“So it worked out fine,” I said. “Everything’s good.”
“No, it’s not good. Not when you’re wasting your damn energy running around town instead of training.” His voice was loud, bouncing back off the windshield right into my face. “I don’t want you to do it anymore. No more.”
“I can’t change my training without the team’s approval, dad. You know that.” And it was time for the secret weapon. “Nobody’s going to want to draft a difficult player. I have to work with the team, do what they say.”
“Your coach is an idiot.”
“The trainer agrees with him.”
“The trainer works for him. Brett says we should look into building our own support staff. You need independent advice on this stuff.”
“I make two hundred and twenty dollars a week. I don’t have money for ‘support staff,’ and neither do you.”
“Brett says he can get you a loan. It’d be like an advance against your future income.”
There was no way on Earth that was a good idea. But I had no new arguments to make, and he wouldn’t have heard them anyway. “I’ll think about it,” I said. I wasn’t lying. It was hard not to think about it all.
“And don’t run tomorrow.”
The team was doing fitness testing the next day, and the trainer had already told me to come in fresh, so it was easy for me to say, “Okay. I’ll take tomorrow off. And I’ll talk to the trainer about it.”
He’d got what he wanted, so he circled back around and pulled up outside the Cavali house. “This is an important year for you, Tyler. Don’t screw it up.”
I didn’t bother saying good-bye, just jumped out of the SUV and slammed the door behind me. If I’d had my keys in my hand, I think I’d have put a pretty long scratch in his shiny new paint as he drove away, but I was too slow, and he was gone.
I thought about going for a drive myself, but there’s times when I see myself doing the same shit my dad does and it freaks me out. I didn’t want to be out on the road at the same time as him, both of us circling around, trying to figure out how to make our lives make sense.
No, I didn’t want that. So I walked instead, and my body followed the route I took on my morning runs. The Cavalis lived in a nicer neighborhood than my own family, but it still wasn’t ritzy or anything. The best part about it was how close to the park it was, and the best thing about the park was how few people ever seemed to use it. When I arrived there that night, there was enough moonlight to show me a big, empty sweep of grass, ending in the forest on the far side. Lots of space for me to just be alone and think about it all, or, even better, space for me to be alone and not think, if I could manage it.
I headed for the two wooden benches that sat in the middle of the park, facing each other in the middle of all that space like two ships tied together in the middle of the ocean. I wasn’t too impressed when I got close and realized there was someone lying on one of the benches.
I’d never lived in a city, but I’d visited a few and seen homeless people and drunks and whoever sleeping in public. But somehow I wasn’t getting that vibe from this person. I stepped a little closer and the body made a startled sound and sat up.
“Karen,” I said. It was too dark to see her clearly, but there was something about the way she ran her hands across her face that let me know she’d been crying. Shit. I wasn’t much good at being the comforting guy, and this was none of my business. I had my own stuff to worry about, and I’d already messed up once with someone in the Beacon house so I didn’t really want to dive into another mess. But still, I took a couple steps forward. “You okay?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Squirrel hunting. They let down their guard at night.”
She looked at me for a few breaths as if trying to decide whether to go along with my nonsense, then finally said, “You don’t have a gun.”
“I use my teeth. Want to help?”
“Do I want to help you hunt squirrels with your teeth? Not tonight, no.”
“Some other time, maybe.” I sank down carefully onto the other bench, twisting around so I was still more or less looking at her.
“I have seriously never had this many squirrel-conversations with one person before in my whole life.”
“Welcome to Corrigan Falls.” I guess I probably should have taken the conversation in a more meaningful direction from there. I should have asked her more about why she’d come here, or why she was living with the Beacons. I absolutely should have mentioned that Miranda Beacon hated my guts and probably had a fairly good reason to. Yeah, there were all kinds of responsible things I should have done.
Instead, I swung my feet up on the bench and lay back, looking up at the stars like Karen had been doing before I arrived. I guess what I should have done was leave her alone, but something about the tears had made me think she hadn’t really wanted to be alone. And after running into her, I didn’t want it anymore, either. “You watching the stars?” I asked.
“I guess.” She didn’t sound hostile or anything, just a little sheepish.
“You know anything about them? The constellations or anything?”
“Not really. You?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m pretty much an expert. That one right there, over toward the trees. Big Dipper, obviously.”
“Okay, that one I knew.”
“The one over to its left?” I raised my arm and tried to trace the picture. “Two squares, kind of? That’s Rodentus minor, the angry squirrel.”
“Oh my god, you’re obsessed.”
“But don’t worry. Runner majoricus is right there to rescue any fair maidens who are attacked.”
“Is that how you’ve built it up in your head? You’re a great big hero?” She sounded better now, and I let myself relax a little more.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. These are the stars we’re looking at. I’m not saying there’s any connection to any real life events.”
She was quiet for a moment, then lifted her own arm and pointed. “So, those ones there. Those aren’t Driver horrificus and Passenger odiferous?”
