She turned just enough so I could see all of Cecily’s face. Pink clothes. Little pink bows in her hair. Chubby cheeks. We were at a good distance but I could still almost pick out every little feature on the baby.
“That bitch is staring,” Aira said. “I can’t take this.”
“Let’s go,” Emma said.
They started to walk and I had no breath or ability to say anything.
I sucked in a breath and Kailey grabbed my hand.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Nova,” Kailey said.
Rory turned and walked Cecily to the stroller. She bent forward in super tight yoga type pants, her shirt pulling up to expose the tattoo on her back.
Fucking target… for Elijah…
My rage started to get to a really high level.
Emma and Aira stopped.
“She’s leaving,” Kailey said.
“She just wanted to get to me,” I said.
“So, don’t let her,” Kailey said.
“Too late,” I said.
Emma looked back at me.
I pointed to her and curled my finger for her to come back toward me.
“I swear,” Aira said, “if I ever see that bitch alone…”
“I’m really sorry, Nova,” Emma said.
“I have a question for you,” I said.
“Ask it,” Emma said.
“Did you bring your baseball bat with you today?”
* * *
“If there’s one good thing that comes from Elijah, it’s this,” I said.
Without hesitation, I swung the baseball bat through the air and smashed it against the side mirror. The mirror popped off easily, smacking against the side of the car as it hung by just a few colorful, strong wires.
“Holy shit, yes,” Emma said. She clapped her hands. “Those bitches won’t know what to think.”
“Wow,” Kailey said. “I… uh… wow…”
I looked at Aira.
She had nothing to say.
The look on her face told a different story. The real story.
I lifted the bat again and swung.
It smacked against the side of the car, leaving a mark and a dent.
I did it two more times.
Kailey slowly approached me. “Hey. Good? Right?”
“No,” I said.
“Wait a second,” Emma said. “If you leave it like this, they won’t know who did it. It’ll drive them crazy. You have to think smart.”
“I’m done with smart,” I said. “I’m done with secrets. I don’t need them wondering who did this. I did it. And the next time they mess with me, I won’t hit a car. Understand?”
They both looked at Aira.
She took the risk by grabbing the top of the bat.
“That’s good enough, Nova,” she said. “I know you’re really pissed off right now. As much as I hate to say this, we should go find something to drink. We can pick a house and a pool and just crash.”
I looked back at Aira. “That sounds good.”
“Yeah?” Aira asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“I’m in on that,” Kailey said.
“I’ll even show up too,” Emma said.
Aira took her hand off the baseball bat.
“But first,” I announced as I swung the bat.
It connected with the driver’s side window and the glass stood no chance.
The window shattered. Hell, it exploded.
The sound was loud and the hit was so hard, it made my hands hurt. I dropped the bat and cursed but then grabbed the bat off the ground again.
All three… Kailey, Emma, and Aira… they were in silence.
They knew what I was doing, and why, and that I wasn’t going to stop until I was done.
To me, it was simple. There were still other windows. Plus the headlights. And the taillights. It wasn’t going to be enough until it was enough.
I brought the baseball bat back again.
I eyed up the back driver’s side window.
Before I could swing the bat, I heard the quick whine of a siren.
A police siren.
“Oh, fuck,” Emma said.
I turned my head and there was a police car waiting at the end of the parking lot.
An officer hurried to get out of his vehicle, pointing right at me.
“Drop the bat,” he ordered.
So, I did.
“You three back up and leave,” I said.
“We can’t,” Aira said. “That’ll make us look guilty.”
“Holy shit, Nova,” Kailey said. “I can’t get arrested. No way. I’ll freak out.”
“You’re not going to get arrested,” I said.
The police officer closed in on us.
I spotted Ashley and Lacy across the street, their phones out, ready to capture what was about to happen.
I slowly nodded.
This was why I needed him here for these things.
Trying to do this kind of stuff without him was stupid.
I turned my head and looked at Aira.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess I’m the one getting arrested.”
* * *
And that’s exactly what happened.
And I actually didn’t mind it.
At all.
Being walked away from the beat-up car with cuffs on my wrists… take all the fucking pictures you want, bitch. Remember what the fuck happens when you fuck with me.
Even when I was put into the back of the police car, I didn’t give a damn. I looked out the window with a scowl on my face. My only regret was that I didn’t have time to keep going. To finish what I started on the car. Which was to leave every fucking window shattered.
As the police car pulled away, I watched as Wes stood with Aira. He looked pretty amazed by what I had done. Aira was on the phone though. I put my head back and shook my head. If I could reach into my pocket right then, I would have bet my cellphone that she was calling Elijah.
To have him come save me.
Save me from what?
This was all his doing.
Elijah had shown up and kicked down the door to my quiet and private life. Anything I needed to keep close, I kept on the inside. That’s how I had been raised to live. And Elijah didn’t just challenge that, he changed it.
