Home Is Where the Heart Break Is (8 page)

Chapter 14

Mom had given me the cold shoulder most of the morning and had even threatened to ground me which I knew she wouldn’t go through with because she never had before. Plus she’d made the idle threat while holding back a grin.

I decided to stick around the shop and have lunch with Mom and Sadie instead of inflating the couch scene by heading to the marina for lunch. The only problem was that Nico was certain the cancelled lunch meant Mom hated him and that he was going to be banned from my house forever.

Aunt Sadie had asked me to broom the sidewalk in front of the shop. I used it as an opportunity to talk to him privately or at least out of earshot of Mom and Sadie.

“Hey, Duchess,” he answered sulkily.

“I can tell you’re pouting just by the sound of your voice.”

“I’ll just live with the reality that your mom hates me.”

Nico’d had such an awful family life, he grew up believing that adults didn’t trust him. Truthfully, even the teachers at school never gave him much of a break. But the principal, Mrs. Carlton, treated him compassionately because she knew about his home life, mostly because my mom had taken the time to go in and talk to her about it. Mrs. Carlton had even made several attempts to turn Nico’s father in to social services, but it never seemed to go anywhere. I know they came out to talk to his father once because Nico had shown up the next morning looking pale and strained. I’m certain social services saw the luxurious house he lived in and decided nothing bad could be happening inside such an expensive home.

“She was angrier at me for tracking mud through the house.”

There was a long pause then Nico spoke again. “Jessa, she wouldn’t forbid you from seeing me, would she?” He sounded so upset I regretted cancelling lunch with him.

“You know my mom isn’t like that. I promise you she’s not that upset. I just thought I’d stick around and eat lunch with her. That’s all. Nothing is going to keep me away from you, Nico. You’re stuck with me.”

There was a long a pause. “Sometimes I can’t even believe you’re back in my life, Duchess. Yesterday I woke up and wondered if was just dreaming it.”

“Well if it is a dream that worries me, because I woke up with swollen lips this morning.”

He laughed. “I’ve got to get back to work. I guess we’ll go tubing tonight if you still want to go.”

“I do. I’ll text Chase to let him know we’re going. See you later.”

***

Highlanders were lined up around the corner to get a free river ride. “I didn’t realize there were so many kids living up here,” I said as we stepped into line. Strangely, it seemed every head in line turned back to look at us. I leaned closer to Nico. “Why do I feel like everyone’s watching us?”

Nico shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just a stupid ass town. Vanessa told me we are the topic of the day in Pinecliff.”

“We’re a topic? Hmm, I’ve never been a topic before.” Some kids were super obvious, and they would just turn around and stare blankly. Others would sneak clandestine glances over their shoulders. “I don’t think I like being a topic.”

Nico threw his arm around my shoulder and dragged me close to him. “Screw ‘em.”

“Jessa!” Chase called from the back of line where at least twenty more people had filled in behind us.

I leaned out and waved back. “Hey guys.” There was no return wave from Susie. “Why don’t you come up here with us?” I yelled back to them. Chase said something to Susie but she shook her head.

Chase waved back dejectedly. “No thanks.”

“Who do you think she’s trying to avoid the most-- me or you?” I asked Nico.

He glanced back at Chase and Susie then smiled down at me. “I know she hates my guts, but I’m pretty sure it’s you, Duchess.”

“But why? I never did anything to her.” I sighed.

“Growing up, our circle was pretty impenetrable. I think that has stuck with her.”

“I think she’s making a mistake. Chase brought me a pastry yesterday morning, and we sat down in front of the shop and talked. He was really looking forward to hanging out with us on this river trip. He likes Susie a lot but I think if she doesn’t lighten the reins, she’s going to push him away.”

“Totally agree with you there.”

Like a bunch of black rubber Cheerios floating on blue milk the inner tubes covered surface of the water. Laughter, loud talking, and music rolled up from the banks of the river. The previous night’s storm had left an extra clear sky and a slightly more rambunctious current.

I took hold of Nico’s hand. “I haven’t gone tubing for a long time so stay close to me.”

He squeezed my hand. “If I must.”

We were a few people from the front of the line when Vanessa stepped out of nowhere to greet us. A grin nearly split her face in half. “I’m so glad you guys decided to come.” She motioned to the tall, thin guy handing out inner tubes. Her eyes twinkled at me. “Do you remember my brother, David?”

