“Okay, what’s the address?” Trace inquired harmlessly, putting his key in the ignition.
“Hold on, let me find it,” I told him as I reached into the pocket of my jeans to pull out my cell phone.
This morning, after my father headed for work, I looked up Erika’s address in the contact book he kept in the coffee table. I wasn’t able to work up the courage to ask my father for it before he left, and if I had, I was almost certain that he would’ve ordered me to stay away from her. I couldn’t have that. He wouldn’t have given me the opportunity to try and fix the mess I caused, even if I had begged him.
After reading Trace the address, we pulled out of the school parking lot. I remained quiet while I watched out the window as cars and sceneries passed by, but my mind wheeled the entire time. As much as I tried to fight it, the truth of what happened hung on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell Trace about Erika; it wasn’t right to keep him in the dark like this. I’d acted terribly, sure, but I could trust Trace. He had proven to me over and over again that he was on my side.
“Trace,” I said his name suddenly, surprised by how loud it sounded in the silent car. My gaze was fixed on my fidgeting hands as I continued, “There’s something I’ve got to tell you before we get to Erika’s.”
And then I told him. Without any hesitation I told him about my mom, how she had abandoned me and my dad the same year he had also deserted me leaving us without a number or an address to find her by. I explained the disappoint and distrust I felt when first meeting Erika, and how I never got the chance to know her. I divulged every single detail that I could and left nothing out. Trace listened to my confession politely; not once did he interrupt me.
Once I neared the last part of my story (the section about me causing Erika to dump my father), my gaze flickered to Trace. I checked to see if my actions had upset him, but the disappointment I thought I’d find on his face wasn’t revealed. His blue eyes were unclouded with judgment the entire time, focused solely on the road. I knew I could trust him.
When I finished, I gave Trace the chance to ask his questions.
“So…you’re going over there to apologize to Erika, right?” He asked slowly.
I nodded. “Yes. I feel horrible about how I treated her. You know, she paid for my prom dress and everything…and Erika was only trying to be nice to me after we had that stupid fight the other night.”
“Oh.” Trace frowned and gripped the steering wheel tightly. “This is all my fault, Jade. If you hadn’t gotten upset---”
“No, Trace. It wasn’t your fault,” I interjected. “It would’ve happened sooner or later. Trust me. Besides, I’m sort of glad it happened this way.”
He rose his brows in surprise. “Really? Why?”
I placed my hand on his knee, squeezing it gently. “Because, now I know the truth about Gloria, and I don’t have to be suspicious of Erika any longer. The hatred and fear I’ve felt for so long has been erased from my life. I can finally be happy---” My voice fell as we pulled onto to her street.
Our conversation had kept me fully occupied, and until now I hadn’t noticed how charming the area surrounding us was. Gigantic houses lined both sides of the road, dazzling in the sunlight. Fountains, trimmed shrubs, trees fenced in, and expensive cars filled the yards. I had never seen anything so magnificent before in my life, and I almost gasped when Trace rolled to a stop in front of a vast white house. It was gorgeous, and it looked like it belonged to a famous person…but it didn’t. It was Erika’s.
My hands started shaking as Trace turned off the car. I felt so embarrassed at that moment. Here I was, sitting in front of Erika’s very exquisite house, after having told her she was after my dad‘s money. I was so stupid! Erika wasn’t going to accept my apology---and why should she? I had made such a horrible assumption about a person that I obviously didn’t know. If she slammed the door in my face I would’ve understood why.
“Are you ready?” Trace asked me softly, reaching over to grab my hands. “I can go in with you if you want?” He offered sweetly.
I shook my head and lowered my face in shame. “I can’t do it, Trace. I can’t face her.”
“What’s wrong, Jade? I thought you wanted to do this?”
“I do, it’s just…I feel so awful! I’ve treated Erika so badly, for as long as I‘ve known her---” My voice cracked, and I felt the tears slipping out of the corners of my eyes. Glancing at his sympathetic expression, I asked fearfully, “What if she won’t see me?”
