Chapter 113

2 p.m. Friday

Regan felt a weight on her bed and turned away from her iPad. She had been looking through the pictures it held of the best month of her young life.

"Why hasn't he called?" she asked her mother in a pleading voice.

Rita ran a hand through her daughter's greasy hair and used a finger to push a tuft of it away from Regan's red and puffy eyes.

"I don't know, Honey," Rita admitted sadly. It had been almost three days since the blow up and Regan had barely gotten out of bed for anything more than her bodily necessities. Tori and Ashlyn had been her constant companions in her room - sometimes in the bed with her and other times in a chair across the room.

They had listened patiently as Regan recounted almost every public detail of the past few weeks (and several that were probably best kept private). The sisters commiserated when they could and simply showed interest when they couldn't. Both had come to understand that they didn't really know anything about Regan or her life.

"I miss him, Mom," Regan said. Rita couldn't understand how her daughter's body could even produce tears but she saw one rolling down Regan's cheek.

"I know," Rita said. "I ... I wish I had a way to help you. I ... I probably shouldn't have but I've tried to find him. I even contacted some people to see if they would turn on the GPS on his car to help us find him."

"That's illegal, Mom," Regan pointed out.

Rita shrugged.

"They wouldn't do it," Rita confided. "Honey, things will get better. I promise you they will."

"But what if he ... he's gone forever?" Regan asked, looking up at her mother with such pain in her eyes that the heart Rita wasn't sure she had a month before almost broke.

"Then you'll learn to live without him," Rita said softly. "You'll find a way to get through the pain and move forward with your life."

"I'm not sure I will," Regan admitted.

"You're strong," Rita told her.

"Now without him, I'm not," Regan countered, looking again at her favorite picture. Andy had taken it on the yacht - on the very couch where he'd made her into a woman. She had her head on his shoulder and he was kissing her forehead. She could see the love resonating in his eyes. It was reflected in hers as she looked up at him.

She remembered that she'd been surprised when Andy raised his hand and snapped a photo - and more surprised when she saw how well the impromptu shot had turned out. She'd reached down and ran a finger across Andy's face just as Rita did the same to hers.

"You are strong," her mother repeated. "Maybe you were stronger with him. Maybe having him beside you made you feel stronger. But the strength came from you. You need to call on it now. Our neighbors are starting to move in and I think we should go greet them."

Regan started to shake her head and then jerked her eyes to her mother's.

"Andy?" she asked hopefully.

"His family," Rita admitted. "But not him."

"Camille doesn't even know where he is," Regan lamented.

"I know," Rita said.

"I ... I just want to tell him I'm sorry for being so stupid," Regan said. "I think, maybe, I might be able to get through this if I could just explain what I was thinking. But ... he's just ... gone. He hasn't talked to anyone. Ruth called last night - finally. She was really mad."

"She saw things from the bed across the room," Rita explained.

"I guess," Regan replied.

"No, that's what she told me," Rita clarified. "She called me, too. She said it was so hard for her to watch because ... because all the good things in her life the last few weeks have been a direct result of the good things in yours. She just couldn't see how you could do what you did."

"I can't see it either," Regan said. She was now running her fingers across the cool sheets.

"It's ... it's the problem with living the first 17 years of your life in a fantasy world," Rita said with a heavy sigh. "That's what your father and I did to you. You had no real life of your own so you lived in your head. In your mind, you've painted Jase Carter as your perfect guy. The reality of finding a guy that fits with you hasn't been around long enough to kick the fantasy out. Intellectually, you know you'd prefer to sit in the rain and share a bag of pretzels with Andy than a seven-course meal at the Hay Adams with anyone else. But..."

"But nothing," Regan said. "If I know that, why did I do it?"

"But," Rita repeated, "there is still a part of your mind that heard the name and reacted the same way you would have when you were 15 or 16 years old. I think Andy understands that. And I'm not sure that's what has him so upset. I think it was the part where you were willing to lie to him about it that really got him."

"I wouldn't have," Regan said, shaking her head.

"And, I think if we give him a chance to think about things, he'll come to understand that," Rita confided. "But, well, you've heard how stubborn his mother can be. Your father has learned his grandmother is a bit hard-headed, too."

"Anne?" Regan asked.

"Oh, she was a tad bit upset at how things happened when she first heard about it," Rita said. "In fact, I think everyone was. But ... well, I suppose there is no nice way to admit this so I'll simply tell you. I violated your privacy. As you know, the cameras in some rooms record audio as well as video. Everything that was said that day in the downstairs was captured. I played it for Andy's family so they'd better understand things. All they'd heard was second or third-hand."

"No, I'm OK with that," Regan said. "I don't even remember everything that was said. I was mad, too."

"I know," Rita said.

"I knew Joy was right," Regan said. "I tried to deny it but I knew what I'd just done. Then I saw Andy standing there and he was so ... angry! God, I finally understood how you must have felt a few months ago. It wasn't scared. I knew he wouldn't hurt me but ... I felt so small when he was looking at me. That pissed me off, too."

"I know," Rita said. "I saw you stand up straighter and throw your shoulders back. I've seen that before and I knew you were going on the attack. Now, listen to me. I want you to get up and get a shower. You smell really bad. We're going to go down and visit with Andy's family for a few minutes. Then we need to go to the airport to pick up Robert's mom and dad. My parents will be in later this evening."

"I really don't want to see Grandpa right now," Regan said, life entering her voice for the first time in days.

Rita's eyes widened, first at how animated Regan had become and secondly because it was obvious she was angry at Rita's father.

"Where do you think Jase got our number here?" Regan asked bitterly.

