Page 36 of Silver Edge
“So, tell me why your hair’s purple.”
“Nana,” Drake scolded.
I shrugged, my eyes lowering to the floor without my consent.
“Well, I wanted to say I like it, but my grandson here is awful defensive today,” she huffed in his direction. “I wore my hair like that back in the 80s.”
I smiled and glanced back up at her. “Really?”
Drake chuckled and sat on the loveseat to my left. Part of me wanted to take his hand, but I didn’t want to lose myself in his touch. “Yeah, she was the coolest Nana in town.”
Linda brushed a nonexistent stray hair from her forehead. Not one hair could possibly move out of place even if it wanted to, but I didn’t say anything. It didn’t seem right. “I think it looks much better on you, though. Are your eyes usually that violet looking, or is it from the hair color?”
“My eyes are different. My mother said my father had the same kind of eyes, but I think the hair accentuates them.”
“I see. Where do your mother and father live?” she asked.
“My father left when I was two.” I shrugged again, but this time I managed to keep my eyes at least to her peach lips before recovering. “My mother died when I was nine.”
“I’m so sorry, hon. How did she die?”
I took a long breath, my mind slipping into the past. “Heart attack. She had some sort of birth defect they didn’t know about.”
“Oh my, and you were nine? I hope you didn’t witness her passing.”
“Not really. I woke up and found her.”
Drake gasped. “You were in the house alone and found her in her room?”
“Sort of. I was in bed with her. My mother had been working with me on what she called cuddle therapy.”
Linda gripped her cane and leaned forward. “What’s cuddle therapy?”
Damn, I’d said too much. I swallowed, my eyes scanning for the escape route in the room then darting back to Drake.
“She has some challenges with physical touch,” Drake offered.
I wanted to mouththank you, but I was too busy trying to regain control as my mind centered on that thumping noise in the vent overhead.
“I see. Did they find your father? I hope you had other family to live with and that they were able to raise you.”
“No, they never found my father. I did have family, but they never showed up to get me, so I was raised in foster care.”
Drake reached for my hand, but then returned his to his knee. Silence filled the room.
“It’s no big deal. I managed.” I scanned the room for something else to talk about. “I like this place.” Lame. Dang it, this was even harder than I’d thought.
“So, how long you two been shagging?” Linda asked.
Drake scooted forward in his seat and narrowed his gaze. “Nana, you promised to behave. And we are not shagging, as you so eloquently put it.”
“Well, why not? It’s obvious you want to.” She smiled. “Oh, stop acting so innocent. We both know your past,” she said to Drake before redirecting her gaze at me. “Now, tell me a little more about this touching thing.”
Drake stood and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “Scarlet, would you do me a favor? Would you go back to the dining hall and get a coffee for me, and one for you if you’d like? Nana, do you want one?”
She shook her head. “Not unless it has bourbon in it.”
Drake handed me some bills and I’d never been so happy to have an excuse to leave, to take a moment to regroup and prepare for her questions. I took the money, and before I knew what I was doing, I kissed his cheek. It wasn’t something I planned, or decided to do, but I wanted to thank him. When I sat back, feeling my eyes grow wide, he smiled, then leaned down and kissed my cheek.
