Frostbitten (14 page)

“What about her
mother?” Anastasia pried, already suspecting that Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks were
no longer together. “Hasn’t she been around?”

Sadly, he shook his
head. “She’s been in Europe for the past two years. Since then, we’ve only seen
her once when she visited for Chloe’s sixteenth birthday.”

From Chloe’s expensive
new lifestyle to Mr. Fairbanks uncharacteristic behavior, it all made a lot
more sense now. They were both dealing with a massive change and were most likely
experiencing feelings of abandonment. She just couldn’t believe that Chloe
hadn’t opened up to her about the separation or, quite possibly, the divorce.
It must have hit her really hard.

“I’m sorry to hear
that,” Anastasia said sincerely, deciding to forgive and forget Mr. Fairbanks
behavior toward her and Frost on that dreadful night. “You said something about
Chloe’s memory – what’s wrong with it?”

“She’s having trouble
remembering the attack. The doctor scanned her brain, and there appears to be
no damage. They think it may be a response to the traumatic events she’s
endured. Perhaps it’s a defense mechanism to help deal with the shock.”

“Can I see her?”
Anastasia asked anxiously.

“Of course,” Mr.
Fairbanks said, stepping aside.

Quietly, Anastasia entered
the room to find Chloe reclining in bed, her eyes closed and her head slightly
turned. She still looked pale and fragile, but there was a calm demeanor about
her, and her cheeks had a hint of rosiness to them. As if Chloe could sense
Anastasia’s presence, she opened her eyes and offered a small smile.

“Hey,” Anastasia said
softly, while sitting in the chair beside Chloe’s bed. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve never felt
better,” Chloe responded with a smirk.

Anastasia laughed
lightly. “Stupid question, huh?”

“No,” Chloe replied
quickly as she reached for Anastasia’s hand, wincing slightly at the movement.
“Thank you for caring.” She sighed before continuing. “The doctor said I tore
ligaments in my arm, suffered a mild concussion and let’s just say they had to
really
stitch up my wound.”

“You’re going to get
better, though, and that’s what counts.”

Chloe shifted
uncomfortably in her bed. “It doesn’t feel that way.” She then hurried to add,
“At least one good thing has come from this – I know who my real friends are.
You stayed with me when Kate and Marissa left. I’ll never forget that.”

“I had help,” Anastasia
replied, causing Chloe to appear confused. “Frost dealt with the cougar,
carried you to his SUV and then drove you to hospital. He actually saved both
our lives.”

Shocked, Chloe looked
at Anastasia with wide eyes. “I had no idea,” she muttered, her cheeks
brightening with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Anastasia. I should have never
told you to stay away from Frost, and I definitely shouldn’t have tried to make
you change just to please Kate. I’ve been such an idiot.”

Seeing how upset Chloe
was becoming, Anastasia spoke gently, “That’s in the past, and it’s not like
you’re the only one to fall under Kate’s spell. We’ve so lost Marissa to her.”

“No, we haven’t. She
came to see me yesterday in such a state that I thought
she
was the one
who needed admitted to the hospital. I’m talking waterworks and umpteen
apologies. Marissa regrets leaving us on that night, and she’s over being
Kate’s minion.”

“Do we believe her?”
Anastasia asked cautiously. She liked to think of herself as someone who could
forgive others, but Marissa’s behavior had been really hurtful.

“Definitely. Marissa
spilled a lot of dirt on Kate, and that’s going to come at a high price for
her.” Chloe looked down at her bed sheets, obviously uncertain of whether she
should continue speaking or not.

“What have they been
saying about me?” Anastasia asked, almost in a teasing manner even though she
found none of this amusing.

“Jill started the rumor
about you and Mr. O’Donoghue, and Kate encouraged her to do so. Kate told Jill
what you said about her and Jack. She wanted to cause trouble for you, and I
guess she saw the opportunity in Jill.”

“Does Kate really hate
me that much?” Anastasia asked, frustrated and upset. “I really haven’t done
anything to her.”

