He started picking up the bags as he answered. “Car accident. It was no big deal. Just a piece of glass.”
I stood up from my spot on the floor to follow him up the steps, telling myself not to pressure him for more details. I needed to keep him at arm’s length, which I was failing at miserably.
“I’ll take these to Goodwill. Why don’t you take a shower while I’m gone.” He was out the front door before I could say anything.
I grabbed my toiletries bag and walked toward the bathroom. Peter’s shampoo and body wash were still in the shower, and his toothbrush and razor were on the sink. I quickly threw all of it in the trash. The house had well water, and I had to let it run for a while until the pipes seemed clear enough to shower. I didn’t even want to think about tackling the bathroom; the sink and tub were both stained withcopper and rust from the well water. That was going to take forever to scrub off with rust remover. That was an adventure for another day.
I wasn’t used to the smell of well water anymore, but at least it was warm, and it felt good to clean myself of the dried sweat that covered my body. I scrubbed myself until I felt like a new woman, and brushed my hair until all the tangles were out. I ran my hand across the mirror to gaze at my reflection. I still had purple bags under my eyes, and a few freckles sprinkled across my cheeks from the sun. I debated curling my pin-straight hair, but decided to let it air dry since today was going to be humid and the curls would inevitably get frizzy.
When I walked out of the bathroom Jackson was already back, sitting at the kitchen table and scrolling through his phone. “Feel better?” he asked as I approached.
I nodded, crossing my arms and joining him at the table.
“I got smoothies.”
I had to force myself not to smile, because I already knew it would be a peanut butter banana smoothie from the ice cream shop in downtown Tostela.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I unwrapped a straw and placed it in the lid. The smoothie was thick and chunky, just the way I remembered. I let out a sound of pleasure from the taste. Nowhere in Wilmington had ever lived up to this. Jackson laughed at me, then took a sip from his own cup.
“So how can you be here the whole summer? Are you taking time off work?” Jackson asked.
I crossed my legs in the chair, putting my hair behind my ears. “I always have the summers off. I’m a nanny, and the mom is a teacher so she doesn’t work summers.”
“Yeah? How’d you get that job?”
I smiled, picturing the curly haired girl that I’d watched grow up. She was almost thirteen now. I missed Mia so much. “The family is amazing. It was pure luck that I got the job. I was only in North Carolina for a week, and happened to be sitting at a coffee shop next to her mom, Wren. Mia was only two at the time, and she kept looking over at me and smiling. She ended up walking over to my table and asking me if I’d come play with her. Wren had taken off teaching when Mia was born and was planning to go back to work in the fall. She was thinking about hiring a nanny. I emailed her my résumé immediately, and she hired me the next day. I’ve been with them ever since.”
Mia was getting older, and Wren and I had a conversation before I left about if they would need me for much longer. I had lived with them for ten years—it was probably time I thought about moving out. I looked around the kitchen. I ownedthishouse. It had fallen into my lap. I could live here if I wanted, but the thought of being in Peter’s house caused a shiver to run down my spine. My last memory here made me feel sick.
I looked over at Jackson, and he was staring at me with a smile. I looked away and dug my nail under a piece of the table that was chipping. “So, since Marie moved what happened to your house?” I asked.
“She sold it. Sam, Jules, Sophie, and I had to move everything out for her. It was really sad, but she couldn’t bear to be in it for long without Phil.”
The piece I had been scraping at popped off from the table, and I played with it between my fingers. “I loved that house. Did you keep your drum set?”
Jackson laughed. “Of course I did. Sophie keeps begging me to get rid of it.”
“Can’t imagine why. Not like it’s the loudest instrument ever invented,” I said sarcastically, even though watching Jackson play the drums was one of my favorite pastimes back then.
Jackson laughed again. “It’s a great stress reliever. Whenever I feel like drinking, I play.”
I felt awful for making a joke now, and a part of me was mad at Sophie for wanting him to get rid of it. If it helped with his sobriety, why would she want it gone?
I tried to think of anything to say to change the subject, but I was at a loss for words.
“You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we found at the house.” Jackson covered his mouth to suppress a laugh. I raised my eyebrow.
“Julie found a pair of your underwear in my dresser.”
I choked on my smoothie, standing up quickly and patting my chest. Jackson didn’t try to cover his laugh this time, content with himself for making me flustered.
“Jesus Jackson, you didn’t need to tell me that.” My cheeks were red, and I went over to the sink to splash water on my face.
“I still have them.”
I whipped around and flicked water at him.
He wiped it off his face and bent over with laughter. “I’m fucking with you, Addie. We threw them away. Sophie just about murdered me.”
