“Then why did he run away like I’m disgusting?” I half whispered, half wailed.
Jayne shrugged. “There could be many reasons, dear. Do you think it had anything to do with your stepbrother? I don’t mean to pry, but how long have you known each other?”
“About eight years,” I replied. “Our parents started dating when I was thirteen. But we’ve been living separate lives most of the time.”
She nodded. “Let me give you some advice, from someone who’s been around the sun a few more times than you have. Love is a crazy thing, and can come from almost anywhere. But it is also very, very fragile. You say eight years, but there’s a lot that you may not know about him. Does he know everything about you?”
I shook my head. After all, Kade knew nothing about my situation with Sydney. He just gave me the money after a short talk. “No.”
“Then you don’t know everything about him. We all have secrets and dark corners of our life that we feel the need to protect, either from ourselves or from the view of others. But love, love is like a light that shines into those dark corners if you let it. The question is, are you willing to go after that love, and let those dark corners of your life be illuminated?”
I nodded without even thinking. Jayne smiled. “Then go after him. Give him some time to think, and you think too, but go after him.”
I smiled in return, some of my despair lifting. “You don’t think it’s weird that him and I are . . . you know?”
“Why should I?” Jayne said. She looked over at Gerald, then back at me. “Love can start in all sorts of unusual situations.”
I looked from the Jayne to Gerald, and saw something that made them more beautiful than I had ever felt, despite the gray hairs and wrinkles on both of them. “Thank you,” I said, wiping my face. “I understand.”
Jayne patted my knee and stood up. “Just one thing, sweetie,” she said as she got to her feet. “Remember that light of love? It illuminates your dark corners . . . but it also illuminates his. You may find something in his life that surprises you. Can you handle it?”
She walked away without waiting for my answer, going over to Gerald and taking his hand. They walked away down the pier hand in hand, Gerald looking back over his shoulder once to give me a nod before they disappeared into the crowd.
I sat there until nearly sunset, thinking about what the woman had told me. Was it really that Kade and I were meant for each other? I didn’t know. But after so many disappointments, I didn’t have anything else to lose.
* * *
I was only slightly surprised when I checked my bank account on Monday evening and saw that I had an extra sixty thousand dollars in the account. After the way that Kade had left me on the pier the day before, I wasn’t sure if he’d follow through. I’d had a nagging doubt the whole day. I didn’t call or text him about it because I was worried that it would make me look like I was gold digging. Considering the way I felt about my mother, that was the last impression I ever wanted to make on someone.
After checking my account, I called the bank to find out how I could access it. They told me for that amount of money to be withdrawn in cash, they needed twenty-four hours’ notice, and I had to do it at one of the main branches, the nearest being in Torrance. I put in the request, and hung up the phone with a sense of at least partial relief. Regardless of how things went with Kade, I thought, I could at least get Sydney off my back.
Yeah, and perhaps you’re going to be the President some day, the inner voice inside me jeered. By the way, if you’re going to actually go after Kade, you might want to start by telling him thank you.
I didn’t know if Kade was still in Los Angeles, or if he’d gone back to Portland, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to check. I got in my car and drove out to Laguna Hills, knowing that if he was in town he’d probably still be there.