by Rye Hart
“Dad, stop it,” Hollis said. “You can’t kick Grant out. This is madness.”
“I can, and I will. We both know the potential your sister has. And whatever he’s done to lead her on, stops now,” Glen said.
“Fuck you,” I growled. I was pissed that they thought I would do something to Theresa, and I was tired of trying to defend myself against it.
Glen Peterson could go straight to hell.
I watched Glen march down the hallway as I stalked out of the house. I needed to breathe. I needed to collect myself. Part of me wanted to salvage the situation, but part of me didn’t want to. I was eighteen. I could go and do as I pleased. They’d tried to shove college down my throat, and they had once blamed me for Hollis’ unwillingness to go to school.
It was more than clear that they just thought I was a bad seed, hell-bent on corrupting their kids.
I could hear Theresa’s voice emanating from the driveway as I walked along the sidewalk. I turned around and saw Glen tossing my stuff out the damn door, and for a moment, I saw my father; the anger in his eyes and the harshness of his motions.
I saw my father in Glen’s face, and I knew then, and there I would leave.
I’d leave it all behind to strike out on my own.
Theresa continued to argue and defy her parents. I’d never seen Theresa combative like that, and part of me grinned in pride. She was strong. I always knew she was. Hiding behind those baggy clothes, self-conscious about her body. Stuck behind those glasses and her books and her awkward little walk.
But I knew. I knew she’d grow into a smart, remarkable, beautiful young woman.
Too bad I wasn’t going to be around to see it.
I grabbed a trash bag from the side of the road and emptied it. I went and stuffed in all the clothes Glen had tossed out onto the lawn. I tossed it over my shoulder and headed down the road, making my way for the shed Hollis, and I sometimes hung out in.
I walked through the woods until I reached the abandoned structure. I pried the doors open, taking stock of the truck inside. It was a project Glen and I had taken on when I learned how to drive. They couldn't afford to get me a car, so I told Glen I’d get a part-time job to pay for the parts to fix up an old truck I’d found that I wanted. Five hundred up front plus the cost of all the fixing up, and four thousand dollars later I had a running pickup truck I could call my own.
I tossed my trash bag full of clothes into the back, fished the keys out from on top of the tire, and hopped into the front seat.
I didn’t have much to my name; a few thousand I’d saved up from working summers around town. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I knew I couldn't stay there. I cranked up the truck, and it sputtered, but after a couple of tries, I got her to rev up. I slowly drove her out of the woods and onto the main road, and I took Main Street out of Bar Harbor and headed south.
For a moment, I smiled. I smiled at the memories I’d made with Glen while trying to fix this damn thing, so it worked. The things he’d done over the past five years that had convinced me he cared. And now he’d just thrown me away like a piece of trash. I hopped onto the highway heading toward Massachusetts, not knowing what my future held for me.
I drove all through the night until I hit the Massachusetts border, then I pulled into a rest stop and prepared myself for some sleep.
I leaned the seat back and folded my arms across my chest. I closed my eyes and smiled as Theresa’s face appeared in my vision. Her innocent hazel eyes and her thick brown hair. That cute little smile with those chubby cheeks. I’d never admit it to Glen, but I did have a thing for his daughter. She was innocent and smart and curvy in all the right places. What looked like baby fat now, would smooth out into wonderfully thick thighs and an ass I’d want to sink my teeth in someday.
Hell no, I never touched her. And I didn’t have any plans to either. But fuck, it didn’t stop her innocence from calling to me. She was an angel hidden underneath layers of insecurities, and my hands longed to strip her of those, fully exposing her to me after peeling back every layer before showing her how a real man treated his girl.
I would never have touched her until she turned eighteen. I respected Glen and what he’d done for me too much. But it was something that wouldn’t happen any longer. Good, upstanding people never really cared for bad seeds like me. Kids who came from poor homes and had holes in their shoes. They cared until it was too tough to care. They cared until it affected how their perfect little children grew up. If they knew all the hot water Hollis and I had gotten into over the years, they’d fucking flip.
It didn’t matter anymore, though.
Nothing did.
I fell asleep that night with Theresa on my mind. I needed to be figuring out what my next fucking move was, where I was going to live and how I was going to get money to fend for myself. But I couldn’t shake her smile. Or her laughter. Or the way her eyes lit up when she was reading a book she enjoyed.
I also couldn’t shake her defiance; the way her eyes had flared with anger when she came down the stairs that morning. I couldn’t shake the way she shrieked after me. Screamed for her father to stop. Too bad that’d be the first and last time I’d see that side of Theresa.
I turned over onto my side and drew in a deep breath. I could get a few hours of sleep before I needed to find a gas station and get back on the road.
The farther I got away from Bar Harbor, Maine, the better off I’d be.
CHAPTER 3
THERESA
PRESENT DAY
I filtered through the dresses in my closet as I debated on their worth. My father’s dental banquet was tonight, and he wanted me to be his “plus one.” Ever since Mom had died, that was my role in his life. If I wasn’t out with Ike, I was out with my father, fulfilling the social roles my mom used to. I knew it was simply because he was a good catch, and he didn’t want any other woman with any ideas getting too close. I was, more or less, his guard dog.
