“About what?”
“Your place, Cooper. He told me he went to visit you at the old inn the day Dane died. That you two had a long talk. That you were on board.”
I squint my eyes, trying to remember this conversation. “He did.”
“Good. Then…” Mr. Huntington pauses. “Why are you being so difficult? You’re going to lose them both if you’re not careful, Cooper.”
I let that sink in. You’re going to lose them both.
What the hell did my father and I talk about that day? Little bit of Dane, little bit of Cadee, little bit of Cadee’s mother and father. But mostly we talked about—him. My father when he was my age.
I look at Mr. Huntington. Stare him straight in the eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He smiles at me, nodding. “I know, Cooper. We all know how hard she is.” It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking about Isabella. “And we appreciate how much you’ve helped us put her in her place. If it wasn’t for you, Cooper?” He shakes his head. “She would be wild. Out of control. With all kinds of crazy notions in her head.” He pauses again. “I don’t know what I would do without you. That’s why I’ve been sticking up for you these past three years.” Suddenly his hands are gripping my upper arms and he’s shaking me. Not violently or anything. But still, it’s fucking weird. “I want you two to be together. I’m rooting for you, Cooper. I really am. And you’re close, son. So close. If you can just make it to New Year’s Eve, she will be yours. And Jack won’t be able to slap her around anymore.”
“What?”
“New Year’s Eve, Cooper. Just… get there.” Then he nods and lets go of my arms. “You can do it.”
He leaves me there. Everyone leaves me there. I can hear the girls down the hallway. They’re in the bathroom presumably washing Elizabeth.
But I tune out everything but the last few words that came out of Mr. Huntington’s mouth. If you can just make it to New Year’s Eve, she will be yours. And Jack won’t be able to slap her around anymore.
I wander down the hall and stand in the open door of the bathroom.
Elizabeth is clean now, wrapped up in a towel. Both Isabella and Cadee’s dresses are wet down the front from their effort. Neither Leela nor Jack are here.
“Isabella?”
She sucks in a long breath, then turns to me. “Yes?”
“What did Jack and Leela tell you to do with Elizabeth when you were done?”
“They didn’t say. I think they left, actually. For the hospital. I think Jack needs stitches.”
She and I stare at each other for a few moments. Then I nod. “OK. Then leave her here. She’s none of our business.”
“That’s not fair!”
I think all three of us are equally stunned when Elizabeth speaks. Because we just look at her for a few moments, unsure what to say.
“It’s not fair, Cooper. And you know it! They killed Dane! This isn’t my life!”
I look at Cadee and she’s already shaking her head. But we’ve been practicing for weeks now. And she does not speak.
“This is your life, Elizabeth. You signed up for every bit of it.” Then I turn to Cadee and Isabella. “Let’s go home. We’re done here.”
We sneak out like cowards, using a back door reserved for staff to make our way outside, because if I have to listen to Mr. Huntington shame his daughter one more time, I will send him to the hospital next.
I’m sure I’ll have to pay for what I did to Jack. And I’m sure that punishment will be severe. But I can’t think about it now. The only thing running through my head is the idea that I didn’t take it far enough. Didn’t hurt him nearly enough.
Because I think Mr. Huntington just admitted, in some roundabout way, that my brother Jack has been hitting Isabella for a very long time.
And this thought is enough to boil my blood. I see red on the drive home. In fact, I don’t even know how we get home. I don’t even remember getting in the car.
I am nothing but rage and I want to let it all loose on Jack.
Ax’s Camaro is in the driveway when I pull in, but the house is dark.
We go inside, flip on the lights, and then Cadee and Isabella head upstairs, talking about showers and clothes—all too willing to put this day behind them—when I see Ax down at the end of the long hallway that leads to the side door of the inn.
He looks at me, kinda lifts his head up in a nod, then disappears through the door.
I follow him. Then find him in his favorite place, pacing the length of the top terrace of that weird mini-amphitheater on the lake shore.
I pass him, then hop down the other terraces until I reach the bottom where there’s still a little bit of stage left over from better days. The lake water creeps up over it. And on very windy days, sometimes this little platform is completely covered.
But tonight, everything is still. So I stand there in the middle of the semi-circle, and stare up at Ax.
He lets out a long breath. “Well. I hear you guys had quite a fucking night.”
“Dude. You have no idea.”
“I saw Valentina today.” He looks over his shoulder at the inn, then back at me.
“And?”
Ax shrugs. “We’re pretty much just all hanging in there. They don’t trust you anymore. And they really do not trust Cadee.”
It’s my turn to shrug. “OK. Anything else?”
“That’s it for me. I’m just doing my thing.”
“You don’t go to school anymore.”
“Nah. No fucking point. But don’t worry, I’m turning shit in. Online portal. My Capstone paper is coming along.”
“OK. Good, I guess.”
He hops down one terrace. Points to the ground. “How’s your project coming?”
I nod. “Yeah. I’m making progress. Did the echolocation.”
“And?”
“Nothing. As expected. But Victor and I are setting up the seismic scanning. Should be able to shoot that shit off in about a week.”
Ax raises his eyebrows at me. “So soon?”
“Yeah. I can’t delay. Jack is on me all the fucking time. And I beat the shit out of him tonight, so trust me. A week is pushing it.”
Ax sighs. “What do think you’ll find?”
“I have no clue. But whatever it is they’re looking for out there? It’s fucking big.”
Back inside, I stop by Isabella’s room first. I tap my knuckles on the door, then open it without waiting. Isabella is lying on her stomach on the bed, tapping on her phone. She looks over her shoulder at me, then goes back to her phone. “What’s up, Coop?”
“Are you… OK?”
“I’m fine. Why?” She doesn’t even look at me.
“Because Jack slapped you across the face tonight.”
She shrugs. “It didn’t really hurt.”
“That’s not the point.”
Now she looks at me. “Then what is the point, Cooper?”
“He hit you, Isabella. Right in front of me. And no one seems to think that’s weird.”
She gets up and walks towards me. She’s wearing a pair of light blue shorts, a white tank top, her face has been washed, and her wet hair is piled on top of her head. Obviously, she is done with this day.