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“That’s because he was the one who designed the most important buildings in the city. The courthouse, the police station, all that good stuff.”
“Well that’s pretty fucking cool. Why didn’t you tell us that before?”
“Before what? It’s not exactly like we’ve been all that close until this stalker shit.” I don’t mean it the way it comes out and I wince as his aura pings with hurt. “Shit. Sorry. That didn’t come out right. I just…don’t talk about my dad all that often. And it’s not like it’s something that will come up in normal conversation, ya know?”
My phone starts ringing before he can answer, and I let out a breath that…I totally knew I was holding. Because who doesn’t realize when they’re breathing or not? That’s just weird.
As soon as I answer the call though, my relief is instantly swallowed whole by monstrous guilt.
“Bell, you have the ass beating of a lifetime coming for not calling or visiting for so long. And don’t even try to hide behind my failing memory. I’ve checked with the nurses every day since you calledtwo weeks agoabout your mother.” Nana’s voice is frail–tired even–yet laden with frustration, and I wince at her well deserved admonishment.
“Hi, Nana.” I try my sweet voice on her, but she merely chuffs in annoyance, making me frown.
“Nice try. Now, you want to tell me why my one and only family member has forsaken me, or should I just assume that’s how it’s going to be from now on?”
Well, I didn’t get my dramatics from nowhere, did I?
“I’m sorry, Nana…”
“Mhmm. I’ll believe it when I see you in person. You’re just damn lucky that I managed to get ahold of Alan to see what happened after you so rudely hung up and abandoned me.” My spine goes rigid and my heart flutters nervously before I force myself to relax. Of course she’s spoken to Alan. He’s been as close to us as family for years now. She doesn’t know what’s happening.
“I said I’m sorry, Nana.”
Impatience tries to slide through, but I shove it back. I deserve this, and more, for not being there. Not because I didn’t want to be. We just decided to play it safe and limit the attention that I might drag to her. My stalker needs to focus only on me until we figure out just how far he will go for me. But she at least deserves an explanation.
I tune back in to hear her on another tirade about me and my lack of respect for her and I shrink in on myself. She keeps going and going, growing in volume and anger, until I’m all but a pile of well chastised mush on Ezra’s lap. When she’s mostly just screaming at me, I finally have enough and decide to try and save face a bit. Self preservation and all that.
“It was Nic’s fault!”
“What?!?” The blunt, angry one word question sounds from both right in front of me and through the phone at my ear.
“He said we shouldn’t go see you because of the stalker situation and all that.” I’m not lying, he was the one who brought up that particular precaution, but she doesn’t have to know just how readily I agreed. It’s only because I love her so much though. I don’t want to risk her. Not for any reason.
“Nic? Is he slice number three of my dear granddaughter’s heart pie?”
“Oh my God, Nana! Stop it!”
“Not until you agree to come see me. I need to meet these so-called men that are trying to steal you away from me. You hear?”
“Nana-”
“Nope. Not until you agree.”
“N-”
“Agree.”
“Fine! Damn you, you crotchety old woman! But we’re not taking you bowling, and we can’t stay long!” I scowl into nothingness at the absolutely infuriating stubborn woman on the other end of the line.
“I’ll take it. Come tonight and bring the whole pie, mind you. I need to read them.”
“Nana. You do know that normal people don’t like to have their every thought and feeling known by a stranger, right?”
“As if you have any room to talk. I remember what you did to Christina Winsley, dear. Stones in glass houses and all that.” She replies flippantly, reminding me exactly how vengeful I can be when I want to be.
Yet she acts like she wasn’t the one who encouraged me to stand up for myself in the first place.
Sure…maybe Nana didn’t mean for me to tell the entire school that Christina got chlamydia in the back of Scott Bloom’s Volkswagen when she was supposed to be dating the quarterback Trenton Caldwell. It’s possible that Imaybewent a little too far when I called her dad and told him that she was blowing the math teacher for an A during detention. And, perhaps, it was even worse when I wrote an anonymous tip to the police about the ecstasy stash she had in her locker.
