Chapter 6
We arrive back in Charleston mid-afternoon on Sunday.
The flight was smooth and uneventful this time.
I take a moment to adjust to the humidity when we exit the airport, but it's easier to do with the cooler temperatures of winter. I drop Zander off at Finn, since he needs to check in, then I drive over to Jake’s condo, texting all the guys I’m back before taking the elevator up.
Unlocking the door, I hear shouting, so I rush inside, worried about Jake.
I find Erin screaming at Ray in the living room.
She looks good, different. Her hair is lighter than it was, cut straight at her shoulders, and she’s wearing a flowy skirt and blouse, with heels and jewelry. Not the business suits or fitted jeans and t-shirts I’m used to seeing her in.
I quietly try to slip by to Jake’s room, but she catches the movement and turns.
Ray winces when he sees me. “You!” She yells, pointing at me, face blotchy and crimson.
“What are you doing here? Of course, you’re involved in this fiasco.
I should have known. You're the reason we’re all in this mess.
Why Jake was comatose for years. Get the hell out of here!
” She screams, a shrill, piercing sound, stomping towards me, brandishing her finger like a sword, her face contorted with rage.
I run into Jake’s room, closing and locking the door.
No way in hell am I leaving Jake here with her vitriol.
Turning, I see Will standing at the foot of Jake’s bed, his posture rigid and alert, a silent guardian.
Jake looks up at me, his face pale and drawn, the devastation in his eyes almost palpable.
“Will, is the patio door locked?” I ask.
“Sure is,” he replies, not moving from his position facing the door.
I sit on the edge of the bed and grab Jake’s hand. “What happened, Jake?”
“She just got here and started yelling at Dad. I haven’t even seen her yet. She’s mad he didn’t call her before the trial, or after. I don’t know who that is, but it’s not Mom.” A glistening film forms in his mournful eyes, the unshed tears threatening to overflow, creating a shimmering sadness.
Squeezing his hand, I reply. “Maybe she hasn’t dealt with the accident, but regardless, she has no right to come into your home screaming like that.”
“I heard what she said to you, too, Sum.”
“Nothing I haven’t heard before,” I assure him.
“This needs to deescalate, and soon,” Will tells us. “My priority is Jake’s wellbeing, but this is a family issue. I’m not sure of the best course of action.”
Thinking through our options, I doubt Ray would want us to call the police. Erin certainly won’t listen to me, and I don’t want to ask Will to intervene. Deciding, I call my dad. “Hi darling, is everything okay?” He answers.
“Not really. Erin arrived shortly before me and has been yelling at Ray since she arrived. She hasn’t even seen Jake yet and wanted me gone, like, immediately. I locked Will, Jake, and myself in his room. What do we do?”
I can hear Dad sigh down the line. “I’m sorry, darling. I know you were worried about her visit. Stay in Jake’s room, please, and I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I respond before hanging up. “Zander's on his way.”
Will slides Jake over so I can lie beside him, and we wait quietly listening to Erin and Ray argue.
She certainly has a lot of steam in her, a vicious whirlwind of rage crashing through a glass shop.
She sounds no more grounded than the few memories I have of her after the accident.
At least the door muffles most of the words.
About 15 minutes later, the arguing stops, and the front door opens after a brief delay. Zander must be here. Voices have lowered, but there’s still talking. Will hands me the tv remote and takes a seat in his chair, so I turn on a sports show.
Before long, there’s a knock at the door. Will offers to answer, but I know it’s just Dad and Ray. They come inside, leaving the door open. Ray looks horrible; his eyes are sunken, his skin is pale and clammy, and I can see a slight tremor in his hands. “Erin has left,” Zander informs us.
“Thanks, Dad,” I smile at him.
“Dad?” Jake calls to Ray.
Ray drops into the seat by the closet like a lead weight, running his fingers through his hair and takes a steadying breath, as Zander leans on the wall near the door.
“I’m so sorry, son. If I had known that would happen, I wouldn’t have let her in.
Your mom still has many, many issues,” he says wearily.
“She didn’t even come into my room,” Jake comments, some of the devastation morphing into anger.
“I know, son. It seems she had some pent-up anger to get out first.”
“I heard most of it, Dad. She never even mentioned me, and then she went after Sum. I don’t want to see her anymore.”
“You don’t have to,” Ray replies, shaking his head. “I'll probably need to speak with her again, but it won’t be in our home.”
“You don’t need to do that either,” Jake replies.
“I need to, for myself. I’ll figure it out. What do you need?” He asks.
I can see Dad nod in approval from my periphery at Ray’s question. “Nothing. I might call Cameron. She was unhinged.”
“Okay son. You do that. I’ll be in the living room,” he nods, dragging his body upright and shuffling lead feet out to the hall, followed by Zander.
“I’ll be right back, handsome. I want to talk to Zander, okay?”
“Ok Sum. I’ll call Cameron.”
Kissing his cheek, I get out of bed and walk into the living room. Ray's on the couch with Zander in the chair beside him, so I take a seat beside Ray. “She had no right to say those things to you, Summer. I’m sorry,” Ray begins, sitting straighter in his seat, trying to recover from the attack.
“You don’t need to apologize for her behavior, Ray. That’s on her.”
Nodding, he takes a deep breath. “I’m not sure what to do here.”
“Darling,” Zander says, drawing my attention. “While I appreciate your wanting to be involved, perhaps let Ray and me talk through this? You’ve handled so much already. We can do this part.”
Looking between the two of them, I nod. “I’ll be in with Jake.” This feels strange, walking away instead of being in the middle of the issue, but kind of nice too. Having people to take care of the mess, and knowing they'll solve the issue, is great.
Jake is on a video call with Cameron, but he motions me in. I lie with him as they speak, then we go back to sports on television. Cameron helps him process his disappointment and anger. I hate to see him struggling with so many revelations. From experience, it’s its own form of torture.
Some time later, Zander tells me it’s time to go. I kiss Jake on the cheek and follow him out. “I really appreciate your coming right over today, Dad.”
“No thanks needed, darling. It was horrible, from what Ray told me. She won't be allowed to return. Let’s go home.”
“You don’t need to go back to Finn? You’ve missed so much time since you met me.
” It’s something I often think about, worrying about his stress levels and the business.
It seems we’ve been nonstop since he first visited me in Virginia last spring.
Some amazing and horrible things have happened, and he was with me through it all.
“Understand this, Summer,” Zander says, stopping by my car and turning me to face him. “You are the most important person in the world to me. Every moment with you is worthwhile. Finn is a job. You are my daughter. It is my pleasure to be in your life.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him tightly. “I think you are my gift for all I’ve been through.” I’m so appreciative of him, and he'll never understand how much.
Zander hugs me back just as tight, his cologne now a familiar scent of home. We split up into our vehicles and drive home.
The next few weeks are quiet. Jake's still struggling, but he talks to Cameron daily. He said having me to vent to has also helped, someone who has been through much of what he’s experiencing.
Jake and Ray seem better since Erin’s visit.
At least that horrible day brought them closer.
Track training has started at school, but we have a while before the first meet.
I’m running the same races as last year.
Ray didn’t meet up with Erin again. She came back to the apartment the next day, but Ray wouldn’t let her up. They texted, and she flew back to New York without seeing Jake.