Just Rose

Chapter Sixteen

Max came inside after about ten minutes. "Kiana's upset, but she promised not to tell anyone," he informed Josh and I. "Although you really should have told her. She's really hurt."

"I was going to!" I protested. "I mean, eventually. I didn't even plan on telling Sarah originally, and of course Josh knew, so I didn't tell him at all, and you knew only because I was living at your house and you knew I wasn't your cousin. It's not like I was announcing it to the entire world but keeping it secret from Kiana!"

"Well, it sure seemed that way to her. Have you talked to Sarah?" Max asked.

"No, but she wouldn't tell, would she? She might tell about you and Kiana, I guess, but not about my past. She already knew about that."

"She announced it to everyone in the kitchen," Josh pointed out. "Who's to say she won't run to the police and tell them?"

"She's in one of her crazy redhead moments," Max explained. "Last time I saw her this upset, she refused to talk to anyone- even Kiana- for two weeks. She was just completely silent: at school, at work, at home..."

"I need to call her," I said, pulling out my phone. "She might-"

"Who might?" asked Yvonne, shaking water droplets out of her hair as she walked in the back door. "No phones on during your shift, you know that is the rule. Lo siento," she said, taking my phone out of my hand. "Móvil después del trabajo." No cell phones allowed until after work. This was one of the downsides of working with Yvonne. She was a rule-follower. If she and Alonzo were both gone we could do almost anything, but once she walked in it was all about the customers and the rules.

"But Yvonne, it's Sarah! She found out that Max and Kiana were dating and then she was super upset and announced to everyone in the kitchen about my... past, and then stormed out. I'm scared she might tell other people, too!"

"Then use the kitchen phone," Yvonne said, moving some crates off the counter to reveal a reciever hanging on the wall. "No es un móvil, por lo que se puede usarlo."

I didn't understand why I couldn't just use my own phone, but if it made Yvonne feel better then I would use the kitchen phone. "Gracias." I copied the number out of my contacts onto the keypad of the phone and held it to my ear anxiously. The bell over the front entrance rang and Yvonne gestured to Josh to go greet the customers.

The phone rang four, five, six times, and I went to voice mail. "Hi, Sarah? Call me back if you can. Thanks."

"¿Hizo ella no contestó?"

"Inglés, por favor," Josh interrupted, returning to the kitchen and handing Yvonne the sheet with the order on it. She started cooking immediately.

"No," I responded to Yvonne, " she didn't answer. I'll call her again later."

"You may want to send someone to talk to her. She's probably at home. Maybe send Max to see if he can talk to her," Yvonne suggested.

"No! No, I don't think we should," I said. "That might only make things worse."

"Cinnamon, por favor!" Yvonne requested.

"Why would that make things worse?" Max asked, opening the cupboard and handing the cinnamon to Yvonne.

"Because, um, you knew about your relationship and you didn't tell her either. She's pretty mad at all of us right now. I can't think of anyone who didn't know other than her."

"But we're close, and I doubt she could be as mad at me as she is at Kiana," Max insisted. "I'll go. My shift ended when you guys walked in, anyways."