What was he going to do now?
Fuck you, Elijah. You did this…
That’s when I finally looked down at myself and replayed it all through my head.
Rory and Cecily on the beach.
If she actually stayed… and Elijah stayed… and they went to the beach as a family…
I didn’t want to cry.
Fuck, I did not want to cry.
But at least I wasn’t near Ashley and Lacy.
They couldn’t get a picture of me having a breakdown in the backseat of a police car.
“Are you okay?” the police officer asked me.
I shook my head. “Not even close."
Chapter 8
Nova
All I could picture was what I saw on TV and in movies. That being some dark and damp looking jail. Where everyone was miserable. And I’d have to get my picture taken, fingerprints done, and then I’d be tossed into a jail cell until… when?
Or the jail cell that looked like a cage where the cops would toss drunk people overnight. Or until someone claimed them.
It all settled into me and I didn’t want that.
When the police officer opened the back door for me, I slid across the seat.
I knew that would only make things worse.
But I didn’t want it.
Any of it.
This. That. Anything.
The police officer crouched down and looked at me.
“Call me Brian,” he said.
“Novalee,” I said.
“Do you know why I got you out of there?”
“I broke that car window with a baseball bat,” I said.
“Right,” he said. “But I also wanted to save you from yourself. Be
cause I had been sitting there the entire time. If you really were some rotten criminal looking to break windows for the hell of it, at the very least you would have looked around to make sure there wasn’t a cop watching.”
He grinned.
I felt two inches tall.
No.
Shorter than that.
I shut my eyes and sighed. “Please…”
“So I’m guessing something happened,” Officer Brian said. “And, yeah, no matter what, breaking some windows isn’t the answer and won’t fix anything.”
“What if I say there was someone in the car that needed help?” I asked.
“Then you’d be lying to a police officer, Novalee,” he said. “How do you think that turns out?”
“I don’t want to go to jail,” I said.
“Before we start talking about your demands, we’re going to address mine,” he said. “First, you’re going to slide over here and get out of the cruiser. Then I’m going to take the cuffs off you. From there, I’m going to offer you something to drink. Coffee. Soda. Water. Okay?”
“Then what?” I asked.
“Then you sit tight until your mother comes to get you.”
“What?”
Officer Brian laughed. “I know who you are, Novalee. I know your mother. You’ll have to deal with her which is probably punishment enough. On top of whatever fines you’ll have. And you’ll have to pay whatever it costs to get that car fixed. Then again, knowing this town, the car will be junked and a brand new one will be put in its place. But that’s not my life. So what do you say, Novalee?”
“Can I call someone?” I asked.
“I already said I was going to call your mother.”
“Not my mother,” I said. “Someone else. Please. I’m freaking out a little. And he - this person - can keep me calm.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” I said, not wanting to get into the saga of Elijah.
Officer Brian nodded. “Okay. Don’t do anything stupid here, Novalee. If there’s one thing I hate worse than dealing with drama like this… it’s paperwork.”
I slid across the seat and got out of the police car.
Officer Brian kept to his word.
On everything.
He led me to a chair next to his desk.
Anyone who saw me had no idea that I was the bad girl. I probably looked like someone there to talk about something that happened to me.
I sipped my bottle of water and waited.
There were two ways this situation could go.
One would be Ashley and Lacy knowing they had it coming. And since they were spoiled, rich cunts, any damage would be swept under the rug. Because big important rich people like many of those in Hidden didn’t want their names and personal lives spread through town.
Or they could take this as far as they wanted it to go. Which would end up with me getting into some serious trouble.
It was important enough to think about and worry about, but my mind was elsewhere.
Lost in a world that nobody could understand.
“Nova?”
When I heard Elijah’s voice, I looked up and there he was.
Walking next to Officer Brian.
My phone call had been a text message.
And Elijah replied that he was already on his way because of Aira.
Elijah bent his knees and looked torn between yelling at me and hugging me.
He touched the arms of the metal chair.
And he just stared at me.
“I’ll give you two a minute,” Officer Brian said.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Elijah asked.
“Doing what I thought you would do,” I said.
I forced a grin.
Elijah lowered his head and sighed. “Fuck.”
“Don’t judge me right now,” I said.
“I’m not,” he said. “I’m so sorry, babe. This is all because of me again. Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
“Why’d you text me?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I mean, shit, Nova, the second you get into trouble, Aira calls me. Then you text me. If you wanted to see me you could have called. You don’t need to go busting windows for attention.”
“What?” I asked.
“Sorry. Bad joke?”
“Horrible joke,” I said.
“I’ll keep that in mind. But seriously, babe, why…”
“There’s nobody else I trust,” I blurted out. “I hate you so much right now, Elijah. Yet I can’t stand the thought of you leaving. And my mind just races and my heart…”
“Okay,” he said. “It’s okay. I’m right here. Right?”
