Games of Fire (15 page)

“Come in! I was just emptying the last box,” Jackie said, motioning for Sophie to follow her into the kitchen.

Carefully, Sophie closed the door behind her and followed. The boxes were gone and she was surprised by the amount of space
left behind by their absence. Gingerly, she set the casserole down on the oak table, next to a pile of photo albums. One was open, displaying four neatly placed pictures. Each picture held a smiling Jackie, Suzy and Spencer with an older boy kneeling on a red and white blanket. The sun was bright and they were squinting at the person taking the picture. Sophie marveled at how much the picture-Spencer looked nothing like the now-Spencer. Picture-Spencer wore pale jeans and a polo shirt in soft yellow that flattered his pale hair. There were no tattoos on his arms, no hoop in his ear. But most shocking of all, he looked happy. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright and the sound of his laughter seemed to echo off the glossy pages.

“These are nice,” she said, motioning to the album. “Who’s this?”

“Oh!” Jackie appeared at her side. “That’s Jamie, my eldest.”

Sophie stared at the boy
who looked nothing like Spencer to mark them as siblings. He was as dark as Spencer was light, with chocolate colored hair, brown eyes and golden skin. His smile was Spencer’s though. It was dazzling, handsome, like some toothpaste commercial.

The
soft sniffle had Sophie glancing up. “Are you okay?”

Jackie nodded, but there was no masking the swell of tears in her blue eyes
, or the slight tremor in her lip. “Yes!” She chuckled, sniffing again. “I’m such a sentimental fool. These were so long ago.” The smile faded and a look of wistfulness passed over her eyes.

“Were you guys having a picnic?” Sophie asked quietly.

Jackie nodded. “Spencer was fifteen, Jaime eighteen and Suzy ten. We went to this park Spencer used to love as a little boy. It’s not very far from here. Huston Park, down on … on …” She gestured toward the front of the house vaguely.

“I know where that is,” Sophie said
kindly.

Jackie inhaled shakily. “It was a lovely day.” She closed the album slowly.
“We spent the whole day feeding the ducks and playing games and …” The words shattered in her mouth.

Sophie had never been one to know what to do in situations like this.
Usually panic won out and she was making some kind of weird joke that was never really funny. This was probably not the time for that. She wished her mother had brought the casserole over. She would have known what to do. The only thing Sophie knew at that point was that she couldn’t leave.

“Can I see?”

Jackie’s eyes blinked in surprise. “You want to see my albums?”

Heat crept into Sophie’
s cheeks. “Sure … if you want? If it’s okay?”

Jackie sniffled, smiled. “Of course it’s okay! It’s just no one has ever asked
…” She waved a hand towards one of the four chairs circling the table. “Sit!”

Sophie took the seat next to the stack of albums. She wiggled in close to see as Jackie regained her chair and flipped open the first book.

“This is Spencer’s first year.”

It was unclear how many hours sifted by as the two sat, laughing over the pictures. Ther
e were so many. Seventeen years’ worth of memories, all neatly organized with such tender care. In each, Spencer grew, becoming tall, more sullen, more like the boy Sophie knew now and less like the boy with the polo shirts and free smiles. Then there was Suzy, a cute, chubby toddler with gummy smiles and pudgy cheeks. As the pages flipped, she too became withdrawn, surly. There weren’t very many pictures of Jamie, and Sophie didn’t ask why.

“Who’s that?” Sophie pointed to a picture of Spencer standing next to a gorgeous blonde with enormous green eyes and a smile so dazzling it belonged on a magazine cover. She wore a stunning, strapless gown of peach with glittering gems cascading from the bodice to the hem where it split up a toned thigh. Her skin was golden, the skin of a beach bunny. Diamonds draped from her throat, ears and wrists. There were even diamonds on the top of her sandals.

But for all her glamor, it was Spencer who stole Sophie’s breath. He was … wow. Dashing was a tame word to describe the form-fitting black tux hugging every incredible inch of him. His hair was shorter then, the front swept back from his face, leaving bare the heart stopping smile softening his usual scowl.

Beside her, oblivious to how very little Sophie was breathing, Jackie sighed. “That’s Aimee. She was Spencer’s girlfriend.” The disapproval and annoyance in her tone made Sophie feel a little better about the fact that Spencer used to date a supermodel.

“They broke up because you guys moved?” she asked, going for casual and not satisfied or nosy.

Jackie shook her head. “
This was taken two years ago at some school function. She broke Spencer's heart about a month later. Between that and everything else, he hasn’t been the same since. None of us have.”

“I’m sorry,” Sophie said.

Jackie sighed. “Well, maybe things will change soon.” she turned sad blue eyes towards Sophie, her smile heartbreaking. “You’re such a sweet girl. I wish Spencer had met a nice girl like you instead of …
her
!” The way she spat
her
Sophie nearly winced. “I would rip the picture to pieces if I could, but … doesn’t Spencer look so handsome?”

“May I?” At Jackie’s nod, Sophie carefully removed the picture from the tiny heart-shaped triangles and folded it in half, separating Spencer from the cow that hurt him. Just as gingerly, she replaced the picture Spencer side up.

Jackie stared at it for several long minutes, her face bemused. Then she broke into a fit of giggles. “Why hadn’t I thought of that?” She sobered slightly, still beaming. “Now if I could just erase her as easily from Spencer’s mind.”

“Does he miss her still?” It was a stupid question. Of course he still missed her. He’d gone all emo for her. It took a special kind of girl to break a guy like that.

