Page 49

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

JADE

The alarm goes off and I hit the button to make it stop. I forgot to turn the alarm off last night. Garret and I don’t have class until 10 today and it’s only 6:30.

I’m tired because I kept waking up in the middle of the night thinking about Sean and Harper. I know I should stay out of it but part of me thinks I should tell Harper what’s going on. She’s still not sure about her future with Sean, so it doesn’t seem fair for him to miss out on this great job opportunity. Besides, maybe some time apart would be good for them. It might help Harper make a decision about Sean instead of her constant wavering. And if she decides she wants to break up with him, at least he’ll be left with a good job that has a future. Sean is going nowhere in the job he has now and I know he doesn’t like working there. He’s only staying there for Harper.

I have to talk to her. I won’t say anything about Sean, but I need to get an update on where she stands with him. I know I’m butting in and Garret will lecture me about it later but hey, that’s what friends do, right? Give you advice even when you don’t ask for it? Harper did it to me all last year. I lost count of how many times she lectured me about Garret and how I needed to let him know how I felt about him. And look how that turned out? I’m happily married. So I figure I’m just returning the favor with my subtle matchmaking moves.

Garret’s still sound asleep beside me. He didn’t even notice the alarm. He has the sheet shoved way down by his ankles because he gets hot when he sleeps, probably because my arms and legs are always draped all over him. He only wore boxer briefs to bed, meaning he’s practically naked. It’s a nice view to wake up to.

He’s lying on his side facing me. I lean over and gently kiss his cheek. I love him so much. Every day I tell myself I can’t possibly love him any more and then every morning I wake up and feel like I love him even more than the day before.

“Jade?” he mumbles.

“Go back to sleep,” I whisper, kissing his cheek again. “It’s still early.”

He shifts onto his other side as I sneak out of bed, closing the door behind me. I go in the kitchen and make some coffee, then take my phone to the couch and call Harper. With the time difference it’s 9:30 there, so I’m sure she’s awake but she could be in class. She hasn’t sent me her schedule yet.

She picks up on the third ring. “Why are you calling so early? It’s the crack of dawn there.” She’s laughing. She sounds happy.

“It’s 6:30. It’s not that early. And I missed my best friend.”

“Jade, don’t start. You know I cry every time you say that.”

“Sorry, we’ll talk about something else. How was your dinner last night?”

Harper went to dinner with her tennis team. They do it every year to welcome everyone back and introduce the new team members.

“It was fun. We didn’t get back until late so I didn’t call you because I wanted to get to bed. I have an 8 a.m. class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It sucks but it’s the only time it’s offered.”

“So did you get the same dorm room this year?”

“Yeah. Basically, everything’s the same except you and Garret aren’t here. Oh! Guess who else isn’t here this year?” She uses the tone that implies she’s got juicy gossip.

“Katy? Or maybe Jessica?”

“No, it’s not someone on the tennis team. Sorry, I should’ve said that. It’s someone else you know. Guess.”

“Um, Sierra?”

“No, she’s still here. She’s in my French class. Guess again.”

“Ava?”

“No, unfortunately she’s still here. I saw her yesterday.”

“I’m out of guesses. Just tell me.”

“It’s someone who really annoyed you last year. Actually, last semester. Someone Garret hated.”

I think for a moment. A lot of people annoyed me but Garret only hated Blake and he wasn’t there last semester. Then I remember who else Garret hated.

“Carson?”

“Yes! A girl on my tennis team wanted to go out with him and she looked him up and found out he doesn’t go here anymore.”

“That’s weird. He always said he liked it there and that he liked living in Connecticut. Do you know where he transferred to?”

“I have no idea. I just know he doesn’t go here anymore. So how was your first day of class? Do you like Camsburg?”

“It’s okay.” I try not to be too negative since Harper’s dad recommended it.

“You don’t like it, do you?”

My tone must’ve given me away. “It’s too soon to tell. I think the classes will be challenging, which isn’t a bad thing. I like being challenged. But I haven’t found the people to be very friendly.”

“I forgot to tell you, one of my friends from high school just transferred to Camsburg. She was a year ahead of me so she’s a junior. Her fiancé, who’s the guy she’s dated since she was 17, got a job in the marketing department there. He graduated last May and this is his first real job. Anyway they moved there a month ago. I haven’t talked to her for like a year, but my mom ran into her mom at a charity thing last week and that’s how I found out she’s going to Camsburg. You have to meet her, Jade. You guys would totally get along. And I think Garret would get along with her fiancé.”

“Give me her number and I’ll see if we can meet for dinner or something. Garret and I could really use some couple friends. People here act like we’re freaks because we’re married. We were just saying how hard it’s going to be to make friends.”

“I’ll send you her number as soon as we get off the phone. Her name is Brook and her fiancé’s name is Dylan. I’ll call her and tell her about you and give her your info if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks!”