And right there, lying on the bench in the summer darkness, it was like I had a weird out of body experience. I knew the logical response, the one that would take me the next step down the path I always took. Attractive, friendly girl, already lying down, under the damn stars…it was too easy, really, but that had never stopped me before. I should say it was actually Driver horrificus and Passenger beauteous, or something. I should build on the fair maiden line I’d dropped a little earlier. Either of those would work.
But it was like there was another me, one looking down at the scene, and that me saw how nice things could be just as they were. It told me I didn’t need to push forward, didn’t need to race for the goal line. Just this once, I didn’t have to be quite so focused on scoring.
So instead of feeding her a line, I smiled up at the stars. “Damn,” I said. “That is what those ones are. I guess maybe there’s some connection after all.”
We lay there a while longer, looking up at the stars and trading lies that somehow felt like the truth. And when Karen finally sighed and sat up and said it was late and she had to go back to her real life, I knew she was right. But I really wished the two of us could have stayed in our little make-believe world at least a little longer.
Chapter Seven
- Karen -
Tyler insisted on walking me home, even though I told him I was fine. When we got to the house, he waited on the sidewalk until I was in the backyard. I turned back for one more look at him before I went around the corner of the house, and I froze, torn between knowing I had to go inside and wanting, wanting so bad, to run back to him. I wasn’t sure what I’d do when I reached him—it didn’t matter, really. Just being with him, being with someone normal and sane and kind, someone funny and sweet who seemed to actually be happy to see me and want to spend time with me. That was all I wanted.
But he couldn’t see me hesitating i
n the shadows, and he turned around and started off toward whatever his real life was, so I was able to make myself be responsible.
All the lights in the house were off, so I found the hide-a-key in the back yard. When I got to the kitchen door, though, it was unlocked, and when I stepped inside Will was sitting at the table, no light except for what was filtering in from the hall. He’d been waiting for me. He asked, “You’re okay?” in a quiet voice.
I nodded mutely, and he stood up. “Okay. Go to bed. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
That was all. He turned and headed for his staircase; I turned and headed for mine. If I hadn’t been so tired I probably would have been worried about the next day’s conversation, but as it was, I played my mom’s message a couple times, then fell asleep fast and easy.
I woke up the next morning with the dawn, and it took me two blinks to realize where I was. There was the familiar weight of reality, the renewed realization of why I was there and what I had lost. When I was asleep, I was still in my bed in Toronto, and my mother was still safely sleeping in the room next door. Every time I woke up, I lost her again, and it took me a while to adjust.
Then I rolled out of bed and reached for my running clothes. I had to keep moving, keep distracting myself. And I was over my pathetic need to be rescued, at least temporarily, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t look forward to seeing Tyler.
There was no sign of him when I got to the park, but that wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t like we’d set a time, or anything. Thinking back, there hadn’t even been a “see you tomorrow morning”. Just a quiet “good night” on the sidewalk.
I stretched for maybe a little longer than usual, definitely long enough for him to have completed a lap of the path through the forest, so I knew he wasn’t there yet. No big deal. Maybe he was just late. I started jogging and tried to get into my rhythm. Usually, I could totally drown out my thoughts with a sort of mental chant, thinking along with the sound of my feet hitting the path, the measured pace of my breathing. In, thud thud, out, thud thud, in, thud thud… It wasn’t exactly exciting, but it was great to turn my brain off for a while. But that day, I kept being distracted. I thought I saw him about a dozen times, either in front of me or behind, just out of sight, and in a move of rare brilliance I actually reversed the direction that we both normally ran so I’d be sure I’d go past him if he was there, instead of both of us running around at the same pace on opposite sides of the circuit.
I kept at it for way longer than usual, long enough that the sun was getting hot and my legs were starting to feel like wobbly blades of grass, but Tyler didn’t appear.
It wasn’t a big deal. It was stupid to feel disappointed. Everything was fine, and it was great that I’d gotten such a good workout. I stretched out on the benches in the grassy area of the park and then walked home, and I did not look over my shoulder a bunch of times to check in case he’d just been really late.
Will’s car was gone by the time I got back which was an excellent side effect of the extra-long workout, but the rest of the family seemed to be awake, which was a definite drawback. I tried to sneak in, but Natalie was waiting for me in the kitchen. I needed to check and see if any of the basement windows opened—maybe I could turn one of them into my own entrance/exit route.
“Karen,” Natalie said firmly. “Come in here for a minute, please.”
“I’m totally sweaty and gross. I’ll just shower, and then—”
“Now, please. It won’t take long.” There was something in her tone that made me obey, and I realized she didn’t need to use shock collars on her kids; she was just an authoritative person.
Still, I might do what she said, but I didn’t have to do it nicely. So I slumped against the fridge, letting my sweaty body steam up the stainless steel, and raised an eyebrow at her. I’m waiting, my body language said. This had better be good.
Natalie kept her eyes on me as she stepped out into the front hall and called up the stairs. “Miranda? Come down here, please.”
