Trouble From the Start

by Rachel Hawthorne

Fletcher looked at me, and I saw everything he felt for me in his eyes. “More than care. I just haven’t told her that yet.”

  “They’re not easy words to say the first time,” Dad told him. “I understand you wanting it to be a private moment.” Then he and Mom went into the house.

  I swung around and faced Fletcher. “You don’t have to say the words. I know how you feel.”

  “You deserve the words.”

  “I don’t know that I do. I hurt you. You mean so much to me. I was afraid to trust what we were feeling and that I might lose you. That maybe it wasn’t permanent. I was afraid if I told them that I might lose them, too.”

  He cradled my cheek. “You’re not going to lose me, Avery. I like being your boyfriend.”

  He kissed me, and it was better than any other kiss we’d shared. It was out in the open; we were out in the open.

  I heard a door close, then Dad clearing his voice. Fletcher and I drew apart.

  Dad held up his phone. “They just called me. Smiley’s awake.”

  “That’s great,” Fletcher said.

  “But do they know why he said it was Fletcher?” I asked.

  Dad rubbed his chin with his thumb. “Apparently, he was trying to say ‘Fletcher’s dad.’”

  Fletcher stiffened beside me. “My dad robbed Smiley’s?”

  Dad nodded. “The evidence is pointing that way. They just arrested him. Found Smiley’s cash bag in his car. Most of the money is still there.”

  “I need to see him,” Fletcher said.

  “I’m on my way to the station now,” Dad told him.

  “I’m going with you,” I said, but I wasn’t sure if Fletcher heard me. He was already heading for the car.

  Chapter 38

  FLETCHER

  I stood outside the window looking into the interrogation room where I’d been sitting a short time ago. Now my father was sitting there, slouched back in the chair, his handcuffed wrists resting on the table. I didn’t know if I’d ever felt more ashamed.

  Avery was beside me, holding my hand. Every couple of minutes she squeezed my fingers. That was the only thing that stopped me from feeling completely dead inside.

  “You’re not responsible for his actions,” Avery’s dad said.

  “Why would he do everything he did?”

  “Sometimes there’s no explanation that makes any sense.”

  “Can I talk to him?”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Avery asked.

  “Probably not, but I need to talk to him. He’s my father.”

  “I’ll go in with you,” she said.

  I was so glad she was here, but I couldn’t expose her to him. Shaking my head, I touched her cheek. “I need to do this alone.”

  “You won’t be completely alone,” Avery’s dad said. “I’ll be in the room.”

  “I’ll wait out here,” Avery said.

  I looked back at the man in the room and realized that I didn’t really know him. We’d shared a trailer for most of my life, but it was like looking at a stranger.

  Avery’s dad placed his hand on my shoulder. “Ready?”

  Not really, but I needed to do this. I took a deep breath, nodded, and followed him into the room.

  My father glanced up, sneered. “Got nothing to say.”

  I took the chair across from him, while Avery’s dad leaned against a wall.

  “Why’d you do it?” I asked.

  He looked at me with dead eyes. “I ain’t talking until my lawyer gets here.”

  “This is unofficial,” Avery’s dad said. “Talk to your son. I’m not recording anything.”

  My father curled up a lip, lifted a shoulder. “Okay, then, sure, why not?”

  At least I realized where I’d learned the art of conversation. I’d once revealed as little. Until Avery.

  I knew no matter what I asked, he wasn’t going to give me an honest answer. That didn’t mean I couldn’t talk to him honestly.

  “When you used to hit me, I thought it was because I did something wrong.”

  “You gonna cry about it now?”

  “No. I didn’t cry when your fists came down. I’m not going to cry now. But I wanted you to know that I can’t seem to not love you. I guess because you’re my father. But I don’t like you. I don’t know if I ever liked you. But I do know that I’m not going to be like you.”

  I leaned forward. “I’m going to make something of myself.”

