Where did I begin?
My no-strings-attached arrangement with Dane? My stepmothers’ pregnancy? My fathers’ complete disregard for my brothers’ memory? Grady’s attack?
“I’m fine,” I sniffled. “I’ve just had a lot going on. It’s been overwhelming.”
“It will get easier, sweetheart. You just have to take one day at time, and give it your best shot. You might be a Monroe, but you’ve got your momma’s blood in those veins, and nothing will get you down if you don’t allow it to.”
Grams liked talking about my mother – her daughter – and she’d made sure to tell me I was just like her when I lived with them in Georgia. It was better than being like my dick of a father.
“One day at a time,” I repeated. “Are you guys ready for Thanksgiving?”
“Almost,” she replied. “It’s not going to be the same without you this year.”
“I know, but I thought it would be easier to spend the day with Jade and her family. We only have four days off, and I wouldn’t want to waste two days traveling. I’ll be in Georgia for three weeks in January, and you can fatten me up with those pies you like to bake.”
She chuckled. “I’m counting down the days my sweet girl.”
We stayed on the phone for a few more minutes, and when I ended the call I felt like a weight had been lifted. Remembering the piece of paper in my hand, I thumbed it open, and smiled.
I left the ibuprofen next to you bed. Drink it.
Hope you’re feeling better.
P.S You snore in your sleep ;)
“I do not,” I mumbled with a giggle. Silly boy.
I stuck the note in my desk drawer, and I slipped into a pair of grey sweats. I fixed my hair, and headed into the kitchen to make something to eat.
Jade was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed underneath her, with her phone pressed to her ear. She looked up, and the tears streaming down her face alarmed me. Had something happened to Grady?
Please, no!
“Okay, mom. I’ll see you at the airport soon. Yes…Reid is coming with me. Okay…love you too.” Jade spoke in fluent Spanish, and I relaxed slightly knowing she couldn’t have been upset over Grady.
She ended her call, and I sat down next to her. “What’s wrong?” My panic was barely contained. “Is it Grady?”
She shook her head, and wiped her face. “No. They’re waiting for Grady to wake up on his own. The doctor’s said he’s breathing fine on his own, and his brain activity is normal. They’re just waiting for him to wake up now.”
“Then why are you so upset? That’s good news?”
“It’s my grandmother,” she said with a sob. “She died of a heart attack late last night. I’m flying to Barcelona with my parents in three hours so we can attend her funeral, and see my mom’s family.”
“I’m so sorry, Jade.” I hugged my friend. I knew how close she was with her abuela, and could only imagine how devastated she was. She’d spent almost every summer in Spain when we were in high school, and always brought me something her grandmother had made.
“You said Reid is going with you?”
She nodded. “He didn’t even hesitate. God, that boy…”
“He loves you,” I said quietly.
Jade’s mouth lifted on one side, and she looked at me with more than just sadness in her eyes. It was resignation.
“We can’t seem to get it right,” she laughed sadly. “I think we’re both scared - ”
The front door opened, and Reid walked in as if he knew we’d been talking about him. He shut the door, and came to kneel on front of Jade, the look on his face a mixture of concern and love. Staring at them, I wished they would just pull their heads out of their asses. They belonged together, but they were both being stubborn dummies.
“Flights are booked,” he said gently. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and the intimacy of the gesture made me feel like I was intruding. “We have an hour before we need to be at the airport. I told your parents we’d meet them there, and told mine I won’t be here for Thanksgiving.”
“Thank you,” replied Jade. Her lip trembled, and then she turned her head in my direction. “Will you be okay on Thanksgiving?”
I’d completely forgotten about that, despite mentioning it to my grandmother on the phone a little while earlier.
“Of course,” I replied, squeezing her hand. “You don’t have to worry about me. Worry about you, and I’ll see you when you get back.”
“I’m sorry.” Jade cried, and I battled tears of my own from seeing her like that.
“Don’t apologize. You have no control over things like this. I don’t want you to worry about me.” I gave her a small smile, hoping it would ease her somewhat.
Reid stood up, and helped Jade stand. “C’mon. Let’s get you packed, and showered before we have to leave for the airport.”
He walked her into her bedroom, and shut the door. I sagged back into the sofa, feeling deflated. I was going to be alone on Thanksgiving, and I didn’t blame Jade for that, but the thought wasn’t appealing at all.
JADE AND REID had left last night, and it was my first official day on break. I hadn’t seen Dane last night, and being alone in our apartment was a little scary. I called Lucy to ask her if I could collect my brother’s belongings, and she told me she had a spare key under the pot plant next to her front door. She was spending a few days with her children and her grandchildren, and I was relieved when she mentioned that my father and his wife had already left for their vacation.
I hired a U-Haul trailer, and after hooking it up to my Jeep, I drove the hour to Brighton, and loaded it full of what was left of my brother. I didn’t have the courage to open the boxes yet, but I had the U-Haul for a few more days before I put Charlie’s belongings in storage. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of anything. It felt like I was betraying him somehow, and I didn’t want to lose the things that were important to him. That, by default, made them important to me, whether it was a Simple Plan poster or an MVP trophy for one of his many sports. It mattered to him, so it mattered to me.
I found a box full of his old sweatshirts that still smelled like him, and decided I could handle taking this one box with me upstairs. The elevator was broken, and had been since before break, so I had to climb the stairs.
Fantastic.
I was going to look like a sweaty mess by the time I reached our floor.
I’d just reached the landing between the two stairwells it took to reach each floor, when my foot slipped. I fell backwards, sending the box into the air, and screamed as I rolled down the stairs to the floor below me. My ankle twisted, and I cried out in pain. My head hit the floor with a thud, but luckily I didn’t black out.
I tried to move my foot, but I sharp pain shot out through my leg, and my eyes grew wet from the intensity.
“Shit,” I muttered, using my arms to lift myself up into a seated position. Leaning against the wall, I searched frantically for my phone, and let out a string of curse words when I realized that I’d forgotten it in my Jeep.
I knew no one was around. The majority of the students had all left campus for break, and my chances of getting help now were minimal. But I had no choice.
By the time I heard the ground floor door open, it had been over an hour, and I’d had remove my shoe because my ankle was so swollen. It had started turning blue too, and the pain was excruciating. I held my breath, listening as the footsteps drew closer.
“Hello?” I called out.
“Kennedy?”
Dane’s head appeared, and I couldn’t hide how grateful I was to see him. He was making a habit of rescuing me.
“Jesus,” he climbed the stairs two at a time, and crouched next to me, “what the hell happened? Your ankle. Shit.”
“I fell,” – I hissed when he tried moving my ankle – “I think it’s broken.” I’d never broken a bone in my life, but it sure as hell hurt like I’d broken it.