Natalie returned to the kitchen, and a moment later Miranda appeared, looking cautious. When she saw me, her expression faded to sullen. Probably a good mirror of my own face.
“Ladies,” Natalie said. “I’ve tried to speak to both of you individually, and I haven’t had much luck. So let’s try this as a group.”
We both just stared at her. She shook her head and said, “That little display yesterday was absolutely unacceptable. I do not want a repeat of it, under any circumstances. Is that clear?”
I snorted. “If you can get your daughter to keep her mouth shut, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Oh my God!” Miranda’s eyes were wide with faked outrage. “Mom, she’s running around with Tyler MacDonald. I told you yesterday, she needs to be kept on a leash or something. Honestly, some of the things she could catch from him? I don’t think she should be allowed to use the same toilet seats as us, is all I’m saying.”
“Both of you, stop it!” Natalie stared at us like we were rabid wolverines who’d somehow fought our way into her spotless kitchen. “Karen, I want you both to keep your mouths shut, and Miranda, if you want Karen to make different friends, maybe you should introduce her to some of yours.”
Miranda was in the middle of making a disgusted face, but I beat her to the punch. “No, thanks. From what I’ve seen of them, I’m really not interested.”
“What you’ve seen of them?” Miranda snarled. “You haven’t seen them at all. Since you got here, I’ve been too embarrassed to let anyone come over!”
“You think I heard about your dad’s whoring from Tyler? Trust me, we talk about stuff way more interesting than your pathetic family. No, it was your so-called friends who were talking about it.” And since this whole showdown had been Natalie’s stupid idea, I added, “From what they say, though, I could have heard it anywhere, because apparently the whole town knows he’s a complete slut.”
“You are a total bitch!” Miranda screamed. “You’re ruining everything. Mom, this is my last year before university, and she’s going to ruin it.” She was crying now, her face twisted up and blotchy, and I almost felt sorry for her. But not quite.
I had my mouth open for the next attack when Natalie said, “Enough!” She stepped between the two of us and said, “Sit down. Both of you.” Neither of us moved, and Natalie growled, “Miranda…” and pointed at one of the kitchen chairs. There was a tense moment, but finally Miranda moved, and Natalie turned toward me. “Karen,” she said more calmly, and gestured to a chair on the far side of the table.
I figured I could always just stand up again if I had to, so I moved, and Natalie sank tiredly into her own chair between the two of us. “No more,” she finally said. “I don’t want to hear the words ‘bitch’ or ‘slut’ or ‘whore’ one more time in this house. Not from either one of you, not directed at each other or anybody else.”
“What about the idea of slut?” I asked. It probably sounded petty, but I was pretty sure I had a point. “Like the stuff she keeps saying about Tyler?” I wasn’t sticking up for his honor; I just wanted to see her face.
Natalie nodded slowly. “I think his name should probably be off-limits as well.” She shook her head at Miranda. “Honestly, I’ve never heard you have a problem with him before. Where did all this come from?”
“From me finding out what a whore he is,” Miranda said.
“Uh, consequences,” I sing-songed. “She used a forbidden word. She obviously needs a consequence in order to understand that you’re serious.”
“You want consequences?” Natalie rolled her head toward me, looking absolutely disgusted. “Fine. For both of you.” She looked back at Miranda. “The garage is a mess. Today, both of you will be cleaning it out. I want it totally emptied, then swept down and hosed out.” She looked at each of us in turn, and I began to understand the true horror of what she was saying. “I’ll have Matt and Sara sort through their things, and Will is planning to be home at lunch, so he can go through his stu
ff as well. Whatever they decide to keep, you two will find a home for. Whatever they decide to throw out, you will load up and take to the dump or to Goodwill. Neither one of you will leave this house until that job is finished.”
“Wait a second,” I said. “Why the hell am I clearing out all your junk? I just moved here.” I refused to mention the pain of dealing with my mother’s things at the apartment, because there was no way on earth I was going to cry in front of either of these two. But I really felt like I’d done enough sorting of belongings for a while.
“You’re doing it because you need to learn to get along with your sister, and maybe working on a shared task will help with that.”
“That’s bullshit. She’s only my half-sister, and spending a whole day trapped with her is only going to make it more clear what a psycho-bitch she is!”
“And now you’re doing it as a consequence for using one of the forbidden words,” Natalie said with a coldly charming smile. “You can have half an hour to shower and have breakfast, but I want both of you in the garage by nine o’clock, ready to work.”
“Mom, Claire and Lisa and I are going to the movies this afternoon. We made plans!” Miranda sounded like she might start crying again.
“Well, then, you’d better work fast.” Natalie shook her head. “I don’t think you’re going to make it, to be honest, but…maybe. You can try, at least.” Damn, this was a new side to the woman—who knew she had a sadistic streak? I was almost ready to appreciate her when she turned to me and said, “Are you thinking that there’s no point getting showered, because the job is going to be so dirty? Or are you just wasting valuable time?”
Center Ice (Entangled Crush) (Corrigan Falls Raiders) Page 5