  “Make me proud?” he mocked.

  “It’s got nothing to do with you. I’m doing it for me, because I deserve it. When I walk out of here, I hope I never see you again. But I wanted you to know that if you ever come at me again, I will flatten you.”

  “You couldn’t—”

  My fist hit his face so quick, so hard that I felt the force of it shimmering up my arm and through my chest. “That was for Smiley.”

  Gerald Thomas—I no longer thought of him as my dad; I didn’t want anything more to do with him—was moaning, cursing, rolling on the floor.

  I didn’t remember coming out of the chair to strike him, but Avery’s dad had his arms around me and was pulling me back.

  I was breathing harshly, my body was coiled.

  “Got anything else you want to say?” Avery’s dad asked.

  I shook my head.

  He pushed me gently in the direction of the door. “Then get on out of here.”

  I put my hand on the knob, looked back over my shoulder.

  Avery’s dad was crouched near Gerald Thomas. “You need to watch how you sit in the chairs, Mr. Thomas. It’s very easy to topple yourself over and break your nose on the floor.”

  I opened the door and walked out without another backward glance.

  Chapter 39

  AVERY

  I almost cheered when Fletcher walked out. His father had so deserved that.

  But Fletcher didn’t even look at me. His face set in a stony mask, he simply walked by. I followed. Normally I could keep up with his stride but he was moving too fast.

  By the time I did catch up with him, he was outside, standing on the front lawn by the flagpole. His back was tense, his hands fisted.

  My heart ached for him. “He deserved that, Fletcher.”

  He shook his head. “I never hit anyone before. It didn’t feel good, I’m not proud of what I did, but I’m glad I did it. I didn’t even think about. I just did it.”

  “You’re not your father,” I said as I pressed my hand to his back.

  He spun around, and I could see the anguish on his face. “He hit Smiley over the head with a wrench. He could have killed him. What did Smiley ever do to him?”

  “What did you ever do to him? He’s just a horrible person.” I took a step closer. “But you’re good.”

  “Avery—”

  “You helped me with Tyler when he was sick. You didn’t have to do that. He’s not your responsibility. You repaired Mrs. Ellis’s car because her husband isn’t here to do it for her. On your own time. Again, not your responsibility. You made my car purr like a contented cat. You made sure no one took advantage of me when I was drunk. You can say it was because of the bet, and that you took me home because of the bet, but I think you did it because you knew I was vulnerable. You’re a good guy, Fletcher. You’re tough on the outside, but inside you’re a marshmallow.”

  “I’m not a marshmallow,” he groused.

  I pressed up against him, wrapped my arms around him, and held his gaze. “Am I right, Fletcher, about Scooter’s party, about the reason behind the bet?”

  “I needed a few bucks,” he said. He cradled my face. “And yeah, I was standing with a group of idiots who noticed you weaving around the patio, knew you’d been drinking, and were trying to decide who should make the first move on you. Made me mad. I thought, ‘Einstein’s got nobody watching out for her.’ I’ve loved you, Avery, for longer than you know.”

  He kissed me. I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I loved the way he held me
, the slow sweep of his tongue. He pressed me closer, and it was just the two of us, melting into each other. He loved me. I loved him. The kiss was a little different with the words said, but it was also the same. We had cared for each other longer than either of us had known. Now we were together and everything felt right.

  Chapter 40

  FLETCHER

  FOUR WEEKS LATER

  I was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels, searching for a baseball game. I’d finished summer school three days ago. This was my first Sunday when I didn’t need to work on algebra problems. Since Avery had left for work an hour ago, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with my spare time. Maybe I’d take Tyler to get some ice cream.

  A knock sounded on my door. I got up and opened it. Avery smiled up at me.

  “Hey,” I said, slipping an arm around her and bringing her in close. “Thought you were working.”

  “That’s what I wanted you to think.” She held up a blindfold and wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Are we about to get into something kinky?” I asked.

