“Stop there,” I warn, holding up my finger. I’m grateful when the elevator doors open to the lobby. There are guests milling about, chatting and alive. The creepiness of the thirteenth floor fades, and I’m once again amazed by the beauty of the Hotel Ruby. Daniel and I start toward the busy restaurant, and Daniel waves when he sees our father already waiting at a table.
“Relax,” my brother tells me when we take our seats next to my father. “Nothing happened. I know how to play hard to get.”
I laugh, and my father raises his eyebrows. “Do I want to know about this conversation?” he asks. I turn to him, shocked by how awake he sounds. The dark circles that have become constants since my mother’s death have faded.
“Daniel met a girl,” I say, gauging his reaction. Mostly to see if my father will just brush us off like usual. Hum a noncommittal reply.
“Surprising,” he responds sarcastically, and then smiles. It just about knocks me off my chair. Daniel and I exchange a glance, and then we both turn back to our father to make sure we aren’t imagining this. He’s . . . Dad. “What’s her name?” he asks.
Daniel’s eyes light up like a little kid, and it breaks my heart how much he wants our father’s attention. “Catherine,” my brother says. “I didn’t catch her last name.”
My stomach clenches. “Catherine?” I repeat. Daniel nods and then begins to reshare the story with our father. I take a sip from the glass of water on the table, knowing exactly who he’s talking about. She is the girl who came up to Elias. She was rude and threatening, and Elias called her a psychopath.
So of course my brother had to go and hook up with her.
I have two options, really. I can tell Daniel she sucks and to stay away, or I can keep my mouth shut. What would my mother do? I think back to the bits of conversations she and Daniel shared. She’d make a joke, but in her jokes would be some truth. Some hidden advice that my brother swallowed down because it came with a spoonful of sugar. Then again, we’re leaving today. It probably doesn’t matter.
“Tell Dad the part where she looks like a killer porcelain doll,” I say, making my brother laugh. He doesn’t realize that I mean it kind of literally. Daniel continues the story, sparing us none of the details, including the fact that her hair smelled like peaches. I’m thankfully distracted when the server comes up to take our food order.
“I ordered you a coffee,” my father says, pointing at the cup in front of me. There’s a sinking feeling as I thank him and turn to the server.
“Can I have a juice instead?” I ask. “I hate coffee.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. My mother told me you can tell if someone’s really smiling if it wrinkles the skin around their eyes. She jots down a note. “May I also recommend the ham,” she says, opening a menu to point to it.
I crinkle my nose. “Ham tastes too much like pig.” I smile. “How about pancakes?” I ask, pretending it has nothing to do with my mother. Pretending it’s not an attempt to feel close to her. The server scans the menu like she’s not sure they have them listed, and I glance at her name tag—TANYA.
“Great choice,” she says, snapping the menu shut. It sends a breeze over my face and hair. “And a side?”
“You pick,” I say as a peace offering. She stares at me like I’ve said the wrong thing. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and I begin to fidget with my napkin to distract myself.
“Fruit, then,” she says, and rounds the table toward Daniel. I’m unsettled, but I watch as she takes his order. Her short, curly black hair is pulled back in a headband, her dark skin complemented by red lipstick. As if sensing me, she glances over and I lower my eyes.
“You all right?” my father asks, startling me. “You look pale.”
“Just hungry,” I say, spreading my napkin on my lap. When the server is gone, I pull my chair closer to the table, to my family. “Did you know this place is supposed to be haunted?” I ask.
Daniel rolls his eyes. “Yeah, Catherine mentioned it last night. I guess it’s how they stay in business. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” our dad says between sips of coffee. “How about we stay another night?”
“Really?” I ask, a smile spreading across my face. Another night at the Ruby would be a dream. Not only does it postpone my misery, it’ll give me a chance to check out the cute guy from the party.
“How about two nights?” Daniel asks. “I’ve got plans, Dad. Even I’m not good enough to pull them off in a mere forty-eight hours.”
“Until Friday, then,” he says, holding up his cup. “We’ll be together until Friday.” Daniel and I exchange another glance, but I don’t let the comment drag me into the possibilities of after. This moment is too good. “Now,” my father continues. “Tell me more about this Catherine girl.”