“No. You know that’s a bad idea. I don’t trust the guy as far as I can throw him, and it’s not far, Rae.”
She hides her smirk beneath her hand. That’s definitely not true. I could probably toss him across a football field, but she doesn’t need to know that.
Suddenly, she lowers her forehead to the table and lightly bangs her head against the surface in defeat, the sound ricocheting through the open kitchen. I know she wouldn’tactually hurt herself, but I still slide my palm between her forehead and the next impending hit.
I hear her mumble against the table. “My life is falling apart.”
“It’s not,” I insist. “Just let me go with you.”
She lifts her head suddenly and shoots her hand out to grab my arm. “Please don’t. It will only make him more angry.”
“Fuck him,” I snap back resolutely. “I don’t care what emotion I make him feel. I’m coming. It’s not safe for you to go by yourself.”
Raegan eventually relents with a sigh. “Ok just…stay in the car.”
Chapter Three
RAEGAN
Afew hours later, I’m riding through the center of town with Jamie in his light blue pickup. The string lights that line the buildings along main street are just beginning to flicker on as the sun sets. I see Maurice opening the awning at Bones and setting up the outside tables for tonight’s performance. Every weekend he features a different local artist. Turns out Shadow Hills has a lot of singer-songwriters. Jamie and I were there for dinner a few weeks ago, and we saw a really talented young ghost playing guitar and singing about the boy she liked when she was alive. Jamie chuckled when I got misty eyed over the moving performance but still slung his arm around my shoulder.
Every building we pass has been decorated to the nines for the Halloween season. Everyone displays little hints of Halloween throughout the year, but our Founding Day Festival is the biggest tourist draw. On October 30th, tourists flock to Shadow Hills to experience the ambiance of a spooky small town. Orange and yellow foliage wraps every street light, sign, and railing in sight. There are pumpkins at every doorstep, stacks of hay strategically placed on every street corner, andeach business leans into their own theme. Kiki’s Cafe is my favorite. It’s the most popular spot to eat in town, and right now it’s covered in fake cobwebs and cut out bats stuck to every square inch of the windows.
As we make our way through the roundabout in the center of town, I take in the slowly changing leaves that fall sporadically between the buildings. Shadow Hills truly is beautiful in the fall. It’s the season that makes our small town charm truly shine.
We continue on past the pharmacy, behind the strip mall, and take the back road to my apartment complex. Because yes, I live in the same complex as Patrick, luckily in opposite buildings. We actually met when the dryer in my building was broken and I had to take a basket of sopping wet clothes over to his instead. The flirting had felt straight out of a romcom. He knew all the right words to say to sweep me off my feet, and for a casual relationship, the convenience worked well.
For a while.
I think the first time I knew something was wrong was when he lost it on my cat, Cleetus. Patrick had been sitting on my couch, casually sipping on a hard cider when Cleetus jumped into his lap. As Cleetus’s mother, I know he’s just overly friendly and wanted to introduce himself to a new person. Unfortunately, this caused Patrick to spill his drink and trigger what little patience I wasn’t aware he had to get lost in a hissy fit. He jumped to his feet, sending Cleetus flying across the room, and started screaming at him for being a dumb animal.
He later apologized, of course, but from that moment I started thinking of a way to tell him this wasn’t going to work. I mean, who curses out a cat?What a douche.
Jamie pulls in and parks a few spots away from the stairwell that leads to Patrick’s second floor apartment.
I open the passenger door and hop out. “Remember,” I tell him, “stay in the truck.”
He rolls his eyes and scowls, and I know very well that’s not going to happen. To be honest, it makes me feel safer knowing Jamie is here if something does go wrong.
Jamie has always been a safe place for me. I’ve known him since he was the new kid at Shadow Hills High School his senior year. I was a sophomore with no friends and no social life, but I certainly acted like I ran the place. Truthfully, we probably would have never met if I hadn’t been the one assigned to show him around on his first day. Because of my good grades, I was allowed to work in the office as a student assistant for one hour a day. Most of the time it was boring, filing papers and keeping record of student attendance, but that day was one I’ll always remember.
I’d just turned sixteen with braces on my teeth and fresh-cut bangs that were too short for my forehead, and there was this beautiful older boy standing in front of me. He had a quirky smile with naturally straight teeth, dirty blond hair that curled around his ears, and a presence that made you want to look at him when he entered a room. I was immediately infatuated, but I was too scared to tell him.
Throughout that year, we became friends. We shared a few classes, enjoyed similar hobbies, and eventually decided we preferred each other’s company to anyone else. We stayed in touch for two years after he graduated, but it wasn’t until we both worked on Main Street that we became what we are now.
As for my crush, I continued keeping that to myself. After building such a solid friendship, I was too afraid of ruining it. And though I feel a bit jealous when he dates other girls, it’s only because I’m used to having all of his time. It has nothing to do with envy. Or anger…when I see him kiss someone else.
We’re much better as friends. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Jamie. As much as I’ve made a big deal abouthim staying in the car as I confront Patrick, I know he’ll come running the moment I need him.
I give him a reassuring smile as I close the door, and he returns it as he rests a toned arm over the back of the seat beside him. It’s moments like this when I remember how absurdly attractive he is. It’s not that I forget (how could I?), but I’m constantly having to tuck that little observation away.
As I walk slowly up the concrete steps and down the breezeway to Patrick’s door, I feel a knot of nervousness forming in my stomach. I made it seem like this wasn’t a big deal, but truthfully, I’m worried he won’t take it well. Based on previous reactions to less serious situations, I’m prepared for a bout of yelling. He might even punch a wall. But I don’t think Patrick would ever physically hurt me.
Would he?
I swallow my nerves and knock twice. Several seconds go by, but I don’t hear movement from inside.
Maybe he’s not home.Awesome!Now I can put it off another day.