  “Not too kinky.” Reaching up, she tied the cloth over my eyes. “I want to show you something, but I want to unveil it.”

  “I love it when you’re mysterious.”

  She brushed her lips over mine. “You’re really going to love this,” she whispered.

  Taking my arm, she led me slowly down the steps. When we reached the bottom, she spun me around several times until I was disoriented, then she was leading me again but I couldn’t figure out where we were going, but it seemed farther away than the house.

  “I know you’re backtracking,” I said. “Going in circles.”

  “You do not.”

  “I do now.”

  She playfully slapped my arm. “So clever.”

  We moved off the driveway or sidewalk onto springy grass. I heard a little giggle, followed by a shush. I was pretty sure it was Tyler’s giggle. Maybe her mother shushing him.

  “I’m not going to be embarrassed, am I?” I asked.

  “Trust me.”

  “I do.”

  She squeezed my arm. A few steps later we stopped. She let go. “Okay, you can take off the blindfold.”

  I dragged it off.

  “Surprise!” Avery, her parents, Tyler, Kendall, and Jeremy shouted.

  We were all standing near a table set up by the pool. Balloons at each corner of the table were bouncing in the breeze. In the center of the table sat a white cake and written in purple icing was:

  Congratulations,

  Graduate!

  I was overcome with emotions. I didn’t know that many existed in the world.

  Avery slipped in against my side. “I’m so proud of you for acing that algebra class.”

  “I had a great tutor,” I told her.

  “But you got the work done. Ready for some cake?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Avery began slicing up the cake.

  “I’m going to get started grilling the steaks,” Avery’s dad said. He stopped by me and patted my shoulder. “Knew you could do it. I’m proud of you.”

  My throat knotted up at the words my own father had never spoken to me. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”

  He sobered a bit. “Got word that your dad took a plea bargain. He’s going away for a while.”

  “That’s the best news I could get today.” Smiley had recovered from his injuries. Had even given me a raise. I wasn’t sure why, but I appreciated it.

  “Thought it might make your day. Sure as hell made mine.” He headed for the deck and the grill.

  Tyler rushed over and held up a paper plate with a corner piece of cake on it. “Avery says you get the first one,” he said.

  “Too much icing for me. Why don’t you take that one?”

  “Yes!” He raced off.

  Avery’s mother wandered over and handed me a small card. “Just a little something for your college fund.”

  “You don’t have to do that. You’ve done so much for me already.”

  “You’ve made our daughter happy. That’s all we’ve ever wanted for her. We want that for you, too.” She hugged me, and I folded my arms around her. “You deserve it, Fletcher. Don’t let anyone ever convince you otherwise.”

  Moving back, she patted my arm. “We’re going to miss you.”

  “I’m not leaving for a few more weeks.”

  “They’ll go fast. And now I’d better check on the potatoes.” She walked off.

  I strolled over to the pool where Kendall, Jeremy, and Avery were waiting. I sat in a chair beside Avery. She handed me a piece of cake. “Thanks.”

  Jeremy lifted a glass of lemonade. “A toast: to your graduation. Cheers!”

  “Cheers!” Avery and Kendall said.

  I clicked my glass to everyone’s and drank deeply.

  “So now that you’re finally finished with high school, what are you going to do?” Kendall asked.

  I looked at Avery. “You didn’t tell her?”

  She smiled. “It’s your news.”

  “Come on, spill it,” Kendall said.

  I took a deep breath, couldn’t believe the words I was about to utter. “Going to school.”

  Kendall looked as shell-shocked as I’d felt when I made the decision. “It’s a little late to apply, isn’t it? At least for the fall.”

  “Not to apply to a community college,” Avery said. “He’s been accepted to one in Austin. Which works out great for us since we’ll be in the same city. And his grades there will help when he’s ready to transfer to a four-year school.”

  “What are you going to major in?” Jeremy asked.

