“Thank you so much!”
Maggie catches Dustin looking at her. He winks at her.
Maggie spends the rest of the evening talking to Mrs. Finley and some of the other residents. Turns out, Holly only showed up to give Mrs. Finley her present and give Maggie a job. After she did both, she said her goodbyes and was gone.
After a while, Maggie wanders off by herself to a secluded little area and lies down on the grass. The night sky is filled with stars and the full moon brightens everything around her. Perhaps, she can be happy here. Perhaps, things will be okay for her.
Dustin lies next to her. “Quick, hide me. They won’t stop making me cook them burgers and hot dogs!”
“Aww, well, it is Mrs. Finley’s birthday.”
“It’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“She forgets things more and more lately. We celebrated her birthday two weeks ago, but she doesn’t remember.”
“And you all just went along with it?”
“Of course. We love Mrs. Finley.”
“This place can’t be real,” she says.
“Why? Because people are nice?”
“Everyone can’t be nice.”
“That’s true. And not everyone who lives here is nice, but we do seem to have a large share of nice people.”
“My name isn’t really Helen,” she blurts out. She may regret the confession, but right at this moment, she feels she needs to be honest with him.
He puts her hand in his.
The Little Dipper looks down on them.
“I didn’t think it was,” he says.
“My real name is Maggie.”
“You look more like a Maggie than a Helen.”
“I can’t tell you anymore about me. Not now.”
“Okay. As long as you’re not a killer or anything,” he says, laughing.
Her stomach tightens. “Of course not.”
“Good. So, you ready to head back?”
“Yes.”
The second they enter his apartment, they rip each other’s clothes off and this time, they don’t make it to his bed.
On Monday, Maggie arrives at Holly’s Place at exactly seven in the morning, ready to start her new job and her new life.
"Good morning," Holly says to Maggie.
"Good morning. Thank you, again, for giving me a job," Maggie says.
Holly starts placing napkin holders on the tables. "You've enchanted my little brother. He's known you for what, three days? Already he's putty in your hands. I've never seen him fall so hard and so fast before." She goes back to the counter and retrieves several sugar containers, which she then proceeds to put out on the tables. "He told me your name isn't Helen. It's Maggie. So, Maggie, I'm following my brother's lead and taking a chance on you because you seem like a good kid who just needs a break in life."
"Thank you," Maggie says.
"I'm not going to ask you who or what you are running from. Consider this day, day one of a new start for you, okay?"
Maggie wants to throw her arms around Holly and cry with gratitude. "Okay."
"But, here's the deal. You need to show up for work every day, on time. And while you're here, you need to work your butt off. No slacking off. I will pay you enough to get you on your feet. Cash, of course, so whomever you're running from, can't track you."
Maggie can longer stop herself from hugging Holly. She wraps her arms around her and says, "I won't let you down, I swear it."
Holly pats her on the back. "Let's get to work. I need to show you how to work the cash register. And you should know working the register is the most important task you'll have. If you can't work it, then you can't work here, understand?"
"Yes."
"All right then, come on, time to start your training."
Maggie follows her behind the counter.
"Not that long ago, I wore bruises on my face as well. I got away, and I'm glad you got away, too," Holly says.
The next few weeks are heaven-sent for Maggie. She’s working for Holly, having mastered the cash register, and Dustin and she are getting closer and closer. She has fallen for him utterly and completely.
When he comes home from his bike repair shop, they have dinner, usually something she’s cooked like grilled cheese sandwiches or spaghetti or mac and cheese, or they eat at Holly’s Place and then they go for a stroll on the Riverwalk. On nights when they don’t feel like taking a walk, they cuddle on the couch and watch old movies and shows, taking breaks to make-out, of course.
Holly even let her have some of her clothes for which Maggie is thankful. When she’s saved up enough money, she’ll buy herself a few shirts and pants, but for right now, she’s only splurged on two new bras and some underwear and things like shampoo, a hairbrush, and a pair of cheap, five-dollar flips flops.
She still hasn’t told Dustin about her past and she’s not sure she ever will. That part of her life should stay buried.
The night of the fire, Maggie was so careful. Matt was sleeping at a friend’s house. Unlike her, he had friends. And that night, he was really excited because the girl he liked was going to be at his friend’s house studying for a project with his friend’s sister.
Maggie gave her brother a hug. She clung to him for a long time because she knew the next day was going to be different for the both of them. Maggie had to protect Matt from their father. She didn’t know what they were going to do after he was dead, but one thing she did know: there was no way in all of hell she was going to let her father get his hands on Matt.
Matt was a sweet sixteen-year-old boy who had a chance at happiness. Maggie had noticed how her father had started to look at Matt, like a lion getting ready to pounce on his prey. She had also noticed how her father had begun to lose interest in her, coming into her room fewer and fewer nights. She should have been relieved, but she wasn’t, because in her heart, she knew her father was now interested in Matt.
So, Maggie kissed her brother on the cheek and told him she loved him and to have fun at his friend’s house and then when he left, she put on a Yankee’s baseball hat and went to work.
