Lonely Souls (8 page)

“It was just a little freaky. The cooler really did lock on me, and I had to call my aunt to get me,” I finished quickly.

Angela was eyeing me suspiciously. They both knew there was more, but I obviously wasn’t going to tell them, and I was thanking the heavens that Logan interrupted my first attempt with the snacks.

“Yeah, so I really don’t know what I’m going to do about the Logan thing. I mean even if I don’t live here, it can’t hurt that he does,” I sighed.

“I know you’re going through a lot and are dealing with things I can’t even pretend to imagine,” Jenny said, “but don’t start closing yourself off. It will only hurt you. Logan seems to be pretty supportive for someone you haven’t physically seen for years. He wants to be there for you. I’d take him up on the offer.”

“It would make me feel a lot better leaving town, knowing you’ll let yourself be watched over a little,” Angela agreed, nodding as she built another apple tower.

“By the way, you two, my aunt and his mom don’t know that I know that was the plan so please don’t bring it up. Now’s not the time,” I said smiling and reaching for some of the fruit Logan had so thoughtfully prepared for us.

There was so much I wanted to tell Jenny and Angela, but what was the point? They were leaving town, and I didn’t want to burden them. There’s nothing they could do. I hoped we would all stay in touch forever, and become those old ladies who would sit on rockers and tell tales of our childhood, maybe like the
Golden Girls
, only in Washington instead of Florida. But life, so far, had thrown a few curveballs my direction, and I decided it would be best to make their visit as normal as possible in case life took hold once more, and this was our last real time together.

Chapter 8

The morning came before I knew it. We had gorged on popcorn and Tim Burton movies, or Johnny Depp movies, however one might want to look at. I looked around the room and saw that Jenny and Angela must have woken up and gone downstairs already. I was still exhausted, or maybe sad. I was getting those emotions confused as of late.

I knew they would be leaving in only a few hours and forced myself up. I had a pair of light pink sweatpants on and a T-shirt. My hair was still piled on top of my head in a tangled ponytail, and I was sure I’d be making a memorable entrance.

Going down the stairs, I faintly heard Logan’s voice, and I panicked remembering what I really did look like, but it was too late. They could hear me puttering down the wooden stairs, and there was no turning back. I heard Jenny thanking him, and I wondered what the heck they were talking about because once they heard me coming, their voices stopped.

I rounded the corner near the kitchen and saw Jenny and Angela eating cereal, sitting at the table. I quickly turned to my left and saw Logan. He wasn’t facing me. He was looking out the kitchen window. He was wearing grey cotton pajama bottoms, and they were hanging a little lower than I expected, which made me look away quickly. Jenny smiled as she caught my reaction, and I did my best to stare her down to make sure she stayed quiet.

“Good morning,” I announced into the kitchen.

Logan spun around, and I immediately wished I had stayed upstairs. Having him here was really adding a complication to the already intense current of emotions that were running through me, but at least he was on my side in this mess. And anyone who was willing to listen to my theory was a godsend. A smile spread across his face, and he quickly glanced at Jenny and Angela and shrugged his shoulders, his eyes dancing with mischief.

“What?” I asked.

“We’ve decided that Logan definitely needs to stay here while he’s in college,” Jenny announced.

“Really, and do you plan on telling his mom and my aunt?”

“You might be surprised by their reaction. You never know. They may like the idea,” Angela said, smiling widely.

“Yeah, I’m sure they would love the idea,” I said, staring at them.

“Who would love what idea?” my aunt asked as she came in from the family room.

Glaring at Angela, I dismissively waved my arms at her.

“Nothing important, Aunt Vieta,” I mumbled.

“So you girls are sure you have to leave today?” my aunt asked them, too worn out to press me about our last conversation piece.

“Yeah, unfortunately,” Jenny grimaced. “We should probably leave pretty soon to get a start on it.”

The doorbell rang and Logan rushed past me to answer it, quickly sliding his hand along my waist to move me out of the way. A charge went through me, and I closed my eyes quickly to let it pass.

