“Damn,” he says. “You’re going to give me a heart attack, Brooke.”
He leans in to kiss me, but before he can, we hear Josh’s footsteps racing towards us. He pulls away just as Josh bounds into the foyer. Josh points a finger at Tim.
“You’re my mom’s boyfriend,” he announces.
Tim looks at me with his eyebrows raised, and I nod. “He asked,” I explain. Then I add, “He thinks you’re cool.”
“Wow, Josh, I’m honored.” He places a palm on his chest. “That might be the first time anyone has called me cool in my entire life.”
Josh giggles. Tim reaches over and takes my hand in his. I don’t know if we want to be super affectionate in front of Josh, but I think holding hands is okay.
“So,” Tim says, “I’ve got your birthday present in my pocket. Do you want it now or later?”
I wink at him. “Immediate gratification, please.”
“Some things never change.
Josh doesn’t seem interested in a present that isn’t for him, so he goes back to playing Nintendo while Tim and I head out to the kitchen table. I sit down next to him, and he reaches into his jacket pocket to pull out a blue rectangular box that is clearly jewelry.
“I hope you didn’t spend too much,” I blurt out. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but Tim can’t be raking it in at the elementary school. I don’t want him to spend tons of money on me.
“You’re worth it.” He lays his hand on top of mine as he looks into my eyes. “But no, I didn’t spend a fortune. It’s something special—I think you’ll really like it.”
“I know I will.”
Tim used to be so thoughtful about getting presents. I’m sure whatever he got me is going to be wonderful. I gently pry the lid off the box—a gold necklace is nestled inside, resting on a little square of cotton. I pick up the necklace, holding it up until I can see the charm hanging off the gold chain.
It’s a snowflake.
I drop the necklace like it’s made of acid. I think I’m going to be sick. It’s the same kind of snowflake necklace that I used to wear years ago. The same kind of snowflake necklace that Shane tried to strangle me with a decade earlier.
I jump up from the table so quickly that the chair wobbles on its legs. I feel a tightening in my throat. That necklace. It looks so much like the one I used to wear.
Tim jumps out of his own seat. “Brooke? What’s wrong?”
“Why would you get me that?” I shriek.
“I… I don’t understand.” He wrinkles his forehead. “It’s the same kind of necklace that I got you for your tenth birthday. I haven’t seen you wear it, so I figured you lost it. I saw this one at the town flea market last month, so I—”
“Shane tried to strangle me with that necklace!”
Tim looks baffled. “He did? I thought he tried to do it with his… with his hands…”
My breaths are coming fast. Too fast. “No, he used my necklace. That necklace!”
“I’m so sorry, Brooke. I didn’t realize—”
He reaches out to put his arm around me, but I jerk away. Instead, I sprint in the direction of the bathroom, and before he can reach me, I slam the door shut. And lock it. I need a moment to collect myself.
When I’m alone in the bathroom, I stare at myself in the vanity mirror. I put on makeup for our date tonight, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at me now. My face is about the same color as a sheet of paper, and the purple circles under my eyes are as visible as ever.