by D. K Lake
I already guessed that, but if she goes back to Radley, I know she won't be coming back. She'll break up with Colt and get back with Mitchel, and it will be a disaster. Blue needs a stable life and Mitchel is anything but that.
"Do you have to?" I ask, knowing I sound as though I don’t care, but she can't leave with him. I know his mom just died, but he's a grown man, can't he deal with this without wrecking Kelsey's life?
"Have to what?" she asks, confused.
"Go to the funeral," I say.
"Yes, I liked his mom. I want to go to the funeral. I want to be there for Mitchel and JT. And I can't leave him alone at the moment. Not when he's like this."
It's like she thinks it's her job to take care of him. It isn't. He needs professional help. Rehab. Therapy. Not my sister.
"Why is he your problem?" I ask and realize how snippy I sound, but I’m pissed at Mitchel for coming here.
"Because he doesn't have anyone else." Kelsey says quietly.
I feel bad for Mitchel, I do, but I don't want him to ruin things for my sister. Colt is the best thing that has ever happened to her. He's good for her and makes her happy, and he's a much better father to Blue than Mitchel could ever be. But I can tell she's already made up her mind.
"So, you'll be gone for the week or so and then you'll come straight back to Prairie?" I ask to be sure.
"That's the plan."
"What about Blue? Is she staying with Aunt Jane for the whole week or is Colt going to take her home and keep her there? Doesn't he have to catch a flight on Wednesday?"
"He does. And no, I'm not leaving Blue with Aunt Jane all week, she's coming with me."
"You're taking her back...with him?"
This is worse than I thought.
"What does that mean? With him? He's not going to hurt Blue." Kelsey says in a clipped tone, getting pissy with me.
"No, but he's no good for her and he's not winning any father of the year award." I blurt.
Shit.
Did I just say that? Well, now it's out there, I might as well ask my questions.
"Does Colt know about Blue? Have you two been keeping this secret from everyone for all this time?"
"Yes, of course he knows. Paige, please. It was easier this way. You know what Mom's like. How difficult she'd be if she knew Blue was Mitchel's daughter."
"I can't believe you've managed to fool everyone for so long. She looks just like him. When I saw the three of you in the supermarket that day...I just knew. I mean, I kinda knew before but seeing her with Mitchel so close together. God, you don't even need a DNA test to prove she's his kid." I say, feeling better to get it off my chest.
I hate that my sister kept this secret from me. She thinks I tell Mom everything which is why she never tells me anything.
"Have you been seeing him all this time? Are you still seeing him?" I ask, wondering what the hell is going on. Do they keep in touch and send each other heart Emojis? Has he been over to see her in these past six months? Does she keep him updated about his daughter? Who knows?
"No. It's not like that. I've sent him pictures of Blue, but we don't keep in contact otherwise. This is the first time I've seen him in six months."
"So where did he sleep last night?" I ask.
"In a bed."
"With you?" I guess.
Kelsey sighs, "Yes, but not like that. He was upset."
But still, she's engaged to Colt. What is she doing? Is she trying to fuck it all up? Maybe this is what she wants. An excuse to go back to Mitchel - I wouldn't be surprised.
"So, what time are you leaving?" I ask in defeat, knowing there's nothing I can do to stop my sister from making another mistake.
"I have to ring Colt and tell him I'm leaving and I'm not looking forward to it, and then I need to have breakfast and pack a bag and get Blue's things ready. Sometime after lunch, probably." Kelsey sniffs.
"Will you at least message me when you get there so I know you arrived safely." I say, calming down a notch.
I hate that Mitchel does this to her. She's torn between two men and it's killing her.
"Of course, but I need your number." she reminds, and I quickly read off my new number from the notepad near the house phone. "What are you going to tell Mom?" she worries, thinking I'll run off to Mom and blab.
"That you've gone back to Radley to spend time with Nessie." I say, covering for her.
"Thanks, Paige." she sighs.
