Chapter Forty-Four
It was afternoon by the time Jesse dropped Kelley off at the house and he folded the bloody t-shirt and placed it at the back of his closet. He’d never forget what happened to her, what price she had paid for being with him, for loving him. It felt like a hand was wrapped around his heart and squeezing the life out of him every time he thought of her. He knew it would be a long time before it would go away.
Kelley slept until the following morning, dead to the world. Carey checked on him three times during the night and when he appeared in the kitchen the next morning, they all just stared at him. “Morning.” Kelley pulled out his chair and sat down. Mason and Lee stared at him intently, like he was going to break down at any moment.
Carey cleared her throat. “Scrambled or omelette?”
“Whatever you’re making is fine, Carey, thanks.”
“Maria called your cell.”
Kelley looked at Mason as he slid his phone over the table towards him. “What did she say?”
“Jule’s funeral will be on Tuesday.” Mason's eyes held a world of sadness and Kelley looked away from him before his own sadness took over what little self-control he had left.
Kelley didn’t react except to nod his head as Carey placed a cup of coffee down in front of him. He felt numb and he was still in denial, even though he knew that she really was dead. He’d never hear her laugh again or see how annoyed she looked when he stared at her.
Lee checked in on him and both he and Mason hovered. Kelley barely noticed their presence but they never left him alone. John had bought him another Escalade from his trust, this one was dark emerald in colour and top-of-the-line, better than his previous one.
On Tuesday morning Kelley dressed in his black suit again, going through the motions of doing his tie. Jesse, John, Mason, Lee, Marella and Carey were in the kitchen waiting for him. He walked past them all into the living room and then outside to his car. He needed to drive to the church alone, to wallow in his grief for a few minutes before slipping the mask back on.
The sombre emotions in the church nearly choked him as he sat in the front pew next to Maria, holding her hand. The picture of Juliana in the front by her casket was a beautiful black and white photo where she looked at something past the camera. Kelley couldn't look anywhere else but at that photo.
Kelley didn’t hear a word the priest said but he stood and sat down again when he was supposed to. The priest nodded at him and he walked to the front with Mason, Lee and three of her cousins. They carried her coffin outside to the waiting hearse and Kelley’s hand tightened on the brass grip.
At the cemetery, people crowded the open grave with her coffin laid on straps over the empty earth. Dark clouds gathered over them and Kelley could relate. He felt filled with darkness too, empty darkness that took over every inch of his heart.
Maria was surrounded by her family and Kelley stood next to Jule’s grave as the crowd started to disperse. He took one of the shovels and started filling the hole that would now house Juliana forever. Tears ran unchecked and silently down his cheeks and soon Mason and Lee joined him.
They had just thrown the shovels down on the grass next to the now-filled grave when the first drops of rain fell from the sky above them. Kelley closed his eyes and turned his face upwards. His forehead was beaded in sweat and he welcomed the crisp chill of the raindrops.
“Kelley, come on.” Lee's voice was gentle as was the hand on his shoulder.
“You guys go … I’ll be fine.”
Reluctantly Mason and Lee left him next to the grave and Kelley sat down on the grass. He rested his arms on his knees and then he lay down beside the mound of earth. He stayed there for hours, talking to Juliana and when he opened his eyes again it was the next morning.
Another week went by and Kelley eventually went back to school. Everyone’s lives had gone on but Kelley oddly still felt like he was living in the past. He hadn’t heard anything else about Petey’s arrest and on the following Monday he got a call that would change his life.
“Hello.”
“Kelley.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“We need to talk. Come to the house for dinner tonight.”
“I really don’t see the point, Charles.”
“Oh trust me you will. Dinner tonight, be here at six.”
The call ended and Mason raised an eyebrow at Kelley’s frown. They were heading outside to the parking lot, school having just ended for the day.
“What’s that about?”
“I’ve been summoned to the house on the hill.”
“Are you going?” Mason leaned against his truck as Kelley put his backpack in his Escalade.
“I guess I am, he made it sound like nothing good would come of it if I didn’t go.”
“Lee and I will be close by.”
“I doubt it’ll be that kind of conversation.” Kelley smiled briefly, the sensation of his mouth curving upwards feeling odd.
“Yeah tell that to the scar around your eye.”
“I’m not the boy that left his house, Mason. I train with Jesse more than you do. I could probably take Lee.”
“Oh yeah? Knock Out Kelley coming out to play?”
“Who even came up with that name?”
Lee bumped into Kelley from behind. “We all have names apparently. The twins make it their mission to tell me.”
“What’s yours?” Mason looked amused at that question.
“THM. Tall, hot and mysterious.”
Mason barked out a laugh so loud that people turned to look at them. “Okay, Kelley’s KOK and I’m guessing I’m the pretty one.”
“You’re PMW.”
“I’m not sure I want to know what that stands for.” Kelley was smiling completely for the first time since the accident and for a moment he felt guilty about it.
“Pretty man-whore.”
Kelley laughed then at the look on Mason’s face and Lee slapped him on his back. “I want to buy whoever came up with that one a drink.”
Mason shook his head. “I’m not a man-whore!”
