20. Explanation
20
Explanation
WINTER
“What the hell is going on? Winter, talk to me!” Haze follows closely as I rush to the exit of Vic’s hellhole. So many questions without an answer. How did Jay end up at the hospital? Why isn’t my mother with her kid? How did the accident occur? Why do the worst things happen to the best people?
“Winter, stop!” Haze has to smack his palm to the closed door to stop me from opening it. “What did he say to you?”
“It’s my dad. He’s been in an accident. It’s bad. Really bad.” The tears keep spilling down my cheeks uncontrollably. I’m in shock, empty, the shell of a heart—cold and broken. “Jay’s alone in the waiting room. I have no idea how he got there, but my mom is a no-show. Maika’s at a birthday party today. She has no idea. I just… I’m sorry. I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you.” He runs back to his room and comes out with a shirt on, his coat hanging off his arms, and his keys. “I’ll drive you.”
I don’t oppose. No time for that. I just dash out of the building with Haze on my heels. Plus, I am not okay to drive right now. I’ll run every red light and hit every old lady crossing the street if I do.
Not knowing. It’s maddening. The traffic isn’t too bad, but the drive still feels so excruciatingly long it makes me want to scream out in rage. Haze and I don’t exchange a single word on the way there, both asking ourselves the same question: Is he going to make it?
Haze drops me at the entrance, telling me to go in while he finds a parking spot. My breathing is unsteady, my palms sweaty, my heart beating out of my chest as I push through the motion on the way to the emergency room. I feel like I’m going to collapse when I see Jaden sitting alone with tears spilling down his face. I run to him, and as soon as he sees me, his eyes flash with relief. It doesn’t even take a second. He launches himself into my arms. I hold him tighter than ever before.
“It’s okay. I’m here,” I whisper, and he sobs harder. “What happened? How did you get here?”
“I was in the car with him.”
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I examine him like a crazy person, and he nudges my hands away.
“I’m fine. I was in the back seat. I have no idea what happened. The car… it just came so fast, and I was texting. God, I don’t know.” He hyperventilates. “He just hit Dad’s side out of nowhere. They pulled me out in minutes. I was lucky, but…” He pauses. “Dad wasn’t.” I can’t even begin to imagine the horrific events he’s witnessed tonight. “They said they called Mom. But she’s not here. She should be here.”
“And the other driver?”
“I don’t know. It was a hit-and-run.”
“What?” I blurt.
“The police wouldn’t tell me anything after they interrogated me. Just kept on asking me if someone would have a reason to hurt Dad. I told them they were crazy.”
“But… who would do that?” Tears well in my eyes. I have to get a grip before I start spiraling. This is the police’s job. Not mine. “Forget it. How was he? How was Dad? What did he look like at the scene?”
“I barely had time to see him. They took him away in an ambulance, drove me here, and said to wait for mom. Then they told me they were taking him into surgery.”
This isn’t happening.
This isn’t real.
My dad is not in surgery. He’s home cooking dinner and reading the paper. He’ll call me pumpkin when I walk through the door and annoy me about how fast I’ve grown.
My father is fine.
He’s not in critical condition.
He’s not dying.
“Maybe Mom’s picking up Maika,” I say to convince myself.
“Bullshit. She’d be here by now. She knows about the accident. They called her. She doesn’t care, Winter.”
I always thought that Jaden not being related to my mother in any way played an important part in how close they were. He was so young when my mom and Harry got together, he eventually started to call her Mom since his actual mother passed away. And even if she’s a lot nicer to him than she is to me, she’s still never really shown him the love she shows Maika.
“What about your grandparents? Do they know?”
“They tried calling them, but they weren’t home. I wasn’t able to reach them either.”
“We need to try them again. Give me your phone.”
I snatch it from his hand, since I don’t have their number, and press Call. Claire, Harry’s mother, answers after a few rings. I inform her of the situation and ask her to go pick up Maika at her friend’s birthday party. She says that they’ll take care of it and be on their way to the hospital, but I can’t wrap my head around what they’ll say to my sister. How do you tell a five-year-old who still believes in happy endings and fairy tales that the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened… did ?