Trace noticed the panic in my voice, which is why he wrapped his arms around me for comfort. I buried my head in his shoulder and permitted my tears to fall. As I breathed in his scent, I willed myself to be stronger. I had to do this for my father…there was no turning back now.
“She won’t turn you away, Jade,” Trace whispered into my red hair. He stroked my back gently before adding, “Erika will understand. You just have to give her a chance. That’s all she’s ever wanted from you, right?”
I nodded, wiping my eyes after I detached myself from his embrace. “You always know what to say, Trace,” I told him with a smile. “Thanks.”
He shrugged arrogantly and replied, “I know. It‘s a gift.”
I grinned even wider, and was grateful to him for making me feel better. As I stared at Erika’s luxurious house I took a deep breath, and after calming my nerves I placed my hand on the handle of the door.
“I can do this,” I told myself confidently as I pushed the door open. I swung my legs out of the car and stepped out onto the street, refusing to back down. Keeping my head held high, I advanced towards Erika‘s home, ignoring the fluttering butterflies in my stomach.
“Jade, wait!” Trace yelled as he exited the car, running over to me. He joined me in the middle of street before saying, “I just want you to know that I’ll be out here waiting, okay? It doesn’t matter how long it takes. I will wait for you.”
I sighed with relief and reached for him. “Thank you, Trace,” I said, hugging him tightly. “Thank you for being here.”
He smiled against my cheek. “You don’t have to thank me, Jade. Don’t you know I’d do anything for you?”
“I know you would,” I whispered happily. I rubbed my face into his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body. Honestly, him being here with me made it so much easier. Who knows if I would’ve have the guts to face Erika alone.
“Jade, if anything happens---” Trace began, but I silenced him with a long, powerful kiss.
Tearing my lips off of his, I finished his sentence for him. “I know where to find you.” He nodded, blushing from the strength of my kiss. “I’m proud of you, Jade Cannon,” he whispered.
“For what?” I asked curiously.
Trace kissed me once more before replying, “For making things right with Erika.”
“I have to,” I told him as I lifted a hand to touch his cheek. “If I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Then you better go,” he replied with a smile.
Without another word I removed myself from his embrace and walked off of the street, stepping gingerly onto the sidewalk in front of Erika’s house. I glanced back at Trace and watched as he retreated to the car. Thank God for him. After returning my attention onto the task at hand, I walked the cobblestone path up to the front of the house, summoning all the courage I possessed. I had to be strong, I had to be polite---but most of all, I had to be sincere. Erika deserved nothing less from me.
I climbed the stairs onto Erika’s porch calmly, enjoying the incredible sight of her ivory mansion. As I crossed the huge porch, I stared dumbly at her two front doors. Two large panes of glass etched with a graceful scroll design stared back at me, and I frowned, too scared to knock. Forgetting my manners, I peeked inside her house and was surprised by the beauty of the front hall. I bit my lip, cursing myself for thinking she had no money of her own.
As I went to knock on one of the doors, I noticed the small doorbell to the right and figured it would be
a more refined way to present myself. I pressed the button swiftly and waited, wringing my hands as I stared nervously at the two glass doors. I was completely overcome with fear, and I thought of nothing but terrifying scenarios: all of them involved me getting chewed out by Erika, followed by being tossed off her porch. Hey, it could happen…
A few minutes turned into ten, and Erika still hadn’t come to the door. I figured she wasn’t home and turned to leave, disappointed that I hadn’t gotten the chance to apologize to her today. But as I was on the verge of walking away, I heard the doors behind me creak open and I froze, terrified. I ignored my pounding heart and tilted my head to face at her. Erika’s blonde hair was swept back by a thin blue headband and she appeared to have just woken up; she was in a pale blue sweat suit without a stitch of make up. I wasn’t surprised that she looked pretty without any make up on, but she seemed surprised that I was standing on her doorstep.
