I pressed harder on the accelerator as the evening sky faded from baby blues and hot pinks to twinkling blackness. I tried to force the horrific flashes of my father from my mind, the guilt that always accompanied his memory was quick to follow. I was too young, too weak, and small to defend my mother’s honor, but it still haunted me. I hoped one day I would have the balls to hunt him down and pay him back for every nightmare I’d suffered.
Daven’s words from earlier floated around my subconscious. I wasn’t a man. I was still just a boy. One who’d remained silent when I was little, to one who ran when I was forced to feel anything. I was no one’s hero. I couldn’t save my mother, or Taylor, or even myself. I needed someone to commiserate with, and I knew just the place to take my mind off real life.
The gravel crunched beneath the tires of my old Impala as I parked beside the inconspicuous dilapidated building that leaned toward the left as if was intoxicated by the spirits within its walls. The sign on the front of the building read Sunnyside, but it had looked as though the sun had set on this place long ago, leaving a withering shack in its wake. It was fitting that Daven often frequented this establishment. It was as rundown as he was.
My eyes danced over the crumbling exterior as I pulled open the heavy door. ShyAnn’s eyes met mine, and she smirked as she averted her gaze to the mug in her hand that she was wiping clean. She told me her friends call her Shy, but I couldn’t think of a bigger misnomer. This girl was wild and said precisely what was on her mind.
My tongue ran over my lower lip as my gaze traveled down over the curves of her body. Her lower half was hidden behind the bar, but I knew she was wearing shorts that would barely cover her rear-end. “You’re lucky my mom and ‘dem ain’t here.” Her words came in a warning, but her mouth curved up in a mischievous grin, revealing a sliver of a gap between her front teeth.
The small hole in the wall restaurant was nearly vacant, except for an elderly man who sat in a corner booth, pulling apart a roll and dipping it into his sweet tea to soften it. His skin hung from his bones like a paper-thin drape that appeared to collect dust just as everything else in this town.
I shoved my hands deep into my jeans pocket as I approached the little counter. ShyAnn ran her rag over the Formica top as she leaned toward me, pushing her small chest into full view and I averted my gaze. It was too forward for my liking.
“Hey, Yankee,” she purred. I bristled but didn’t correct her. I liked that people thought I wasn’t from these parts. I didn’t want to be one of them. “What brings you out tonight?” Her hand went to her calico striped hair as she tucked it nervously behind her ear, but a few of pieces of the multi-layered coif sprung back in front of her eyes.
“I needed to get away.” I cleared my throat as I sank down on one of the stools. It creaked and groaned with my weight, and I steadied myself, worried I may hit the ground at any second.
“I know that feeling.” With a wink and a nod, she turned to the large cooler behind her and grabbed a beer, popping off the top and setting it down in front of me. “It’ll be our little secret.”
ShyAnn and I were racking up our secrets. I’d only known her for six weeks, but she was more than friendly. I’d already messed around with her a few weeks ago, but the heavy smell of her perfume turned my stomach. Or maybe she reminded me that I was going nowhere fast. Her future didn’t extend past this hole in the wall. She didn’t care if she ever left this place, and the idea of being stuck here forever was one of my biggest fears. I was just passing through, biding my time until I can put everyone and everything I knew behind me.
Unfortunately, no amount of alcohol was enough to erase the awkward exchange with Shy from my memory. It was clear she hadn’t forgotten either, judging by the way she eyed me like she was just waiting for us to be alone again.
“You got any plans tonight? Tommy is throwing a party at that abandoned house out on Becker, and his parents have a huge liquor cabinet.”
“Depends,” I picked up my bottle and took a drink before wiping my hand against my jeans to get rid of the condensation.
“On?” Her eyebrow rose, challenging me to say exactly what I was thinking, but hooking up with some random girl was the last thing on my mind. But that would be the perfect escape for the night, and I wouldn’t have to take Emery to the mall. Hell, she might even enjoy herself or finally realize I wasn’t nearly as fascinating as she thought I was and stop spying on me.
