Authors: Anna Cruise
ELEVEN
We ate dinner, pork chops and mashed potatoes, and Jenna reverted to her quiet, polite self. I watched her eat a piece of meat, her eyes locked on Ty, and I wondered how hard she was having to work to not just offer herself up to him on the dining room table. I was pretty sure poor Kyle back in North Dakota wouldn't be too thrilled that the girlfriend who'd just driven his car hundred of miles was ready to hop in the sack—or on the table—with some guy she's just met. But that was Jenna. That had always been Jenna.
“Any news on the car?” Ty's dad asked.
I shook my head. “Not yet. I'm hoping tomorrow.”
He picked up his glass of wine and took a sip. “Wish I knew something about cars. Could have taken a look at it for you.”
“Oh, it's fine,” I said. “I'm just sorry we're inconveniencing you. First me. Then my sister...” I let my voice trail off.
Sheila spoke up. “Nonsense. Not an inconvenience at all. I was needing some girls around here, what with Mary being gone. I'm sure Ty is enjoying having you here, too.” She said it innocently enough but Ty looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows, a wicked smile on his face, and I smothered a laugh.
His mother looked at me, confused. “What?”
“Nothing,” I managed, swallowing a mouthful of water and the rest of my laugh.
Ty polished off his pork chop and drained his glass of water. “I'm going to head out,” he said to his dad. “Anything I need to check?”
Colin shook his head. “You got the Watsons all squared away earlier. Think we're good to go.”
I took one last bite and picked up my plate but Sheila held up her hand to stop me. “I'll clean up,” she said. “You guys go along. You haven't seen any of the resort since you've been here. Well, except the pool. Ty will give you the grand tour.” She smiled at Jenna. “Both of you.”
I had seen the resort before—too much of it—and I didn't want a grand tour but I just smiled in return and followed Ty as he stepped away from the table. We headed toward the front door, Jenna trailing close behind.
The air was thick with humidity, the sky a steel gray, muting the glow of the sinking sun. Clouds of gnats greeted us as we passed the pool and mosquitos dive-bombed my ankles and calves. I swatted at them and wished I could do the same to the butterflies that were taking flight in my stomach. I didn't want to venture out. I didn't want to see any more of the resort than I needed to. But Ty and Jenna weren't giving me a choice.
Ty led us down the dirt path that separated the house from the first row of camp sites. A massive growth of trees flanked both sides of the path and their branches canopied the walk. This, coupled with the hidden sun, made the path dark and shadowy and I shivered involuntarily. I stepped closer to Ty, my thigh accidentally bumping his.
He turned his head and looked at me, smiling. “You okay?”
I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as I nodded. Deep breath, I told myself. There were no demons here anymore. None living, anyway.
Jenna sidled up next to Ty on the other side, her chest pressing into his arm. “What do we need to do? On your rounds, I mean.”
He moved away, closer to me, his arm brushing mine. “I've just gotta take a walk around the whole property,” Ty explained. “See if anyone needs anything, make sure everyone is behaving.”
“And what if they aren't behaving?” Jenna asked. Her tone was suggestive and I shook my head in disgust.
“Cross that bridge when we get to it,” he said dismissively. “But normally everything's fine.”
“So nothing bad ever happens here?” Jenna asked.
I shot her a look, but she was looking over me at Ty, her eyes narrowed. It was like she wanted him to spill, to tell us what he knew about that God-awful day ten years ago.
He shrugged his wide shoulders. “Once in awhile, I guess. But most of the time, things are fine.”
I wondered if he'd just been trained to avoid mentioning what had happened. He had to know about Rosie. His family had been here. He'd been older than me. He would remember. And while it may have been a freak thing, an accident, it wasn't something you forgot. It didn't matter if it wasn't your sister, if it was just some random guest staying at your resort. You remembered those things. But you also weren't going to share it with guests.
