by Alla Kar
I wiped my eyes and nose then sat back against the wall. Boone was pissed, and he had every right to be. “She made me feel so guilty for wanting you.” I look down at my lap.
Boone tilted my chin. “Raven, this isn’t our fault. It’s our families that have the beef, and they’re taking it out on us.”
“I don’t know what to do. My dad is dying, Boone.”
His frown deepened. “I tell you what we do. We’re going to find out what the fuck is wrong with our parents.”
I closed my eyes. “How, Boone? You goin’ to ask your dad?”
“No, we’re goin’ to find out who that is in the picture.”
Boone caught a tear with his finger and smoothed his thumb down my cheek. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“For what, Raven? You have nothin’ to be sorry about.”
I sniffled. “I just wish this was all over. Is all of this heartache even worth it, Boone?”
Boone’s face morphed into anger. “You’re worth every damn ass whooping I ever got, Josie.”
Ass whooping? What? “What do you mean?” I whispered. The silence in the laundry room weighed down on us.
Boone kept his eyes down on the tile floor. “Your dad always told you to stay away from me, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. And to stay off of Cross property.”
He nodded, smoothing his fingers down the back of my neck. “When I was growing up we had three rules. They were to respect our elders, stay off of Sawyer property, and stay away from Josie Sawyer.”
“Right. I had similar rules.”
“Yeah,” he scoffed. “Rules. Dad told them to us so much when we were kids, but I just couldn’t—” He let out a bitter laugh. “I couldn’t stay away from you. I would go to the property line and wait for you to come out. He caught me a couple of times and whooped my ass for watching you. That’s where all my anger came from. And part of the reason he shipped me off to my mom’s. To keep me away from you and to ‘settle me down.’”
Oh God. Vomit rose to my throat. I jumped up and ran to the sink to relieve my stomach. There was no way I’d make it to the bathroom. I’d always known that he’d gotten into trouble, and they had rules like I did. But I never realized he’d gotten whooped over it. I was part of the reason he’d been shipped off to his mother’s? It only deepened the hold he had on my heart. We’d both defy anything to be with each other.
Boone’s hand smoothed against my back, and he pulled my hair from my face. “You okay?”
I nodded.
“It’s not a big deal. It was a long time ago, and I don’t give a shit about all of that now. Now, we’re going to find out who is in that picture and why our families hate each other.”
Turning the sink on, I washed my mouth out and stood up to face him. My cheeks pulled tight from the tear streaks, and I didn’t want to imagine how I looked. There wasn’t one thing in this world that could keep him from me, and it hit me so hard it hurt.
I knew there were consequences to come, and even though my heart had been shattered, I opened it up again and let Boone all the way in. “Thank you for everything, Boone.”
He stepped forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. “You’re worth every goddamn second of it, Raven.”
And I believed him.
Chapter Sixteen
Boone
My hand burned from the constant swing of my hammer. All the color in my skin had turned white, but all I could think about was leaving Josie in her room with Sam. It took everything I had to leave her there crying, but I had to leave.
Sweat poured into my eyes, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand. Dad was on the other side of the roof.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jace asked from beside me.
I ignored him and went back to hammering.
He scoffed. “Come on, bud. You know you’re just goin’ to go home and tell Duke about it. How about you talk to a real person?”
Sitting back, I tossed my hammer to the side. “I got caught at Josie’s house by your grandma, and she told me I better not come back.”
Jace stared at me. “My grandma made you get out? What the hell? She didn’t care when you came before.”
I shrugged. “She said Mr. Sawyer didn’t want me there, and I needed to leave Josie alone.”
“Damn, bro. I’m sorry.”
I nodded, and grabbed the hammer again. “It’s like everyone in this damn town is against us. It’s like Romeo and Juliet.”
Jace nodded. “You want me to ask my grandma?”
“No. I’m going to do some diggin’. I think I need to look in my dad’s yearbooks.”
