She speed-walks to my driver’s side window, dropping her wreath and tossing the chair on the ground before pounding on the glass with her fist and yelling through it. “Was this you?” She gestures with her head toward the blackened sky. “Who’d you kill this time?”
I quickly pull the shifter into drive and slam on the gas, my heart pounding, my head spinning with thoughts. Dirt flies up in the air, showering her with debris and rocks as I speed out of the parking lot and wedge into exiting traffic.
“Fuck.” I slam my hands on the steering wheel. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
This is bad. This is so bad. She’s going to start a rumor, I just know it. I should have said no when she asked me if I had something to do with it before I took off. Now, she’s going to tell everyone that I started the fire, or at least that she suspects I did. And when the police find the predator’s body, all fingers will be pointed directly at me. I need to get the fuck out of this town, this city, this fucking state, not only for my own sake, but for my parents. I make a quick left into the Dollar General parking lot, ram the car in park and race inside. I move swiftly up and down the makeup aisle, then the clothing section, where I find an all-black, lightweight, long-sleeved shirt.
Perfect.
The pile drops on the counter in front of the cashier, and I drum my fingers on the counter as she takes her time, ringing them up slowly. After paying, I decline my receipt and step outside just as a string of police cars tears down the road, lights and sirens blaring.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. I toss the makeup I just bought onto the passenger seat, quickly pull my new shirt over my head and rip the tags off before answering. “Hello?”
“Tessa, are you okay? I heard there’s a fire at the fairgrounds.” Her voice echoes through the phone.
Man, news certainly travels fast in this town. “I’m okay. I stopped to use the bathroom at the store.” I lie. I just know she’s got her phone in her hand, tracking my movements. “I’ll be home as soon as I can get through all the traffic.”
Another lie. I really just need to buy a little time to throw on my faux face.
“Okay, sweetheart, I’ll be waiting for you.” She hangs up the phone before I can reply.
After spending fifteen minutes putting on makeup using my rearview mirror, I turn my head side to side and examine my face thoroughly. The bruising is virtually gone. If I keep my headslightly tilted left, my parents will never see the bruise on my face. The minor swelling may be a problem, but there isn’t much I can do about that at this point.
I roll out of the parking lot and join the slow-moving traffic coming from the fairgrounds. It would move faster if everyone weren’t rubbernecking and trying to catch a glimpse of the fire.
By the time I reach the highway, and traffic finally thins out, it’s been almost an hour since I talked to my mom. I hit the gas and speed home, trying to make up time. When I turn the corner onto our street, I slam on the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt halt. My core trembles and my knuckles whiten as my fingers grip the steering wheel tight.
Should I run? Just keep driving? I shake my head and blow out a staggering breath. No. It won’t matter. Besides, I did nothing wrong. I release the brake, press the gas, and steer the Nova behind the police cruiser parked in front of my parents’ house.
Chapter Thirteen
Confliction
Jayce’s mom told the police about her suspicions, but since there was no evidence linking me to the crime beyond being at the craft fair with hundreds of other people, they didn’t pursue the matter any further.
Mom wanted to call her up and give her an earful, but my dad talked her down. What good would it do? She’s always going to look for someone to blame for her son’s death.
I open the trash can and scrape my dinner plate, a partially burned candle catching most of the scraps. Ever since the fire and my subsequent fear of flames, my mom and dad tossed out anything that could produce one. They exchanged the gas stove for an electric one, which I appreciate, but also hate. And the fire pit from the backyard sat on the curb for less than an hour before someone snatched it up.
Change is never easy, and although I’m grateful for all my parents have done for me, I’ve decided to let them know tonight that I’m not going to college right away. My plan is to get an apartment out of town, away from all the rumors and gossip, and work for a while so I can save up for a down payment on a house. I know they’ll be disappointed, but until I can get this thing, this arrangement with Mastyx worked out, I feel it’s for the best.Besides, how would I explain to my professors my absences that come right after every full moon?
“You okay, kiddo?” Dad asks as he enters the kitchen and sets his plate in the sink.
“Yeah. Just tired, I guess.”
More like worried. The full moon is only a few days away, and I want nothing more than to crawl inside the fridge and lock myself inside somehow. I wrap my arms around my dad’s waist and hug him tight. “Dad,” I murmur into his musk-scented polo.
He strokes my hair with his fingertips. “Yes?”
“With everything that’s happened, I’ve decided to hold off going to college. Just for a little while.”
A long, heavy sigh sends the scent of barbecue chicken into my face as he gazes down at me. “I had a feeling.” He holds me at arm’s length and smiles softly, his eyes kind and understanding. “You’ve been through a lot this year, and I think that if you were to jump into school this fall, you wouldn’t have the focus required to do well, so I get it. Your mother, on the other hand…”
“I know. Can you tell her?”
He snorts and removes my arms from around his waist before breaking out in full-on laughter. “Oh, no. I’m not going to poke the bear. That’s all you.”
I roll my bottom lip out, giving him my best pouty face. “Please, Daddy.”
