Lost Along the Way(60)

“No such thing!” Jane replied. She was trying to sound breezy, but Meg thought she sounded more like a raging alcoholic. When she thought about it, and she hadn’t until just now, Jane had basically had a glass in her hand since she showed up, and she’d popped two pills with her morning coffee. Great, Meg thought. She was probably going to end up dragged into an episode of D-List Celebrity Rehab before the week was over.

Every group of kids growing up had a wild child: the one who always pushed the envelope, defied authority, and seemed to be present whenever something went wrong. Jane’s parents had tried to control her, but she’d somehow managed to find ways around their rules. She’d throw parties in her basement whenever they were away, change out of her clothes into something short or skin-tight in her backyard before going to parties, and sneak out of her house after her curfew on a regular basis. It was Jane who got Meg to smoke her first (and last) cigarette in ninth grade, Jane who tried to convince her (unsuccessfully, thank God) that she should get a dolphin tattoo on her ankle junior year, and Jane who forged Meg’s doctor’s notes to get her out of class so they could go shopping when she had a date with a cute senior and wanted a new sweater to wear. Meg’s parents had always thought that Jane was a bad influence, that Meg was just a timid mouse following the Pied Piper. They were thankful for Cara, for balancing out the group. Meg never thought this was true, and loved that Jane kept her from being boring and bookish. Now, as an adult, she realized that Jane might not have grown out of that reckless teenage laissez-faire attitude. She was such a wonderful person and had such a big heart, but Jane had always been her own worst enemy. It was becoming more and more evident that she still was.

“Great then, say seven o’clock?” Meg asked.

“See you then! Enjoy the rest of the day, ladies. I’m going to take Sebastian home and grab my board. Looking forward to it! Thanks a lot, Meg.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Meg said with a wave.

Nick called the dog, and they headed toward the parking lot as the girls continued down the beach. Meg breathed a sigh of relief. Running into him had been a fantastic twist of fate. Nick somehow always made her feel at ease.

“He’s cute! Too bad none of us are single,” Cara joked. “There was a time we would’ve fought over him.”

“I am!” Jane said.

“No. Your husband is incarcerated, but he’s still your husband,” Cara said.

“Are you seeing him?” Jane asked Meg, which horrified her. How could Jane possibly think she’d be seeing someone behind Steve’s back?

“Of course not! Why would you ever ask me that?”

“Don’t get offended! I know how much you love Steve, so I figured he must be just a friend, but since I myself have never had a male friend I wasn’t interested in sleeping with, I figured I should at least ask.”

“We’re just friends, that’s all.”

“Okay, fine. Cara, you should go for him. Maybe a little fling with a nice guy with a cool dog and a great butt is exactly what you need,” Jane said.

“I hate to burst both of your bubbles, but he’s gay,” Meg said with a laugh.

“I should’ve known,” Jane said. “He was too good-looking to be straight. Oh well. Cara, don’t worry. We’ll find you someone else to have an affair with while we’re out here. Maybe we should go hang out at a sports bar or something!”

“I’m not even going to justify that with a response. I still can’t even believe I’m here. I’m going to have to call Reed at some point. What if he calls the police and reports me missing?”

“You wrote a note. You aren’t missing. You left him. They’re not the same thing. And it’s only been twenty-four hours. No offense, but I hardly think Reed is going to go into panic mode and call the cops because you didn’t come home for dinner one night.”

“Still. I know he’s freaking out most about what people will think if they find out I left him. He’s going to be so pissed off. We’re supposed to go to a birthday party next weekend and if I don’t go with him he’ll have a conniption.”

“He’s always pissed off! You sleep in separate bedrooms anyway. What’s the difference if you’re there or not?” Jane asked, as if she was mildly irritated by talking about what else might make Reed angry. “It’s a beautiful day at the beach, and we’ve been enjoying the walk. Let’s not talk about him. I’m declaring this beach a Reed-free zone for the duration of our stay out here.”

“Wait. You sleep in separate bedrooms?” Meg asked.

“Thanks, Jane,” Cara said.

“I think it’s time we stop keeping secrets from each other. You’re staying at her house. She deserves to know what you’re hiding from.”

“Yes. I sleep in the guest room.”

“How’d he get the master anyway?” Jane asked.

Cara flinched. “He said my name wasn’t on the deed to the house, so I’m not the master of anything.”

“Oh, give me a break,” Meg said.

“He is such an *!” Jane yelled. “I didn’t think I could hate this guy any more than I already do, but I was wrong. I want to kill him. I swear to God, I think I could.”

“It sounds like maybe a few days away isn’t the worst idea. Stop worrying about him, and let’s worry about you,” Meg suggested, trying to calm Cara and ignore Jane’s mini meltdown.