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The absence of venom in Donna’s voice stops me by the door.
Fingering one of the perfect pleats running down her pants, she steps beside me. “This year has been . . bad for me. And this week?” Her gaze skips a few millimeters past me. “I’ve been drowning in my own issues. It’s just... you remind me so much of my daughter.”
Teenager-hating Donna has a daughter?
“My husband and I are going through something with her that’s been difficult.” The regret riding her sigh reaches the vacant space inside me markedMomand squeezes. “What I’m trying to say is... I’m not your parent, and I have no right to judge you. I don’t even really know you. I didn’t help what happened out there with the way I’ve been on you. And for that, I’m sorry.” There’s a slight pucker to her lips like the apology comes with a sour aftertaste.
It’s fine—the words I’d normally say back, the words I always say don’t feel right anymore. Because it wasn’t fine. So many things I’ve blown off aren’t. But she’s waiting for me to say something, so I pick words I can mean. “I read your book. It was good.”
“So was yours.”
I shake my head no.
“Vi told me about the diary before you told everyone.”
Vi told her a lot of things I wish she wouldn’t have. I’m pretty sure Donna knew about Vi and Dad long before I did.
“Your ideas might have come from your mom’s life, butHauntedwas so much more than whatever was in that diary. I know that without seeing one entry. You wrote Sara and Dante’s story.You. And it was a great story. Take credit for what you did right.” Our Hallmark-moment winding down, she pulls open the door.
“This feels familiar.” Gretchen’s outside, mic and camera ready. “Except...” She glances over my shoulder in a mock search. “Gabe seems to be missing.” Arsenic laces the fake compassion in her voice and weakens my knees. “I think I just saw him heading to his room with Kim.” The mic ends up in my face, and so does she. “But let’s talk about what went on in there first.” She pans the camera toward the mostly empty bar that hosted my book launch.
“I don’t think so.” Dad uses his big body as a barricade between me and the camera. “Your interview with my daughter is done.” He takes my elbow. “Let’s go home, Jess.”
Because it’s a choice between Dad and Gretchen, I start walking.
chapter 60
Gabe
“Screw around with whoever you want, but don’t fall in love. You can’t take back the pieces of your heart you’ve given away.”
~ Meredith Morgan
(played by the award-winning Meredith Wade)
Raising Ryder: Episode31
That split-second glance I shared with Jess outside the ballroom sparked a live wire that zapped the hell out of my heart. I throw the pillow she slept on back on my bed. Shit if I can’t still smell her all over my sheets. All over me. I’m out of here. Got no reason to stay.
Not after I betrayed Mom.
Let my sister down.
Lost my girl.
All because I’m doing the right thing. What a cosmic joke. Can’t bankroll Mom’s care without a shitload of money. Can’t make that money without the show. Can’t go back to the show without signing the contract. Can’t stick to the contract without publicly being with Kim.
Grabbing the contract, I slap it onto the desk, scribble my soul away with David’s pen, grab the rest of my stuff and yank open my door.
The girl standing in the hall—the girl who isn’t Jess—puts her hand on my bicep. “Where are you going?”
I brush off Kim’s all-wrong touch the way I couldn’t during the interview. “I’m driving back to North Carolina.”
She follows me down the stairwell and into the parking garage and wedges herself between me and the Mustang. “I’ll go with you.”
Taking her by the shoulders, I shuffle her to the side and pop the trunk. I throw my shit in, slam the lid, and slide into my seat.
Kim gets in on the other side, in Jess’s spot, and covers my hand over the gearshift where Jess’s hand should be. “I’m sorry, Gabe.”
