Peace in Flames: A Peace Series Novella

by Caroline Andrus

  "That's where my dad works," she said. "He's a bartender and volunteer firefighter."

  "That sounds like crappy work hours."

  She nodded. "Sometimes. But my mom is a nurse over at the clinic." She pointed down the street. She could just make out the sign lit up indicating Peace Medical Clinic. "She's usually around when Dad isn't. The clinic isn't open in the evenings. And this is Eric's," she said fondly. She held out her hands as if presenting him with a prize. "Have you been here yet?"

  He shook his head. "I've pretty much been home, school, and the Peace Library," he said. "Since my mom works there," he quickly added. The way he said it made her think he was trying to keep his cool cred. That he didn’t want her to think he was a big nerd who spent all his free time at the library. She thought that was funny because she actually did hang out at the library quite a bit, studying and tutoring after school some days.

  "Well, I'm about to expand your horizons. Get ready to taste the best grilled cheese in all of Montana."

  The bell jangled as she held the door held open for Liam. He strode through and his eyes lingered on the old fashion soda fountain for a moment before taking in the black and white checkered floor and red vinyl booths. Valerie entered behind him and let the door fall closed gently behind them.

  "Oh, sweetie, don't you look divine." Tammy, Eric's head waitress, sauntered toward them. She placed her hands on her hips and regarded Valerie’s appearance. "You look like you just stepped off the red carpet." Tammy glanced at Liam, then returned her attention to Valerie. "Who's your arm candy?"

  "Tammy!" Valerie exclaimed. Her face flushed with heat. She quickly shot a glance at Liam. He was smirking.

  Tammy laughed and gestured for them to follow her. She led them to a two-person booth near the soda fountain and gave them a few minutes to decide. Eric's was fairly slow that evening, with most of the usual patrons at the school dance.

  "Sorry about Tammy," Valerie said once the waitress was out of earshot. Her face still felt warm and she hoped her makeup hid the majority of her blush. "She doesn't have much of a filter."

  Liam smirked again. "Don't worry about it."

  "Anyway, I've known Tammy since forever. I started working here as soon as I turned sixteen, so she and I are pretty tight. I'm sure when I work next she'll interrogate me about our date."

  "This seems like a pretty cool place to work."

  She nodded. "It is. I get pretty decent tips. I need all the money I can get for college." She let out a sigh. "I'm getting out of this town as soon as I can."

  "Really? Peace seems... nice," Liam said.

  "It is, but it's also boring. Nothing happens in this town. If I'm going to be a journalist, how can I report in a town where nothing happens?"

  "I'm sure some things happen. Aren't small towns full of secrets?"

  She shrugged. "If they are, nobody's let me in on them. But enough about me, I want to hear about St. Paul."

  He shrugged. "There's not much to say. It's just another city. One of many I've lived in."

  "Right, it's a city. Not a town."

  "Yeah, but technically I lived in the suburbs. It's not really the same."

  "How long did it take to drive from your house to downtown St. Paul?"

  "Um... ten minutes?"

  Valerie threw her hands up in the air. "See? That's what I'm talking about. Ten minutes from your house to the heart of the action. You know how long it takes from here to the nearest city?"

  "Yeah. An hour and a half. We drove in from the airport."

  "Exactly. I want to be able to just up and go to the city. I don't want to have to plan my entire day around it."

  Tammy returned at that moment. She set a glass of ice water in front of each of them, then pulled out her pen and waitress pad. "Decide what you want yet, hon?"

  "Um..." Valerie realized she'd been talking Liam's ear off and they hadn't even touched the menus. "Just another couple of minutes?"

  An amused smile graced Tammy's lips as she shook her head and walked away.

  "We'd better decide what we're ordering."

  They studied the menus. Generic Eric's was known for their grilled cheese, so when Tammy returned that's what they ordered along with a couple of shakes and fries on the side.

  "So, tell me about your family," Valerie said once Tammy had left with their order.

  He shrugged. "Just my mom and me. What about you?"

