Heavenly (25 page)

chastised for the effort. The unfairness rubbed me raw.

In the kitchen, I bumped into Britt's dad, tall, suited and sophisticated. My heart skipped. "Oh, hey, Mr. Walker."

"Hi Zoe." He loosened his tie and smiled at me. I thought of the triangle upstairs, of the trouble Britt would get in because she was drunk, had missed school, and had two guys in her bedroom when she was in her underwear. My first

instinct was to distract her dad. She'd do the same for me.

Or would have.

"Whereś Brittany?" he asked.

"Upstairs." I headed for the back door, opened it. "She's not feeling very well."

Mr. Walker's dark brows drew together. "Oh? I'll go and see what I can do. Nice to see you again. Don't make

yourself so scarce." He winked and walked out of the kitchen.

The door shut behind me and I headed to my car. I got in, started the engine and drove toward home. I'd been friends

with Britt through all of high school. We were each otherś constant. Losing her hurt. What would happen to our friendship

now?

I pulled out my cell phone to check for texts. None from Luke. Five from Chase. I opened one.

с u 2 nite

Sent five times. I smiled. The guy was a geek. Likeable, but definitely a geek.

Where was Luke? I drove, my gaze searching the streets of town. Of course I wouldn't see him—I was in a nice

neighborhood, with sturdy houses and tidy fenced yards. His world was in neglected, broken down places.

I texted him.
where r u?

I set my phone on the empty seat next to me and continued to glance at it as I drove home.

Nothing.

I was anxious to meet Chase. Maybe my excitement to see him was due in part to the fact that Britt and I weren't

speaking to each other, as much as the fact that Chase and I shared an unusual kinship. Would I tell him I'd seen that girl's guardian?

The towering pines and aspens surrounding home shimmied and shook, causing a soft roar from the wind. A shiver

ran through me. I darted into the house and was overcome with warmth and the scent of garlic and tomatoes. Pizza. Mom

would be disappointed that Luke wasn't with me, and my heart took a hit.

"Mom?" I dropped my purse and keys on the coat rack seat and headed toward the source of the aromatic scent.

"In here."

Abria ran past me, giggling. I doubled back to the front door and bolted it, noting that she locked her gaze on my

fingers, turning the bolt.
Uh-oh.
I'd seen that intense look before: she was going to make a break for it.

I scooped her up in my arms and wagged my finger at the door. "No unlocking the door. No running away."

Then again, if she happened to get out, at least Matthias would be with her. I grinned.

I carried her back to the kitchen and set her at the table. The act did little to dissuade her: as if an invisible magnet

drew her to the front door, and her eyes stared in that direction.

Mom's face was remarkably radiant. I didn't have the heart to tell her Luke wasn't with me.

"Hey," I said. The table was already set. "Who set the table?"

Mom opened the oven with two-mitted hands. "Luke. He did a great job, didn't he?"

"He's here? Who brought him? I texted him and he didn't answer me."

"He said he got a ride from a friend because his phone died and he couldn't reach you."

Mom set the pizza in the middle of the table. The steaming aroma reached up and took hold of my senses. My

stomach growled. I sat down and dished up some leafy greens for Abria, then for myself. At least Luke was home. I wasn't

sure if his story about the phone was real or not, but clearly Mom had bought it. Maybe it was true.

"Where's Dad?" I reached for a piece of pizza, noticing that Dad's place was set.

"Up changing his clothes. Isn't it great we're going to get to eat together?"

Mom's joy was so sweet, I smiled. I liked being at the house when it was home—like now. Mom yelled for Luke and

Dad and then she sat down next to Abria and gave her a piece of pizza.

"It feels good to be out of those work clothes." Dad came in wearing jeans and a green knit shirt. His face radiated like Mom's, no doubt because Luke was home. I hoped Luke took a good look at their faces.

Dad pulled out a chair and sat. "I thought Luke was here?" Dad craned around, looking.

I waved my hand.
I'm here.
But Dad missed my wave. He held out his plate to me, indicating he wanted a slice of

pizza. Since I was closest to the platter, I cut him a piece and plopped it on his plate.

