Nowhere Girl (Foundlings Book 1) Page 17

  “Are you worried?” Simon called for me, stepping toward me while he pressed his hands into a dish towel.

  “It won’t be that bad. Sometimes these storms are quick to pass and we’re left with just some uprooted plants. It will probably be just a fleeting thing.”

  Like Jameson?

  The doorbell rang, withdrawing Simon’s attention. I could hear Jules squeal and trot from the kitchen before the home began filling with laughter. There were two voices in particular that caught my attention, filling my mouth with the taste of blood as my bottom lip violently stuffed itself between my teeth as I turned around.

  Olivia was running toward me, practically knocking me over as her hands grabbed onto my shoulders. She refused to let go, squeezing tighter and whispering in my right ear.

  “They came in with us. Holy balls, it was awkward,” her voice tickled my hair. “It’s just them though.”

  I peered from behind the wavy mess of blonde locks in front of me, hoping Olivia’s hair would act as a shield while I observed Jameson’s aunt and uncle greeting Simon and Jules.

  “My parents had to be all nice and stuff,” Olivia groaned. “Those four practically made retirement plans together while we waited for the door to open.”

  “I’m going to be sick.”

  “Hey.” She stepped back, cautiously looking me over. “Stop that. You’ve done nothing wrong. They probably don’t even know what a jackass their nephew is being. I say forget about him tonight and let’s focus on the fact we have three days of exams and Michelle’s party this week, then it’s all over if you want it to be.”

  I imagined she was referring to just the high school and parent dependency, but her words meant so much more to me than I could express.

  “I like your dress.” I changed the subject, desperately hoping not to make eye contact with Jameson’s uncle and aunt.

  Olivia lifted the hem of her bright pink dress, curtseying and spinning in a circle with delight. “Thank you. It’s new. Hey, let’s go outside.”

  She tugged on my arm and I started to open the patio door, but Jules must have secretly despised me or something because she called out for Olivia and me to wait for her. No. Please. No. I spun around, plastering a pathetically polite smile along my mouth.

  “Yes, Jules?”

  “Darling.” Jules pulled me against her. “You remember Olivia’s parents and Judge Kerry and his wife, Elizabeth?”

  “Yes.” I smiled politely at Olivia’s parents, but froze as my hand lifted in limbo to shake Judge Kerry’s hand. “Sir, Mrs. Kerry…”

  Jameson’s uncle looked down at me from the length of his upward nose, reminding me how little I was beneath his imposing stare. His wife, on the other hand, graciously took my hand and smiled while shaking it.

  “It’s lovely to see you again, Sophia. Simon and Jules tell us you haven’t decided on a college yet.”

  “No.” I blushed. “I actually haven’t finished applying.”

  “I’m trying to get her to come with me,” Olivia interrupted, poking around to my side from around her parents. “We could be roommates.”

  “And where are you going, Miss Hart?” Judge Kerry finally spoke, comfortable giving his attention to Olivia while I continued to receive his perturbed silence. Olivia was oblivious and replied with a smile.

  “Florida International University.” She beamed. “In Miami.”

  Her parents were glowing with pride while Olivia continued, “I’m going to study psychology.”

  “That’s a decent field,” Jameson’s uncle approved, nodding at Olivia. “You’ll have to let Jameson know how you like it. I don’t think he’s decided between his options.”

  “Oh? And what are his options?” Olivia’s step-mother inquired, her tanned face wrinkled with her polite smile.

  I quickly glanced at Olivia, watching her head jerk to the side in an attempt to suggest we leave the conversation. Unfortunately, we were stuck, held prisoner between our guardians while they discussed Jameson. Just lovely.

  “Honey,” Jameson’s aunt turned to her husband, thankfully taking his painful stare away from me. “He hasn’t decided yet, has he? Of what his options are?”

  “He’s going to travel,” Judge Kerry interrupted, looking at Olivia’s step-mother.

  She nodded in awe. “How romantic. My brother did that before he was meant to attend college. He found his wife in Europe somewhere. They’ve been together ever since.”

