Page 111 of Deja New
“I didn’t. She came to me. Remember when we were all in the kitchen having hot chocolate?”
“Yes, that was one of the times I asked you if everything was all right and if there was anything you wanted to talk about and you said everything was fine.” She managed (just) to keep the tartness from her tone.
Jack raced ahead, trying to outrun the argument he thought was coming. “So she hasn’t been sleeping well and she knew I wasn’t, either, and we got to talking and later she figured it out and came and asked me about it.” He looked at her, distressed and pale. “Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad. Why would I be?”
“Because I didn’t come to you.”
I’m not mad. I’m a little jealous, but not mad. Well. A lot jealous.“I don’t own your confidences, you goof. You can confide in anyone you like. If Leah helped you, how can I be anything but glad about it?” There was another mystery solved: why Leah couldn’t sleep. Constantly fretting about giving birth to your mother would wreak havoc on anyone’s REM cycle.
“And—and you’re so busy with Dad’s—with Uncle Dennis’s murder.”
“That’s not it and you know it,” she said kindly. “You were afraid to come to me because you were afraid you’dbecomeme. You thought being an Insighter meant being an insecure, spiteful bitch. You didn’t know that only applied to Insighters who are Angela Drake.”
“That’s what Leah said. Not about you being spiteful! Jeez, your eyes went to slits in half a second.”
“Sorry. Reflex.”
“She likes you, so don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t,” she lied.
“Leah said it didn’t have to define me. That it was like being born able to throw a fastball... being able to do it didn’t mean I had to devote my life to try and go pro.”
Angela nodded. “That’s a good way to put it. I don’t make money from Insighting, I’ve never seen a client, I just studied the hell out of it because—well, you know. But it was never my job. And it doesn’t have to be yours.”
“Yeah.” Jack gazed at the grill for a few seconds, then looked at Angela. “What happens now?”
“Oh. Um. I have no idea.”
“Will Mom move out?”
“I doubt it.” Why would she? The house was hers, free and clear. That was assuming she didn’t go to jail, but Angela wasn’t going to bring that up. The poor kid had enough to mull over. “I think we’ll all have to leave. Paul and Jordan are talking about renting a house in Evanston, and Mitchell—”
“Philadelphia.”
“Yep.” Mitchell Drake had one great love in life: the showIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.*He’d wanted to live in Philly and open a bar in homage to Paddy’s Pub since he was eleven. He had been designing the drinks menu (“The Dee,” which was mostly orange juice for a bird-yellow hue; “The Mac,” which was three Cosmos served in a beer mug; “The Frank,” whichwas skunk beer dregs; and “The Greenman,” which is anything even vaguely alcoholic dyed green) since he was twelve.
“It’s nice that the collapse of our family means he can pursue his dream,” Jack said with touching loyalty.
“Nothing’s collapsed,” Angela corrected sharply.Whoa. Modulate that tone.“You and I still love each other, we love our brothers and cousins, there will be a new baby Drake in a few months, life goes on.”
He just looked at her. “You don’t think you’re simplifying a bit?”
“What our parents did doesn’t mean our generation—the cousins and brothers and future spouses and their kids—aren’t a family. Emma and Douglas Drake do not have that kind of power over us. The backstory changed, but not how we feel about each other.” She took his wrist, held it firmly. “Don’t do that, Jacky. Don’t give our parents that kind of power.”
He let out a short, shuddering breath and nodded. “Will I have to switch schools?”
“I’m gonna try very hard to make thatnothappen. We’ll get you through your senior year and then figure out the college thing.”The college thing. Ah, yes, she certainly sounded in control and like she knew what she was doing. Perfect. But one thing at a time. “In fact, I was talking to Jason about that earlier. He has a beautiful home and he’s invited us to stay with him.”
“Iknewyou liked him!” A real smile this time, wide and gorgeous, the kind that crinkled up his nose. He used to grin like that in his crib. “You were always trying to besooooocoooooooolaround him, but I could tell. It was the socks, right?”
“You noticed?” She couldn’t recall being more delighted withhim. “Aren’t they great? Not that it’s just his socks. It only started with his wonderful, sexy socks.”
“Barf.”
“But listen: We have options, okay? However it works out. I’ve got savings, we can go and get an apartment somewhere. Or we’ll stay with Jason. Or we’ll come up with Option C, which might be a combination of A and B. My point is, you’re not trapped here with her. None of us are. Okay?”