“Jade, can we talk later? I didn’t realize how late it was. I have to get to class.”

“Yeah, okay. Bye.”

I get up and go into the kitchen just as Garret walks in.

“What are you doing up so early?” He looks half asleep.

“I called Harper.”

“You didn’t tell her what Sean said, did you?”

“No.” I grab some mugs. “You want coffee?”

“Sure.” He yawns.

I pour the coffee in the mugs, then hand him one. “I was up during the night thinking I should tell Harper about Sean. Or at least push her to make a decision about him.”

“It’s not your place to do that, Jade.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Just let them deal with it.” Garret leans against the kitchen counter and takes a sip of his coffee. “Besides, I told Sean you wouldn’t say anything to her.”

“Fine, but I’m still going to ask her about their relationship. She asked about ours all last year. It’s a thing girlfriends do. Guys don’t understand.”

He shakes his head, smiling. “So what else did she say?”

“Oh! Guess who isn’t at Moorhurst this year?”

“You know I don’t like the guessing game thing. Just tell me.”

“Carson. He didn’t come back. Isn’t that weird?”

“Maybe he decided it was too far from home.”

“That’s the thing. He used to say how he went there because he wanted to try living someplace new. He said he liked living in Connecticut.”

“Maybe he changed his mind. I don’t want to talk about Carson. I’m trying to forget about that guy.”

“She also said her friend from high school goes to Camsburg now and the girl’s fiancé works in the marketing department. Harper’s going to send me her phone number. I thought we could meet them for dinner some night. We might have a new couple to hang out with.”

“How long did you talk to Harper?”

“Not long. But you know Harper. She can tell you a lot in a short amount of time.” I sip my coffee. “Since we’re up early, would you go on a run with me?” I set my coffee down and put my arms around him. “Just a short one?

“Yes.” He kisses my forehead. “I just need a few minutes to wake up first.”

“You’ll really go with me? I thought you’d say no.”

“You’re not running alone, Jade. I told you that. So if you want to run, I’ll be going with you.”

“And you don’t even like to run. You must really love me.”

“Either that or I’m looking forward to the shower that comes after the run.” He smiles, then drinks his coffee again.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to that, too.”

“But I need to eat something before we go.” He sets his coffee down and takes some cereal from the cupboard. “You want some?”

“Sure.” I grab the bowls and spoons while Garret gets the milk.

We pour our cereal and take it over to the couch. Garret turns on the TV. A morning news show is on and the woman at the news desk is talking.

“…at the upcoming debate. Now that Kent Gleason has secured the nomination he’s putting all his focus on preparing for the debates in the hopes that he can boost his poll numbers in some of the swing states. Gleason’s poll numbers overall have gone up significantly since he resuscitated a six-year-old boy on a beach in La Jolla last Friday.”

A video shows Kent Gleason running up to a little boy lying on the sand with his mother next to him, crying out for help.

They cut to the mother being interviewed on the beach. “My son was swimming and the current just took him away. When I got him out of the water, he wasn’t breathing.”

“Garret, does she look familiar to you?”

He’s eating his cereal, not really watching. “Who?”

“That lady. Look.”

He glances at the TV. “I don’t know her. Why? Should I?”

The mother is still talking. “Thank God Mr. Gleason came along when he did. He saved my son.”

The camera pans out to the beach and shows the kid again, this time on a stretcher with Gleason and the paramedics around him. I spot an oddly shaped, large rock off in the distance behind them.

They cut to the newswoman again. “The boy was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. In other news…”

I take the remote and turn the volume down.

“That was weird,” I say to Garret.

“What was weird?”

“I know I’ve seen that woman before.”

“The mom of that kid?”

“Yes. I know I’ve seen her somewhere.” I take a moment to think. “I saw her last summer at Kiefer’s party. I think she was one of the servers. I remember because she kept offering me shrimp even though I kept telling her I didn’t like shrimp.”

“Huh. Well, that’s too bad about her son. I hope he’s okay.”

“And that beach they were at. Didn’t that look familiar to you?”

Garret sets his cereal bowl down on the table. “No. Why? Are you trying to tell me something here?”

I set my bowl next to his. “We’ve been on that beach, Garret.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That was Harper’s beach. It was the private beach behind her house.”

“Jade, it wasn’t the same beach. They said it was in La Jolla, not Malibu.”

I jump up and get my phone and bring it back to the couch. I swipe through my photos until I find the ones I took of the beach behind Harper’s house. “Look at this.” I show it to Garret. “The slope of the sand, the red buoy in the water. It’s the exact same as what they just showed. That kid was lying right here.” I point to the spot on the photo.

“It’s similar, but it’s not the same beach. They have those red buoys all over the place.”

