Page 108 of As the Rain Falls
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Beckett. Just as long as you know that you don’t need to look after your father. He’s a grown, rich bastard. He’ll survive.”
I answer with a noncommittal hum, pretending to agree, but his words don’t feel right.Well eyes me with suspicion.I sigh, getting on my nerves about it.
“You know, I want to believe you,” he admits slowly. “But you sort of start looking like him when you lie to me, which does make me wonder.”
“Like him?” my voice is sharp. “I’m nothing like him.”
“You’re running.” Well shrugs. “Running from becoming like him. But life’s not a straight track, kid. It’s more like a circle. The things you fear always come back to bite you.”
I clean the sweat off my forehead and watch him stare at the wilderness around us, his gaze admiring. Something about his last sentence sticks, but I don’t know why.
“There’s a new commission,” Well says after a moment of silence. He spits the weed out and waves his hand around dismissively. “Not a big one, but I figured you’d like it. The client asked for engravings. Thought of you immediately.”
“Engraving could be fun.” I jump over the fence, my feet landing in a puddle. “I’ll check it out when we get back.”
“Yes, son.” He yawns and smiles. “Meanwhile, I’m taking a nap.”
Well keeps the important commissions pinned to a whiteboard in his office. Most orders are too advanced for me, which means that I’m left to watch him work and help where I can.
I don’t mind having to grovel. I’ve only been training consistently since April—and all things considered, that’s not a lot. Before that, all I did was work around the farm and help Lucia with her college applications. My father raised me to be a scholar so my sister would get to do whatever she wanted, and I was damn good at keeping up with the charade.
Yes, I sucked at being socially extroverted and couldn’t visit a supermarket without freaking myself out, but I could solve any equation and remember every historical date I cared enough about, and my teachers were impressed enough to forget that I was odd. I was this skinny, quiet kid who felt overwhelmed all the time. Now that I’ve abandoned academia, my worth is reduced to nothing.
I glance at the design. A jewelry box. Small space for engraving, which means that I’ll have to spend a lot of time making sure everything fits. The client requested certain doodles on a crumpled piece of paper.
The pattern is what looks quite familiar to me, but I can’t exactly figure out why.I set the right tools on the table so I don’t have to look for them later and pick up the piece of paper one last time, unable to shake away the feeling of familiarity. Halfway through my work, the feeling nags at me enough that I pick up my phone and scroll through my gallery, looking at old pictures.
My stomach drops when I finally find what I’m looking for.
The planets have this fragile look, drawn messily all over the paper, just like—
Lucia’s drawings. The very first few sketches she’d made. She thought they could be turned into jewelry later, but unlike me, she had no talent for handmade work. They’re the exact same.
I’ll make something out of this, Beckett, Lucia used to say.Even if Dad thinks drawing is stupid. I don’t care.
“What the—”
We used to talk about it all the damn time. How didn’t I…
I quickly check our client’s details, which always come logged in with the rest of the order, and recognize everything almost immediately. The house number. The street name. Not random. Not a coincidence. The address is next door to mine. My neighbor’s. Cassandra’s.
“How did she get her hands on this?”
It has to be a misunderstanding.
Without saying another word, I slide the sketches in my bag and grab my keys to the truck. Well is snoring loudly now, and I know he won’t wake up until the evening comes. After I’m done checking on everything, I leave him a note and head back to the city.
I need to ask Cassandra about this, because if she meant it as a joke, it sure as hell isn’t a funny one.
SAY IT WITH YOUR CHEST
Cassandra
NOVEMBER, 2016
My phone buzzes inmy pocket. Mrs. Mendoza is reading us our rules for our next philosophy assignment. Thankfully, no one notices me typing the code and unlocking the home screen.
It’s Kayla. She’s inviting me to hang out after school. I find myself grinning happily, a warm feeling blooming in my chest.I love to spend time with my best friend. It makes me really happy.
