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The dullness to my greenish-blue eyes. The lack of color variation in my hair. I used to have sunny highlights, but now I was indoors most of the time. If I wanted highlights, I would need to get them at a salon.
For a moment, I considered making an appointment, but decided not to bother. The only person I would be doing it for would be myself.
Without warning, Barry came crashing into my mind. What had the years done to my best friend?
Former best friend, I thought, correcting myself.
He’d ended our friendship without another word. If he talked to Rachel, I didn’t know. Had the relationship he mentioned worked out? Was he still living in Vietnam, or somewhere else?
I could try to look him up, but like with my hair, I decided not to bother. I couldn’t do anything if I located him. He was lost to me like everything else. Even myself.
I stared at my reflection a moment longer, watching a sparkly film cover my eyes.
Don’t cry, Addy. Tomorrow’s another day.
I needed to get to bed. The hushed hours of the night always made me feel the most sad and alone.
Wearing fluffy house slippers, I shuffled toward the living room to turn off the television when I heard a voice that chilled me. My eyes widened at the sight of Martin’s face on the screen. He stood between two policemen. His hair was wet, and a Seattle PD towel was slung around his neck.
I snatched the remote from the coffee table. Instead of turning off the television, I cranked up the volume.
“Martin Skellin Jr., son of billionaire real estate developer Martin Skellin Sr., was a hero today. Diving into Lake Washington, he saved a young Southside boy who was trapped underwater in the back seat of his parents’ car. Their car hit a guardrail and plunged into the lake. The boy received medical care here at Southside General for a gash on his back and is in stable condition. Unfortunately, his parents, Miranda and Collin Murphy, were pronounced dead at the scene.”
No.I dropped the remote and grabbed my throat.
That couldn’t be right. I hadn’t seen Miranda or Collin since the opening of Footit’s, but they couldn’t be dead.
My phone rang, and I withdrew it with a shaking hand from the pocket of my robe. It was my sister calling.
“Did you see the news?” Rachel’s voice was rough with emotion. I could tell she’d been crying.
“Yes, I just saw.” Tears filled my eyes. “It’s terrible.”
“I can’t believe it. Can’t believe they’re both gone.”
Numb all over, I nodded, the movement dislodging tears.
“Can you believe Martin saved their son?” she asked.
“He’s a vile person.” My tears strained my voice like hers. “But he has some redeeming qualities.”
Martin cared about Miranda. He pretended to care about me. It was those nicer-seeming parts of him that made the awful things he did seem so much worse.
“I wish we’d recorded some of our music, taken more pictures. Savored the good times. Now it’s all gone.” Rachel began to cry softly. “They’re gone.”
It was hard to believe that of the band members, only Rachel and Barry remained.
Rachel sniffed. “Will you go to the funeral with me?”
“I can’t.”
“Why? Because of Miranda?”
“No, I’m not mad at her.”
After all, Miranda was the reason I was free, even if my freedom had major constraints. I wasn’t even mad at Collin anymore. My feelings were more complicated than that.
But the bottom line was that I couldn’t go to the funeral. Martin would be there, even if his parents probably wouldn’t, since they’d cut Miranda out of their life after she married Collin. Winston wasn’t the type to forgive or forget, and neither was his son.
