Chapter 112

8 p.m. Tuesday

Regan heard the buzzing of a cell phone and felt a warm body behind her in bed. She smiled automatically and turned over, expecting to see Andy nestled up behind her. Her addled brain couldn't make sense of finding a tearful Tori in bed with her.

Then the day came crashing back into her memory.

"Oh, God," Regan said, bursting into tears again. "Andy! Please, Andy!"

Tori opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around Regan in a tight hug. Seconds later, two more arms embraced the pair as Ashlyn came in.

"It's going to be OK, Regan," Tori said as she cried with her cousin. Ashlyn got up and answered the phone, which had started to buzz again.

She listened for a moment and let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks, Aunt Rita," she said. "I'll tell everyone."

She nodded as she listened again.

"Sure, I'll let them know," she promised. "You can count on us. Regan is awake but Tori has her. OK, we'll see you in a few minutes. Aunt Rita?"

Ashlyn gulped.

"I love you," she said. She put down the phone and sat down on the bed. Regan and Tori were looking at her - but Regan was having a difficult time focusing.

"Andy called his mom," Ashlyn said. "He's safe."

"I want to talk to him!" Regan wailed. "I need to see him."

"Shh," Tori said as she patted Regan's shoulder. "You just relax."

"No!" Regan said. She tried to stand and stumbled. "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Your Mom gave you a couple of Valium to calm you down," Ashlyn explained. "She's going to be home in a minute."

"Drive me to see Andy!" Regan said. She knew there was no way she could operate a vehicle. She wasn't sure she could operate shoelaces at that point.

Ashlyn sighed and put her arm around Regan.

"Aunt Rita said he's ... he's staying somewhere else tonight," she said. "Even Camille isn't sure where he's going. He ... he said he just needs a day or two. Then he'll be ready to talk about things."

"I can't wait," Regan said softly. "I need to tell him. I need him to know I'm sorry."

"I'm sure he knows," Tori said. "I'm sure he's sorry, too."

"No!" Regan said again. "I ... God, I'm stupid. I'm everything you always thought I was. I didn't care that Andy was here. I heard that asshole was on the phone and I was ready to jump in his car if he pulled up out front. What was I thinking?"

"It sounds like you had a monster crush on the guy," Ashlyn said. "We all have a guy like that. The last time you came up, I was hot after this guy on the soccer team at my school. That was two or three years ago and I still think about him."

"But ... I didn't really," Regan said. "I mean, yeah, he was hot but..."

She was still having trouble putting her thoughts together.

"You used to think of him when you jilled off," Ashlyn finished. Regan blushed, closed her eyes tightly and tried to shake off the cobwebs. "I get it."

"Totally," Tori agreed. "He was a fantasy - and suddenly, it's real. We get it."

The sisters' faces turned red, too.

"Uh, look, your mom wants me to call your friends and let them know Andy is OK," Ashlyn said softly. "Are you cool with me getting the numbers from your phone?"

"I'll call them," Regan said.

"She ... your mom thinks you should wait a day or two," Ashlyn said in a gentle voice that surprised even her. "They're ... they're wound tight about Andy."

Regan's face showed her confusion.

"I don't understand why they're worried," Regan admitted. She thought she knew why but she couldn't chase the thread to completion.

"Hon, he sort of disappeared," Tori said. "No one heard from him for about five hours. We were all worried that..."

"Something might have happened to him," Ashlyn cut in. "Your dad said he was driving a little recklessly. They've been out looking for him."

"Oh, Andy," Regan said. "I just want him back!"

"You'll get him back," Ashlyn said. "Tomorrow, we'll sit down and figure out how. You've seen we're not above scheming and plotting."

"No," Regan said, shaking her head. "I only want him back if he wants me back. I hurt him."

"He hurt you, too," Ashlyn said. "Let me call your friends. Why don't you go back to sleep? You'll feel better when you wake up."

"I'll stay with her," Tori said. Ashlyn nodded. The sisters had called a truce to their private war. Ashlyn found herself thinking of ways to keep the detente in place after things were sorted out here.

She used her phone to make the calls because she doubted anyone would answer a call from Regan's number. She thought about using the phone Andy had left behind but no one seemed to know the password to unlock it.

The first name Ashlyn saw when she opened Regan's contacts was Andy's. She frowned at the picture that popped up beside the name. It was him and Regan, sitting side-by-side at a table. It was obvious they took it themselves. She saw the look of happiness on both of their faces - and she regretted that she didn't notice that look before she acted like a drama queen.

Chris Grant's name was next. The picture there showed the guy making a face at the camera. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she punched the number into her phone.

"Who is this?" a female voice asked as soon as it rang. "Andy? It's Joy. Don't hang up!"

"It's Ashlyn."

"What in the fuck do you want?" Joy hissed.

"I wanted to let you know that Andy's fine," Ashlyn said, keeping her voice even.

She was greeted with only a long sigh. Then she heard Joy deliver the news aloud. Ashlyn had thought Chris was with Ruth but she hadn't really paid attention. She heard another female voice ask a question but she didn't understand it.

"Did he come back out there?" Joy repeated.

"No," Ashlyn answered. "He's called his mom. That's all I really know."

"Well, then I guess there's nothing stopping Regan from going on her date tomorrow night," Joy replied.