Jace’s eyebrows lifted. “And why would that help anything?”
I sighed. “Josie found an old picture and we think it has something to do with the reason why our parents hate each other.”
“What kind of picture?”
“You boys workin’ over there or talkin’?” Dad yelled from the other side of the roof.
“Working, Mr. Cross,” Jace said. “How are you goin’ to get his yearbooks without him knowing?”
“I’m still thinking about that.”
Jace pursed his lips and then grinned. “I think I have an idea.”
Oh, God.
***
“Oh, my back!” Jace screamed.
I glanced up over my sandwich to see Jace bent down on the ground, holding his back. This is his plan? How on earth is this supposed to help us?
Dad walked over. “What’s wrong with you, boy?” Dad said.
“My back, ohhhhh,” Jace said. “I need my back brace from the house. Please now.”
Dad furrowed his brow and gestured for me to get up. “What’s wrong with it? You’ve never mentioned it before.”
Jace scrunched his face dramatically. “Old basketball injury. Oh, please, I need it.”
“Go get his brace, Boone. Hurry back.”
Jace didn’t even play basketball. Standing up, I bit the inside of my mouth to keep from smiling. Not the plan I was thinking, but hell, I guessed it worked.
I raced home and grabbed an extra back brace from my house before going to my dad’s; I’d had plenty of back problems growing up roofing with my dad. I hadn’t been inside in a month or so, but it looked the same. The dishes hadn’t been washed, and he desperately needed to pick up.
My brother’s old room was converted into my dad’s office when he moved out. Several boxes of his stuff still sat in the corner, but Dad’s file cabinets and bookshelves took up the rest of the space. The yearbooks were lined in order on the bottom shelf, and a layer of dust coated all of them.
I grabbed the last one, which I assumed was his senior year, and opened it. The signatures were faded and typical. Have a good life. I ran my fingers over the smooth page and stopped on one inscription in the corner.
No name was under it, only the word Always in small cursive writing that looked feminine. Dad didn’t meet Mom until after he graduated, not that he would tell me if he had a high school sweetheart. I flipped through the pages of my dad’s senior class. I recognized most of the small class of forty, but the girl in the picture was not among them, nor in the junior class.
The seam of the yearbook showed that a page had been ripped out. Furrowing my brow, I flipped through the pages, but it was gone.
“What the hell.”
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and my Dad’s face popped up. “Hello.”
“Where the hell are you at, boy? We got work to do. Jace is over here screamin’ like a girl.”
I rolled my eyes and tucked the yearbook underneath my arm. “I’m on my way.” I hung up and ran toward my truck.
***
Josie
“So, Boone is really hot. How on earth did you move so many miles away from him? I’m actually having second thoughts about leaving this place—ever,” Sam said from my bed. She was putting on her makeup and eating a Pop-Tart.
I snorted and pulled my hair into a ponytail. “That’s w
hy I was always cryin’,” I said.
Sam nodded. “Well, I can’t blame you. He’s, like—manly. Where are those guys in Cali? What did they feed him growin’ up?”
I snickered. “It’s called being corn fed. You about ready to do this? I’m getting anxious. Mom always keeps her door locked when she’s gone.”
Sam tossed her makeup to the side and stood up. “You must not have been a bad kid. I’m great at snooping. This girl found all of her Christmas presents every year, no matter the hiding place.”
“Well, let’s hope it helps here. Let’s go before my mom comes home.” We walked downstairs toward my mother’s room. As soon as we turned the corner, we saw her walking up the hallway toward us.
Shit. She stopped and stared at Samantha. “Mom, this is my friend Sam. She’s down for a while.”
Sam stepped forward and jutted her hand outward. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Sawyer. You and Josie look just alike. Wow.”
We’re not just alike. Mom took her hand and narrowed her eyes at me. “What were y’all going to do?”