"Will you and Colt be all right?"
"Of course. I'm only going for the week or so. I'm coming back. Colt will understand. Everything will be fine." she assures, but I can hear the uncertainty in her voice.
"Okay...well, I better go. If we're not going dress shopping, then I have a ton of coursework to get on with that they just emailed to everyone. I'll speak to you soon, bye Kelsey."
"K...bye." she says and hangs up, and I return the house phone to its base.
I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach, a worrying knot. I know if she goes back with Mitchel, she won't be coming back to Colt. I guess this means the wedding is off.
Chapter 9
"Well?" Mom claps her hands together, appearing out of nowhere, surprising me. I quickly sit on my old phone in case she sees it. She'll probably confiscate it again.
Was she hovering around this whole time?
"What time will Kelsey be here?"
Phew. She didn't hear anything. I'm sure if she had heard Mitchel’s name, she'd be grilling me right now and demanding answers, and then she'd probably drive over there and cause a scene.
"No, she's sorting something out with Colt." I lie.
Mom doesn't know Colt isn't at home at the moment and I don't want to be the one to break it to her that Kelsey is leaving town with her ex-boyfriend.
"What stuff?"
"I don't know. I think they're doing something together."
"Oh...what about next weekend? I have country club duties and other arrangements during the week, but we could do Saturday or Sunday. Shame you won't be here next weekend."
"Um, I don't know. You'll have to ring her next week." I hedge.
Mom lets out a dramatic sigh. "I'll just have to plan this wedding all by myself!" she says dramatically and walks away.
I spin around and grab my old phone and charger and bolt up the stairs. Once safely back inside my room, I quickly plug in the charger and start charging my new phone. I use the bathroom and fall onto my bed, wishing I had brought Em’s laptop with me. Now I'll have to ask to borrow Ned's or maybe he'll let me in the office to do my coursework. I wait until my phone has enough charge before I switch it back on and wait for it to load up.
"Come on, come on," I blow out a breath waiting for it to connect.
The signal goes up and then drops to one bar, but then two new voicemails come through. No texts.
I press play and can hear Em’s voice, but the line is so bad I can hardly hear her.
"Mav...he's...dorm...I know...to do..." The line goes dead and I think she got cut off.
Maverick?
I decide to listen to the next message and as soon as I hear his voice, my heart skips a beat.
"Paige...where...you...need you..." His voice sounds broken, but I can't be sure, the line is so bad.
The line crackles and goes dead, and I stare at the phone screen.
What just happened? Why did Maverick leave me a message? And why did he sound so upset? Wait. How did he even get my number?
I have one bar of signal and before I know what I’m doing, I’m calling him back, but the signal drops just as I lift the phone to my ear.
"Shit," I groan, getting upset.
I don't know why I'm getting so upset, but something about the way he sounded has me on edge. His words echo through my mind.
"Paige...where...you...need you..."
Where are you?
I need you?
Or maybe it was I need to see you?
He doesn't sound right. Something is wrong.
This is the first time he has made contact in three months.
"I need to..." I stand up, talking to myself. "I need to..."
I need to what?
I hurry out the door and run back downstairs to use the house phone. I don't care what Mom says. I need to call him back and if I can't get ahold of him, I need to call Em. What was she going on about? I couldn't understand any of it. When I get downstairs, I can hear Mom talking to someone. I turn the corner and see Mom using the house phone. I stop for a moment but then think screw it, this is more important and march over to her.
"Mom, I need to use the phone. It's an emergency." I insist.
"So is this. I'm on the phone to Gloria, someone deposited feces on the steps outside the country club." she says in shock horror.
"So? Who cares? I need the phone," I snap.
"Paige!" Mom warns, her eyes widening at my sudden outburst.
I groan and stomp back upstairs. I throw my clothes back in my duffel and remember to pack my old phone. I hurry back downstairs, and Mom's mouth drops open when she sees me marching past her with my duffel bag.