  “Law enforcement.” I’d spent considerable time getting advice from Avery’s dad regarding the path I should take to becoming a police offer.

  “A cop and a doctor,” Kendall said.

  “Actually,” Avery began, “a cop and a teacher.”

  Kendall’s mouth dropped open. “When did you decide this?”

  “A couple of weeks ago.”

  “Thought your mom wanted you to be a doctor.”

  “That’s what I thought. Seems I misjudged her expectations.”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t share all this news with me!”

  Avery leaned against me, her smile bright. “I’ve been a little busy.”

  “We need to schedule a spa day or a girls’ weekend or something, so we can catch up.”

  “We should, we really should.”

  “Hey, guys, steaks are ready!” Avery’s dad yelled.

  Jeremy and Kendall headed over to the deck. Avery held me back, moved in close, and held my gaze.

  “Was it a nice surprise?” she asked.

  “The best.”

  I lowered my mouth as she lifted up on her toes and met me halfway. I wrapped my arms around her as she pressed her body to mine. Her fingers combed through my hair. Her mouth moved over mine, slowly, seductively.

  I loved kissing her, loved talking with her, loved being with her.

  With her in my life, my world was a little bit brighter. With her at my side, I could do anything.

  Excerpt from The Boyfriend Project

  Read a sneak peek

  of Kendall and Jeremy’s story in

  Chapter 1

  KENDALL

  I loved Jeremy Swanson.

  I loved his long, slow kisses, his dimpled smile. I loved the way one of his hands always came to rest on the small of my back when we walked.

  “I love you, Kendall,” he whispered breathlessly as he trailed his mouth along my neck before returning it to my lips for another searing kiss.

  I loved that most of all. That he loved me, quirks included.

  We were doing our contortionist impression, as we struggled to find a comfortable position in the cramped backseat of his car that was quickly turning into a sauna. Because of all the mosquitoes, we had the windows rolled up. Because of the price of gas, the car wasn’t running, the air conditioner wasn’t blowin
g.

  But neither of us cared about the discomforts. We were together. That was all that mattered.

  Jeremy shifted, lost his precarious perch on the edge of the seat and, with a yelp, tumbled the few inches to the floor.

  I laughed, held up a hand. “Sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” he said, moaning as he shoved himself into a sitting position. “I don’t know why my parents had to get me such a small car for a graduation present.”

  “Probably because they knew this is what you’d be doing with it.”

  He grinned. The shadows stopped me from seeing the little dimple that I knew had formed in his left cheek. “Probably. Dad worries that I’ll do something stupid before I even get to college.”

  “Like fall in love,” I teased.

  He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss. “That’s the smartest thing I’ve done so far.”

  He tried to get up but he was wedged between the front seat and the back. “This is ridiculous. I’m glad you love me. These moves wouldn’t impress a date.”

  I placed my hand against his cheek, leaned in, and let my mouth play over his. “Your moves impress me.”

  They always had. We’d been together for nearly four months, longer if I counted the friendship phase that had begun at the start of our senior year just after his family moved to town. Over spring break when my best friend, Avery Watkins, hadn’t been able to go to a movie with us, Jeremy had kissed me for the first time. It had been a sweet kiss, a tentative brushing of his lips over mine as though he were afraid I’d take offense and slap him or something. I hadn’t taken offense. Instead I’d moved in to welcome his advance. He’d taken the kiss deeper and I’d fallen hard.

  Now, without breaking off the kiss, he tried to smoothly get back onto the seat. He grunted, shifted, pulled away, and sighed. “I’m stuck.”

  Ruffling my fingers through his short, blond hair, I laughed again. “And I intend to take advantage of that.”

  I kissed him again. He cupped my face, his thumb stroking the underside of my chin where the skin was soft and sensitive. Shivers went through me. He skipped his tongue over my lips before slipping it inside to dance with mine. He always took his time. He always went slow.