He never was the same after she died.
I plucked a yellow dress from my closet and held it up to my body. I loved the dress, but Ike wasn’t a fan of it. Not unless he was with me. I knew if I wore anything too revealing, he would get upset that I was going out in it without him. It didn’t matter that I was only going with my father to some boring dental banquet.
Ike was staying with me while his apartment complex fumigated for bugs. I had finally broken down and given him a chance during our senior year of high school. For most of the time we were together, I enjoyed his company though I was never content. It drove me crazy because I had a persistent desire for more. I sure as hell tried to carry on like everything was fine, but I knew, in the end, I was settling.
Lately, he’d started to become a little more possessive than I liked.
I usually bucked his ridiculous behavior, but tonight I was tired and didn’t want to deal with it. I put the yellow dress back and plucked a navy blue on from the back of the closet. It was sleeveless but had a high neckline and fell just below my knees. Besides, I rationalized, I was going out to a stuffy event with my father. Why did I need to look sexy? I grabbed my lacy white shawl off the hanger and threw it around my shoulders.
Satisfied, I stepped into the living room.
“How do I look?” I asked.
Ike looked up from his book on the couch, and I watched his eyes dance over me. I was waiting for that smile that had drawn me in, especially once he’d ditched the braces and gotten rid of his glasses.
But instead of smiling, he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“You chose that dress?”
“Don’t you like it?” I asked.
“Isn’t that a strapless dress?”
“That’s why I’ve got the shawl on. See?”
“Yeah, that looks nice. But won’t you get hot and take the shawl off?”
“Oh for the love, Ike. I’m going to a dental banquet with my father. It’s hardly a meat market.”
Ike nodded as he took in my words bef
ore his eyes grazed back to his book.
“Have fun,” he said. “But not too much.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my purse before heading out the door. Climbing into my car, I wondered what kind of trouble Ike thought I could get into at a dentistry banquet. I shook my head and started the car. I was determined to be pleasant for my father’s sake, and so I pushed Ike’s irritating behavior to the back of my mind.
I drove to my father’s house and pulled into the driveway. I saw him standing on the porch waiting for me with his hands in his pockets. He stood with his shoulders hunched over a bit now. As a teenager, I’d thought the world of him. I thought he was the best and strongest man alive. But some things happened that made me view him differently, and when Mom died , it rocked his world.
He never stood quite as tall after that night.
I stepped out of the car and smiled at him, but his eyes were across the road. I turned around and looked at my brother’s house and saw a strange car parked in the driveway. It was black and polished, with tinted windows and chrome accents. It was a very expensive car; one I knew didn’t belong to Hollis.
I always thought it was weird that my brother had bought the house across the street. But after Mom died, I was glad he had. He was there to check in on Dad a few times a week, and it gave Dad some family nearby if he ever decided to reach out to one of us. He never did, but the option was there.
“Nice car,” my father said.
“Do you know whose it is?” I asked.
“Grant’s back,” he said plainly.
I felt my world tilt as his words permeated my mind. He said it so calmly, like that horrible day all those years ago had never happened. Like he hadn’t thrown Grant out of our home to fend for himself after treating him like total garbage.
I took a deep breath and tried to act like my father’s words had not affected me.
I tried to look like I hadn’t thought about Grant nearly every damn day since he’d walked out of our lives. I tried to look like I hadn’t wondered endlessly where he’d gone, what he’d been doing, and if he’d ever thought about me. I tried, and I failed miserably.
My father narrowed his eyes at me slightly, and I shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, are you ready to go?” I asked, wanting to get as far away from my brother’s house as possible.
The entire evening was an exercise in restraint. My father insisted that he drive, and I resisted the urge to ask the questions swirling around on the tip of my tongue. But the biggest question of all was one I knew would strike up an argument between us.
I still harbored some resentment toward my father for kicking Grant out all those years ago after falsely accusing him of being involved with me. Tonight was not the night to bring it all up.
It didn’t stop me from thinking about it though. “You look great tonight,” my father said, breaking my reverie.
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“You and Ike getting along okay?”
“We are. He’s at my apartment while his gets fumigated.”
“He’s staying in the guest bedroom, right?” he asked.
“Daddy.”
“Sweetheart, you’re my little girl.”
“No, I’m not. I’m twenty-six years old, and I live my own life.”
I avoided my father’s gaze as we continued to dance to the music.
“I know you don’t get along with Ike.”
“No, I don’t,” my father said.
“But he is a nice guy.”
“Nice, but not good.”
“Is there a difference?” I asked.
“There is, sweetheart. A nice guy puts on a front. A good guy doesn’t have to,” he said.
“And what would Ike be putting on a front about?”
“He’s too controlling. The way he talks to you, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
“It’s not unlike how you used to talk to people when you got angry,” I said.
“And I try to watch my tone and not allow it to get out of control anymore.”
“All I’m saying is everyone has their faults. Ike has good qualities too.”