Her father was in his chair in the living room smoking a cigarette. He had already downed several beers and was in a foul mood, yelling at her to get a better job and bring home more money so they wouldn’t lose the farm, which had gone into foreclosure.
Jacob had visited earlier and reminded her father that if he had sold the farm to him when he had made an offer, he’d at least have gotten something for it. But, now that it was in foreclosure, Jacob was sure to get the farm at a dirt cheap price. He’d then turn around and level the house and start building a new development of townhomes and single family houses and her father wouldn’t get a penny for it.
Her father had cursed at Jacob, calling him a sleazy snake, a troll, a disgusting human being. It didn’t matter that her father was all of those things and worse.
“Do you want another beer?” Maggie asked her father.
“Where’s Matt?” he asked.
“At a friend’s house.”
“Who told him he could go out? Go get him and bring his ass home!”
“Oh, Dad, let him be. Let’s you and I spend some time together, okay? I’ll bring you another beer and if you want, we can watch a movie.”
He took a drag of his cigarette. “Go on then, girl, bring me a beer. And take that stupid hat off.”
Her father was a New York Mets fan and despised the Yankees. Maggie wasn’t a baseball fan, but she was a fan of irritating her father whenever she thought she could get away with it, and since tonight was going be the last day of her father’s life, she figured she could get away with a lot.
She brought him a beer and then another. And when he was good and really, really drunk, she lit a cigarette and put it in his hand.
“One more smoke before bedtime, Dad?”
He grumbled something she didn’t understand.
“You’re like your mother was, stupid and worthless,”
he said.
“I know I am. You’ve always been right about me. Go on, smoke your cigarette and don’t worry about me because like you said, I’m worthless.”
Maggie went upstairs and checked all the rooms. She knew her brother wasn’t home, but she checked nonetheless.
Then she went back downstairs and sunk into the couch. Her father hadn’t passed out yet. She had to wait until he was completely out.
It was ten o’clock and she was tired. She had worked a double shift at the grocery store and could hardly keep her eyes open. She fell asleep for what she thought was only a short moment.
When she awoke, her father was still in his chair. He had put out his cigarette. He was passed out. It was time to carry out her plan.
Quickly, she lit a cigarette and tapped it with her finger so some of the ashes fell on the carpet next to his chair. She took in a long drag and then tapped it again. More ashes fell. She put the cigarette in between his fingers and then she left the house.
She’d later tell the police she had decided to go for a walk around the farm, something she enjoyed doing late at night when everything was the most peaceful. She’d tell them that when she came back from her walk, the house was on fire. And that her father must have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette in his hand, something he did often, but this time, she wasn’t there to put it out for him.
They believed her story, or rather they chose to believe her story because the truth of the matter was that no one really liked her father and they all knew he wasn’t very kind to his children. The truth of the matter was that no one really cared that he was dead and as long as there wasn’t any real evidence to indicate Maggie was guilty, the policemen took down her story and that was that, no more questions asked. They did, however, tell her over and over again how sorry they were about Matt.
What Maggie hadn’t known was that Matt had returned home while she was asleep on the couch. She’ll never find out why he came home.
What she also didn’t know was that Jacob was on the porch peeking through a window watching her do what she did. He later told her he came back to the house to tell her father it was a done deal. The bank had accepted his offer. The farm and the house were his. Maggie didn’t believe that was the reason he was standing on her porch that night. She thinks he had finally decided to get close to her. She thinks he was waiting for her father to pass out so he could break into the house and do whatever it was he had been planning to do to her since the first day he saw her.
***
It’s late August and the whole town is excited about the yearly End of Summer Festival.
Fireworks and picnics are planned and most shop owners are leaving their doors open later so people can do a little late night shopping for knickknacks that are on sale in honor of the festival. Sailboats and yachts on the river are lit with strings of lights. Music sounds from every direction.
The main street is closed off to cars. People are everywhere, dancing and singing and eating and having a good time.
Maggie and Dustin are in each other’s arms on a bench in the gazebo on the Riverwalk. Maggie whispers into his ear, “I’m so happy.”
He says, “I love you. I think I fell in love with you the day I met you.”
“I love you, too,” she says.
“Hey, love birds, get a room,” Holly says, walking toward them.
“Hi, Holly,” Maggie says.
“Hey, Bug a Boo. Is my brother treating you right?”
Maggie loves it that Holly has nicknamed her Bug a Boo. She has no idea why she calls her that, but she loves it, nonetheless.
“Yes, a perfect gentleman,” Maggie says.
“Good. I went ahead and closed the store. No one was coming in. They’re all too busy buying knickknacks from my neighbors.”
Maggie remembers she left her purse behind the counter at Holly’s. She hadn’t had time to go home and freshen up after her shift ended so she told Dustin to meet her at the store. She decided to leave her purse there so she wouldn’t have to lug it around all night.
“I left my purse in the store,” Maggie says to Holly.
“Oh, shoot, you should have told me. I would have brought it with me.”
“I’ll go get it and be right back,” Maggie says.
“I’ll go with you,” Dustin says.
“No, it’s okay. Stay here with Holly. I won’t be long.”
“You sure?” he says.
