- SIXTEEN -
The next day, when I started coming back from the dead, I rolled over to look at the clock on my phone. It was already after three in the afternoon; so much for trying to make any of my classes today. Not the way to start a new semester. At least this day was almost over already. The less of this day I had to endure, the better. I had the hangover from hell and the only thing I was going to do about it was drink some more to dull the pain. I noticed I only had two missed calls, one from Jace and the other from Devon. I’d have to call them back tomorrow. I didn’t have any more missed calls from Jaxon or Quinn since I had gotten home last night, so they must know I’m here by now.
I walked to my door and quietly opened it. My plan was to hole up in my room drinking until this day was over, since I still didn’t want to talk to anyone. I needed to go to the bathroom, though, and grab some essentials from the kitchen. Once I got out into the hallway, I realized that there wasn’t anyone here. Jaxon must have decided to go to class, and I knew he still had football practice this afternoon.
When I got back to my room, my phone was ringing. I answered it when I noticed it wasn’t Jaxon, Quinn, Cole, or Jace.
“Hello?”
“Yes, is this Emerson Moore?”
“Yes, sir, can I ask who is calling?”
“This is William Gordon calling from the Law Offices of Gordon, Simon & Bates.”
“Um, okay.” I had forgotten about calling him back and now I was wishing I hadn’t answered my phone at all.
“Sorry if this call seems out of the blue. Your parents actually set up a trust fund for you when you were born. Six years ago, they came to me to control it and I am supposed to contact you on your twenty-first birthday to relinquish the funds to you. They have grown quite dramatically since your parents first set them up.”
“I’m sorry, I’m really confused about what you’re saying right now.”
“I can understand the confusion. I tried to get a hold of Mr. or Mrs. Moore first, but I haven’t been able to locate a working number for them.”
“Um . . . my parents actually passed away six years ago today, Mr. Gordon.” I can’t believe I had to talk about this, today of all days. The very reason I ran away from the people I love, and I was now being forced to face it anyway.
“What? They were just in my office that morning setting up this account for you; how is that possible?” Well gee, I don’t know, why don’t you ask the lady who thought it was okay to drive while barely being able to keep her eyes open.
I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore, and I’m pretty sure all of the blood was rushing out of my body. “What do you mean they were with you that morning, Mr. Gordon? My parents were having an affair and they died in a car accident when they were going back home.”
“Oh, that’s not possible. There was no way Robert and Michelle were having an affair of any kind. I distinctly remember they could barely stand being in the same room together when they came in. I overheard him getting mad at her for being irresponsible with her car, which was the reason he had to pick her up that morning.”
“I think I have to go, Mr. Gordon, I . . . have to . . . be somewhere . . . else.” I’m also freaking out, but you don’t need to know that.
“I’m really sorry if I’ve said something to upset you. Please just come by my office anytime and I’ll get you to sign the paperwork for the account. It’s quite a significant amount of money.”
The only thing I remember the rest of that day is hanging up the phone and taking shot after shot until I passed out in my bed.
I was being jostled awake and I was about to punch the person responsible for doing it. My stomach wasn’t appreciating the movement, either. I remember finally waking up sick at one point last night. I’d never been this drunk, so it figured that it was time to pay the price. As I became more and more aware of my surroundings, I realized I was hugging the toilet. Yeah, now I remember spending the night on the soothing, cold tile floor.
“If that’s you, Quinn, back away; I don’t want to have to punch you. If that’s you, Jaxon, you have three seconds till I do punch you,” I moaned into the bowl.
“Yeah, if you can ever get Jaxon to talk to you again,” Quinn said.
“Shut up, Quinn; go away so I can shower.”
“Are you done being a colossal bitch? Are you finished drinking yourself stupid?” She was pissed at me. I’d have to sweeten her up later and apologize.
“Geez, Quinn, lay off. I’m sure by now you know what happened.” I moved to sit against the wall with my hands over my eyes.
“Take a shower, Emerson; you reek.” She slammed the door on her way out. She just full-named me. That means she’s extremely pissed.
I tried to take as long as I possibly could in the shower. I hated a pissed-off Quinn, but standing for too long had proven to be too difficult. The shower walls were spinning around me, so I had to get out. I brushed my teeth and walked out to the living room to sit on the couch. Cole was lounging across it when I entered.
“Oh great, have you come to view my lashing as well, or are you going to be joining in, Coley?” I noticed Quinn was in the kitchen smashing pots and pans around.
