Chapter 58
Wow—my mom was being particularly harsh to my sister on the phone. I was relieved when my own phone rang, and that she heard. Mom turned and looked at me. “I’ve got to go. Have a nice time.” She disconnected the call and let out a deep breath. “How long have you been standing there, Cassidy?”
I didn’t answer my phone because it was Lucy, probably wondering if I died while she was waiting for me to call her back. In light of what had been happening around town recently, you might think that’s a little harsh, but it’s true. Lucy would’ve asked that. “Long enough,” I admitted. “I tried to let you know I was here, but you seemed busy.”
Mom let out a sigh. “Your sister isn’t planning on coming home for Christmas.”
I know my eyebrows shot up so high they probably ended up on the back of my head. “Not at all?”
Her shoulders hunched. “I don’t know. I think at first she was just saying not for Christmas Eve, but the more we talked, the more she made it sound like she wasn’t coming at all.”
“Do you think that might be because you were giving her such a hard time?” I knew that sounded a little rude, but I wanted my mom to take a little responsibility for her part in all of this. Whatever Cadence was going through, it couldn’t be easy.
Once again, my mom looked shocked. “I don’t think you heard the entire conversation.”
“Maybe not,” I admitted shrugging, thinking my voice sounded tempered. My mom took a few steps over to where I was standing, leaning against a chair in the little breakfast nook area of the kitchen. “But it sounded to me like she has a date tomorrow night, probably with Aaron, whom I think she really likes, and you wanted her to blow him off and come home.”
“Well, Cassidy, in fairness, I think your sister could probably pay a little bit more attention to what is going on with her family. Ever since she joined LIGHTS, she hasn’t given you the time of day, and she’s hardly been home at all.”
I didn’t think my mom meant to say the name of Cadence’s organization. Every time I’d asked where she worked, both my mom and dad pretended like they didn’t know what it was called. It was clear to me that my mom was frustrated, and I wasn’t going to be able to say or do anything to calm her down. I disagreed about Cadence not paying attention to me. She hadn’t been home much, but when she was here, she spent time with me. Maybe not as much as she used to, but her world had been tipped upside down recently, and I couldn’t blame her for wanting to build a new life for herself, away from Shenandoah. She was an adult now, after all, whether my mom liked it or not. And even though I didn’t quite get Aaron the way Cadence seemed to, I could understand why she’d want to go out with him. He was totally hot.
I wondered what the chances were that she’d actually let me go to the mall with Luce after all that. But I thought this was different since I would be back. “Do you care if I go to the mall for a couple of hours with Mrs. Burk and Lucy? I have one more person to buy a present for.”
My mother’s lips pursed and her head tipped to the side. “I guess not,” she finally said, which meant she guessed she didn’t care. “Just please be home before dinner.”
“I think we will be,” I replied, pulling my phone out to call Lucy back, though I had no idea. Lucy’s family was pretty well-off, and sometimes when her mom, Annie, got to shopping, there was no reining her in. Before I clicked on Lucy’s name to call her back, I wrapped my arms around my mom’s neck and said, “Thanks, Mom.” She looked startled but kissed me on the cheek. I supposed I hadn’t been hugging her enough lately, now that I seemed to think I was a sophisticated high schooler, and she still needed me to be that little girl with the pigtails from time to time.
I let her go and headed off to get my jacket and some money. I don’t know why I suddenly felt compelled to buy another gift, especially now that I knew that my sister, and likely none of her associates, would be home for Christmas, but the thought had entered my head, so I decided I may as well follow through. “Hey,” I said, walking through my bedroom door and approaching my stash, “Mom said yes.”
“OMG—I thought you’d died,” Lucy said, tact flying out the window. “Okay. We’ll be there in a few.”
“I’ll be ready.” I crammed a chunk of the allowance I’d saved up into a crossbody and slipped my phone inside, checking myself in the mirror. I looked okay but I decided to run a brush through my long brown hair and put on some lip gloss, just in case. You never knew who might be at the mall right before Christmas. Thoughts of Liam White’s sparkling green eyes crossed my mind and I felt my knees go a little weak. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t blame my sister for wanting to go out with Aaron instead of spending Christmas Eve with us. If I had to choose between Liam and my mom’s Christmas music, I’m pretty sure I knew what I’d pick, too.
Satisfied that I looked decent, I headed off down the stairs to put on my coat and await the arrival of the Burks, hopeful that I’d find the perfect present and maybe see the cute guy from my algebra class as well. For now, I’d push all thoughts of vampires aside and try to return to my not-so-normal life.
