The Rest of the Story(70)

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I said, gesturing at my barely packed bag, which sat on the only chair in the room, symbolizing my ambivalence. “My dad’s coming and we’re going to stay at the Tides.”

Now she was shocked silent, at least for a moment. “Are you serious?”

I nodded. “I found out a few days ago, but now it’s really—”

“This is great!” She sat up straighter, suddenly energized. “You’ll be over there right by the Club, so you can be my eyes and ears. You can tell me if he’s serious about wanting to get back together.”

Forget denial: this was delusional. “Did you hear me say I’m leaving?”

“For the Tides, though!” she said. “You can’t be upset about that, it’s like a dream.”

Of course she’d see it that way. “I just want to stay where I am.”

“God, why?” she said. “Saylor, you’re going to hang out in the nicest hotel in the area.”

Who cares? I wanted to shout. Out loud I said, “I like it here.”

“Only because you don’t know any better.” She sighed wistfully. “God. You are so lucky.”

I could admit to already being emotional. But something about her using that word, at that moment, made my temper flare. “Lucky?” I repeated. “Just because I’m going to stay someplace nice?”

“Well . . . yeah. I mean, Saylor, come on. It’s kind of a first-world problem. If it’s a problem at all.”

“You’ve had the lake your whole life,” I said, my voice rising a bit. “You take it for granted. I only had three weeks to meet you, and Trinity, and—”

“We’re not going anywhere,” she said. “You can come back anytime. But the Tides? That’s, like, special. Can’t you see that?”

Always about the place. Never about me. “What I see is that you don’t care at all that I’m upset,” I said. “When you aren’t telling me I’m spoiled for feeling that way.”

“You are spoiled!” she shot back. Then, immediately, she said, “I mean—”

I swallowed, hard. “Yeah. What do you mean?”

“You don’t know what it’s like to live here! How dead it is all winter, nobody around. And then summer comes and yeah, it’s nicer, but most of us have to work all the time, because that’s when you make money. For you it’s a fun getaway, discovering your history or whatever. The rest of us don’t get that luxury. Nobody does except for you.”

I thought back to the first days I’d been here, when I’d found out Mimi had said I was on vacation and that everyone should let me relax. Since then I’d worked my butt off cleaning rooms, not to mention being Bailey’s wing person as she made one bad choice after another. Clearly, though, it made no difference. I was the rich spoiled cousin then, and the rich spoiled cousin now.

“I need to pack,” I said flatly, sliding off the bed. “Are we done here?”

“Are you coming to Campus?”

I just looked at her. “You just called me spoiled! Why would I go anywhere with you?”

“Saylor.” She exhaled softly. “I didn’t—”

“Yeah, you did,” I told her. I walked over to the door, opening it. “Have fun. Maybe you can find someone else to date Blake this time.”

She looked at the door, but didn’t budge. “Okay, I think things have gotten a little twisted. All I said was—”

“I know what you said,” I told her. Then I walked over to my bureau, pulling open a drawer, and started to pack again.

For a while she just sat there, watching me. Waiting for me to say something, or reverse this. By the time I moved on to my closet, though, she’d gotten to her feet and started over to the door.

“Hey,” she said. “Look. I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” I said. But I didn’t turn around. “I’ll see you around.”

She stayed there another minute, waiting for me to look at her again, but I didn’t. I was just so hurt, and frustrated, so close to crying I could feel the sobs in my chest. That first day, knowing me from no one, it was Bailey who’d stood up for me to Taylor, claiming family trumped everything. Back then, I hadn’t expected such loyalty and had been touched. When I really needed it, however, she could only think of herself. I was putting the album in my bag when I heard her leave and go down the stairs.

Now, walking the silent block to Conroy’s, I thought of Bailey and not much else. How we’d covered this same distance, but going the other way, on our own walk home together. We’d talked the entire time. Now it seemed entirely possible, if not likely, that I’d leave without even saying goodbye to her. It wasn’t like we were sisters, only cousins. But it still made me sad.

When I reached the market, I crossed the parking lot and pushed open the door. Immediately, I was hit with a blast of A/C like a wind gust, sending goose bumps springing up on my bare arms.

“Welcome to Conroy’s,” a distant female voice said in a monotone. I looked over to see Celeste behind the register, flipping through a sheaf of papers on a clipboard.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Good—” That was as far as she got before she finally looked up. “Saylor! Sorry, I was focused on my BOGO.”