Page 24 of Sweet Ruin

“Are you sure? I could make you a hot lemon and honey drink? My mom makes them for me when I’m sick. It always makes me feel better.”

“Hmm, that actually sounds amazing,” Cress replied.

“Done,” I answered with a grin. It was a miracle I’d avoided getting sick so far, but I was more than happy to play nurse until my friends felt a little better.

I left Cress in our room and started for the dorm kitchen. I was heading down the stairs when my phone buzzed with an incoming call from my dad. We’d both been busy so we’d barely talked since Halloween. There was no one else around, so I sat on the stairs and answered the phone.

“Hey, Matthew.”

“Good morning, Isobel,” he replied. “I heard there’s a terrible bug going around the school. How are you feeling?”

It wasn’t all that surprising he’d heard about the cold doing the rounds at school. He always seemed to know everything that was going on here.

“Yeah, everyone seems to be getting sick,” I said. “But I’m fine. I’ve somehow managed to avoid it so far.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“How are you?” I asked. “Is your eye looking any better?” The last I’d seen Matthew was the morning after Noah had punched him, and the skin around his eye was starting to bruise. He hadn’t wanted to talk much about it at the time, and I got the impression he preferred to pretend the confrontation with Noah and his grandfather hadn’t happened at all. It had happened though, and I wasn’t going to act otherwise.

“It’s on the mend. Thank you.”

“Good.” I let out a sigh. “I still can’t believe Noah punched you.” Even now, the memory still shocked me.

“Yes, well, I could have behaved better that night myself,” he replied. “It’s probably best we all try to put it behind us and move on.”

“I guess.” Noah didn’t appear to be losing any sleep over the incident, and if he was upset about it, he seemed to be taking it out on me rather than my father. As for Matthew, I was surprised he was so willing to let it go. He clearly had the means to send a team of lawyers after Noah for assault if he wanted to. But maybe he genuinely thought he was in the wrong and deserved the punch.

“Well, it’s good to hear you’re well,” Matthew said. “I can’t talk long as I’m between meetings, but I’ll see you in a couple of weeks at Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, you’re coming to Rapid Bay?” My mom had told me she was planning to invite Matthew, but this was the first time I’d heard he was actually coming, so I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” He sounded genuinely excited about being with us for the holiday.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

I found myself smiling as I hung up the phone. I was surprised how pleased I was to hear Matthew was coming to Rapid Bay for Thanksgiving. It also felt nice he’d called for no reason other than to check whether I was sick. It was a very fatherly thing to do, and while I was still getting used to the fact I now had two parents who wanted to look after me, I was growing to like it.

I stood and continued on my way to the kitchen. It was usually bustling with students raiding the pantry or hanging out, but today the room was empty. Most people were stuck in bed and probably feeling too sick to even come down for snacks.

I stepped into the large walk-in pantry where the kettle was kept and searched for the lemon and honey I needed to make Cress’s drink, ensuring I had enough of both to make a drink for Anna as well. She didn’t get along with her roommate, so I couldn’t imagine she was receiving much help today. Once the water was boiled, I poured it into two mugs, squeezed lemon juice into both, and then stirred in some honey.

As I let the drinks brew, I heard someone enter the kitchen. I couldn’t see who it was because the door to the pantry had swung in and was almost fully closed. I could hear the person clearly though. It sounded like they were on the phone.

“Yes, Mother, I understand.” I wasn’t listening too closely, but my ears perked up slightly when I realized it was Veronica’s voice.

I didn’t particularly feel like running into her this morning. Ever since she’d officially gotten together with Noah, she seemed to be throwing smug looks my way at every possible opportunity. It was unbearable. I could hear her rummaging through the fridge as she spoke on the phone, so I decided to stay hidden in the pantry. Hopefully, she would get what she needed and leave the kitchen before I was done making the teas.

“Mother, I told you I get it. And yes, I am planning on coming to Noah’s birthday in New York, but that’s weeks away. How do you know we’ll still be together?”

I stilled. Noah and Veronica had only just started dating, and already she sounded unsure they’d make it more than a few weeks. I couldn’t deny I was intrigued. She paused to listen to her mother’s response before letting out a sigh.

“Yes, we’re finally together, but maybe it won’t work out. Maybe we’re not meant to be together.”

There was another pause before Veronica gasped, her voice becoming a low whisper.

“Well, maybe it matters to me, Mother.”

My eyebrows shot up. I didn’t feel comfortable listening to this conversation. I couldn’t leave the kitchen without Veronica seeing me though. Then she’d know I’d overheard everything she’d been saying. And while a part of me thought about covering my ears and tuning it out, another part of me was listening with bated breath.

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