HAZE
I’ve never understood how a mother could hate her own kid. How a parent, the one person a kid should always be able to turn to, could despise her own flesh and blood is beyond me. Lauren hates Winter—she made that clear. But I never thought she was heartless to the point of leaving her goddamn kid alone while her husband is fighting for his life.
It’s been several hours. Kendrick and Allie have been waiting with us for a while. Will, Kass, and Alex went to check Winter’s house in case Lauren showed her face. She never did.
Winter and Jay fell asleep with tears dangling off their eyes and their hearts on their sleeves. No sign of Lauren anywhere. We called her new job—nothing. I have no idea what she’s doing, but she better have the best excuse on the planet. I’ll only accept two reasons: she died or…
She died.
Yep, that summarizes it.
Winter had to deal with Jaden and Maika’s annoying-as-fuck grandparents, and it took everything in me not to punch their dentures out of their mouths. They don’t consider Winter to be family as Harry’s blood doesn’t flow through her veins. They wouldn’t even look at her, only paying attention to Jaden and Maika—like Winter isn’t about to lose her father, too.
Harry’s the only parent who deserves one hair on her head.
They took Maika home at around nine. They said they’d be taking care of her until we can get a hold of Lauren. No news from Harry either. He’s been in surgery for God knows how long, and I’m not sure if no news means good news or We don’t know how to tell you news. If Harry dies, Winter will lose it. And, chances are, she won’t even let me be there for her.
I jump out of my seat at the sight of the doctor heading our way. It’s up to me. Winter and Jay are asleep, and Allie and Kendrick went to get coffee. If he’s coming to tell me my girlfriend’s dad is dead—sorry, ex- girlfriend—I want to be the first to know so I can tell Winter. I don’t want her finding out that her only parent died from a stranger.
“Who’s here for Harry Gale?”
I stride to him.
“Family?” He arches an eyebrow.
“I’m his daughter’s husband,” I lie. I won’t have him tell me I’m not “family enough.”
“Okay.” He blows out a breath. “Overall, the surgery went well. Your father-in-law is stable. He’s a very lucky man. I’ve seen people go for a lot less.”
My shoulders shrink with relief.
“But… he’s in a coma.”
Fucking shit.
He goes on to tell me about a bunch of medical conditions I don’t understand. Something about his leg, a concussion and broken ribs.
“We’re doing everything we can for him right now, but the rest is up to him. He might wake up tomorrow like he might wake up in a year.” His eyes apologize profusely.
“What are his chances?”
“The simple fact that he made it through is a miracle, so at this point, anything could happen. I’d say his chances are pretty good, but we make no promises.”
“Thank you.”
“Get them home.” He motions to Winter and Jay sleeping. “Get some sleep and come back tomorrow for visiting hours. You’ll be able to see him. I assume the police will also want to talk to you first thing in the morning, so you kids need to rest.”
He begins to walk away.
“I’m sorry. I have one more question. What happened to the other driver? I know it was a hit-and-run, but maybe someone who fit the profile was admitted later tonight?”
“Not that that I know of, I’m sorry, but I’m sure the police will know more about this than I do.”
I thank him again and return to the waiting room.
I squeeze Winter’s shoulder. “Hey, wake up.”
She slowly comes back to her senses. “What time is it?” She rubs her eyes and sits up straight with a stretch. Even with her hair a mess from sleeping on a waiting room seat, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.
“Three thirty,” I reply and sit alongside her. “You’ve been out for a while.”
“Any news?”
Here we go.
“Yes. He’s stable.”
She seems as relieved as I am, if not more.
“But…”
I know this is going to break her heart.
“He’s in a coma.”
She breaks apart right in front of me. Tears pool in her eyes and fall freely.
“What?” Her voice cracks.
“The doctor said his chances of waking up are pretty good, but we can only wait and see. The police are on the hit-and-run right now. They’ll want to talk to you tomorrow. We all need to go home and rest. Doctor’s orders.”
She pulls herself together and nods. “I’ll wake up Jay. He’s coming to sleep at our place tonight, okay?”
My mind is a whirlwind.
Did she just say our place?
As in I’m supposed to sleep there tonight, too?
I don’t dare question it in fear that she’ll realize what she just said and change her mind.
