Once Dad was gone, Mom and I got by as best we could, managing to live like two regular everyday people, and as I grew older, my mother turned into one of my best friends. She gave me the freedom I wanted, and that was because she trusted me and I trusted her…or at least I did until she decided to throw our lives overboard.
“Here’s your room,” my mother said, standing in front of a dark door.
I looked at her and then at William. They seemed to be expecting something.
“Can I go in?” I asked sarcastically when they didn’t step aside.
“This room is my special present to you, Noah,” my mother said, her eyes shining with anticipation.
I looked at her warily, and when she stood back, I opened the door carefully, afraid of what I might find.
The first thing I noticed was the delicate scent of daisies and the sea. Then my eyes landed on the wall across from the door. It was made entirely of glass. The views were so spectacular, I was speechless. The whole ocean was visible from where I stood; the house must have been on top of a cliff because I could only see water from where I stood. Water, and the picture-perfect sun, which was in the middle of setting. It was incredible.
“Oh my God!” I repeated. That was my new favorite phrase. My eyes now roved the rest of the room—it was huge. On the left-hand wall was a canopy bed with a big pile of white cushions that coordinated with the soft blue of the walls. The furniture was white and blue, too, and included a desk with a gigantic Mac, a beautiful sofa, a changing table with a mirror, and a big shelf with all my books. Those colors and that stunning view were the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.
I was overwhelmed. Was all this for me?
“You like?” my mother said from behind me.
“It’s incredible. Thank you,” I answered, feeling grateful but at the same time uncomfortable. I didn’t want them buying me things like these. I didn’t need them.
“I spent two weeks working with a professional decorator. I wanted you to have everything you’ve ever wanted and I’ve never been able to give you.” I could tell she was moved. As I looked at her, I knew I couldn’t complain. A room like this is every teenager’s dream and every mother’s too.
I walked over and hugged her. It had been three months since I’d done that or even touched her at all, and I was sure she needed it.
“Thanks, Noah,” she said in my ear, so only I could hear. “I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make both of us happy.”
“We will be, Mom,” I told her, but I knew it wasn’t in my hands.
My mother let me go, wiped off one of the tears that had slipped down her cheek, and walked back to her new husband.
“We’ll leave you to settle in,” William said kindly.
I nodded without thanking him. Nothing in that room represented any effort whatsoever from him. It was money, nothing else.
I closed the door and noticed there wasn’t a lock. The floor was wood, covered with a white rug so thick you could use it as a mattress. The bathroom was as big as my old bedroom and had a massaging shower, a bathtub, and two sinks. I walked over to the window and looked outside. Below me I could see the backyard, the humongous pool, and the gardens with their flowers and palm trees.
I left the bathroom and noticed the empty doorframe in the bathroom wall. My God…
Crossing the room, I walked into what supposedly was the dream of any woman, girl, or teenager: the walk-in closet. Not an empty walk-in closet, but one full of clothing waiting to be worn. I exhaled a breath I’d been holding in for a long time and began to look through all the unbelievable outfits. Everything was name-brand with the tags still on, and just a quick glance was enough to get a sense of how much they’d spent. My mother—or whoever had convinced her to blow all that money—was crazy.
I couldn’t shake that uneasy feeling that nothing was real, that soon I would wake up and I’d be back in my old room with my single bed and the same clothes as always. And worst of all, that was what I wanted with all my heart because this wasn’t my life, it wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to go back home. I felt queasy, anxious. I fell to the floor, resting my head between my knees and inhaling and exhaling as many times as I needed until the urge to cry finally passed.
As if she were reading my mind, my friend Beth sent me a text just then.
You make it in OK? I already miss you.
I smiled at the screen and sent her a photo from my dressing table. Right away I got back five emojis with their mouths gaping open.
I hate you. You know that, right?
I laughed and replied:
If it was up to me, I’d give it all to you. Honestly I’d give anything to be home with everyone, at Dan’s place watching a movie or just hanging out on that gross couch in your bedroom.
Don’t be so negative. You’re rich now! Fucking enjoy it!
But I wasn’t rich. William was.
I left my phone on the floor and opened my suitcases, taking out some shorts and a T-shirt. I didn’t want to change how I was, and there was no way I was going to start wearing name-brand polos.
I got into the shower to wash off all the grime and discomfort from that long trip. I was happy not to be one of those girls who had to do much for her hair to look good. Fortunately, I’d inherited my mother’s wavy hair, and as soon as I dried it, I was good to go. I dressed in the clothes I’d picked out and decided to walk around the house and find something to eat.
It was weird, doing it by myself. I felt like an intruder. It would take me a long time to get used to living here, to the luxury, the immensity of the place. In my old apartment, you just had to speak a little louder than normal to get someone to hear you, no matter what room they were in. Here, you could forget that.
I walked toward the kitchen, praying I wouldn’t get lost. I was dying of hunger. My body desperately needed junk food.
Unfortunately, when I turned the corner, I realized I wasn’t alone.
Someone was digging through the fridge. All I could see of him was his dark hair. Just as I was about to say something, a deafening bark made me shriek like a little girl.
I turned just as the head of black hair emerged from behind the refrigerator door to see who was causing such a racket.
But he wasn’t what had frightened me. Next to the island in the kitchen was a black dog. Beautiful, but with a look in its eyes as if it wanted to eat me one morsel at a time. It was a Labrador, I thought, but I couldn’t say. My eyes went from the dog to the boy standing beside it.
I looked with curiosity but also with surprise at who could only be William’s son, Nicholas Leister. The first thing that came into my head when I saw him was Look at those eyes! They were sky-blue, bright as the walls of my room, a complete contrast to his raven hair, which was unkempt and damp with sweat. He must have just worked out because he had on leggings and a baggy muscle shirt. My God, he was handsome, I had to admit that, but I didn’t let what I was thinking distract me from who was in front of me: my new brother, the person I’d have to live with for a year, a year that I sensed would be outright torture. And his dog went on growling at me as if it could guess at my thoughts.
“You’re Nicholas, right?” I asked, trying to control my fear of that vicious animal that wouldn’t stop growling. I was surprised and angry at the way he looked over at his pet and smiled.
“The one and only,” he said and then looked back at me. “You must be the daughter of my father’s new wife.” I couldn’t believe he would say it so coldly.
He rolled his eyes. “So your name was…?” I couldn’t help feeling shocked as he asked that question.
He didn’t know my name? Our parents were married, my mother and I had moved, and he didn’t even know what to call me?
2
Nick
“Noah,” she replied contemptuously. “My name’s Noah.”