Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 (27 page)

Kacie, you have meant
the world to me. Always remember how proud I have been to call you my
granddaughter and, most importantly, how much I love you. Never stop reaching
for the stars. You deserve every single one of them.

All my love, now and
forever,

Gram

I
close the letter, place it back inside the card, and lay it down on the table
in front of me. The three of us sit there silently crying until we can find our
voices.

“It’s
mine?” I finally whisper, relieved.

“It
is. Technically, it’s been yours since September,” Mary says.

“September?”
I wonder, then remember the lady at the security company notifying me that I
was the primary account holder since the same time.

“When
the doctors told Marie there was nothing else they could do, she came to me and
we began switching everything over to your name. She didn’t want you to have to
worry about anything once she was gone. She knew how distraught you were going
to be and tried to take care of everything she possibly could. Even her bank
accounts were transferred. I have all of the information on those for you,
too.”

“My
parents can’t touch the house?” I ask, more for the sake of hearing it than for
clarification.

“No.
They never could and I would have stepped in if the need arose. I want to
apologize for all of the distress they have been causing you recently. Until
speaking with Jade this morning, I had no idea how severe the problem actually
was. Perhaps I should have known. I feel somewhat responsible since we’ve been
blowing them off about the estate. The last thing they were told was that
nothing will be released until sometime late summer due to restrictions your
grandmother placed in her will. Technically, we didn’t lie about the
restrictions because Marie didn’t want you to know until your birthday. We only
stretched the truth regarding the date. If they were told it was today, they
would have figured it out.”

“I
doubt they even remember today is my birthday, but thank you, Mary. Please,
don’t feel as though their wrongdoings are any fault of your own. No one should
ever admit to that.” She smiles. “How long have you known?” I ask Jade, who has
been uncharacteristically quiet.

“I
only found out this morning. Mary asked if I’d be able to get you to come in.
Since I had already planned on inviting you for lunch, it ended up being the
easy part.” Jade pulls me into a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Kacie. Knowing all
of this nonsense will finally be behind you is such a relief.” She must have
been feeling the same stress that I was over this whole thing.

There’s
paperwork that needs to be signed, which takes the better part of an hour. Mary
goes over every single detail until I understand. She also explains that my
grandmother and I were her last clients. For the most part, she’s retired, but
when her son and grandson need help, she’ll come in to consult. Being the
amazing person she is, she makes it very clear that as long as she’s able, Mary
will do anything I need. She wanted me to know that her grandson is completely
aware of my situation and is prepared to take over whenever it becomes
necessary.

When
everything is finished, I walk out of the conference room still in a daze. I
should be ecstatically bouncing around, but it’s still hard for me to get a
grip on everything Gram has done for me. There are no more tears. There’s just
shock, surprise, and so much gratitude that I have no words.

“Hey,”
Jade says softly. “Are you okay?”

“I
will be,” I admit. “I just need to let it sink in.”

“Do
you want me to take the rest of the day off so you aren’t alone?” She looks a
little more concerned than she needs to be.

“I
think being alone will do me good right now. Thanks, anyway. I’ll catch up with
you later,” I say, grabbing my purse from her desk.

 “I
think today’s events call for celebrating. Drinks at my house tonight?” she
asks optimistically.

I
smile. “Sounds good.”

“Yay!”
Jade gets excited easily. “I’m glad you agreed since I already invited some people
over.”

“You
did what?”

“Oh,
come on. Don’t act surprised! Throwing parties is what I do.”

“A
party, or a few people? There’s a difference.”

Her
smirk scares me. “No, there’s not. I talked to Evan about it last week, so
he’ll be there.”

“I doubt
it.” She may have just brought him up to sidetrack me from a party versus a few
people discussion.

“He
will be. He won’t be able to stay away. Make sure you wear the dress we bought
at the mall last week.”

“Anything
else, boss?” I tease her.

