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I reach into my jacket pocket, letting my thumb caress the velvet box deep inside. An orange topaz necklace to celebrate our first of her birthdays together seemed like a good idea at the time. Like an idiot, I thought this would be a new tradition for us. Next year, I’d get her earrings. The next, a bracelet. Someday, a ring. Eventually, she’d shine in all her orange golden glory like she deserves.
The front door opens suddenly.
Jenna steps outside, discreetly closing the door behind her. “You look like shit,” she says.
“Well, I feel like a million bucks, so...” I shrug at the unfunny joke.
She arches a brow and crosses her arms, standing like a knight guarding a fortress. As she should. She’s protecting the most precious thing in the world to me.
“You should move it along, big guy,” she says. “No boys allowed tonight.”
I glance at the house. “Is she okay?” I ask.
“No, she’s not okay,” Jenna spits. “No one’s okay. Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Good. I hope you die.”
I bow my head. That’s fair.
“But she will be okay. Eventually,” she says, offering some comfort. “So, get the fuck off my lawn and let me do my job.”
“I will, just...” I take the velvet box out of my pocket. “Would you give this to her for me? Please?”
Jenna eyes the box with suspicion. “I doubt she wants anything from you, Drew.”
“Tell her it’s from you, then. It’s hers. I want her to have it.”
After a moment, Jenna extends her arm. I step forward and drop the box in her palm.
She opens the box to peek inside and gives it a sincere nod of approval before snapping it closed. “I’ll think about it,” she says.
“Thank you.”
“Now, shoo,” she says, brushing me away. “Before she finds out you’re here.”
I step back, giving the house one last glance before I turn away. “See you around, Jenna,” I say.
She smiles. “You, too, Drew.”
CHAPTER 49
HEIDI
I sob. I sob hard.
I really thought my days of crying in the shower were long behind me. You can take the girl out of high school, as they say. Fortunately, this extended time beneath the showerhead has given me a chance to think long and hard about what my new vision board will be.
Five Goals for a Perfect Freshman Year, Part 2.
1. No dating. Spend absolutely no time with men. Check locally for a nice convent to join.
2. Find a recipe for homemade chocolate fudge. Eat a lot of it. Daily.
3. Read more books. The horrible, violent kind. Lots of blood. No romance.
4. Join a gym. (Jenna will insist on this once the fudge addiction kicks in.)
