by Claire Adams
After I pulled out of the driveway and had driven a little ways, I called Tara.
“Are you home? Can I come over?” I asked when she answered.
“Of course you can,” she said. “I’m just hanging out by the pool. Everything okay? You sound upset.”
“My parents just threw me out.”
“What?!”
“I’ll tell you when I get there.”
“This has to do with Graham, I assume.”
“You got it.”
“If you need a place to stay, you’re more than welcome to stay here! It’ll be like old times when we used to have slumber parties and sneak down and watch horror movies!”
I laughed. “You know, that sounds exactly what I’d like to do tonight.”
“Well, you better get your ass over here then! I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up, still laughing a little. It felt good.
*****
Tara’s mom, Melanie, answered the door. She immediately pulled me in for a hug.
“Tara told me there’s a bit of upheaval happening at your house. I want you to know you’re welcome here as long as need be.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She pulled back from the hug and squeezed my shoulders.
Tara’s mom hung out with my parents sometimes, but she’d always felt more like a big sister. When it came to fashion, she was far less conservative than my own mother, and she had a flair for bright colors, big purses, and gaudy jewelry.
“Now, I don’t want to meddle or anything, but is this something maybe I should try talking to your parents about? Tara filled me in a little on the details, and the whole thing sounds like it’s a bit blown out of proportion.”
“You don’t have to,” I said. “I appreciate the offer, but at this point, I don’t think there’s anything you could say that would change my dad’s mind, anyway.”
“Your dad can be awfully stubborn. Here, let’s leave your bag here. Tara’s out back.”
I left my duffle bag in the big front entryway and followed Melanie out to the backyard. Tara was lying out by the pool. She sat up when she heard us.
“So what on Earth is going on?” she asked.
“They don’t want me to see Graham anymore.”
“The man from the tattoo place?” Melanie asked. I nodded. “I think I’ve seen him before, actually, when I was walking by there. He’s got a beard, right? He’s a nice-looking guy.”
“My parents don’t think so. Well, my dad doesn’t, I think my mom would be willing to give him a chance. He actually came over a few days ago, but that went horribly. So now my parents just want me to stop seeing him. And they said if I didn’t, then I’d have to leave the house.”
“Oh, my.”
Melanie gave me a sympathetic look. “You really are welcome to stay here for as long as you’d like. And again, I don’t want to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt if I said something to your mother. I see her around a lot.”
“I can’t believe it,” Tara said, shaking her head. “They really haven’t even given him a chance.”
“They just don’t like him. They don’t think he’s the right person for me, they think that I’ll be heading down the wrong path if I keep seeing him.” I felt my anger start to flare as I spoke; were they really that closed-minded? And how long did they plan on not talking to me for? If Graham and I ended up together, would they just simply cut me out of their lives forever? “But it’s not up for them to decide how I live my life, and since I’m not doing anything to hurt anyone, and since Graham is not a bad person ... they don’t get to dictate this.”
Melanie patted my hand. “It’s never easy for a parent when they think their kids are doing something that’s not in their best interest. But, I know both your mom and dad, and they’re smart people. Hopefully they just need a little time to think about things and then they’ll change their minds.” She gave me an encouraging smile. “Anyway, I’ve got a hair appointment I have to get to, so I’ll leave you girls to chat. And I mean that, Chloe—you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you’d like. Though I have a feeling you’ll be back home sooner than you think.”
“Thanks, Melanie,” I said.
“Kicked out of your own home,” Tara said. “I can’t believe it. You rebel, you.”
“I’m still kind of having a hard time believing this happened. I mean, it did really happen, right? That’s why I’m sitting here, that’s why there’s a bag of my clothes in your front hallway?”
“I’m sure your parents will come to their senses. They probably can’t believe that you decided to leave, either. But for now, you can at least enjoy a transient existence for the next couple of days. Which is about as long as something like that is fun for.”
“Well, I appreciate you letting me stay here.”
“Of course. It’s the least I can do, considering how you guys came to my rescue the other night and that whole thing with Michael.”
“He always kind of creeped me out, if I’m going to be honest. I couldn’t let you go meet him by yourself.”
“I do feel kind of embarrassed about how that all went down. I really don’t think that Michael would’ve done anything, but ...” she shrugged and tried to laugh, though I could see that she was a bit troubled by what could have potentially happened. “So ... I really am glad that you decided to tag along, and even more so that Graham showed up.”
“You know I couldn’t let anything bad happen to you,” I said. I kept my tone lighthearted, but I was immensely relieved that things had turned out the way they had and not worse. Tara might not be willing to admit it out loud, but I suspected Michael was the sort of person who would have no problems holding someone hostage for as long as he felt like, just because he was so used to getting his way.
“And yes, I realize that it was stupid of me to want to make him jealous in the first place. Graham even said something about it to me, but I didn’t listen. He’ll probably give me a lecture the next time I see him, or at least an “I told you so,” and I totally deserve it. But I learned my lesson. God, what was I thinking, anyway? I realized when I saw him how glad I was that we weren’t together anymore. And then I was just sitting there, wondering why I’d even agreed to meet up with him in the first place. I just ... I don’t know, I realized that it wasn’t worth it. But yeah, I feel like a fool.”