“I’m here because I’m worried about you, Emmy,” he said, looking at me sincerely.
“It’s just a bump in the road. All is well now, I promise.”
Quinn walked in and slammed a plate of bacon and eggs on the coffee table in front of me. I was starving, since I hadn’t eaten in a day and a half.
“Thanks, Quinn,” I mumbled.
“All is not well, Emerson!” she yelled at me when I reached for the plate.
“Sure it is. I’m better now, I promise. Those are just bad days for me and you know that. Now I’ll go back to normal. I think I’m finally feeling better about opening up more to Jaxon.” I started eating my breakfast and then I remembered that phone call from Mr. Gordon yesterday, before I drank myself into a mini coma. “Shit, I forgot . . .”
“What?” Cole asked.
“I found out my parents weren’t having an affair six years ago.”
“Em, people think tequila tells them things all the time. I’m sorry, but everything is still the same with your parents.” Quinn still sounded agitated with me.
“I’m being serious, Quinn. Stop making me feel childish. A lawyer called me yesterday saying six years ago my parents were in his office transferring a trust fund that they set up for me to have when I turned twenty-one. He said they were arguing the whole time, and my dad was mad that he had to give my mom a ride there. The lawyer didn’t know that my parents had died.”
I heard Quinn gasp and bring her hand up to her mouth. Tears instantly filled her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this was going on?”
“Quinn, as much as you want me to talk about this stuff, it’s been too hard. I just had my world rocked yesterday. Everything I thought about what happened was a lie. My parents weren’t having an affair. My dad wasn’t cheating on Ellie. Every wall I built up was because of what I thought they had done. I have no idea what to do now. All I know is that I just want to find Jaxon and tell him how sorry I am for the way I acted, and how much I care about him. I’m such an idiot for continuing to let this get to me like that.”
Quinn and Cole just gave me a sad look. “Emmy, Jax was really hurt by what you did . . .”
“I know, but now I’m going to apologize,” I said, looking at both of them.
“I don’t know if it will work this time. He looked entirely defeated the other night.”
“We’ll be fine, Quinn. Stop being so dramatic. Once I talk to him, he’ll understand what happened.”
“I agree with you, Em; you just need to find him and apologize. He really loves you.”
“I really love him.” The second the words popped out of my mouth, my hand shot up to cover it and my eyes widened to see if Quinn and Cole had actually heard that.
They had, because they were both staring at me as if I’d just admitted that I would be giving them a million dollars later.
“What? This is so great, Em! You have to tell him. He’ll definitely take you back then,” Quinn shouted.
“Take me back? You say that like we broke up.” I frowned at her.
“Em, I’m telling you, he was really upset with you, and then when he found out you left with Devon . . . I’ve never seen him so wounded,” she answered.
I looked at Cole to see if this was true and he nodded his head. “Shit. Well, I’ll think of something really good. He’ll forgive me; he loves me.” I smiled and got up to go back to my room.
I decided I needed something really good to get his attention and let him know that I loved him and I was sorry—something besides just walking up to him and saying it. I opened up my laptop and started creating a mixed CD for him. He loved music. He sang along with every song on the radio. He worked at the radio station last semester for his internship, and my best memory of all was when he danced with me at his mom’s house to that country song.
I started the CD off with a song by the band Of Monsters and Men, about a guy that loved a girl even though she couldn’t love him back. It seemed fitting to begin this story of songs for him like that. The CD flowed into other songs about how I wouldn’t be the same without him, and then finally, the last couple of songs spoke about how much I loved him. I planned on telling him I loved him in person before he listened to it. He deserved that. The more songs I would come across, the more excited I had become to see him. I decided to call him to find out when he would be home. I knew that he had practice soon, so I had to wait until later in the evening. The phone rang twice and went straight to voice mail. That was weird, so I sent him a text.
Me: Hey, I know I upset you the other day. I want to make it up to you ;-)
By midnight, there was still no response from Jaxon. Neither he nor Jace was answering the phones or coming home. I had gone out to the parking lot numerous times to check to see if either the motorcycle or truck was back. I was starting to look like one of those crazed, jealous girlfriends. Quinn told me she had talked to Cole, but he wasn’t with the guys. I hoped that they were okay. I tried calling two more times before I went to bed, but then my calls just started going directly to voice mail sometime after ten o’clock. I’d just have to catch him tomorrow between classes, since we didn’t have any together on that day.