“Hey, mom!” Logan’s voice echoed down the hallway. “Let me grab some of those.”

“Thanks, dear. I was worried I was going to topple the chai or frapp if I tried to open the door,” she said. I could feel her smile all the way into the kitchen. My aunt went to help carry in whatever else Ellsy might have had, while I stood there like a zombie.

Maybe they would be totally fine with Logan moving in still. I’m eighteen, basically, and would be encountering complete strangers in a dorm. This would actually be a lot better than that, even though I wasn’t planning on going right to college. Regardless, this might be a solid plan. My hope was that I could gain enough courage to bring it up without the wrong reasons coming out.

“Triss,” Jenny whispered.

I looked over at her and Angela.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Logan told us about what happened to you at the florist shop.” My body stiffened. Why did he do that? I don’t need my friends thinking I’m going crazy right before they leave town. I felt the crimson begin making an appearance, starting at the base of my neck and working its way up.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she continued. “If your mom really is only missing versus the other,” she couldn’t bring herself to say it either, “then I think it could be plausible, especially with the notes in her planner.”

“He didn’t leave anything out, did he?” My eyes finally meeting theirs.

“No, why should he?” Angela asked. “We’ve never kept things from each other. Why start now, Triss? This is exactly what I was talking about last night. Quit building up those walls, because they’re a lot harder to deconstruct than construct.”

Logan made it into the kitchen holding the first cardboard tray of Starbucks drinks for us all. I wanted to be angry with him for divulging what we spoke about, but the anger didn’t come. He plopped the drinks on the table, and Ellsy was right behind him with another carrier, followed by my aunt with a brown bag full of what I’m guessing was to be some delectable pastries.

“Good thing I didn’t finish my cereal,” Jenny announced, pushing her bowl away.

“Right, because cereal is so filling,” I laughed. “It would have been tough to push through it.”

Logan started laughing, grabbing his drink out of the carrier, smiling at me. Ellsy was spreading out the cheese Danish, cranberry scones, and bagels on a plate when it occurred to me that maybe now wouldn’t be a horrible time to bring up the living situation. Having the support of Jenny and Angela might help the cause.

Logan was staring at me intently and must have sensed what I was thinking about because he immediately started smiling. Handing me a chai tea from the tray, his fingers skimmed mine, and I started thinking it was a bad idea. This wasn’t healthy, but before I had a chance to back out of my idea, Logan started speaking.

“Jenny and Angela told me that Triss wants to stay here in the house,” he began.

Ellsy sat down at the table, picking at her bagel and eyeing my aunt across the kitchen.

“We figured as much,” Aunt Vieta finally said. “Logan and Ellsy are going to be here for a couple of weeks before they head back, so you won’t be alone.”

I was frozen. I looked over at Jenny and Angela, who were grinning far too wide for their own good, or mine.

“We don’t think you should go back to the floral shop immediately, though,” Ellsy started. “Meredith is a good shop manager, and she’s got it covered. I’m on your mother’s accounts just as she’s on mine, so I can check on everything and make sure the money keeps coming in.”

“I’m fine to go back,” I said. My irritation level with others planning for me to this degree was beginning to soar. Logan must have sensed my annoyance and stepped in to stop any train wreck from happening.

“I was thinking I could take you out for a little road trip somewhere too. You know, to help you get far from everything,” his voice was so gentle, and his words touched everyone in the room the same way they did me. “Besides, we’ve got a lot of investigating to do.”

I couldn’t help the swell of emotions that were making their way through me.

“You mean in the next two weeks?” I asked, avoiding the stares from Jenny and Angela.

“No, after.” His eyes held mine, and the kitchen fell silent. I was almost certain the others might be able to hear my pounding heartbeat. Jenny and Angela started to squirm. Their little scenario was playing out perfectly, and they were loving every minute of it.

“Logan,” his mom warned, without saying anything else.

