Chapter Eighteen

        Where We Lie

        “Is there a guardian I can speak to? I don’t think this discussion is for you to be having.”

            My hand tightens around the telephone as I look around the corner, making sure that Belle and Grandpa are still on the back porch, talking.

            “No, you’ll have to speak to me,” I tell her for the third time. I’m losing my patience. We’ve been through this already and I don’t want to do it another time.

            “If your guardian would like more information they can call me,” she explains and I wipe my face with my palm, frustrated.  “Is this the residence of William Greenwood? This is the only Greenwood address we could trace back to and-“

            I don’t hear the rest of the sentence because I’ve dropped the phone. It swings by its coiled cord, gently rapping against the wall. I feel faint and my hands are pale, yet clammy from how much I’m freaking out on the inside.

            William Greenwood – my dad, is being traced here by my mother’s hospital.

            “Miss?” The woman asks, her voice quiet from the distance from me to the telephone. I quickly grab it with trembling fingers just as one of the kittens rushes over and tumbles into my foot. “Is this his residence?”

            I choke out my answer before I can think it. “Yes.”

            “I regret to inform you that William Greenwood has been permanently banned from our hospital.”

            I lean against the wall for support and lick my lips, trying to make my mouth feel less dry. I feel like I’ve had all the air sucked out of my lungs and that this is a dream. This can’t be happening, right? My father can’t still be a town over with my mother, can he?

            “The following offences have been passed onto police and shall be recited as so. Trying to kidnap a patient, Mrs. Greenwood. Failure to listen to officials. Verbal assault to staff.”

            “Has he been arrested?” The words that escape my lips don’t feel like my own.

            “I was getting to that.” He tone is icy compared to before, leading me to believe that she was most likely a victim of the verbal assault. “William Greenwood fled the scene before he could be detained. A police officer is currently on route to your home to check for him. Since you say he isn’t there, when he does show up or contacts you, contact an officer immediately.”

            I don’t know how to respond. My father tried to kidnap my mother from the hospital and considering that failed, my instincts are telling me that he’s planning on coming for Belle and I at any given time.

            He’s going to get us. He’s going to take us back home, refuse to let us live normal lives and hurt us not only with his words, but with his bare hands. Here in Greenbrier, Belle and I are pretending to live our old lives as if we never left. We have friends, family and a life we can really live for ourselves. Why would he want to take that away?

            “Do you understand?”

            I practically flinch at the sound of the nurse’s voice. “Y-yes,” I mumble, trying to steady myself.

            “Have a nice day.” The nurse slams the phone before I can acknowledge what all this means.

            For two minutes I stay frozen, listening to the sound of the beeping from the phone until the sound of tires on gravel shake me out of my shock.

            “Oh no,” I curse, attempting to hang up the phone. It falls out of its cradle and starts swinging again, but I don’t have time to fix it. I’m sprinting towards the front door, sliding a few times from my socks contacting the hardwood. I reach the door just as the policeman hits the first step when I remember that I don’t have a plan.

            “I have a warrant for William Greenwood’s arrest.”

            He doesn’t remove his sunglasses as he stares down at me, waiting for a response. Normally I’m intimidated by police officers – my father had always shielded Belle and I away from them when they were near, which I realize was for his sake rather than ours. But this one doesn’t seem so bad. Not only is he supposed to be the good guy, but he wants to arrest my father. To me, that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

            “He doesn’t live here,” I blurt out before I shut the front door behind me.

            “This is the Greenwood address-“

            “I haven’t seen him all summer,” I tell him honestly. I feel a lump grow in my throat the moment I realize I just interrupted a police officer.

            “Is there an adult I can speak to?”

            I open my mouth but no words come out. Grandpa can’t know; it will jeopardize everything. Besides, worrying him when he’s already been in the hospital is just going to make things worse.

            “What’s going on?”

            I didn’t even hear the Camaro pull in the driveway. Jacoby looks concerned but the second the police officer looks at him as he strolls up to the steps, his posture straightens and looks as mature as he can.

            “I’m looking for William Greenwood.” The officer, despite wearing sunglasses, looks like he’s getting annoyed.

            “I haven’t seen him around here in years,” Jacoby admits, standing off to the side of us.

            The man asks us a few more questions, just standard knowledge about where my father might be and leaves without anything else.

            “Are you okay?” Jacoby reaches out and cups my cheek, rubbing his finger over my skin.

            “Fine.” I know he can hear the lie in my voice and I’m sure I’m so obviously freaking out that I might as well write it across my forehead for everyone to see.

