Chapter 10 Presley
PRESLEY
“Ineed Nana’s ring.”
“Why?”
“I need to sell it.”
Concern marked Mom’s face as she asked, “What in the world are you talking about?”
I walked over and sat down on the sofa, and Mom was quick to follow. I glanced around the living room, and it looked just like it did when I lived there. Same pictures. Same sofa. Even the same lamps.
The house was in the center of a good neighborhood where you didn’t feel the need to always lock the doors. Kids rode their bikes day and night, and people always stopped to chat anytime they were out walking. Even though I hadn’t lived there in years, it still felt like home.
But sadly, it gave me little comfort as I explained, “Lila Kate ran into some trouble and…”
“What are you talking about? What kind of trouble?” she gasped. “Is she okay? Is she hurt?”
“No, Mom. She’s fine. It’s not like that.” I grimaced. “At least, not yet.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means your daughter made some really bad decisions, and because she found herself in the mess of a lifetime, I have to do what I can to fix it. So, I’m asking for Nana’s ring.”
“Why?”
“So, I can sell it.”
“Absolutely not,” she replied, already shaking her head, “That ring is…”
“Mine,” I cut her off. “Nana gave it to me.”
The ring had been tucked away in a little blue velvet box since the day Nana died. I’d always dreamed of wearing it as an engagement ring. I didn’t want to sell it. But I didn’t have a choice. I knew Nana would understand.
It didn’t matter how big or small the problem, my Nana had always promised to be there for me whenever I needed her and giving me that ring was her way of keeping that promise.
I placed my hand on my mother’s as I told her, “I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option.”
Dad was sitting across the room and made a noticeable shift in his chair, but he didn’t say a word. He just sat there, watching me the way he always did when something was wrong. Mom’s back stiffened as she leaned in and asked, “What the hell is going on? What did Lila Kate do?”
“I can’t get into it.” I folded my hands together, hoping she wouldn’t see them shaking as I admitted, “It’s not good. We need money and need it fast.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not.”
“There has to be another way.”
“I wouldn’t be here if there was.” I sounded utterly defeated as I told her, “I’ve already sold my car, my wedding ring, and anything else I could get my hands on. Lila Kate sold what she could, but it wasn’t enough.”
“You sold your car?”
“I did, but Chrissy from work is letting me borrow her mother’s van until I can afford another one.”
That did it.
Her face went pale.
“No. This is too much. You have to tell me what’s going on.”
“I would if I could, but I can’t. It’s better this way.”
“No, it’s not.” Mom held her hand up, stopping me from interrupting as she said, “This is bad. I can feel it in my bones. You have to tell me what’s going on, and you have to tell me right this instant.”
“I can’t.”
“I don’t want to hear that,” she pushed. “I’m your mother! There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
“That’s not exactly true.” I pressed my lips together and inhaled a deep breath. “I know you’re worried, but you’re just going to have to trust me on this one and know I’m doing everything I can to help Lila Kate out of this mess.”
Silence settled between us.
I had no idea what she was thinking.
My mother was in her late fifties but looked much younger.
She had light-brown hair that she refused to let go gray and usually kept it pulled back in a messy twist. And she had beautiful green eyes that always seemed to notice the cracks in other people but somehow missed the ones forming right in her own home.
She wrote for the local paper for as long as I could remember. She was always chasing the next big story and worked harder than anyone I knew. And she was a good mother. I never once doubted that, but she was driven in a way that made her miss things.
Late-night talks.
Birthdays.
Heartbreaks, big and small.
Successes and failures, unless they were her own.
She loved us fiercely, just not always when we needed it most. She glanced over at Dad, and years of marriage and understanding passed between them. Finally, he stood and started down the hall. “I’ll get it.”
Mom turned her attention back to me as she whispered, “Mom wouldn’t want this.”
“I know.”
I hated that Nana’s ring, a symbol of love that had lasted a lifetime, was about to become my last hope.
Dad walked back into the room and placed the ring in my hand. “Is this going to be enough to cover it, or will you need more?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll figure it out.”
“I can help.” He glanced over at Mom as he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out an old baseball card. “You can sell this.”
I glanced down at the card, and my chest tightened when I saw that it was his cherished Mickey Mantle card.
It was something he’d held onto for years, saying it was his retirement plan.
I had no idea how much it was worth, but I knew it was valuable.
Otherwise, Dad wouldn’t have kept it locked away in his safe.
I knew it was important to him. There was no way I could take it from him.
He was a prideful man and worked hard to provide for his family.
He’d always done exactly that, until he had a stroke a couple of years back.
It had taken a real toll on him and the family finances.
The hospital bills wiped out all their savings, and they were still trying to get back on their feet.
“No, Dad. I can’t take that.”
“I don’t want you losing everything to help your sister. It isn’t right.”
