Chapter 18
CRUTCH
So, being rich is one thing.
But having this much money? That’s a completely different thing.
“So, that oil tycoon great-grandfather you mentioned? His last name wouldn’t happen to be Exxon, would it?”
She laughs, slapping a hand across my chest before jumping out of the passenger’s side of her SUV. I follow her, staring at the monstrosity of the house in front of me. I swear it would take up half a city block. We parked in the driveway on the left side of the house. Lulu’s side of the house. There’s a completely different driveway on the right side of the house, but you can’t even see it from here. The house is that big.
Massive pecan trees line the yard, closest to the road, and the front of the house is immaculately groomed with shrubs and blooming winter flowers, accenting the red brick and regal white columns. Before heading inside, Lulu walks me around back, opening an ornate, wrought iron fence. There’s an infinity pool with a hot tub and a waterfall. The kind of pool that you can’t see the bottom of—where the water looks like a black opaque blanket glittering in the sun. Patio furniture decorates the porch. Matching patio furniture. Expensive patio furniture.
“So, this is the outside. I spend most of the summer out here. Mom never swims. It would mess up her hair and makeup. So instead, she uses the tanning booth in the gym on her side of the house.”
When we go inside the Children’s Wing, I can see exactly what she was talking about. It looks comfy, don’t get me wrong, but it also looks forced. Everything is decorated in varying shades of white, gray, and navy. The gray marble floors, the white granite countertops, the overstuffed navy sofa with furry white blankets strategically draped over each corner. The TV is bigger than my tent.
It looks like a perfect model house and not an actual home .
I know I want a home one day. A perfectly imperfect place for me and my family.
Says the kid who’s homeless. So, who am I to judge where Lulu lives, but this place isn’t a home.
Carrie’s bedroom is decorated in navy and white. The bed’s neatly made, but there are some clothes tossed on the floor near the full-length mirror and some shoes laying under the chair of the corner desk.
“I put everything back the way it was.” Lulu rubs the scar on her neck. “When I got home from the cruise, the police had searched her room. Mom had a maid come in and clean everything up afterward. But Carrie always leaves those Crocs under her desk chair. She wears them in the house like house shoes. She can’t stand walking around barefoot. The marble is too cold on her feet. And those clothes,” she points to the ones on the floor, “they were laying on the floor the last time I was here, before I left for the cruise.” She loudly swallows, her throat making a strange little noise. “I guess I feel a little less alone when I see those shoes and clothes. Like, she’ll be back in just a day or two, you know?”
My heart fucking collapses in my chest.
Walking across the hallway, she walks me into her bedroom. The midday sun filters through the wooden blinds, streaking her white and gray comforter in light. Gray and white, gray and white. Her room looks like the rest of the house. Neat as a pin. Professionally decorated, even down to the pictures of her and Carrie nestled in the ribbon of a picture board.
“Your mom decorate in here too?”
“Yeah, why?”
“ My Lulu doesn’t really strike me as a gray and white kind of girl.”
She bites her lip, trying to hide her smile. “ Your Lulu isn’t.” She points to the darkened bathroom on the opposite side of her bedroom. “Bathroom is through there if you need to use it.”
Giving her hip a little squeeze, I head into the bathroom while she goes to get something to drink. Her bathroom is bigger than most people’s apartments. There’s a large tile shower, a claw-foot garden tub, and a large marble vanity covered in baskets of neatly stocked cosmetics and jewelry. I peek into one, filled to the brim with necklaces. Just looking at the necklaces makes me smile.
Lulu stopped wearing long necklaces. At my suggestion, might I add. I hate when they get caught between us when we are kissing.
Those damn beads can easily bruise a man’s chest. And since my kissing of Lulu ramped up like a drag racer on nitro after our first week together, I was bruised. A lot.
Back in the kitchen, Lulu’s on her laptop. “Sorry, I just needed to plug in for a quick second. I had to email that history assignment.”
“So, how do you get to the other side of the house?”
She walks me back down the hallway, and at the very end, there’s a simple white door. She opens it, and I stare down the long marble hallway, leading to the Big House. It strangely feels like a pathway leading to death row. “Through there.”
“Lulu, this is weird, right? Most houses don’t have this. It’s like your parents live in a completely different land.”
“Yep, told you it was a very long hallway. Over there is the land where hopes and dreams go to die.”
“Are they home right now?”
“Not that I know of. I sometimes go for days without seeing my parents. But my dad usually works on Saturday mornings and then plays golf with friends. Or plays doctor with one of his mistresses. Mom usually sleeps off her wine hangover until lunch and then has afternoon brunch at the country club.”
She doesn’t ask if I want to meet her parents and I don’t press the issue. I’ve never met a girl’s parents before. Why the hell would I want to start now?
Besides, like I’ve told myself a thousand times, this thing with Lulu is temporary. Very temporary. I don’t need her parents to point out the fact that I’m a deadbeat and cause me to lose Lulu any quicker than I already am.
It’s inevitable.
And I really want to fight off the inevitable for as long as I can.
We’re walking out the door when a Mercedes pulls into the driveway. Lulu murmurs under her breath, standing taller and holding back her shoulders. A girl with red hair climbs out, hauling a big-ass purse behind her.
“Hey, Ella, where are you going? I thought we were gonna hang out and watch a movie.”
“Kristie, what are you talking about? We did that Tuesday night. Remember? We ate pizza and watched Titanic.”
The girl takes the large black sunglasses off her face and rubs her forehead. “Oh, right. I’m sorry. Things have just been crazy between work and school.” She finally looks over, noticing me. “Oh, hello.”
“Kristie, this is Crutch. Crutch, this is Kristie Vann. Her father, Phillip, is the orthopedic surgeon in practice with my dad. Kristie goes to the university. She’s a year younger than you and Carrie. She’s a sophomore. But she also works in her father’s office.”
I hold out my hand. It takes her a few minutes to shake it because she’s rubbing imaginary circles on the ruddy skin of her puffy cheeks. Her pupils are small pinpoints. She quickly pulls away when she sees me studying her eyes. Interesting…
She clears her throat. “So, you’re the person who has been monopolizing our little Ella?”
Our? She should know that Lulu belongs to me not her. Plus, I’m pretty sure Lulu would hate being called little.
“How did the two of you meet again?”
I keep my mouth shut. I’m not sure what all Lulu has told Kristie about me, so it’s best if I keep my mouth shut. All I know is that the words ‘drugs, Carrie, and Trey’ had better stay trapped inside Lulu’s own beautiful mouth.
“Remember, I told you we met at the coffee shop. Crutch is finishing his last year at the community college. He works as a mechanic.”
There she goes again. If she’s embarrassed by me, she hides it well.
Kristie licks her lips a few times, nodding her head. “That’s right. Nice to meet you. Ella, Dad is having some painting done in our kitchen this afternoon. Fine if I hang out here for a while?”
She wants to say no. I know she does. But this is Ella we’re talking about. Not Lulu. “Of course, Kristie. Make yourself at home.”
Once we’re backing out of her driveway, I ask Lulu about Kristie. “So, this is the girl who spends a lot of time at your house? The one who just shows up uninvited?”
“Well, I don’t really know if you can call it uninvited. Carrie gave her a key to our house.”
“You let her stay in Carrie’s room?”
She gasps in horror. “Of course not. If she stays the night, she either sleeps on the couch or with me, in my bed.” She sighs. “I don’t know why I let it irritate me. She’s not a bad person. She’s shy and meek. Friendly, though.”
“Yeah, she seems nice.”
Now I just have to find the right time to tell Lulu that this ‘nice’ girl was just high off her ass.