  "My parents, as you know, and I have an older brother, Matt. He ditched me to play college football in California."

  "Do you miss him?"

  She twirled her straw around in her ice water. "Yeah. We fought plenty when he was living here, but we're pretty close. We still text or Skype almost weekly."

  "That's pretty awesome. I always wished I had a brother. Life might have been a little easier if it wasn't just me."

  "What do you mean?"

  He shook his head. "Nothing."

  "Come on. You can't say something like that and not elaborate."

  He snatched a napkin from the container at the side of the counter and began to fold it corner to corner. "When you're an only child there's a lot of pressure on you to be perfect."

  Valerie nodded. "I think I understand."

  "My dad was military and a real hard ass about my grades and being in activities and shit."

  There was a pause. He hadn't mentioned his dad before. She bit her lip again, then asked, "Where's your dad now?"

  "Dead."

  The way he said it was very matter of fact. Almost emotionless.

  "I'm sorry," she said softly.

  Liam shrugged and stared at the folded up napkin. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the same lighter he’d been fooling around with at the Homecoming game. He held it in his hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth across the metallic surface. "It happens. Not everyone who goes to war comes back."

  “Was that his?” she asked softly, nodding toward the lighter.

  Liam didn’t answer at first. Finally, he nodded and slipped the lighter back into his pocket.

  Valerie didn't know what to say. Liam put on a good front, acting like his father's death meant nothing, but she could see the pain beneath the mask in the way his brow furrowed and his body stiffened; in the way he kept the lighter close, like a talisman.

  The silence was interrupted moments later by Tammy, delivering two chocolate shakes and two baskets of greasy goodness in front of them.

  "Thanks, Tammy," Valerie said, offering her a smile.

  "Enjoy." Tammy winked and left them to it.

  Liam quickly moved the topic of conversation to much more mundane subjects, like school, for the rest of their meal.

  "That was really good." Liam leaned back in the booth. "I'm stuffed."

  "I never regret eating here." There were still a few fries remaining in the basket before her, but there was no way she could eat them. She pushed them away toward the center of the table.

  Liam leaned forward and snatched up two fries. He dipped them in Eric's special spicy ketchup and popped them into his mouth.

  Valerie laughed. "I thought you said you were stuffed."

  Liam shrugged. "That was 30 seconds ago." He grinned. "Besides, I'm a growing boy."

  "It's a good thing we're walking home. I need to burn off some of those calories."

  Liam rolled his eyes and dipped another fry in ketchup.

  "What?"

  A touch of red colored his cheeks and he said, "Trust me. You don't."

  Tammy came with the bill, which Liam insisted on taking care of. Valerie tried to convince him she should pay since he'd already spent so much bidding on the date, but he refused to let her pull out her money.

  The walk home from Eric's was nice. The fall night had grown colder and the wind had picked up. Valerie rubbed her arms for warmth and Liam slipped out of his jacket and set it on her shoulders. She'd huddled into the warmth of the material which smelled vaguely of Axe and French fries. Butterflies flutte
red inside her.

  She really liked Liam. The more they talked, the more she was beginning to unravel the mystery of who he was. He played the part of the devil-may-care bad boy flawlessly, but she was convinced it was a mask. She felt like maybe, one by one, she was starting to pull down the bricks of the wall he'd built to keep people out. Each smile, every laugh, felt like a tiny victory, one more chink in his armor she'd managed to bypass.

  Finally, they reached her house, which was closer to the high school than it was to Eric's.

  "Well, this is me," she said. She stopped at the end of her driveway and glanced at the porch. The light was on, but the inside of the house was dark. Her mom often visited her dad at work down at the bar, Valerie assumed she was still there.

  "Nice," Liam said. He stared at the modest tan-colored two story with the large front porch.

  "So... I had a good time," she said, turning to face him. "I'm really glad you won my date."

  Liam smiled at her, a real genuine smile, not his usual guarded one. "Me too."

