by Adriana Peck
“I don’t remember you being as funny last time you were in here,” he chortles. “What, the marines finally loosen you up for once? Because I think you’re still as wound-up as ever.”
I shrug again. “Two tours in Afghanistan must’ve given me a nutty sense of humor,” I reply.
Chief Hill just shakes his head. “Shame. Any other context, I’d be thanking you for your service. Now you’re just giving our military heroes a bad name. Shame on you, Jake.”
“They’re better off without me anyways.”
“Yeah, same as everyone else,” Chief Hill mutters.
“You came to tell me anything? Or are you just here to pour salt in my wounds?”
Chief Hill blows air from his nose, clearly thinking I’m a joke. “Sure, I got news for you. Your bail’s been posted. You’re outta here.”
He reaches into his keyring, unlocks my cell door to my compete and utter surprise.
“You’re shitting me,” I say, still sitting on the cell bench. If Chief Hill’s pulling my leg, I’ll go ballistic.
But the Chief shakes his head. He turns, faces the door he came in through, waves a hand.
I hear the door open, close as another set of footsteps approach my cell.
My brother Chance steps into the cell doorway, a look of disdain spread across his face as his arms cross over his usual dark-green scrubs.
And now I feel sick to my stomach.
Chance shakes his head, looks down at the floor.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same. Huh, brother?”
I just shrug.
“Coming or not?”
I pause, wondering if I’ll be better off just staying in the cell. Away from Chance’s judgement. Away from the curious eyes of Twin Orchards.
Away from the heartbreak I know I’ll feel when I see Nancy again.
I look up, and my brother’s gaze meets mine.
My brother, the doctor. The perfect one, the one Mom and Dad always favored. The one Jay spent the most time with before he skipped town for good. The one who everyone loves. The rich one.
I sigh. I stand up, following my brother in shame as Chief Hill closes the empty cell door behind me.
◆◆◆
“You know, that was real fucking stupid of you to do. Back there. Starting fights like you’re still a kid on the fucking playground,” Chance mutters as I get into the front seat of his sports car. He presses the start engine button, the motor fires up cleanly and silently. Any other day, I’d be giddy to ride in a cruiser as sleek as this. But now I feel like shit, and I know it’s nobody’s fault by my own.
“I know, Chance,” I mutter.
My brother pulls out of the police station’s parking lot, the road devoid of traffic as far as the eye can see. Guess I sent the town running after my fiasco. Good for them.
“What were you thinking, bro? I mean, really. You know that guy was gonna press charges?”
“What, something stopped him?”
“I fixed him up in the ER, pro bono. He agreed to drop the charges after I waved his bill. Paid for it out of pocket. For your mistake.”
I sigh, defeated. “Thanks, Chance.”
“Bailing your ass out twice today. You owe me, Jake. Big time.”
“I know.”
“That was a real shitty thing for you to do to me.”
Around us, Main Street fades into a small forest as Chance starts the long drive back home. I’m not looking forward to being stuck in a car with my brother, and I face my shame-head on as I turn to face Chance.
“You mind stopping somewhere? I need to go get my truck,” I tell my brother.
He just scoffs. “You can go get it yourself. I’m going home, and you’re stuck with me. I’m not doing you any more favors today.”
Whatever.
“I’ll go get my car from Nora’s later, I guess.”
“I don’t give a shit what you do anymore.”
“Except for when you can bail me out, right?” I look at my brother accusingly. “Face it. You’re glad I’m such a fuck-up. I make you look oh-so good when you can swoop in and save the day with your bundles of doctor cash. You can pretend to be all upset that Jay’s gone, you can lament your fuck-up younger brother, too. No wonder everybody likes you. No wonder everybody thinks you’re just a saint.”
Chance slams on the brakes, and the car comes a grinding halt.
“What? Was it something I said?”
Chance nods. “Uh-huh. Get out.”
I look around us, the car’s still on the dirt path just outside of town. I know the way back from here, I’ll be more than fine on my own.
I shrug. “Fine by me.”
Without another word or a second glance at my brother, I get out of the car and slam the door as hard as I can behind me.
Chance slams on the gas, peeling away as fast as he can. Dirt kicks up, rocks fly around from under his wheels, sailing and hitting me on the shin as I step back from the road. So much for patching things up, so much for brotherly love. Bailing me out is one thing, but if Chance expects me to lay down and take his abuse on the chin he’s got another thing coming.
I take a deep breath.
I guess I can go get my car now.
I start the long walk back to Main Street, heading to Nora’s Cafe where I hope my truck’s still parked.
I feel my keys in my pocket, my wallet, my phone. It’s all I’ve got now, and I’m almost positive that Chance and my parents aren’t going to let me stay in the house rent-free anymore after my little stunt today. Like I cared in the first place. I still have some of my Marines check leftover, I can survive on my own.
And I’m getting out of here as soon as I possibly can.
The sun sets over the tree-line behind me as I reach the edge of Main Street. I’ve still got a quarter of a mile or so before I reach the café, and I pull out my phone to check the time.
Four twenty-nine.