We started passing the campsites and he greeted nearly everyone by name, waving and saying hello. They waved back. One guy asked about the pool hours and Ty told him when it closed. Most of the campsites had bonfires blazing in their fire rings and the only out of control thing we saw was a stray marshmallow falling into the flames of one of the them.
We reached the end of the winding path and he guided us toward the stretch of packed dirt that circled back, behind the sites and closer to the river.
And then things began to look familiar.
The narrowed dirt path.
The rocks along the river's edge, a haphazard collection of craggy boulders and smooth stones.
The low hanging trees, their branches almost brushing the tops of our heads, the wind whispering through them as if eager to tell its secrets.
The sound of the water moving in the river, steady and swift, the soothing calmness of the sound belying the danger that lurked beneath its surface.
I froze in my tracks.
Ty took a couple of steps ahead then stopped, looking at me. “You alright?”
Jenna touched my elbow. “Lily.”
Hers wasn't a question. Her voice was sharp, firm, my name barked like a command to snap me out of my reverie.
“I'm okay,” I said, blinking. “Just tired.”
Ty studied me for another moment and I knew he didn't believe me. I'd spoken so softly, my voice wavering, my statement sounding as uncertain as when I'd answered questions in chemistry class. Ty's eyes stayed on me, something flickering in them and I could tell he wanted to ask a question, wanted to figure out what the hell was wrong with me. But he didn't. He just shrugged and we kept walking and I took a deep breath, as much out of relief as to try to stem my nerves.
I could feel Jenna's eyes on me, but I couldn't look at her. I focused on steadying my breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth, trying to block out the goddamned past.
Ty chatted about the campground as we continued walking, talking about the families that were there for the summer and other, more transient ones who had come and gone. I wasn't comprehending everything he was telling us because I couldn't get my head entirely clear. But I was glad that he was talking and not staring at me, wondering what the hell my problem was.
Voices drifted toward us and I realized someone else was on the path, approaching from the opposite direction. A low male voice. We rounded a small curve and a man appeared, two young children flanking either side of him. He wore basketball shorts and a green T-shirt, a Twins ball cap parked on top of his head. The boy on his left looked to be about ten, a smaller version of his dad with red cotton shorts on his spindly legs and a Wimpy Kid T-shirt wrapped around his torso. He was holding a stick in each hand and waving them around.
But the girl on the man's left was who had my attention.
About five years old. Blond, sun-streaked hair, the hint of a curl in those long locks. Denim shorts, a bright pink tank top, her hand firmly tucked in her dad's hand. Rubber flip-flops that were just as pink as her shirt.
I wasn't sure if my memory was playing tricks on me or if she looked eerily similar to Rosie.
Ty held up his hand in greeting. “Hey, Dave.”
“Ty,” the man said, smiling. He eyed me and Jenna curiously. “I see you've got bodyguards tonight.”
“Was getting rough out here.” Ty grinned back. “Plus, I get scared of the dark.”
“You are not,” the boy said, shaking his head like he knew Ty liked to make jokes.
The girl tucked herself in close to her father's leg.
I glanced at Jenna. She was looking at the girl, too.
“Well, we didn't see anything too dangerous on our walk,” Dave said, nodding at us. “I think you'll be safe.”
“You want one of my sticks?” the boy asked, holding up both of his hands. The sticks were almost as tall as he was.
“Nah, you keep them,” Ty said. “Those might make good marshmallow roasters.”
The boy's eyes grew big and he looked at the sticks as if he was seeing them for the first time.
“We better get moving then if we gotta roast marshmallows,” Dave said, putting an arm around his son and guiding him forward. “We'll see you all later.”
The girl clutched her dad's leg and studied Ty, her expression solemn. He smiled at her and offered a small wave. She wrinkled her nose and looked away but not before I could see an answering smile on her lips.
We continued walking but Jenna kept turning around every few seconds and I knew what she was doing, what she was thinking. I couldn't bring myself to spin around and look. Because seeing the little girl again, in the same setting where we'd last seen our youngest sister alive, would be like seeing a ghost. A ghost I didn't want to see.