"Gloria, I'll have to call you back." Mom quickly hangs up and chases after me. "Where are you going?" she asks, trailing after me.
"Back home," I say as I head out the door.
"But you were going to stay on until next week,"
"Change of plans." I reply, coming to a halt on the porch.
How am I going to get to the airport?
Mom is talking but I'm not listening. I spot one of the gardeners, and I know his name is Manuel and he's always been friendly to me.
"Necesito un aventón al aeropuerto," I say, walking up to him as he clips the rose bush.
He takes one look at my mother and can see I'm in a bit of a rush.
"Si, si," Manuel gestures to his beat-up truck that is parked around the side of the house.
I mentally pat myself on the back for taking the time to learn Spanish last summer when I was stuck indoors.
"What did you just say to him?" Mom calls, hobbling over the shingles in her heels as she tries to keep up.
"Maybe if you learned to speak Spanish, you would know." I throw over my shoulder.
Nearly everyone who works here speaks Spanish and Mom can't speak a word of it. You should hear what they say about her right to her face, always with a smile, and she has no idea what they're saying.
"Excuse me? Hello?" Mom tries to get Manuel's attention. "Where are you going?" she asks as he opens the driver's side door and slides in, and I quickly dump my duffel on the floor and climb in the passenger seat.
"Qué?" Manuel says.
I know for a fact Manuel can speak very good English, but Mom doesn't know that.
"What?" Mom looks at him confused. "I said WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Mom repeats, louder this time.
"Mujer estúpida," Manuel grumbles, reaching for his door to pull it shut.
"What was that? I don't understand what you're saying?" Mom says, moving out of the way.
Mom gawks at us as Manual turns the truck around, and I wave goodbye, trying not to smile too much.
"Hey, thanks for doing this," I say once we're halfway down the driveway.
"No problem, she's had me pruning those roses all morning. I needed a break."
"I just had to get out of there." I let out a breath, watching in the side mirror as Mom flaps her arms.
"You going back to college?" he asks, reaching over to fiddle with the radio, and puts on something rocky.
"Uh...yeah," I reply, checking my phone for any messages but the battery is getting low again because it didn't have long enough to charge. I decide to switch it off and save the battery until I get back to Colorado because the cell service out here is seriously nonexistent.
We drive through the gate and swing onto the street. I glance at the speedometer, bouncing my leg.
"Don't suppose we can go a little faster?"
Manuela smiles in response and presses his foot on the gas and we speed off down the street.
He drops me off in front of the airport and I make my way inside. I don't have a ticket, so I have to buy one and luckily, I have some emergency money in my account that Dad wired to me last month. We don't speak but I know he still thinks about me when I see a notification that I have new funds. He's so busy with his new family, he can't spread himself thin to please everyone, and right now he needs to be there for Aubrey and the kids. I miss my dad, but my siblings are young, and they don't understand the whole situation, but they need him more. I haven't seen him in months. I can't even remember the last time I spoke to him on the phone, but the next time I speak to him I will have to remember to thank him for the money.
I don't have to wait too long before I'm boarding the plane. I sit anxiously in my seat, counting down the minutes until I arrive back in Colorado. As soon as the plane lands, I am out of my seat. I have to wait for my duffel bag and as soon as I have it, I’m jogging toward the exit.
I jump in the first cab I see and give them directions as I switch on my phone. It has eight percent battery left. Is that even enough to make a call?
I try Maverick’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail, so I hang up and try Em.
"Hello? Shit, wait a minute..." Em answers and the line goes quiet again.
What is she doing?
"Em?!" I say to get her attention.
"Sorry, I'm at the takeout place just placing an order."
"What was the message you left on my phone?" I ask, not caring for chit-chat.
"Huh. Oh, yeah!" she suddenly remembers, and I can hear Spencer in the background asking her who is on the phone.
"It's Paige, shh..."
"EM! My battery is literally about to die."
