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“You know how I work for your dad’s campaign,” he says, and I nod once. “Well my direct boss, the campaign manager, asked me to do something I didn’t want to do.”
“What?”
“He asked me to get close to you to find out if you were going to sell the story of why you are here.”
He was just pretending to get close to me for his job? I feel like his words have cut into me like a thousand little points of a blade.
The ferry horn blows again and cuts off what he says next, but I’ve heard enough. I yank my hand from his and push my way through the crowd of people moving down to the lower levels to get off the boat the second it docks.
I can hear Alex calling my name, but I don’t turn around. I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to hear what he has to say. He’s said enough. I should have known that what I felt was too good to be true. I felt more than just attraction to him. Alex made me laugh. He listened with interest to me when we talked. He made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in the world the way he looked at me.
I hide among a crowd of tourists when I see Alex finally push his way off the boat. He doesn’t see me as he looks around. I wait for him to give up, assuming I’ve already left. Then I call a car to come pick me up.
I wipe at the tears on my cheeks as I ride up the elevator. I don’t want to have to explain why I’m so upset to Cynthia or Scott if they see me.
Everything is quiet as the doors open and I make a run for Hazel’s room. My dress is hanging on a hook behind the door when I close it. I run my fingers down over the silk and lace fabric. Cynthia picked out this dress. She said the emerald color would go well with my eyes and red hair. When I tried it on, it felt like there was so much promise for this evening. Now I don’t want to go.
I pull out my phone and dial Chasen. It rings multiple times before going to voicemail. I don’t bother leaving a message. There’s nothing he can do from where he is, and I feel alone again.
There’s a soft knock on the door. Cynthia peeks her head in the door. She’s in a robe and her hair is already pulled up in an elegant twist.
“I thought I heard you come in,” she says. Her brow furrows in concern. “Have you been crying?”
“No,” I lie and shake my head. “I took a ferry ride and the wind really dried out my eyes.”
“Hazel should have eyedrops in her bathroom.” She pushes the door open to come in.
“I’m fine,” I say, and hold up my hand to stop her. My tone is harsher than I mean for it to sound.
She pauses mid step. I can see the hurt in her eyes by my tone, but my anger at Alex keeps me from finding the words to apologize.
“You are still coming tonight, right?” she asks.
I nod.
“Good,” she says and turns to leave.
I’m about to call for her to come back, but the door clicks behind her before I can get the words out to ask the questions floating in my mind. Did they know about what Alex was doing? Did they actually think that I would try to profit off what happened to me and Hazel? That I would turn on my own family?
I stew in my feelings of hurt and betrayal all afternoon. The heartache and betrayal of Alex pretending that he liked me, so he could get close to me for his job. The hurt that Cynthia and Scott would doubt the sincerity of my coming here to get to know them.
Glancing over at the clock on the nightstand, I know I have to get up and get ready. I head into the bathroom to take a quick shower and wash off all the salt air that’s clinging to my skin after the ferry ride. I wrap the fluffy white robe around me as I step out of the shower. I walk back into Hazel’s room and find a small box on the bed that wasn’t there before.
I look around to see if someone is in here that I didn’t notice but the room is empty. I pick up the box and pull at the pink ribbon that’s tied around it. I lift the lid and find a note.
To our sweet Rosemary. This gift doesn’t make up for the time we’ve lost together. But we hope it’s a start to new beginnings. Love, Mom and Dad
Inside the box is a gold necklace with a rose charm adorned with diamonds in the petals.
The shower I took had already helped me wash away the feelings of rejection from my parents. It was wrong of me to put that anger on them without any reason. They’ve been nothing but welcoming to me in their own way since I got here.
I put on the necklace and admire it in the mirror. I need to make amends with Cynthia but there’s no way of doing it without explaining what happened and what led me there. And as mad as I am with Alex, I can’t help but feel the need to protect him from Scott finding out the truth. I’m not sure what I would have done if I was in his place, but I’d like to think that I wouldn’t have led anyone on so I could spy on them.
I pull at the ties of my robe and head for the door. Cynthia is on the other side with her hand up like she was about to knock with Scott just behind her.
I don’t say anything but fling my arms around Cynthia. She laughs and pulls me tight to her.
“I think she likes it,” Scott chuckles as I reach for him too.
“Thank you both,” I say. “But it’s too much.”
They both scoff like a diamond necklace is nothing to them and I suppose that’s true—monetarily at least. But it’s everything to me to know that they care.
“You better finish getting ready, kiddo.” Scott pulls back from me.
“I’ll be ready in no time,” I assure them. “Thank you, Mom and Dad.”
