“I’m not hungry, don’t worry about me.” I fed her a few more bites while she fought blush after blush. The room seemed way too quiet, and I was way too aware of her in my bed. I have no idea how Ma knew to leave her there but whatever.
My skin felt tight, my heart raw like I was coming down from something. Everything now seemed superimposed. Her scent, my soap, smelt different on her. The soft silk of the pajamas molded her curves which she usually keeps hidden beneath oversized tee shirts and baggy jeans.
And most unsettling to me is the fact that now that the anger has shifted, there was a new emotion taking its place. A gentle softness that made me want to erase all the hurt that she’d suffered until now. If I was still on the fence about getting involved with her shit before, that was no longer the case. I don’t think I could live with myself if I left her to face any more alone.
“Tell me about your mother.” The question came from out of left field, startling her.
“My…my mom? Why?”
“Just tell me about her. What was she like? What do you remember most about her?” It took her a minute, but once she started, she couldn’t seem to stop.
She got a dreamy look on her face as she recited tales of her memories of her mother before she passed. “She was very kind. I don’t think she ever yelled at me once.” She smiled as she recounted the games they used to play, the feel of her mother’s comforting arms when she was ill, “I use to remember her scent, but it’s grown faint since it’s been so long since I smelt her.”
I was prepared for the sadness in her voice, but the tears rocked me to the core. I couldn’t very well tell her not to cry, neither could I let her see what her tears did to me. I kept her talking, filing away little bits of information for the future. The only thing I didn’t mention is what had occurred today. I let her escape in fond memories of her time with her mother before exhaustion took her over.
“You look beat; you should get some sleep.” She looked around the room with a blush. “Don’t fret. I’ll sleep on the couch in the sitting room. You’re safe here.” I took the tray from her lap and collected my untouched dinner plate from the table. “I’ll be back in a little bit. Get some sleep.” I walked over to the computer and printed out a sheet of paper before leaving the room.
After a hurried trip downstairs, I went to see the twins in their room. “This is a list of all of Victoria’s friends.” I threw the folded piece of paper down on the bed between them.
“A list? I know you don’t want us to invite them to our party.”
“No, I thought of it, but that’s too good for them.”
“So, what’s with the list?”
“We’re going to play a game of chess. Those girls on that list are Victoria’s pawns, her first line of defense. You’ll be the bishop and rook. I want you to eliminate them one by one.” Anna’s eyes brightened.
“Not that kind of elimination, no malice, no bloodshed.”
“Then what are we supposed to do with them?”
“You really need me to tell you two how to take care of a bunch of teenage girls who’re chasing TikTok and Instagram fame?”
“You’ve got a point. Okay, when do we start?”
“Right now. Nothing is to touch Gianna; keep that in mind.”
“Wait a minute, if we’re the rook and bishop, does that make Gianna the queen and you the king?” Now Rosa was the one with the glint in her eye.
“Since our queen is so weak, I’ll be both knight and the king.”
“Fine, get out of here so we can brainstorm.”
I’ll let them deal with that while I take care of the rest of the board. I wasn’t quite over my mad yet, but I was calm enough to have that talk with her dad without shoving his head further up his ass. Though the thought of seeing him filled me with rage, I needed to at least hear his side of things, figure out just where he fits in in all this.
I only told Pop where I was going and didn’t put up too much of a fuss when he stuck a team on my tail. They knew better than to interfere, and even if things got out of hand, I have no doubt I could handle it on my own. The drive over was made with less haste this time around, and since I hadn’t called ahead, it was a relief to see that the lights were still on inside.
The door had been replaced like new, and things seemed calm on the other side because I didn’t hear anything before I rang the doorbell. The Becky woman opened the door and opened her mouth to say who knows what. I brushed by her and headed to the room where I’d met Fontane the night before. He was sitting behind his desk, gazing off into space.