When the door squealed in protest behind me, Shy’s expression fell, and I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. We didn’t speak much about her boyfriend, but I knew better than to think a girl like her wouldn’t have a guy following her around like a lost puppy.
“Hey, babe,” A voice came from over my left shoulder as a guy sank down on the stool next to me.
“Hey, David,” she cooed.
I could see the deep blue letter jacket he was wearing in my peripheral vision. Great. Of course, she was dating a freaking jock. I shook my head, taking another sip from my beer as Shy leaned over the bar and pressed her mouth to his in a chaste kiss. Un-fucking-believable. Doesn’t he know where her mouth has been? I laughed to myself at my private joke.
Two other guys took the stools to my right, and I sighed, wishing I would have kept driving, but where was the fun in that?
“Who’s your friend, Shy?” The heavy set guy next to me asked, and I could feel his eyes lingering on me. His dark hair had been bleached, causing it to turn a nasty shade of orange. It suited his freckled complexion that was nearly the same brassy tone. What was it about big dumb guys from small towns? They couldn’t just leave well enough alone.
“You’re not my type, Bubba,” I spoke up, not waiting for Shy to respond. I knew whatever she told them would be a lie anyway, so what was the point? I wasn’t the type of guy a girl bragged about, apparently. I was the guy they cheated on their boyfriends with to feel a thrill of landing someone who they thought was broken and needed to be fixed. It never took long for them to realize I didn’t want to be repaired, and I most certainly didn’t want them. Shy was a little slower than others.
“What did you say, boy?”
I smirked knowing full well his father must have called him a boy to belittle him. Bullies were as transparent as they were pathetic. Not that I could say much. I had been in more fights than I could count and blaming it on a broken heart would have been a lie. My anger had grown inside of me since before I could even write my own name. I just had a reason to keep it at bay. Now that my reason had died, so did my will to conform and be what everyone else expected me to be.
I turned to look at him, taking in his size. He had, at least, fifty pounds on me but it was pure fat. One thing I’d learned growing up was the bigger a man is, the harder they fall. “I said, you’re not my type.” I smiled because I knew that even if this ended with my blood on the floor, I wouldn’t back down. I was continually trying to prove to myself I wasn’t that little boy. I wouldn’t be anyone’s bitch.
He pushed from his stool as his other friend looked on, unamused with what was going on. I couldn’t help but laugh. These types were all the same. All hat and no cattle. They never expected anyone to take them up on their challenge. I stood slowly, rolling my neck from side to side, relishing in the relief from the rapid pops as it cracked.
“You really don’t want to do this,” I warned, but I couldn’t wipe the smirk from my lips. I wanted to fight this kid and knock him down a peg or two. He was the kind of jerk who loved to pick on someone he perceived as weaker. No doubt he had grown up as the victim, but instead of learning from other’s mistakes, he decided to repeat them. He was the epitome of everything I hated in this world. It was guys like him that caused my mother to dump me on my uncle. The pain was far stronger than any liquor or drug I could consume. It washed away my guilt with a single blow and forced me to pull out of my self-loathing. It wasn’t about winning, although it always felt good to put someone in their place. Maybe I felt like I deserved
to be beaten. After watching my own mother take blow after blow at the hands of my father, or letting the girl I loved give up on life and slip away, someone should be held accountable.
Shy rounded the counter, placing herself between us with her hands extended like she had no fear in the world.
“My momma will whoop my hide if ya’ll cause trouble. I mean it, James,” She rocked back on the heels of her well-worn sneakers, ready to duck out of the way if one of us swung. “Yankee was just headin’ out anyway. Weren’t ya, Yankee?”
I nodded, my jaw clenched so tightly it felt like my teeth were going to crumble under the pressure. I wouldn’t take the chance of hitting a female, but I had no idea what kind of guy her friend James was, besides being an arrogant asshole. I wouldn’t put it past him to take a cheap shot. Reluctantly, I took a step back, shaking my head as he laughed. My adrenaline was pumping so hard it felt like my heart might explode.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he sneered.
