Shattered Rose (18 page)

“So I told you my name, what’s yours?” I asked.

“It’s Andrew, after my father, but everyone just calls me Junior.”

“Well Junior, it’s very nice to meet you,” I said and was just about to reach my hand out to shake his when
Issy’s father and Anna returned to the table. Anna had obviously been crying and was still carrying her tissue. Issy’s dad looked more irritated than ever, but quietly served up his plate. The silence went on for what felt like hours, and then suddenly the focus was on me, the one neutral ground in the room.

Soon came the onslaught of questions about my school and classes, where I was from and how I liked Winsor. I was really starting to hate talking about myself and felt like I had been on two exhausting interviews today.

I attempted to change the subject by asking Issy’s dad if he enjoyed Winsor when he went there. He seemed genuinely happy to talk about his experience until Issy piped in about how much her mom also loved the school, even though she sacrificed her education to raise her daughter on her own.

The room was silent again until Rosa brought in the desert and refilled the wine. I was careful this time not to drink too much, but did notice that
Issy was working on her third glass.

“So, are you two heading back to school tomorrow?”
Issy’s dad asked.

“Yes sir, I’ve got to get back. I’m not sure about
Issy.”

“Nope, its Black Friday. My favorite shopping day of the year.”
Issy suddenly came to life as if she got the escape route she had been waiting for all evening. “In fact, Daddy, I promised Mom I’d be ready before the sun comes up, so I better make sure I get home in time to get a good night’s rest.” She already had her napkin on the table and was standing up.

“But you just got here. I thought we could take a walk by the lake. I was really ho
ping to talk to you.” He seemed genuinely disappointed she was leaving.

“Next time, Daddy, I promise.” She walked over, kissed him on the cheek and left. I excused myself, thanking them again for a lovely dinner and followed her out of the room. Never in my life had I experienced anything like this day.  I had sat down for two Thanksgiving dinners and was leaving hungrier than before either of them. How anyone could eat under that kind of strain was beyond me.

Grant was standing near the foyer as we headed to the front door. He was watching Issy closely, and I saw her immediately tense as he smoothly asked, “Running away already?”

Her eyes became like daggers as she hissed, “Go to hell!”

Seconds later, she was practically running out the door to my car. I watched as she stood with her hands on the roof for just a second and then turned around, her face completely blank. “Let’s go! I’m dying to get this party started!”

I got in the car, but refused to turn on the ignition. “
Issy, you were deplorable in there…to everyone. I’ve never been so uncomfortable in my life.” I didn’t mean to lecture, but I was really upset.

She sighed and put her head in her hands. “I know. I’m sorry.”

I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to even begin to be there for her. I drove out the gate and waited for Issy to point me in the right direction.

Ben lived only five houses down, but it was a mile down the road. His gate was open, and we could hear music through the car windows before we even got to the house.
The music snapped her out of her daze, and Issy looked up with a huge grin.

“Please don’t be mad at me,” she begged, wanting me to smile too. “I promise first thing tomorrow, I’ll call my dad and apologize, ok? Besides, you get to meet all my old friends tonight, and I really want you to have a good time.”

I couldn’t resist smiling as I watched her animated apology. I had to admit, it felt good to get out of the stuffiness of Issy’s world and see something that felt more like Winsor.

We got out of the car, and
Issy made me take off my sweater even though it was easily forty degrees outside. A few steps later and we were entering the second biggest house I’d ever seen in my life. Issy was right, I was starting to become numb to the extravagance and just noticed the mass of people that covered the place.

There
were makeshift bars set up in three locations, complete with a vast array of liquor, blenders and pumpkin shots. Before we had made it five feet, someone had put a bottle of beer in one hand and a pumpkin shot in the other. I watched as Issy slammed them both back in a matter of seconds and raised her arms up over her head with a proud scream. She was immediately surrounded by people and looked happier than ever.

I took a sip of the shot, more out of curiosity, and recoiled. It tasted good, like pumpkin and cinnamon, but that couldn’t mask the strength of the rum underneath. I set it down, knowing one of those would ruin any chance of us making it back to Diana’s house tonight.

I looked around, having lost Issy in the crowd and saw her on the dance floor with a guy I was sure had to be Ben. He was extremely good looking, almost movie handsome with dark hair that was styled to perfection. He had defined cheekbones and a strong jaw that appeared chiseled. His eyebrows were straight and dark, bringing all attention to his sultry eyes that screamed sexuality. Seeing the two of them together was almost breathtaking because their beauty perfectly complimented one another. 

As I watched
Issy dance with him, I lost any thought that she felt nothing for him, and it was glaringly obvious that he too was still mesmerized by her. They were so lost in each other that I had to look away, feeling as if I was intruding on their intimate moment.

I was suddenly aware of how isolated I was even though the room was full of people. There was not one familiar face, and everyone at the party looked as if they stepped right out of a fashion magazine.

By midnight, I had finally had enough. Issy had introduced me to all of her old friends and to Ben, who I immediately did not like. He was arrogant and snobbish, meeting every stereotype I’d heard about spoiled rich kids.

Issy
seemed to be having the time of her life, floating between partners on the dance floor, but always ended up back in Ben’s arms. The drunker she got, the more inappropriately he touched her, and I was starting to worry a little about leaving her alone.  I excused myself from another pointless conversation and went to get her off the dance floor.

“
Issy, it’s time to go,” I said pulling her off of Ben. She was barely coherent and was having trouble standing on her own.

“Oh, don’t be a party pooper,” she slurred as she draped herself on me.

“Yeah, Avery, she’s just fine,” Ben agreed with a devilish look in his eyes as he pulled her back to him. I glared at him and put her arm around my neck.