  They stood there, awkwardly staring at one another. Whenever their eyes would meet, they’d each look away.

  "So... I guess I'd better head home," Liam said.

  "Yeah..." Valerie agreed. She slipped his jacket off her shoulders and returned it to him. "You don't want to be out on the mean streets of Peace too late."

  He chuckled and pulled his jacket back on. "Right. Well..." He glanced behind him at the deserted street. "I guess I'll see you at school on Monday?"

  "Yeah, sure. See you at school."

  She watched in disappointment as Liam turned and walked down the street toward home. They'd had a great time, so why hadn't he kissed her? Did she have ketchup on her face or something?

  As if reading her mind, he turned on his heel and strode toward her with determination. He stopped mere inches away and cupped Valerie’s face between his hands; his skin was warm despite the chill in the air. And then he pressed his lips gently to hers.

  As quickly as it started, it was over. Liam grinned, his dark eyes gazing intently into hers for a moment, then he turned and walked away.

  In a daze, she watched his retreating form until he turned the corner and was no longer within her line of sight. Reluctantly she made the short trek up her driveway and took a seat on the porch swing, tossing her clutch on the seat beside her. She didn't feel like going into her empty house. Her body was humming with an electric charge, fueled by that kiss. She smiled to herself, her fingertips gently touching the place where Liam's lips had been not long ago. She dropped her hand and a wistful sigh escaped her lips.

  She sat in silence and stared at nothing, waiting for JoJo to come rolling up into the driveway across the street. She wondered how her friend’s date had gone. Valerie checked her phone. Seeing no new texts, she slipped it back into her purse.

  The quiet stillness of the night was interrupted by tires skidding on pavement somewhere nearby. She stood and leaned over the porch rail, trying to find the source of the commotion. A truck skidded around the corner and squealed to a halt in front of her house.

  She frowned. That was Chris' truck. What the hell was he doing here? Before she could wrap her mind around the situation and get into the house, Chris was out of the truck and bounding up her driveway.

  "Valerie." He sneered; his eyes slowly traversed the length of her body. "Just who I was looking for."

  She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "What do you want, Chris?"

  "What I've always wanted. You."

  Valerie took a step backward, but it was no use. He was already on the porch and had closed the distance between them. He reeked of alcohol, she could smell it oozing out of his pores.

  "Give me your keys, Chris. You need to walk home and sleep it off."

  He laughed and took another step forward. She was trapped now between the porch swing and his body. One more step and she'd be forced to sit back down. Instead, Chris curled his arm around her shoulders and tugged her forward until her body was flush against his. Her breath caught in her throat and she recoiled, skin crawling at his touch.

  "Let me go, Chris." She forced her voice to sound strong and authoritative. Her heart pounded frantically in her chest and she was afraid he would smell her fear.

  He laughed. "Nah, I think we're gonna go for a little ride. You were supposed to be my date tonight, remember?"

  "You lost, fair and square. The date was Liam's." Antagonizing him would get her nowhere, she knew that, but the words spilled from her mouth before she could stop them.

  Chris scoffed. "The only reason I haven't beaten that punk to a pulp is because he's new to Peace. He doesn't know the pecking order yet. But he's going to learn, very soon."

  Chris' ominous words sent chills down her spine. She dreaded what he had in mind. Poor Liam hadn't known what he was getting into when he'd outbid Chris for her. She hoped she was worth it.

  "Come on now," Chris said. His hand wrapped around her upper arm, fingernails biting into her flesh. Valerie cried out in alarm. She staggered as he pulled her down the porch steps. She grabbed the railing with her free hand, a splinter sliced through her palm as her hand slid against the wooden surface. She cried out at the sharp burst of pain.

  "This would be less painful if you'd just stop fighting and come with me."

  She dug her feet into the ground, refusing to take another step. That didn’t stop Chris. He continued to pull, his fingers still digging into her arm, and she stumbled to the ground. Her heel caught on the hem of her dress and the sound of fabric ripping assaulted her ears.

