Old Habits

by Tabatha Kiss

  He hesitates. “Well…”

  “Have a good day, Coach.”

  “Bye.”

  He spins around and walks out as I shake my head with annoyance.

  Tucker emerges from the garage. “New job?” he asks, looking hopeful.

  “False alarm,” I say.

  He huffs onto the stool beside me and groans. “So slow today.”

  The phone rings on the counter.

  “Well, maybe we got a live one.”

  Tucker leans forward as I pick up the phone.

  “Marv’s Auto Repair,” I answer.

  “Hey, this is highway patrol. We’ve got a traveler in need of assistance in your area. Are you available for a tow?”

  “Yes, we are,” I say. I snap my fingers at the notepad next to Tucker’s arm and he slides it closer to me. “What’s the location?”

  “About fifteen miles east of you on 70.”

  I write it down. “And the vehicle?”

  “She said it’s a powder blue POS.”

  I pause. “A POS?”

  He chuckles. “That’s what she said.”

  “Thanks,” I say through my teeth. “I’ll take care of it.”

  I hang up a little too hard and Tucker stares at me.

  “What was that about?” he asks.

  “I need the tow,” I say, rounding the counter.

  “But you’re on desk duty—”

  “Tucker, give me the keys.”

  He grabs them from his breast pocket and drops them into my open palm. “Need help?”

  “No.”

  I shove the door and stomp around the building to the tow truck.

  Jovie freakin’ Ross.

  She’s running away again. Or she tried to and her old, beat-up car broke down on her way out of town. Not really surprising considering all the miles she put on it over the last few years.

  I climb into the truck, feeling fueled by anger and frustration.

  I can’t believe she’d do this to me. Again. After everything we’ve been through. After all the times I stuck up for her. This is how she repays me?

  Why am I so surprised?

  This is exactly who Jovie Ross is. Who she’s always been.

  I speed down the highway, heading east, passing every car I come up on. It’s reckless and a little stupid, admittedly, but after the last few days, running on passion is about all I have left.

  I see her car on the other side of the highway. Jovie’s little, blue car.

  She’s standing outside of it in her ripped jeans and a black sweater, leaning against the front bumper with her arms crossed and her head down. A familiar pose but it’s not enough to soften my resolve.

  I deserve an explanation for this.

  I make a U-turn and speed up to park the tow in front of her. Her head rises in surprise and I watch her brow furrow with confusion through the rearview mirror.

  Her face softens as I hop out and slam the door closed.

  “Will…”

  I point a finger at her. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Jove.”

  She frowns. “What are you talking about?”

  A rush of adrenaline powers my tongue, completely decimating any filter I have. “I’m talking about exactly what this looks like.” I gesture at her car. “You’re running off again. I can’t believe you! One setback and that’s it? You’re done? Bye bye Jovie for another four years?!”

  “Okay, Will—”

  “No, I don’t want to hear another one of your dumb excuses.” I fill my lungs, feeling them burn as she stares at me with eyes of stone. “I was right about you all along. You’re a selfish, irresponsible child! You don’t care about me. You don’t care about anything or anybody but yourself. Did you stop to think about what this would do to me? Especially now after you’ve already uprooted my life?”

  “Will—”

  “I’m not done!”

  She pushes off the hood and walks around to the driver’s side.

  “Where the hell are you going?” I ask.

  Jovie says nothing. She reaches inside and withdraws a stack of papers from the passenger seat. She returns to me with her head down and her hand extended, silently waiting for me to take them.

  “What’s this?” I snatch them from her fingers. “My Dear John letter? An itinerary for bumming around Europe?”

  My attention falls to the papers and I scan them, feeling an aching regret growing in my gut with every new word.

  I lower my voice. “A community college application?”

  Jovie nods. “I met with an adviser in Overland Park today. He showed me around the campus a little.”

  “You’re applying to school?”

  “It seems like a good fit and the commute won’t be too bad, assuming my car doesn’t explode by then.” She stares at her shoes. “I can start in the fall if I want. I was going to tell you tonight.”

  “… Oh.”

  “But, please, finish your little outburst,” she says, crossing her arms again. “I bet it feels quite liberating to dig into me like that.”

  “Jove…” I swallow the black void down my throat. “I am so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” She shrugs. “You have every right to assume.”

  “No, I don’t. I feel like an asshole. What… what can I do to make this up to you?”

  “Well, you can start by cinching up my car,” she says, back-kicking her bumper. “Then, you can spend the entire ride home singing Over the Rainbow at the top of your lungs.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  “With the windows rolled down.”

  “I can do that.”

  “In your underwear.”

  I squint. “Getting weird now but I’m still in.”

  She smiles. “I wouldn’t leave again without telling you, Will.”

  “I know.”

  “You didn’t seem to know that five minutes ago.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot.”

  “It’s okay,” she says.

  I glance down the abandoned highway. “So… where have you been, Jovie?”

  “Hanging out with my dad.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, he and I had a few things to work out.”

  “How’d that go?”

  “Not bad but we’ll see. Baby steps and all that.” She swallows. “Seems like we have some trust issues to work out, too.”