Jade
winks and goes back to her desk. “Nope. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

There’s
a park on my way home from Jade’s office. I wasn’t ready to go to the house
just yet, so I pull in and walk down by the lake. It’s not as hot as it’s been,
which is a nice break. There isn’t anyone here so I sit down on one of the
wooden benches in the shade. I’ve been trying to find the right words to say to
Evan. He deserves to hear something from me. Thinking back, I guess I thought
he wouldn’t have a problem with me going to the gala because I took him at his
word about him understanding exactly how I feel over losing Gram. I desperately
wanted someone to get me but, it turns out, no two people ever really feel
grief the same way. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it. That’s just
the way it is.

Instead
of calling him like I should, I send a text.

Heard
about the party. Hope you’re still coming.

Nervously,
I put my phone down on the bench next to me and lean my elbows forward to rest
on my knees. What if he doesn’t answer? What if he doesn’t come? A chime fixes
my first dilemma.

Not
sure.

I
totally deserve that, but disappointment and irritation fill me. I refuse to
respond. I can be an asshole, too.

***

Walking
into the house feels weird. I go through the foyer and step into the living
room. From here, my eyes roam over the contents of the room. Nothing has
changed from when I left earlier today. Was I expecting it to? Then, the
reality of it all comes crashing down on me. “My house,” I whisper aloud. Since
Gram was no longer here, I haven’t really referred to it as mine. How come? She
would not be happy about me feeling like that, either. I continue on through to
the back patio and look out over the pool. The smile spreading over my face
brings a sense of tranquility I’ve been missing for a very long time. “This is
my house and there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it,” I tell myself.

***

Jade
came over when she got home from work. We collected my stuff and headed over to
her house to get ready for the party. When I went into the kitchen, I saw there
was more food on the counter and more booze set up on Jake’s bar than a few
people would need. I totally should have seen this coming. Good thing for my
best friend, I didn’t.

Just
before people start to come over, Jade and I are finishing up in her bathroom.
“Should I wear the silver necklace or the blue one?” I ask, holding them up,
one at time, in front of the mirror.

“Um…neither,”
is the shady response I get. It could be because she’s applying mascara and
trying not to poke her eye out.

“Why
not? What’s wrong with them?”

“Nothing.
I just think the top of the dress is pretty enough that you don’t need a
necklace.”

“Really?”

“Really.”
She smiles quickly, then goes back to finishing her makeup.

“Okay,”
I say, not convinced. I shove them back in my bag and head out into Jade’s
bedroom. Jake is knocking on the half-open door. I look up to see his eyes
locked on me. “Hey, Jake.”

“Hey.
Happy birthday!” he replies, almost as if he’s distracted.

“Thank
you.” I smile at him.

“And
congrats on the house. I’m glad you’ll be hanging around the neighborhood.”

“Me,
too.” I plop down on Jade’s chair to slip my feet into the silver, strappy
heels I bought last week. “No one else would last living next door to you,
anyway.”

“True,”
he says, grinning. “Are you girls almost done? People are going to be getting
here soon.”

“Yes,
pain in the ass,” Jade says, coming out of the bathroom. “I’m sure if we aren’t
downstairs, you’ll be able to open the door a few times.”

“I
need a new roommate,” he mumbles, turning and walking away from the door.

Suddenly,
something occurs to me. “Jade?”

“Hmm?”
She’s digging through her jewelry box, looking for the match to the earring
she’s holding in her hand.

“What
if he doesn’t come?” I speak softly.

She finds
it and looks up. “He’ll be here,” she says with a smile.

“But,
what if he doesn’t?”

“Kacie,
Evan will be here,” Jade tries to assure me. She walks over and kisses my
cheek. “He will. I don’t know how you can’t see it, but he’s got it bad. I bet
he’s been in agony since leaving your house yesterday. There’s no way in hell
he would miss your birthday party.” I don’t say anything, only nod. “Come on.
Let’s go downstairs.”

Loud
music begins to play. “What the hell is that?”

“Oh,
that must be Nick setting up. He’s the DJ from Skyline.”

“What?”
I ask, ready to flip out. “A
few
people do not need a DJ, Jade!”