  The creeping tingle of panic began pulling itself up my legs, along my arms, and wrapping its excruciatingly asphyxiating fingers around my neck. Squeeze.

  “Excuse us.” Olivia pulled my arm and we slid out through the patio door.

  The gusting winds, beginning to stir up sand from the beach, were a painfully refreshing escape.

  “Don’t you want to just dive in…” Olivia said at my side, resting her head against my bare shoulder, “…and just float there, seeing where the waves will take you?”

  “I’m not much of a swimmer.”

  “We could just float. Maybe we’d end up in Ireland or Brazil.”

  I watched Olivia’s hair swirl around her face like a tornado, distractingly beautiful, just like her. I was envious of the way Olivia barely had to try to be as wonderful as she was. She woke up, smiling and pretty, regardless of the grief she experienced and whatever stress she was under. She was an extrovert who entirely understood my introverted self and, for that, I would be forever in her debt.

  “What are you thinking about?” She pulled me from my daydream as she attempted to catch her blowing hair so it wouldn’t adhere to her lip gloss. “Ah, this gloss was a mistake.” She giggled while she waited for my response.

  “Thanks for being my friend,” I replied. “That’s all I was thinking about. Well, and how nice it would be to float to Ireland.”

  “I bet you’d like it there,” she teased. “You and that rain. Well, Sophia, you’re in luck because with this storm coming, we are sure to get a deluge.”

  “Girls,” a voice broke our exchange, calling at us from the house.

  My shoulders froze at the sound while Olivia peered behind us. I could see her face slightly drop in response to our intruders.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  “Coming, Mrs. Kerry,” Olivia announced and then whispered to me, “Take a breath. It will be fine. Do they even know about you two?”

  “No. There isn’t…there isn’t an us two. Obviously.”

  “Olivia,” her step-mother joined Mrs. Kerry at the doorway, searching through the breezy lawn for Olivia and I. “Sophia, Simon’s looking for you. Liv, dear, it’s time for dinner.”

  “It isn’t safe for you two to be out here with this storm coming,” Mrs. Kerry added, eyeing me as our reluctant feet began their path back inside.

  Her eyes were certainly detailing me, but in a much less scrutinizing fashion than her husband. I had met her twice. Twice and she hated me. Olivia and I were slow to follow, just catching the end of their conversation as the women turned back into Simon’s house.

  “…I don’t know the entire story,” Olivia’s step-mother mumbled. “…an orphan…you know how they are…”

  “And how are they, Mrs. Hart?” I inquired, interrupting her rude dialogue with Jameson’s aunt.

  The women spun around, shocked their volume wasn’t kept private. Olivia grinned with a giggle of pride and awe, placing her arm around my shoulder. I had no idea where that audacity and courage came from. Maybe it was the tequila-free margarita. Maybe it was my nerves. Maybe it was the strength Olivia gave me. Or maybe I was just so done with being there, thinking about how I did something wrong to Jameson and how his aunt and uncle hated me, and that I was wearing a dress I hated…

  “I…um…uh…” She couldn’t finish, frantically looking back and forth between Mrs. Kerry and Olivia. In a huff, she spun on her heel and left the three of us standing just inside the patio door.

  “Just go,” I muttered to Olivia while two steps ca
rried me away. I sat against the damp wood of Simon’s patio.

  Her arms were around me, suffocating and swallowing me whole. The drizzle from earlier was steadily turning into more. Olivia’s wild hair was dampening against her face and our makeup was beginning to run.

  “I’m not leaving you. You can’t choose what will cause an attack. I’ll be here with you if one comes.”

  “If?”

  “Please don’t be embarrassed,” she read my mind. “I understand what’s going on, Sophia.”

  I peered up at Olivia, witnessing the warm empathy pouring from her eyes. The hopeful expression she often displayed had been exchanged for one of mature reassurance. She continued speaking, not waiting for my response. If she gave me more time to think, I would have told her again to leave me alone. I don’t do people. We were getting soaked, entirely saturated, and it was the most welcoming feeling since I had opened up to Jameson.

