Page 56 of Just for Tonight

I doubt that Mackenzie would interpret today’s events as being kind. I feel even more discouraged when I realize I’ll probably never see or talk to her again.

It is past time to leave this place for good.

“I hate you, Jake Cavendish!” Madison shouts after me. “I’ll hate you forever.”

Goodness. How will I survive that? I think about fainting in horror, but won’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

I don’t look back. Shit happens, you know, and there are worse fates than earning my stepsister’s disdain. I pat one of the gold lions on my way past the gates then drive away.

A five-hour drive, an inevitable traffic jam, my tidy condo suddenly knee-deep in my father’s paperwork, a weekend working to catch up on the past three days and zero chance of ever seeing Mackenzie Rhodes again is a special kind of hell, but I tell myself I’ve earned it.

No. I’ve come by it honestly. That sounds better but feels just as crappy.

The one bright light is my sister’s company on that drive. I wonder if Luke is right about her interest in Grandma’s house. I guess I’ll soon know for sure.

14

Abbie

I’m not really close to my brother Jake, probably because he was the oldest and I was the youngest. By the time I was aware of much of anything, he was busy. He was always scarce around the house, and I grew up thinking that he worked all the time. He was polite enough but not a warm person or one who had a lot of time for anybody. You didn’t go to Jake for sympathy, for example, although he might lend you some money for a short period. He always had money. He was always firm about principles. When he went away to university, I don’t remember him coming back.

Not even for Christmas.

After the first year, no one even mentioned his absence.

I assumed that Jake and our father argued. The older I got, the easier it became to believe that. My father was difficult and demanding. Just this past week, I watched him lose his shit at Mike, who is the most easy-going big brother anybody could have. Even better, Dad lost it because Mike found out Dad had been lying to him for years. That wasn’t Mike’s fault – his crime was falling in love with Sylvia, who my father didn’t deem to be worthy – but Dad made it sound as if Mike had brought the whole thing on himself. I love that Mike stood up for himself and defended Sylvia, but wish that day had ended differently.

Dad worked himself up so much that he had a massive heart attack.

I would have liked them to reconcile and come to appreciate each other. I would have liked Dad to meet Sylvia and Mike’s daughter, Sierra. She’s his first and only grand-daughter and it makes me ache that he denied her for her entire life.

Of course, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. He did the same to Luke, who was his own son.

I prefer happy endings. Call it a weakness, but I do. I also dislike confrontations and conflict, which meant that the farther I could be from Dad, the better for my mental health. Vancouver was the choice. Like Jake, I haven’t been back to Empire in years, so maybe we have something in common.

I’m surprised that Jake offered me a ride to the airport. I don’t remember him ever offering to do anyone a favour, but I accepted. I can’t even imagine how I’d get transit to Pearson from here otherwise, never mind what it would cost.

On the other hand, the prospect of hours alone in the car with Jake is a little daunting. It was a relief to learn this morning that he and Luke had agreed to a fresh start. Luke went to talk to Jake about the estate – I can’t imagine why but he’s not talking about it – so that’s reassuring.

Plus, Luke and Daphne have a happy ending. It was great to have breakfast with them before heading home. They’re so happy together and watching them gives me all the warm fuzzies.

I’ve even promised to come back for their wedding in September.

I stand in Cameron’s driveway with my bag, waiting for Jake. I know better than to keep him waiting. He’d probably just drive on without me. I insisted that Daphne and Luke go about their day instead of hanging around with me to wait. I’m staying with Cameron and she was here, but has vanished. Maybe she got a call. She loves her phone even more than I love mine.

I hear the car before I see it and I smile in admiration when it comes into view. No crumbling old pile of junk for my successful brother. Jake’s car is a gorgeous bright red BMW convertible. It can’t be two years old, and must be his pride and joy. He drives it with confidence, pulling to a halt right in front of me.

“Oh!” I wince at the scratch down the left side. It’s the whole length of the car.

Jake smiles ruefully as he gets out of the car. He sighs and shakes his head. “Still making friends in Empire,” he says, as if that explains everything, then smiles at me. There is no humor in his eyes. He looks tired, older than I expect. “How are you, Abbie? You’re looking well.”

So is Jake, at least on the outside. He’s wearing a suit that must have cost six months of my rent, a white shirt with French cuffs and a tie of gleaming silk. He looks expensive, but then he probably is.

“Fine, all things considered.” I give him a cheeky look. “Don’t I get a hug? Or will that mess with your presentation?”

I am affectionate. Jake is not. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him hug anyone, and in this moment, I’m sure that’s part of his problem. People need physical contact.

It takes him a second, but he cedes. “It might, but I only have one sister.” Jake opens his arms without taking one step closer, but that doesn’t slow me down. I give him a tight hug. It is like embracing a hydro pole. He’s all muscle, hard as a rock, as welcoming as, well, a hydro pole. Up close, it’s harder to miss the shadows under his eyes and he holds onto me a beat longer than I expect.