My stomach sunk. I still hadn’t forgiven myself over Steven’s death. I knew I hadn’t been directly responsible for it, but I still feel like I should have spoken up. I should have trusted my instincts. Maybe if I had, we could have prevented his death.
The day that we lost Steven, I hadn’t felt right. None of us had. All of us felt like something was off. If I had spoken up, maybe we would have all been more prepared.
“Why would he sign over his rights if he still held onto the pictures and kept in touch?” Jaxson asked mystified.
“I imagine their parents had a huge say in the matter. They were little more than kids, themselves,” Jace stated. “Steven knew she wasn’t his connected, and he wasn’t going to risk his own gifts for a decision he made as a teen.”
“How’s Beth and Cora taking it?” I asked with a frown. She wasn’t kidding when she told me it was a small world. What were the odds that both of our parents were the product of experiments?
“Beth is taking it decently, but Cora doesn’t seem too happy about it. She’s angry at him. Then she feels guilty for being angry at him. However, she seems to be clicking really well with Mr. Moore. They even went out on a date together,” Jemmy said in a scandalized tone.
“Well, they’re both single,” Drake said as he rolled his eyes.
“Isn’t it too soon?” Jemmy gasped. “Rachel doesn’t even seem to care.”
“Everyone heals differently,” Jace said dryly. “Is there any other pertinent information you have?”
“Cora said she will hold onto the box just in case Lincoln
wants the letters and emails his parents sent to each other,” Jemmy added drolly. She probably expected a more substantial reaction from us.
“I don’t know how that may help me convince him to make a connection,” I stated. “Other than the reminder him that his father wasn’t really a part of his life.”
“Have you talked to him?” Jemmy squealed. “What’s he’s like?”
“Let’s just say it didn’t go well. We’ll be home tomorrow.” I had to refrain from snorting.
“Is he coming back here?” Jemmy asked expectantly.
“Seriously, Jem,” Remy said dryly. “Your obsession is a bit concerning. Those lists are supposed to be a fantasy and a joke. You should be focusing more on your relationship with Gavin instead of a list of celebrities.”
Jemmy let out a loud groan. “Seriously, it’s just a joke. What has gotten into you guys lately?”
“Umm… I don’t know, maybe the fact that we’re all losing our gifts?” Jaxson said almost bitingly. “Thanks for your info, Jem. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Fine. Bye,” Jemmy grumbled.
“Do you think she’s happy?” I asked after she hung up. “Do you think she and Gavin will last?”
“I think she loves him, she just needs to grow up a little bit,” Drake stated as he set his own bowl down.
Troy stood up and clapped his hands. “So, what do we all want to do for the rest of the day? Do we want to go down to the boardwalk? Get some corndogs, boardwalk fries, frozen yogurt?”
“Could you have made that suggestion before I ate this whole bowl of pho?” Remy asked sardonically.
“Who are you kidding?” Jaxson asked as he jumped up with excitement. “That was only an appetizer for you. Let’s go.”
I looked down at my pajamas, the temptation to stay inside was strong. “Yeah, let’s go,” I said with determination. We needed to get out. We needed to take in a little bit of the sights before we headed back home tomorrow.
“Can I pick out the outfit?” Noah asked hopefully as he sifted through my bags.
I laughed. “I thought Jemmy was bad. You and Jaxson are just as bad.”
Noah shrugged with a smile. “I won’t deny it.” He pulled out a pretty, casual long-sleeved dress that was a reflection of Anna’s personality; it was whimsical, bohemian, and hippyish. “Found it!”
I shrugged as I took the pale yellow creation with floral print on it. I wasn’t generally into clothing with flowers on it, but Anna really did have a way with creating elegance and tasteful clothing. Even if some of them weren’t exactly my style. I still appreciated and saw the beauty in them, just not on me. This dress, on the other hand, was cute. I liked it.
“It can go with this,” Jaxson bent down and handed me a pair of light tan, suede ankle boots.