“Yeah. Did I pull away you from something important? From your…”
… your daughter?
Elijah shook his head. “I’m alone. If you want to know, Rory took Cecily to the beach. To… whatever…”
I looked away.
Yeah, Elijah, I know she’s at the beach.
“What can I do right now for you, babe?” Elijah asked.
“Teach me how to do that better,” I said.
“Do what?”
“Trash a car,” I said. “I did it in front of the cop. Like an idiot.”
“Rookie mistake,” he said with a smile. “See? You do need me.”
“Bad joke again, Elijah.”
“I’m not joking, Nova,” he said. “This stuff… it’s all crazy right now. But it’s going to work out. We’re going to figure this all out. I hope you know that.”
I stared at Elijah.
I trusted him.
I trusted him so damn much.
But that wasn’t going to take away what happened.
It wasn’t going to erase my anger.
Because I had nowhere to put my anger.
“Look, I’ll figure this out,” he said. “This you breaking a window thing. I promise those two… you know… they won’t do anything. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Elijah…”
“No, babe,” he said. “They’re going to let this go. And whatever the damage is… or whatever they want to do… just let me take care of this for you. I should have been there with you. I…”
Elijah gritted his teeth and looked away for a second.
“My mother is on her way here,” I said. “She’ll be here any…”
I saw my mother.
Walking side by side with Officer Brian.
My blood cooled off, working its way to ice.
I wondered what would happen if I said something to Officer Brian about the situation at home. I bet a broken car window wouldn’t have mattered so much, huh?
Elijah looked over his shoulder.
He then slowly stood up and leaned toward me, kissing my forehead.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered to me. “If you need anything, let me know. I love you, Nova.” I looked up at him. Our eyes locked. “I swear to you. I love you. It’s all fucked up right now, but that part isn’t.”
Elijah backed away as my mother approached.
She pointed at Elijah. “Were you there? Did you instigate this? Huh?”
“Why did you call her?” Elijah asked Officer Brian. “Nova’s not a kid. She’s an adult. She doesn’t need her mother here to make things worse.”
“Excuse me?” my mother asked. “I’m making things worse? Correct me if I’m wrong but before you showed up, my daughter lived at home. Had a good life. Was happy.”
“Do you really want to talk about what happens in your home?” Elijah asked.
I quickly stood up. “I just want to leave. Okay? If I’m not going to be thrown into a jail cell I want to leave.”
“You’re not going to jail,” my mother said. “If that’s even discussed I will call my lawyers. That’s right, Brian, lawyers. And you know who I mean.”
Officer Brian showed his hands. “I’ve spoken with the other party in the situation and as of now, we’re letting this re
st. It’s not over, but for now it is. I think it’s best if everyone just goes home. Calls it a day. Get some rest. Let tomorrow be a new day.”
“As long as he stays away from Nova,” my mother said, pointing at Elijah.
“I didn’t do anything,” Elijah said with a laugh. “But you-”
“You can’t make me stay away from anyone,” I said.
“She’s right, Leslie,” Officer Brian said. “Novalee is an adult.”
“And as an adult she should have half a brain,” my mother yelled.
“I’ll take her somewhere safe, Officer,” Elijah said.
“No, you won’t,” my mother said. “She’s coming home. Where she belongs.”
Officer Brian looked at me. “Do we have a problem here?”
“No,” I said.
“Please, Novalee,” my mother whispered to me. “We need to talk. It’s just us. Just you and me. Please.”
My eyes moved to Elijah. He stepped away. He nodded. Then he mouthed call me, babe. My heart melted like ice cream in the sun.
And as Elijah walked away, I looked around, taking it all in.
That I was standing in a police station. Because I broke a car mirror and window. And my mother was there to pick me up, begging me to talk to her.
And no matter how I tried to spin it in my mind…
My mother - and Elijah - were right.
It was all his fault.
* * *
My mother placed the small, white coffee cup in front of me. The cup was smaller than the mugs. The mugs were for tea. But the coffee cups were for coffee. And, yes, there were specific cabinets for each kind of cup and what they were used for. The mindless stuff that my mother did to keep herself occupied while she was in some version of hell.
She stood on the other side of the counter and put her elbows down on the top and grinned at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You don’t know how bad I want to either yell at you, or ask you what that was all about.”
“You can do both,” I said.
“Or neither,” she said.
“Okay. Then skip it.”
“But I don’t want to,” she said. She smiled. “I want to know the details. Because I did the same thing once.”
“Really?”
My mother nodded. “This little bitch was flirting with my boyfriend. Wouldn’t stop either. She was skinny hot. You know what I mean?”
HIDDEN CREEK CRY: a hidden creek high noval Page 9