"Lay off Regan," Ashlyn said firmly.

"You're one to talk, bitch," Joy shot back.

"Fine, I'm a bitch," Ashlyn retorted. "You know what? You're no better than I am! Some fucking friends you turned out to be. Everyone out here is extremely upset over what happened. Everyone. My aunt and uncle have been out all evening looking just like you have. And, just so you know, if you'd have stayed the fuck out of things, it never would have gotten this far!"

"What the fuck does that mean?" Joy yelled.

"It means just what I said," Ashlyn yelled back. "You raced into the house and stuck your nose where it didn't belong. All of Regan's so-called friends jumped her shit and then sat back and wondered why she got defensive with Andy. Well, fuck you. You bitches had no trouble calling me out. Now you know how it feels. Tori and I will take our share of the blame; Regan will take her share. And I figure Andy will accept his share. But when you start passing out the 'fuck you' cards, don't forget to save one for yourselves."

Ruth turned and saw Joy sit back hard against the seat.

"Fuck," Joy said in a stunned voice. "You're right."

"I know I'm right," Ashlyn said.

"Can I talk to her?" Joy asked. "Regan, I mean."

"She's not really up to talking," Ashlyn replied. "Once your pal Elizabeth got in her parting shot, Regan curled up on the bed and cried hysterically. Aunt Rita finally gave her a couple of pills to calm her down. Andy wasn't the only one you should have been worried about. If you were really Regan's friends, you'd have been just as concerned about her. You had to know this would hit her like a train when she realized what she'd done."

"Yeah," Joy said. "Yeah. I hear you. Uh, look, tell her we said..."

"You'll have to tell her yourself," Ashlyn interrupted. "Aunt Rita asked to call you and let you know. I'm not playing your secretary. Right now, I'm worried about Regan and Andy. And I'm telling you right now, if I think throwing your ass under the bus will make things right for them then ... you better prepare for the wheels."

"Right back at you then," Joy said, regaining her equilibrium.

"But if it looks like we can work together to make things right, I'm in for that, too," Ashlyn said in a more conciliatory tone.

"Yeah," Joy said grudgingly. "Right back at you there, too."

10:30 p.m. Tuesday

Rico slipped outside and looked at the phone he had secreted away from Andy.

Andy was sleeping fitfully on the couch, still wearing a pair of chlorine-encrusted swimming trunks and a T-shirt. He took a glance inside the screen door and then down at the phone. The phone had downloaded all the information stored in Andy's car - including Regan's phone number.

"Fuck it," Rico said. He hit the number and heard it ring. A moment later, it was answered.

"Regan?" he asked.

"Who's calling please?" the female voice asked.

"Uh, is this Regan?" Rico asked again.

"Is this Andy?" a hopeful voice asked. Rico closed his eyes. Regan would recognize Andy's voice. It wasn't her.

"No," he said. "But I'm with Andy right now."

"Really?" the voice asked.

"Uh, look, I really need to talk to Regan," he said. "Could you put her on? You can tell her it's Rico. She knows who I am - sort of."

"This is Regan," the voice said.

"No, it isn't," Rico said.

There was silence on the other end.

"Regan would have known if this was Andy or not," Rico continued.

"Shit!" Tori said. "Yeah, you got me there."

"Who is this?" Rico wondered.

"I'm Tori, Regan's cousin," Tori replied.

"Oh," Rico said. Andy had finally filled him in on everything that had happened in the past few days.

"OK, now I know you really know Andy," Tori said with a sigh. "Look, Regan's ... she's not doing well with this. How's Andy?"

"He told me about you two," Rico declared. "I don't know which one you are but I guess it really doesn't matter."

"No," Tori admitted. "We feel like shit about things. I guess it's like Ash said. We didn't really stop to think about what happened ... afterward. We wanted to see the train wreck but the bloodshed was more than we wanted."

Rico found himself nodding. He'd thought the same thing a few times in his life.

"You're the little one," he said.

"Well, if you consider 5-feet-11 little, I guess I am," Tori said sarcastically.

"Tomas might but you're a good bit bigger than me so I guess I should mind my manners," Rico said, laughing. The kid had spunk.

"So, why are you calling Regan?" Tori asked. "Are you like that shit from this afternoon, looking to pick up a piece of fresh?"

"Uh, no," Rico said. "I was just ... I just wanted to let her know not to give up hope. You know, I heard everyone was concerned about Andy. I get that. He sort of dropped off the slope for a few hours. But I was worried about Regan, too."

"I'm not sure I've ever heard her mention your name," Tori admitted. "I mean, we've been out with her friends a few times and your name didn't come up."

"I'm not really the sort of person who socializes with people from Regan's walk of life," Rico admitted.

"Oh, fuck," Tori said. "You're the ... uh ... you're from Andy's old neighborhood - the badass. I can't believe I was giving you shit. I am really sorry."

"Nah, it's cool," Rico said, chuckling again. "It's sort of nice to talk to someone that treats me normal. Hey, while I got you let me run something past you. Andy said you're a kid that thinks three steps ahead. I got to where I am by doing the same thing."

He paused, wondering how to phrase what he wanted to say.

"I'm listening," Tori said, moving away from where Regan was sleeping. The most convenient place was the closet.