I was not a good liar. Never had been. “Josie was going to show me some baby pictures, but I’m actually a little thirsty. Do you mind helping me in the kitchen, Mrs. Sawyer? Josie can get the pictures.”
Wow, that lie came way too easily for her.
Mom swallowed and nodded. “Sure. Follow me.”
Sam followed behind Mom and turned to give me a thumbs-up. The girl is nuts. Hurrying, I ran to the end of the hall and tucked a photo album under my arm before slipping into Mom and Dad’s room.
The room was almost bare besides the bed and furniture. There weren’t any pictures or personal items. For as long as I could remember, their room had been bare. Each second felt like a millennium, and I knew my mother would walk in at any moment.
The walk-in closet held tons of clothes and tubs of pictures and random things. I’ll never find anything like this. Frowning, I walked toward the end of the closet where a pile of shoeboxes sat. Most looked empty, but one of the bottoms had pieces of stacked paper sticking from the box. Quickly, I dropped to my knees, pulled it from the bottom, and opened the lid.
It was packed with notes, some folded and others laid flat. My eyes searched the pages closest to me. The small writing looked masculine, and in the bottom corner of every page was the word Always.
A thump against the wall scared me, and I grabbed the note and shoved it into my jeans before putting the box back. I bolted out of the room and quietly shut the door behind me. Mom stood close by the kitchen doorway while Sam sat at the bar and talked.
“I look nothing like my mother. It’s so crazy to me. I think to myself—why couldn’t I have gotten her legs? No, I got my grandmother’s legs. Short. I’m just so freaking short.” Her body relaxed when I walked into the room.
I took a seat beside Sam and watched as my mother watched us closely. “Found it. Sorry it took so long.”
“It’s okay. I was just telling your mother all about me.”
Mom gave her a tight grin. “Yes. But I’ve got to get goin’. I have some errands to run. Are you going to see ya daddy today?”
I nodded. “After this,” I said.
She smiled. “Good. I’ll see you tonight,” she said before walking toward the hallway that led to her room.
Sam leaned back in her chair to make sure my mother was out of earshot. “Okay, so what did you get? She hadn’t locked it yet, had she?”
Shakily, I shook my head. I pulled out the note and unfolded it onto the table. “I found a box of letters. Once she leaves, we can get more.”
Her door shut a few seconds later, and then the front door. I let out the breath I’d been holding and looked down at the letter.
Sweetpea,
I thought about you all day today. The way your green eyes lit up when you saw me, and the way your skin felt against my own. I’m so sorry about last night. I just got so fucking mad. I wanted to wash his scent from your skin. I only have a few minutes before I have to go to work, but I wanted to let you know that I love you. And I hope this letter finds you well today. I’ll see you tonight in our spot. Be safe.
Always.
Anger weighed me down. This was obviously not from my father. How old was this note? Was it new? The paper looked a little yellow, so I figured it was older, which only made this worse. How long has she been sleeping around on him? “You okay?” Sam asked.
I gave her a fake smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just—I just wish we knew who it was from.” I turned the paper over and noticed a small infinity symbol drawn on the back. I furrowed my brow. “What in the hell,” I whispered, palming my forehead.
“Let’s go see if we can find any more,” Sam said. “Maybe she left the door unlocked.”
Doubtful. I shoved the note into my pocket and walked toward my mother’s room. When I tried to open the door, it was locked.
Just like I thought.
“Of course,” I scoffed.
Sam’s eyes widened. “Damn it. You know how to pick a lock?”
I shook my head. “No. You?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re the country girl. Aren’t you supposed to know how to do that kind of stuff?”
I snapped my fingers. “No, sorry, my parents never taught me.”
Sam sighed. “Well, we can take what we have to Boone’s house tonight, right? We still on for that?”
I nodded. “Yeah, we’ll take what we have. Maybe he’s had more luck than us.”
Sam patted my back. “It’s going to be okay, Josie. We’re going to figure this out. I promise.”
