In Your Pucking Dreams, Captain

A Betrayal

Kendra's PoV

Simon’s going to kill me.

I’d turned my room upside down, flipping furniture until my knuckles ached, but that stupid butterfly must have come to life and flown away.

I rested my back against my bedroom wall, the cold plaster pressed through my tank top. A sick roll wrecked my stomach as Simon’s caller ID appeared on the phone screen. I let it go to voicemail.

[“Hiii this is Ducky, I’m not available right now so leave the message and I swear you’ll hear right back. Mmkay…”]

The screen went dark, then flashed a new voicemail notification. I pressed play, and Simon's ragged voice poured through. “You think you can f*****g ignore my calls…” He said. “That pendant belongs to my grandmother, Kendra. I’d sure as hell sink you into the bottom of Lake Michigan if you don’t deliver it soon.”

Click.

I wiped my heavy lidded eyes. Oh, it’s not just the cops now. I can’t believe I’d let that creature kiss me and promise me the entire universe.

Pushing out of the bedroom, I stumbled into the hallway. The only other place I had to check was the attic. I groaned, staring up. There had to be a million stuff buried in storage boxes.

But Dad’s door sprung into view. I tilted my head. Could it be?

I pulled the door handle, took a deep breath and ambled inside. The scent of artificial daisies filled the air. It was dimly lit, and the bed still neatly made—the exact same way Dad had left it before leaving home that afternoon.

I swallowed deeply. Damn it. I couldn’t lose my head at this point. I was living in a haunted house instead of mine.

The first place I checked was his bedside drawer. Several pens, notepads and a tape scattered inside. I closed it, pulled the other one. My heart clenched, and I picked it up.

Dad had his arms around a pretty slender brown-haired woman. Her cheek bones appeared perfectly molded, but her eyes, same shade as mine focused on Dad as he smiled for the camera lens.

I hadn’t given much thought about my mother in years. But all this time he…

I overturned the frame, a folded note was hidden under the picture

“What?” I whispered, removing the note.

Did my Dad hide a secret letter Mom left behind?

Why wouldn’t he tell me?

As I unfolded the pink note, all the oxygen in the room seemed to vanish. My breath seized upon catching the fine print across the top.

[JAKE’S PAWN SHOP

Transaction: Asset Liquidation.

Item: One butterfly-design, 2-carat diamond pendant. Gold chain. Aged approx. 40 years.

Payout: $5,000.00 (Tax Inc.) ]

His cursive signature was scribbled on the bottom.

“No!” I bolted up.

Then my lungs deflated like balloons. Okay, there are probably thousands of these designs on the planet. Perhaps Dad bought it for investment…I closed my eyes. Except what single man does that?

The description on the receipt also included a small ‘K’ on it.

“Dad, oh my God!” I exploded in outrage. “What did you do?”

I grabbed handfuls of my hair. My heart thundered against my rib cage. This has to be a prank. How could my own father do this to me? We were as good as dead if I don’t find that pendant.

I raced back to my room snatching my laptop, my hands quivered as I searched up the shop’s address. The results loaded up in seconds. South Side Chicago. I made a squeak. He actually went all the way to Illinois to do it.

“f**k!” I sent one of my pillows flying across the room. “Now, what? Take a bus to Chicago? That’s a whole lot of money I can’t afford right now!”

I threw myself back on the bed. My face was burning hotter than the Mohave desert. What the hell did Dad do with that kind of money? I hadn’t seen him buy anything big.

I closed my eyes.

Just for a few seconds.

I needed to think…

* * * * * *

BRRRRINNNGGG!

A tiny groan spilled from my mouth, accompanied by a brain drilling headache. I opened my eyes to my darklit room, fighting down the wave of dread that it wasn’t a nightmare.

I could quit, and just leave Dad to deal with his mess.

But who would be cruel enough to charge an unconscious man?

“Wasn’t ruining my life enough, Dad?” I asked no one in particular, before getting ready for work.

By the time I approached the rink, I took a second to scan the massive facility exterior. Gladiator and Viking flags were flown in front.

Apparently the team had played a friendly with Lockwood university that I missed.

As I pushed my cleaning cart down the hallway, my steps grew heavier by each stride. This is officially the worst year of my life. I walked in and…

Noah was stretched out across the bench, texting on his phone. I gripped the steel handles of my cart handles. Not even his boyish smile could calm the storm brewing in my chest.

I said nothing as he came to me. “Hey Drake.”

I picked up a brush. “O’Shea.”

He let out a soft grunt, bending low until his lips touched my cheek, I couldn’t hide the shudder that ripplied through my body.

When his mouth cornered for mine, I smacked his arm. “Quit it dork, you know the rules, we’re not doing this here.”

“It’s only a kiss.”

“Well I don’t want to kiss you right now.”

I tried to make a beeline for the left. His arms snaked around my body and he lifted me up.

It was so sudden. I lost my tongue watching Noah stare up at me. I felt so small and fragile in his arms, the fire in my chest turned into mush.

“Put me down.”

“Okay Cranky, did you get any sleep?”

“Way more than I should.”

“And yet you’re way more upset now than this morning.”

I scowled at Noah.

He did the same.

Fatigue won.

I forced a smile and he promptly dropped me gently, but I was pressing against his firm body.

He kissed me lightly. “We should be celebrating.”

I stepped away from him. “In this cesspool of cooties? No thank you.”

I got to picking towels, he helped.

“What are you doing?”

“Speeding things up.”

“It’s my job. You wouldn’t steal another man’s job, now would you?”

“I’ve actually volunteered for Operation: Green Campus so…”

I opened my mouth, closed it. “Just this once.”

Within twenty minutes, I was done scrubbing the heck out of the showers. Noah and I collapsed to the bench. I placed my head against his arm.

“The team won tonight.”

“Great, am I supposed to whip out my pom-poms for you now, O’Shea?” I asked. “I don’t care about hockey.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup, I’m a…football kind of girl.”

Noah paused, looking a bit annoyed. “Oh, that’s cool, I guess.”

I stood. “Hmm, I better…”

He followed suit. “Maybe you should come back to my dorm with me.”

“Noah…”

“It’s safe and private, Kendra.” Noah said. “Surely, you’re allowed to have fun outside of work. I mean, we’re pretty much skipping dating, right?”

I caught myself smiling. “You never give up, do you?”

“Nope.”

I exhaled, getting a little excited myself. “Fine, I’ll meet you in the lot in fifteen minutes.”