Read Online 13 Drops of Blood by James Roy Daley - Free Book Online

cemetery at the same time. A double funeral at noon, two separate wakes shortly after. Jennifer hosted one; Steven Wendelle’s parents hosted the other. For Jennifer, the last of her guests didn’t leave until almost seven. And when they did, Jennifer and Kate found themselves sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded with food and beverages. The refrigerator had already been filled to capacity; the countertops were equally loaded. Jennifer was grateful for the generosity of her friends and family, but what she was supposed to do with so many provisions was beyond her.
    Kate said, “I’d like to stay with you, if that’s alright.”
    Jennifer was drinking rum and coke, unlike Kate who was drinking gin. Alcohol wasn’t something they indulged in often due to the negative influence it had on their childhood. But here, now, it was just what the doctor ordered.
Jennifer took a drink, then said, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. Honest I will. You should be home with Mike, not here with me.”
Mike was Kate’s husband. They had been married four years.
Kate, who was looking a little tired, said, “Actually, no. I don’t think so. I want to stay here. Do you mind?”
“Why? Is everything alright?”
    Eyes fixed on the table, Kate fought against a faltering voice. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and said, “I’m not offering charity, I’m asking for a favor.” She looked up, expecting her sister to press for details. When it didn’t happen she reluctantly explained her situation. “Mike and I are finished. He’s been cheating on me, and we’ve been fighting, and our fights have been getting physical.”
    Jennifer was shocked. “He’s beating you?”
    “Not exactly.” Kate shrugged. She took a drink. Ice cubes clinked inside the glass, accentuating the silence of the room. “To be honest, we’ve been beating on each other. He never hit me first, but he hit me a few times after I hit him. And I have hit him. Hard . And he deserved it. But I can’t do this any longer. I can’t sit in the house alone, wondering when he’s coming home, or if he’s coming home. I’ve been following him around at night and he’s been… oh, God. It’s so bad. Everything is so screwed up.” Kate swallowed back a sob, before saying, “If Richard was still, well… you know… alive (the word came out in a whisper), I wouldn’t ask. I’d probably just deal with my problems until Mike kicked me out or moved out himself. But if you’re going to be here alone, and I’m going to be there alone––crying, or fighting with my asshole husband, well…” A tear rolled down her face. “I want to be here with you. I’m asking if I can stay.”
    Jennifer took Kate by the hand. Nobody would call her selfish at a time like this, but somehow, that’s how she felt. She had been so caught up in her own life that she failed to glimpse into her sister’s. Kate’s world had been falling apart for however long and she didn’t even realize it. It was shameful, really. And yes, it was selfish. Worst of all, Kate was more than just family; she was Jennifer’s truest friend.
Voice miserable, Jennifer said, “Of course you can stay with me. Oh, hon. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.
“This sucks, doesn’t it?”
Kate wiped a tear from her face using the palm of her hand. “It sure does.”
    They cried and drank and talked for hours. Later they watched Legally Blonde . Much like the alcohol, an hour and a half of Elle Woods seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Kate stayed the night. The next day she went home and packed her bags. And three months later, when Richard showed up at the door, dressed in the suit he was buried in, it was Kate that let him inside.
     
    * * *
     
    Kate was living with Jennifer full time now, and her relationship with Mike was officially over. They talked on the phone. They went out for coffee. They slept together one final night and it was during sex that Kate discovered her love for the man