She
shrugs. “Don’t look at me. Evan sent him over.” I’m not buying her innocent
act. Not one bit.

Evan

Miserable
is not a strong enough word to explain how shitty I’ve been feeling since
walking out of Kacie’s house yesterday. I know I fucked up. Man, did I fuck up,
but so did she. She never even thought twice about going to the gala on
Saturday. What am I supposed to say? “Okay, have a good time”? No fucking way!
Clearly, she wasn’t happy about it, either, but it’s not enough to make any of
this better. Isn’t it just my luck that when one girl finally gets me to care
enough to want her so fucking bad it hurts, she tortures my ass on a daily
basis? Sometimes, it’s not even intentional. It’s the times I can’t be with
her. How am I unable to find the right words to convince her we can get through
this shit together, that I
want
to get through this shit together? The
sad look on her face when something reminds her of the trouble she’s dealing
with or when she thinks of her grandmother tears my heart out. Don’t get me
wrong. There are just as many intentional times. The way her tongue rolls over
her lip and I’m powerless to do anything because other people are around. She
totally does that shit on purpose. Then again, she can make anything look hot
as hell.

 I
debated for hours whether or not to call her last night. Since I inherited my
father’s stubborn gene, I figured if she wasn’t reaching out to me, I wasn’t
going to make it any easier for her. My phone never left my damn hand all
night. It didn’t even go in my pocket. I walked around the club all goddamn
night, holding it and constantly checking to see if there was a missed call, a
text, low battery, something. When I woke up, it was still in my grasp. Who
would have guessed I was also making it harder on myself? A little after ten
this morning, I broke down and sent a text wishing her a happy birthday. What
the hell did I get? Nothing. Not even a thank you. After a few minutes of
waiting, I threw my phone across the room. Thankfully, it only landed on a pile
of dirty clothes. As soon as my head leaned back on the pillow the fucker
started ringing. I jumped out of bed, only to see it was Jade. I declined the
call. A short time later, she called back and I ignored her again. Then, she
texted me.

 
ANSWER
YOUR PHONE OR I’M COMING OVER THERE!

I
picked it up the next time it rang. “What?”

“Aren’t
you a fucking peach today?” she replied.

“You
have five seconds before I hang up.”

“Don’t
threaten me. You don’t want me making a scene at your front door. Your
neighbors will never forget it. I promise.”

Damn,
she can be so fucking irritating. “What do you want, Jade?”

“Have
you talked to Kacie, yet?”

“Nope.”

“Why
not?”

“Because
I haven’t. What’s it to you, anyway?”

“Evan,
so help me, if you don’t knock your shit off right now, you will be sorry.” I
heard her take a deep breath. “Did you forget today is her birthday?”

“How
could I forget? It’s all I’ve been thinking about since I found out. I texted
her and got no reply. Not sure why I’m surprised, though.”

“UGH!
She’s having a bad day and, to make matters worse, you slammed the door in her
face when she was trying to stop you from leaving. You almost caught her hand
in the door, asshole!”

“She
wasn’t trying to stop me,” I said. Was she? I was so pissed, I probably
wouldn’t have noticed. Was she close enough to the door that I could have hurt
her?

“Yeah,
I’m pretty sure that’s what she told me. Although it was a little hard to hear
her through the sobbing!” she snapped. “Look, she realized why you were upset
and she feels terrible. She didn’t mean to piss you off. The poor girl is
trying to grieve, move on, and keep her sanity all at the same time. The last
thing she needs is this shit. I’m only calling because I love her. Don’t think
for one second I’m sharing this information to make you feel better. I just
found out this morning that the issue with her house is officially resolved.”

“What?
How?”

“She
doesn’t even know yet, so keep your big mouth shut. It’s her birthday present
from Gram. Apparently, she wanted to give Kacie one last gift. I’m sure Gram
would have never done it this way had she known the trouble it would cause.
Kacie’s coming in to have lunch with me, then my boss will tell her. This is
going to be just as hard for her as it will be a relief. She needs us. Are you
over your pathetic attempt at a temper tantrum, or should I not count on you to
help out?” My hesitation just pissed her off. “Whatever, Evan! I knew from the
beginning you’d never be good enough for her!” Then the bitch hung up on me.