  “It must really be stressing you out to not hear from him and then see his aunt and uncle. I want to run in there and punch them both for raising such a dick! Have you heard…?” My head shook in response.

  “Girls,” Mrs. Kerry’s voice tickled the drizzling air from behind us, forcing my skin to freeze. “It’s time to eat. You don’t want to be caught out here in this rain. Come inside.”

  “We like the rain. Thanks anyway,” Olivia groaned, displaying the first ounce of hostility I had ever seen from her.

  Why is Mrs. Kerry still talking to us? When she and her husband ran into Jameson and I on Thursday, she was the ultimate picture of distaste. She couldn’t have held her nose higher as she looked down at me. I wasn’t worthy of her nephew. She didn’t want me. He doesn’t either.

  “Olivia,” she pressed, stepping further onto the patio and sitting next to her. “Your father needs you in there right now. Dear.”

  She wasn’t addressing me, and the way she barely glanced at me informed me of so much. Olivia groaned, climbing from my side and following Jameson’s aunt inside. While they retreated to the confines of wealth, I remained on the patio and allowed the rain to bury me. The wind continued to escalate, nearly scooping me away with the dancing palm leaves. Closing my eyes tightly and wrapping my arms around my thighs, I pretended to be Dorothy heading into her tornado—a tornado that would swallow me whole and pull me away from Florida. Right now, I didn’t care where it took me just as long as it wasn’t…

  “Sophia,” Simon whispered behind me, his voice inches from my ear. I spun around, noticing he was protecting me with a wavering umbrella.

  “Sorry, Simon. I didn’t mean to cause a scene. I just…I didn’t realize how wet it was out here.”

  “I thought we lost you for a minute there.” He smiled, lowering his hand for me to take. “We haven’t started eating yet so don’t worry about that.”

  I took his hand and returned into his kitchen. It smelled heavenly now that he and Jules finished cooking. The deliciously rich odor of her coq au vin spread around the room, enveloping my taste buds, already salivating in preparation.

  I lingered in the doorway, trying to shake off the leftover rain, while Simon tossed me several hand towels. He leaned against the island, crossing his arms and looking at the doors behind me.

  “It’s supposed to be quite the storm,” he murmured. “I don’t think Julesie’s house is going to be the safest place for you two. Would you be comfortable staying here?”

  “I guess,” I replied, finding my damp self as dry as it was going to be without entirely changing clothes.

  Simon nodded and turned, motioning for me to join him in the dining room. I could hear Jules’s laughter mixing with the rumble of conversation. As we entered, Olivia’s eyes shot directly to mine as they overflowed with concern. I smiled, hoping to reassure Olivia while knowing my pathetic attempt at the fake emotion would only rattle her. I took a seat next to Jules, fortunately across from Olivia so we could exchange glances and kick each other’s feet while enduring those people.

  “Darling,” Jules was calling me, holding my filled plate in front of me.

  I tried to smile, thanking her and positioning it below me and waiting for everyone to be served before enjoying her feast.

  Listening to Judge Kerry’s voice brought the burn of Jameson’s absence back, taunting me and reminding me of how peacefully happy we were just days ago in the windy sand with our stupid ice cream. I was the stupid one.

  The table buzzed with conversation of investments, expensive hurricane preparations, and Olivia’s college plan…again. She and I exchanged too many disgusted or irritated glances to count. Olivia was my silver lining. Sitting across from her was a buffer from the ostentatious conversation of things I would never understand. Once the meal had ended, and Jules had passed through three pitchers of Simon’s homemade margaritas, conversation dwindled.

  “Shall we?” Judge Kerry spoke, nodding to Simon.

  My eyes snapped from a haze and followed, observing Judge Kerry’s blank face as he stood and waited for Simon to accompany him. Simon was wiping his mouth and dropped his napkin onto the plate before meeting Judge Kerry at the dining room doorway. Jules was ignorantly sipping from her wine glass while chatting with Olivia’s parents and Jameson’s aunt. I studied her in awe. How could I be related to someone so opposite of me? The way she moved—the physical ability she had to entertain and sway people with just a flip of her hair or the sparkle in her eyes. It was mesmerizing and completely unfathomable.

