Shouldn't Have Dealt - Book II

Chapter 10 - About Time

Chapter 10 – About Time

“Angel?”

Slowly, I turn around, move each time my heart pump strongly. All my senses fired up. All my hopes up. All my guards down. My tears are at the corners of my eyes just waiting for the cue to let go.

“Why did you run off like that?”

A pale stunned face of Ray put me to silence.

Tears then just burst out of my eyes as my defenses go crumbling down. I can’t keep up with the excitement that turned out to be my worst disappointment. When I thought the stopwatch has rebooted, it turns out I was pushing myself too hard to believe the out of the ordinary . The stopwatch remains at it is, in its stationary state. And it does hurt to have all your hopes high, and then all of a sudden the unimaginable happens and these hopes plunge to the deepest site of the ocean. Gone.

Ray envelopes me with his arms despite his utter ignorance of my current state.

“Hush now, sweetie… It’s okay… whatever it is.”

TV reports say that Damien is recovering well. From the TV in the living room, I can hear Drew Cohen reporting live from the Etheridge Mansion in Pine Valley. He is saying that Damien will have to stay there for fast recuperation. It appears that it is Mary Etheridge’s arrangement to keep his son away from the media and possibly from the city where his access to vices is forever infinite. Pine Valley is way too far from Trenton, even Princeton. I would need a personal car to travel there especially if I have to pass through the heavily forested area. I remember the time he drove me there. It took us hours to travel.

With Mary’s measures, she just shows the entire city how desperate she is to cut his connection from anything from within the city—which means me included.

Ray has to return to his own place to rest but he promised to help me watch after dad in the evening. His work with Stone Publishing does not start a week from now, so I guess he has all his time dedicated to helping me.

I switch off the TV as soon as some car show replaces Drew Cohen. That dose of Damien Etheridge is enough to keep me rolling for the day. No matter how I failed to make up with him, I think seeing him all better and safe is my biggest priority now. Time will come when the stopwatch will be restarted. Maybe last night was not just the time.

All prepared to go, I lock the house and go straight down the street. Time is essential for me. Within this week, I should secure the teaching assistant position in Precious Angels Montessori. I have to get a 45 minute bus ride from Princeton Borough, my town, to Trenton, the busy capital city of New Jersey where the Montessori is located. It is a little bit far from home but I need the job more than travelling this far.

RING! RING!

I pick up my phone while waiting for the bus.

“May?”

“Angel?” Screaming she calls my name. “You have to get in here! Stone’s taking over McGarry!”

“What?”

“Apparently we’re bankrupt so Stone’s taking over. His lawyers are here to kick Thatcher out.” Now she sounds like whispering. “I heard from the grapevine that Stone Publishing is going to revamp McGarry into an imprint. A new publisher is set to arrive in a week with new staffs. Here’s the surprise. Former staffs like me and you are invited to join the new team! How cool is that?”

“Seriously?” I almost drop my phone off my grasp.

Poor Thatcher then. She’s kicked out while her team is recruited.