Page 69 of Bad Boy Next Door
“No kidding.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how anyone can afford to live in the city anymore.”
“No kidding. How about you? Bay Area native?”
“Yeah, mostly in the East Bay, but we moved around a lot.”
“How come?”
“Evictions.” She shrugged as if it were nothing. “Crystal and I always had most of the important stuff half-packed, in case we needed to get out quick.”
“And what things were important?” I smiled. A teddy bear? A photo of their mother?
“My cast-iron frying pan, for one.”
“A cook, even then?”
“The pan was my grandmother’s.”
“Your dad’s mom?”
“No, Mom’s.” Her eyes turned wistful, like she was seeing something or someone on the far wall of my apartment.
“Your grandma still alive?”
Jade shook her head and studied the burned pancake carnage on her plate. “She died not long after Mom took off.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. That must have been tough.”
She nodded slowly, without turning toward me. “After Mom left, Grandma came to stay with us for a while. Frank didn’t like it, and they fought all the time.” Her jawline hardened. “It was nuts. Frank knew he needed help, but resented it. They got into these long, drag-out fights.”
“Violent?”
Her gaze found mine. “Just a lot of yelling, name calling.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Then one night, after a particularly long fight, Grandma went out for cigarettes. It was late.” Her voice trembled.
I reached across the table for her hand, but she lifted her fingers to wipe the evidence of the tears away.
“She never came back.” Her voice broke.
“Deserted you, just like your mom?” Maybe this was the source of her scars?
Her head dropped. “Murdered.”
“Oh, my god.”
She nodded slowly. “Wrong place, wrong time. Got caught in the crossfire of some drive-by.”
“I’m so sorry, Jade.” I pulled my chair closer and put my hand on her shoulder.
She leaned against me, and I cradled her head.
“You know… I’ve never talked about that before. Even with Crystal. She was so little at the time, I’m not even sure she remembers Grandma.”
“I’m glad you told me.”
She grew quiet, and warmth infused every part of me as I held her lightly, as we breathed together in tandem, her head and hand on my chest, mine on her head and back. Was this happiness? Love? Whatever it was, I didn’t want it to end.
She took in a long breath, then pushed away from me, shaking her head and smiling. “Well, that was intense.” She laughed. “Now you need to tell me something. Come on. Spill some secret so this isn’t one-sided.”
“Not much to tell.” My hands had fallen away from her, and every part of me wanted to hold her again.