“Do I need to call Jake, or can you help me get her to the car?” My voice wa
s stern, letting him know I wasn’t bluffing. The mention of Jake’s name sobered him up pretty quickly, and he let go of her waist, leaving me to bear her entire weight.

“Fine, take her home. She was getting on my nerves anyway,” he
spatted and headed to the bar. I watched him walk away and felt sickened. Issy was way too good for that jerk.

Luckily, another of her friends saw me struggling and helped me walk
Issy out to the car. We laid her in the backseat, and she was out before I even shut the door. I said my thanks and goodbyes, so ready to leave I was practically running to the driver’s side.

I started the car and pulled out of Ben’s driveway, heading back towards
Issy’s father’s house. When I got to his gate, I pulled over and tried to pull up the GPS on my phone. No cellular data. I cursed under my breath, realizing that I had no idea how to get back to her mom’s house. Feeling panicked because it was really dark and spooky, I considered for a moment calling Jake, but immediately changed my mind as I thought back to the many times he had scolded me for not taking better care of his cousin. A party at Ben’s house would be unforgivable.

I took a breath and texted Parker, “Are you awake? If so, can you call me?”

It only took a minute for my phone to ring, making me feel more relieved and relaxed than I had all day.

“Hey! Thanks so much for calling me. I know it’s really late,” I said apologetically as I answered.

“Sure. Is everything ok?” He sounded tired.

“I was wondering if you could do me a favor. We were at this party, and
Issy had way too much to drink. We’re still forty-five minutes from her mom’s house, and I have no idea how to get there. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, and my cell isn’t picking up any data. Could you look it up online for me and just get me to a main highway somewhere?” I could feel myself rambling as I tried to justify texting him in the middle of the night.

“Of course. Are you ok? You sound upset.” He was concerned and it registered through the phone. “You haven’t been drinking, have you?”

“No, I’m fine. Just a little spooked,” I answered and then gave him her dad’s address as the start point and then her mom’s.  Parker looked it up and carefully guided me to the highway where Issy’s written directions could take over.  As soon as I turned on the well-lit road, I could feel the tension start to ease. Dark woods and two girls alone at night was not a good combination. 

“Parker, thank you so much. I should be good from here,” I said, not wanting to keep him any longer than I already had.

“Why don’t you stay on the line with me until you get there. I won’t be able to sleep until I know you are safe, anyway,” he admitted, and my heart melted.

“Ok, that would be nice
. So how did the game end up?”

“It was a disaster. We lost twenty-one to seven, which meant we had dish duty for the entire day. I think my hands are going to be permanently wrinkled. What about you? How did Thanksgiving go with
Issy’s family?”

“Honestly, it was a total nightmare!” I exclaimed laughing, finally able to step out the situation and see the humor in it all. I went on to tell him every detail of the day, leaving out the parts about Jake, of course. He seemed as stunned as I was at the extreme dysfunction of
Issy’s home life.  As always, talking with Parker made every situation seem manageable. We laughed together on the phone, making jokes about Anna and the taste level of their house. We took turns trying to guess the prices of some of the items I described, with Parker even looking up a few of them online. Talking with him was exactly what I needed, and the drive went by so fast, I was almost disappointed when I pulled in Diana’s driveway.

“Well, I’m here. Safe and sound, thanks to you,” I said appreciatively.

“Good. Now I can go to sleep and dream of large purple couches.” We laughed some more and then he got serious saying, “All joking aside, I’m really glad you called me. I will always be here for you, any time…you know that, right?”

“I’m starting to. Thanks again.”

We said our goodbyes, and I went around to the back door to try and wake Issy up. She wouldn’t budge, just batted my hand away when I tried to shake her. I knew I couldn’t leave her in the car, but was at a loss as to how I could get her into her house.

“I’ve got it from here,” I heard Jake say over my shoulder
, and I almost screamed from being so startled.

“Sorry,” he said laughing. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

My heart finally started to settle as I watched him carry her to her room. I locked up the house and walked to my bedroom, setting my purse and sweater on the bed. I could feel the tension consuming me and ran my fingers through my hair, closing my eyes as I tried to get myself to relax after being under so much stress today.

I opened my eyes again when I heard a light tap on the door. I looked over and Jake was leaning against the frame watching me. He was rugged and more handsome then I had ever seen him. He was wearing a gray tank and black boxers, which only accentuated his strong, chiseled body. His perfectly manicured hair was messed up and kept falling in front of his eyes. I tried not to stare, but he looked emotionally exposed and that was always when I was at my most vulnerable with him.

“Rough night?” he asked softly.

“You could say that.” I turned away and began taking my shoes off. I didn’t want to talk to him, feeling the way I did.

“I wanted to apologize for earlier. I had a little too much to drink and came on way too strong. It wasn’t fair to you.” He was being so careful with his words, which was not like him at all. In fact, he hadn’t said a word about Issy being wasted out of her mind on my watch either, which really wasn’t like him. 

I shot him a look that must have said all I was thinking, because he walked toward me carefully and sat on the bed. “Can we just talk? Like we used to?” he asked taking my hand in his. I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat on the bed next to him. He moved up to where his back was resting on the headboard and pulled me between his legs. My back was resting on his broad chest and his arms were wrapped tightly around me. I closed my eyes, taking in his perfect
scent, sure I was in a dream.

“This was my first holiday without her,” he explained quietly, still holding me tight. “I thought I’d be fine, but really neither of us were. Diana was a mess today, trying to make everything perfect so I wouldn’t miss her so much, and I pretended with everything I had just to make her feel better. As hard as we tried, though, it wasn’t enough. Her absence was everywhere.” His voice trailed off and he buried his head in my hair. I didn’t know what to say. My anger towards him had completely melted, and I wanted more than anything to take away his pain. I shifted my body so that I could reach him and ran my fingers through his hair while he continued to rest on my shoulder.