"Okay, okay," I hear a door opening and closing, and the background noise fades out. "Sorry, I had to go to the bathroom,"
"Right now?"
"No, I just didn't want Spencer to hear me."
"Why not?"
"Listen-"
"What's going on with Maverick?" I ask impatiently.
"Just listen, okay!" she stresses. "So, you know the car accident the other night - the one Mitchel's mom was killed in?"
"Of course, it only happened a few nights ago."
"Right. Well...she wasn't the only one."
"I know her boyfriend died as well."
"Yeah and uh...three other people,"
"Why are you telling me this?"
My stomach does a little flip-flop and I hold my breath. Maverick's desperate phone call comes back to haunt me. Ohmigawd, was he in the other car?
"Em, just tell me! My phone is about to die."
I feel like I might throw up.
"The person that caused the crash - well, he was drunk when he drove straight into Willa and her boyfriend Jim."
"Shit," I mutter, pressing my hand to my stomach to stop the nauseous feeling.
"Ethan," Em says and the line crackles, and I miss everything she says.
"What? I didn't hear any of that. Say it again," I urge.
"Ethan is the one that caused the crash. He purposely drove into their car." Em explains.
"Ohmigawd," I murmur, covering my mouth in disbelief.
"Spencer knows one of the police officers, and he told us they pulled the video footage and it shows Ethan pulling out into oncoming traffic. He was over the limit to drive, but earlier footage shows him driving reasonably straight and then out of nowhere, he puts his foot down when he sees Jim’s car and drives straight into them, pushing them into oncoming traffic, and then he lost control of the car and hit a tree."
"That's…terrible,"
"That's not all,"
My phone beeps again to let me know the battery's about to die. Just in case I didn't already know.
"Addie was in the car with Ethan when it happened."
"Addie?" I gasp.
"She died at the scene of the accident, and Ethan died on impact."
I don't know what to say. Ethan an
d Addie are both dead? I can't process this.
"Maverick's in the dorm waiting for you,"
"What?" His name pulls me back to the present.
"He showed up there looking for you. He's a mess, Paige."
"Where is he now? Is he still in the dorms?"
"I don't know. He was in such a state, I didn't know what to do with him, so I told him he could wait for you, but that was yesterday."
"Does Dario know he was there looking for me?"
"No, that's why I don't want Spencer to know either. Where are you? Are you coming home?"
"Yes, I'm-" The phone cuts off and I look at the screen.
Damn battery.
I keep my eyes on the road and as soon as I see the sign for Radley Springs College, I pull out my purse and find the money for the driver, and as soon as he pulls up outside the dorms I've already got one leg out the door. I lug my duffel bag inside and hurry up the stairs as quickly as I can. The closer I get to my dorm room the more my heart starts to jackhammer. My mind is racing a million miles a minute. Why is Maverick even looking for me?
You know why...
I feel so bad for him. He's lost his mother. His sister. And now he's lost his brother and one of their closest childhood friends. The only person he has left is his father who he doesn't even talk to.
He has no one.
I can see my door up ahead but no Maverick. He's probably gone back to his dorm room by now. Or he's gone back to the lake house to be alone which is more likely. I doubt he's waiting for me in my room. I drop my duffel next to the door and lift my arm to put the key in and realize I'm still wearing Maverick's hoodie. How bad does this look? There's only one reason why a girl wears her ex-boyfriend's hoodie.
I get the key in the lock and just as I turn it, the door opens inward and my hand falls away. Maverick stands on the other side. His eyes are tired and bloodshot, his hair a disheveled mess, sticking out from under his hood.
I feel so sorry for him.
All I want to do is hug him and make it all better.
I take a step forward and he lets go of the door, watching me for a moment. I can see the tortured pain in his eyes and it's enough to crack my heart. I feel his pain as though it's my own. I let out the breath I have been holding in, and stumble into his arms, sliding my arms around his waist and burying my face in his chest.