Holding Her Breath (Indigo) (6 page)

“What you thinking about, boy? I know you not thinking about Whitney. Didn’t you say you had a girl?”

“ ‘Had’ is key. She left.” Chace upended his bottle and chugged down half of what was left in it.

“Aw, you young kids. Always breaking up for nothing. Y’all probably be back together by tomorrow.”

Chace didn’t say anything. He hadn’t told Tim why he and Kelly had broken up.

“You know I’m right, boy. I’m always right. I’ve seen it all, know it all, just about.”

Chace felt something special for her already. The thought struck him as odd. Love at first sight? Nah. That didn’t exist in real life. But didn’t some people say they just knew? Wasn’t that what his brother had said about his wife? Chace hadn’t “just known” with Kelly, but eventually things had started to click with her. Kelly. Oh, Kelly. He buried his face in his hands and moaned.

“You all right, boy? You not gonna be sick all over my curb, is you?”

“No. I’m fine.” Chace looked up and smiled at the man with coarse, curly gray-black hair, a mustache that reminded Chace of a gray broom that had seen better days, and kind brown eyes.

Chace sighed. “You know where she lives? Whitney?”

“Boy, you think you gone over her. That’s just the liquor messing with you.”

It wasn’t. He’d felt a connection with her he didn’t know how to explain. He had to see her again. He didn’t know how he’d make it happen, but he had to. “Tim, it’s not the alcohol. Really.” He put down his bottle. “Please. Just tell me where she lives. I promise not to do anything crazy like just show up there.”

“Her family don’t live in town. Live out near Bedford’s farm somewhere. That’s all I know.”

Chace nodded, drawing his knees up to his chest and staring at the spot where Whitney’s car had been parked.

His cell phone rang and he took it out of his pocket and stared down at the screen. He pushed a button and held it to his ear. “Hi, Cliff.”

“Bro, were you going to call to wish anybody in this family a happy Christmas?” Cliff had taken to saying things like “happy Christmas” ever since he’d married his British wife.

“Mom and Dad are in Maui. They’ll call when they get around to it. You know how they are when they go on one of their vacations. And I was getting around to calling you.”

“Dude, it’s nine o’clock at night. Exactly when were you gonna call?”

“I dunno.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Maybe.”

“What, you and Kelly boozing it up for the holidays? Shouldn’t you be at her parents’ place right now?”

“Kelly and I broke up. Yesterday.” The words didn’t feel right on his tongue. They felt kind of heavy. And dead. But they seemed to hurt a little less than they had before he’d run into…Beautiful Whitney.

“You what? Whoa. Really? On Christmas Eve?”

“That’s what I said.”

“What happened exactly?”

“I don’t want to get into it right now.”

“Ethan’s gonna love this. He never did like her.”

Chace groaned. “Yeah.” He didn’t want to even think about telling Ethan, his best friend. Ethan often referred to Kelly as ‘devil without the blue dress.’ He didn’t want to hear the I-told-you-she’d-break-your heart crap Ethan was going to give him. Luckily, Ethan was in New Zealand at the moment. Chace had wanted to go on the trip, but Kelly had guilted him into staying at home and getting serious about his career. Or rather, the career she’d picked out for him. She hadn’t considered his career path a real one. They’d had a huge fight over it.

“The kids loved their presents from Uncle Chace,” Cliff said.

He grinned. One thing had gone right that Christmas, at least. Well, really, two, but he wasn’t going to bring up Beautiful Whitney. There wasn’t even anything to tell. “That’s good. I’m glad.”

“And Emma asked about you.”

“Tell everybody I wish them a ‘happy’ Christmas and give ’em big, fat, sloppy kisses for me.”

“I definitely will. Hey, man, you coming up for New Year’s?”

“Maybe.” Being around his brother so soon after what had happened would make him more miserable. Their dad had retired, and Cliff had taken over the family business and started turning a huge profit with it.