I narrowed my eyes, biting back the vile retort I was dying to unleash. It wouldn’t do any good.
“The south will rise again,” he taunted, grabbing his crotch as his friends laughed.
“You flirtin’ with me?” I asked, causing Shy to erupt in laughter.
The bell above the door rang out, and everyone turned to see who had entered but me. I kept my gaze fixed on the asshole ahead, picturing what his lip would look like when it’s split, busted against his discolored teeth.
“I’ll see you later, Shy,” I said with a smile. This conversation would have to be finished some other time, and I knew exactly how I was going to be spending my evening. I wondered if Emery would be up for a party. Daven wouldn’t question where I was heading if I had a goody two shoes like her with me. I could kill two birds with one stone... or at the very least, set one free.
6
EMERY
I huffed out a frustrated groan causing wisps of my hair to float out in front of my face before settling against my forehead.
Bridget rolled her eyes as she tucked my freshly curled locks behind my ear.
“Just hold still. I’m almost finished,” she assured me as she twisted the lid off her lip gloss and dabbed it to the center of my bottom lip. “This will make your pout look fuller. He won’t be able to resist.” She winked as she placed the lid back on the tube and dropped it into the bottomless pit she called a purse.
“I am not trying to make out with him, I just... ugh. I just want to get out of the house.”
“Woah!” Her eyes widened with her smirk. “You actually want to leave your house? It’s like I don’t even know you anymore. That medicine must be doin’ the trick.”
I felt my cheeks darken with embarrassment and hoped that she wouldn’t notice. “Shut up,” I mumbled as I pushed from the floor and walked toward the window. My heart sank at the faded grease spot on Daven’s driveway where Ford’s car customarily parked. But as headlights flooded the road, my heart leaped into my throat, and I held my breath, waiting to see if he’d returned. It was already dark out, and I had lost all hope of him coming home, but there he was, sliding out of his sleek muscle car, stretching his back and causing his t-shirt to rise up and reveal some of his muscular flesh.
He turned, looking up at my window, and I froze as I realized my light was making me visible against the darkened night sky. For once, someone saw me, and he held my gaze as he waved, the left side of his mouth twisting up into a smile as his other hand shoved deep into his pocket.
“Wave back, dummy,” Bridget nudged me from behind causing me to lurch forward. I raised my hand, waving each finger individually as if they had a mind of their own, and I was thankful because the brain in my head seemed to have been placed on mute.
His other hand was shoved deep into his jeans pocket, but he stood, unmoving as he watched me, hand raised in mid hello as I noticed the doorway behind him light up, illuminating him from behind before it faded and a shadowy figure crept up from out of the darkness.
Daven placed his hand on Ford’s shoulder as he said something to him, now both of their faces turned up to my silhouette. At first, it looked as though Daven might be angry, but when he saw me, he tilted his chin up in acknowledgment before he waved as well. I suddenly became self-aware again and dropped my hand to my side, my mouth gaping open like a fish desperate for a gulp of air.
But as my head swam in the euphoria of this boy noticing me, I then saw him moving closer. His feet had set out to cross the street, and he was heading toward my front door.
“Oh, God!” I let the curtain fall back into place as I began to panic. “There is no way Sutton is going to let me leave the house with him.”
“Breathe, Emery. Breathe. Your parents are in their room for the night. Just go intercept him before he rings the bell. I’ll sneak out with your brother, and they will be none the wiser. I do stuff like this all the time.”
“What? You do? When?” I tried not to show on my face that her confession hurt. She’d never invited me along on any secret nighttime excursions.
She shook her head and laughed nervously. “Trust me, it’s easy.”
I nodded, not sure I understood the plan, but I knew I could trust Bridget, and there was no time to second guess her. She was a wild child by nature, and if I wanted to enjoy life, I needed to take a play from her book.