  I nod. “I agree.”

  “Before the fake wedding.”

  “That…” I pause, holding back the smile begging to shine through, “is gonna have to be one hell of a fake counselor.”

  “They certainly have their work cut out for them,” she quips. “You’re all sorts of messed up.”

  “And you’re about one mental break away from a straitjacket.”

  “And yet…” she nods slowly, “I think we can make it work.”

  “Me, too.” I step around her to release the cinch off the truck. “So, what are you thinking of majoring in?” I ask.

  “Business,” she answers.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I figure Mr. Trin’s gotta kick it at some point and I basically already know how to run his shop. Doesn’t seem like a bad gig; bringing toys and happiness to all the little children of Clover.”

  I attach the cinch to her front bumper. “And it’ll make it so much easier for you to slip them doobies and condoms with each purchase of twenty dollars or more.”

  “I know you’re kidding,” she says, “but that’s exactly what they’ll say, isn’t it?”

  “Pretty much but hopefully by then the name Jovie Ross won’t need a positive spin anymore.”

  “Hopefully.”

  I step around her toward the truck.

  “Will…” I pause mid-stride, feeling her fingertips graze my arm but she doesn’t latch on. “I’m sorry,” she says. “About everything. Everything that I could control, everything that I couldn’t control…”

  “Hey.” I cup her face. “I know. And this is going to b
e the last time you ever apologize for it. Okay?”

  She nods. “Okay.”

  I kiss her forehead. She tilts up and we lock lips for a brief moment, too. “Let’s go home.”

  Jovie looks up at me with clouded eyes, the same ambiguous stare I’ve seen in her since we were kids. She could turn and run. She could stay and fight. Two extremes, both equally as possible and impossible as the other.

  Finally, she smiles.

  ***

  Since day one, people have asked me what the hell I see in Jovie Ross.

  At first, I wasn’t sure how to answer them. What business was it of theirs anyway? Over time, I’d mostly shrug off the question.

  ‘Just look at her,’ I’d say.

  She’s beautiful. She’s witty and smart. Sexy and great in bed. She can dish it out and take it right back. Strong yet vulnerable. Courageous yet shy.

  I’d list off all of these amazing qualities that came as naturally to her as breathing does to the rest of us but I never stopped to think about why I could see those qualities when everyone else clearly could not.

  Was I just naïve? Was my attraction to her all just some innate, biological urge, like an animal craving blood and sex? Why this girl? Why her? Why me?

  Why did I love her and why couldn’t I stop loving her, even during the darkest days of my life?

  Tonight, somewhere in this mess of wrinkled bedsheets and condom wrappers, the answer became so clear and focused that I haven’t been able to sleep.

  Jovie lies on the bed next to me with her eyes closed. Her hair is scattered beneath her head, creating a wild, brown halo against the white pillowcase. Her lids twitch in deep slumber as if they’re about to open at any moment but they don’t. That dinosaur necklace rests against her collarbone, rising and falling with her breath. Our blanket only covers part of her side, leaving her right breast and hip exposed but it’s a warm night and I don’t dare risk waking her by tucking her in.

  Moonlight shines in from the window above our heads, illuminating her face and body. Angelic yet sinful.

  So, what the hell do I see in Jovie Ross? It’s simple, really.

  My future.

  I ease off the bed and reach for my cell phone on the nightstand, passing by that old torn and taped photo of us above my desk on the way out into the hall.

  There’s one thing left to do and I can only think of one person capable of making it happen on such short notice. Luckily, he doesn’t sleep much.

  It rings once before Tucker answers.

  “Hey, Will. What’s up?”

  I lower my voice to a whisper in the kitchen. “I need you to do something for me,” I say. “It has to happen fast. Like tomorrow fast.”

  “Sure. Whatever you need, man.”

  “And whatever you do… don’t tell Jovie.”

  There’s a long, silent pause.

  “This isn’t going to get me killed, is it?” he finally asks.

  “No.” I chuckle. “I’m pretty sure it’s just my neck on the block.”

  “Okay. In that case, I’m all ears.”

  I take one more long stride away from the bedroom to be safe. “Is Jovie Watch still a thing?”

  Chapter 39

  Jovie

  Jovie.

  Wake up, Jovie.

  While I usually don’t take too kindly to those who dare wake me up from pleasant dreams, I’ll make an exception for Will Myers.

  Once or twice.

  “Hmm?” I murmur with eyes closed.

  I feel his hand on my shoulder, fingers soft and warm as they caress down to my wrist.

  “Wake up, please.”

  I force my eyes open to see him sitting on the edge of the bed beside me. He smiles at me with a steaming mug in his other hand.

  “Good morning,” he says.

  I push up onto my elbows and wipe the sleep from my eyelids. “Morning,” I say, yawning and glancing around. “What time is it?”

  He offers me the mug. “Just after eight.”

  I fidget with annoyance. “I told you I don’t have to work today.”

  He nods. “I know.”

  “Then why must you disturb my slumber before the realm of double digit time stamps?”

  Will holds his smirk and offers me the mug again. “I want to take a walk.”

