This was theKelley that she needed right now. The very same Kelley that hadlooked after her when she was sick. She couldn’t stand to be alonewith her thoughts a minute longer.
Surely, hewould understand her reasons for crawling into his bed. Holding herbreath, she dared not get too close. It was enough to just be therebeside him, hearing him breathe.
An hour or sobefore her alarm clock was set to go off, Becky stirred awake.Good, she thought without actually opening her eyes, hoping toleave Kell’s bed before he noticed her there. She started to creepout when she realized that not only was Kell well aware of herpresence in his bed, he was also the very reason she’d woken up inthe first place.
Opening hereyes one at a time, she found him right up beside her, leaning upon his elbow, staring down at her with a bemused expression on hishandsome face.
She immediatelystarted to apologize, expecting him to be angry at her, but then hedid the most wondrous thing. He wrapped his arm around her andburied his nose in her hair. “What you doing in here, love?” hemurmured sleepily.
Overwhelmedwith emotion, Becky started to sputter and cry.
“Aw, don’t cry, Becky,” he said, pulling her into his warmchest. Whatever it was that brought her to his bed, didn’t matterso much at the moment. He was just simply glad she was there. Hewas also very glad that he’d been too tired to take off his pantsbefore falling into bed. “I’m sorry I was mean to you.”
When he hadfound her suitcase by the front door the previous night, he hadassumed that she was leaving because of what he’d said. He hadslept on pins and needles, hoping to catch her before she left.“Please stay.”
The more hetalked, the more she cried. She was so relieved and grateful forhis presence in her life at that moment. Whatever the other day hadbeen about, it was absolutely forgiven as far as Becky wasconcerned.
“Kell…”
“Kelley,” he murmured, cradling her sweetly in his arms. Oh,how he’d missed the sound of his name wrapped in her sultry littlevoice. “Call me Kelley, please.”
“Kelley… I didn’t know what else to do. I was scared and Icouldn’t sleep,” she sobbed, pausing for a series of hiccups.“Granny…”
Suddenlyrealizing the situation for what it was, Kell drew away from her tobetter look at her face. “What happened? Did she…?”
“Not yet, but I’m afraid she will… soon.” She couldn’t quitebring herself to say the word out loud. “I have to go see herbefore it’s too late.” She started to sit up in a panic, lookingaround for a clock.
“Becky, what do you need? How can I help you?” he asked, notingher agitation.
“What time is it? I have to catch a train. I have to get up.”She made a move to get out of bed when he pulled her back in besidehim.
“Sh…” he whispered, calming her. “Forget the train. I’ll driveyou there myself.”
“Really?” she asked, half afraid that he’d change hismind.
“Yes, of course. I won’t have you go alone, dragging that bigold suitcase behind you.” He placed a chaste kiss on the back ofher head and drew her into his arms. “For now, close your eyes andrelax. It’s still only five o’clock in the morning.”
“Kelley, I don’t want to leave it too late,” shewhined.
“We won’t, I promise. Just another hour.”
“Thank you so much, Kelley.”
“You’re welcome, so much.”
Chapter 10
As promised, alittle over an hour later, Kelley and Becky were backing out of thedriveway. In the backseat were Dorian and Crispin, always on theready for a road trip destined for Toronto.
Although theguys were aware of Becky’s not so pleasant reason for going,Crispin and Dorian couldn’t help but be excited. Toronto was agreat city with endless possibilities. Having originated fromthere, they couldn’t wait to visit their old haunts.
On their way,Becky discovered a lot about her housemates. Sadly, not all of itwas very pleasant to hear. While Dorian hadn’t had much of achildhood, having grown up in low-income housing with his alcoholicmother, at least, he had a sister who lived nearby in Napanee withher husband, and two kids, who he was quite close with. Apparently,that’s where he’d spent Thanksgiving.
Crispin, on theother hand, had no one. He’d grown up in foster care his wholelife. When Becky asked if there was anyone he’d like to visit whilein Toronto, the surly Goth merely snickered and refused to answerher question.
Kelley stayedquiet and pensive for most of the drive. Now and then, notingBecky’s building agitation, he would reassuringly pat her on theknee.
At one pointduring their journey, they hit some heavier traffic. For at leasthalf an hour, they were stopped dead. The groans of frustrationwere growing considerably. Even with the stereo cranked, thewhining from the backseat could be heard. Looking sideways atKelley, she could tell he was trying very hard to contain his ownfrustration. Turning her attention elsewhere, she glanced out herwindow at the minivan beside them. Two kids, a boy and a girl agedbetween eight and ten were staring back at her. Well, not so muchat her but at the guys in the backseat.
Wondering whathad their attention, she glanced behind her and saw that bothDorian and Crispin were making horrible faces at the awestruckchildren.
“What are you two doing?” she admonished. Weren’t they scarylooking enough in their Goth-inspired darkness without adding toit?
“Giving them what they want,” Crispin snickered, glaring ather.
“They think we’re freaks as it is,” Dorian shruggedindifferently. “Why not play along?”
“Because it’s childish,” she said with a disapprovingfrown.
Moments later,another car drifted alongside theirs. This time it was a carload ofcollege aged girls, probably on their way to Toronto as well.
Glancing attheir expressions of disgust in the direction of the backseat ofKelley’s car, Becky didn’t dare look at what the guys were doingnow.
Instead, Beckyfocused her eyes straight ahead at the bumper of the car in frontof her. To her horror, she saw two teenaged girls,
