Distracted: An Everyday Heroes Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Michelle Fernandez

  “Thank you.” It’s all I can say. The silence stretches between us. I don’t know what to say to the man I once could talk to about everything under the sky.

  “If you need anything . . .” he starts, breaking the awkwardness.

  “I’ll be fine.” I give him another short answer.

  “I know you will.” He slips his sunglasses back on. “Well, I’ll leave you alone. I just wanted to give my condolences . . . and tell you I’m sorry. I’m sorry for . . . everything.”

  He steps closer, wraps me with his strong arms, and tenderly kisses my cheek. God, I miss him and hate him all at the same time. I wish things never ended the way they did. Actually, I wish things never ended at all. But it is what it is. A friendship we thought could outlast the sun and the moon. We thought we were unbreakable. We were sadly mistaken.

  He releases me and turns on his heel without a backward glance. I want to stop him, call him back because he was the one that made me feel better when my parents died. He was the one that made me smile even when I was sad. But all I do is watch him walk back to his car as a tear forms in my eye.

  “Sabrina and Gabriela Kent. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m John Carnegie.”

  It’s been two days since the funeral, and time for the attorney to read Nonna’s will. I’m not looking forward to this. But, then again, who would be? I am not sure what will be the outcome of this reading, considering Nonna didn’t have much, except for the house where we grew up.

  “Yes,” I reply. “I remember.”

  He gives us a sad smile. “Thank you for meeting me today instead of tomorrow. Under normal circumstances, I would have my partner take care of this while I am out of town, but your grandmother was very adamant that I conduct the reading since I was there for your parents.”

  We stand from our chairs in the waiting room and shake Mr. Carnegie’s outstretched hand. I remember him all too well. He was the same man that read our parent’s wills. He hasn’t changed much other than being a bit grayer in his neatly combed hair.

  The reading of my parents’ wills surprised us when Mr. Carnegie informed us that the house was not going to either Gabby or me. We had no idea Nonna owned the house. As we sit at the conference table, I expect the house to be given to us.

  “You said you’re going out of town tomorrow?” Gabby asks.

  “Yes. A family reunion back east.”

  Just thinking about a family reunion makes me ill. We won’t ever have that. No Mom, no Dad, and now no more Nonna. Sure, some distant relatives attended the funeral yesterday, but I hardly know them.

  “Would you like some coffee, water, or tea?” Mr. Carnegie asks.

  “I’ll take coffee,” Gabby requests.

  “Do you, by chance, have a Dr. Pepper?” I ask.

  The attorney clears his throat and then chuckles. “In fact, I do have Dr. Pepper. Lilliana gave me explicit instructions to have that for you and the other gentleman.” He looks at his expensive watch. “He called just before you arrived and said he was on his way.”

  Mr. Carnegie presses a button on his phone to inform the receptionist to bring in the requested refreshments.

  A smile tugs at my mouth. Once again, Nonna knows how to make me smile when I’m sad. Then after a split second, it hits me. “I’m sorry, did you say we are waiting for more people?”

  “Just one more person, Miss Kent.”

  “Please call me Sabrina,” I tell him.

  “And please call me Gabriela,” my sister says when the receptionist enters and places the beverages in front of us.

  Mr. Carnegie smiles softly. “He should be here shortly,” he replies.

  “And who might that be?” Gabby asks as she pours creamer into her cup.

  The door opens, and he walks in. Now I’m more confused than ever.

  What the hell is Spencer Hayes doing here?

  Spencer

  “Sorry I’m late,” I say as I glance at Sabrina. By the look on her face, Sabrina is just as surprised as I was when John Carnegie called me this morning to attend the reading of Lilliana Deluca’s will. Why me and not Callie or my mom? They were closer to her than I was.

  Gabby stands and gives me a welcoming hug. “Spence. This is a surprise.”

  “Surprise is an understatement.” I kiss Gabby’s cheek and hug her.

  “What are you doing here?” Gabby asks.

  “I really don’t know. Mr. Carnegie called me, so here I am,” I say casually.