He was almost certain Kelly wouldn’t have left him if he’d been more like Cliff. Stable income. Big house. Cliff had done everything he was supposed to. He was the typical provider. Chace had tried that route, but it wasn’t for him. He knew he’d made the right decision, but he couldn’t help but second guess himself that night. The second guessing would only get worse if he went to Cliff’s house for New Year’s Eve.

“Really try, man. We miss ya. Ethan’s out of town. You don’t have any family down in Podunk where you moved to for—uh, anyway, you should come visit. Emma and I are going out that night. We have a sitter. Come with, it’ll be a blast.”

“I’ll think about it. I promise.”

“Do.”

“Okay, I gotta go.” Chace rubbed his thumb and index fingers across his eyebrows.

“All right, but call me sometime, okay?”

“I will. Catch you later, Cliff.”

“Bye, bro.”

Chace tucked his phone into his jacket pocket.

“Family problems?” Tim’s eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled.

Something like that, sure. “You know it.”

Tim slapped his knee and laughed. “Don’t I? Boy, don’t I ever.”

Chace smiled, only half-listening to what Tim said next. His mind went not to his family, not to Kelly, but to Beautiful Whitney. And the grin she’d flashed at him before walking away. The image was lodged in his mind and he hoped it stayed there.

Once Whitney got home with the present, she could tell things were going sour. It was inevitable with the whole family together. Whitney slipped the gift to her mom who handed it over. Quinton and Dawn thanked them. Not long after, the feature film
Jones Family Drama
started.

Aunt Cheryl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know why you still buy him presents. He owe you money.”

Whitney’s mother’s smile grew thin. Aunt Cheryl had been chipping away at her all day. Jo didn’t like people analyzing her relationship with Quinton. They were still friends. It was Jo’s choice to stay friends with him and her mistake to worry about if it was one. That was what she always said.

“What, Jo? You know it’s true,” Aunt Cheryl said while glowering at Quinton.

“It’s none of your business either way. You know I don’t like you talking about my family like that.” Jo took a deep breath.

“Quinton ain’t none of your family anymore.”

Jo shook her head. “He’s Devon’s father and he’ll always be family.”

Aunt Cheryl smirked at Shorty. “What you think about that? Your wife calling that no-good scum family?”

Devon’s jaw tightened. Whitney put a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged away from her.

The living room grew silent except for the occasional crackle of logs in the fireplace. Shorty and Jo refused to switch to a gas fireplace.

Shorty put a hand over Jo’s and she patted it with her free hand.

Aunt Cheryl said, “I don’t know why he’s still here. He don’t never come ’round unless he want something. And that thing he brought in here with him. Was probably laying up underneath her before he even thought to leave you.”

“What did you call me?” Dawn whipped her head around in Aunt Cheryl’s direction.

“I called you what you are.” Aunt Cheryl dismissed her with a sneer and turned back to Jo. “Well?”

“I asked you to leave it alone.” Jo balled her hands into fists.

“Weak. Just like you always been,” Aunt Cheryl said.

“Don’t you say another word about my parents,” Devon said. “Either one of them.”

“Don’t sass me, boy.” Aunt Cheryl pointed her index finger at Devon’s face as she spat out the words.

Jo said, “Devon, please, just stay out of it.”

“Mom,” Devon said, his nostrils flaring. “You’ve been taking this crap off her for years, and I’m sick of it even if you aren’t.” He jumped up from the sofa.

One of Aunt Cheryl’s sons stepped forward. “Hold up, Devon. Don’t disrespect my mom like that.”

Devon didn’t back down. “Why don’t you tell her to get her mouth under control, then?”

Aunt Cheryl started defending her son. Soon after that, the whole living room erupted into a shouting match until Shorty wolf-whistled for silence.

Melinda, Whitney’s favorite cousin, walked in right at that moment. “Did y’all know the front door was unlocked?” she said. “Can you believe I’m just getting here? My plane was late.” Her voice trailed off when she realized the tension she’d just walked into. She set her large black handbag on a nearby end table. “Family, you at it again? It’s Christmas. Come on.”

