“You have a safety issue, Leah. Any weirdo who wants to find you knows your name and where you go to school.”
The air rushed out of me as though I’d been punched in the stomach.
Drew moved closer to me. “You can’t go back. I’d go with you, absolutely, but I can’t be with you all day every day, and I’d go crazy worrying about you.”
“And the school email,” I added, the full impact of Kevin’s latest deed becoming clearer. “It’s all monitored. Someone will see all the crazy shit people are sending me.”
He nodded. “Stay. Stay here with me.”
I was torn between wanting to be here with him and wanting him to come to Florida with me. Torn between not wanting to go there at all, knowing I had to go back and finish my senior year. “But school. I have to finish.”
“You can finish here. At the College of Charleston. They have a marine biology major here. You can transfer. And they have a great grad school, too.”
I thought about it for a moment. Transferring wasn’t out of the question. It would mean losing a semester because it was already too late to get accepted and enrolled in the fall semester, which was probably about to begin. I’d have to wait until January. That would give me time to work and save up, but...then I realized the wait wouldn’t just be one semester.
“I can’t wait a whole year. I just can’t. And I’d have to in order to get in-state tuition. I can’t afford out-of-state.”
A grin started on the left side of Drew’s mouth, and his eyes narrowed as the smile got bigger. “Sure you can.”
“What?” I said. “Where am I going to get…” My voice trailed off as I started to understand where this was going.
He leaned back a little, holding my hand in his. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket, then placed his fist in my palm before releasing it.
I looked down, opened my hand, and saw a single casino chip.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Drew spent several minutes telling me that when he made his decision to leave school and venture on a new path, he knew it was the right thing, but that didn’t make it any easier. He told me no matter how much he wanted me to do this, I had to be certain that it was right for me—not for him, not for us…just for me.
I had no doubt it was right for me. Going back to Tampa would be a nightmare. Despite being gone for the summer, my own little personal scandal wasn’t diminished at all. It was worse. There was no way I was going to be humiliated for an entire school year. That, coupled with the safety issue that Drew had raised, almost made the decision an automatic one.
Then, of course, there was Drew. And us. No matter how much he tried to downplay that aspect of my decision, it was a huge part of it. I knew it. He knew it.
I wanted to be with him. So much had happened in such a short period of time, but there was no denying that after everything spun nearly out of control, the presence of Drew in my life made the world seem right again.
As he pulled me over to him, wrapping his arm around me, I felt sheltered and safe. But that’s not all it was. There was a newfound confidence in me, something I’d previously doubted even existed. The more time I spent with him, the more I felt it. The more I felt like I was me again. Far from perfect, it was the me I thought I’d lost.
I had decided to be with him. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
When my phone rang, I thought it was going to be my dad, but it was Liz.
“I can’t talk to her right now. She’s calling about the lease and we have to turn it in tomorrow. God, she’s going to be pissed with me.”
Drew was scrolling through his phone. He’d said he was going to find transfer information for the College of Charleston and send the link to me so I’d have it when it came time to start the process.
He was reclined on the couch, one foot up on the coffee table, one arm slung behind his head. Without looking at me, he reached over and put his hand on my thigh, a little reassuring squeeze. “This is all going to work out. I promise.”
I had my doubts for many reasons, not the least of which was the incoming text from Liz, saying she needed me to call her back ASAP.
. . . . .
While we waited for my dad to call, I couldn’t stop thinking about that casino chip. I had put it on the table earlier. I picked it up and turned it over and over in my hands. “I know you’re not talking about giving me money because you know I won’t take it. You’re talking about me playing, but not regular playing, aren’t you?” I looked up from my hands to see his face.
He shook his head. “I’ll teach you to play, however you want to play But, yes, of course I recommend counting.” He grinned.
I looked back down at the chip. Counting cards was difficult. That much I knew from watching Drew doing it. But I was smart enough. I could learn. It was risky, but I had mostly found myself thrilled by it, and that was just from observing.
He sat forward and took the chip out of my hand. “You decide, and it doesn’t have to be right now.” He held the chip between his thumb and forefinger, then rolled it over between the next two fingers, all the way down to the last and back to his thumb. It was a pretty neat trick to watch, especially for someone like me with virtually no manual dexterity.
“As long as I don’t have to do that,” I said.
Drew smiled.
. . . . .
Shortly after eleven a.m., my phone rang and when I answered, my parents were on speaker.
“I’m so sorry this is happening all over again.” My mom’s voice was laced with sadness, frustration, and fear. All the things I’d been feeling for several hours, but those dark emotions had lightened as I became more convinced that I knew what I was going to do. Now I just had to break the news to my parents.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, oddly taking the role of comforter. Several hours ago, the roles would have been reversed. “What did the lawyer say?”