            “Do you want to talk about it?”

            I shake my head no and avoid his eyes. Jacoby drops his hand and I sigh, knowing I at least have to explain a small part of it.

            “A lot has changed,” I murmur, moving to sit in my rocking chair. Jacoby walks past me as I hug my knees to my chest and takes the one beside me. The cop car hasn’t even moved yet; the driver is busy on the phone.

            “I think that’s pretty straightforward.” There’s a hint of amusement in Jacoby’s voice. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Stevie. But I want you to know that you don’t have to deal with it alone.”

            I spend a short amount of time trying to figure out what to say. It’s how much, how little and what to leave out. I know I can tell Jacoby everything; he’s my best friend and now…Now he’s something else. However I don’t want to tell him everything. I can’t.

            Finally, I settle on a short sentence. “There’s a lot that you – and everyone else, don’t know about my dad.”

            Jacoby nods but doesn’t press me for more. Before the silence begins to make things uncomfortable, the front screen door swings open. Just as Grandpa steps onto the deck, he pauses to stare at the police car driving away.

            “What’s going on?” He turns to us, his eyes worried.

            I don’t have an excuse made up yet; I never thought that he would see the car. I’m stuttering, trying to figure out what to say when Jacoby saves me.

            “He had the wrong address.”

            Grandpa looks at Jacoby, searching for the lie that he’s telling. But because he’s so calm and collected, holding my grandfather’s gaze as if it’s the most casual thing in the world, he’s more than easy to believe.          

            Grandpa nods and steps outside, letting the screen door swing shut behind him. He scratches his chin and stares out at the lawn for a few moments before speaking.

            “Stevie, Belle was looking for you.” He sees my face fall and turns to meet my gaze. “She wants to go to the fair. I was thinking we could go in an hour or two.”

            I groan and sink back in my chair, barely catching Jacoby’s grin.

            “That’s exactly why I came here.”

            Grandpa heads into the house as I groan again, rolling my head towards Jacoby. “I don’t want to go.”

            “Well, you kind of have to,” he deadpans.

            Slowly, I sit up a little straighter and stare at him, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

            “Remember our deal? How I would teach you to drive if I can fix up the Fastback?”

            My reply is slow and cautious. “Yes.”

            “Well, it’s fixed.”

            I narrow my eyes at him. “Can you get to the point?”

            “At the fair they always have a series of races because it’s a Greenbrier tradition.” Jacoby’s smile fades when he sees how worried I am about what he’s going to say. When he realizes I’m unhappy, he leans forward to rest his chin in his hands and shrugs. “I kind of signed you up.”

            “What?”

            I’m rising to my feet  as Jacoby flinches, holding his hands in front of him as if they can defend him like a shield.

            He signed me up for a race. I haven’t even driven on the street yet and he’s already doing things behind my back, expecting me to be perfectly okay with it.

            “I thought it would help you fit in!” He tries to explain calmly but it sounds like his voice has raised an octave or two. “We talked about this at the beginning of the summer, remember?”

            “You are insane,” I growl, spinning on my heel and stomping across the deck. “I can’t believe you would do this!”

            Driving, with other people, people who are trying to cut me off because they want to win a race. I can’t do this. Someone is going to get hurt.

            “Stevie, calm down,” he replies defensively, standing up. He starts to walk towards me and I whip around to face him, making sure there’s still distance between us. “It’s not that big of a deal. It will be fun and I think it will help you face your fear.”

            “I’m not doing it.” I fold my arms across my chest. I feel like I’m being childish but I don’t care. I will not put other people in danger.

            “There are paramedics in case anything happens.” Jacoby’s trying to pry me away from my definite no.

            “That sure makes me feel better.”

            “Everyone is experienced.”

            “Except for me,” I object as Jacoby wraps an arm around my shoulders.

            “I truly believe you’ll be fine, Stevie.”

            I narrow my eyes as he leads his head closer to mine. “I highly doubt that.”

            He kisses me, softly at first and I feel like everything is on pause except for us. As soon as he pulls away, I’m wishing he didn’t stop.

            “Will you do it?”

            I wrap my arms around the back of his neck and pull him closer to me until our lips are barely touching.

            “Please? For me?”

            I shake my head and he pulls away, too far away from my lips. I try to grab him to come back but this time he’s the one to say no.

            “If you won’t do it, you’re not going to get any kisses.”

            Before he can see me coming, I’m practically lunging for him and pressed against his chest. “You’re mean,” I tell him before touching his lips to mine.

            I can feel him smile into the kiss because he knows he’s won.