“Yes.”
He gives her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Oh for God sakes, when you get back, the two of you should just go home.”
“I can’t help it if I’m crazy about her,” Dustin says.
Maggie darts across the street. She unlocks the door and goes behind the counter.
“Hi, Maggie, did you miss me?”
Maggie freezes. Jacob has found her.
“How did you find me?” she asks.
“Do you remember Mr. Henderson? Poor old Mr. Henderson.”
Mr. Henderson was the neighbor who helped her escape. She went to his house and he helped her dye her blonde hair, black. When it was time, he drove her to the bus stop. He knew she was going to Raleigh. He’s the only person who knew about her plan.
“You and he were such good friends. You helping him mow his lawn and get his mail. Such a good person you are, Maggie.”
“Leave me alone,” she says, scanning the area for anything she can use as a weapon.
“You’ll be glad to know Mr. Henderson is resting peacefully. He doesn’t need your help anymore, but then, you did abandon him. It took me a while to get the information I needed. I almost gave up and let the poor old man live, but, you stole from me, Maggie. I could almost forgive you leaving me. Nah, I would have still come after you. But, you stealing from me? I took care of you. Took you into my home. Fed you. And you returned the favor by stealing from me. That, I can’t forgive. And because of you, poor Mr. Henderson had to suffer.”
“What did you do?”
“I killed him, of course. But, first, I made him tell me where you were. I went all the way to Raleigh looking for you, but then a very nice bus driver told me you never arrived in Raleigh. He told me you never got back on the bus after he stopped here. You can’t possibly like it here. You must be homesick. Well, not to worry, I’m here now, and I’m going to take you home.”
The bus driver had shown concern for her. Maggie doesn’t believe he would have just told Jacob she never got back on the bus. Jacob must have forced him to tell him.
“Did you hurt the bus driver?”
“Only a little. You’ll be glad to know he’s not dead.”
“I’ll pay you back the money I took from you.”
“Oh, I know you will.”
Maggie runs to the other side of the counter. He lunges toward her and knocks her on the floor. She bites him on the arm and kicks him in the face.
“Little bitch!”
She gets to her feet and makes for the door, but just as she grabs the doorknob, something hits her on the back, causing her to lose her balance, and go crashing to the floor.
“Next time, it won’t just be a chair I throw at you.”
He’s holding a gun, pointed straight at her.
“Please, Jacob, leave me alone.” So, this is how it’s going to end for her. Nineteen years is all God gave her. It’s okay. It’s all okay because in the end, she found someone who really loved her and whom she loved. It’s okay. She’ll now be free and climb high into the sky and chase pink balloons. And maybe, if she’s lucky, she’ll see her brother. And maybe she’ll even see her mother. She hopes her mother is stronger than she was when she was alive. She hopes her mother is happy. And she hopes her brother forgives her.
“You are mine, remember?” Jacob says,
“I don’t love you,” she says, getting to her feet.
“I don’t care if you do or don’t. You’re coming back with me.” He takes her arm. “Let’
s go.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you.”
It’s Dustin and standing next to him is Holly.
“Is this your new man?” Jacob asks Maggie.
“Let go of her,” Dustin says.
“Does he know how you killed your father and brother? I bet you haven’t told him. Your girl, here, is a killer. A cold blooded killer. She set fire to her own house with her father and brother in it. And do you know what she did afterwards? She went for a walk.”
“What is he talking about?” Dustin asks Maggie.
“Oh, this is going to be good. Go on, Maggie, tell him,” Jacob says, squeezing her arm and holding the gun to her head.
Maggie is crying and wishes Jacob would just pull the trigger and end it.
“I’m so sorry,” she says to Dustin.
“Oh, boohoo, she’s sorry she’s a murderer,” Jacob says.
“I didn’t mean to kill my brother. It was an accident. He wasn’t supposed to be home,” Maggie says to Dustin.
Dustin isn’t saying anything. He’s looking at her and then at Jacob and then at her again.
“Oh, enough of this,” Jacob starts backing up, his gun still on Maggie’s head, “we’re leaving.”
Dustin steps forward. “Let her go!”
“Or what?” Jacob asks.
“Jacob, listen to me. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll go back with you. I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry I stole from you.” Maggie is afraid that he’s going to shoot Dustin.
Jacob opens the door and forces Maggie to step backwards onto the porch. “You’re going to be sorrier than you think,” Jacob says to Maggie.
On the front porch, Jack, beautiful golden retriever old Jack, lunges at Jacob and bites him on the leg.
Jacob yells in pain and drops the gun on the floor. Maggie quickly picks it up and points it at Jacob.
Jack still has his teeth in Jacob’s leg. Maggie and Dustin come outside.
“You’re not going to shoot me and do you know why? Because you are weak, like your father was, like your mother was and just like your stupid brother was. You come from weak blood,” Jacob says.
Maggie remembers all the times she ran from her father instead of standing up to him. She remembers all the times she cried herself to sleep and prayed she’d never wake up. She was a weak little girl, defenseless. And she grew to be a weak person.
Pretty Young Thing: a new adult romance box set Page 4