I swipe to a different photo. “See that rock? It’s the same one that was behind the kid when he was on the stretcher. When we were eating lunch with Harper’s family out on the patio, I told you how I thought that rock looked like a mini volcano.”

“Yeah, I remember you saying that, but I didn’t see the rock in the video they just showed.”

“It was there. I’m telling you, it was the exact same rock. ”

Garret gets up and takes our empty bowls to the sink. “What are you trying to say here, Jade?”

I meet him by the sink. “Gleason saved that kid on the beach behind Harper’s house. Why would Kent Gleason and that server from the party be hanging out behind Harper’s house? That’s a private beach. And you can only access it from their backyard.”

“Maybe Kiefer had a fundraiser at his house for Kent Gleason and maybe that woman was working as a server that night.”

“Then why was her kid there?”

“Maybe it was a barbecue and people were allowed to bring their kids.”

“They wouldn’t let the hired help bring their kids. And why would the news say this happened in La Jolla if it really happened in Malibu?”

Garret hesitates, then says, “Because it’s probably a fake story.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re right, and that video was filmed behind Harper’s house and that woman was a server, then that whole story was fake. Kiefer filmed it just like he’d film a movie scene. That woman and the kid were probably actors. That whole thing was just a made-up story to make Gleason look like a hero so people will vote for him.” Garret walks off toward the bedroom. “Come on. If you want to run, we need to get going.”

I stand there, thinking about what he said. I guess I should’ve known it was a made-up story. I’ve seen Gleason being interviewed on TV and he doesn’t seem like the type of guy who would save a kid on a beach. He seems completely self-absorbed, not interested in helping anyone but himself. I can see why he’s not appealing to voters. That’s why the organization needed that fake story. They need to get Gleason ahead in the polls so they can rig the election and have him win without people questioning it.

“Jade, let’s go.” Garret’s yelling at me from the bedroom.

I meet him in there. “So if Kiefer made that video, it means he’s involved with the organization and he knows about the election fraud.”

Garret’s in his shorts and t-shirt and putting his shoes on. “We already knew that about him.”

“Not really. Before we were just guessing. Now it’s confirmed.”

“Jade, it doesn’t matter what Kiefer’s doing because we’re staying out of all that shit, so stop thinking about it.” He walks out of the bedroom. “I’m getting some water. You want some?”

“No, I’m good.”

Sometimes I wonder if Garret knows more about Kiefer than he’s telling me. Pearce knows what’s going on with Kiefer and maybe he told Garret. If so, he’d tell Garret not to tell me because he’d worry I’d tell Harper. I’m sure she doesn’t know what her dad is involved in. I wonder if Harper’s mom, Kelly, even knows.

I hear Garret open the back door that leads to the beach. “Jade, we have to go.”

“Yeah, I’m coming. Hold on.”

Garret and I go on a short run, then shower and head to class. I have chemistry this morning. I took chemistry last spring but this is part two. I should’ve taken it last year, but back then I hadn’t declared a major so didn’t know what classes to take. I also had calculus last year but have to take another semester of it. So now I’m stuck taking chem 2, organic chem, and organic chem lab, along with advanced calculus and my psych class. I’m not looking forward to this semester.

After class, I go to the coffee shop, which is where Garret and I are meeting for lunch. He’s not there when I arrive, so I find us a table and sit down.

I see Sara behind the counter. She looks really tired.

“Were you up all night?” I ask when she comes over.

“Yeah.” She lets out a laugh. “You know what’s funny? For most people my age, that question would refer to partying. But for me it means I spent the night massaging baby gums with teething ointment.”

“So he’s not getting any better, huh?”

“The stuff I put on his gums seemed to help. Poor little guy. I feel bad he’s in so much pain. I went online and found some other things to try. I kind of figure it out as I go, you know?” She frowns. “That makes me sound like a terrible mom, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all. I’m sure there’s a lot to learn about taking care of a baby.”

She sighs. “There’s so much to learn. I have some books but they don’t tell you half the stuff you need to know.”

The door to the coffee shop opens and Garret walks in. Sara straightens up and smooths her apron as he approaches the table.

“Hey.” He smiles at Sara, then sits next to me, putting his arm around the back of my chair. “I see you met my wife.”

She looks confused. “Your wife?”

“That’s who the coffee was for yesterday. This is my wife, Jade.”

“Um, yeah, we’ve met.” Sara says it slowly.

I look at Garret. “I didn’t know you’d met Sara.”

“I didn’t know I had. She didn’t tell me her name.” He turns to her and extends his hand. “Hi, Sara. I’m Garret. Now we’ve officially met.”

“Hi.” She weakly shakes his hand.

“Jade was telling me you have a son.”

“Yeah. His name’s Caleb.”

“She also said she volunteered us to babysit.”