I flew from my room, taking the stairs two at a time, cringing as the third from the bottom squeaked in protest under my weight. I grabbed the front door and turned the cold metal against my sweaty palm, yanking it open to a startled Ford. I froze, unable to speak with him this close. He was even better looking than I’d realized, his blue eyes light like the morning sky.
“Hey,” He smiled again with a lopsided grin that caused a dimple to settle deep into his right cheek. I wanted to reach out and run my fingertips over the divot to see if one would sink into the other side. I promised myself then that by the end of the night, I would cause a full smile to spread across his face. “Hey,” he repeated, bending at his knees slightly to catch my gaze which was still locked on his lips.
“Hey. I’m Emery... Elliot.”
“Ford Becket.”
“Oh... ugh... Daven said you needed someone to show you around the mall,” I stammered, shifting my weight from foot to foot and feeling like I might collapse under the heavy weight of my anxiety.
“Right,” he nodded as if he had been told the same about me. Glancing over his shoulder, I groaned audibly when I saw Daven in his doorway, waving his entire arm as if he had just pulled off his master plan. My body burned with humiliation, but I was grateful that I would finally be able to have some fun with someone else. Don’t get me wrong, books have always been my escape, but at some point, I need to stop imagining what could happen and live my life before it passes me by.
My brothers muffled voice from upstairs telling my mom we were getting ready to leave brought me back into the moment. I had to disappear quickly. Grabbing the door handle, I pulled it behind me, pushing myself closer to Ford. Instead of stepping out of the way, he kept his feet firmly planted, causing us to play a game of chicken that I couldn’t afford to lose. I inhaled deeply as a waft of his minty cologne drifted in the thick night air mixed with the musk of weed that I’d smelled on my brother many times. His body went rigid as I brushed against his chest with my arm, sliding between him and the door frame. The dimple that accented his cheek had disappeared as his jaw went hard, killing any self-esteem I may have harbored.
“Come on.” He stepped around me and made his way across the darkened street. I stumbled over my own feet as I followed behind, raising my arm to take a whiff of myself, praying I didn’t stink. All day I’d thought of the numerous ways I could screw this up, but stench hadn’t crossed my mind.
“We don’t have to do this... I mean, if you don’t really feel like it, I understand,” I mumbled as we reached his car. Ford stood between me and the passenger door, and I was worried he really did want to blow me off,
not that I could blame him. I wasn’t exactly the type of girl I’m sure he liked to spend his time with. The muscles in his jaw worked under his skin as he looked me over.
“It’s fine. It’s... nothing.” Reaching behind him, he gripped the car handle and pulled open the door, this time clearing the way so I wouldn’t have to rub against him. I hated that disappointment that followed that realization, but I shoved that thought to the back of my mind to overthink about later.
“Thanks,” I said as I slipped into the bench seat and he quickly pushed the door closed behind me, putting a thick window between us. I felt like a monkey on display at the zoo. I tried not to take it personally as he shook his head while rounding the front of his car. He yelled something to his uncle, but his voice was muffled, leaving me to worry that he was expressing his disappointment. Why did I agree to this? Oh, right. It was my stupid fantasy since I watched him arrive months ago.
I kept myself pressed against the door as he joined me inside of the car and turned the key in the ignition. His eyes met mine briefly before he rolled down his window with a frustrated sigh.
“Should I?” I gripped the window crank with my damp palm and began to turn it as he shrugged, putting the car in reverse and backing us out of the driveway. The engine was so loud I was terrified my parents would come running outside any second, but I knew not even they thought I’d willingly leave the house to hang out with some hot guy in his badass car. They probably assumed I was harassing my brother right now about what times of pens write best and all of the different types of notebooks I would need. Boring old predictable Emery.
“It’s a warm night,” he shrugged again. “The fresh air is... nice.”
“Oh. Really? Most people think it smells like a swamp.” I tilted my chin down and inhaled again, silently cursing Bridget for spraying me down with her Vanilla Sugar body spray. Was I really nastier than a swamp? Is it too late to jump out into the road? If I tucked and rolled, I would probably only get a few bumps and scrapes.
Something in the Water Page 6