My secrets weresafe.
Chapter Fourteen
On Friday night,my stomach swarmed with butterflies. In less than a day, the first trial would begin…and end. Even though I’d managed to transform, did I stand a chance against wolves that hadn’t been on a shifting sabbatical? I stared around my bedroom, wondering if I should pull the blue Ikea bags back out of my closet. My mother would be ashamed of my defeatist attitude. She was a staunch believer in mind overmatter.
For all the good that didher.
I crushed her wedding band in my fist as I left my bedroom. On my way to meet Everest, I stopped by the kitchen. Ever since the night Evelyn had curled into bed next to me, and I’d confessed everything to her, we hadn’t spoken about the pack. We’d discussed safe subjects like food and college—she wanted me to apply, but I hadn’t done my SATs. Tonight again, she was on my case aboutcolleges.
“I have some savings—” shebegan.
“No.” I shook my head, and my hair brushed my bare shoulders. “I’m not taking your money anymore. Not unless you let me reimburseyou.”
“Ness…”
“Have you been to see the doctor?” I gestured to her knees. Lucy had given me the name of her physician, which I’d passed along toEvelyn.
“My arthritis is better.” She ladled gazpacho into wooden bowls, then topped them with golden croutons, tiny squares of raw vegetables, and a drizzle of oliveoil.
“Really?”
“Really.” After finishing off the soups and ringing the buzzer to get one of the servers’ attention, she busied herself with making my favorite dish: chicken quesadillas. “You’re getting tooskinny.”
Ihadlost weight, but I’d gained back some of the muscle I’d lost working two, sometimes three, jobs back in LA. I gobbled up every last golden triangle filled with melted cheese set beforeme.
Evelyn checked the order sheet the server had dropped off, opened the fridge, and removed thick slices of creamy salmon which she laid on the already smokinggriddle.
“Who is singing again tonight?” sheasked.
“TheLemons.”
“Are theygood?”
“They—” The door swung open, cutting off myanswer.
Everest had arrived, but notalone.
“Frank wanted to meet our new cook,” Everestsaid.
Evelyn dropped the metal spatula she’d been using to flip the salmon. The utensil clattered loudly against the tiled floor, festooning her white apron with oil. Ever since we’d arrived, Evelyn had barely strayed out of the kitchen, let alone the inn. She’d never been a particularly outgoing person, but moving to this unfamiliar town had made her downright skittish. And here was my insensitive cousin bringing someone—not just someone, Frank McNamara—into her safehaven.
Frank bent over to pick up the fallen spatula. “Evelyn,right?”
She gaped at him as he tendered it to her, but her fingers had balled into fists. He placed it on theisland.
“I forced Everest to introduce me to the new cook. The Clarks are lucky to have foundyou.”
Since Evelyn’s feet had become part of the floor, I grabbed a handful of paper towels and wiped thetiles.
She finally moved, touching my shoulder. “It is okay,Ness.”
As I straightened up, I raised my eyes to hers. Two pink spots had appeared on her high cheekbones, dimmed by her foundation, but stillbright.
“We better get going,” Everest said, “or we’ll miss the openingact.”
I waited for Frank toleave.
Frank’s light-eyed gaze darted my way, then back to Evelyn. Finally, he moved toward the swinging door. “I hope you’ll be staying,Evelyn.”
