At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

She swung back to Gran. “I want the money. A thousand.”

Gran pursed her lips, but she fished out her checkbook despite our protests. She wrote out the check and threw it at her daughter. “Get some help with the money.”

My mom rolled her eyes and then slammed back through the door. She was gone as fast as she had come.

“On that note,” Gran said with a sigh as she wiped a tear from her eye, “who wants cake?”

25

Savannah

March 15, 2013

It rained the day before Gramps’ funeral. The ground was sodden and squelched under our feet. Lila’s heels kept sinking down in the earth. She shifted from foot to foot as she held my hand. I was glad that I’d gone for flats. As if I could think about fashion at all. Not today.

The ceremony was short in the church. His body was carried to a plot in a local cemetery. Gran had the spot next to his already picked out for hopefully much farther in the future. He was put into the ground. Flowers placed on top of the casket. Dirt shoveled inside. I didn’t hear the words spoken. I just stared numbly, and felt like I’d been scooped from the inside out.

Lila kept an arm around me as we walked away from the whole thing. Gran was still speaking to those who had come. Maddox and Teena disappeared as soon as they could get out of there. I was glad that I had Lila here. I could have invited Derek, but it felt too soon. I didn’t even know what we were yet. We hadn’t defined anything, and he hadn’t known Gramps at all.

He’d gone home to his parent’s house Monday night after Mom fucked everything up and told me to text or call if I needed anything. I hadn’t yet. He seemed to understand I needed the time to grieve and was radio silent as well.

“I missed you, Mars,” Lila said.

We stepped up onto the sidewalk and out of the grass, heading toward Lila’s awaiting car.

“I missed you too. You could come visit, you know? Maddox and Josie did.”

Lila nudged me. “Maddox and Josie aren’t in school. They’re off being important.”

“True.”

Lila cast a secretive look in my direction, “Gran mentioned a boy.”

“Oh God.” I ducked my chin in embarrassment.

“Spill!”

“What did she say?”

“Just that he flew you out here, so you could make the funeral. That’s so sweet.”

It was sweet. And I wanted to tell her. I just… couldn’t. Everything felt too up in the air. I didn’t know what Derek and I were, where it was going, or whether I was ready for it.

“It’s too new,” I said with a peek at her. “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

“Oh, come on. I told you about me and Ash.”

“And it was an overshare,” I said with a laugh.

She squeezed my shoulder. “At least you’re laughing.”

“Yeah. What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

She winced. “I have to get back to school. I’m free this weekend. Are you still going to be here?”

“I’m leaving tomorrow. I need to get back to school too.”

“Damn. I hate being this far away from my bestie.”

“Same.”

“Where should I drop you off?” she asked when we got to her car.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll wait for Gran.”

“You sure?”

I nodded at her and then gave my best friend a long hug. She pressed a kiss to my temple, squeezed me tighter, and then headed out. I watched her go with a sigh. I should have told her about Derek. I should have told her all the many times shit had happened with us. But there was just so much history that it felt weird to tell her now.

Gran looked like she would be occupied for a while. She caught me waiting for her and strode over. “You can take the car. Someone else will take me home.”

“No, I can wait.”

“Marley, I love you, but go home. I’ll be okay.”

She hugged me, passing me the keys.

I handed them back. “I’ll call Derek.”

She grinned. “Good.”

When I dialed his number, he answered immediately and told me he’d be there in ten minutes. It was more like fifteen, but a shiny black Escalade pulled into the cemetery. He jumped out, jogged around the car, and held open the passenger door for me.

“Thanks,” I said softly.

He got back into the driver’s side and pulled away. “Where to?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to walk around. I don’t want to do anything.”

His hand slipped over mine, and he held it easily, as if he’d always been allowed to do that. “I have an idea. You trust me?”

I arched an eyebrow. “No.”

He shot me a look that melted me. “Trust me.”

“Okay.”

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up into the marina that I’d once driven out to so I could ruin Derek’s date.