Page 34 of Cloudless
My eyebrows disappear into my hairline as Maxwell hands me a crisp, white card. “We will meet with them. My assistant will call you with the information. Send your phone number to the email listed here.” I barely register the fifty-dollar-bill being thrown onto a table we’ve hardly used as I examine his business card.
In my peripherals, I watch as Victoria smooths the imaginary wrinkles out of her black dress and Maxwell buttons his suit jacket. They’re oblivious to the tornado currently wrecking my thoughts.
My neck aches from the whiplash I’ve endured during these few minutes. “You want to meet them?” I free my gaze from the card in my trembling hand to make eye contact with the only family I have left.
The power they hold in their hands is astonishing.
I don’t mean the power they wield with the swipe of a bank card.
No.
I mean the power they hold over two seven-year-olds who mean more to me than anything else in this world.
Maxwell’s eyes narrow in annoyance as he’s forced to repeat himself. “Yes. We will meet with them. I expect that email by the end of the day.”
Without a goodbye, they leave the restaurant as quickly as they came.
What the hell just happened?
The only evidence of them not being a figment of my imagination is the fifty-dollar-bill laying on the table and the crisp, white card in my hand that holds the weight of my entire world.
CHAPTER 15
A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE
LILA
The warm glow of the afternoon sun illuminates the row of townhouses. Four vehicles cram the driveway, forcing me to park on the street.
My eyes take stock of the variety of vehicles that belong to the four roommates as I take a moment to catch my breath after the whirlwind meeting.
A black Tahoe that I know belongs to Kam sits closest to me. I don’t know enough about the other roommates to decipher who the silver 4runner, the dark green Classic Ford Bronco, and the dark blue Ford F-150 belong to.
Darkness envelops me as I close my eyes and loosen the tension that’s taken up permanent residence in my neck. Strands of hair pull tight on the top of my head as I sink into the headrest of my seat. The lingering light invading my eyelids disappears as my fingers dig into my temples. I try my best to massage away the headache that bloomed from clenching my teeth all morning.
I’m still undecided if the meeting went well or not. Even if the path to getting to my desired result wasn’t what I had planned, I still got there in the end. That counts for something. Right?
I let out a deep breath as I exit the safety of my car in favor of the unknown that stretches before me. The sparse front porch of the townhouse represents uncharted territory in a life full of uncertainty.
I weave my way between vehicles and underneath side mirrors as I make my way up the driveway. Right as I’m lifting my hand to knock, the sound of revving engines and giggles drifts through the door.
My brows draw down in confusion as the door swings open. Kam’s eyes light up to match the afternoon sun as a splitting smile takes over his face. “Hi, Sunshine. I heard a car door close and thought it might be you.”
I open my mouth to reply when I hear Dax’s muffled groan from further in the house. “That’s not fair! I didn’t know there was a shortcut there!”
I can hardly hear Posey’s reply over deep laughter coming from multiple sources just out of my view. “It’s not my fault you suck at this game.”
Kam’s grin only grows as he steps to the side and waves me into his home. I pass by a lone table in the entryway as my heels click along the hardwood floors.
I follow the laughter past a smiling Kam farther into the house. My eyes take stock of a living room filled with one too many couches, the biggest TV I have ever seen in person, three hockey players, two seven-year-olds,and a partridge in a pear tree.
My siblings look like dolls compared to the hulking hockey players surrounding them. Laughter drowns out Dax’s groan as he tilts his head, following the path of the cars on the screen.
I feel Kam’s warm presence step up behind me as I watch the chaos unfold on the TV. Four sections divide the screen as cars zoom around a track.
Well, three of the four cars weave through their opponents as they race for the finish line. A lone car’s wheels spin in the grass of the side of the track as its driver works tirelessly to redirect itself in the proper direction.
A pink car crosses the finish line as Posey jumps up on the couch. She wiggles around in a happy dance as she balances on the seat cushions. “I won! I won!”