“It would be tough to prove who did it,” Dad said. “And even then it’s all about what his intent was, which would be even harder to prove. The police just aren’t going to do anything.”
It was the same old story as before. Unless and until someone communicated a clear threat, or worse, did something to physically harm me, law enforcement’s hands were tied by the law. Of course, then it would very likely be too late, which I had sadly learned was the outcome of so many cases that involved various forms of stalking and bullying, including the cyber variety.
“So there’s nothing that can be done,” I said. “People can invade your privacy all they want.”
Drew was sitting next to me and put his hand on my back, softly rubbing it up and down as he listened to the news. I glanced over at him and saw him looking down at the floor, shaking his head.
My dad sighed. “Unfortunately, that seems to be it.”
“What about the websites?” Mom reminded him. “He said there were things that could be done to get the pictures removed.”
“He can try, and he will.” My dad’s usual strong voice sounded weaker than I’d ever heard it. Even more so than when this whole thing started. He was a father whose daughter needed his help and there was very little he could do.
Having dealt with this same legal advice several months ago, and having just formulated a plan of action within the last few hours, I didn’t feel like wallowing in self-pity or frustration at a legal system that wasn’t keeping up with technology. I just wanted to move forward with my life. If there was something I could do, some way I could contribute to changing the laws to protect people in my situation, I’d find a way to do it.
For now, though, I had to handle the immediate situation.
“I need to tell you guys something,” I began, and my parents listened as I explained that I would be miserable for the next two semesters, that there was a chance I was putting myself at risk if some determined perv decided to check me out in person, and that I had come to a conclusion.
“Now’s not the time to make
any rash decisions,” my father said.
“It’s not.” I said it firmly, not raising my voice, not being argumentative, just simply conveying the fact that it wasn’t impulsive in any way.
“I think she’s right,” Mom said.
“We can work on the safety thing,” Dad said. “Hell, you could transfer to Florida Atlantic.” He paused. “Or anywhere else that’s close.”
His last sentence revealed his true motive. He didn’t want me so far away. I understood that, but I couldn’t let it sway me.
“How about if we talk when I get there?” I said. “I’m leaving this afternoon.”
My mom sounded happy to hear that, but then asked why I was coming back two days earlier than planned. It was part of what Drew and I had discussed earlier. I would go to Tampa, spend a day or so there, get some things I needed, come back to Charleston, and decide on the long-term plan then.
“I need to come home to talk to you guys about this.”
“Call us when you leave so we know when to expect you,” Dad said.
That much I could promise him.
. . . . .
I wanted to take a shower before the six-plus hour drive to Tampa and Drew needed to go check on Cliff, so he left shortly after the call with my parents and said he’d be back in an hour to see me off.
I was standing in the bathroom toweling off when Liz called. In the blur of all that had happened, I’d forgotten about her. I felt badly about it, and I couldn’t delay telling her any longer.
Picking up the phone and taking the call, I said, “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, you better be.” I recognized her deadpan sarcasm and felt a little relieved that she wasn’t upset with me.
“It’s been a crazy morning here.”
“Same here,” she said.
I opened the drawer to get some Q-Tips. “What’s going on?” I wanted to hear what she had to say, and if she went first, it would give me time to prepare to break the news to her.
“Travis and I went to see a local band play last night. Some guy he works with plays drums. I don’t think they’re going anywhere, but whatever, we had a good time. We were talking on the way back to his place and I mentioned how you hadn’t sent the lease back.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I told him I kind of thought you might be thinking about living with your parents for senior year or something and you were on the fence about living with me. I know you didn’t say that, but if that’s the case, I totally understand. Then Travis says, ‘Move in with me. We should live together.’”
“What?” I froze, looking at my still reflection in the mirror.
“That’s what I said too.” She laughed. “We had this long conversation about it and—don’t get too excited, he didn’t propose—but we talked about getting married, the future, everything. And Travis reminded me that I had said a long time ago that people should live together before getting married so they don’t have any surprises. You know, like finding out he leaves stubble in the sink after shaving, or I tend to use the washer as a laundry basket.”
Sometimes I’d go to use the washer and it would be half full of her clothes. I got used to it after a while, though, just as she got used to my little quirks, and as we talked I thought about how much I would miss being roommates.
“I’m just wondering if that’s maybe why you didn’t send the lease back,” she said. “Or if there’s some other reason. Because I’d love to room with you, but if there’s a chance we’re not going to…I kind of wanted to tell Travis I’ll move in with him.”
I felt sadness and relief. A strange combination, but lately I’d been getting used to conflicting emotions.
“Go ahead and move in with Travis. Honestly, the lease just slipped my mind for a while, but as of this morning, I’ve kind of had a change of plans. It’s a long story that I’d rather tell you in person.”
. . . . .
“You’re not coming in?” Rebecca said when I answered the phone.