I took a closer look. “I do. Wow, he grew up so tall.”

“Yeah, he’s a real pain, but I love him.”

I looked past her. “I thought your boyfriend might be with you.” I’d already forgotten his name so I used the generic boyfriend term to not seem completely inconsiderate.

“Oh yeah, he had to work. It’s a bummer.” She gazed up at Nico and it seemed a smidgen of the childhood crush still lingered. “Nico, your dad wanted me to remind you that the gasoline truck is coming to fill the gas station tanks tomorrow.”

“Yep, thanks,” Nico said. He was always a bit terse with her, and it bothered me that he didn’t show her a little more kindness. Of course they worked together all day, so maybe there was stuff I didn’t know about.

“See you on the water.” Vanessa walked back over to her brother. He handed her a tube, and she carried it down to the water and jumped on.

That was when I saw a tall brunette also hopping on her tube. I’d only seen her once, but I knew it was Regina. Nico saw her too. He watched her for a second then seemed to sense that I was looking at him.

“What do you want me to say? She works here,” he said.

“I didn’t say a word.” There was plenty I wanted to say, but I would have felt like a hypocrite after my philosophizing about Susie and her relentless control of Chase. After all, if Nico preferred Regina then I would just accept it and go back home with my heart in a million pieces.

Vanessa’s brother handed me a tube with a giant red patch on it. Nico followed with his down to the water.

“How come mine looks like it has been around the block, or I should say the rapids, a few times.” I pointed to the red patch.

“They test them every morning. Mine has a patch too but it’s black so it’s not as noticeable.” He lifted the tube to prove his point.

We walked to the river’s edge and dropped in the tubes. Mine seemed stable enough. I climbed on, and we pushed off into the current and into the mass of other floaters.

My mood had soured some after catching Nico staring at Regina, but I had to admit that coasting along the crystal clear river, between rows of towering pines and beneath a dark blue sky where the stars were waiting to make their appearance, was extremely cool. The storm churned water made it hard to stay near Nico, and eventually I ended up between two girls who looked somewhat familiar.

One girl had ginger hair and a pretty spray of freckles across her nose and I remembered her name as soon as she spoke. “Hey, Jessa. It’s so cool that you came back for the summer.”

“Tanya, I thought that was you. How’s it going?”

“Great. I’ll be graduating early next year and then I’m going to study abroad in Australia.”

“That’s awesome. You are so lucky.” I shifted my weight because I felt like I was getting really wet. The skin of my legs squeaked along the rubber, and I could swear my butt grazed a submerged rock.

Tanya squinted ahead to a clump of tubes in front of us. “Everyone was wondering if you and Nico would become an instant item. Is Chase here too?”

I decided to ignore the comment about Nico and me. I pointed behind. “Chase and Susie are back there somewhere.”

“Most people thought they would be finished after junior year and then when rumors swirled that you were coming back that sort of cemented the idea, but I guess he’s going to stick it out. Anyhow, I think everyone knew you were meant for Nico.”

My mouth was hanging open and I knew it, but I could hardly bring myself to close it. This town really needed to get a life. I was glad when another tube came between us and the current steered me away from Tanya. I was beginning to feel like tabloid fodder.

The sun was disappearing behind the tall ridge of the mountains, and the sky muted into a charcoal gray color. I rested my head back and closed my eyes to enjoy the movement of the river.

“Duchess,” Nico called from somewhere in the collection of inner tubes. He lifted up his arm and waved. He was stuck in the center. This time I was moving ahead of him. As I passed by, a girl on one of the tubes near him turned around to look at me. It was Regina with an unpleasant expression.

As the bottom of the river became rockier, the current picked up, and I twirled around involuntarily. I was suddenly anxious to get to the end of the trip. And to think I’d been looking forward to it. On top of it all, I seemed to be getting much wetter than everyone else. I pushed on the rubber beneath my arm. It was soft. My tube was leaking and I was sinking. I glanced back to see how far Nico was from me and he seemed to sense I was in trouble. I saw him push up from his tube and our eyes met. He started paddling with his arms, but I could swear Regina was purposely blocking him from moving toward me.

