Page 81 of Steel & Jenna
“We need to get Lilly,” Jenna told Jack softly, “but there’s a lot we have to talk about, you and I.”
Jack nodded. He looked at the rose covered casket. “It still doesn’t feel real. I keep thinking I’ll wake up and she’ll be in the kitchen. The house feels so empty without her.”
Jenna squeezed his hand, wrapping her other one around his upper arm. “It likely always will. I’ve never lost a parent and I can’t imagine the pain you’re feeling. Saying that ‘time will heal’ seems so lame and condescending.”
“Time seems to only be making it worse.”
Not knowing what to say, Jenna kissed his shoulder before laying her cheek on it. They stayed for another minute before Jack mentioned getting Lilly again. Hand in hand, they walked away from the grave. Her headstone would be delivered in a few weeks. For now, a placard in the ground marked her final resting place.
Lilly,Jack, and Jenna ate in a corner of the church’s gathering hall. Some came to say their condolences, but most left them alone.Without Mr. Zarin there, no one was really paying attention to the orphaned kids. After some comments made close enough for them to overhear about the specifics of how Mrs. Zarin was murdered, Jenna and Jack decided to depart so Lilly was not subjected to any of it.
It was all rumor, speculation, and hearsay anyway. No one knew why John Duncan had come to the Zarin house. Though Jack had turned the note he’d found over to the police, it didn’t explainwhy nowor what their dad’s endgame was supposed to be. He’d demanded money, but not how much, and it wasn’t like Jack had that a lot to spare.
Not knowing how much time Mr. Zarin needed, they took Lilly out for ice cream and then to an afternoon movie. It wasn’t a cheerful occasion, not like the other times they’d taken her out. The goal was to get her mind off of the funeral for a little while.
It was dusk when Jack pulled into the driveway. Lilly was asleep, having passed out part way through the movie. Jack had to carry her out of the theater and to the truck.
In the driveway, he left the truck running. “Let me get her inside.” He spoke softly so as not to wake his sister. “Are you good to go back out?”
Jenna nodded. “Do you need help?”
Jack shook his head. “Just lock the door after I leave.”
The house was quiet. There was no sign of Mr. Zarin on the couch or in the kitchen. Jack carried Lilly down to her bedroom. After laying her on the bed, he removed her shoes and then tucked her under the covers. A picture of Mrs. Zarin and Lilly cooking Christmas cookies now sat on her nightstand.
Not wanting her to wake to total darkness, Jack switched on the amber-shelled turtle nightlight that Jack had found at the thrift store when they were looking for things to decorate her new room with.
In the hall, Jack spotted the light on in Mr. and Mrs. Zarin’s bedroom. He didn’t want to disturb Mr. Zarin, but he needed to tell him that Lilly was now in the house. After putting his ear to the door and not hearing anything from inside, Jack tentatively opened the door enough to squeeze his head inside.
Mr. Zarin was still in his full dress uniform, though the jacket was unbuttoned and his shoes were off. He was laying on the comforter of his bed with Mrs. Zarin’s pillow pressed up against his face as if he was trying to breathe in her scent. When he didn’t move or acknowledge Jack’s entrance, Jack figured he was asleep.
Jack slipped back out of the room after turning off the light. In his bedroom, he grabbed a pillow and some blankets. Then he went to the kitchen and wrote a note on the refrigerator pad that he was out with Jenna and that Lilly was asleep in her room.
Back outside, he locked the front door. As he approached the truck, Jenna leaned across the bench seat to unlock his door. He handed her the pillow and blankets before climbing in.
“Are we going camping?” she asked with a hint of amusement.
“I can’t be around people right now,” Jack explained. “I figured we could head up to the Pointe.”
Lighthouse Pointe was a local summer make out and hookup spot for teens and college students. Jack and Jenna had never been up there before, mainly because it had never been a desirable place for them to go on dates. It seemed gross and sordid in a way. Jenna deserved better.
However, this time of year, it would be deserted. It was also a great place to stargaze and there was a trailhead for some ocean view hikes. With his desire to not be around people at present, he couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.
As they headed out, Jenna scooted over on the bench seat to press herself into his side. Jack draped his right arm around her shoulders, his left at the top of the steering wheel.
“Thank you for coming today,” he said. “Especially after what I said. I didn’t mean it,” he added quickly. “I was hurting and?—”
“Jack, you don’t need to explain or justify yourself. I knew when you said it that you didn’t mean it.”
He looked down at her quickly before turning his attention back to the road. “Then why didn’t you call me back? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for days.”
Jenna hesitated before saying, “That’s what I need to talk to youabout. But it’s a really long story and you’re not going to like what I have to say. It’s probably better for you not to be driving when I tell it to you.”
Jack did not like the ominous tone in her voice. Without taking his eyes off of the road, he turned his head to kiss the top of hers. “I love you, Jenna. That will never change. Whether you tell me now or tell me later, it won’t matter.”
“I’d prefer to wait,” she insisted gently.
He nodded. “Up to you. Can you at least tell me how you ended up at my house on Tuesday?”