I was walking down the steps, headed to my car with my overnight bag. “Have you talked to Rick or Marla?”
“No, why?”
I had called them just after Drew left, talked to Marla, and I told her I was staying in Charleston. She was excited, and when she asked me why, I told her I would explain everything when I saw them. I wasn’t sure how much I would tell them, but I’d come up with something. For now, I was considering telling them I had fallen in love with Charleston over the summer, and that I’d looked into the marine bio graduate program at the College of Charleston. While it wasn’t the whole story, it was true, and it was enough.
This would have been my last day at the shop, and I’d asked if it was okay for me not to come in because I had to go to Florida for a couple of days. Marla had said that was fine, and to take my time and let her know when I got back into town and I could start work again.
I recounted the whole thing for Rebecca and when I finished she said, “Oh, this is awesome news! I’m so glad you’re staying. Now you can meet Connor.”
“Oh? Does that mean…?”
She let out a heavy sigh, not a negative one, but one of excitement. “I think so. We’ll see.” She paused for a moment. “God, I’m so glad you aren’t leaving.”
“I’ll call or text when I get back. Or maybe I’ll just see you at work. Hey, Drew just pulled up. I’ll talk to you in a couple of days.”
“Awesome. Can’t wait.”
Drew had texted me just moments earlier, saying he was on his way, so I decided to put my bag in the trunk and meet him out there. I wasn’t leaving forever, so this wouldn’t be an overly emotional goodbye.
When he got out of the truck, I noticed he had a backpack slung over his shoulder. “I’m going with you, and there’s no talking me out of it, so don’t even try.”
He took my bag. I popped the trunk, he put our bags in, and a minute later, we were leaving for Florida.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I had been out of the state of Florida only three times in my life. The first time was when I was ten and we flew to New York City for a family vacation. The second was a few years later, when we flew to Houston for my grandfather’s funeral. The third time was when I left three months ago for Charleston, and unlike the first two, that was by car.
So as we crossed the Georgia-Florida state line, I was seeing my home state from a different perspective than ever before. I couldn’t help but think it felt like some kind of farewell tour. A ridiculous thought, for sure—I’d be back, there was no way I’d never come to Florida again—and I chalked up my odd thought to my heightened anxiety.
I was looking out the window, deep in those thoughts, when Drew’s voice broke the trance. “You okay?”
I looked over at him as he drove, his left hand on the steering wheel.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You?”
Drew turned his head for a couple of seconds to look at me, though I couldn’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses. “Me?” He smiled. “I’m doing great. Did I tell you I’ve never been to Florida before?”
“You’ve traveled to all these different countries, lots of places in the U.S., but never to Florida?”
He shook his head. “Nothing against it. It’s just never been on my list of places to go. I’ve never had a reason to come here, but now I have a great one.”
“If you’re trying to sound romantic…it’s working, but only a little bit.”
He smiled, looking straight ahead. “Damn. I worked on that line for the last ten minutes. I’m really going to have to step up my game here.”
The closer we got to Tampa, the more nervous I felt. Drew picked up on it, and we discussed whether he should meet my parents.
“Not that I don’t want you to,” I said. “I just mean at first, maybe I should go in and have this talk with them.”
“That’s your call. I’ll do whatever you decide is best.”
Mom and I had exchanged a few texts over the last thirty
minutes or so. She had initiated it, telling me she wanted me to know that she was in full support of my decision to move to Charleston. My father, on the other hand, wasn’t. According to my mom, his concern was that I would be more than six hours away by car, when I could easily go to school less than half that far away. And he’d raised the concern about tuition cost.
I also told her I wasn’t coming alone, that I was with Drew, and again simply referred to him as a friend. Mom said he was welcome at the house, of course, but that she and Dad would want some time to discuss all of this with me privately.
Her last text had said she would “work on your father” and soften him up a little, to make things easier once I got there. That was twenty minutes ago. Now, as her new text came in, I read it and felt a little more relieved. She had managed to get him to agree to hear me out with no interruptions.
I thanked her and informed her that I was about an hour and a half away.
I didn’t know what I’d tell them about tuition. The best idea I could come up with was that I would be working at the surf shop, saving up for an entire semester, maybe a year, and if need be, I could always apply for another student loan.
There was no way I could tell them how I was really going to make money. The only people in the world who knew how Drew got money were his grandparents, me, and at least one surly pit boss.
. . . . .
When we got to the house, Drew said he would ride around and have a look at Tampa. “Might as well while I’m here. Call or text when you want me to come get you.” He reached for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“I want you to kiss me, but…”
The corner of his mouth curled into a little grin. “I know, they’re probably looking out the window and you don’t want to answer questions about us.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Even if it does remind me of being in high school.”
I laughed. “You’ll pay for that comment.”
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