  Chris wrapped his hands around both her upper arms and yanked her to her feet. Valerie screamed for help, but there was no one around to hear. He clamped his hand over her mouth and she bit him. Instead of pulling away as she expected, he pressed his palm harder into her face, blocking both her mouth and nose. Her eyes grew wide with terror and her mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood. Feeling light headed, black spots danced in her vision and her lungs burned for oxygen.

  Chris pulled open the passenger side door and forced her in, clicking the lock button on his key fob once the door was shut. She gasped for air and blinked back the black spots still dancing in her vision. Her sight slowly returned to normal and she fumbled for the door. She searched for the lock but in her panic, she was too slow. Chris was already behind the wheel. He turned the key in the ignition, revved the engine, and sped off.

  "Let me go, Chris." Valerie fought to keep her voice calm and steady. She refused to let him hear the fear that was flowing like ice through her veins.

  He laughed. "I told you, Val. I want my date. And what I want, I get. People don't get to tell me no. My family built this town."

  Her attention turned toward her window as she tried to figure out where he was taking her. They didn't drive far—nothing in Peace was very far—before Chris pulled the truck into an abandoned parking lot on the West side of town, only minutes from Main Street.

  "Where are we?"

  Chris looked at her in mock surprise. "What? You mean to tell me you've never partied at the old bus depot?"

  She scrutinized the view from her window, taking in the neglected pavement, weeds growing in the cracks. Not far from where he’d parked the truck stood a crumbling building. Chunks of brick were missing from the facade, some scattered on the ground near the foundation, others no doubt inside, responsible for the broken windows she could see. The door hung by its hinges.

  She knew his question was rhetorical, Valerie was a “good girl.” she had never partied at the old bus depot, but everyone knew about the eyesore. It used to house the school buses, before the town decided to keep them at the school. Now it was nothing more than a blemish on their little town that nobody had bothered to clean up. It was all but forgotten, frequented only by bored teenagers experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and who knew what else.

  "Why are we here?" She was afraid of his answer, but she had to ask.

  He grinned. It
was the smile she'd seen on serial killers on the documentaries she sometimes watched. Her blood turned to ice in her veins and she froze in her seat. In that moment, she realized she had no idea what he was capable of.

  Chris opened his door and climbed out. She slammed her hand down on the lock in a desperate attempt to keep out of Chris' grasp. She kept her hand there, hovering over the button. He clicked the unlock button on his key fob and she slammed the lock down once more. But even drunk, he was quick. The third time he clicked the button, he had his hand ready on the door handle and jerked it open before she could slam it back down.

  She tumbled forward. Reaching out desperately she grasped the headrest and dashboard to keep herself from falling out of the truck and into his arms.

  "Nice try."

  She turned and scrambled across the gearshift to the other side of the cab. Chris leaned in and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back into the passenger seat. She screamed as pain seared through her scalp. She tried to ignore it and thrashed her body. She kicked and hit, lashing out any way she could to get away from him.

  He took the beating, never pausing in his quest to pull her from the truck. He finally broke through her wild thrashing and grasped her by the wrists. He forced Valerie from the relative safety of the vehicle and threw her to the pavement. She slammed into the hard concrete, landing on her wrist. The impact of the fall snapped the clasp of her bracelet, the metal biting into her flesh. The chain slipped from her wrist and beads scattered to the pavement.

  "So, this is your grand plan?" Disheveled and breathless, she spit the words like acid. "I won't go out with you, so you just take what you want."

  He towered above her, his hands on his hips. His blue eyes were menacing, appearing almost black in the night, and his hair was wild from their scuffle.

  "I told you, I get what I want. You want it too, you just don't know it yet."

  She recoiled and pressed her back against the front tire of the truck. How had her perfect evening turned into this?

  Chris hovered above her for a moment, seeming to savor her terror. She knew there was nowhere to run. She was injured and exhausted from the struggle, and even if she hadn't been those things, he was stronger and faster than she was.