Sixes & Sevens (Seven Hearts Book 1) (11 page)

“That’s okay, I won’t bother you further…thank you.” Jaycee managed to hold back her sobs until she reached the car. She stumbled back into the Trailblazer. Sean opened his arms and Jaycee grabbed onto him and pressed her faced into his chest. Her sobs racked her entire body, and her tears soaked his shirt. She’d never be able to tell them thank you for the kindness they showed her, or for supporting her father when no one else would. She’d never get to ask them her questions, never get to say good-bye. It felt like losing her father all over again.

“Shh…it’s okay. I’m here, it’ll be okay,” Sean muttered words of comfort to Jaycee, knowing nothing he could say would ease her pain, but unable to do nothing.

“I…didn’t get to say…thank you, or…goodbye. They’re…just gone.” Jaycee tried hard to calm her tears, but the harder she fought, the harder she cried.

“It’s okay, honey, just cry. You’ll feel better. I can take you…I can take you to the cemetery, where they might be buried. If you want, that is.” Sean felt choked up himself. Marc’s grandparents had been very kind to him too. Their deaths had happened almost back-to-back. Marc’s grandmother had suffered a fatal heart attack, and then his grandfather seemed to die of a broken heart several months later. Marc had been blindsided. It had been a rough time for all of them.

“Could we stop somewhere… f-first? I should get some… f-flowers.” Jaycee sniffled.

“Of course. I know just the place.” Sean took Jaycee to a small florist nearby. He walked her in and helped her select a beautiful bouquet in spring pastels. Annie would have loved it. Sean paid for the flowers, he wanted to do more, but his hands were tied.

The drive to the cemetery was short. Sean offered to walk Jaycee in, but she insisted on searching for the grave by herself.

“Head to the back corner, the more recent stones have been placed there.” He knew Marc would meet her inside, but it was hard to watch her walk away with her head drooped. Sean wished he could take the pain for her.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, before following the path through the rows of gravestones.

She read the names on the stones as she passed. It was hard to see through her tears, but she finally approached an area that looked newer. The dates of passing were becoming more recent. There it was. The wide stone bearing Annie and Ed Wallners’ names. She placed the flowers before the gravestone. She tried to speak several times, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. So she just stared at the red marble marker in sorrow. She hated herself for the part of her that was disappointed at the end of a lead to her father. Two very lovely people had died. That should be all she was mourning, but she was human. She had pinned her hopes on their kindness for so long…it was hard to let go of that hope. Falling to her seat, she knelt at the foot of the grave.

A stranger with long hair approached her with flowers in his hand. Standing at six foot, he had long blond hair that reached to his waist. He was stunning, but something about him seemed familiar to Jaycee. His hazel eyes watched her through thick lashes. He lowered himself to where she’d collapsed, at the foot of the grave. Marc!

The Wallners’ grandson watched her with apprehension. It’d been so long since they’d been face-to-face. She hadn’t been able to speak to him then either, but he’d cared for her nonetheless. She wasn’t sure how he knew she’d be there, but she had a feeling she was why he’d come.

“Jaycee, I’m sorry. I had hoped we would reunite under happier circumstances.” Marc laid his flowers by the headstone and returned to sit at her side. “They were at home; they were with family. They weren’t young and alone. It was how they’d wanted to go.”

Jaycee wiped her eyes, and simply listened. The tears just kept flowing. Marc’s eyes got misty as well. “They wondered about you over the years. I did too. Actually, I tried to find you, but I was nine. No one would tell me anything. I never believed the things people said about your dad, and neither did they,” he gestured toward his grandparent’s marker as he spoke.

When it seemed she couldn’t find words to respond, he kept talking, “I want to help you, Jaycee.” Her ears were ringing; her blood was pumping so fast. What?! He wanted to help her? How?

