by S. J. Bishop
"Uh oh," I said, already knowing where she was going with this. Hannah could over-analyze something to death. "Hannah, stop thinking. You’re getting married. This evening."
"Yeah well, what if I’ve changed my mind?"
"Have you?"
She hesitated. "I don’t know. Something about the way that Erik was laughing at Ava during dinner last night... it made me think maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought I did."
I had no real response to that. I’d never cared much for Erik.
"What about you and Olivia?" Hannah asked suddenly. "Are you guys still together?"
I shook my head. "No way. She’d rather manipulate me than love me. I’ve got better things to do with my time than waste it with her." Hannah nodded. We sat in silence a moment longer, lost in our own thoughts before Hannah finally pulled out of the parking lot.
32
Ava
I’d never been to Myron’s apartment before and didn’t exactly relish the idea of going there now. But there was no way I was going to talk to him about this at the restaurant. I kept looking over my shoulder as I stood on the landing at the top of the stairs. I wanted to make sure I had the option to run for it if anything went wrong. My heart was racing as I knocked on Myron’s door, making certain to keep the street in sight. People walked past on the sidewalk and I relaxed ever so slightly.
Myron opened the door. His face was badly bruised. Large patches of purple and black layered themselves over his skin. His nose was covered in a thick white bandage. His expression changed from boredom to shock when he recognized me. "Ava!" he cried. He broke into a big grin and opened the door wider for me. "Come in."
Wow, Terri couldn’t have been more right about him. The fact that he could go from appearing friendly and harmless one minute to a violent attacker the next sent chills up my spine.
"Thanks, but I don’t have a lot of time. I’ll just stay out here." I hoped that sounded nonchalant. I didn’t want Myron thinking I was scared of him.
Myron frowned but said nothing.
"I just wanted to ask you a favor," I said, licking my lips.
"You mean another favor?" Myron asked, his tone hard and sarcastic. "Because it seems to me I’ve already done you plenty."
"Right, of course. I appreciate your playing along at dinner the other night. Pretending to be my boyfriend and all."
His lips thinned and his eyes darkened. "It wasn’t all bad. I rather liked kissing you."
I glanced back at the sidewalk. The street was easily visible from Myron’s door but that didn’t mean I should linger on his doorstep longer than necessary.
"Listen, can you just, you know..." It had seemed so simple when I was walking over here. I would stand outside and demand that he drop the charges against Carter and if he refused I would threaten to go to the police. Only now that I was standing here with his dark eyes fixed on mine, I couldn’t seem to get out the words.
"No," Myron said, tilting his head and staring at me. "I don’t know."
"Can you..."
"Fuck you?" Myron asked, completely serious.
My eyes widened and I took a step back. "No. That’s not at all what I meant."
Myron leaned against the door-jamb, his eyes laughing at me. "Oh, well then maybe you better spit it out. I’m getting mixed signals here." His lips turned up in a grin. "By the way, I’m happy to accommodate you regarding the fucking should you change your mind later."
My heart began to race. I had to get out of here. Myron was acting like a completely different person from the one I worked with.
"Can you drop the charges against Carter?"
Myron’s eyes turned black. "You must be joking. You were there. You saw what he did to me. You know he broke my nose."
I couldn’t believe Myron. He was acting like Carter had beat him up for no reason. "Carter was only defending me Myron. You hit me. Or have you forgotten that?" Shaking, I pulled back my hair to reveal the bruise on the side of my face from where Myron had struck me.
Myron smiled. "That was an accident," he said.
"An accident?" My mind couldn’t grasp the absurdity of what he was saying. He had struck me hard, and on purpose.
I couldn’t tell whether or not Myron really believed what he’d said. I hoped he knew he was lying. The idea that he might believe what he said was far more frightening to me than his lies. If he really believed it, that would indicate some sort of break with reality that I wasn’t qualified to judge, but which I was certain was representative of some form of insanity.