“We all make mistakes sometimes,” I said, wondering if I myself might have made a mistake by walking out the way I did. I hoped I hadn’t, but there was a small part of me that felt uncertain.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Graham
“So, you’ve got a girlfriend.” Todd shook his head slowly, brow furrowed in an expression of pure perplexity. We were out on a ride and had stopped so Todd could demolish a package of energy chews. I hadn’t planned on mentioning anything to him about Chloe, but then he asked if I was still hanging out with Chloe or if I’d started sleeping with other girls, too. “Didn’t we start this summer with you swearing off getting laid? How does this happen?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s just one of those things that happens when you’re not expecting it?”
“Now it sounds like you’re quoting to me from the last fortune cookie you got. No, I’m serious—I’d really like some sort of explanation as to why the fuck the guy who swears off sex is now the guy who is not only getting laid, but is actually in a relationship. And you’re winning races! How is all this possible? Granted, it was the one race that I didn’t go to, so I’m sure I would’ve beaten you if I’d been there, but ....” He looked at me with a mix of awe and envy. “I mean, really, it’s like you’re having the best year of your life or something. The best summer, anyway.”
“It hasn’t been bad.”
“No shit! You’ve even won a race. Are we still going up to the race this weekend?”
“Yeah. I think it’ll probably be my last one, though.”
“Really? If my summer was
going as well as yours was, I’d go all out and do as many races as I could. You should probably start playing the lottery, too.” He tipped the package of energy chews into his mouth and then, once the last one was gone, crumpled the wrapper and stuffed it into the back pocket of his jersey. “I am happy for you, though. Now all you need to do is find a girl for me.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said. Maybe I could ask Chloe if she had any ideas. Tara might be a possibility, and after dealing with someone like that guy Michael, Todd would probably seem like the perfect gentleman.
“Good. Come on, let’s get going or my legs are going to cramp up. I want to get at least another 10 miles in; I may not win this weekend, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you beat me.”
*****
I’d left my phone in the truck while Todd and I were riding, so when I got back, I saw that Chloe had called, and then sent a text.
Give me a call when you can, was all it said.
I loaded the bike up and said bye to Todd, and then called her as I was driving back to the house.
“Are you at home?” she asked. “I was thinking of stopping by. If you are. If you aren’t, it’s okay, I can just—”
“Hey,” I said. I wouldn’t have interrupted her except she sounded a little frazzled. “I’m not home yet, but I should be soon. Feel free to head over, and if you beat me there, I won’t be far behind. Everything okay?”
“Oh, sure,” she said, in a tone that indicated maybe everything wasn’t actually okay. “I’ll just ... I’ll just talk to you when I see you. Okay, bye.”
She hung up before I could say anything else, leaving me to wonder what exactly was going on.
But it looked like I’d find out soon enough, because she was just pulling in when I got there.
“Good timing,” I said. “So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”
“Well, my parents basically gave me the ultimatum yesterday,” she said. “They told me to either stop seeing you or get out of their house.”
“Whoa, wait—they kicked you out? This just happened?”
“They wouldn’t say I was kicked out; they’d say I made my choice. But yeah. They kicked me out.” She had a perplexed look on her face, similar to the one Todd had worn earlier.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” What a bunch of dickheads. Guess I hadn’t made the good first impression that I’d been hoping for. “Should we break up?”
That at least got a smile from her. “No! We are definitely not breaking up. They’re not allowed to just tell me what I should do anymore. And if that means I don’t get to stay with them, then so be it.”
I had to smile at the indignation in her tone. “I am sorry, though. I don’t want to be causing all this conflict.”
She sighed. “I don’t think it matters. If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been something else. I mean, it was kind of already happening, with art school. So, I’m staying at Tara’s for now.”
“Yeah? I was thinking about maybe introducing her to my buddy Todd. He was asking me if I had anyone in mind today. But we don’t have to talk about that now. So, you’re staying at her place? She seems like she’d be a good host.”
“Oh, she is. Her mom’s great, too.”
“You can always stay with me, if you want.” Those words slipped out before I’d really even had time to think about it; I’d never had anyone stay over for longer than my usual one-night stands. But I wasn’t about to admit that, or retract my offer—in part, I realized, because I actually hoped Chloe would say “yes.”
“Really?” she asked. “You’re not just saying that to be nice?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not just saying that to be nice. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it. If you’re happy staying with Tara, though, I understand; it’s not going to hurt my feelings if you don’t want to stay over.”
“Her parents’ house is so big I basically have my own wing. But ...” She looked at me, the perplexed look giving way to a grin. “I wouldn’t mind staying with you some of the time, either. I’m sure Tara would understand. She’d be all for it, I bet.”
“My door’s open for you any time.”