“Hmm. How come I’ve never seen them?” he asked. “You have to stop fighting me on this. Ike’s a good man. We’ve been together a long time.”
“Doesn’t mean he’s right for you.”
I wanted to throw Grant in his face, but I bit down on my tongue. He had a lot of nerve disparaging Ike like that. I’d had a ‘good’ man in my life. I’d had what I wanted right there underneath the roof of our home, and he tossed him out like he meant nothing. And for what? He thought Grant and I were somehow fooling around behind his back. So to try and control me, he threw Grant out. If he wanted to talk about someone trying to control me, he should look in a goddamn mirror.
I wouldn’t let myself go off at him. His actions left much to be desired, but he was still my father. That and the fact that he was now living alone since my mother’s passing made me feel for him more than ever.
“I think I need to use the restroom,” I said.
I pushed my way into the bathroom and took out my phone. I went and sat down in a stall and furiously typed a text to Jane.
Grant’s back. He’s at my brother’s. I just found out.
I sent the text off and waited for her response.
Perfect timing. Dump Ike, jump Grant.
I sighed as I shook my head at the text.
I’m not dumping my boyfriend of eight years for a guy who’s forgotten about me.
I jammed my finger into the “send” button as I stood. Then, my phone vibrated in my hand.
This is your chance. Don’t waste it.
I rolled my eyes as I shoved out of the stall. I should’ve known what Jane would say. Despite being the one to push me toward Ike in the first damn place, she’d come to dislike him quite a bit over the past couple years. At first, she’d made jokes about his possessive behavior, then she started telling me to leave him.
It wasn’t that I didn’t see what she, or my father for that matter, saw. I just knew Ike better than they did. I knew how he could be when we were alone together. And I was supposed to throw what we had away for a chance at a guy I had no shot with?
She was a terrible influence. But I loved her all the same.
I placed my phone back into my pocket and felt my body relax. I splashed some water on my face before reapplying the little bit of makeup I’d managed to put on, then I rolled my shoulders back.
I still had two hours of this banquet I needed to stick out.
And I needed to do it with poise.
CHAPTER 4
GRANT
“What the fuck?”
“Surprise,” I said.
“What the fuck!”
“Is that all you can say?” I asked.
“Get the hell in here,” Hollis said.
He pulled me into his house, his eyes bugging and filled with shock. He threw his arms around me and clapped my back, and I did the same. I’d missed my best friend. I’d missed talking with him over the years. The last time I’d been by was for Laura’s funeral. I’d stayed long enough to say goodbye to Laura, hugged Hollis while he broke down, then left.
Without even saying hello to anyone else.
It hurt to be back in this place. Glen had done way more damage than even I was willing to admit. My father kicked me out because he didn’t have a spine, but Glen kicked me out because he didn’t trust me. After everything I did to try and prove myself, he still thought I’d take advantage of his daughter.
It had pissed me off, and I harbored that anger for a very long time.
“I haven’t seen your ass since the funeral,” Hollis said.
“This isn’t an area I choose to frequent,” I said.
“And for good fucking reason. Get in here and get a damn beer.”
“Sounds like a good thing to me,” I said.
“It’s fucking good to see you. Emails don’t cut it nowadays.”
“It’s what I got with a company to run,” I said.
“How’s that shit going anyway?”
“Construction is what it is. It’s been good to me, but the company’s in a bit of a shakeup.”
“How so?”
“Wish I could talk about it. But I’m really in town to try and forget about it.”
“You got somewhere to stay?” he asked.
“Not yet. The trip was impromptu.”
“Then crash here. I mean, I know my dad’s across the road and shit, but he hasn’t been the same since Mom died.”
“Why the hell are you living across from your dad anyway?” I asked.
“Glutton for punishment I guess,” he said.
I knew that Hollis and his dad had had a huge blowout after Glen had kicked me out. Their relationship had never been the same because of it, but Glen was still his father. I had always admired Hollis’ commitment to family.
“So you gonna crash or what?” he asked.
“Depends. How much beer you got on hand?” I asked.
“As much as you need,” he said, popping the top off of a bottle and handing it to me. I chuckled as I took a sip of my beer. If Hollis found out the truth about why I was here, it was going to be a problem. I was glad Hollis had offered for me to crash at his place because I figured my visit wasn’t going to end well. And I would need to mitigate the anger and hostility as much as possible, which I couldn't do from a damn hotel room. I tipped the beer up to my lips and focused on Hollis as I ran the plan through my mind.
Fuck. I really hoped he wouldn't be pissed at me after all was said and done.
“So, living across from your dad. Did you buy this place right after Laura died?” I asked.
“Nope. Couple years after. I bought the place because of a string of emails.”
“Emails.”
“Yep. From people in the community. They were worried about Dad. Said he was being a recluse and slacking in his business. Sitting in restaurants and staring off. I moved back to keep an eye on him. Which is good, because I’m keeping an eye on Ike, too.”
“And Ike is?”
“Oh, shit. Yeah. Ike’s Theresa’s bullshit boyfriend. He’s an asshole, that one.”