Page 7 of Twisted Thorns

“So, what was with Kieran Calder coming to your rescue at the bar the other night?” she asks as she begins sorting the paper into piles.

“I have no idea. I’ve never met him before,” I begin, but then pause. “Wait, have I met him before?” My voice is rising with panic that yet another forgotten memory is getting in my way.

“No, no, none of us have met him.” Iris jumps in, always ready to soothe my dread at a moment’s notice.

“Yeah, you know how mysterious the Calder family is. No one ever gets close to them.” Claire says.

I do remember that from before the accident. The influential Calder family rules over everything and everyone in Kingsdale. If you want to stay in the Calder's good graces, you play by their rules.

It was just that Kieran Calder kept popping into my head since that night at the bar when he came over after that drunk hit on me. The sight of his dark eyes lit a spark of recognition in me, but I’m not sure why.

I had only seen him a few times since my accident, all in public places around town, but every time I knew he was there before I saw him. It felt like there was a tether linking us together, a mental knot I keep trying to unravel.

Claire and Iris continue swapping getaway ideas, bouncing ideas off each other. I move Conan off my lap, stretching as I stand. “I’m going to make us some tea. Any requests?”

“Something with caffeine.” Iris groans.

Chuckling, I make my way to my kitchen, putting the water on to boil and grabbing tea cups down from the cabinets. By the time I make my way back over to the girls, Claire beams up at me, handing me a piece of paper with what looks to be a list.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“Our plan! I’m going to text it to the others.”

In the end, we don’t go far. We escape Kingsdale to go to the nearby Big Apple for some retail therapy. Kingsdale has plenty of shopping, but it is nothing like New York City.

The bright fluorescent lights of the boutique stores Amanda insists we stop at are blinding, and the endless rows of stores seem to stretch on forever. After hours of standing and walking, my feet are throbbing, and the weight of the bags in my hand is becoming unbearable. The girls walk ahead of me, their gazes scanning the racks and displays for the latest fashion trends. After hours of browsing and trying on clothes, I can feel my energy draining. Grabbing Claire’s arm, I lean into whisper. “Are we at the museum part of your list yet?”

“Almost,” she whispers back, shooting me a look of sympathy.

“Ugh,” I groan, loud enough that Iris and Amanda send worried glances my way from where they are walking ahead of us. “My feet ache.”

Amanda laughs. “But just think of the amazing new clothes you have, Avalina! We’ve only got a couple of more spots until lunch, anyway.”

We are at a swanky boutique, with Iris and Claire oohing over all the shiny bits and baubles, while Amanda desperately tries to rope me into a conversation that I don’t want to be a part of.

“Look at this floral top, Avie!” Amanda holds up a cream, sleeveless tank with pale blue and pink flowers swirling all over it. “You should totally get it!”

“Iris already talked me into that green dress. And I don’t have a job right now, remember? I don’t need any more clothes.”

“But it has flowers on it!” Amanda pouts. “And you love flowers! You just need a boyfriend who will buy you clothes and then you won’t need to worry about having a job.”

“Is that your plan with Rick?” Claire asks as she walks over to see the top Amanda is holding.

“Of course,” Amanda replies, “like that isn’t your plan with Bobby.”

“I like my job at the art gallery. I’d keep it even if Bobby gave me all his money.”

Amanda rolls her eyes. “Not me. I can’t wait to just buy clothes for myself instead of other rich people.”

I can’t shake the feeling that my friends were trying to mold me back into who I used to be. That they hoped I would simply slip back into my old self with a few spa treatments and shopping sprees. But with each step today, I feel the weight of who I used to be growing heavier, until it threatens to crush the person I’m still discovering.

"Avie, over here, look at this." Amanda pulls me to her. "What do you think of this necklace? I think it would look gorgeous with that green velvet dress you picked up." She holds the necklace up to my neck, squinting as if she could imagine the green dress in question on me and how it would look with the gems.

I have to admit, she is right. The necklace is a swirl of vines and flowers in rose gold and silver, adorned with tiny peridot and pink topaz gemstones cascaded to look like flowers on a vine. It matches perfectly with the green velvet dress with its sweetheart neckline and capped sleeves, gold thread woven over the skirt to look like falling leaves.

"It's beautiful, Amanda." My hand automatically moves to my necklace, the one I've been wearing since the accident.

I toy with it while debating how to respond. Amanda is obviously trying to connect with me, and she has no idea that the only necklace I have an interest in wearing is the one I'm currently toying with.

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