Nancy might still be at work.
I sigh, bracing myself for the inevitable as I continue my long walk back to Nora’s.
Fifteen
Nancy
I just want today to be over. Seriously. I’ve got two days off coming up; tomorrow and the day after that are all mine. I won’t be called into work, I’m not going to do anything for anyone. I deserve me time. I deserve a break after all this madness going on this past week.
Jake or no, I feel like I’ve been suffering whiplash from this town’s eagerness for gossip. And I’m sick of it beyond belief.
I’ve done everything I can to get Jake out of my head, but the customers and Nora won’t let me forget about him. Everyone who knows anyone coming in has to ask me if Jake and I are an item. And even more people ask me if I’ve heard the news from the grocery store, that Jake’s been arrested after not having been back in town for a month.
I try to shrug it off, but I can’t stop thinking about him. Even when I try to stare out the window for a moment’s relief, I still see his rusted-red pickup truck parked next to my little sedan. I even consider moving my car at one point just to stop the flow of rumors coming in and out of the café, but I know it’ll be useless. Anything I try to do just gets shot down. The whole town’s talking about me and Jake now, and the news of his incarceration’s going to spread like wildfire if it hasn’t already.
I just don’t know what to do anymore.
As the sun starts to set over the tree-line just past Main Street, I can feel my bones aching after a long week of work. I’m exhausted, and all I possibly want to do is go home and forget about the world for just a few short days.
When I look up at the clock, see that it’s almost five o’clock, I check in with Nora to see if she’s got anything else she’d like me to take care of before my weekend starts.
“No, Nancy, you’re fine,” she says. “Tell Jake I say hello if you see him,” she calls after me playfully as I gather my things to leave. I don’t bother coming up with a retort, and I scurry out of the caf
é as quick as I can. I know Nora has it out for Jake, I’m not going to give her anything to work with if all she’s going to do is ridicule us.
The walk to my car is short and sweet, and I feel a sigh of relief coming on as I grab the handle to my car. I pull the door open, about to get inside.
I stop in my tracks when a familiar voice calls out from the other end of the parking lot.
“Nancy?”
I look up, and I know who it is before I see his face.
It’s Jake. He’s still wearing that grey hoodie from the video. There’s a splatter of blood running across his chest, and I watch as he lowers the hood. His face is bruised, the guy in the suit definitely got a few good hits in on him.
“Jake? What are you doing here?” I ask. I remain frozen in place, Jake does too. We stare at each other from opposite ends of the parking lot as my car door hangs open, suspended in place.
He motions behind me. “Came to get my truck.”
“So you left it here, then.”
“Yeah. I had other plans for today. Guess you heard I took a detour.”
I sigh. I knew this was coming, and I’m almost too tired for this conversation right now.
“Someone took a video of you in the grocery store. It went online before you were even arrested. I ran over to find Chief Hill taking you away. It was scary, Jake. I’m worried about you.”
I see Jake lowering his head, I can hear a soft grown coming from his end of the parking lot. I know he’s distraught, but I need answers. Especially after just how shitty today was.
“That all you came to do, then? Come to get your truck?” I call out to Jake.
“I came to see you too, if you weren’t planning on running away scared.”
I take a look at my sedan, the door’s still open in my hand. I close the car door, taking a step out into the parking lot to face Jake head-on.
“I’m not running away, no. But I should tell you I am a little scared.”
Jake doesn’t move toward me, instead, he remains standing in the middle of the lot across from me.
“I promise you, Nancy. I’ll never hurt you. Not as long as I live and breathe.”
“I know, Jake. I don’t doubt that. I saw the guy you beat up today.”
“Yeah?”
“He called me a skank. So I sorta get it.”
“Sorta?”
“I don’t date guys who get into fights,” I tell Jake. “That’s something about me you should know.”
“I didn’t get into one. I punched that guy for calling you names. Then he retaliated, and I defended myself. If anything, I started it.”
“That’s all the same to me. Someone got it on video. The whole town’s seen you wailing on that guy.”
“Well, I don’t care, Nancy. I don’t care what they think anymore. Everybody’s always called me a fuck-up. They all said I’m no good, they probably told you the same. Well, I’m starting to think maybe they were right.”
I feel a twinge of sadness breaking my heart in two.
Jake’s looking down at the ground, I know he’s ashamed. I can feel it from here. I know he didn’t mean to start that fight. Deep down, I know it’s true. I know whatever Jake and I had together is still salvageable. But he’s waiting for me to make the first move.
So I take it.
I take the first step toward Jake. He doesn’t take a step toward me, though, and he remains planted where he stands.
“They’re saying stuff about me, too,” I tell him. “I’ve been forced to listen to it all day. Answer their questions. I’m sick of it.”
He takes one step toward me now.
“Makes you want to up and leave, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. A little.”
We both take a step toward each other. We’re about five parking spaces between us, the distance closing as Jake and I slowly inch back together.
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” Jake says.
“It’s not your fault. That guy was a jerk. Really. If anything, it’s everyone else in town who owes you an apology.”
“Owes us an apology.”