“Take a breath Jaycee, breathe for me. That’s right, in…and out. Good.” He rubbed a smooth circle around her back. “I always believed your father was framed, and after social services took you, I started looking into it. The problem goes so much deeper than you know. But…we aren’t without hope. I have friends…friends who can help. You’ve met them actually…all five of them.” Marc said the last part slowly so Jaycee would absorb the information carefully. Five of them? Five guys? Marc’s friends were her new friends?!? She was living in Marc’s house! Oh…

Jaycee’s mind spun like a top. She was thrilled, livid, and sad all at once. She felt black spots clouding her vision. Jaycee shook away the panic, and concentrated on Marc’s hand still gliding across her back. How could the guys not tell her?! Why would they keep it from her? Marc was the model friend? He did look like a model; she supposed he always had. Maybe she was naive, maybe she should have connected the dots long before, but how could she when they had lied to her? Well, maybe not outright lied, but withheld the truth. Yet, she was so happy to see Marc again; him she could thank. She could profess her gratitude for everything they did for her that day. She was so happy to see him again, even without his offer of help. Her utter disappointment at hitting a dead end lifted, and with it went a small piece of her anger, but the rest remained. She felt like a fool. She felt betrayed by their lies.

“Why?” was all she could say. It was all she needed to say because her face was speaking volumes.

“They didn’t know what to say, they were afraid to scare you off. You didn’t know them from Adam, and you were hiding who you are…I’d been telling them stories about you since we were kids. Since the day you were taken. I didn’t know how to let you go. I’d just lost my Mom, and I didn’t want to lose you. They were just trying to protect you.”

“By lying to me, by hiding that they were your friends!” she sounded so pathetic.

“They wanted you to hear it from me. Knowing your history, they figured you’d want to find my family. It was only a matter of when. They had hoped I’d be home when you finally returned, but luck just wasn’t on our side.”

“Okay, okay! I get it. I just don’t think I can forgive so easily. Why let me go to that house?!? Why let me see the lot where my house used to be?”

“You need closure. You’ve been through so much, but you were never given time to talk, or process any of it, right?” Marc stared into her eyes. Jaycee nodded. He was right, about all of it. She needed to see it with her own eyes.
But
that didn’t mean she was okay with it. She had to find out about the Wallners’ death from a stranger. It hurt! So very much.

“Eventually, we will all sit down, and have a long talk about this, but for now…let’s just sit. I just need to think, and maybe to feel. With no one telling me who or how to be,” she said between sniffling.

“Okay.” Marc leaned back on his hands, and stared at the grass before him. He’d had years to process their deaths, but it still hurt. They were the only real family he’d had. While the guys were his replacement family, it didn’t erase the pain.

Jaycee pulled wild flowers from in between the graves, and wove them in a daisy chain. She laid the circle with their other flowers. She wished her foster families had let her come back before now. She wished she could openly be here now, without fear of someone looking for her to take her back. Was it so wrong to want to thank the people who helped her? Was it wrong to love the man who raised her? The man who did what he’d had to do to keep her safe? Jaycee brushed away the last of her tears and stood.

“We should head back. I’m sure you’re tired after flying back from Milan. I know it wasn’t
your
decision to keep this from me, but I
wish
you had called me earlier. I remember you talking to Lee on the phone the day I met them. I wish I had found out
then
,” she spoke softly, but with force.

“Do you really? If they had told you then, would you have given them the chance to get to know you? Or would you have run? Jaycee, I’ve been finding every bit of info I could on you since you were six. You don’t do anything, or go anywhere, without permission…until now, you’ve allowed everyone to pull you away from here! You’ve ran from all the other harsh realities of the world. I don’t blame you. That’s not what I’m saying. These guys…they felt like they knew you already. They knew you would freak out, and they didn’t want you to run. They wanted to get to know you, the real you. It wasn’t easy for them either. They’re not liars. I’m sure by now you’ve already got all of them wrapped around your pinkie finger. You know they’re good guys. Be pissed—be mad—but be open to forgiving them too,
okay
?” Marc let out a deep breath, and waited for her reply. He didn’t blink or move. Afraid the smallest movement would scare her off.

