Page 63 of Entangled
“Makes sense.” Feeling guilty for cutting into his family time, I add, “Well, I won’t keep you—”
“Don’t hang up.” A shuffling noise comes through the line. “Dahl, entertain yourself for a bit, OK?” She says something, and he chuckles. “Don’t eat all of them, or I’ll bring your ass right back to the airport.”
“How long is she staying?” I ask.
“A week and a half to two weeks. Our parents went on a Caribbean cruise for Christmas this year, so she’d be all alone if she stayed home. This way, she can follow me around and criticize how I do everything instead.”
I can’t help but giggle. I’ve always wanted a sibling. How lucky they are to have each other in their parents’ absence.
“OK, I’m in my room now.” He clears his throat. “Listen, I’m really sorry about yesterday.”
“No, I’m sorry for reacting the way I did.”
“I didn’t mean to be so pushy. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
I squeeze the phone. “I get it. And I appreciate the thought. I realize my coping methods are far from normal.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself, Princess. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. It was a dick move. Going forward, I’ll try not to be so insensitive.”
“While it’s sweet of you to say that, Henry, I think you deserve an explanation.”
“Only if you’re comfortable sharing it.”
I’ll never be comfortable talking about it, but he needs to know anyway. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mom’s death, and if it weren’t for me, she’d still be alive.”
27
HENRY
Mood Music: “Better Days” by Dermot Kennedy
I hold my breath,waiting for Rowan to continue her story. Why does she blame herself for her mother’s passing?
“It was a few days before Christmas, so the town had all kinds of festivities. As a kid who loved the holidays, I wanted to go to every single event. One night, we were supposed to get some snow, so my parents decided we’d skip the outing. I threw a fit because I was supposed to meet my friends at the local orchard for their annual floating lantern festival. Everyone from school was going to be there, including my crush.”
My stomach hits the floor, hating that I know where her story is headed, and that I chose the orchard for our attempted surprise date.
“Anyway, I finally convinced them to let me go. They dropped me off, and I had the best time ever. It was beautiful and magical, easily my favorite event. Seeing the lanterns drift above the snow-covered apple trees like floating stars made me feel like I was at the North Pole. When it was time to leave, everyone’s parents showed up, one by one. Except for mine.” Her voice cracks when she continues. “My crush and his parents waited with me for over an hour, until finally a police car arrived.”
“Jesus Christ,” I whisper, hating the idea of her in pain.
“The officer told us my father had hit a patch of ice on our road and careened over the embankment. Mom died instantly. Dad was paralyzed from the waist down.”
“Rowan, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t you see? If I hadn’t been such a spoiled, whiny brat, my mom would still be here.” Her sobs come freely now, each one reverberating to my soul. “So that’s why I don’t—I can’t—leave the house. Because the last time I ventured out of here, I killed my mom and ruined Dad’s life.”
“Honey, it wasn’t your fault.”
“Oh, but it was. I will never forgive myself for what happened. I truly appreciate you wanting to do something nice for me, but I need you to understand that I will never be able to give you normalcy. I will always be fucked up. If you don’t want to deal with that, I totally get it. I won’t hold it against you if you need to cut ties with me.”
“Rowan, stop.” I blink through the sudden burn in my eyes. “No one is cutting anything.”
“I’m sorry I was so mean to you.”
“It’s all right. Please don’t apologize. I’m sorry I dredged all this shit up by planning something.”
“With tomorrow being what it is, it would’ve come up either way.” She releases a heavy sigh. “But listen, I don’t want to keep you from your sister. Go enjoy your visit with her. I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow when you deliver stuff. Goodnight, Henry.”