I
have no idea how long I’ve been sitting here thinking about this. It did help
hearing how upset Kacie was about the whole thing, but knowing she was crying
and I wasn’t there to fix it stings a little. Hell, it’s like a fucking knife
in my chest since I’m the one who caused it in the first place. But then I
think how quickly she said yes to going with the asshole and the anger surfaces
all over again. It’s a nonstop cycle until someone starts banging on my door.
Whoever it is needs to leave me the hell alone. Eventually, I make my way into
the hallway and my cousin’s mouth becomes audible.

“If
you don’t open this door, I’m calling Daddy to come take it off of the hinges!”
Meg yells. I definitely don’t need my uncle busting my balls on top of
everything else. “Evan, you have until the count of three…” I flip the deadbolt
and she shuts up. Then I twist the doorknob and she pushes her way into my
living room. She looks at me in my boxers and sighs. “Took you long enough. The
least you could have done is put some pants on.”

“Don’t
like it,” I say, closing the door behind her, “get out.”

My
cousin rolls her eyes. “You look like shit. When was the last time you took a
shower?”

I
flop my ass on the sofa. “What the fuck are you doing here, Meg?”

She
reaches into her purse and pulls out a small plastic bag. “You told me to make sure
I got this to you as early as possible today.” The bag and its contents come
flying across the small coffee table to land in my lap. “You’re welcome,” she
says sarcastically. I completely forgot about Kacie’s birthday present. One of
Meg’s friends has his own jewelry store. I knew he’d be able to get me exactly
what I wanted on such short notice. “Aren’t you even going to look at it?” My
free hand runs through my hair. “Guess the rumor going around about you being a
real dick is true,” she mumbles, grabbing a chair from the kitchen table and
dragging it over.

“Who
told you that?” I watch her sit down and prop her feet on the table separating
us.

“Everyone
who worked last night texted me at least once during their shift. So, what’s up
your ass?”

Starting
from the beginning, I go over every detail I know. For the most part, my cousin
is quiet and doesn’t offer much while I talk. The story ends with me walking
out on Kacie yesterday. “Wow,” she says. “Some great parents she has there. You
two have a lot in common.” Meg will never forgive my mom for how she treated
me. She shifts in her chair. “By the way your face contorted when you mentioned
him, your problem is this doctor guy the parents want her to date and the gala
on Saturday?”

“Yeah.
It’s fucked up she told him she’d go, right?”

“I
have a few questions before I answer that. When did you and Kacie officially
become a couple? I haven’t heard that.”

Something
about the way she asks that nags at me. “What the hell does that matter?”

“Don’t
get defensive. Just answer me. Have either of you brought it up?”

Then
I realize why her question bugged me. “Actually, I did.”

“What
did she say?” I bury my head in my hands. I know where she’s going with this.
“Evan?” She nudges me.

“Basically
that she couldn’t commit until this shit was over.”

Meg
crosses her arms and leans back in the chair. “And you decided to just ignore
her honesty and hear what you wanted to hear?”

I
stand up and begin pacing the floor. My phone buzzes from the bedroom, so I go
to find it. Seeing Kacie’s name on the screen is a relief. She hasn’t forgotten
about me, at least. I quickly send a reply and toss my phone onto the
nightstand. Meg is standing in the doorway.

“Was
that Kacie?”

“Yeah.”

“What
did she want?”

“To know
if I was coming to her party tonight.”

“And
you told her…?”

“That
I wasn’t sure.”

“Now,
why would you say that? You know damn well you’re going.”

“No,
I don’t.”

“Evan…”

“I’m
done listening to you, Meg. Get out.”