  “Wow!” Gabby squeezes my arm. “You look great. Doesn’t he look great, Sabbie?” she asks, looking down at Sabrina sitting in the chair. Gabby knows our history. Hell, I think the whole town knows our history.

  Even though Sabrina and I did not end up together, we were two peas in a pod. Sabrina has always been the only girl I’ve ever cared about.

  The crack of the soda can sounds, and I watch as Sabrina takes a long sip. She’s still mad at me, and I don’t blame her, but it’s not entirely my fault that we stopped talking. I tried to explain, but she wouldn’t let me and then she changed her number. The hint was loud and clear.

  “Mr. Carnegie?” Sabrina turns to him. “Can you please explain what he’s doing here?”

  Yes, please explain it to all of us because her grandmother did not like me. Her grandmother constantly nagged Sabrina to be a lady and not climb trees or get scrapes on her knees. She was always mumbling under her breath that I was bad news for Sabrina.

  “Now that you are all here, we can proceed, and hopefully, all your questions will be answered.” Mr. Carnegie sits at the end of the conference table. “Foremost, I am sorry for your loss. These proceedings aren’t easy. I will try to make it brief and as pleasant as I possibly can. I would like to say that I met Lilliana several times, and she was a firecracker.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Gabby mumbles.

  “Thank you, Mr. Carnegie,” Sabrina says, her eyes focused on him.

  I reach for the pitcher of water and pour some into the glass in front of me. Just being in the same room as Sabrina has suddenly made me thirsty. I can handle any drug bust, make decisions on the spur of the moment, and am cool as a cucumber during cross-examinations.

  But this is different. I’m on pins and needles, and curiosity is killing this cat.

  “Okay. Let’s get right to it,” he says while opening a sealed envelope. I get a glimpse of Sabrina as Mr. Carnegie reads the legalese.

  Her smile is sad, and I want to wrap my arms around her like I did when her parents died. That was one of the best nights of my life and changed our friendship forever. It was my fault for leading her on. The next day I left to appear back in court, and we never had time to talk about the intimacy we shared. Work got hectic, and then too much time passed.

  I wish I could go back to the night I kissed her. I mean really kissed her and told her how I felt about her.

  At Nonna’s funeral, I watched her while she sat in front of the casket. Her grief was palpable. Even hiding behind her large black sunglasses, I could see the tears drip from her jawline onto her black dress.

  I had to hold back from moving to her to comfort her with every sob she released. Not because she didn’t want my comfort, but when the man behind her rested his hand on her shoulders, it led me to believe they’re together, and I lost my chance with her.

  Now, watching Sabrina across from the dark cherry wood conference table is hard enough. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t want me here. But I can’t stop looking at her. I take in her beautiful chocolate eyes focused on Mr. Carnegie and her dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders. She’s so goddamn beautiful.

  “Mrs. Lilliana Deluca was very explicit in outlining her wishes as to what was to become of her property and possessions upon her death.”

  Mr. Carnegie addresses Gabby and states the assets that she will inherit. My eyes stay on Sabrina. I can’t tell if she’s purposely ignoring me or listening to every word the attorney says.

  “Can you repeat t
he last sentence?” Gabby requests as she tucks her hair behind her ear.

  “The Deluca home in Italy is bestowed to my youngest granddaughter, Gabriela Marie Kent. The land it rests on, which includes the fifty-acre vineyard and its profit, will go to Lilliana Deluca’s granddaughters, Sabrina Allesandra and Gabriela Marie Kent,” Mr. Carnegie concludes. I remember Sabrina boasting about the great time they had in Italy the year she graduated from high school.

  Mr. Carnegie opens another envelope as he clears his throat and turns to me. “Spencer Hayes will oversee Lilliana Deluca’s accounts at Sunnyville Trust and Loan, which includes the trust fund for her great-granddaughter, Lily Noelle Kent, as well as the contents of safe deposit box four-three-zero.”

  “Excuse me?” Sabrina blows out.

  Well, that explains why I’m here. But I’m still confused as to why I am managing Sabrina’s daughter’s trust fund. They have financial advisors for that. Why me? Why not Sabrina? She’s her mother. I’m thinking Nonna had a loose screw or two.