“Jade? What are you doing here?” Erika asked me. She didn’t sound angry---only curious.
I turned my entire body around before answering her. “Hey, Erika. I just stopped by to uh…see how you were.”
Erika frowned at me and shook her head. “There’s no reason to lie, Jade. I know why you’re really here.”
“You do?” I replied dumbfounded. How would she know? Did my Dad find out that I went through his address book this morning? He couldn’t have! I put it back…
“Yes.” Erika told me with a sigh, and she looked over my shoulder as she searched for something. “Is he here with you?”
Her question puzzled me. “Who?”
Erika stopped searching and met my eyes. “Your father,” she replied simply. “He’s the one who sent you here, right?” She frowned and added, “He knows how upset you are about all this…he shouldn’t have asked you to do this for him. I’m sorry, Jade.”
“What? No, he isn’t…he didn’t…” I stammered, trying to explain myself.
She held up her hand and shook her head slowly. “It’s alright, Jade. You don’t have to do this. I know how disappointed your father is that I broke up with him, but you don’t have to lie on his account.”
“Erika, listen. I---” I shut my mouth hastily, trying to find the right words before I babbled a bunch of nonsense. After breathing in deeply, I continued with my explanation. “It’s not what you think, Erika. My father didn’t ask me to come apologize to you.”
Her eyes flashed with suspicion, and I knew she doubted me at that moment. “Really? Why else would you be here if not on his behalf?”
“I came here today, Erika, to apologize to you---but not because my father asked me to.“
“Then why?“ She asked me softly.
I sighed and looked away; I was too ashamed to match her eyes. “Because of how I treated you. It was wrong of me to say those things. You were only trying to be there for me, but
I pushed you away…” I paused, my emotions taking hold of me. “I made some terrible assumptions about you, Erika, and I’m very sorry for the way I behaved.”
“But Jade---” she began.
“Please let me finish,” I whispered eagerly. Erika nodded and motioned for me to continue.
My face burned with shame as I resumed my apology speech. “When my mother left, I closed myself off from other people. I figured that if I didn’t let anyone get too close to me, then they couldn’t desert me the way she had. Then, you came into the picture---and I was scared. I didn’t want you to be there filling in for my mother. It felt wrong to me, but that doesn’t excuse my behavior.
“I never gave you a chance, Erika. All I’ve ever done is treat you horribly, and I’m deeply sorry if I’ve caused you any sadness.” I chewed my bottom lip and added, “I’ll understand if you can never forgive me, but please don’t punish my father for my childish behavior. He loves you, Erika, and he was heartbroken when he found your letter.”
I watched Erika’s eyes grow misty, and I knew she felt just as heartsick as my father did. “I know,” she whispered sadly.
“Please call him, Erika. Don’t push him away like I did you,” I begged her.
Then, Erika did something unexpected: she wrapped her arms around me. I was shocked; I had never hugged Erika before. The hug was warm, comforting…and her scent was sweet. It reminded me of the way my mother’s hugs used to be, and I realized just how much I missed my mom. I sighed as my eyes welled up at the familiar feeling. I didn’t have a mother anymore, but I had the next best thing: someone who cared about me more than my mother actually did.
“Jade, thank you. Thank you so much,” Erika told me before ending her friendly embrace. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“No problem,” I breathed, trying to hide my emotions. I smiled at her, hoping she couldn’t see how red my eyes had become.
If she did, Erika overlooked them. After giving me one of her trademark smiles, she asked, “Would you like to come in?”
My heart skipped with excitement. I really wanted to see what her house looked like from the inside! Glancing back at car, I assumed Trace wouldn’t mind if I stayed just a little bit longer. I turned back around to face Erika and grinned.
“Yes, I would,” I told her happily. “Thank you for asking.”
“Great,” she replied, smiling back. “Follow me.”
