Page 57 of That Stranded Feeling
She looks like she’s seen a ghost. Her mouth hangs open as she points at the gates with a trembling finger. “Isthatit?”
“I guess.” I read the plaque on the stone pillar to the right of the gates. “Blythe Manor. Yeah, this is it. Are you okay?”
She says nothing, so I tap my phone and call Max who picks up halfway through the first ring. “Hey, we’re here.”
“About fucking time,” Max says, then hangs up.
Summer is frozen, statue-like, as the gates drift open to reveal a sweeping circular driveway with a large sculpture of dancing cherubs in the center. Behind it is a wide, three-story, stone manor house with steps up to a shiny, dark green front door at its center.
Summer still doesn’t move.
“Max has opened the gates,” I tell her. “We can go in.”
The truck doesn’t move.
I stroke her thigh. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not going in there.”
“Why not? It’s just my aunt and uncle’s house.”
She jabs her finger toward it. “That, is notjustanything.”She looks from the house to me and back again. “Lookat it. Have you spent so much time around piles of cash that this is ordinary to you?”
Ah, now I see the problem. “I know what you’re thinking. And they’re not like that.”
She slams the truck into reverse. “You can get out here. I’ll head home.”
I pry her white-knuckled fingers off the shifter and wrap both my hands around them. I can’t allow her ex to have ruined her for me. “It won’t be like you imagine.”
“You have no idea what I imagine.”
“Yes, I do.” I plant a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. “You think everyone in there is a rich ass who’s going to treat you as shittily as Alastair and his awful parents did.”
She slumps back and leans her head against the headrest. Elsa stretches forward and nuzzles her hair. Summer tickles her under the chin. “It’s okay, we’re going home now.”
I twist around as far as I can to face her and sit up tall. “At least come and meet them for a few minutes. Please. Then you’ll see everything’s fine. One tiny step at a time, right?”
She looks down and shakes her head.
I need to show her how wrong she is about my family. “Okay. But it’s too narrow to turn around here. And you can’t reverse all the way back down this steep path. You’ll have to circle the driveway. So, you might as well drop me at the door.”
“I’m not meeting them. If that’s what you’re trying to do.”
She sees right through me, and she’s on the verge of a smile.
I pout and shake my head. “Nope. Not at all.”
“Hmmm.” She peers through the windows and assesses the distance on either side. She rolls her eyes. “You’re right. I don’t have much choice but to drive up there.”
As we crunch up the driveway, she side-eyes Max’s and Elliot’s sports cars, which are each probably worth more than her cabin.
She stops the truck outside the front door and turns to face me, her eyes full of disappointment.
This might be the end. She looks like she’s about to say farewell forever. A wave of hot panic runs through me. I’d thought I had all evening to work on how to make this not be goodbye, but now all I can do is open my mouth and hope the right words fall out.
Summer turns and looks toward the creaking sound coming from the huge front door.
Aunt Maggie’s smiling face appears. Perfect timing! Now Summer will realize how normal and non-assholey they are.