"Tell you what," Myron said, stepping out of the doorway and onto the landing with me. I stepped backwards until my back was against the wall. "I’ll drop the charges, provided that for once, you do me a favor."
"Wh-what favor?" I squeaked. I could hardly breathe.
"I think you know." Myron reached out and groped my breasts.
I jumped away from him and almost fell down the stairs. "I’m not sleeping with you," I shouted.
Myron smiled. "Suit yourself. Doesn’t matter to me if Carter goes to jail. I think he’s scum. He deserves what he gets."
"Myron—"
"Just let me know if you change your mind. The offer’s always open." He closed the door and I retreated down the stairs. I walked to Piccadilly’s, which wasn’t far, and searched for Terri. She was sitting out back on a cigarette break when I found her.
"Hey," I said.
Terri smiled at me. "Hi, you working today?"
"No, I’m on at Y-Mart later but I’m off here."
Terri laughed. "Then what the hell are you doing here, you crazy girl? Get out of here before Steven sees you and puts you on. Enjoy the day with Lily." I was struck again by the camaraderie I felt with this woman, who worked so hard to care for her ailing parents.
"I just wanted to ask you something," I said full of seriousness.
Terri’s laughter faded and she looked at me with questioning eyes. "Shoot."
"Myron... do you know anything about him?"
"Other than the fact he’s a weirdo?"
"Yes," I quipped. "Other than that."
"Well, only rumors. And you know how rumors are."
"Yeah, I know." There’d been enough rumors circulated about me over the last three years. I didn’t need to be told rumors were usually false. But still, sometimes rumors were more like myths. Based on truth. "What rumors?"
"Well," Terri said, putting out her cigarette. "Some people say he used to be up in Wentworth."
"The mental hospital?" I asked, my face going pale.
"Yeah."
"For what?"
"Don’t know. Some people say he killed his family. Some people say he set fire to his town. I don’t think anyone really knows. And anyhow, it’s just a rumor, like I said.
"Yeah, a rumor." But I left Piccadilly’s thinking that based on Myron’s recent behavior this was one rumor that might not be quite so saturated in lies.
33
Carter
I sat on the stairs in my parents’ home, drink in hand. The doorbell rang. I didn’t much want to see anyone just now. My parents had reamed me out for landing in jail again. Hannah, who at first had been enamored with the idea of me and Ava getting together, had grown increasingly angry with me the more she thought about it. She had demanded to know when Ava and I had started seeing each other, and when I’d refused to tell her, she’d kicked me in the shin and stormed off to her room.
No one wanted to talk to me just now, and I didn’t particularly want to talk to anyone either. The doorbell rang a second time and I finally got up. If it was someone for Hannah’s wedding, I’d better let them in. I was halfway to the door when I saw the shape of Ava’s face through the glass. It was blurred but distinct enough to me that I had no doubts it was her.
The last person I wanted to see right now was Ava. The doorbell rang again and I heard footsteps rushing from the hall. I scooted into the study that was just off the entranceway and closed the pocket door. The footsteps grew closer a
nd when the bell rang a fourth time I heard Erik yell, "I’m coming! Hold your freaking horses already."
I heard the front door open and inched the pocket door open just enough for me to see. Ava stood outside.She looked startled to Erik.
"Hello," I heard her say. "Er, is Carter here?"
Erik looked at Ava and even from this distance I could tell he was checking her out. I forced myself to stay put despite the urge to deck him.
"Well hello," Erik said, turning up his charm. "Come on in."
"Thanks," Ava said. Her voice seemed to relax. and she walked into the foyer. Was the jerk winning her over?
"So where’s Carter?" Ava asked.
"Oh, I don’t know. He’s around somewhere." I watched as he moved closer to Ava. She took a step backwards.
"Is Hannah here?" she asked.
"Yeah, she’s upstairs, getting ready. It’s the big day, you know."
My anger was growing stronger by the second. I could see what Erik was up to, even if Ava couldn’t.
