Booker.
"I'm so sorry." I hugged Cyrus, saying my condolence. I shook Mr. Ross' hand and walked towards Kaplan. I didn't really know what to say to her. She was refusing to believe anyones apologies or prayers for 'our dear departed Hannah'.
"I'm gonna head ho-" I started but she stopped me.
"No, please stay." She grabbed my hand. "Please." She whispered, looking me directly in the eyes with her intense, hazel brown eyes. I nodded and took my place next to her.
She didn't let go of my hand. I couldn't read the emotion on her face but by the way she was gripping my hand, it seemed like she was terrified of letting go.
"Oh Kaplan," a slightly drunk lady wobbled by. "I am so sorry for Hannah's loss." She grabbed her hand and sipped a bottle of water, which is most likely vodka.
"My mom didn't lose anything- well she lost her life- if that's what you mean?" Kaplan snorted but looked at the small blonde woman.
"I mean her loss." She said, tears forming in her eyes. "She lost the best daughters anyone could ask for." The woman cupped Kaplan's chin and made a duck face while speaking.
"Oh, thank you Miss Christine," she politely waved her goodbye and hugged the next person in line.
"It's all bullshit." She whispered to me.
"What is?" I asked her, also whispering.
"All of this." She didn't look my way, she squeezed my hand tighter though. "These people haven't made any effort to contact anyone in my family for years, and now they care so much to shed a tear when one of us dies."
"Kaplan please." Her dad overheard us. She stayed quiet and looked at her feet.
"Why do you do that?" I asked her before the next person came along and captured her attention.
"Do what?" she lifted her head and looked at me with those piercing brown eyes.
"Block yourself out from thinking someone actually might care about you."
"I do no-" she tries to deny but I interrupted her.
"You do too. All of these people have some sort of pain regarding your mom and how you and Cyrus will grow up. They are concerned for you but you refuse to believe it." I didn't mean it in a bad way, I was genuinely curious.
"If they cared enough, they would have known that my sister and I have already grown up motherless and we are doing fine." She says quietly. "But these chicken shits wouldn't know because they don't care." She looks away and I see her heart nearly stop.
Her eyes widen a bit and she yanks her hand away from mine. Her breathing is ragged and her chest is going up and down at a soft pace but I still can see her heart beating like a rabbits.
I look the way she is and see the Alder family approach us. "Kaplan," Mrs. Alder hugs Kaplan and cries about how much Hannah will be missed. I catch Lexie glare at Kaplan, almost a death glare but Lexie doesn't know how to do it quite right.
"I'm so-" Mr. Alder stops when a younger boy, maybe my age, speaks over him.
"I couldn't find a bathroom." He says with a heavy sigh. He looks to the left and sees Kaplan, trying to not fidget. "Kaplan," he says just like his mom. But he said it a lot more evil. Like venomous. He leans in for a hug and she freezes and lets him hug her.
I can hear faint whispering but I can't catch a word of it. Kaplan's body freezes and he pulls away. "I'm so sorry for your loss." He says trying to hide an evil smirk.
"Thank you for your concern," she says trying to smile, "Jaxx." She finishes, still looking petrified.
Wait.
It all makes sense now. Jaxx was the brother I never met. The brother of the girl I trusted everything with. The girl I brought with me to meet Kaplan at her favorite place. That's why she left so quickly!
Lexie was the connection between Kaplan and Jaxx. She used me, she knew I'd trust her with everything and tell her all of the details of my relationship. She knew I was dating Kaplan, that's why she all of a sudden came back into my life!
This was Jaxx. This was the guy that tried to record him de-flowering my girl. This was the guy that made her life hell and gave me all of the pieces to put back together.
How did I miss this? It's like a giant blur-
THAT'S WHAT SHE DID!
Lexie drugged me the night of the city ball. Organic gum my ass. I bet organic in her dictionary means straight out of a crack house.
"Booker." Kaplan brought me back to reality. "I'm guessing by the long over thinking face, you have figured it out. Wanna take a walk?" She asks, holding out her hand.
I nod and grab her hand, letting her lead me into a new perspective of things.