“We’ll manage. We always do.” I stood and slipped the ring into my coat pocket. “I know you will anyway but try not to worry. I’ll get it sorted.”
“Then, take this.” He reached in his pocket again, this time pulling out his Jackie Robinson card. “It’s not quite as valuable, but it should help.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“No. I think you should take the Mantle card, but you’re the one running this show.”
“I’m not running it. I’m just trying to survive it, and the Robinson card will be a huge help.” I stood there a moment longer, then whispered, “I gotta get going.”
“Are you sure there isn’t something more we can do?” Dad pushed.
“It’s fine, Dad. You’ve done plenty.”
I reached up and gave him a quick hug, then turned to Mom, hugging her, too. A tear trickled from her eye as she said, “I hate that it has to be this way.”
“It’s fine, Mom. Nana would understand.”
“She would be so proud of you. I know I am.”
I nodded because there was no way I could speak. Before Mom could break my heart even more, I grabbed my things and slipped out the door.
The drive home felt longer than usual. Every mile gave me time to think and to second-guess whether or not it was a good idea to sell all my worldly possessions. My heart screamed no, but it wasn’t enough to convince my mind. I knew I had to do it.
It was the only way I could save my sister.
It’s what I should’ve done from the beginning.
Maybe then, I wouldn’t be so worried about Davis and his plans for screwing over Luke. I wanted to warn him, but there was no way I could do that—not after the threatening text message I’d gotten from Davis.
If I said anything to anyone, he would give my address and Lila Kate’s to every foul man he’d ever met, and after they’d had their fun with us, they’d put bullets in our heads.
I wasn’t sure I believed him, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
So, I kept my mouth shut and tried to come up with the money on my own. As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I spotted Lila Kate sitting alone on the front steps. Her legs crossed at her ankles, and her sunglasses were pushed up in her hair like she’d been waiting there for a while.
I parked, and I’d barely had time to get out, when she was in my face, shoving a wad of cash into my hand. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“Eighteen grand.”
“What? How did you manage this?”
“I sold my car, and those diamond earrings Sawyer gave me for Christmas last year.”
“Why would you do that?” I gasped. “You need your car for school, and…”
“And you needed yours for work. That didn’t stop you from selling it.” Tears filled her eyes as she said, “You’ve done so much. Way more than you should have, and I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”
“You have done something. You’ve come up with almost twenty thousand dollars. That’s not nothing.”
“I know, but I need to do more.”
“I hate this.”
“I hate it, too. I hate it so much, and I’ll never forgive myself for getting into this mess in the first place. I’m trying to make it right. But I’m sorry to say we’re still a good bit short.”
“I got Nana’s ring.”
“Oh, Pres” she sighed. “Do we really have to go there?”
“We’ve been through this, Lila. I don’t want to go through it again.”
“I know, and I’m really, really sorry. I should’ve known better than to trust some asshole like Davis.”
“Been through that, too.” I gave her a wink and a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be fine. We’re going to get through this.”
“You sound like you actually believe that.”
“Because I do.” I reached up and brushed her hair from her face. “I just need you to believe it, too.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
She nodded, then reached out and pulled me into her arms, hugging me. When she finally released me, she stepped back and asked, “What now?”
“I go to the jewelers and see what he’s willing to give me for the ring, and then, see what we can get for the baseball card Dad gave me.”
“Woah. He gave you one of his cards?”
“He did. I’m not sure what it’s worth, but it will definitely help.”
“Was he mad about it?”
“No. Actually, he was pretty good about it. Mom, too.” I didn’t want her to have time to think about what that meant, so I continued, “Once we sell the ring and the card, we’ll pool everything together, see what we got, and go see Gary about borrowing the rest.”
“Not Gary. Surely, there’s another way.”
“He’s not that bad. Besides, you don’t have to deal with him. I’m going to be the one going there for the loan.”
“No, I’ll go with you.”
“We need him to loan us money. And he’s not going to do that if you act like a jerk.”
“I won’t. I promise. In fact, I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Sure you will.”
I shook my head, but I didn’t put up a big fuss about her tagging along because I wasn’t exactly thrilled about going alone.
Having her with me actually worked in my favor at the jewelers.
Because of her unbelievable bargaining skills, we managed to get just over five thousand dollars for Nana’s ring. I was sad but pleased.
I knew her ring was valuable, but I never dreamed it would bring that much. Even so, it didn’t compare to the luck we had at the card shop.
The owner had a buyer who was a die-hard Robinson fan with deep pockets. He ended up paying seventeen thousand dollars for Dad’s card and begged for my father’s information, so he could reach out about his other cards.
It was a successful trip, but by the time we were done, it was well after five and the banks were closed.
Even though I was eager to get this thing done, I would have to wait until the following morning to go see Gary.
So, I dropped Lila Kate off at her place, and I was feeling pretty good as I headed home.
I thought we were reaching the end of our nightmare, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It was just the beginning.