19. Tasha
CHAPTER 19
Tasha
“ Y ou ready to go?” Monty leaned into the doorframe of my bedroom, arms crossed, sleeves of his FireVolts jacket pushed up on his forearms.
He was handsome, I’d give him that. And that casual doorframe lean would make most women swoon.
Not me, though.
“I need two more minutes,” I said. I’d only been home for twenty, and I’d had to email several parents of my high school athletes to address questions about a competition I wanted to take the team to in the spring. It would require massive fundraising, but they were up to the task. And I had ideas for getting sponsorships, thanks to my recent connections to the Edge organization. Jason’s wife, Lauren, was a fundraising superstar, and after chatting with her I had a plan and the administration’s approval.
Apparently, he didn’t take the hint. “You’re still here,” I said. “Why?”
“Did you eat? ”
I shook my head. “I was just going to grab an energy bar. I’ll eat when we get home.”
He left, and I finished up the email, hit send, and closed my laptop. The peach envelope from Vlad was on a pile of books behind it. I smiled.
“‘In a cloudy night sky, ’tis you who light my way. The moon and stars are dulled by your shine, shining and sprinkling light on all that is dark in my world,’” I quoted.
“Aw, that’s sweet. And here I was, thinking you hated me.”
I jumped in my chair, startled. Monty stood in the doorway again, holding my stainless-steel travel bowl. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people!”
“Why not? You can hear the best things when people don’t know you’re listening.” He grinned. “C’mon, you can eat in the car and fill my ears with more sweet nothings.”
I shook my head, but I couldn’t be mad at him. He was making sure I was fed, and that was nice. “That wasn’t meant for your ears. Give me two minutes to change?”
“But I like you the way you are … Womp womp!”
“Get out!” I shooed him with my hands. His grin widened, and he closed the door as he stepped out of the room.
As I changed into my team leggings and hoodie, it occurred to me that as annoying as Monty was most of the time, he had some endearing qualities. And I had to admit, after three months of rooming together, it was hard to remember sometimes that I was supposed to be eternally mad at him.
“So,” Monty said as he turned out of the parking lot. “You writing poetry now? ”
I shook my head and twisted my fork into the spaghetti squash and meatballs with marinara that had been slow-cooking all day. So good. He’d even scraped the inside of the squash for me. “I got a letter from an admirer.”
“An admirer, huh?” Monty’s eyes were fixed on the road. In the distance, the sun was setting behind the mountains.
“Yup.”
“And you memorized a line?”
“All of it.”
“Must have been good. Care to share more?”
“Mmm.” I swallowed the forkful and twisted another. “‘Your joy fills my soul and fuels my need to prove to you that I am worthy of your radiance.’”
Monty snorted. “Clearly, this is a man who doesn’t know you at all or loves to be verbally abused by someone who thinks your hedgehog cactus self is your version of joy.”
I laughed. “Fair.”
He stopped at a light and tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs. This was a Monty quirk he’d been doing since he got his license at sixteen.
“What’s bugging you?” I asked. “The writing? It’s actually pretty sweet.”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure I like Vlad.”
I sighed. “I’m not sure yet, either. But he sure is trying hard to get my attention.” The light turned green, and Monty turned onto Canyon Pass Road. “ That’s the problem, I think. Why is he trying so hard? I mean, I’m a catch, but…”
Monty laughed. “Just be careful, ’kay? And let me know if he needs a good beating.”
I smiled. “I will.”
I finished the last bite of my dinner as we pulled into the lot. “Thanks for feeding me. ”
“Thanks for making amazing food day after day. I’m going to miss your cooking when I move out.” He set the car in park and released his seat belt. “Have you put more thought into the cookbook idea?”
I shook my head. “No, but feel free to copy my recipes. I can sticky-note tab the ones Nana likes.”
“That would be great. Thanks. Speaking of Nana, do you mind if we stop by her house after practice? I’d like to check on the reno progress.”
“Sure. It’s not too far out of the way. Do you think we’ll be home by eleven?” Practice ran from seven until nine, and I liked to be in bed shortly after. Five a.m. came quick.
“I’ll make sure of it,” he promised.
Practice went well. The routine was coming along. We made adjustments, perfected what was working, and ran it over and over. We would be in great shape to perform at the gym-wide showcase in November.
Nana’s house wasn’t far from the Plex. I’d spent a lot of time here as a kid and teenager. She’d hosted all the team parties, and her doors were always open to Monty’s friends. The Victorian mansion cut an impressive silhouette in the night sky, lit up by strategically placed lamps and recessed bulbs along the walkways.
“Beck’s still here.” I pointed to the Montoya Construction van in the driveway. “That’s got to be expensive.”
