She giggles and reaches toward Poppy and Doggy on the coffee table. I pick up the two stuffed toys and hand them to her. One of the FBIagents gave her the dog after we were rescued from the house. From what Garrett told me, she’s been inseparable from it.
“Have you heard from Kellan?” Worry lifts Joanne’s eyebrows and drops the curve of her mouth.
Garrett shakes his head, his expression a battle of emotions. Pain. Regret. Grief. “I texted him a few times, but he never got back to me.”
Another thing I learned while Garrett and I were talking and cuddling was that Kellan and Emily had started dating. She’d failed to share that big news with me—much like I’d failed to share with her what Garrett and I were doing. She’d joked about asking Kellan to help her find a boyfriend, and maybe then he would finally see what was in front of him. Is that what happened?
“All your father and I were able to find out is he left town. But no one knows where he went or when he’ll return. Troy got the impression it won’t be for some time.” Joanne sniffs, her eyes turning watery. “He finally let Emily in all the way, only to end up with a broken heart.”
Emily touched so many people over the years. We’ll be feeling the loss of her for some time. But the rest of us have each other to lean on, to help us get through the day without her bright light. Kellan has turned away from our support. Lord knows what that will do to him.
Athena looks toward the living room window, our conversation clearly making her uncomfortable. And sad.
Joanne sniffs again. “I’ll let you three get reacquainted.” She nods at Garrett, Peony, and me. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Garrett.”
“Thanks, Mom. For everything.” Garrett walks her to the front door, taking Peony with him.
Once they’re gone, I turn to Athena. “I’m so sorry for everything you went through. For what those men did to you.” I don’t have to elaborate on what I’m referring to. She knows.
“Thank you,” she says, her Texan accent no longer hidden. “And I’m sorry you got caught up in it. I never suspected they were looking for me. I thought it would be safe coming here.” Athena picks up Peony’s squirrel pillow, her shoulders slumped. “Tilly and Queen E and the other girls? What will happen to them?”
“All charges and warrants against them have been dropped. The FBIis more interested in shutting down the sex trafficking rings than punishing the girls who were coerced to be part of them. But hopefully they will go hard on men like The Bear.” I put my hand on her arm, letting her know I don’t blame her for any of what happened. I hurt for what she’s been through. For the situation she never asked for.
That none of the girls asked for. They all deserved a lot better than what life gave them. “They miss you. Tilly and Queen E. I told them you were happy. I hope that’s true. Or at least that you’re working toward being happy. Kenda would want that.”
The small smile Athena gives me grips my heart. I want so much for her to have happiness. For her smiles to be big and wide and genuine—and not only for Peony.
“I know you’ve never actually liked me,” I add, and a bright blush spreads up her neck and over her cheeks. “But I meant what I said before. I would like to be your friend, Athena.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like you. I was jealous.”
“Jealous?” That makes no sense at all.
“Because of Kenda.”
That makes less sense. Garrett told me Kenda and Athena were romantically involved, but what does that have to do with me?
Athena laughs. The sound is less amused and more self-deprecating. “Garrett didn’t tell you?”
“Er, tell me what exactly?”
We move to the couch, and I listen, stunned, as Athena tells me everything Garrett failed to mention while we were in New Orleans. Kenda’s crush on me. How Athena had been jealous of me because I was Kenda’s first love, and because I had photos of Kenda and she didn’t.
I don’t bring up the missing one I found under her bed, because I don’t want to admit to going into her room without her permission, but I get now why she had the photo. And why she had removed Garrett and me from it. She wanted the photo of her love. She didn’t need us in it—so she simply removed us.
The more Athena tells me, the more things fall into place from when Kenda and I had been close friends in college. I had been so clueless—much like Garrett had been clueless about how I’d felt toward him.
“Kenda and I had a lot in common,” Athena explains. “We both came from abusive homes. Mine was more on the physical side. Her father was verbally abusive and very strict. That’s why her father doesn’t know about Peony. Kenda didn’t want him to have anything to do with her.”
Athena unfolds from the couch and walks to where a stray block lies forgotten in the corner of the room. “I could tell you and Garrett were close.” She bends and picks up the block. “Kenda told me you guys have been like that since you were kids.”
I stand, my body growing uncomfortable from sitting, and nod because it’s true.
“I was afraid…I was afraid if you fell in love and got married, I would no longer be needed, and I would lose Peony. I was so scared.” Her tone holds a fraying thread of jealousy her apologetic smile doesn’t have. “That’s why I put up a wall between us.”
“You’ll always be her family.” Garrett’s deep voice, thick with sincerity, startles us.
Athena and I look to where he’s standing at the entrance of the living room.
