Page 47 of Crimson Promises
“Ugh. I didn’t need to know that.” I screwed my eyelids shut.Gross. “And for your information, the library I work at focuses on special and rare collections. As much as I enjoy pursuing those for my own personalpleasure.It’s not something that we shelf at Canmore. But if I ever come across any copies, I’ll be sure to let you know.” I smirked.Two can play this game.
Ben was blinking rapidly, the tips of his ears matching Darlene’s face. And here I was, thinking he couldn’t be embarrassed.
“Now look who’s being crass,” Vic taunted.
Darlene cleared her throat. “Aurora, how have you felt since the accident?”
Before answering Darlene, I turned to Ben, “To give you some context: I was in a car accident a few weeks ago. That was part of the reason I was so hesitant to get on the bike.”
Vic’s gasp was audible before he whisper-yelled to Darlene, “She came here on abike?You didn’t tell me that! Wait until her father hears about this.”
Ignoring him, I continued. “I’m fine, but it was still recent enough I was a bit weary.”
I was sure I saw a creature that looked like a nightmare that night. Everyone was convinced I was justconfused, treating me like a delicate figurine that belonged on a glass shelf.
Ben’s jaw went hard, but he didn’t interrupt with any questions. I swirled my red wine before taking a few large gulps. I focused back on Darlene. “I’m doing okay. Really. I was sore the initial few days, but that was to be expected. The extent of my injuries resulted mostly in some bruises, pulled muscles, and a slight case of whiplash,” I said, repeating the words I have spoken to so many different people. “I’m lucky. Things could have been a lot worse.” Even though I distinctly remember that theywereworse. Much worse.
“You’ve been going to physio like you promised your dad?” Vic asked.
“Absolutely,” I white-lied. Technically, Ididgo to physio for the first two weeks. Afterward, they just kept giving me the same exercises and stretches that I could do from the comfort of my yoga mat. I hadn’t wanted to break that to my dad yet, or else he’d demand I take the semester off to recover or return home. There was no way I was interested in graduating a semester later than expected.
“Glad to hear everything is returning to normal,” Darlene offered.
I wouldn’t precisely call recurring nightmares and attention from two boys ordinary for me. At this point, I’ve just learned to take it as it comes.
“Did you ever end up finding your necklace?” Vic chimed in, making my heart sink with his inquiry.
Ben’s entire body locked up beside me. His gaze bore into the side of my face, but I focused on Vic.
“No. I even went by the police station a few times wondering if they found anything while looking for that creepy guy or in the off-chance that someone found it and brought it in.” Emotion clogged my throat. I pushed it down, down, down. I’ve tried not to focus on the fact that the last piece of my mother wasgone. The circular gold pendant attached to a plain gold chain had the initials ‘AM’ carved in. ‘A’ was for my mom’s name, Alice, and M was for her maiden name, Madden. Dad had told me that she had always wanted me to have it. She had planned to give it to me on my sixteenth birthday, but since that couldn’t happen, my dad didn’t want me to wait to have it. He gave it to me the night she passed. He wanted me to carry a piece of her with me always. Now, it wasgone.
Although I tasked Vic with keeping a lookout for the necklace at the concierge, I had made him promise that he wouldn’t bring up me losing it to my dad. It would destroy him. He was worried enough as it was. Part of me had hoped that the necklace would have turned up by now.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Vic said, losing all pretense of the Ms. James requirement while at home. “I know it meant a lot to you. It could always show up. Have faith.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Though it was doubtful, the necklace didn’t exactly have my home address embedded in it. I brushed the tear I could feel clinging to my wet lashes.
The rest of the dinner went by relatively peacefully. I was beyond thankful that Vic avoided bringing up my date with Riley. Ben had already expressed his aversion to him.
I discovered from Darlene that Vic had been watching all the reality shows he constantly criticized me for. Apparently, I piqued his curiosity. Darlene confessed his secret obsession wasSelling Sunset.He was never going to hear the end of it now. Ben was cordial, but his usual playfulness or uncanny ability to irritate me was nowhere to be found. It didn’t seem like him. He was closed off and cold. Where he felt like a warm campfire at Perk & Pour and on the motorcycle, here he had turned into a frosted night.
Ben and I offered to clear the plates so Vic and Darlene could finish enjoying their glass of wine. While Ben was washing dishes in the sink, I unboxed the dessert. I rifled through the drawers and spotted either butter or chef’s knives. Neither of which I could cut a cake with.
Peering into the dining room from the island to ask Darlene if she had any other knives I could use, I hesitated. Her head rested on Vic’s shoulder, and he was leaning towards her. Something so simple yet so intimate. I didn’t want to ruin their moment. Cutting the cake with the chef’s knife, it was. I started with the pie. The first piece sliced like a dream. When I went to cut the second piece, the remnants of the first piece stuck to the pie, making it difficult to separate. I tried to recut the pie outline to make it easier to disentangle when I felt the sting of the blade slice my skin.
Instantly, blood pooled at the cut at the edge of my palm. Spots clouded my vision. The knife clattered to the floor.
Ben moved to my back, a reassuring presence behind me. His head peered over my shoulder. He held my hand up to get a better look.
He let out a low whistle. “You nicked it good.”
Darlene called out, “Everything okay over there?”
I was still staring at the blood when Ben responded. “All good in here. Just dropped something.”
Ben reached behind him for the dish towel and wrapped it around the wound. Gripped it tight.
“It looks pretty deep.”
