THROUGH THE WINDOW in Caroline Jackson’s kitchen, we saw her wander up and down the yard while she spoke to my mother on the phone. Damn, how long would this take? Tony and I had been waiting for over ten minutes now. My nerves on edge, I snuggled deeper into his embrace, needing his warmth and the safety I felt with him.
“This is madness.” The fabric of his dark gray sweatshirt muffled my mumble. “What if my parents don’t agree? And what if your aunt says no after all?”
“Stop thinking that, Bungee. It’ll work out. It’s our only chance.”
“Gosh, I hate waiting.”
“Me, too.” He stroked his fingers through my hair. Then suddenly, he pulled away from me and grabbed my hand, dragging me toward the door.
“Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something. Anything is better than just growing roots here and wrecking our nerves.” He dragged me up the wooden stairs that wound around a high, white column supporting the upper floor. There was a hallway with three doors. Paintings hung on the wall, photographs, and drawings, the latter all signed with an unmistakable T.
Tony gave me no time to examine them. He went for the very last door, pushed it open, and walked inside.
As I followed him, my breath caught in my throat. Oh my God, this place was beautiful.
The wooden roof sloped down on both sides, its bright beige color warming the room that otherwise had only bland white walls. There were square windows facing east and south, overlooking the paddock and the garden area where I’d sat with Tony last weekend. Against one wall stood a king-size bed with white sheets and a nightstand on either side, made in the same style as the roof. The big, cottage-style wardrobe opposite the door battled with the bed for dominance. A light blue carpet ran the length of the room then stopped at the step leading to a spacious, sunken living area with a TV, a blue couch, and a small coffee table. Two tall bookshelves were stocked with books for every age. There was also a broad desk at the other side of the room, a kitchenette, and a door that looked like it led to a small bathroom.
I walked deeper into the room and spun on the spot. “Who lives here?” I breathed.
“It’s one of the three guest rooms. The prettiest of them all.”
“A guest room? This is a freaking apartment.” Heck, there was room enough to dance in that sitting area.
“Do you want to live here for the next few months, Samantha?”
The quiet voice of Tony’s aunt made us both turn to the door. Caroline Jackson stood there with a warm smile gracing her lips.
Oh, good Lord in heaven— “Yes!”
“Your mom would like to talk to you again.” Her smile widening, she handed me Tony’s phone.
“Mom?”
“Hi, sweetheart. Is this what you really want?”
Unable to stop myself, I broke out in tears, sobbing heavily into the phone. My crying obviously unsettled Tony. He narrowed his eyes at me and mouthed, “Good tears?”
More tears spilled over as I nodded vigorously at him. To my mom I said, “Yes, I really want this. Please, can I stay here?”
“I would have loved to see you again. But I also want the best for you, my little darling. I’m going to call Pamela in a minute. Jack needs to cancel that flight.”
A ten-thousand-pound rock dropped from my chest.
I said goodbye to my mom and rang off, giving Tony his cell phone back. He slipped it into his pocket, then wrapped his arms around me, breathing a relieved sigh into my hair. “We’d better move your stuff here fast, before Chloe comes up with the idea of burning it,” he teased, making me laugh.
Mrs. Jackson agreed that we’d talk about everything, such as house rules, guardianship, and work with the horses, after I’d settled in. While Tony drove me back to town, he spoke to Ryan on his cell and gave him the great news. Even I could hear the gang hollering and hooting in the background. It made my heart flutter inside my chest.
When we reached my cousin’s house and I got out of Tony’s car, he came inside with me. As soon as I stepped through the door, Pamela rushed out of the kitchen, flinging her arms around me. “Oh, Sammy! Where have you been? We were so worried. I had to call Jessie Hunter to hear from her son that you were all right and not running away.”
I hugged her back briefly. “Did my mother call you?” I said in a chilled tone.
Pamela pulled back, studying my face. “Yes, she did. She told us you’re going to move in with your teacher. Do you think this is a good idea?”
“Seriously, Pam, do you think it’s a better idea to send me back to Egypt?” I snapped.
