CAMBRIA

TWENTY-FIVE

The week before Natalia started school, Cambria did not see or hear from Jackson at all, and it saddened her greatly.

Since the abortion, they had spoken on the phone every night before bed, even falling asleep while still on the line. Then, radio silence.

She had enjoyed spending time with Hailey and Mara when Jackson wasn't in her life, but ever since he had returned, nothing else could compare. Plus, Hailey started seeing someone from work. So much for being single together.

A few weeks into the new year, Cambria's grandmother died. They had never been close, but the loss gutted her, nonetheless. The funeral was to take place the following week. It was during this time that Jackson came out of his hiatus. She beckoned him to her house and together, they began looking into flights to Connecticut.

"Come with me," she said to him.
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Natalia would kill me."
This displeased her. "I don't care."
Jackson contemplated it. "You're putting me in a really tough position."
"You've never been to the East Coast. It will be a good opportunity to travel."
"Your grandma just died."
"You can come to the funeral."
"Will your parents care?"
"My parents love you. Please?"
"Ugghhh."
"Jacksonnnnn."
"Okay. Fine."
"Actually!?"
"If I die for this..."
"I'll throw you the best funeral."

Two days later, they boarded a flight to JFK. Jackson wanted to see the Empire State Building, so she promised him this after the funeral.

Cambria's parents picked them up from the airport. They were familiar enough with who Jackson was through the stories Cambria had told them, and they seemed to like him even more once meeting him.

She gave him a tour of her hometown, much like he did for her when she first arrived in Pine Hills. And then the next day was the funeral.

Everyone came back to Cambria's parent's house afterward for the reception. When Cambria's social battery had run dry, they snuck away to her childhood bedroom and crawled out to the roof through her window.

Jackson sat next to her eating coffee cake off a paper plate. She leaned over and took a bite off his fork before chasing it down with wine.

"Today was a lot," she said.
"Yeah."
"I want to go home."
"You are home."
"No. Pine Hills."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Silence.
"I feel neglected," she said.
"By whom?"
"You."
He looked at her peculiarly. "How?"
"When you're with Natalia, it's like I don't even exist."
"You do know she hates you, right?"
Cambria didn't respond.
"What do you expect me to do? Call you every hour?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"I don't know."
"I think you're overreacting. And being unrealistic."
"Is it so wrong of me to feel hurt by something?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"Yeah. But it's like whenever we're together, we're living on borrowed time. Stolen time. I don't know. Even this feels like it's going to run out soon. It always does."
He didn't know how to respond to that. "I don't know what you want from me."
"Neither do I."

Cambria thought back to a moment before the funeral, when she was in the bathroom getting ready. She called Jackson in to zip up the back of her dress. Then, she handed him her grandmother's necklace.