did not last long. The heaviness of the previous evening’s tragedy sunk back into my psyche. The atmosphere at Gianna’s was solemn and grave. The tension was thick in the air. Gianna, herself, had red, puffy eyes and a tear streaked face. People stood and sat around, some cried some stared in to nothingness. Nick sat alone in the empty living room. His fingers were tangled in his hair, his elbows rested on his knees. He stared straight down at the floor. Occasionally, he would begin to cry and weep into his hands.
“You are always late.” Aggie said sternly at the two of us. “You should have been here with the rest of us hours ago.”
“You are right. I’m sorry.” Ari said to his mother.
“He was up with me until six in the morning, Aunt Ag.” Nick spoke up, his voice was throaty and deep.
Aggie pursed her lips and then relented.
Gianna burst in to full-blown sobs and Aggie and Julia rushed over to soothe her.
We spent the day like this. No one really speaking we just stared and cried for Nick and the loss of Misha, their unborn child and the potential they had to be a loving family.
Misha’s funeral was set for Monday. We learned this information from Collin, who had grown up with Misha in Etna and therefore, was a very close friend. He and August were planning to fly up for the service along with their other friends, Nigel and Rachel.
Ari and I learned from Rory that Thais was angrier then Rory had ever seen him. Thais felt betrayed by Nick. Not only had Nick kept his relationship with Misha a secret for three years, but he was dating a non-Greek and he had gotten her pregnant. Thais locked himself away in his study the night before after Nick confessed his secrets and hadn’t spoken a word since.
Evening set in and I began to help Aggie make an easy dinner of leftover turkey and noodles. Thais appeared from his study and pointed to Nick who was still sitting in the living room with bloodshot eyes. “Let’s have a talk.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nick stood up to join Thais. Nick was the tallest between himself, Ari and Rory. They all shared the same bright brown eyes and creamy skin. But Nick’s hair took on a lighter honey brown color like his mother’s. Unlike Ari, Nick kept his hair neat and short. He was charmingly handsome and smart. He was currently finishing law school at Pepperdine and lived in Los Angeles. Nick was always quiet and we only really saw him a few Sundays a month, on holidays and at an occasional beach party.
He walked away through the crowded kitchen and followed his dad in to the study. Thais shut the door. Gianna began to cry again. They were locked away in the study for a long time and when the two reappeared, they both had red-rimmed eyes.
“Ari, can I talk with you for a minute?” Ari looked up at Nick. He rubbed his fingertips across his scruffy, unshaven face.
“Uh, sure.” Ari squeezed my hand and Nick took a seat next to us.
“I can’t live there anymore - in that apartment. There are just too many… memories. Her stuff is gone, she’s gone. I am never going to see her again. Do you think you could drive up there with me tonight and help me pack up and move home?”
Ari patted Nick on the back. “Of course.”
“We can leave after dinner.” Nick suggested.
“Ava and I need to take care of something first, then we will leave.”
Nic
k looked at me and I smiled reassuringly then we all sat down to dinner. The table was full of awkward and uncomfortable silence.
“Someone say something, please. Let’s try to get our minds off the grief for just a moment.” Aggie said to the quiet table.
No one spoke.
“Andy?” I asked.
“Hmmm?” Andy smiled up at me.
“When did your study catch on fire?”
He squinted his eyes, amused by my odd question and tapped his fingers on his lips, thinking.
“Oh, I don’t know, Ava; sometime in September of last year.”
“How did it happen?”
“The fire marshal determined that it was arson, but wasn’t able to find evidence pointing at anyone in particular. He said something about ‘teenagers with nothing better to do,’ but I don’t believe any of us, including the marshal, found that scenario a likely one.”
“What was in your office that someone might want to destroy?” I asked, agreeing with Andy’s assessment of the fire marshal’s conclusion. I didn’t believe for a second that some Dana Point teenagers had set that fire.
“Well, I keep most of my important documents in my safe at work; all I had in the study were some of my books, a few paintings, and some of Aggie’s earlier works. My computer was destroyed, but that’s all.”
“You didn’t lose anything important?”
By this time, the entire table was listening to our conversation.
“No, Ava, the only document I kept at home was the one I had been holding for years, for you. It was in the fire safe and was unharmed.”
I pursed my lips.
“They never caught who started the fire then?”
“No,” he said looking at me quizzically.
“Huh,” I said and then dropped the subject and we all went back to eating quietly.
Once the dinner mess had been cleaned up and the dishes put away, Lauren and Luke left for a walk on the beach. Collin and August went back home to pack. Ari and I both agreed that we wouldn’t bring up No. 7 until Collin and Luke were both out of ear shot. Neither of them knew who we were- descendants of Greek deities that is, and the Alexanders worked hard at keeping family matters private. Ari turned to his family and took a deep breath.