"Luke!" Mom called before sitting.

Abria dug into her pizza, peeling off the pepperoni and sticking the red quarter-sized pieces into her mouth.

Luke ambled in, jerking his hair off his face. I swear he kept his eyes covered so no one could see them. He plunked down in

a chair and grabbed three pieces of pizza. Mom grinned. Dad eyed Luke with a hesitant, curious expression that told me he

was wary of jumping on the Luke's-here-so-he-must-not-be-high band wagon.

"So your phone died?" I asked.

Luke's mouth wrapped around the tip of a pizza slice.

"Who'd you ride home with?"

He chewed, staring at his slices. In our family, a full mouth exempted you from conversation. His rotating mouth

slowed.

"How's the pizza?" Mom interjected, as if she was trying to buy him time. I couldn't believe she didn't want to know the truth.

"Who?" I pressed.

"He said it was a friend of his, Zoe." Mom looked at me with that please be quiet look. I ignored it, and turned my attention back to Luke who swallowed his bite.

"Kevin?"

Luke lifted the slice to his mouth, eyeing it.

"Who gave you a ride?" I asked.

"Zoe, is it really necessary?" Dad's glare told me to zip my lips.

"I thought you'd want to know. I mean, he's supposed to ride home with me and only me. If I was his parent, and I had

a son who'd just gotten caught with a bag of Lortabs in his room, I'd want to know who he was spending his time with."

"Shut the hell up!" Luke threw down his pizza slice and pounded his fists on the table. Everyone jumped.

Abria laughed.

"That's enough," Dad boomed.

Abria always laughed when tension sung in the air, as if she heard the pitch and her only way of responding was to

mock it in the face.

Luke leapt to his feet. "I am so sick of you always condemning me! What about you coming home so late Mom and

Dad don't see the five bottles of vodka you drank? What about that? Screw this!" He stormed from the table, heading right for the front door.

Both Mom and Dad stood. Mom ran after him.

"Luke. Luke don't go!"

"Debbie." Dad followed her.

I shook from head to toes. Of course Luke knew about my partying, and I shouldn't be surprised that he threw it in my

face. I had it coming. I just didn't think he had the nerve to do it.

Rather than face the questioning and yelling I knew was coming, I got up, took my plate to the sink and headed for

the backdoor.

"Zoe!" Dad. I froze.

Mom returned to the table, face twisted in a sniffling mess of tears. She collapsed into her chair. Resentment bubbled

inside of me that Luke could illicit such a reaction.

I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for Dad to chew me out. When the anger on his face melted into hurt, my

own anger withered. Mom's weeping mixed with Abria's giggles.

"I know you feel angry about Luke and what he's done, but I don't think it helps for you to attack him like that," Dad's voice was quiet.

In my heart I knew he was right, but it was hard for me not to protect them. "I'm sorry," I whispered. My

condemnation of Luke had hurt them miles more than it had offended Luke.

I crossed to Dad. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to say those things and hurt you guys. I'd never do that."

"Abria, please..." Mom's plea for Abria to stop laughing went ignored by my sister who simply stood on her chair and continued in hyena mode. The sound grated on my nerves.

"Abria, stop!" I shouted.

"Zoe." Dadś anguished eyes looked into mine. "Is this true? About you and the drinking?"

A knot formed in my throat. If I lied to protect their hearts, that would be okay, wouldn't it? They'd taken too many

hits lately. I could tell them the truth later. Abria stood on her chair at the end of the table and flapped like a bird. If only I could take flight, I'd fly far away from this pain and never disappoint them again.

If I lied, I'd be no better than Luke. “Itś true.”

Mom let out a soft cry. I couldn't look at her.

"How long?" Dadś voice was quiet and deadly as a torpedo.

"I haven't done it in a long time."

Mom stood, shaking her head. She gathered her full plate, fork and glass. "Unreal. I can't believe not one child but

both of you. Both of you." She went to the kitchen, dropping the plates into the sink in a clattering of breaking glass. "And you have the gall to criticize Luke!" The veins along the sides other neck lifted. "You both sicken me."

"I had a few drinks, so what? I told you, I don't do that anymore."