  “So, Jules,” Mrs. Kerry began, “Tell me more about this trip you’re taking.”

  “A trip?” I mumbled, looking at Jules. Her eyes bugged before she replied, swallowing her swig of lime-flavored tequila.

  “Quand la tempête est terminée, ma chère.” Jules squeezed my shaking wrist as she whispered to me before replying to Jameson’s aunt. “We actually haven’t discussed much of it.”

  “Are you going too?” Olivia’s stepmother nodded toward me, sipping from her margarita.

  These women sure liked their social lubricant. I glanced at Olivia, her blonde head nodded toward the doorway.

  “Unfortunately,” Jules frowned, “Simon was only able to secure two tickets.”

  So wherever Jules was going, it was a secret from me and I wasn’t invited. I loved it here. Olivia and I excused ourselves, meeting in the living room just off the kitchen. We sat in silence for at least fifteen minutes before I finally found words. Perfect, unquestioned, safe silence.

  “Do you ever wonder what it would be like to start over?” I flipped my silent phone around in my hand while Olivia combed my hair with her fingers.

  “What do you mean?” she inquired, her fingers slowly putting me into a trance.

  “Well,” I sat up, dropping my phone onto the coffee table and looking at her. “Do you ever wish you could just escape everything…like everything with your parents…Owen…school…Florida…”

  “I think I understand what you’re saying, Sophski, but despite everything with my parents and whatever stuff we deal with as seniors, I’m happy here. I’m legitimately happy.”

  “Oh.”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to be though,” she continued. “Maybe you should call him, Sophia.”

  She was sitting on the sofa while I sat against it on the floor, my hair spread above my head onto the cushion. Call him. Right.

  “I can’t call him,” I whispered, embarrassed to admit I was feeling anything about this situation other than angry.

  No—why was I even feeling angry at him? I should just be mad at myself for falling so fast. That was why I didn’t talk to people. I hated people. I wanted to curl up into my safe, protected ball of introversion and exist. Without boys. I was still angry at him. Furious, actually, and growing more so by the minute. Furious and broken. Distraught.

  When Simon finally left his study from the super-secret, private meeting with Judge Kerry, he could barely look at me. He stopped in the doorway of the living room, distracting Olivia and I from our convers
ation. Well…only sort of. Unfortunately, my mind was still ringing with the distractingly confusing memory of Jameson.

  “Girls.” He nodded, a grim straight line along his lips, before walking by us to the dining room where the boisterous choir of laughing women echoed. Olivia stiffened above me; I could feel the rigidness against her legs.

  “Yikes,” she whispered as Judge Kerry followed Simon across the hall. “What do you think they were talking about?”

  “I have no clue.”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-ONE

  JAMESON

  I had spent the night tossing and turning, pathetically trying to fall asleep well before my body and mind were aligned to allow such a task. I tried walking along the beach, secretly hoping the storm would suck me into its grasp, but I could barely see in the rain.

  I hadn’t been in the rain with Soph, but it still reminded me of her. I found myself consistently curious about her life before coming here. Just because of the rain. Like I’d never experienced precipitation before she came around or something!

  My legs were resting along the wall above me as my back was flat against the floor. I was trying to nurse this isolating feeling burning its wrath through my mind. I was forced to ignore the most beautiful, amazing thing that ever happened to me.

  “Jameson,” Thomas’s voice rumbled from my doorway. “Are you awake?”

  “What do you want?”

  I could hear his feet creep farther into my bedroom. The hardwood floor was useless at muffling any sound. My forearm fell over my eyes, hoping if I didn’t see Thomas, then he couldn’t see me.

  “Elizabeth and I just had a surprisingly interesting evening.”

  His weight slumped against the wall next to my legs. The second to last thing I wanted right now was to converse with him. The last thing I wanted to do was leave Soph.

  “Aren’t you the least bit interested, Jameson?”

  “No.”

  “Well,” Thomas’s throat cleared. “Elizabeth and I had dinner at Simon Bellini’s house this evening.”