  My gaze falls downward to his clothes. He’s fully dressed in a pair of black pants and a white, button-down shirt. Nice, slicked back hair. Handsome as ever.

  I roll up my nose in suspicion. “A walk?”

  “Yes. A walk,” he says.

  “A walk where?”

  “Okay, Jovie. I’m gonna put it this way.” He abandons the mug on the bedside table. “Get up. Get dressed. Drink all the coffee you need. We are ready for a walk and out the door in twenty minutes.”

  “Twenty minutes?”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  I open my mouth to argue but he’s already gone by the time I can get a word out. My nerves twist as I sit up and throw my feet onto the floor.

  “Uh-oh,” I say to myself.

  I reach for the coffee mug, unable to ignore the pleasant temptation despite the obvious strings attached to it.

  With my eyes closed, I enjoy the warm bliss for several quiet sips while I focus my hearing on Will’s scuttling feet as he wanders throughout the house.

  “Nineteen minutes!” he shouts.

  I flinch but I can’t help but laugh a little. One more big gulp and I’m refreshed enough to stand and make my way into the bathroom down the hall.

  I turn on the light and I pause, noticing the small stack of clothing sitting out on the counter. One of my white blouses lays on top of a black skirt, along with a clean bra and underwear rolled up inside.

  “Will?” I ask. “Did you lay out clothes for me?”

  “Eighteen and a half minutes!”

  Oh, my God.

  My instincts flick toward the bathroom window, desperate to escape from whatever the hell Will has planned but it doesn’t last for more than a second. That’s life with Will for you. I can always trust that he has my best interests at heart — no matter how strange or unusual his methods may be.

  Still a little unsettling, though…

  I give up all of my second thoughts and hop into the shower for a quick rinse off before getting dressed. Naturally, I go over his fixed time limit but he doesn’t seem to mind me taking a few extra minutes to dry and fix my hair.

  I step out into the hallway in my assigned clothes and Will stands there with a pair of my white sandals dangling from his fingers.

  I stare into his wicked eyes. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I ask.

  He nods. “Of course.”

  I wait for him to go on but he says nothing more. “And?”

  He drops the sandals into my open hands. “Time to go.”

  I grab his hand as he twists away. “Wait. Hold on.” He turns back and I pull him down for a kiss. “You look nice,” I tell him as I admire his clothes.

  “So do you,” he says, glancing down to my bare ankles.

  “Why do we look nice?” I ask.

  He pecks my lips once and steps away. “Let’s go. Pip pip.”

  “Pip pip?” I repeat as I lean over to slip my sandals on. “When did you become a tiny, English school boy?”

  “Come on, Jovie.”

  I follow him to the living room where he stands by the door with one hand on the knob. “I’m just saying, I’ve known you since infancy and I’m ninety-nine percent sure I’ve never heard you say pip pip.”

  He sighs with loving impatience. “Jove…”

  I stop in front of him. “What’s really going on?”

  He lays a hand on my hip and drifts forward. “I’ll tell you soon,” he says as he leans over. His lips press harder into mine as he pulls me against him. I let my arms wrap loosely around his neck and he embraces me back for another kiss.

  “Will?” I ask.

  “Yes?”

  “Why do
I feel like there’s a nice man outside in a white lab coat ready to take me to my new, padded-walled home?”

  He chuckles and twists the doorknob. “Because you’re crazy.”

  “Oh, right.” I nod.

  He moves to the side to let me walk out first. When I do, my eyes instantly rise to the sky as several white wisps catch my attention above our heads. There must be at least one hundred of them, all dangling from the tall tree branches in both directions up and down the street.

  It’s toilet paper.

  I laugh out loud. “Uh-oh. Someone Jovied First Street.”

  “Looks like.”

  “But what’s the occasion?”

  Will doesn’t answer. He takes my hand and steps off the porch, pulling me along with him in a light, but firm, grip.

  I look upward, watching the long ribbons of tissue sway gently in the wind above our heads. We start on the sidewalk but Will casually guides us into the empty street. I glance over my shoulder to make sure we’re in no danger of being run over while he stares straight ahead without worry as we walk toward the center of town.

  I fill my lungs with the cool breeze, feeling warm tickles trail from our clasped fingers all the way up through my shoulder blades. My lips curl. Who knew a stroll down an empty street surrounded by floating strands of toilet paper could feel so romantic?

  We pass by a house as the front door opens. A couple steps out, immediately followed by two young teenagers. Their mother waves at us with a wide grin on her face. I wave back, thinking nothing of it until I peek back over my shoulder again and notice several others walking along the sidewalks behind us.

  “Uh, Will. Are we being followed?”

  He scans around and shrugs. “Doubt it.”

  More doors open. More people walk out onto the sidewalks to head into town. Not a single one climbs into their cars to invade the empty street laid out in front of us. It’s like our own private, undisturbed walkway.

  “You sure about that?” I ask.

  “My bounty is as boundless as the sea,” he says. “My love is deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”

  I stare hard at him. “What?”

  “You said that to me once.”

  “I did?”

  “Well, you read it out loud as Juliet.”

  “Oh…” The memories come back and I laugh. “Right. Mrs. Carter’s English class.”