Page 88 of Choosing You

When he’s gone I shut the door and get the letter from my desk drawer. I sit down at the desk and call Frank.

“Hello?” His voice sounds tired.

“Hi, Frank. It’s Jade.”

“Hi, Jade. Do you have any fun plans for tonight?” Frank coughs loudly into the phone.

“No, I don’t have any plans. Are you sick or something?”

“Yes, I woke up with a cold this morning. Probably from too much activity.”

“Did you go out last night? I called and you weren’t there.”

“Ryan’s girlfriend insisted I go to the movies with them. I told her it would ruin their date night but she kept insisting I go so I did. Chloe’s a very nice girl. Very considerate. I hope it works out with those two.”

“Wow, you haven’t been to the movies in years.”

“Yes, I know. Chloe’s right. I should get out more. I had a good time. So did you do something with your friends last night?”

“Um, yeah.” Technically, Garret is a friend so I’m not really lying.

“What did you do?”

“We just hung out here.”

“You and Harper? I thought she went out on Friday nights.”

This small talk is making me anxious. I just want to get this over with. He either knows about my mom or he doesn’t. I stand up and start pacing the floor, but my movement is limited by the short phone cord so I stand in place, twirling the cord around my finger.

“Harper was at a party so I hung out with Garret.”

He’s silent for a moment. “Well, as long as you had fun.” I can tell that Frank still hates Garret for ignoring me all those weeks. And he isn’t too thrilled with me, either, for letting Garret back in my life.

“Frank, I have something to ask you.” I’m so nervous. But I shouldn’t be. It’s just Frank. He’s practically my father.

“Go ahead. What do you need to ask me?”

“I, um, I opened that letter you gave me. The one from Mom.”

“Yes.” He moves away from the phone to cough again. “So what did it say?”

“Well, it wasn’t about her hopes and dreams for me. It said something really strange. I’m not even sure I believe it.” I hold up the letter with the familiar handwriting. Just seeing it makes me shudder. “She said that a man attacked her back in college when she was working on a political campaign. She said he, um, he raped her. And that’s why I’m here.”

There’s a loud noise as the phone on Frank’s end drops either to the table or the floor. “Frank? Are you still there?”

Jumbled sounds fill the line, then I hear his voice again. “What else did the letter say?” His tone is almost angry.

“She said that the man left her almost dead on the side of the road and that when she woke up in the hospital nobody believed her story. Not even the police. Or the doctors. No one. And then she got threatening phone calls.”

Frank remains silent. All I hear is his labored breathing.

“She said somebody purposely caused an explosion at my grandparents’ house. But I thought you said they died in a fire. Isn’t that what you told me?”

His breathing gets faster, causing him to cough again.

“Frank, did you hear me?”

“Yes.” He clears his throat.

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