Ty noticed. “See something?”
Jenna took a deep breath and turned back around, facing the direction we were heading. “No. Nothing.”
TWELVE
I had just pulled back the covers on the bed when there was a light tapping on my door. I expected Jenna and tried to steel myself for whatever conversation she might insist upon having. The door pushed open but it wasn't Jenna standing in the doorway. Ty was there instead, his hair wet, wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts.
He leaned against the door frame. “Hey.”
I sat down on the bed and tried to peel my eyes from his abs and chest and sat up. “Hi.”
He ran a hand through his damp hair. “I just showered and was on my way to bed. Just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“Why wouldn't I be?”
He rolled his massive shoulders and made a face. “I don't know. You seemed a little spooked on the trail.”
He was right. I had been spooked. I'd tried to hide it but apparently I'd failed.
“Sorry,” I said. I sat up a little straighter, kicking the coverlet further down the bed. “I didn't mean to act all weird.”
“Anything going on?” he asked.
I hesitated, then shook my head. “No. I'm just stressed out about everything. My car, the money, my sister showing up. Feeling like we're taking advantage of you guys.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “You're not taking advantage,” he said, his voice firm. “We're happy to help. You can stay as long as you need to.”
I could tell he meant it. “Thanks.”
He stood there for a minute, not saying anything, letting his eyes roam around the room before they settled back on me. “Okay. Well, I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
But he didn't leave. His eyes drifted down my body, from my eyes to my mouth, lingering on my breasts before moving to my exposed legs. My stomach jumped and I waited for him to smile, to move further into my room, to say something that might indicate what he was thinking about. Because, if I was reading him right, I knew.
He cleared his throat. “Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.” He gave a little wave and backed up out of the doorway and pulled the door closed.
I exhaled. I wasn't sure if it was because he'd caught me getting weirded out on the trail or because his half-naked body had been standing in my room, looking like he wanted to do more than just talk. I realized I'd essentially been holding my breath the entire time he'd stood there.
Being in Pelican Lake was messing with me on multiple levels. It was more than just being back in the place where my sister had died. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with Ty. Not because he was showing interest in me; that didn't bother me in the slightest. But a sense of unease had settled over me because I felt like I was lying to him, pretending to be something I wasn't. I knew this wasn't the case, but keeping a secret from him felt like lying and it was starting to get to me. I didn't know what I wanted from him, what I was even able to have with the limited amount of time I planned to be there, but I knew one thing. I didn't want him to find out who I really was. Or what I wasn't telling him.
I got up from the bed and grabbed my purse off the wooden rocking chair. I rummaged inside, pulled out the long, thin wallet. My fingers shook a little as I opened the zippered pouch on the side. There was something inside, something I always had with me. I didn't pull it out often, but it was there. I used my thumb and forefinger to pull out a folded piece of paper. It was soft, almost nubby between my fingertips, the white of the paper yellowed with age. I unfolded it carefully, the creases sharp. My eyes blurred just a little as I stared at the crude drawing on the thin, half-sheet of paper. Crooked red petals. A long, scraggly, green stem. A rose. From my Rose.
There was another knock on the door and my heart jumped, thinking he was coming back.
“Hang on,” I called. I folded the paper and shoved it back into my wallet, tossed my purse back on to the chair and hopped on to the bed. “Come in.”
I felt a flicker of disappointment when Jenna walked in, pulling the door closed behind her.
“Why was he in here?” she asked, sitting down on the corner of bed. She'd brushed her hair smooth and taken off all of her make-up and, in the soft glow of the tiny lamp next to the bed, her skin looked luminous. She was absolutely right. She was the better-looking sister.
“Just came by to make sure I was alright,” I said, irritated that she'd obviously been paying attention.
“Alright with what?” she asked. She picked at a thumbnail and I wondered how many minutes away she was from biting it. She'd chewed her nails all through high school, finally stopping the week of graduation. Her nails were long and perfectly manicured now but I knew my sister. One little nibble, one tiny taste, and she'd be gone. I just wondered what it was going to be that sent her over the edge.
