Two Thousand Miles (20 page)

Graduation night, I had dinner with my father and Veronica. It was my first time meeting her
, and I didn’t bother trying to get to know her. I was actually a little bent that my dad had brought a stranger to celebrate one of my greatest accomplishments.

I’d cut the night short and met up with Olivia, a decision I now regret. If I’d stayed and talked to her, I may have been able to
save him. 

I didn’t need to hear the recording from that night; it was already on a loop in my head. Tears rolled down my face as I heard my own panicked voice pleading for help.

The first thing I heard was
me screaming, and then the emergency operator say, “911. What’s your emergency?”

“He’s been shot! My father’s been shot in the head. He needs help now! Please hurry!”

The operator responded, asking questions, which were captioned on the screen. I didn’t listen to him, only my sob-filled answers, some of which were barely audible. “Daddy, daddy, daddy. Look at me Daddy. Don’t close your eyes,” I cried. “Please hurry!” I screamed. “There’s so much blood. There’s too much blood.”

I stared blankly ahead. Hearing the replay of that night was gut wrenching. I saw every detail in my mind, every moment. Every emotion was as clear as if it was happening at that instant. At the same time, it felt like I was outside of myself watching my memories, hearing someone else’s voice pleading for my father’s life.

“Oh my god, Kat…” Shelby gasped.

My secret was out. I suddenly couldn’t breathe. I felt the blood slip from my head, down to my feet. Dizzy and nauseated, I held onto Cody to keep from falling.

“I need to talk to Marion,” I muttered.

“You need to sit down,” Cody coaxed.

“I’m okay,” I lied. “I
have to go.”

Shelby stared at me
, dumbfounded. I could tell she regretted sending everyone away. Dealing with the hard stuff wasn’t Shelby’s specialty. She was the fun one, the one who had no worries. She was in over her head.

“Okay,” she finally said.

When I got to my room, my phone was ringing. I knew it was Marion. It was always Marion when my phone rang.

“How did she die?” I said into the phone, wiping tears from my face. Not missing a beat, Marion calmly said, “Early reports are speculating suicide, but it’ll be a few days before we know for sure.”

“I don’t want the whole world hearing about that night—hearing that recording. Now my face is out there. Anyone could recognize me. How did the media even get that picture? I haven’t spoken to Olivia since I left. I don’t want them questioning me, or to have strangers on the street recognize me and point or stare because they know personal, private information about my life.”

“My firm is working to squash the story as we speak. We’ll find out how they got the photo. Don’t worry; we’ll take care of it. Dana said you’re in New Orleans. Stay put. Lay low. I’ll call you when I know anything more.”

I was so grateful my dad had met her. It took so much off of me knowing that Marion was in his corner. “Thank you,” I said and hung up the phone.

By that time, Shelby and Cody had rounded up Bit and Logan and because I hadn’t locked my door, they were all standing in my suite. None of them looked like they knew what to say to me. I didn’t really know what to say to them either.

“Kat,” Bit
stalled, her tone weepy.

“This—what’s happening right now, is why I didn’t tell you about my father so please stop looking at me like that. Please don’t feel sorry for me.”

“How could we not feel sorry about what happened to you?” Bit asked.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you, but I just want things to go back to the way they were. Worrying about it, feeling sorry about it, talking about it isn’t going to change anything. So please, let’s just go back to normal. It’s easier for me that way.”

Nobody looked convinced.

“Okay,” I shrugged. “Five minutes. We talk about this for five minutes and then we let it go.”

“Why did that woman shoot your dad?” Logan asked.

“I don’t know. She and my dad were dating. They hadn’t been seeing each other long, so I didn’t know much about her.”

“Did you come to Slidell to hide from her?” Mason asked, standing in the doorway. Everyone turned to look at him. Hearing his voice caused my heart to pound in my throat.

“Sort of, I guess,” I answered without looking at him. “When Veronica bonded out of jail is when Marion decided to send me to Slidell.”

“So, who killed Veronica?” Cody asked.

“They think she killed herself.”

“What you said to Aunt Marion about your face being out there—do you really think someone might recognize you here?” Bit asked.

“I know there are higher priorities, probably no one here cares, but in Malibu, there were reporters lingering around the hospital and camped out in front of my house because of my dad’s
job. If he didn’t work for Manger, his shooting probably wouldn’t have made the news at all. The media is dying to make his shooting about money; trying to find something scandalous. Now that I’m eighteen, they can do whatever they want. They can dig around in my past and tell the world private things about me if they want to. I just want them to leave us alone.”

“Well,” Shelby said. “There are plenty of things we could do to change your look so no one recognizes you.”

“You could change your name,” Logan offered.

“To what?”
What did changing my name have to do with changing my look
?

Cali,” Mason said.

I automatically smiled.

“Yeah, “Shelby said. “
Cali Broussard. We could dye your hair dark and with your blue eyes and the way you’re dressing these days, they’ll be none the wiser.”

“I’d be honored, but hopefully it won’t come to that.”

“Are you leaving now?” Bit asked.

My eyes cut to Mason. I didn’t want to answer that question in front of him, but we’d both known from the beginning that I wouldn’t be in Louisiana forever.

“Not yet.”

“But soon though,” Shelby said, like it was a fact, interrupting the moment Mason and I were having.

“I think five minutes is up. Time to go back to normal,” I announced.

“Okay,” Shelby shrugged. “But I brought you this just in case.” She held out a tiny bottle of vodka she’d taken from the mini bar.

“Thanks.”

“Drink it in the bathtub or somethin’. Use your new potions—but promise to get one of us if you need anything.”

