Only Trick (46 page)

“Todos Santos is amazing. You have to come visit soon. We’re right on the beach and it’s such a paradise.”

“So that’s an official invite?”

“Yes. Although you never need one. Trick’s been drawing … he sold one for thirty grand in only a week. The gallery owner said he could have gotten so much more had he more time.”

“What did he draw?”

My heart sinks. In all of my enthusiasm I sort of forgot that would be a natural follow-up question, but this is Nana and she’ll know I’m lying if I try to tell her anything but the truth.

“A woman from his past.” I frown.

Her eyes go wide. “From his past that he forgot?”

I nod.

“So he remembers?”

“Not really. All he has is the image. He doesn’t know why he has it. I think he drew her hoping it would trigger the rest of his memory, but it hasn’t.”

“Is she pretty?”

“Yes, older looking … well, at least older than he would have been at the time he last saw her.”

“What was she doing in the picture?”

I grimace. “Lying on a bed …
naked
.”

Nana’s brows form two tall peaks. “And what did you do when you saw it?”

“I kinda freaked out. It’s such a long story, but we’re good now and the fact that he made so much money off it somehow made everything better.”

“Because you two needed the money?” Nana has trouble keeping a straight face.

I roll my eyes. “Yes, we did. We have rent and other expenses, and aside from the little bit of money that I’ve made tutoring our neighbor, neither one of us have had a reliable form of income until he sold that drawing.”

Nana pushes away her tray of food. “I could give you money, dear.”

“I don’t want it.”

“It’s not as much as it could have been, but it’s rightfully yours. I’m not going to live forever and your grandfather worked hard for it. He would want you to have it.”

“He never knew me.”

“But he would have adored you.”

I smile. “Thank you for saying that.” I take her hand. “But I have money. I’ve never made a rent or house payment until now.” I give her the you-should-know-why look. “And I’ve worked full time ever since I graduated from college, without student loans to pay back. And I’ve made decent money with my job.”

Nana smiles. “I’m so proud of you. You’re a shimmering gem, Darby. You have such a big heart and you know what’s important in life. All those girls in school missed out on being friends with you. Shame on them. I bet not a single one of them grew up to be half the woman you are today.”

“You mean Darby the Doormat?”

“No!” Nana scowls. “If everyone were a hard ass like me, the world would be in trouble. Never apologize for being compassionate. It’s who you are and the recipients of that compassion are some of the luckiest people in the world, and I can guarantee they will never forget you.”

“Love you, Nana. Now…” I pull her blankets up and smooth them over her “…get some rest.”

*

As soon as
Nana’s asleep, I head down to the cafeteria. Everywhere I look I’m met with watchful eyes and sad expressions. I get a bag of pretzels and a bottled water then take a seat at an empty table. First I feel it, then I look around to confirm it—the glances that make a quick diversion every time I look up, followed by whispering and subtle gestures in my direction. I pop a mini pretzel into my mouth and chew it in slow motion as I glance up at the TV in the corner.

Senator Carmichael was pronounced dead after four hours of surgery in attempts to repair massive internal bleeding sustained from a car accident last night. There has been no official details released in regards to his funeral arrangements …

I shake my head slowly.

“Your father didn’t make it.”

“I’m so sorry …”

“So sorry about your father …”

“We’re all here for you.”

“It was my idea … he didn’t want to go …”

“No!” I scream the word, silencing the room. My heart is ready to explode. I can’t breathe as my mind tries to make sense of everything. A surge of nausea has me buckling over. Grabbing my purse, I rush past the heads all turned in my direction to get to the bathroom. I barely make it to the toilet before I expel what little is in my stomach. “Oh God!” I continue to dry heave.

Sitting back on the dirty floor of the stall, I hug my knees to my chest and shiver through a cold sweat. Fumbling for my purse, I manage to retrieve my phone and send off a text with only four letters.

Me:
help

I drop my phone in my bag and lay my forehead on my knees, praying for
help
.

“Miss? Are you okay?” A voice calls from outside my stall.

I shiver, shaking my head some more.

“Can I get or call someone for you?”

“T-T-Trick.”

“Trick?”

I nod, squeezing my eyes shut.

“Did you say Trick?”

I nod, but cannot speak.

“Do you have a number?”

I open my mouth to speak but all that comes out are sobs, painful emotion being wrung from my heart.

“Um … I’ll see what I can do.”

I
’d rather tear
my own fucking heart out of my chest than know that she needs me and I can’t find her. She won’t text me back or answer her phone. Grace is asleep so Grady, Tamsen, and I split up to look for Darby.

“Hey!” I call seeing a familiar face.

The nurse that worked with Darby turns.

“Have you seen Darby?”

“No. Isn’t she with Grace?”

I shake my head and jog to the elevator.

