Wishful Thinking (13 page)

My dreams were getting more intense aggravating my headaches. And there was the issue of Jameson, Lorelei and Chloe. A paternity suit filed on my birthday was nothing more than coincidence, but I couldn’t get those names out of my head. I’d even gone looking for that paper in an attempt to read more but it was gone and there was no way I was stepping into my dad’s office to look for it.
 

Of course there was also the matter of Summer.

Dean stopped by to drop off homework and give me the 411 on what was going on at school. Throughout our conversations Summer didn’t come up once. I rolled over in bed and stared out the window rubbing the scar on the back of my head. It was extremely painful to the touch, but it was a nervous habit I couldn’t shake. Doctor Adams seemed certain I’d had a mild concussion the first time Claudia knocked my lights out, the headaches and dizziness were indicative of that, hitting my head again Monday exacerbated it.
 

Summer being here to comfort me would have been terrific, but I imagined Trevor was doing whatever he could to keep her busy. Worse, for the last two days my dad was hovering, constantly asking if I was okay, offering to do this or that for me. It was awkward and I was glad when his office called. Some case was about to go to shit if he didn’t get in there now and save it. I didn’t want him to leave I just wanted him distracted, but he had to go. And of course I told him it was fine for him to go, because I didn’t want to admit how freaked out I was to stay home alone.
 

Every noise made me jump, to the point my body was aching from the tension. Lucky for us both I was good at hiding my emotions so he’d never discover the fear in my voice, or the worry in my eyes as he left.
 

It wasn’t a surprise my heart stopped when the doorbell rang. Although, my logical side was pretty sure burglars weren’t polite enough to knock, my overactive and frightened side weren’t listening. Instinctively, I grabbed a bat I stored beside my closet. Never would I be caught unarmed again.
 

Claudia stood opposite the peephole scratching the side of her face. Logic was right.
 

“Hey,” she said when I opened the door. She was wearing a purple sweat suit and her hoodie was pulled up over her head.

“Hey.”

“Dean, told me about what happened," she shifted awkwardly on the porch, "hope it’s okay that I just stopped by."

"Want to come in?"

“Sure.”
 

“How you feeling," she asked as I gave her a quick tour of the house.
 

“Bored out of my mind, I think I’ve mentally climbed every wall of this house now."

“I was right about you having a concussion, wasn’t I?” She stopped in the hallway in front of one of only two family photos hanging on the wall with my mother in it and leaned forward. She looked back at me, “You look like your dad.”

“Hey, I thought you said I was handsome,” I said.

She laughed and looked back at the photo, “You are, sort of, but your dad is hot, dang if you turn into that, then I see why Summer keeps you around.”

“Gross, that’s my dad you’re talking about … honestly I don’t even think me looking like my father can save me and Summer,” I said leaning against the wall crossing my arms over my chest.
 

She stepped back and turned to me, “That bad?”

“You’re my only female visitor.”

“Oh, well, I figured she was here with you since she hasn’t been at school the last two days." This was news to me. “So what’s the story?"

“Look me and Summ—"

“Not that stupid, your parents," she pointed back to the photo, “they look sort of awkward together. Your mom’s like a six on her best day and your dad’s like a ten on his worst.”

“Damn, that’s my parents you’re talking about," I said. Regardless of my issues with my mother I didn’t like people talking bad about her in any way.
 

“Sorry, if you saw a picture of my parents you’d say the same thing but in reverse. My dad’s a dog and my mom, she was beyond beautiful.”

“You ever thought about putting a filter in that big mouth of yours?"

“Sorry,” she said. She was blushing, “It’s … sorry I don’t always think.”
 

She stared down at her Uggs and chewed on a nail. She obviously remembered what I’d told her about my mom dying and felt bad. She’d sort of grown on me in the last few days and I didn’t want her to leave. “My mom was kind of a bitch but …” I needed a subject change, “… why do girls dig older guys?"
 

She looked at me again. “You know I was glad when my mom left, her vanity knew no bounds, she cheated on my dad and she knew exactly what to say to make you feel bad about yourself.”