We both take another step forward.
I want to tell Jake so much, I want to ask him so many questions. But for now, I know I just want to be around him again.
“I have a few days off work here,” I tell him. We’re only five, six feet apart, tops, and I don’t have to raise my voice anymore for him to hear. “These next two days. I don’t know if you’re—”
“Chance paid my bail, and that asswad dropped all the charges against me. I don’t need to stick around here a minute longer than I want to.”
Another step.
“Would you want to come with me, then?” he asks.
“Where?”
“Anywhere but here. Even if it’s just for a few days.”
I pause. “You’re asking me to skip town with you?”
Jake grins, and I can see the sparkle in those deep brown eyes from here. “I’d like that, yeah,” he says.
I smile, taking a moment to think things over. I know it’s a lot to ask, but Jake’s too irresistible to pass up. And I’ve been eager for more time with him after our session at my place.
“I’d like that, too,” I reply.
Another step. We’re just inches apart now, standing together in the café’s parking lot. I can feel his body heat from here, I can feel his hot breath on me.
Jake nods at the café. “You know, anyone who’s in there can see us together,” he says innocuously.
“I don’t really care.”
He looks back at me, grinning. I feel my legs turn to jelly, my brain short-circuits as his caramel-colored eyes lock onto me. I know what I want, I just need to take the leap of faith.
I lean forward and kiss him. Quick, soft, just a peck on the lips. I shrink back, recoiling the second I finish, terrified that I’ve overstepped some boundary between Jake and I.
But he doesn’t care at all.
When I shrink back, he just keeps on grinning. “I was wondering if you were going to do that,” he says.
“I just needed to know if things were still good between us,” I reply.
He cracks another smile, shooting me a wink. “When’d you say you had those days off again?”
“Tomorrow. And the next day.”
“You wanna go for a drive?”
I nod. I’ve never been more eager to get out of town than I am right now.
“Then let’s go,” he says casually.
Jake leans down, kissing me again as I feel my whole world spinning. He pulls back, that same cocky smile of his splashed across his face as he walks past me and gets in his truck.
I follow after him, curiously excited to see what he’s got in store for us. I get in his passenger seat, closing the door behind me as the uncertain night stretches out before us.
Sixteen
Nancy
Jake and I drive for a few hours out of town, cruising down the highway aimlessly with the windows rolled down. We don’t have a destination in mind, and I’m almost certain we’re going to end up heading back to Twin Orchards if we don’t find something out here. There’s not a hotel, a motel, or even a neighboring town out this way. All that’s out here are trees and roads, endlessly stretching out into the distance. No cars. No wildlife, no streetlights.
Just us, the truck, and the road.
I’m glad we finally got to be alone. Away from all the prying eyes around town, away from the endless gossip shared in restaurants and on sidewalks. I’m sick of all it of, to be perfectly honest. And I’ve never been more excited to get out of town, even if it’s for a few hours.
It’s easier with him, though.
I glance over at Jake, who’s staring straight ahead, his grey hoodie still rough from the fight earlier today. I check my clock, I can see it’s well after midnight. We’ve been driving for a while now, there’s no doubt Nora’s closed up the café for the evening—
I suddenly snap to attenti
on, sitting up in my seat. Oh, God. Oh, shit.
“Everything alright?” Jake asks me, his voice laced with a definite sound of worry.
“We have to head back to town,” I say suddenly. I can’t believe I’d forget something as stupid as this.
“What’s up?” he keeps his hands glued to the steering wheel, the road stretching endlessly ahead as Jake looks back between me and the road.
I sigh, my breath already shaking with anxiety. “I left my car in Nora’s parking lot.”
“And?”
“I guarantee you Nora saw us getting into your truck together, just like you noted. And she probably saw my car still sitting out there by the time everyone’d gone.”
“I’m confused.”
“Jake, my car staying out there’s a sign to everyone that we’re out here, together. The rumors are only going to get worse. I’m sick of all the harassment, I’m exhausted from all the gossip. I thought you were, too, that’s why you wanted to leave.”
“I thought you said you didn’t care about that stuff.”
I sigh. I don’t, but at the same time, I know going back to work the next week is going to suck even harder if my car’s still there overnight. People are going to ask even more questions about Jake and I now. They’re going to ask who’s place we stayed at, et cetera, et cetera. And I don’t want to put up with it for a single moment. Not when Jake and I are finally starting to figure things out between us.
“I don’t care about the rumors, I’m just tired of them. I’m the one out there handling the customers all day, dealing with the gossip they ask me point-blank. It’s exhausting. If I can prevent even a single annoying question, I’m going to take it. I’m sorry.”
“You wanna head back, then?”
I sigh for a second time. “Yeah, I guess so. I’m sorry, Jake. I really was looking forward to skipping town with you, even if it was for a few days. Even if it ended up being fruitless.”
He brings the truck to a gentle stop, looking around us to make sure there still aren’t any other cars on the road. When we see we’re in the clear, Jake slowly moves his truck to the opposite lane heading back to Twin Orchards.
“One heck of a vacation,” he chuckles.