“Worth every penny,” Monty said. “I may have added a few projects…”
“Oh yeah?” We got out of the car. He waited for me at the hood. Instead of him opening the garage to enter the house, I followed him up the newly constructed walk to the front door. “I don’t miss the stairs that used to be here,” I admitted, “but these switchbacks will be a beast unless Nana has an electric chair. Couldn’t she use the elevator in the garage?”
“The garage is full of construction materials,” he explained, “and probably will be for months. Anyway, it was mandated. Jury’s still out on whether Nana will get an electric chair. She can’t be alone yet, and she likes to be pushed. And you know how she is with technology.”
I laughed. “There is that.” Since I’d known her, she’d always found a way to break or mess up phones, DVD players, smart TVs…
“Tell me what you think of … this.” Monty opened the front door with a flourish and flicked a switch. The foyer came to life with light from a massive overhead chandelier.
I sucked in a gasp. “Wow,” I breathed. “Beck did this?”
“Well, me and my crew.” Beck appeared in the archway that led to the formal sitting room. “Hey, Tasha.”
“Hey.” I turned slowly in a circle, taking in the newly stained woodwork paneling that replaced the old mustard and ivory wainscoting below the chair rail, the matching grand staircase and banister, and the polished marble flooring. “This is … this is beautiful work, Beck.”
“Thank you.” I turned in time to see her elbowing Monty. “I told you she’d like it,” Beck hissed.
He nodded and caught my gaze. “What’s not to like?”
I pointed to the wallpaper that covered the top half of the walls. “It’s a bit outdated.”
Beck grinned and stuck her hand in her pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. Monty held out his hand for it. “You were right. Here’s your twenty.”
He pocketed the bill. “She’s hated this wallpaper since preschool.”
“I don’t … hate it. It’s just … a bit hideous. It’s like the arti st wanted to see what art deco mixed with calico looked like. Pick one or the other. Well, for this house, anyway.”
“What would you suggest?” Beck asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Anything else?” They laughed. “Maybe light peach or an ivory and pastel toile wallpaper. Hang a series of mirrors. It’s a dark room, but a lighter color and mirrors could brighten it up, catch the light from the chandelier and the stained glass on the front door.” I looked up. “That thing was made for a castle.”
“Funny you should say that,” Beck said. “It used to hang in Schwannenschloss.”
My eyes widened. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “My dad and I did some work there a few years ago, when he was stationed in Munich. Xavier’s grandfather gifted it to us, but I knew I’d never use it. Xavier didn’t want it. When I saw this foyer, I knew it’d be perfect.”
“It is.” I looked up at it again. “It’s going to be a beast to clean, though.”
Beck laughed. “One of the reasons I didn’t want it!” She turned to Monty. “Want to see the kitchen?”
Monty nodded, and we followed her through the elegantly decorated rooms to the back of the house, where the kitchen was located.
“We ripped out the wall you requested to create a more open space. The pipes here have already been replaced, so we’re working on patching it all up now.”
“Looks good,” Monty complimented her. “Thanks.”
I nodded my affirmation. My nose twitched at the dust that was still in the space, so I kept my mouth closed and pulled up my hoodie to cover the bottom half of my face.
Monty frowned. “What’s wrong, Tasha? ”
I shook my head and mumbled “Nothing yet” beneath the fabric. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Monty stretched his arms out and blocked my exit. “Tell me.”
My stomach began to feel queasy. I took a few deep breaths. “Gluten.”
“Gluten? Beck, have you cooked here?”
She shook her head. “Nope. But there could be wheat in the drywall or insulation.”
“Rip it all out.” He lowered his hand and spoke softly to me. “I’ll meet you outside.”
I nodded and scurried out of the room, bolting for the front door and fresh night air.
Rip it all out? That would cost a fortune and extend the timeline. And it’s not like I ever visited here anymore.
Monty and Beck joined me on the wraparound veranda about five minutes later and handed me a bottle of water. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I turned to face them. “You don’t have to rip it out. It’s not an allergy, just a sensitivity. Minor reaction, promise. Doesn’t even require Benadryl. It’s just annoying. It shouldn’t bother me when it’s finished and covered up. And besides, it’s not like I ever come here anymore.”
“About that,” Monty said. “Nana enjoys your visits. I hope you’ll come here regularly again when she returns.”
I opened my mouth to reply but lost my words. “Thank you,” was all I could muster.
“I’m headed out,” Beck said. “I’ll see you tomorrow at our meeting with your Nana. Bye, Tasha.”
We followed her to the driveway. The ride home was quiet, and I used the time to reflect on the history I had with the man sitting in the driver’s seat .
I missed our friendship. I missed how easy it used to be between us. I missed our good-natured rivalry that made us both better, iron sharpening iron. And I wish I had the nerve to ask why he ditched me for Gabby.
That betrayal still felt fresh every time I thought about it. And the more time I spent with Monty, the more I replayed that day in my head.