Erika opened both glass doors, revealing a large and beautifully decorated hallway. I gasped softly, overwhelmed by how elegant her interior was. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening to me. I was actually standing inside Erika’s million dollar house! After sending me another bright smile, Erika lead the way down the hallway and I followed her inside her beautiful home.
36
WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR, Trace was leaning against the passenger door waiting for me. I grinned and hurried towards him, my black converse leaping across gravel before I met him with a kiss. As his lips caressed mine, I opened one eye nervously and studied the windows on Erika’s house, hoping she wasn’t watching us. I actually didn’t mind if she saw us kissing…I just didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Trace and I were new at this whole relationship thing, and it might be too soon for her to catch us kissing like we were at the moment. Relief washed over me when I noticed that most of her curtains were drawn.
After our kiss ended, Trace smiled down at me and asked, “So, how did it go?”
“Great. Erika is one of the nicest people I have ever met, Trace,” I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I buried my head affectionately against his chest, and added, “She forgave me…and her house is amazing!”
“That’s good,” he whispered into my ear, stroking my hair gently. “What about your Dad?”
“She’s going to stop by my house tomorrow morning and surprise him before he goes into work. He’s going to be so happy when he sees her, Trace!” I told him excitedly. “I’m glad I could fix things for him…I hated to see him so upset.”
“I’m proud of you, Jade, and I’m sure your Dad will be too,” Trace said kindly, and gave me light kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks,” I replied with a smile. It felt good to hear Trace praise me, even if I didn’t deserve it.
He squeezed me tightly before he asked, “What did you and Erika talk about when you went inside?”
“Everything. Erika filled me in on her marketing company---which she said is worth millions. She told me that her company works for some really big brands, but she wouldn’t really go into detail. It’s kind of a secret…” I smiled and added, “She’s the CEO by the way.”
“Wow,” Trace muttered, his eyes wide with surprise. “Seriously?”
“I know. She’s insanely rich.”
Trace grinned and said, “Well, you know who to go to for your Christmas presents. You should ask for a Ferrari this year---or maybe a Porsche.” Trace’s blue eyes widened at the thought.
I rolled my eyes and laughed. Leave it to him to think only about the money. “Not going to happen,” I told him seriously. “I don�
��t need Erika to buy me flashy things---and I won’t use her that way.”
“Okay, if you say so.” Trace seemed disappointed and I laughed some more.
“Well, did you guys talk about anything else?” He asked me. “You were inside for quite a long time.”
I nodded and replied, “Yes. I asked Erika if I could see pictures of her in high school, and she pulled out her senior yearbook and showed me. The funny thing is, is that Erika wasn’t popular in high school like I thought she was.” I told him thoughtfully. “When I saw her senior portrait, it looked nothing like her. It’s like Erika is a completely different person now.”
“Why does it matter if she was popular or not?” Trace asked me curiously.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just…I always thought she was more like Gloria and less like me. But I had her all wrong.”
Trace smiled at my confession and said, “Well, now you can get to know her for the person she really is. You can give Erika a real chance. That’s the important thing, right?”
“Yeah.” I lifted up my head to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here, Trace---and for supporting me. I don‘t think I could have done it without you.”
Trace kissed me back. “I’ll always support you, Jade. And yes, you could have. You don’t give yourself enough credit.” Flashing me a grin, he asked suddenly, “How about we get out of here?”
I nodded with a smile. “Yes, let’s go.”
He dropped his hold on my waist to remove the car keys from his back pocket. After opening the passenger door for me, I slid in and waited for him to join me inside the car. A moment later, he opened the driver’s side and hopped in, turning the key in the ignition. Trace glanced over at me and grinned; his eyes sparkling with mischief.
He placed his right arm around my shoulders and asked softly, “Where do you want to go now, Ms. Cannon?”
I beamed at him and replied, “Anywhere. I don’t care where we go, as long as I’m with you, Trace.”
The Gossip Web Page 21