Erik stepped closer to Ava, who backed up until she was touching the wall. "Um," she said, confused by Erik’s behavior. "Maybe I’ll just look for Carter then." She tried to step around Erik but he put out a hand to stop her.
"What’s the rush?" he said.
I felt the blood rush to my head. My heart was thudding in my chest.
"You know, I didn’t have a proper bachelor party. What do you say you and I sneak off somewhere for a half hour and you give me a farewell-to-bachelorhood present?"
Ava’s eyes widened and I saw the helpless and infuriated expression in them. When Erik actually leaned in and kissed her, I couldn’t take any more. I burst through the study door, almost breaking it when it stuck, and stepped towards Erik full of fury.
"Whoa, man," Erik said, backing up. "I don’t know what you think you saw, but it was a misunderstanding, alright? She came on to me."
I didn’t wait to hear more. I pushed Erik outside the house, ready to deck him if he uttered one more lie. "Get the hell out of here! I don’t want to see you again."
"That might be a problem," Erik said. Now that he was outside, in the open air and free to run if he had to, he felt a little stronger. "I’m marrying Hannah in a few hours. I can’t just leave."
I grabbed a vase off a nearby table and smashed it on the ground. "Okay, okay," Erik said, hurrying off before I could smash his face next.
I turned around and saw Ava standing there. My first impulse was to go to her, take her in my arms, and kiss her till her lips turned to fire. Then I remembered I was mad at her.
"What do you want?"I asked her. "Come to gloat?"
"Gloat?" Ava asked. "What would I be gloating about, exactly?"
I shrugged. I realized I was being stupid and petty now, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. "That your boyfriend got the best of me in the end. He’s pressing charges and I’m off the 49ers."
"You’re off the team?" Ava asked, her face turning pale.
"That’s right. Are you happy?"
"Of course I’m not happy," Ava cried. "Why would you even say that?"
"Because it’s your boyfriend who’s doing this. I was only trying to help you the other night. But hey, if you’d rather be stuck in an abusive relationship with a loser than tell the police that I was defending you, then I guess that’s your call."
I moved past her and Ava’s arm reached out and caught my shoulder. "I came here to tell you how grateful I am for what you did. Myron’s never hit me before. I was just as shocked as you were."
"Sure, that’s what all abused girlfriends say."
"It’s true!" Ava said, anger flushing her face. She was as worked up as I was now. "And I’ve already talked to him about dropping the charges."
I hesitated. "You did? What did he say? Will he do it?"
Ava looked down. "Yes and no."
I raised an eyebrow. "Yes and no? What does that mean?"
"It means he will, but only if I... do him a favor."
"Well then do it," I snapped. I couldn’t believe how dense Ava was being. If there was a way to fix this then why would she hesitate?
Ava’s eyes began to tear. "You don’t understand," she said. "Myron... the favor... it’s not something I want to do."
"So what?" I yelled. "You think I wanted to land in jail for you? Whatever it is, just do it so I can get out of this. We’re talking about my career, Ava. My whole life."
Ava’s eyes spilled over now and tears ran down her cheeks. "But I... I don’t think I can do it."
"Then I hope you can live with yourself after you destroy my life." I slammed the door behind me and left Ava alone. I heard her let out a long, low sob before she ran off and left me just as equally alone.
34
Ava
I ran down the driveway towards the road. My car was still broken, sort of—it had refused to start for now—and I had taken the bus to Carter’s. But I had no intention of standing on the side of the road waiting for it to come back. It was only two miles to my house. I’d rather walk it.
Halfway down the driveway I heard a woman’s voice calling me. I turned my head and saw Hannah running towards me.
"Ava!" Hannah shouted, breathless.
I wanted to keep going. I didn’t want to see Hannah or anyone else for that matter. My legs moved faster down the driveway. Hannah fell in step beside me.