“Of course.”
“Kendrick and Allie can drive us. Jay doesn’t have any clothes. Would you mind stopping by my house, picking some up, and meeting us at home after? I don’t know how long he’s going to be living with us.”
“No problem,” I say. “Listen, I hate to bring this up, but… you know this might mean that something happened to Lauren, right?”
She sighs. “I know. If she doesn’t show up tomorrow, we’ll have to file a missing person’s report.”
She hands me her house key and wakes up Jaden to explain it all to him. He’s just as emotional as she is but fights to keep a straight face. Soon enough, Kendrick’s parked out front of the hospital with Allie. I watch Winter get into the vehicle with Jay, and we exchange small smiles. They’re “ We’re not okay yet but we might still stand a chance ” smiles.
I stride to my car and start the engine in a jerk. The drive to Winter’s house goes by quicker than expected. All I can do is smile like a complete fool, desperately clinging to the tiniest of chances that I may not be sleeping at Vic’s tonight.
I turn into Winter’s driveway and hit the brakes so fast my tires holler at me.
There’s a car.
Lauren’s.
It’s taking up half the driveway, carelessly parked sideways with the lights still on. I park in the street, kill the engine, and make my way to Winter’s house. I unlock the door and step insi…
What the fuck?
I lift my foot in the air.
Broken glass lies beneath my shoe. Two broken liquor bottles mark a path all the way down to the kitchen. Frowning, I follow the trail. I have a good idea of what I’m going to see when I enter the room, but it doesn’t make it any less disturbing.
Sitting around the kitchen table with her head hanging low is Lauren. A half-empty whiskey bottle sits next to her. She hasn’t noticed me yet. It’s when she brings the booze to her lips that she sees me and jumps. The glass bottle goes flying out of her hands and crashes to the floor.
“Haze?” Her eyes widen. She probably sees double by now. “You… You weren’t supposed to see that.”
Part of me wants to go upstairs, grab Jaden’s clothes, and get the hell out of here already. But the other is imploring me to throw Lauren off a building. Not an easy dilemma.
“Do you have any idea how many people waited for you tonight? How fucking miserable your kids were?” I spit. It doesn’t take a goddamn degree to figure out this is the reason she wasn’t at the hospital. How could she be so cruel? Her husband is in a coma, and she’s here getting wasted.
She pretends to wipe away tears. “Haze, you have to understand. I couldn’t go. It’s too hard. I love him so much and—”
“Drop the act,” I growl. It’s 3:00 a.m. I don’t have time for her shit.
She’s shocked, at first. Then she curses and throws her hands up. “All right. Had to try.”
I don’t waste another second on her and head for the stairs. This woman is nothing but a reminder that some people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids. I go through Jay’s mess of a room and throw every piece of clothing I can find into his backpack. By the time I’m done and charging down the stairs, Lauren’s opened a new whiskey bottle. The one she dropped remains shattered on the floor. So much for being a neat freak.
I send her a look full of hatred as I pass through the kitchen. One second before I walk out, she croaks, “She looks like him, you know?”
I stop dead in my path but don’t turn around, waiting to see if her speech is worth staying for.
“Winter. She’s a spitting image of her father,” she elaborates.
Still with my back facing her, I shove my hand into my pocket and grab my phone.
“I was sixteen. Just turned sixteen the month before. You should’ve seen him. He was so charming. Some would say irresistible.”
I swivel around.
“Mysterious, reckless, gorgeous. The kind of guy who could get anyone he wanted without blinking. Girls would have killed for his attention, but he only wanted me. Or so he said.” She gets up, miserably holding on to the table to maintain her balance. “I really thought he loved me, and God, did I love him. They all told me to stay away, but I didn’t. Because I thought I had found the love of my life.” She scoffs in a self-deprecating manner. “I was as stupid as Winter is right now. She really is my daughter after all. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, he changed. There was no forever, no I love you. You know all the bullshit promises you made my daughter? Well, he used to make them to me.”
“My parents wanted nothing to do with me the second they found out. I was a shame. The family’s disgrace. They wanted me to get rid of her. And when I didn’t listen, they tried to put her into the system. Said I wasn’t keeping her for the right reasons. I was so naive. I thought he’d change his mind and come back to me if I kept the kid. I was sixteen for fuck’s sake.”