“No.”
She stands firmly in place. “We both know that’s not going to happen. So, let’s
continue, shall we?” I rummage through the piles of clothes around my room for
something to wear. “With all the money Daddy pays you to manage Skyline, you
really should hire someone to clean this shithole and do your laundry.” She
follows me across the hall. I turn to her.

“Do
you mind? I’m going to take the shower you were so kind to point out I need!” I
snap, annoyed.

“Obviously
not. Get in. We can continue this through the shower curtain. You do use soap, right?”

Not
answering her stupid ass question, I strip out of my boxers and jump in the
shower. She comes in when she hears me close the curtain. “You were serious?” I
ask.  

“Wait
until I tell Mom how gross this place is. Do you clean your toilet? Ever?”

“You’re
making it hard to resist locking you in a closet. This place is clean. It’s
just the clothes that aren’t,” I enlighten her as the shampoo runs out of my
hair.

“Keep
telling yourself that,” I barely hear her say. “Back to Kacie. So, you threw a
fit because Kacie told this guy she’d go to some party with him to make her
parents happy and keep them off her ass?”

“Something
like that. He doesn’t even like her. He’s just using her to get a promotion
from her dad.”

“Doesn’t
seem all that harmful, if you ask me.”

“Yeah,
well, no one asked you.”

“I’m
serious. So what if she just goes, makes an appearance, then ducks out. She’s
not marrying the dude. It should make you feel better knowing he doesn’t like
her.”

The
faucet practically gets ripped from the wall when I turn the water off. I
almost forget to grab a towel before yanking the shower curtain back. Standing
there dripping wet with the faded brown towel hanging in front of me, I scowl
at my cousin. “You expect me to sit back while my girl goes on a date with some
other guy?!” I shout.

“Your
girl? The girl who you just told you weren’t even sure you were going to her
birthday party? The one who you walked out on without trying to find a way to
work this stupid shit out? The one whose already fragile heart you may have
shattered? That girl?” Meg doesn’t even look up. She blurts that shit out while
inspecting her fingernails, as if she was talking about the weather. “Here’s
what I think.” She turns her focus back to me. “I think you’re scared. You’ve
never had a girlfriend before. As a matter of fact, the only girls you’ve ever
really dealt with are the ones who did whatever you wanted or said, just so
you’d screw them even more senseless than they already were. You have no idea
how a real relationship works, or what to do with a girl who’s able to think
for herself. I believe we’ve had this conversation before, have we not?”

She
doesn’t wait for me to acknowledge her question. She knows I remember. “It
scares you knowing that Kacie actually cares for the real you. The Evan who is
sweet, kind, and caring. Not the sexist pig you pretend to be. At first, you
were probably worried she’d be just like Jenna, the two-timing whore who got
your brother killed. But then you found out Kacie is nothing like her and that,
more than likely, makes it worse because then there’s nothing holding you back
from being with her. You walked out and are purposely avoiding her to make it
easier on yourself. Or so you think. If you don’t face her, then your problems
don’t exist. But you’re wrong. I know you feel that pain in your chest. The one
making it hard to breathe. The one choking you from the inside. The one that
will only go away once the girl is in your arms, assuring you everything’s
okay. You want to know what I think is the number one thing you’re afraid of?
Love. Loving someone means you have to let them in. You have to let them see
every part of you. The good. The bad. The in-between. You’ve never let anyone
in and it terrifies you to be that vulnerable to anyone.” My cousin finally
takes a break in her rant.

“What
if you had something of Ethan’s and someone was trying to take it? Are you
going to stand there and tell me that you wouldn’t do whatever it took to hang
onto it?” I stare at her as if she slapped me in the face. “I’ll let you get
dressed,” she says before walking out and closing the door behind her.

In a
daze, I slowly get dressed, brush my teeth, and fix my hair. Is Meg right about
any of this? When I’m with Kacie, nothing seems as though it requires any effort.
We just exist in a world where bad shit happens, but we’re together. Somehow,
that’s all that matters. Everything else is just details. Small details that
don’t mean a damn thing. How the hell do I fix this? What if it’s too late?
What if I pushed Kacie too far and I can never get her back?