“I don't know.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “You saw that girl on the trail?”
“Yeah.” I leaned back on my pillow. “I saw her.”
“She looked exactly like
—”
“I know.” It was why I'd pulled the drawing out. She'd reminded me of my little rose. My Rosie.
She nodded slowly. “Was like she was walking toward us and...”
“I know, Jenna,” I repeated, my tone harsher than I'd intended. I didn't want to talk about it. “I get it. I saw her. It freaked me out, too.”
“So that's what he saw.”
“And why the hell are you so worried about what he saw? What does it matter?”
She brought her thumb to her mouth, then thought better of it. “I don't know. I just feel like if everyone knows about us, they'll...I don't know. It's just all fucked up.”
It was all fucked up. There was no other way to describe it. But I really wasn't sure what she wanted to do about it. Like it or not, we were stuck there. Hell, she didn't have to be stuck there. She'd chosen to come, even after I'd told her not to.
“You can go home,” I told her. “My car will be fixed in a day or two. Kyle probably wants his car back, anyway.”
She rolled her eyes. “All Kyle wants is the blowjob I promised him for letting me borrow his car. He's fine.”
I grimaced. I knew my sister wasn't the image of innocence but the last thing I needed to picture was her mouth wrapped around Kyle Paulsen's dick.
“You sure you're gonna feel like giving him one?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “'Cuz it sorta looks like you have the hots for a guy here.” I tried to keep my tone light but there was an edge to my voice.
Her lips curved into a smile and she shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Whatever,” I said, trying to stem the nausea I felt at her admission. It wasn't anything I hadn't already figured out but I hated hearing her say it out loud. “But you don't have to stay here and babysit me. I'm fine. I'll get the car fixed and I'll get to Madison.”
Her mouth twisted and puckered. “I don't like you being here by yourself.”
I instantly thought of Ty. “I'm not by myself.”
“You know what I mean.”
I did, but I wasn't sure having her there was helping me at all. If anything, her flirting with Ty was pissing me off and the thought of walking in on them doing something was just one more thing to potentially freak me out. Ty hadn't shown much interest in her but my sister could be very persuasive. Especially with her shirt off and her pants down.
“I'll stay,” she said, standing from the bed. “I don't want to leave you.”
“Jesus, Jenna. I'm fine.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Whatever. I don't think you should be here alone.”
“Why? You think Rosie's ghost is gonna come get me?”
She cut her eyes to me and I could see the anger flare. “Don't say shit like that, Lily. Not cool.”
“Well when did you get such a sense of sisterly love?” I said, frowning. “Because I'm pretty sure the only reason you're hanging around is to try and pull Ty into your bed.”
She raised an eyebrow at me. “Is there some reason I shouldn't try that?”
My cheeks flushed. “Uh, because you have a
boyfriend
.”
She waved her hand. “Please. I don't give a shit about Kyle. You know that. Hell,
he
knows that.”
I wasn't sure he did but I didn't say anything.
“It's Ty, isn't it?” she asked. A knowing smile crossed her face. “You want him for yourself. Better move fast, sis. You don't have much time to put the moves on him.” Her smile deepened. “Maybe you should take notes from the pro. I'll totally show you how it's done.”
If we'd been in our own house, I would have thrown something at her. Instead, I shook my head and said, “Just go to bed.”
She walked to the door, put her hand on the knob, then stopped. “Look, I'm just giving you a hard time about Ty. You want him, you can have him.” She fingered the knob and stared at me. “I only came here to help you. Maybe you don't buy that, but I did. Even if I can't help, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Because I know that if it had been me that had gotten stranded here, I wouldn't have been okay.” She pulled the door open. “So maybe cut the bitch act with me, alright?”
I felt a pang of guilt.
“And Ty.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Make sure you let me know if you don't want him. Because I do. Maybe you're just not sure how to hook him. I could show you...”
She closed the door behind her before I could pick up the lamp and hurl it at her.