“I’ll come over tomorrow, then. Tara and I are going to go out to dinner tonight, and I’ll just go back to her house after that.”
“Sure. I’ve got tomorrow off, so come by whenever you want. Unless your parents call before then and want to make nice with you. Don’t you think that will happen? They seem like those sort of people.” Really, what they seemed like were the type of people that wouldn’t want word to get out that there was discord in the family, that their daughter had been thrown out of the house. Where it had been a rather regular occurrence in my own childhood home—I swear that one of Wade’s favorite activities had been to get wasted, pick a fight, and then kick me out for the night—I doubted that anything even remotely close to this had ever happened between Chloe and her parents.
“You know, I bet your parents will come to their senses,” I said. Her dad seemed like the type who would need a day or two to calm down.
“I don’t know. My dad can be so stubborn. And if he finds out that I’m staying with you, that will just piss him off even more.” She frowned, considering this. “But you know what? I don’t care.”
*****
And suddenly, I’d gone from single to girlfriend to live-in girlfriend. I’d never woken up next to someone on a regular basis. Never gotten used to seeing a woman brushing her teeth in my bathroom, or putting a half-full glass of water on the bedside table each night before she crawled into bed.
It had only been four days, but I could already feel us falling into a routine. Not that we were going to bed at the same time every night or eating the same shit for dinner, but rather, the routine of being used to seeing someone, of knowing that they’d be there when you got home from work, or that you’d be eating breakfast together in the morning.
That Sunday, though, I got up early for the race. I got dressed and made coffee and ate a quick breakfast, trying to keep quiet so I didn’t wake up Chloe. But she was stirring when I went in there to tell her I was taking off.
“You can come with, if you want,” I said.
She smiled and gave me a kiss. “I wouldn’t mind it, but I don’t want to interfere with guy time. Tell Todd I’ll give Tara his number if he’d like. She deserves to go out with a nice guy. Plus, I really should spend a bunch of time at the art center, and this way, if you’re gone, I’ll be less likely to get distracted. The show’s coming up, you know.”
“I know. I’m really looking forward to it. You don’t want to give me any hint about the sculpture?”
“No, I want it to be a surprise.”
“Well, okay then, I guess I’ll have to wait.” I pulled her back toward me and gave her another long, lingering kiss. “You know, I really shouldn’t make it a habit to kiss you before I leave, because it just makes me want to crawl back into bed and not get out.”
She gently bit at my lower lip. “When you get back,” she said.
*****
I picked Todd up and we drove over to the race together. I was ready for this to be the last race of my season, even though the actual season would continue well into the fall. The novelty of it was starting to wear off, and I’d need until next spring to build up the interest again.
We got there and parked in a field that was right next to the trail head where the race would start. I climbed out of the truck and stretched, feeling my back crack in several places.
“I’m feeling good,” Todd said. “In fact, I think I feel better now than I did for any other race, so don’t be surprised to be chasing me the entire time.”
“I’m prepared to chase you for the first 90 percent, and then overtake you at the last second. You know you can’t pedal for shit the last five miles.”
It was true, he couldn’t—he was one of those guys that could spend a good majority of a race near the front but the tank would be empty the last few miles. But i
f it came down to it, and I was in the position to overtake him at the end, I’d lay off and let him take the win. He’d feel good about it and have something to give me shit over, and winning the race really didn’t matter to me at all.
“Hey, there’s your boy,” Todd said. “He’s not looking so great. Damn, that bike of his is, though.”
I looked over and saw Parker approaching, walking next to a bike that was even more impressive-looking than his previous one. As he got closer, I could see it was full carbon fiber, carbon rims, electronic brakes and shifting.
“Nice rig you got there,” I said.
“Thanks.” There was no banter or good-natured ribbing, though; he mostly looked tired and worn out.
“You sure you shouldn’t sit this one out and go take a nap?” I asked.
He smiled, but it looked forced. “Even if I did, you know I’d still beat you.”
“Like last time?”
“Yeah, like last time,” he said, as though he’d forgotten or was just choosing not remember that I had, in fact, beaten him. “See you guys.”
We watched him go. “He looks out of it,” Todd said. “Probably hung over. Well, he shouldn’t be a factor today, so at least I’ve got that going for me.”
“You might have something else going for you,” I said.
“Oh?”
“Well, Chloe has this friend, Tara. There’s a good chance she might be interested in going out with you. If that’s something you’re still interested in doing. Chloe said she’ll pass your number along.”
Todd grinned and slapped my shoulder. “Good lookin’ out!” he said. “I’d be more than happy to. She was the one with Chloe that night they first came in, right?”
“Good memory.”
“Yeah, that would be great. Let me just win this race now, so I can regale her with tales of my athletic prowess.”
We unloaded the bikes and Todd changed into his kit. There was about 10 minutes until they called the start for our race, so I rode around the field, warming up. I saw Parker, who was also on his bike, but he was pedaling along slowly, looking like he should really be at home in bed, not at a bike race about to compete.