I gave her a weak smile and followed behind her. I was starting to believe I didn’t want to know what my parents were hiding.
Chapter Seventeen
Josie
We waited well past ten before we snuck out of the house. I wasn’t sure what good I had done, only finding a note with no signature.
“This is way creepy, Josie. How could you walk this all alone? It’s like Texas Chainsaw Massacre met The Hills Have Eyes and had a baby. Are we almost there yet?”
I glanced up at the trees and closed my eyes. “I love this feeling. I’ve been afraid of the dark my entire life, but being out here never scared me.”
Sam shook her head. “You didn’t answer my question. Are we almost there yet?”
“What’s got up your ass? You’ve been moody today.”
She sighed. “I need some male loving.”
I snorted and swatted at a mosquito. “It hasn’t even been that long since you’ve had some. Look at me. I went a freaking year without it.”
“Yeah, but I’m not you, Sookie. I don’t have your self-control or morals. I just want some sex.”
Shaking my head, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “Thanks for comin’ out with me.”
She gave me a long sideways glance and smiled. “You’re my best friend. I couldn’t let ya cry alone. The least I could do is hold the Kleenex.”
A wolf howled loudly in the distance, and Sam stopped cold. “Oh, hell no. Get us to his house, now!”
I laughed and I tugged her forward.
We made it to the house five minutes later. Boone left his front porch light on for us, and I noticed Jace’s truck in the driveway. Oh great. “Who else is here?”
“It’s Jace, Boone’s best friend.”
Sam wiggled her eyebrows. “Is he hot?”
I bit my lip. “Yeah, he’s cute—I don’t know if he’ll be your type. He’s more cowboy than Boone.”
Sam flipped her brown hair. “If he’s cute, he’s my type.”
I barked out a laugh and then slapped my hand over my mouth. I looked toward the opposite side of the field, where Boone’s dad’s house was. Shadows cast across the ground, but something to the right caught my eye. Someone stood there.
It felt like someone tossed a bucket of ice water on top of my head. I grabbed Sam’s hand and tugged her forward and up the stairs to Boone’s front door.
> I opened the door and locked it behind us. Boone’s hand came to my shoulder. “You okay?”
I turned and looked up at him. “Yeah, I thought I saw someone watchin’ us from your dad’s house.”
Boone leaned over me to look out the blinds. “Don’t worry about it. No one would be able to tell who y’all were.”
I nodded and turned to see Sam and Jace staring at each other. “Oh, Sam this is Jace; Jace this is Sam.”
Sam looked over at me with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Jace.” She stuck her hand out.
Jace had a silly lopsided grin on his face but took her hand in his. “Nice to meet ya, Sam.”
Did she just shiver? Oh, God.
Boone cleared his throat. “Okay, now that that’s over with.”
Sam looked up. “So, we found a letter.”
“A letter?” Jace asked, stepping closer. “Please tell.”
Sam’s face turned bright red, but she tilted her head upward to meet his gaze.
“Or maybe we can sit down?” Boone asked, rolling his eyes. “Y’all want anything to drink?”
“Yes,” Sam said. “Please.”
“You can come and sit down in here,” Jace said, gesturing toward the living room.
Sam followed right behind him without a look in our direction. “Well, I guess they like each other,” I said.
Boone glanced down at me and laughed. “It would appear so. Go take a seat and I’ll get our drinks.” He bent and kissed my cheek.
Sam and Jace were sitting on the couch. Duke lay on the floor underneath Jace’s feet. “So, did you have much luck with the yearbooks?”
Jace frowned. “Not much. A page was ripped out.”
My heart sank. “Are you serious?”
Boone come in and passed out our drinks. “Yep. If she is on that page, it means she would have been a junior our parents’ senior year.”
Damn. I screwed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Well, our letter wasn’t much help either.” I dug the letter from my jeans and unfolded it. “There were actually a lot of them, but when we went back, my mom had locked her room.”