How to Marry Your Frenemy - London Casey Page 0,85

open before us. I tried to plan more out, he refused. He was like… he was just so free. I was a slave to time. But our energy was so real. And I only realized that after he died.”

“Oh, shit,” Jackson said. “You lost the man you loved?”

Lake nodded. “I did. At eighteen. I’ve never loved again.”

Lake pulled at our hands and a tear fell from her left eye.

I hated the story because it made me sad.

“I’m so sorry, Lake,” Jackson said.

“Thank you,” she said.

Mom brought her hands together. “These rocks are the past, the present, and the future.”

“I see four rocks, Mom,” I said.

“Of course. The fourth is for the unknown. Because all of time is unknown. Bring your hands to me. Jackson come around here.”

Jackson stood up without hesitation.

He was either buying into it or playing into it.

Both pissed me off.

Meaning he was either being the sweetest man alive or the biggest dick.

With him, I could never tell.

Mom put Jackson’s and my hands together and gave us the four rocks to share. She had us cup our hands around the rocks.

“This is your existence together,” she said. “This is your world. Your universe. Nobody else can penetrate it. This is yours to grow or wither with. Water and sun… life and love…”

“Thank you for this,” Jackson said.

“Mom… we get it,” I whispered.

Sunny let out a howling cry.

I jumped and yelled.

I looked at her and she was bawling like a baby.

Waving her hands.

“I can’t help it,” she said.

“Pull yourself together,” Joni said to Sunny. “This isn’t your moment.”

“I’m just happy for them,” Sunny said. “And Jackson is so sexy. I can never touch his arms again, can I?”

“What?” I asked.

“Sunny,” Mom said. “Do you need a minute to yourself over there?”

“I’m sure we can arrange for arm touching,” Jackson said.

“Oh?” I asked, looking at him.

“It’s just arms,” he said. “If it makes the ladies happy…”

“He’s the best ever,” Sunny wept.

“Callie, I apologize on behalf of Sunny,” Lake said. “She’s had an emotional week.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “You just scared me when you started crying. That’s all.”

Sunny wiped her cheeks and shut her eyes.

“What’s happening now?” Jackson whispered.

Mom smiled at Jackson. “She’s going to find herself. You must not realize the effect you have on women, Jackson…”

Oh, please don’t tell him that, Mom.

Jackson grinned ear to ear. “I think I do. I just play it off. I’m only committed to one person.”

Both Lake and Joni let out an ahhh sound.

You want to talk about energy? I wasn’t into the whole rocks and candles thing, but I could feel the heat pouring from Lake and Joni.

It kind of pissed me off.

Jackson could be so smooth in any situation that was thrown at him.

He was standing in a vegan restaurant with rocks in his hands, leaning into the whole thing Mom was saying. He didn’t flinch, blink, or give a hint that it might have been bullshit.

And it made me wonder…

No.

I stood up and took my hands away.

Two rocks fell to the table.

“Callie…,” Mom said.

“I’ll be right back,” I said.

I turned and hurried away from the table.

From the craziness.

From the madness.

From the fakeness.

And maybe from what wasn’t fake at all.

The bathroom was clean and… environmentally friendly.

The paper towels were recycled. The water only ran for a few seconds at a time to conserve it. It smelled like bamboo and gentle cleaning products.

I looked in the mirror and took a few breaths.

The entire thing was fake but I wasn’t so sure about Jackson seeing this side of my life. Sometimes I liked to keep Mom hidden. Last thing I needed was for him to tell anyone around the office about her. I did not want to become known as the hippy’s daughter. Like what had happened in the past.

I vividly remembered more than once kids throwing rocks at me, laughing at me because of Mom.

The bathroom door opened and before I could say something, I realized it was Jackson.

He shut the door and locked it.

“What was that about?” he asked. “You’re going to blow our cover.”

I lunged at him and slapped him across the face. “You’d throw rocks at me. I know it.”

“What?” Jackson asked, rubbing his cheek.

“You’re being such an asshole out there.”

“How? I’m doing what you asked me to do.”

“Just cut the shit, Jackson. They’re all crazy, right? The rocks. The candles. The crying. The fucking sayings…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jackson said. “You’re losing your mind, sweetie. We’re in this together.”

“Oh, fuck off,” I snapped. “You’re laughing at me on the inside.