That’s why Winter was treated like a piece of furniture since she was a baby. Because Lauren got dumped.
“Maria, on the other hand, was so perfect. She got perfect grades, led the student councils, had her entire future mapped out. She was going to become a doctor, marry this American guy she’d met, move to Florida with him, have kids. Then there was me, the troubled daughter who got knocked up before she could pass her driver’s license test.” She steps forward. “Every time I look at her, I wish I had gotten an abortion.”
My fists clench on their own.
“That’s your daughter you’re talking about.”
“You think I don’t know that?” she cackles. “That’s precisely the problem. Some great fucking idea it was to keep the baby. I’ve tried… I’ve tried to look at her the way I look at Maika, but I can’t. I’m guilty.” She pauses, as if to savor the moment. “I don’t love her. There. I’ve said it. I don’t love her, and I never will. Because every time I look at her, I see him.” A wicked smile stretches across her face. “God, it feels so good to finally say it out loud. I’ve never let myself admit it. I don’t love her. I can’t stand to even look at her.” She laughs in realization.
“Congrats. You’re a piece of shit. If you can’t see that your daughter is the most beautiful, amazing, and caring person on this goddamn planet, you’re absolutely insane. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She doesn’t reply, eyeing me.
“I’ve got to give it to you, you put on a quite show. I’m sure you got her fooled into thinking you love her.”
I scoff. “Aw, don’t be jealous just because no one loved you enough to stay.”
“You say you love her now, just wait until she gets knocked up. We’ll see how fast you run back to Florida.” She mutters under her breath, “I wish she’d run back to Florida, too.”
I snap. “Are you seriously blaming your child for being born? It’s not her fault you fell in love with the town’s trash.”
She snickers and makes air quotes with her fingers. “ The town’s trash didn’t look so trashy, trust me. In fact, he was as gorgeous as you.” She stalks toward me, careful not to step in glass. She braces a finger on my chest, tracing down my torso, and I move away in disgust. “Muscled body, chiseled face. You remind me of him a lot, Haze. You look like the guy who ruined me. Such a shame that he was also the best sex I ever had.” She bites on her lower lip and rests her hand on my bicep to feel my muscles.
“What the fuck?” I shove her away from me.
“Come on, humor me. My husband’s dying. I promise, I won’t tell.” She plucks the first button of her shirt open.
I need to sanitize my eyes.
“Do you even hear yourself? Your husband is fucking dying. How could you do this to him?”
“Give me a break. It’s not like I ever loved him anyway.” She walks back to the table, takes a long sip of whiskey, and wipes her mouth. “He was a respectable man. He had the job, the money. And I wanted the kids. Kids I could actually love. They said he has very little chances of making it anyway.” Her eyes grow in realization. “When he dies, I’m going to lose the house—can you imagine? Be forced to move back into some shitty apartment because I can’t afford this lifestyle. I’ll even be stuck with his son.” She crinkles her nose in disgust. “Can you blame me for needing a drink?”
“Harry is a great man and a great father.” I grit my teeth. “I can’t believe he married you.”
“Oh, I assure you I was quite the view in my days. So was he. Too bad he lost it all. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to bang the neighbor for years if he’d kept the abs.”
At this point, nothing she says surprises me.
“I’m leaving now.”
“Have it your way.” She tumbles back to her seat. “Oh, and Haze? Be a dear and don’t tell anyone about our conversation, will you? One word and I’ll make sure Winter never sees her siblings again.” She smiles widely.
This woman is a psychopath.
I shrug off her warning and hurry to the door. After everything she’s just revealed to me, I’m very possibly the biggest threat to her perfect little life made of lies. So many thoughts are at war in my head. I climb inside my car, well aware that she’s watching my every move through the window. I feel sick to my stomach.
Winter … My baby. She deserves so much more.
But I know I still have a chance. Lauren Kingston is going to lose everything—I’ll make sure of it. She’ll be the one begging to see Jaden and Maika by the time I’m done with her. I start the car and pull my phone out of my pocket.
Then I smile.
And stop recording.