"And you expect us to believe you? Like you expected us to believe that Luke lied to us about the Lortabs?"

"Don't go blaming those on me!" Fury burst in my heart. "Those were Luke's!"

Mom jerked out a nod. "Unfortunately, Zoe, I don't know who to believe when both of my children lie to me. Abria,

stop it!"

Abria was running back and forth across the table. None of us had noticed. I wanted to yank her down to the floor.

Dad stomped over and grabbed her, holding her tight against his body. She whined and writhed. Dads stare locked back on

mine.

"So you two have had this secret pact, is that it? Did you think you could keep something like that from us forever?"

Abria screamed and tried to bite Dad. He wrapped her arms around her chest and held tight. She let out a yowl.

"Of course they were hiding it," Mom spit out. "It was too much to expect us to believe in their trust."

"Why are you taking this out on me? Luke is just as guilty as I am and where is he? Of course he's gone. He always

splits when the fire turns up."

Mom cleared the table in military fury, dropping her dishes into the sink as if they were paper. The breaking glass

didn't stop her. And it didn't stop Dad.

"You're right. Luke is a part of this. But he's not here right now." "Well, I'm not going to take his share
and mine
just because he left."

I headed for the front door, my heart thrumming. I always took it all—the stress, the tears, the frustration. I grabbed

my keys, purse and yanked open the front door.

"Zoe?" Dads voice—as if he couldn't believe I would leave him. Tears rushed into my blinking eyes. The sting in my

heart went deeper.


FIFTEEN


I had an hour before I was supposed to meet Chase. I was so frustrated, I wasn't sure I'd be able to sit down, let alone

speak civilly to anyone. I wanted to crawl into a corner and sob. At the same time I wanted to rip someone apart.

I crossed through crunchy snow toward my car. Lukeś was gone— another rule broken—no doubt he'd driven off in

a fit. Like me. I got in my car, cranked the engine and pressed the gas pedal to the floor and screeched out of the driveway

and into the street. Gray skies loomed, threatening more snow, and the roads were already wet. Ice would sheathe the streets

soon. I didn't care.

This was Luke's fault—if he hadn't broken our unspoken trust and blurted out about my drinking none of this would

have happened. I'd never said a word to Mom and Dad about him—not until he started this whole mess with his lie about the

Lortabs. I headed in the direction of the log cabin, ready to lay into him.

My phone vibrated and I dug it out of my purse. Britt. Just what I needed. I was curious about what had happened at

her house after I left, but at the same time knew there was a strong possibility she was calling to yell at me. I was angry

enough to take whatever she dished out.

"What?"

"Thanks." Her tone was hard.

"For what?"

"Don't play stupid, Zoe. My dad went ballistic when he came upstairs."

"He asked where you were, I said upstairs."

Click.

I threw the phone down on the empty seat next to me. "Whatever. You had it coming."

"Most people do."

Matthias' voice had me screeching to a halt in the middle of the road. He sat in the center of the backseat, arms

extended along the back of the bench, long legs cramped. The expression on his face was matter-of-fact. My heart soared at

seeing him. But, soon after, it took a dive back into the angry pool of frustration churning in my gut.

I pressed on the gas again. "I'm fine, Matthias. You don't need to be here. In fact, I highly recommend that you leave.

I'm really furious right now.
Really furious"

"Nice to see you too, Zoe. And this sounds like the perfect time for me to be here."

"Look, I'm angry but I wouldn't hurt myself, okay?"

"Like I said, most people have it coming—whatever it is they get." He continued, ignoring my protests. "Of course, that's how they learn. Like with me, for instance. I knew I shouldn't be in the business of distributing illegal alcohol. I knew it was dangerous. I'd seen what happens when debts aren't paid. But did that stop me? I thought I'd be the lucky one, the odd

one out, if you will. But not so." He gestured with a swipe to the long cut he'd once had on his abdomen underneath his

robin’s egg blue shirt. "Old Mack the Knife bumped me off anyway."

"Mack the Knife?" I snickered. "There was really a guy named Mack the Knife?"

Matthias nodded. "More than one—the name was a symbol of death and bravery. Each mob family had their own