  “As for the home in Sunnyville including the casitas and its land,” Mr. Carnegie continues, “I bestow this property to be shared equally between my eldest granddaughter, Sabrina Allesandra Kent, and Spencer Hayes.”

  “Come again,” I say. My head pops up, and my eyes go wide as do Sabrina’s. Yup, Nonna has completely lost it. “Did you say the house is half mine?”

  “And its property,” Mister Carnegie adds.

  An image of the massive home perched on the hill with two acres of land overlooking the small town of Sunnyville flashes through my head. I remember attending the many charity events, birthdays, Thanksgivings, Christmases, and whatever Uncle Ray and Aunt Marie celebrated.

  “Is this some kind of joke?” Sabrina yelps.

  “I’m afraid not, Miss Kent,” Mister Carnegie states.

  “May I see that?” I ask, my hand stretching out for the paper. I take the document and mutter the words Mr. Carnegie just read.

  This can’t be right. I shake my head and blink rapidly. Why would Nonna give me half of the house where Sabrina and Gabby grew up? It’s their house, not mine. “I’m sorry, I can’t accept it.” I hand the paper back to Mr. Carnegie, then look at Sabrina. “It’s not right. I won’t do that to you, Sabrina.”

  She’s staring at me speechless.

  “I have one more thing I need to give you,” Mr. Carnegie states as he opens the third envelope and pulls out three smaller envelopes addressed to Gabriela, Sabrina, and me.

  And the rabbit hole gets deeper.

  “Before you leave today, Lilliana wanted me to give you these letters. In them, I do hope you find the answers you seek.” Mr. Carnegie stands and buttons his black suit jacket. “Here are the copies of the will and its testaments, including the instructions I read earlier. If you need anything, please ask. My business card is attached if you have any further questions. And again, I am terribly sorry for your loss.”

  The moment Mr. Carnegie shuts the door behind him, Gabby immediately opens her envelope, and I can feel Sabrina’s glare.

  “Did you know?” There’s a bite to her voice and I can’t blame her.

  “I swear I had no idea,” I raise my hands.

  “Well, you can’t have the house.”

  “I don’t want it. It’s not right,” I say, hoping she believes me. “I’ll sign anything you want to give it all to you.”

  Gabby puts her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Look, it’s not like Spencer’s going to live there. He’s got a job in LA. Maybe you can turn that house into a bed and breakfast.”

  This may not be a good time to tell them I’m suspended for six weeks and sleeping on Callie’s couch above her dance studio. It’ll be nice to sleep on an actual bed.

  “Can you give us a minute, Gabs?” Sabrina asks her sister.

  “You promise you won’t kill him?” Gabby raises a brow.

  “I can’t make that promise.” Sabrina narrows her eyes at me and she’s sexy as hell.

  Gabby nods then gives me a knowing look. “I’ll wait for you in the car. I need to make travel plans.”

  “Travel plans?” Sabrina asks.

  Gabby pulls out a key, a notecard, and a check. “This is all I got. Nonna said that my real letter is in Italy. And if I want to know what else she’s giving me, I have to book a flight.”

  Sabrina takes in a deep breath. I know what she’s thinking. The moment Gabby steps out of this room, she’ll be on her phone shopping for her next flight out of Sunnyville. I swear that girl will never settle down.

  “Don’t book your flight just yet, please . . . I’ll be out in a minute. I just need to talk to Spencer.”

  The air thickens after Gabby closes the door behind her. The sole sound is the air conditioning humming through the vents and my heart beating loudly in my ears. She’s the only one that can do that to me.

  “What are you smiling at?” Sabrina asks, trying to mask her emotions. I know her all too well. She’s hurt, angry, and I can feel the tension rolling off her.

  “I miss your beautiful face.” The corners of my mouth perk up.

  “And I want to punch you in the face,” she sneers, and it feels like a normal conversation from when we were kids. She’s always wanted to punch my face. I pointed at my chin and dared her many times to hit me. But she could never do it.

  “Just like old times, huh, Buttercup?”