“Actually, I don’t need you to now.”

“Why not?” I ask her. “That guy said no to dinner?”

Sara’s cheeks are bright red. She’s probably embarrassed to talk about guys in front of Garret. That’s girl talk.

Garret gets up. “I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

Sara waits for him to leave, then says, “I didn’t ask that guy out. And I’m not going to.”

“Why not?”

Sara slumps into the chair Garret was just sitting in. “Because you’re married to him.”

“Garret’s the guy you were talking about?”

She nods.

I laugh. “I should’ve guessed that when you said it was a hot guy who was also nice. ”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say all that stuff about your husband. I swear, I thought he was single. I didn’t see the ring.”

“Don’t worry about it. I think it’s kind of funny.”

We see him coming out of the bathroom. She grabs my arm. “Please don’t tell him. I’m already so embarrassed.”

“I won’t tell him. I promise. It’s our little secret.”

She stands up and gives Garret his chair back. Her face is still red as she pulls out two menus. “I’ll give you some time to decide what you want.” She hurries off to the kitchen.

“She seems nervous or something,” Garret says as he reviews the menu.

“She’s just tired. Her baby is teething so she was up all night.”

He shuts his menu. “Grilled ham and cheese. That’s what I’m getting. What do you want?”

“I think I’ll get the turkey.”

“I’ll go order at the counter so she doesn’t have to come back here.”

“I’ll do it.” I move around him and go up to the counter.

Sara’s hiding in the back. She comes out when she sees me. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

“No. And I won’t. So stop worrying about it. I wanted to give you our order.”

She takes the order, then says, “I understand if you don’t want to be friends with me now.”

“Sara, it’s fine. Really. I’m sure I’ll be spending a lot of time here between classes and I’d like us to be friends. And if you ever find a single guy to take you to dinner, the babysitting offer still stands.”

She smiles. “Thanks. Your order will be right up.”

When Sara brings out our food later, she won’t even look at Garret. I think she’s afraid I’ll get mad, which I would never do. It was just a misunderstanding and it’s not like this hasn’t happened before. I know other girls check out Garret and some of them probably flirt with him. They did at Moorhurst and they will here, too. That’s what I get for marrying someone as hot as him.

After lunch Garret and I go to our afternoon classes, then we go to his doctor’s appointment. I’ve avoided talking about his shoulder ever since he told me about it. He’s already worried enough about it so I didn’t want to keep bringing it up.

The appointment is at a small hospital 20 miles away. He has to have tests run on his shoulder and the hospital is the only place that had the equipment.

When we arrive, Dr. Cunningham is waiting for us in an office at the hospital. The office belongs to some other doctor and has diplomas on the wall and family photos on the desk.

I still don’t know how Cunningham does this. How does he just step in and borrow someone else’s office? And how is he able to use the hospital’s equipment when he doesn’t even work here?

“Garret. Jade.” He greets us as we walk in, shaking our hands. “Congratulations on the marriage.”

“Thanks.” Garret’s trying to act normal but I know he’s nervous. He thinks these tests will tell him he can’t swim anymore which is the last thing he wants to hear.

Cunningham takes a seat behind the desk and we sit in the chairs across from him.

“So the shoulder isn’t getting any better,” Cunningham says, his eyes on Garret. “I’m not going to lecture you here, Garret, but I will say that waiting this long to address this could mean you’ve done permanent damage. And you may need surgery.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Surgery? I’m already holding Garret’s hand but I hold it even tighter after hearing that. I don’t want him having surgery. Surgery is dangerous. Things can go wrong. Anesthesia can kill you. It’s not likely, but it happens.

“We’ll do some tests and go from there. The best case scenario is that we just have to get you back in physical therapy and this time you actually have to go.”

Garret nods. “I will. What about swimming?”

“We’ll have to see, but given what you told me on the phone about the pain you’re having, I’m guessing you can’t compete this year.”

Garret doesn’t respond. He just nods again, like he knew that would be the case.

Cunningham continues. “You also shouldn’t be surfing until we get this healed. And weight lifting should be limited to whatever exercises the physical therapist gives you.” He stands up. “Well, let’s get you down to radiology.”

I sit in the waiting room while they run whatever tests they’re doing on Garret’s shoulder. Then we leave and go out for dinner while we wait for the results. Normally we’d have to wait a few days, but Cunningham is able to consult with the radiologist right away so we don’t have to.

Even this short wait is making me anxious because I have no idea what they’re going to find. Last year on the news I saw a story about a teenage girl who had pain in her leg and thought she hurt it playing soccer, but when she had tests run they found out she had some kind of rare cancer.

Of course I would remember this now. I hadn’t even thought about that in months. Why does my mind even go to these places? Garret does not have cancer. And he does not need surgery. He’ll be fine. I know he will.