“Okay,” I said
, and everyone left. Including Mason.

Even though I wanted things to go back to normal, it was impossible to make it happen by sheer want. Truthfully, things hadn’t been normal for a while.

I cracked open the tiny bottle of vodka Shelby had given me and gulped down half. I breathed out hard as the liquid burned its way down my throat. I looked inside the gift bag my friends had given me, took out the rose scented candle, and held it close to my face, breathing in the scent before putting it back and taking out the bottle of chunky bath salt.

I carried the bottle to the bathroom, stripped off my clothes and threw them in a corner. I put on one of the four, plush hotel robes
hanging in the linen closet and sat on the edge of the tub. I turned on the water and sprinkled in a few pieces of the chunky salt and watched as they dissolved, turning the water the most beautiful shade of blue.

The color reminded me of home, of my days at the pool with Olivia
. Of waking to a view of the beach. Of overlooking the ocean as the sun rose or set. My home never felt so far away, like it was slipping from my memory.

T
he warmth of my tears covered my cheeks; I tasted the saltiness on my lips, and felt my body shake as I released the pain. Warped, aching noises forced their way out of me as I sobbed.

The sound of the water running quieted and then I felt his arms around me. I turned around and wrapped myself around Mason, clutching him as if I’d been drowning and he was saving me. He held me without a word until I let go.

I didn’t want to, because I knew my face was a mess, but he made me look at him. He cupped my face in his hands and wiped away my tears, compelling me to focus my eyes on him. I took off his hat and dropped it to the floor, smiling a little as my fingers slid into the slight waviness of his dark hair. He put his hand on my cheek and slowly moved his thumb across my mouth, staring soulfully into my eyes. Then he leaned down and pressed his mouth to mine, his warm breath hitting softly against my lips. My pulse raced as his tongue gently brushed across my parted lips before I opened my mouth to his.

Kissing Mason caused excitement to fire through my body, lighting up every nerve like a sparkler on the Fourth of July. I’d missed that feeling. I’d missed him.
Us.

I took my hands out of his hair and helped him take off his shirt. He opened my robe and pulled me to him, holding my skin to his skin. I felt Mason’s heart thumping against his chest. His breaths were deep and hurried. I looked up at him and traced my fingers over his lips. I knew he would never admit it, but I could tell he was nervous.
He slid his fingers between mine, and kissed me while easing us toward the bed.

I dropped my robe and lay down, pushing the covers away until I reached the coolness of the white sheet beneath them. As moonlight from the window next to us highlighted Mason’s silhouette, he finished undressing and then he and I melted into one another.

It felt like I’d only been asleep ten minutes when I heard a knock at the door.

“Kat, open up,” Bit called.

“Hurry,” Shelby yelled.

Mason got out of bed, held a pillow in front of his lower region, and opened the door.

“Mmmm, somebody’s birthday wish came true,” Shelby said out of the side of her mouth. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Bro,” Cody said, shielding his eyes. “Put on some pants,” he told Mason after getting a good look at his naked ass cheeks. Mason didn’t say anything, just climbed back in bed and covered up. Bit held her cell phone out for me. “It’s
Aunt Marion. She’s been trying to call you.”

I took the phone and groggily answered, “
Hello.”

“I’ve booked you a flight home from
Louis Armstrong, the airport in New Orleans. It’s in two hours.”

“Two hours!”

“Your dad’s awake, Kat.” I popped up, clutching a blanket against my chest, so I didn’t flash the whole room. “Oh my god!” I gasped. “How is he? Is he talking? Is he okay?”

“Right now, he’s a little dazed. The doctor said
he’ll need time to come back around. We’ll know more then.”

“Okay. Wow. I’ll see you soon, then,” I gushed and hung up.

“What’s going on?” Bit asked.

“My dad’s awake,” I announced. I looked at Mason. “Can you take me to the airport?”

“The New Orleans airport?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“When’s your flight?” Shelby asked.

“Two hours.”

“Two hours!” she barked. “That means you have to leave in, like, five minutes.
”

“I know,” I said, yanking the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around me. “I’m
gonna go get dressed.”

I went to the bathroom and quickly ran a brush through my hair, swished mouthwash and brushed my teeth. I
threw on some clothes, carried an armful of my things to the living area, and dropped them onto the bed.

“Where’d Mason go?” I asked.

“His room, to get his keys,” Bit said.

I picked up my clothes off the bathroom floor and grabbed a couple towels to wrap up the bottles they’d given me for my birthday so they wouldn’t break during the flight.

“You know he’s gonna be heartbroken after you go, right?” Shelby asked me.

“You ready?” Mason asked, sticking his head inside the door of my suite, saving me from having to answer Shelby’s question.

“Yeah,” I said, zipping everything up in my Prada suitcase. “Y’all don’t have to check out until tomorrow at eleven. Stay and have fun.” I looked at Bit. “And take a robe.” I hugged her and then Shelby, Logan and Cody. None of us said anything else. Finding the appropriate words was too hard, I guess. Either that, or we didn’t have time to say the appropriate words.

Mason took my bag and rolled it out of the room. I followed him. We loaded onto the elevator and stood on opposite sides. I stared at him
, and he stared at the floor until the elevator dinged. The doors opened to the lobby and Mason walked toward the exit without checking if I was still behind him.

I caught up with him outside. “I can take a cab,” I told him.

“I’m driving you,” Mason said, staring forward.

We got in the truck and didn’t say anything else until we got to the airport. Mason parked and took my suitcase from the back seat of his truck and walked me inside the terminal. People rushed around us, moving from ticket lines to their gates, and from their flights to the exits.