Chapter 12 

 

Michael

ain.

Why is it always fucking raining during a funeral? It rained the day we buried my parents. It rained the day they buried Anna. And now, it’s pouring down rain outside the funeral home where Julia's funeral is being held.

I have the window cracked in the shiny new car I bought with my racing money, letting the smoke from my cigarette escape as I sit parked outside the funeral home.

My career is really taking off, and not only in racing. I’ve become racing's newest piece of man candy. They plaster my face over as many ads as they can.

Fucking great for me, right? My parents are dead. Anna is dead because of me. I’ve done nothing but cause pain and destruction in my twenty-one years, and I’m doing fucking great.

Golden boy.

I shudder at Brandon's nickname for me and puff on the cigarette between my fingers. I know he's here. I saw him walk in a few minutes ago.

I’m jolted to attention when there’s a sharp wrap on my passenger-side window and I’m looking right at Dani’s gorgeous face as she leans down and peers inside, umbrella shielding her from the rain.

Holy shit.

I hit the unlock button, and she yanks the door open, taking me all in.

“Dani. What the hell are you doing here?”

She closes the umbrella and climbs inside, shivering from the evening rain and cool temperature outside.

“What are you doing here, sitting alone in your car for at least fifteen minutes?”

I’ve been here for thirty. “You stalking me?”

She rolls her eyes, accented with long eyelashes and dark eye liner. She's so fucking beautiful, it hurts to look at her so closely. Her long, dark hair is pulled into a bun, exposing her slender neck that has a sexy new tattoo on the back of it. And she's wearing a classy, but still totally sexy, black dress.

She folds her bare arms over her chest, pushing up the tits I remember all too well up front and center for my viewing pleasure, but she's not here to fuck around. “Look, you’re here because you need closure. I guess I am too.”

“You didn’t even know her.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re here. Might as well go inside.”

I nod my head in acceptance. I can't believe she's here, but selfishly, I’m so fucking glad she is. I don't argue as we both climb out and walk inside.

She stands firmly by my side as my eyes take in the crowded room. People are already tearing up, dabbing their eyes with tissues, mourning the loss of Julia.

I zone in on Brandon. He's dressed in a suit and admittedly looks a hell of a lot better than he did last year. He's added some muscle and doesn’t look like a skinny tweaker, but I could tell the other day he's still using.

His dead eyes lock on mine, his soul as vacant as it’s been for years, and then they move to the black satin casket at the front of the room.

Fuck.

My useless hands start to shake, but are eased by Dani’s small left hand slipping into my right one. I feel an inexplicable calm through my body until I see a group of people walk through the entrance.

I squeeze Dani's hand, and she flinches, keeping her voice low, “What’s the matter?”

My head nods toward the door. “My family.”

Dani's head turns toward the door, and she drops my hand as Brooke, Dylan and Luke, all dressed in formal funeral clothes, make their way over to where we’re standing.

Brooke’s arms go around my neck as she pulls me into a motherly hug. “Michael, you heard about Julia?” She pulls back, her hands still resting on my shoulders as she looks into my eyes. “I told Luke, Cass, and Gabby, and I meant to tell you I saw it on the news, but forgot in all the hustle of the weekend.”

“Yeah, I saw it flash on the news, and thought I'd show.” Please don’t analyze it further. Her face looks at me worriedly, but that’s pretty much how she always looks at me now.

“Well that's nice, especially since you haven’t seen her for nearly a decade. At least that's what Gabby said. She was so little the last time she saw them. She and Cassie had to work today.”

Good. Gabby won’t be here for Brandon to harass. “I just wanted to pay my respects.” I swallow the disgusting lie in my throat, and I can feel Dani's eyes on me.

Brooke drops her hands and turn to her. “Dani. Did you know Julia too, sweetie?”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Dani squares her shoulders and plasters what I know to be her fake smile on her face, “Yes, small town.”

“How?” Luke's suspicious eyes have landed on Dani.

“My father's firm did some work for her.” She doesn’t let Luke rattle her in the slightest as she stares daggers at him when he questions her.

“I wasn’t sure you’d really remember her.” Dylan joins in, giving Luke the big-brother warning look.

I shrug, my hand wrapping around the back of my neck nervously. “I mean, she was mom’s best friend until she died. We used to go on vacation with them and shit.”

He nods his head sadly as he looks over at Peter, Julia’s widower. “Yeah. Fucking crazy she's gone now too. Guess there’s a party in Heaven.”

Luke grins at that, but my stomach twists in pain at the thought. I hope my mother is nowhere near Julia.

“Well, she sure thought a lot of you.”

My eyes narrow at Brooke in a questioning gaze. “What makes you say that?”

Her small shoulders shrug upward, completely in the dark about Julia and me. “She came to see you in the hospital after your wreck. She spoke highly of you.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. I forgot she and Peter were there.” Dylan grips my shoulder. “That was a pretty shitty time. Lots of people came to the hospital.”

I shake my head angrily. “I don’t remember them being there.” They had already moved to Chicago.

Brooke nods as more people file in, and we slide closer to the opposite side of the room. “Well, I think you were in surgery. They flew in when they heard, but couldn’t stay long. She said you were an amazing young man, and that she would pray for you to find peace and happiness.”

My eyes dart to the coffin. Motherfucker. She spoke to my family about me?

Peace and happiness? Fuck you, Julia.

I pull my eyes back to Brooke and try my best to keep it together. Dani looks like she's going to be sick, and my jaw ticks with rage.

“That's nice.”

Brooke smiles solemnly. “Yeah, hopefully she's at peace.”

I swear I just heard Dani growl. She tries to cover it with a cough, but I know what I heard.

We all take a seat in the back as I try my best to make it through all of the kind words being spoken about the woman who took a piece of me.

I don't blame her for all my problems, not by a long shot. But as I get a little older, I realize that cold bitch up there, she had a hand in it.