  “Don’t. You may not call me that anymore.”

  I drag my hand through my hair. “What do you want me to say? Do you want me to apologize?”

  “It’s a little late for apologies.” Sabrina folds her arms across her chest.

  “How about I tell you I fucked up? What happened to us that night—”

  “Was a mistake. You said it loud and clear, Spencer.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Besides, I’ve moved on.”

  “I see that you’ve moved on.” I look at her left hand but don’t see a wedding ring. “Your boyfriend?”

  “My boyfriend?” she asks, confused.

  “Yeah. Tyco, right?” I assume. He was the one who stood behind Sabrina during the service and held their daughter in his arms.

  “He’s not my . . .”

  “He is her father, right?”

  “What makes you say that?” Sabrina narrows her eyes and tilts her head.

  “Same color eyes as him.”

  “Lily’s father took off a long time ago. But I told her he died in a car accident so she wouldn’t ask about him.” Her voice is soft, and she gives me a sad smile. I can see the weight on her shoulders. Being a single mom can’t be easy.

  Even though my parents are happily married, my dad was always working. Providing for us and making sure we got everything we needed and wanted. At the same time, my mom was the one who was the rock of our family and held us together. She was the one who got us ready for school, made our lunches, took me to baseball practice, and drove Callie to all her dance competitions.

  My eyes meet her chocolate-colored irises and I admire her. “I’m sorry to hear that. Callie tells me she’s a great kid.”

  “Yes, she’s amazing. She’s my world.”

  “I’d love to meet Lily someday. Maybe she can call me Uncle Spencer?” My heart pounds in my chest. I swear it’s bruising it. “And maybe we can start over and be friends again?” I shrug, hoping she hears my sincere plea.

  “One thing at a time, Spencer.” Her eyes fill with sadness.

  “Okay. When you’re ready.” I take my envelope and move to the corner of the office and pull up a chair.

  I glance back at Sabrina as she stares at the envelope in her hand. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her. Her parents are gone. Her grandmother is gone. Soon her sister will be in Italy and who knows when she’ll be back.

  I know I should read this letter in private, but my curiosity gets the best of me, and I tear it open.

  Dear Spencer,

  I know you may find it strange that you are reading this letter and
wondering, “Why you?” Just like I wasn’t fond of Sabrina’s father, I felt the same of you. At least in the beginning. Every time you two played, Sabrina came home with either scuffs, scratches, or scrapes on her fair skin. Every time you made it up to her by bringing her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, her favorite candy bar, or a Dr. Pepper. But the best one was when you took care of her after she broke her leg. That was when I knew you were the one for my Sabrina.

  Unlike flesh wounds and broken bones, a broken heart takes longer to heal. Use the Kent-Deluca house as yours to make amends with her. Fix what you did wrong. And yes, I know about the wrong you did. Sabrina and I spoke about you many times. And as angry as she is, deep down, she cares for you. Sabrina is not like Gabriela at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Gabriela deeply and equally. But Gabriela is carefree and cannot stay put. She’s a runner, and that is why she has my home in Italy. Sabrina, on the other hand, is reserved with her words and bottles her troubles. She would rather sacrifice her happiness to make others happier. Please make her happy again. This is my only wish.

  Love,

  Lilliana

  Sabrina

  Nonna hated Spencer, and I know exactly what she’s doing. She’s trying to put us back together. The moment the words left Mister Carnegie’s mouth, the trust fund for Lily was enough to see right through her scheme.

  Even from the grave, that woman still plans and plots.

  I stare at the envelope in my hand and trace each letter of my name with my finger. It’s Nonna’s penmanship, and I follow the ink until it swirls into an infinity symbol at the end of my name.

  Sabrina Allesandra.

  Spencer stands, moving from the corner where he read his letter before I tear open the envelope. He folds the paper and sticks it in the back of his pocket.

  “Sabrina,” he starts, his voice soft and low. “I truly am sorry for your loss. And well, for being a jerk to you. I’ve always been a jerk to you. Making you do things, daring you to do things that I knew you didn’t want to. But you did them anyway. Why? I’ll never know.”