“Maybe she’s in the cafeteria!”

I don’t acknowledge her, but I’m heading there. I rip through the crowd of people on the elevator when the doors open on the lower level. Looking right then left I don’t see her, but I spot both Grady and Tamsen.

“No luck?”

They both shake their heads. I fist my hair and growl in anger. “Dammit! Why won’t she answer her phone?”

“Are you looking for someone?” An older woman with an ID badge asks.

“Yes,” Tamsen answers then describes what Darby looks like.

“She ran to the bathroom about an hour ago. Another lady went in to check on her. All she said was ‘Trick.’”

“Trick, you can’t just barge into the women’s bathroom!” Tamsen calls, chasing after me.

Like hell I can’t!

“Darby!” I slam the door open so hard it makes a crashing sound against the back wall.

All the stalls are unoccupied except one.

“Darby!” I bang on it and look underneath. “Open the door.”

She releases a strangled sob, and I don’t wait another second before yanking the door open sending the metal latch clattering to the ground.

“Shh … I’m here.” I pick her up, cradling her in my arms as her face buries into my chest with gut-wrenching cries. Tamsen grabs her purse and Grady holds the door open for us.

“H-he’s d-d-dead …”

I press my lips to her head while carrying her to the elevator. “I know, baby … I know,” I whisper.

Grady drives us home, and I carry her to bed and just hold her. It doesn’t matter what I thought of her father. In spite of everything, I know she loved him. That’s just her, always giving more than he deserved and settling for so much less than she needed from the ungrateful bastard.

I’m not sure what time it is when her body finally quiets and stills. Tamsen slips off Darby’s shoes and mine then spreads a blanket over us. “I’ll be on the couch if you need anything,” she whispers.

I nod and mouth “thank you.”

There will never be enough time left in my life to repay Tamsen and Grady. They are without exception always here for me when I need them, but what’s most amazing is they have a way of knowing I need them even before I do.

My life’s circumstances have never been ideal, but this I know. I’ve been loved more than most people are in a dozen lifetimes. My parents had nothing and yet I felt like I had everything … everything that mattered. Grady and I might not always agree on things, but he picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me purpose again. Tamsen … well Tamsen is an angel if there’s such a thing. She healed me from the inside out and
sinceriously
gave me back my sense of self-worth. Then there’s the woman in my arms. She’s my future … my whole world … my lover … my wife … my BFF.

O
h. My. Head.
I think my eyes are swollen shut. As I try to shift, strong arms tighten around me.

“Pee … I need to pee,” I whisper. Before I can say another word, I’m being carried to the bathroom. “I can walk.” I squint up at Trick through the slit beneath my puffy eyelids as he sets me on my feet. He crosses his arms over his chest. Sure, like I want him to stand here and watch me pee. “I could use a drink of water.”

“Tamsen, Darby needs some water!”

I sigh. “I need my purse too.”

“Grab her purse too!”

“Okay, if you must know I don’t need water or my purse. I need thirty seconds by myself to tinkle without you watching me.”

Trick smirks. “We’re married.”

“And I’d like to keep it that way. So let’s not make a point of watching each other shit and piss, okay?”

He chuckles. “Suit yourself.” Just as Tamsen turns the corner to the bathroom, he signals for her to leave and follows her out.

After washing my hands and splashing cold water on my face, I get ready to turn the corner to what I know will be three very sad faces looking at me.

“Hey, sunshine. I’ve got pancakes and eggs, but I could do toast and jelly for you instead,” Grady calls from the stove.

“Pancakes are great, thanks.”

Tamsen hands me a glass of orange juice, giving me her genuine smile, not the one everyone was giving me yesterday.

“Thank you.”

“Come.” Trick pats the barstool next to him.

It’s the word I want to hear. I was worried when he felt the need to carry me to the bathroom. Coddling is not my thing. Last night was my breakdown; now it’s passed. I’m sensitive and compassionate, and in spite of what some mean, catty bitches have thought over the years, that doesn’t equate to weak. I had a weak moment, but I am not a weak person.

“When do you want to go get your nana?”

I scoot up on the stool. “Just as soon as we’re done eating. She’ll be itching to leave. Besides, I feel awful for abandoning her last night when I told her I would stay.”

“No need, honey. I talked with the nurses on her floor and told them you weren’t feeling well and to tell your nana when she woke that you’d pick her up in the morning.” Grady winks at me, setting a stack of three pancakes on my plate, two more than I’m going to be able to eat this morning.

“You’re the best.”

Grady gives Trick an I-told-you-so look.

Trick rests his hand on my leg, giving it a gentle squeeze. I expect him to make some snide comment to Grady, putting him in his place the way they both seem to do, but he doesn’t. It makes me wonder if Trick shares my gratitude for what our friends, our
family,
have done.

*