They both needed a subject change. “I was going to watch a movie upstairs, if you’re interested," I pushed off the wall, "I’d like the company."

"Is there popcorn?"

"I don’t know," I said and headed to the kitchen. I scoured the pantry shelves but didn’t find any, "Looks like we’re out."

"What’s that?" she asked pointing to a bottle of popcorn kernels.

I shrugged, "Not microwaveable."

She grabbed the container, “No, it’s better."

Claudia asked where things were and I pointed, resigned to sit at the table and watch her work. She moved around the kitchen as if it were second nature to her, even smiled and hummed as she moved. She added melted butter and salt and shook it all up in a paper bag before dumping it into a bowl. I grabbed some water bottles from the fridge and she carried the bowl and we headed upstairs to the loft to watch a movie.
 

I popped in The Dark Knight and plopped down on the couch next to her. There was no denying how glad I was she was here. She was perfect company, no pressure or worry what she was thinking about, it was like hanging out with Dean in girl form, and she kept my fear at a manageable level.
 

Near the end of the movie Claudia turned to me, “Batman is kind of a jerk.”

“What? If not for Batman Gotham would run amuck with bad guys," I said with more energy and aggression than needed but I couldn’t let a girl rip on a childhood hero of mine like that.
 

“Whoa, sorry I didn’t mean to step on toes, it was just an observation."

“Sorry, old habit," I said.

“Let me guess every Halloween Batman lived here," she said smirking.
 

I rubbed at my neck heat rising to my cheeks. “And other times too.”

“That’s funny, because until I was eleven I was always Cat Woman."

“Is that so? Okay, then tell me why Batman is a jerk?"

“Can you think of a single time where you see him helping the every day citizens, like a single instance where he’s stopping a mugger or helping an old woman cross the street?"

“As Bruce Wayne, he does all kinds of good works, charities, providing funding for research—"

“But he never helps an old woman cross the street."

“Are you serious? Along with all the work he has to do as Bruce Wayne, he also has to deal with Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, there are way too many bad guys keeping him far too busy."

Claudia rolled her eyes, “Oh please, Peter Parker goes to school, works too. And Doc Oc, Venom, Green Goblin, Kingpin, they all keep Spiderman busy and yet you still see instances of him stopping muggers and helping old ladies, especially Aunt May.”

“Yeah, but Spiderman has super powers, Batman doesn’t and he’s still out there getting bad guys without them."

She threw a handful of popcorn in her mouth and started shaking her head, “Batman’s martial art skills could almost be considered super."

"Wrong, I’ve taken martial arts before there is nothing super about it,” I said and took a swig of water to wash down the popcorn. I wiped my mouth. "I can’t believe Mr. Peters put you on the debate team."
 

"Oh, okay I can prove I’m right, right now––"

“Hello,” a deep baritone voice cleared its throat startling us both. I looked up surprised to see my dad (didn’t even hear him come in) and even more surprised to see Summer standing next to him glaring.
 

My dad stared at Claudia like she was some sort of experiment gone wrong. “Who’s your friend?" he asked.
 

“Um, dad this is Claudia, Claudia this is my dad James, Senior.”
 

My dad held up a hand and waved, “Nice to meet you Claudia,” but he continued to stare at her, almost suspicious.
 

“Hey Summer," Claudia said. If she noticed my dad acting rude she didn’t let on.
 

“Hey,” Summer responded an iciness to her tone. Her eyes darted between Claudia and me finally resting on me. I exhaled. I just made my situation with Summer worse and without even doing it on purpose.
 

Of all the days.

“Well, ladies I’m off to make dinner and you’re both invited," my dad said. Was he really that clueless or did he like seeing me in hot water?
 

"I was just leaving," Claudia said.
 

"All right well it was nice meeting you," my dad added.
 

"Thanks for the movie," Claudia said to me. "Hope you feel better. Summer …" Claudia didn’t finish the thought, nodded and headed from the room my dad close on her heel.
 