“I think if Triss wants to stay here in her home, then she should be able to. She’s basically eighteen, will be in a matter of days. This home is hers. The shop is hers. Rather than screw her entire world up, I think it seems logical for me to rent one of the rooms and help around the house. That was the plan after all.” His voice was full of strength that I needed to start borrowing. It was as if he was daring his mom or aunt to cross him. The truth of it was we didn’t need their approval. It was my home, and he would just be doing what my mom had planned with Ellsy anyway.

Surprisingly, my aunt spoke up first.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, Ellsy. And I have to be honest,” she took a breath in, “the thought is quite comforting. It’s better to have them here than in some dorm packed in like sardines doing who knows what,” my aunt muttered.

“In Triss’s defense,” Jenny spoke up, “it’s not like she’s ever been into anything typical. We’d constantly try to drag her to parties, and she refused every time. She always preferred to be out collecting things and working on some project for the shop.”

My cheeks started getting warm, and I scowled at her. I was appreciative of her support, but I didn’t know I’d come across like such a prude. I’m sure Logan was not only attending the parties in his hometown, but he was probably throwing them. I glanced up at him quickly, only to have him looking over at me with a contemplative look. He was probably wondering how to get out of staying with such a complete bore.

“Jenny’s got a point,” my aunt said. “I was always a tad envious of how easy my sister had it with Triss. I only know a small sliver of the trouble my kids have already gotten themselves into in the first couple years of college and that’s too much.”

My cousins, all of them, were handfuls. I think Aunt Vieta preferred them in another town, so she never had the possibility of finding out what they were up to at college.

“In the immediate, I think you’re right. I shouldn’t plan on going into the shop every day. My mom and I planned that I wouldn’t start school until spring quarter. She wanted me to experience life before heading into more classwork. Obviously, what I’m experiencing is more than I bargained for, but I’d like to stick to as much of the plan as possible. I’ve got a lot on my plate, and I don’t want to move. I want to be here. And yes, it would be nice to have Logan at the house to help out,” I said, staring at my aunt, ensuring I didn’t look at Logan at all. I was happy it was out in the open.

“And I would love to take a road trip,” I announced, sitting at the table, relieved that at least this part of my future had been declared.

Either Jenny or Angela kicked me under the table in a show of support and enthusiasm for all the wrong reasons.

Ellsy looked at me and smiled.

“You guys are good kids, and I know I shouldn’t think of you as kids, but I can’t think of anyone else better to look out for you, Triss. I think your mom would approve, and if there are things that are shifting in our world, I can’t imagine anyone other than my son who I would want to stand by your side.” Ellsy stopped herself and waited for her son to look at her.

It made me wonder if she maybe did know about her son’s earlier studies, regardless of what he thought.

“Thanks for your support,” I mumbled, attempting a smile.

“We know how stubborn you are, my dear. You would have done what you wanted without it, so at your age, I might as well not fight it.” My aunt returned a smile, and I saw a little glimmer of light reflect in her eyes. “You’re like your mom.”

“That I am,” I said smiling.

“Well, that was fun!” Angela said hopping up, not one to miss stirring the pot a little. “But I think it’s time we hit the road so we don’t miss our flight.”

I was secretly relieved. I needed some time alone. The bright side was that the living arrangement was out of the way. All I really wanted was to figure out what could possibly be going on with my mom, not to mention the unwanted visitor.

Chapter 9

I was poring over my mom’s planner when I felt him come into the study. I continued staring at the days before my mom’s disappearance, making a point not to look at him. His intensity was something I couldn’t afford to get lost in.

“Hey, Logan,” I said, bracing my head in my hands over the pages.

“How’s it going?” his voice full of concern.

“It’s going,” I sighed, still not allowing my gaze to meet his. There was something about his eyes that made me want to drop everything and find out what was lurking behind them. The way they could flash from light to dark in an instant made me so curious.

“I’m here if you need anything,” he said, sitting across the desk from me. A charge started dancing between us, and I didn’t want to encourage it or acknowledge it. He shifted in the wooden chair, producing a little creak as he moved, and his hands gripped the chair. They looked so strong. Guilt flooded through me. I shouldn’t be thinking things like this. Maybe it was a bad idea to have him rent the spare room.