“You know how this family is. Can’t nobody get along for one day.” Jo ran out of the room with her hand pressed to her mouth. Whitney knew her well enough to know the tears were coming. She started after her mother.

Shorty stepped in front of her. “Let me. She’s been really upset all day. Your da—dang aunt.”

“What did she do this time?”

Shorty’s nostrils flared and he rubbed a hand over his bald head. “I’ll tell you later.”

Whitney watched Shorty go after her mother, wondering what Aunt Cheryl had done or said most recently. It was always something with that woman.

“We’re not staying anywhere we’re not wanted. Get your stuff,” Aunt Cheryl said to her sons. They and their families did as Aunt Cheryl told them to do. She stormed out, commanding them to follow her, talking about being insulted, some people never having good sense, and being tempted to turn her back on all of them. Whitney had to wonder if it would be a bad thing if she did.

The rest of the family watched them leave with Aunt Cheryl leading the way. She was still shouting after the front door slammed behind the group. After that the gathering slowly splintered off, people mumbling about being tired or making excuses about getting home before it got too late. Soon, only Aunt Brenda, Glen, Melinda, and Whitney remained.

“Whitney, what can I say about her?” Aunt Brenda said with an apologetic shrug. Glen ran his hand up and down the center of Aunt Brenda’s back.

Whitney laughed humorlessly. “What can anyone?”

“I certainly don’t know.” Aunt Brenda hugged Whitney and Melinda and kissed their cheeks in turn. “All right, girls. That’s enough excitement for me for one night. We’re going upstairs. Goodnight.” They were staying at Jo and Shorty’s house during the holidays.

Whitney and Melinda wished their aunt and uncle goodnight. Aunt Brenda grabbed Glen’s hand and the two of them headed for the doorway.

Whitney looked down at her cell phone. “It’s still early. Not even eleven yet.”

“You want to go out?” Melinda asked.

“What? Now?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that bar in town run by Jewish people? I’m pretty sure they’re open on Christmas night. It’s probably the only thing open in this place.”

“You’re right.” she said. “Let’s do it. I can’t argue with needing to get out of this house for a few hours.”

“Let’s change and meet back down here in a little bit.”

Whitney paired a mahogany wool sweater dress with black tights. She pulled her thick black hair away from her neck and pinned it up. Then she met Melinda by the front door. Melinda wore a mustard yellow tunic paired with skinny jeans and matching mustard boots.

The bar they went to was one of the only places open on Christmas night besides the 7-11 and a couple of Chinese restaurants. They caught the end of Christmas karaoke. By the time they had ordered drinks and staked out a table, the DJ came out and started playing ‘90s hits—the warm-up songs.

Melinda told her about school—Melinda was getting her Masters of Social Work—and Whitney told her about life at the firm.

“How’s Ulrich?” Melinda asked once they were seated with their drinks. Ulrich was another fifth year associate at Gibson and Grey. Melinda and Ulrich had met one weekend when Melinda had come down to D.C. from New York to visit Whitney.

“He’s good. Still hasn’t settled down yet.”

“I hope that’s not a hint. ’Cause you know how I feel about long-distance relationships,” Melinda said.

Whitney sipped her drink. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.”

“You’re such an instigator.”

She grinned. “I know.”

Whitney was shouting over the music to her cousin when she saw him. Her heart dropped. She’d never thought she’d see him again. Chace was propped up against a wall nearby, talking to some girl. The girl gave Chace an exasperated look and then walked away.

“Somebody needs to be cut off,” Melinda said after following her gaze.

“I know him,” Whitney said, squinting at Chace in the darkened bar. She knew it was him. She’d all but memorized his face in the 7-11 parking lot.

“Huh?” Melinda’s eyebrows knitted together and she frowned slightly.