Girls Who Wear Glasses by Jennifer Inglis

Author:Jennifer Inglis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Published: 2020-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

They drove back to the house in silence. Rachel leaned her head against the headrest, the late autumn foliage rushing by in a blur. She was lulled into a waking coma, hovering in the place between consciousness and daydream, and wanted to occupy neither. She closed her eyes to block out the trees and the rain and the passing cars. She breathed deeply, inhaling the remnants of the spa treatment—lavender, peach, rose and something that smelled like cake frosting—which intermingled with the pine car freshener that hung on the door handle of the rental. It was an odd combination, as if the cast of Steel Magnolias decided to have a picnic in the forest.

Rachel was glad to be out of the spa. She was sure the final technician had been surprised to find her covered in tears and lumps of wax, holding on to Brennan for dear life. She followed him out of there glassy-eyed, but aware of the worried stares of the incoming clients.

“She got the Brazilian,” he told one woman, who was regarding them with pursed lips. “First time. She’s a little out of sorts.”

Rachel hadn’t spoken a word since she scraped the paraffin off her hands. Not because of the staff at the spa, or the onlookers, or even Brennan. It was because going beyond her own self-imposed façade was too much to bear. She had lowered her wall, just a bit and just for a moment, and it had caved in on her.

She hadn’t even had the chance to admire the view before it crumbled like one of those dry, overly sweet granola bars the next-door neighbor always gave out at Halloween in her childhood memories. Her tongue felt two sizes too big for her mouth, and she didn’t want to open her eyes, even after they arrived back at the house and Brennan shut off the ignition.

“Are you ready to go in?” He rubbed her arm.

She opened her eyes slowly and gripped the door handle. “I’m fine. I had a moment back there, but everything is fine.”

“I’ll get the door.” He exited the driver’s side.

His footfalls crunched on the gravel, and the brisk rush of air filled her lungs as he opened her door. The cold air was crisp and invigorating, and she breathed in through her nose, letting the chill spread over her face and throat. Brennan took her hand, his leather gloves encircling her wool mittens like a father escorting his tired daughter back home after a busy day.

“You want to eat?” he said.

“No.” She shook her head and stopped walking. “That has never happened to me before. Even at my uncle’s funeral, I went back for seconds.”

“This is different. It’s not like there was a death.”

“Wasn’t there?” She laughed, darkly.

They trudged on, the driveway looking like an airport runway.

“Let’s go in the back,” Brennan said. “Avoid the crowd.”

“Seriously, I’ll be fine. There’s no need to—”

He pulled her hand like a puppy on a leash. They headed around the house, and the grass squeaked with moisture as their boots hit the ground.

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