Page 38 of Turn

I took a sip of water before continuing. “Before he left, Parker begged me to give him five minutes of my time. He said he’d be waiting down the street at Coffee Hole. As far as I was concerned he could sit there and wait until kingdom come. But then I got to thinking. I hate how all that nasty history has had such a hold over my life. I thought maybe this was a chance to get some closure. So I went. Parker apologized profusely. He offered to drop the statistics class so I wouldn’t have to see him anymore. And you know what? His life hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. I thought that would make me happy to hear but it didn’t.”

Cami digested this information. Her shrewd reporter’s mind wanted to hear more though. “How did you leave things with him?”

“I told him I don’t forgive him but I also told him he doesn’t have to drop the class. I don’t care if he’s there or not. It won’t bother me to see him again, not now.”

Cami tugged at her lower lip, meaning she was troubled. “Cass? You’re not thinking of letting Parker Neely back into your life, are you?

“No.” I shook my head. “Definitely not. But one thing I’ve learned is that people aren’t simple. Sometimes they even change. Think of Dad. Think of what an unimaginable asshole he was to Mom when they were kids. And years later she saw that he wasn’t that guy anymore. That’s why she was able to forgive him.”

Cami sighed. “Parker Neely isn’t Cord Gentry.”

“Of course not. But maybe he isn’t pure evil either.”

Cami stopped tugging on her lower lip but she looked unconvinced. I didn’t have her gift with words and I didn’t know how to express what was going through my head. I had no intention of inviting Parker home for dinner. Yet I didn’t see the benefit in holding on to bitterness. Before I had time to sort out my thoughts and communicate them to my sister my phone rang.

“It’s Kellan,” I said, staring at the number on the screen. Cami raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, Kel,” I said into the phone. “Did you butt dial me or do you need something?”

“Cassidy! How’s my favorite cousin tonight?”

“Ah, so you need something.”

I could almost hear him squirming on the other end.

“Just a ride. I mean, if you’re not doing anything. I’m stuck out here by the university without enough cash to call a car. And I can’t call Derek because the idiot dropped his phone in a pool this afternoon and it hasn’t been replaced yet. If I call the house my folks will figure out that something is up.”

“And where do Uncle Chase and Aunt Stephanie believe you are right now?”

“At my buddy Ford’s house two blocks away.”

“I see.”

“They’d kill me.”

“They wouldn’t high five you that’s for sure.”

“Cass, I’m sorry to bug you but none of my friends have cars and I would have called Cadence but she’s gone for the summer.”

In spite of my effort to play it stern I smiled. “So I’m your rescuer of last resort?”

“No. I was going to call Cami if you didn’t answer.”

After I got the details of where he was I said, “You owe me, kiddo,” and turned to my sister. “We’d better ask for a takeout box.”

Kellan was waiting exactly where he said he’d be, mere blocks from the sprawling behemoth known as Arizona State University.

“You guys, thanks so freaking much,” he gushed, diving into the backseat of the car as I was still rolling to a stop. “I don’t even want to think about what my parents would say if they knew I was out here.”

“Not so fast,” Cami told him, swiveling around. “We want the whole truth, nothing but the truth, and then we’ll decide whether your folks need to hear about it.”

I smothered a laugh when I looked back at my young cousin’s obstinate face. He had the same expression he’d worn at the age of seven when I broke the bad news that he couldn’t have cheesecake for dinner on any night that I was babysitting.

“Spill it,” I warned.

Kellan slumped back with a pout when he realized he was going to have to come clean. Then he started talking.

He’d met a girl online in some gaming forum. She was a junior at ASU and was under the impression she was speaking to a twenty three year old man instead of a sixteen year old kid. Since Kellan’s parents didn’t allow him to use their cars after dark he got a ride to come out this way and meet her. Kellan did look older than his age so it was no shock that the girl chose to believe that he was in his twenties. At first. Then after a few drinks some of the things he said didn’t add up. She grabbed his wallet, saw his high school ID, freaked, and ran out of there.

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