"I ... I hadn't really thought about it," Rita admitted.

"I have," Regan said. "I've thought about every second of that day since Tori walked out to tell me I had a phone call. How many people have our private house number? He didn't call on the business line. He called our private line."

"Honey, several people have that number," Rita said.

"People that work for you," Regan cut in. "People who would understand the hell that would rain down on them if they gave it out. Do you know that Joy and Ruth don't even have that number? My school doesn't have that number. I can think of very few who know it. Andy obviously didn't let someone know it. Ashlyn and Tori swear they never heard of Jase Carter and I believe them. That leaves one of my grandparents or Uncle Scott or Aunt Estrella. You think about it for a minute and tell me I'm wrong."

Rita's face formed into a frown and she glanced away from her daughter.

"He knows about Andy, Mom!" Regan continued. "I've talked to them every weekend since I've met him. They know all about him and how I feel about him. And he decided to do something like this without ever meeting him!"

"Honey, you don't know for sure that he did," Rita replied, although Regan's arguments made sense to her.

"You can bet I'll find out," Regan said. The face that had been deathly pale for the previous 72 hours was red with anger. "And when I do, I'm done with him."

Anne heard the ringing doorbell and opened the portal to her new home. She had resolved to remain angry at Regan Riley for as long as Andy did. That crumbled when she saw the wretched figure standing on the stoop.

Instead, she found herself opening her arms and welcoming Regan into a hug.

"It'll be OK, Lass," Anne said soothingly. Robert had braced himself for what Regan might face when the door opened and let out an audible sigh when he saw Anne kiss Regan softly on her now-clean hair.

Anne let Regan cling to her for a few moments longer before pulling back and taking the girl's hands in hers.

"I'm so sorry," Regan said. "It's all my fault!"

"There is blame enough for all parties," Anne said softly. "Don't take on more than your share."

"Have ... have you talked to him?" Regan asked.

"Some," Anne said. "He's ... he's a bit too much like me for his own good - obstinate to a fault, I fear."

"Where are Evan and Camille?" Rita wondered as she glanced around the house.

"They left just a few minutes ago," Anne said. "They're off to the furniture store. I fear there was a mix up with the deliveries. I will admit I thought the bright orange ottoman would be particularly fetching in here."

"Oh, God!" Rita said. Even Regan laughed a little at the thought of something that garish in the house. It felt strange to her.

"I suspect, Lass, that Andy will be here in a bit if you'd like to wait for him," Anne said. Regan looked at her and felt a flutter in her chest. Then she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No," she said. "If he needs time to think I'll let him have it."

"I fear his time is up," Anne said with a shrug. "You and he, you're connected. I'm not speaking about some cosmic force. I'm speaking about physically. Your friends intersect; your families intersect; he'll be living in sight of your house. In a few weeks, he'll be living down the hall with the guy your roommate is dating. He cannot avoid you forever - and, in fact, unless he continues to hide, I don't believe he can avoid you for more than an hour or two longer. He'll have to man up and stop hiding from his responsibilities."

Regan's face clouded.

"Please don't talk about him that way," Regan said softly. "I'm ... I'm already furious with my grandfather. I don't want to be mad at you, too. He needs the time to decide what's next. If he decides we're done, then I won't push him. I don't want you to push him either. I don't want to be with him because it's easier for him. I want him to want to be with me."

"He does," Anne said. "He might not understand it just yet but he needs you as much as you need him. I will do my best to stay out if it - but I will point out how much better his life is when you're around than when you aren't."

"We just wanted to stop and welcome you to the neighborhood," Robert said, smiling at Anne.

"Thank you, Robert," Anne replied. "I am terribly sorry about how I treated you this week."

That caused Regan to turn to her mother. Rita had said something about it but Regan hadn't really followed through in finding out what happened.

"I was a bit brusque with your father when he informed us of what had taken place this week," Anne said. "I'm big enough to admit that I let my emotions override my better judgment. I only hope my grandson has matured enough to do the same."

"He wasn't wrong to be mad at me," Regan said.

"No," Anne replied. "I understand that. But, he was wrong not to consider the circumstances. He didn't give you a moment to compose yourself, to let you calm down after your friend started on you, and explain things. What could have been a semi-rational conversation between two people turned into a screaming match with accusations being hurled from half a dozen people. You couldn't help but feel razed by the sheer number of people ganging up on you. It took me a bit of time to see that, I'll admit. But I do see it. If Andy had expressed his concern to you in a calm voice, you would have come to your senses rather quickly I would guess.

"But no one gave you a moment to think. I could see from the video that you were flattered. That is nothing to be ashamed of - although, given recent events, I'm sure you're pleased that you avoided Mr. Carter regardless of circumstances."

Regan's confusion was obvious but Robert gave Anne a gentle shake of his head.

"Ah, well, I'm sure your parents will talk to you about it shortly," Anne said. "I apologize if I've brought up something that should have waited."

"What happened?" Regan asked, turning to her parents.

"I'll explain tonight," Rita promised. "Right now, Robert and I need to get to the airport."

"I'll walk home," Regan said. Rita was silent for a moment but nodded.

"And I'll join you if you don't mind," Anne said. "I believe the walk might blow a bit of the stink off of me."

Regan offered a sad smile.

"You should have caught a whiff of me an hour ago," she said.

5:30 p.m. Friday

Andy pulled into the high school parking lot and shut off his engine. Despite Anne's prediction, he had not been out to the new house.

He had his cap and gown in the back of his SUV and he decided he didn't care if he wore a suit beneath it or not. Instead, he put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts with his sneakers.