Page 114 of Ask Me Something

Chapter Twenty-Four

After leaving the office early on Friday, I flew down to my home town for my parents’ anniversary party, scheduled for the next day.

I’d talked to Brian a couple of times over the last ten days, while he’d been in Dubai and then London, but the majority of our conversations had been work related. He hadn’t brought up coming into town this weekend for the party, and I assumed he must’ve changed his mind. Of course, he could’ve been waiting for me actually to invite him, but I’d chickened out every time I’d thought about it.

He most likely thought my silence on the subject had something to do with residual anger over the Vanessa situation, but the truth was that home represented a place where I felt vulnerable. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to have the two worlds collide and chance he might find out about my traumatic past. Of course, as far as my family or anyone else knew, my first panic attack had been a one-time reaction brought on my shocking confrontation with my birth mother. At least, that’s what I hoped they still thought. I was proud of myself for not asking Nancy if the attorney who’d left the message about my birth mother had called again. I didn’t need that shit clouding my mind. The past needed to stay there.

Pulling into the driveway of my parents’ house, I sighed at the sight of my sister’s mini-van with the stick figure family on the back window. It was a comical reminder: I wasn’t in Manhattan any longer.

Lugging my suitcase inside, I was surprised to see Addison sitting at the counter in the kitchen on a stool—without the kids. I smiled and hugged my mom while she prepped dinner across from Addison.

“Hi, Sasha Jayne, how was your flight?”

“Good, Mom, thanks. Hi, Addison.”

My sister looked up from her notebook and offered me a little wave of acknowledgement. It was the first time we’d seen one another since our Christmas incident. “We have fifty-four people coming tomorrow and I didn’t get your RSVP. I guess you assumed I’d know it was only you?”

Instead of bothering with a response to her bitchy greeting, I rolled my eyes and walked into the living room, satisfied to hear my mom giving her a lecture behind me. I leaned in and gave my father a hug in his La-Z-Boy recliner.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi, darlin’. Nice to see you. How was the flight?”

“Good thanks. I’m heading up to put my stuff in my room, then I’ll be down to visit.”

“All right, baby girl,” he said, going back to his paper.

After closing the door to my room, I immediately dialed Brian’s number. I wondered if it was too late to invite him for tomorrow’s party. Or if he’d still want to even come.

“Hi, stranger,” he greeted, picking up on the first ring.

“Hi, yourself. Are you back home?”

“No. How about you? Are you at your parents’ place in Beaufort?”

I tried to hide my disappointment that he was traveling. What did I expect when I hadn’t extended an invitation to come here? “Yeah, just got in.”

A knock startled me.

“Hold on.” I said, opening the door.

Addison stood there. “Hey, Sasha, I didn’t mean—” she began, only to see me on the phone and stop. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize. I’ll, um, talk to you later maybe.” She turned suddenly and was back down the stairs before I could even respond.

“Okay…” I shook my head, wondering if my mom had sent her up here to give an apology. I shut the door again and took a seat on the bed. “Sorry about that. Um, we didn’t get around to talking about this weekend.” I wished more than anything I could see him.

“I didn’t get the impression you’d want me there the last we spoke.”

“You’re right. And it’s unreasonable to bring it up on the day before.”

“Let me ask you something. If it was possible, would you want me there now?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Yes, but if you’re out of town, it’s last minute …”

“I’m at the Harbor Inn in town.”

“Wait. What? In this town?”

He chuckled. “It’s been almost two weeks, and I wanted to see you. If you don’t want me to come to the party, I’ll understand. But I didn’t like the way we left things.”

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