Page 48 of Valentine Dare

19

Jenny

The next fewweeks flew by, I’d avoided the topic of leaving them for Christmas, no one talked about the Thanksgiving meal a few weeks ago, with mom, and I never brought it up. But it was time for me to leave, and the coward inside of me, didn’t even tell them I was leaving a day earlier. I hid my packed bag, and then told mom to come and pick me early morning when I knew everyone would be sleeping.

Once, I was out of the house, I shed a tear, and sighed with relief that no one had caught me leaving. I ran to the limo feeling as if I was holding my heart in my hand, then I gave the driver my bag, then he opened the door, and I sat down in the limo.

“Good morning dear,” she said from the other side of the seat.

“Morning,” I whispered.

I wanted to ask her where she’d got the money from, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t feel important. I’d left like a coward without saying goodbye. I wanted to call Tracey, but I left the same way I’d done with the boys. No call. Not even a note. Just a text saying I was not good at saying goodbyes.

I hated myself more than them for it. I kept telling myself, it was because we were in a fake relationship. No one had promised me anything, and I hadn’t either. Yet, it hurt so damn bad.

Mom played with her pearls. She was dressed completely differently to the way she was last week when she came to dinner. It was as if she had her old clothes back, and I started to get suspicious and wonder what was really going on.

“Don’t make your face like that Jennifer. It really doesn’t become you. Besides, you couldn’t live with the Edwards forever. They’re not your family. I can’t wait to get you home and get you in some proper clothes. I mean, what are you wearing?” She shifted her Gucci sunglasses and eyed me up and down.

“Shirt and jeans.”

She snarled, “I can see that, I’m not blind.”

She replaced one strand that had gone loose from her tight blonde bun and then continued to look out of the window ignoring me. This felt like deja vu. Everything from the past started to flash in my mind.

“Mom, how come you have your old Gucci suit on?”

She turned to face me.

“Old? No, this is a new one. I picked it up when I went to Beverly Hills on Tuesday.”

“You went to Beverly Hills?”

She nodded, “Ah-ha. Shopping. It’s a shame you couldn’t come with me.”

“I had exams.”

“I know dear. But you finished them all, so you don’t really need to go to school.”

I was so confused. All what? I still had finals and papers to hand in to get my diploma.

“How did you get the money to go to Beverly Hills?”

“It’s a long, boring story. But, basically between your uncle Mike and oh I can’t remember his name… anyway, between people that needed to help your father, they pulled through, and we’ll be back on track in no time.”

She stretched and patted my knee. “Don’t worry, dear, the charges will be dropped, and we’ll all go back to the way things were before. Everything will be good again, and we can put this nightmare behind us. You can throw those clothes in the trash and forget everything ever happened.”

I sighed. “But I would need to speak to Claire, Trent, Brent and Prent again.”

“Who?”

“You know, the ones who have been looking after me…”

She lifted her hand up to cut me off. Something she did whenever she was annoyed about anything which came out of my mouth.

“Yes. They helped you out for a while. But you need to get them out of your mind. They are not your family, we are. You you will be home with us where you belong and you never know, maybe go to college. Haven’t you always wanted that?”

I nodded, but I didn’t see how that was possible. I’d been accepted by Berkeley only. Every other application had been tossed out of the window. I didn’t have the grades nor the funds, so I held on to my acceptance letter, which Claire said I should, and not give up hope.

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