"I want to know what’s going on with you and Carter. He told me everything, you know." He had? What did Hannah mean by everything? Had he told her about graduation night, or just about how we had been together since he came back to Dover Chase?
I finally turned to face Hannah. I’d wanted to hide the fact that I was crying. No luck.
"What’s wrong?" Hannah asked.
"Carter and I had a fight." I couldn’t believe Carter had told Hannah about us, but since he had, I might as well stop denying it, at least to Hannah.
"About Myron?" Hannah asked.
"Sort of."
"Ava, what are you doing with a guy like that anyways? He sounds like a creep. Did he really hit you?"
I nodded, shame and embarrassment washing over me. Myron wasn’t even my boyfriend but I didn’t know how to begin unraveling the lie. Now everyone thought I was in a long-term abusive relationship. I couldn’t take their judgment, but even worse, I couldn’t bear to think of what it might mean for me and Lily if my parents got the wrong idea.
"Jesus, Ava. How could you defend someone like that?"
"What are you talking about? I’m not defending him."
"Then why was Carter in jail? Why is Myron still pressing charges? Myron’s your boyfriend, Ava, you should be able to talk him out of this bullshit. You know they kicked Carter off the team? All I know is that if it was me, I’d have fixed things by now."
Anger boiled in my blood. I couldn’t believe she was so quick to judge me. "Really?" I shouted, stepping closer to Hannah. "That’s funny, because I don’t see you fixing things between you and Erik."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hannah yelled, her eyes narrowing.
"Your fiancé just hit on me. Right there, in your parents’ house. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re supposed to be getting married to him tonight, aren’t you? Or is that just how marriage works in your eyes? Feel free to play around on each other despite the promises and vows?"
Hannah took a step closer to me and for a second I thought she might slap me. "You’re lying. Erik didn’t hit on you. You’re just jealous because I have someone in my life who isn’t an abusive crazy person. Someone who treats me with respect."
That was too much. My bottom lip quivered and I finally admitted, "Myron’s not my boyfriend."
Hannah looked at me for a few seconds before asking, "What?"
"He’s not my boyfriend. He never was. I just wanted to make Carter jealous. I had no idea he was so crazy."
Hannah paused, her eyes watering now too. I wanted to reach out and hug her but the distance between us was too great.
So much had passed in the three years since she moved away. I had shut my best friend out of my life. Now here I was feeling more alone than ever, just a few inches away from the person I used to share everything with.
"Why would you do that?" Hannah asked. "Carter seems like he likes you. A lot. You didn’t need to make him jealous."
"Yeah but he’s got Olivia. And his career. I’ve got nothing to offer him except a sick daughter."
Hannah hesitated, then reached out wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. I felt my whole body relax and was grateful that Hannah had been able to overcome our distance when I had not.
"Well, this should make it easier to get Myron to drop the charges at least. Just tell the police what you told me. That he hit you."
"I can’t," I said, pulling away.
"Why not?" Hannah asked, her anger returning.
"Look at the conclusions you and Carter immediately jumped to," I said. "I don’t want my parents to think I’m some poor abused woman who can’t take care of herself. They already want to take my daughter away from me, do you know that? My mom thinks Lily would be better off with them."
"Maybe she would," Hannah said. Just like that she was judging me again.
"And maybe you’re just marrying Erik to further your career," I snapped back.
Hannah’s eyes opened wide. "Now who’s making assumptions? My career’s just fine. And Carter’s would be too, if you’d only help him."
"Oh my God, I’m so sick hearing about Carter’s career? How much is it worth to you? Myron said the only way he’d drop the charges against Carter is if I slept with him? Should I do that, Hannah? Sleep with Myron? Turn myself into a whore for a man who doesn’t even want me?"
I burst into a fresh round of tears. Shock showed on Hannah’s face. She opened her mouth to say something but I was done. I couldn’t handle one more second with Hannah or Carter. I had to get out of there now. I ran an entire mile before stopping to walk. When I finally made it home, I was sweaty and out of breath.