"Mr. Castle do you need some help with dinner," Summer asked.
 

"Yes, that’d be lovely," dad said over his shoulder.
 

Summer mouthed, "We’ll talk later," and followed my dad downstairs. I plopped back down on the couch.
 

Great.

After we finished dinner dad rushed off to the office to look through some transcripts. Maggie, my dad’s newest paralegal, called at least twenty times a day for something. Yet, dad always seemed to smile even when he was arguing with her on the phone. I’m no expert but I got the feeling something was going on between my dad and Maggie. Since my mom died I hadn’t seen my dad with anyone, six years was a long time to go without release.
 

Anyway, my dad took off leaving me and Summer alone in my room. We had about an hour before he came back. Plenty of time for me to find out whether Summer and I were indeed fighting or if she was over it. I scooted up behind her playing the big spoon. She didn’t rebuff me, however The Vampire Diaries was on.
 

What is it with girls and vampire obsessions? Why would you want a man old enough to be your grandpa, three times over, who wants to suck your blood and gets all glittery in the sun? Seriously, a girl could be as hot as this year’s Playboy models and I still wouldn’t let her suck my blood, gross. And seriously what would you do with him during your time of the month? I shuddered and pushed the thought from my head.
 

I began caressing her thigh. When she didn’t brush my hand away I took it as a good sign. I continued rubbing slowly moving my hand up. When she still didn’t swat at it, I turned her towards me and started kissing her cheeks, her chin and her sexy mouth. She returned my kisses with her own and I figured I was in. My hands started exploring roving up under the soft fabric of her sweater. I started placing kisses along her neck. God I missed her smell.
 

“Do you like her?" Summer asked just as I was placing a kiss at the nape of her neck.
 

“Huh,” I said, nuzzling the line of her collar bone.
 

“Do you like her?" she asked again pulling away from me.
 

“Who?”

“Claudia. Do you like her?”

“She came by to see how I was doing," I responded trying to resettle my lips in the curve of her neck. "She likes Dean."
 

"Did you kiss her?" she asked now moving her neck away and pressing both hands against my chest.
 

I rolled onto my back, "Are you serious?"

"Did you?"

I got up off the bed and walked over to my desk leaning my arms against it trying to plan the best approach to this. “You’re being stupid Claudia and I are friends. Don’t tell me you’re tripping because I hung out with the chick twice."

“Stupid? Then what about all the other stuff," Summer said.
 

"What other stuff?" I asked completely lost.
 

Summer started walking towards me ticking things off on her fingers, "The black eye, debate team, the beach party, her being over here today. When I showed up with your dad you looked so, so—guilty. I want to know … you like her don’t you?"

"She’s a friend, I think if even that.”

"Did you kiss her?"

She did not just go there. “What about you and Trevor huh? Blowing me off to hang out with that douche."

“Trevor?” Her hands were on her hips now and the line of her mouth tightened. "He bothers to ask how my day is."

“That’s what this is about you want me to ask about your day?”

“If only it were that simple.”

“This is bullshit." I slapped my hand down on my desk.
 

“That right there, that’s what I’m talking about. You get all worked up talking about her.”

"I’m mad because you’re accusing me of cheating."

"Forgive me but you don’t have the best track record."
 

“Really! We’re back to that? Don’t put it all on me you played a role too."

"Yeah I know and I regret it, but do you?"

Oh shit she was trying some sort of Jedi mind fuck on me. No matter how I answered her question it was going to be wrong. I sighed. "No," I said. It was the truth. My voice went flat. "I don’t believe this. I would gladly have had you here instead of her, but guess what you weren’t because you’re to busy being mad at me all the time and going out of your way to avoid me."
 

If I were smart I’d have stopped there but when it came to girls my smarts didn’t always stick with me. Today, however, my hurt got the better of me and I wanted to hurt Summer. “She doesn’t avoid me,” I said, “she actually seems to like my company.”
 

As tears pooled at the corner of Summer’s eyes I regretted saying it, but she didn’t let them fall instead her face scrunched up and her brow creased into a line of anger.