“You’re kidding,
right?” Chloe asked rhetorically, before continuing. “Your mere presence in
Cedar Falls is reason enough for Kate to dislike you. You’re everything that
she isn’t, and she’s so threatened by that.”

Suddenly, someone
knocked upon the door and then entered. It was a young, attractive hospital
worker who was carrying a tray. “Sorry for interrupting, but it’s time for
Chloe’s lunch,” he said with a warm smile.

“Hi, Jay,” Chloe
responded, immediately perking up. She gave her head a little toss so her hair
would fall forward. It was beyond obvious that she liked him.

“I’ll visit you again
soon,” Anastasia promised as she stood up and gave Chloe a gentle hug. She was
almost out the door when Chloe called to her.

“Thank Frost for me,”
she said sincerely.

“I’ll be sure to tell
him,” Anastasia responded with a smile.

As Anastasia left the
hospital, she felt so much better about everything. Chloe was going to be fine,
and it seemed like Marissa had finally seen Kate for what she really was – a
manipulative bitch. So what if Kate and Jill hated her? At least she had some
real friends, including a wickedly hot boyfriend in Frost.

* * *

On the second day of
Anastasia’s suspension, she’d begun to work at the library. She had reasoned it
was easier to accept the job and keep her grandfather somewhat content than it
was to refuse and start yet another argument. In truth, she wasn’t wholly
opposed to the idea anyway. She hated staying home all day, by herself and with
nothing to do but rehash bad memories. Besides, she could really use the cash.

Cedar Falls Library
wasn’t the old, musty place that Anastasia had imagined it would’ve become. In
fact, it had recently undergone a makeover and was as nice, albeit not as big,
as any library in Toronto. The shelves were stocked full of a wide range of
books, and there were a few new computers. There was even a small separate
study room, although Anastasia suspected that it didn’t get used often.

As for the staff, there
were two full-timers, her grandmother and Mrs. Davenport, as well as four other
part-timers. Anastasia was mainly being trained by Mrs. Davenport, who was
patient, friendly and very much an advocate for literacy. Overall, she was
learning quickly, and her time there was mostly positive.

On this particular
night, Anastasia and her grandmother were alone in the library, preparing to
close early because of the monthly town meeting which would start in just over
an hour. Right now, they were busy making sure all the books were properly
shelved. This was Anastasia’s favorite part of her job because everything was
so quiet and it gave her a chance to browse the books. There were so many
titles that she wanted to read – although she hadn’t done that recreationally
for years. It seemed as if a part of the old Anastasia was starting to
resurface, and that felt so good.

“Can you flip the sign
on the door to closed?” Mrs. Lockhart called to Anastasia as she started to
turn off the computers.

Lost in thought about a
paranormal romance book that she desperately wanted to read, Anastasia
approached the door. She’d just turned over the sign when a figure appeared on
the other side. Startled, Anastasia let out a loud gasp, her heartbeat
quickening as the late night visitor opened the door and stepped inside.

“Hi, Anastasia,”
Marissa said shyly as she pulled down the hood which had been covering a large
portion of her face.

“Is everything okay?”
Mrs. Lockhart asked, while hurrying to Anastasia’s side.

“I hope so,” Marissa spoke
quickly, retrieving a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates and then offering
them to Anastasia. “I know this can’t even begin to make up for all the things
that I’ve done, but it is a peace offering because I am
so
sorry.”

Anastasia suddenly felt
embarrassed by her over-the-top reaction to Marissa’s arrival, even though it
was unexpected. “Can we have a moment alone?” she asked her grandmother, who
nodded in understanding.

“Don’t tell me you’re
lactose intolerant,” Marissa joked, although her laughter came out nervously.

Finally taking the
chocolates, Anastasia said graciously, “You really didn’t have to.”

“I’m so sorry,” Marissa
repeated abruptly, becoming very emotional.

From the way her lips
quivered to her teary eyes, Anastasia guessed that this was the beginning of
the hysterics which Chloe had so generously warned her about. As Marissa
continued, she realized that her assumption was dead on.