Slowly, my aunt shook her head. After a long time she whispered, “I’m glad you found a way to stay.”
I couldn’t be angry with her any longer then. She’d tried her best, I knew that. I squeezed her hand, letting her know I appreciated everything she’d done for me.
But I hated my uncle.
As he came down the hallway toward us, I squared my shoulders and kept my expression in check. “I’m going to pack my things now,” I said to my aunt. Striding past my uncle, I acknowledged him with a curt, “Jack.”
“Mrs. Summers, Mr. Summers,” I heard Tony say to them behind me, his tone as clipped as mine. He followed me upstairs, and when he stepped into my room, he gasped. “Holy crap!”
Looking at him over my shoulder, I smirked. “What? You didn’t believe me?”
“I did. It’s just—I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“It was a bit of a nasty shock for me too, when I woke up to this.”
Tony picked up my clothes. I folded and placed them on my bed, then smoothed them into the suitcase I had come here with. On top, I put my drawing stuff, my music, my toiletries, and the few books I’d brought. My school books went into my backpack, and I tucked my cell into my pocket. That would be everything.
When I turned around, Tony was inspecting my laptop. Most of the screen was gone, and booting it up was impossible. He caught my sad gaze. “Don’t worry. We’ll find you a new one.”
“That’s not it,” I said weakly. “All the pictures I had on it, files, documents. It’s like a whole lot of memories got lost.”
“I’ll have Frederickson take a look. He’s good with computers. He can probably retrieve your stuff and save it on a flash drive for you.”
I hoped so.
We carried my stuff down to his car and loaded it into the trunk. Then it was time to say goodbye. Tony waited in the car while I headed back to the house and met Pamela in the doorway.
I stopped in front of her, sucking in a deep breath. “Well, I guess that’s it. I’m ready to go.”
“Take care, Sammy.” She took both my hands in hers. “And if you need anything or somebody to talk to…let me know.”
“You still don’t believe me, do you?” It almost broke my heart again, but this time I didn’t let it get to me.
“I’m trying to. But we’re talking about Chloe. I can’t believe she would do something this terrible to you. Just look at her now. She even cut her hair and dyed it black. You mean so much to her that she wants to be like you.”
Yeah, right. And that’s where the bad influence from my side comes in.
I shook my head, giving up all hope. “Tell Jack I said goodbye, okay?”
Pamela nodded, releasing my hands. “I’ll miss you, Sam.”
“Take care, Pamela.” I turned on my heel. The sound of the door closing behind me made my heart twitch.
But the fiasco wasn’t over yet. Chloe’s car cruised up the street at that moment. She parked behind Tony, got out, and stalked over to me in her high heels that made her endless bare legs appear even longer. Folding her arms over her chest, she sneered at me. “Ready to go home, little cousin?”
I wanted to scratch out her eyes. But what good would it do me? I’d won. She just didn’t know it yet.
“Why did you do it?” I asked in return, my voice cold. “Why go to these lengths to get rid of me? Did you think you’d get Tony back once I was gone?”
Shock from my accusation gleamed in her eyes, even though she tried to hide it behind a nonchalant laugh. But then the hurt took over. “I don’t care if I get him back. I just don’t want you to have him. You came here—and stole everything from me. It’s time you leave, Samantha.”
I remembered tea parties in Wonderland. Dressing up as princesses with quilts draped over our shoulders. Pretending we were dolphins in their pool…
But this was not the girl I remembered. The happiness had gone from her laugh, the warmth in her eyes had disappeared. I could turn away now and not feel like I was leaving a beloved relative behind. But first she needed to know.
“I guess no one informed you yet. I’m moving in with Tony’s aunt. She’s happy to have me there.”
Chloe sucked in a sharp breath.
“What you did was so shitty. And now it turns out you failed to get rid of me after all. Goodbye, Chloe.” I whirled around, trying to rein in my shaking body, and walked to Tony’s car.
As soon as I sat next to him, he turned the key in the ignition and drove off. I didn’t look out the window at my cousin as we passed her. My gaze was locked on my hands clasped in my lap.