Jared noticed my growing unease and placed his hand on mine. “What exactly did you tel her, Claire? And more importantly, why?” he spoke through his teeth, working to keep his tone calm.
“You didn’t give me a choice, Jared. After what happened at the hospital, and last night, Cynthia needed to know what was going on. That’s what Dad would have done.”
“Dad’s not here.” Jared’s voice broke as he fought to keep his calm.
Claire crossed her arms. “Obviously, Jared, or you wouldn’t be insisting on going through with this. You’ve gone against everything Dad taught us, hours after he died. I tried to tel you, but you won’t listen....”
“You can go, now, Claire,” Jared snarled.
Claire’s stoic expression faltered at her brother’s stern tone. “Fine. Cynthia is waiting at Andrews. Maybe she can stop this before it gets too far.”
Claire shoved herself away from the table, grabbing her keys and motorcycle helmet. I cringed when she slammed the door behind her as she left.
The force of the door crashing into the door jamb caused the shelves on the wal s to tremble. I peered over at Jared, whose jaws worked under his skin.
“So she knows about us, so what?” I said, squeezing his hand.
Jared didn’t answer right away, and I could tel that he was trying to calm down before he spoke.
“This…complicates things,” he said in a low tone. “We should get you back. The longer she has to wait the more difficult it wil be.”
I stood and shook my head. “Have I missed something here? This is my mother we’re talking about, right? Why are you so nervous?”
Jared took our plates to the sink and then went directly to the coat stand.
He held out my coat and tried to smile, but it resulted in a twisted, pained expression. “Ready?”
Nodding, I twisted into my coat. I was glad when he took my hand and held it until we reached his SUV, and even more pleased that he didn’t release it for the entire drive to Brown, but he didn’t speak a word until we reached Andrews.
He put the Escalade in park and looked straight ahead, releasing my hand to grip his steering wheel.
“Aren’t you coming in?” I asked.
Jared shook his head. “I’m the last person she wants to see.”
“O…Okay,” I said, unsure of what to make of his behavior. Jared had admitted to standing up to my father once, but he wouldn’t face my mother.
I reached for the door, but Jared grabbed my arm and pul ed me to him with worry in his eyes. His hands cupped my face and he pressed his lips against mine with a sense of urgency. When he final y released me from the kiss, he leaned his forehead against mine, closing his eyes.
“You act like you’re never going to see me again,” I said, suddenly nervous.
“I can’t ask you to go against your mother’s wishes, Nina.”
I laughed once in surprise. “You think she’s going to tel me to stay away from you?”
“That’s exactly what she’s going to do.”
I shook my head. “You should know my mother has a poor track record for changing my mind. Even she knows it.”
“She seldom fails to get her way. Just…don’t listen to her.”
“Her tricks work on everyone but me. I’m not going anywhere.”
One corner of his mouth turned up, but it seemed contrived.
“I’l cal you later, okay?” I ran my fingers through the sides of his hair, and he pressed his forehead against mine once again.
“Okay,” he whispered.
The Escalade stood motionless until I was inside the building, and then it slowly pul away.
Knowing he would be listening, I hurried to my room. I was anxious to calm the storms in Jared’s eyes, even if that meant going toe to toe with Cynthia Grey.
I opened the door and froze. Cynthia stood in the middle of the room, her arms crossed, prepared for confrontation. Beth twisted around in her desk chair, meeting my eyes with a sympathetic expression.
“I think I’m going to grab some coffee. Would either of you like me to bring you something ba—,”
“No thank you,” Cynthia interrupted. She must have been far beyond anger; she was never cross enough to be so rude.
“I’l take some, Beth, thanks,” I said, making a show of appreciation. Beth nodded and grabbed her coat, rushing out the door.
“Where were you last night?” Cynthia demanded.
“You know perfectly wel where I was,” I said, mimicking the set of her chin.
This took her off-guard. Cynthia typical y relied on the element of surprise.
She recovered quickly. “You can’t get involved with Jared, Nina. You don’t know anything about him, trust me.”
“I know enough, Mother.” I sat on Beth’s bed and looked to the floor. I would have to choose my words careful y.
Cynthia reared her head and stepped in front of me. “Nina Elizabeth, it’s too dangerous. I know you think you know him, but you don’t.”
I laughed once. “If he’s dangerous then why is he being paid to protect me?”
Cynthia’s mouth flew open. “That arrangement was between him and your father. You’re not listening. He’s not dangerous to you. It’s dangerous for you to be…to become…involved with him. He has just as many enemies as your father.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Do you?” she asked. “Do you know what you’re getting yourself into? I don’t think you have the slightest idea of where this could lead or the choices you’l have to make. I don’t think he’s thought this through, either, or he wouldn’t have done this. Maybe not, maybe he’s too selfish to care—,”
“Selfish?” I shrieked. “How can you say that about him? After what we’ve put him and his family through, Mother?”
“Is that what this is about? Guilt?” Cynthia paced the room, arms stil crossed.
“No!” I gasped. “It’s nothing like that,” I said, embarrassed that Jared could hear her words.
She closed her eyes and sighed. “Nina…please. I’m begging you. You know that I want you to be happy…but this—this is not going to end wel ,” her voice was quiet.
I smiled. “Does anything end wel ?”
Cynthia heaved her usual resigned sigh, but this time it was different. It was the same she used in the seldom event that she lost an argument to Jack.
“I wish this one time, Baby, that you would listen to what I’m trying to tel you. The last few months have been the culmination of every fear I’ve ever had.”
I had been unaffected by my mother’s infamous guilt trips since I was thirteen, but now that she’d used Jack’s death, I couldn’t break free of the blame. She had never wanted me to find out the truth, and I imagined that it was the one thing she wanted to remain unchanged after we lost my father.
When I thought of her dishonesty and how she’d kept secrets about Jack and Gabe and the Ryels from me for years, the guilt turned to anger.