“I know what I did was
wrong, and I don’t even know why I did it. Supporting Kate in all her lies was
horrible. I didn’t even recognize the person I was becoming. I was weak, scared
and oh so wrong.”

“Calm down,” Anastasia
advised, concerned that Marissa would actually start to hyperventilate.
“Although I can’t deny that I’m still kind of pissed, I will be able to get
over it sooner rather than later.”

“That’s all I’m asking
for,” Marissa readily jumped at the opportunity to get their friendship back on
track.

“It helps that you told
Principal Keith the truth,” Anastasia added. “Thanks.”

“You have no reason to
thank me,” Marissa said as she hugged Anastasia. “I was only trying to right
one of my many wrongs.”

“Sorry to interrupt,
girls,” Mrs. Lockhart said, while approaching them, “but I have to lock up now.
Do you need a ride home, Marissa?”

“No, I have my car.”
She then turned to Anastasia. “We’ll talk soon, right?”

“Sure,” Anastasia
replied with a smile.

After Marissa left and
Anastasia’s grandmother closed the library, they headed home. With the waning
moon still somewhat bright, Anastasia looked upon the woods. They were
beautiful at night – from the safety of a moving car, of course. However, she
experienced a weird sensation, as if someone or something was watching her.
Chalking it up to mere paranoia stemming from that horrifying night in the
woods, Anastasia averted her eyes to the road ahead. She was actually proud of
herself for not having any other post-traumatic stress symptoms, and she wanted
to keep it that way.

Their house soon came
into view, and as Anastasia and her grandmother exited the car and then headed
inside, they discussed what work would need to be done at the library tomorrow.
Unfortunately, their conversation quickly came to a stop when they saw her
grandfather pacing angrily in the living room. Notably, the love notes which
Frost had written for Anastasia, along with the dried blue rose, were placed on
the coffee table.

“Is that another gift
from lover boy?” Mr. Lockhart asked harshly, while pointing toward the box of
chocolates. “You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady.”

Anastasia felt her face
burn with embarrassment. She couldn’t believe that her grandfather had read
such personal notes. Anger rapidly set in as she realized how he had retrieved
them in the first place; he must have snooped throughout her entire bedroom
because she’d made sure that those notes were
very
well-hidden.

Looking confused, Mrs.
Lockhart picked up a single piece of paper. She read some of it before
hurriedly placing it back on the table. “Oh, Fredrick,” she said to her
husband, “how could you?”

“Don’t turn this around
on me,” he raised his voice. “I had to find out from the principal that a
teacher is accused of dating our granddaughter. Can you blame me for wondering
what else she’s been keeping from me? And I was right,” he added, while
thumping his fist upon the coffee table, “she’s seeing Frost behind our backs.”

“Frost and I haven’t
done anything wrong,” Anastasia protested, “but going through my stuff
definitely is!”

“Although you may not
believe it now, I
am
doing what’s best for you.”

“No, you’re not!”
Anastasia cried. “Frost is the most kind, caring and amazing guy I’ve ever met
– I’d never leave him.”

“Enough!” Mrs. Lockhart
exclaimed before Mr. Lockhart could snap back. She turned to Anastasia. “You
shouldn’t have kept your relationship with Frost a secret. We need to know that
you’re being honest with us. That’s all I ask of you.” She then faced her
husband. “You had no right to snoop through Anastasia’s personal belongings.
I’m sure you’ve lost a little bit of her trust tonight.”

“Make that a lot of
trust,” Anastasia mumbled.

“Anastasia is allowed
to see Frost, if she so wishes,” Mrs. Lockhart continued. “However, there are
to be no more secrets. If this family is going to work, we need to talk openly
with one another. Is everyone in agreement?”

Neither Anastasia nor
her grandfather said a word. Instead, they both nodded.

“Good,” Mrs. Lockhart
commented as she began to leave the living room. “Now get ready for the
meeting, Fredrick. I don’t want to be late.”