“I think sometimes. I mean, they were best friends since kindergarten. It was never a surprise when they started dating in ninth grade.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know what happened. She left Spencer for Jamie, which started—”

“
Wait, Jamie? Spencer’s brother, Jamie?” Sophie exclaimed, certain she’d heard wrong.

Jackie rubbed the tips of her fingers over her brow as if trying to scrub out a difficult crease. “I don’t know the full story. Spencer refuses to tell me. But I think it was going on for a while behind his back before he caught them.”

“That bitch!” The profanity burst out before Sophie could stifle it and immediately smacked a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry!”

Jackie laughed. “Don’t be! I agree.” She flipped the photo album to the next page.

“Who’s that?” Sophie pointed to a blond boy doubled over, howling with laughter as a pretty brunette loomed over him, tickling him.

Jackie didn’t speak. She stared at the picture for so long that Sophie thought she’d fallen asleep with her eyes open. Then, she turned the page without answering Sophie’s question.

“Oh this one’s my favorite!” Jackie exclaimed, pointing to a picture of the same blond boy Sophie was quickly recognizing as Spencer. “He’s five or six here.”

Sophie leaned in to get a better look. He was standing on the kitchen table, his tiny hips j
utting left, his arms pointing right.

She laughed. “What is he doing?”

Jackie giggled. “The hula! We were watching a TV show where they showed you how to hula so Spencer jumps on the table and starts wiggling his little hips. It was adorable! Oh my goodness, Spencer would kill me if he ever found out I was showing you these!”

“Especially the one of him in the tub, making bubbles.”

“Oh my, yes! He would be furious!”

Sophie laughed harder. Jackie joined her. Neither heard the front door open or saw the dark figure that appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“Mom?”

Jackie jumped. Her hand flew to her chest. “Spencer!” She slammed the album closed and crossed her arms over the top as if it could somehow make it disappear. “What are you doing here?”

His gray eyes swept from his mother to Sophie then back. “Uh, I kinda live here. What are you doing?”

It was the scowl of suspicion on his face, the
uncertainty, which caused Sophie to burst out laughing, doubling over until there were tears streaming down her face. Next to her Jackie broke into a fit of giggles as well.

“Did I miss something?” Spencer said slowly, taking a cautious step into the room.
His gaze dropped to the albums and widened. “Mom!” The indignation in his voice only made them laugh harder. “Not cool!”

Getting unsteadily to her feet, Sophie leaned heavily on the back of her chair as she peered down at Jackie. “I better go. Thank you!”

Jackie shook her head. “You’re such a sweet girl. Thank you for coming.” She turned to Spencer. “Can you walk her home please, Spencer? I kept her too long and it’s dark out.”

All humor washed out of her slowly as she watched Spencer debate his options
, seeing the weight fall on the side urging him to bolt. He seemed to realize the same thing she did—this would be the first time they’d be alone since the party—because he glanced at her a moment too long before accepting the punishment and motioning with his head towards the door. With a wave goodbye to Jackie, Sophie followed him outside into the cool air.

“You don’t have to walk me the whole way,” she said at the end of his walk
way. “I only live next door.”

“It’s fine.”

Careful not to get caught, she stole a peek at the solemn figure walking next to her. His hands were lost in the pockets of his hoodie, his shoulders hunched, but he looked beautiful with his pale complexion contrasting against the night. His pale hair seemed to glow, a cap of corn silk. The hoop in his ear glinted as they passed beneath a street lamp. How the hell could anyone leave him? How could Aimee break such a long standing friendship? Why with his brother of all people? It wasn’t right. It made her want to slam her fist into the other girl’s face. It infuriated her, enraged her. She wanted to grab him, stop him and tell him … what? She was sorry?

At her front porch, Spencer stopped. He turned to her. The soft light from the porch light flickered in his eyes
and bathed his face in a pale glow. She had to fight the temptation to reach out and comb his hair off his brow the way it had been in the picture. Something told her he wouldn’t appreciate that.

“Thanks,” she murmured. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He turned to leave. “Take it easy, Blondie.”

“Spencer!” she called before
she could stop herself, before he got too far.

He paused and glanced back.

“Are you going Friday? To Brian’s cabin,” she elaborated when he simply stared at her.

His shoulders jerked. “I’m thinking about it. Why?”

Having not anticipated his question, Sophie fumbled a moment for an explanation and only managing a weak shrug. “Just asking.”

“I bet you won’t miss it,” he decided with a hint of something
sharp in his tone. “Not since Fisher’ll be there.”

Sophie frowned. “Brian and I are friends.”

He snorted, taking several steps backwards. “Not for lack of trying on your part.” Not giving her a single chance to respond, he whipped around on his heels and marched back towards his house.

By
Friday, the party at the cabin was all Lauren could talk about. Sophie was ready to stab herself in the ear with a pencil to shut it out. The fact that she couldn’t go had a lot to do with the dark cloud hovering over her head, not that Lauren seemed to notice in her excitement. For the dark haired beauty, it was another opportunity to meet guys and keep the crowd at their table during lunch. She tried relentlessly to persuade Sophie to ditch her cleaning duties, even came up with schemes to help her escape, but Sophie wasn’t ready for another party. She didn’t want a repeat of what happened at Roy’s house. She didn’t want to see Spencer get fondled by Maggie Chow, who had nothing else to talk about all lunch either, and when she wasn’t talking about all the quiet places she and Spencer could hole up in, she was groping him at the table. No. Sophie was definitely not interested in going.