I shifted my weight. The air in the half-filled tube shifted to one side and I capsized. The shock of the water stunned me at first, and I kicked my legs as I struggled to hang on to my collapsing tube. A few people giggled under their hands as they passed, but no one stopped to help. Then my shin struck the sharp edge of a submerged rock and agonizing pain shot through me. I felt the warm trickle of blood mix with the cold river water.

I could barely hold on as the current moved even faster. Finally someone seemed to notice that I was struggling. The boy leaned over his tube and tried to get hold of my arm as he passed by, but the water was moving too fast. The searing pain in my leg was taking its toll on my strength and courage. Hidden giggles were replaced by worried looks as a few more people attempted to grab hold of me but to no avail.

Then in the shadows of the fading sunlight and tall trees someone was swimming toward me at a pace much faster than the current. Nico dragged his tube behind him making the swim that much more arduous. I let out a whimper of relief as he reached me. He grabbed hold of my waist and hoisted us both back onto his tube. I lay crisscross over him, rested my head against his shoulder, and cried. I was shivering like crazy and my leg throbbed.

His arms held me tightly against him. “Jessa, you’re bleeding.”

Through bleary eyes I glanced down at my leg. Blood ran in rivulets from a gash in my shin. I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. I rested my head against Nico’s shoulder. My hot tears ran down his chest.

“Hang in there, Duchess. We’re almost to the end. They’ll have trucks there to drive us back to the parking lot.”

I nodded weakly and tried to bury myself against the warmth of his bare chest but nothing, not even the comfort of Nico’s strong arms would stop the uncontrollable tremble that had taken control of my body.

When we got near the small rocky strip of sand where the jeeps and buses parked to pick up the riders, Nico yelled to shore. “A little help.”

Tears had blurred my vision and my head felt heavy and tired, but I could see one of the workers wade into the water to meet us.

Nico lifted me in his arms and carried me to the nearest jeep. “She needs one of those space blankets. I think she’s close to hypothermia.”

Nico sat me down in the front seat of a jeep. He looked as bad as I felt. Someone handed him one of those silver paper blankets, and Nico wrapped it around me while someone wound gauze around my leg. My limbs felt as if they’d been filled with lead. Nico slid into the jeep seat and dragged me into his lap where I decided that if I had to die, I could do it very happily in his arms.

The jeep started up and we took a bumpy road back to the parking lot. Nico and the driver discussed the easiest way to get to the hospital from the river.

I lifted my face and looked up at Nico. “I’m fine. I don’t need the hospital. This blanket makes me feel like a nice warm burrito wrapped in foil.”

Nico’s arms tightened around me, and I pressed my face against him again. “Hate to tell you this, Jessa, but I think you’re going to need stitches in your leg.”

“Crap,” I mumbled still feeling slightly groggy, but the tremble was slowing. “Do you know how hard it is to shave your legs with stitches in your shin?”

The driver of the jeep laughed. “Chicks,” he said with a sigh, “you’ve got to admire how consistent they are with their priorities.”

We got back to the parking lot, and Nico carried me in my foil wrapper to his truck.

It took him some effort and ingenuity to unlock his truck and open the door while still holding me. When he lowered me to the seat, I clung to him.

“Isn’t there anyway you can drive with me on your lap? I don’t want to let go.”

“I’m sure I could if I tried, but we’d probably get pulled over.”

“Darn.” I let go.

He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the mouth before putting on my seatbelt.

I watched him. His long lashes were clumped together with wetness and his perfectly chiseled jaw was set with concern. “You look very sexy when you’re serious.”

“I’ll try to look serious more often. Just don’t fall out of any more inner tubes.”

“I told you my inner tube looked thrashed.” My words were slower than usual and I still felt abnormally tired, but I was definitely warmer.

“I should have listened to you and gotten you a new one.”

“It’s not your fault. Just shitty luck.”

Nico leaned in and kissed me again before shutting the door.

He slid into the driver’s side, and I picked up my phone from the seat where I’d left it. I dangled it weakly between two fingers. “Maybe you should call my mom,” I said. “My head is spinning, and I don’t think I would do a great job breaking the news to her. I keep hearing my voice and it sounds funny-- like I’m a slovenly drunk. Press one for Mom.”