“Okay. I can agree to that. Let’s get out of here. I’m assuming Sean absquatulated?” She asked with a hint of frustration.

“If that means he left, then yeah. I texted him right before I approached you,” Marc acknowledged.

Jaycee stared at her feet. “Good, I need some time, before I see him again.”

He sighed. “I can text them all if you’d like. I can make sure they’re scarce when we get back. You can lock yourself in my room tonight. I’ll bring you food. No need to come out if you don’t want to, but if you do…I’m sure there are five guys who’d
really
like a chance to make things up to you.”

“I would appreciate it if you sent the text. As for the rest…we’ll see.”

Marc: I told her the whole truth.

Lee: How’d it go?

Jonathan: Is she okay?

Marc: She was very hurt and pissed.

Sean: I felt so bad leaving. What can we do?

Marc: *sigh* You won’t like what she wants…

Alec: What is it?

Garrett: Just tell us what we can do?

Marc: Just give her some space. This is all too much for her, even without the secrets. She felt betrayed.

Lee: It wasn’t our intention.

Marc: I know. She knows. But she’s hurting.

Jonathan: We’ll do whatever she wants. You know we’d do anything for her.

Garrett: She’s family now.

Alec: For what it’s worth, tell her we’re sorry.

Marc: I have… I’m bringing her back in a minute. Just, try to find something else to do when I bring her in, don’t be in the common areas. I told her she could hide out in my room.

Jonathan: I left work early. I couldn’t focus. I’ll fix some food.

Marc: I’m sure she’d appreciate it. When she’s feeling less…pissed, I want you to examine her. I want to make sure she’s coping with the stress. It looked like she almost blacked out earlier.

Jonathan: I will. Are you sure she’s okay for now. Should we take her to see another doctor??

Garrett: What can I do?

Marc: She’s holding it together, Jonathan. Is all her stuff unpacked in my room?

Garrett: Yes.

Marc: Good. Just get me out what I’ll need for a couple days. I don’t want to disturb her once she gets settled.

Sean: Consider it done.

Marc put his phone in his pocket and assisted Jaycee to his car. He couldn’t help but take a small measure of pride in seeing her eyes dilate as she took in his choice of vehicle. He made good money and didn’t blow it needlessly except on his brand new Corvette Stingray. It was his favorite toy, though not his favorite possession…
that
was Jaycee’s photo, the one he’d taken from her house when he was nine. He assisted her in getting situated and then drove her the long way home. He wanted to give the guys some extra time to scatter and Jaycee some time to cool down.

Jaycee faced the windshield the whole drive, but couldn’t help sneaking side glances at Marc as he drove. It’d been so long since she’d seen him and he had only grown more handsome. She wasn’t sure if she should be mad at Marc as well. He could have contacted her, just the same as the other guys, but in his defense it wouldn’t have been face-to-face. She couldn’t fault him there. It wasn’t in her nature to throw things, or act out when she was mad. Considering she was a foster child who could easily be abandoned, she’d been forced to keep things bottled up and pretend nothing was wrong. She didn’t want to establish that pattern here. If she couldn’t be honest about her feelings with the guys, she’d never have a true friendship with them, and that meant allowing herself to just be mad when it was warranted.

When they finally reached the house, Jaycee tried to keep her eyes on the ground. She wasn’t ready to look at any of them. Only, she didn’t see any feet, or hear any sounds. The house seemed empty. Releasing her breath in a relieved huff, Jaycee followed Marc to his room. He led her over near the stairs to one of the closed doors she’d noticed on her first visit. Holding the door open, Marc allowed Jaycee to enter first. His massive queen-size bed took up a great portion of the room. The colors were black, red, and white. The light switch turned on several lamps about the room, but didn’t fully illuminate the space. The comforter was black and there was a red throw folded at the foot of the bed. White lamps with red shades framed the bed on both sides on black bedside tables. On the right side of the room was the entrance into the bathroom she’d noticed before.