“I didn’t really… I said that we’d broken up and he was taking it badly. But I kept the rest of it to myself.”
“Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“I don’t know. He scares me—I’ll be honest. Anyway, I tell people there was a mix-up with the paperwork in my state, but really, I tanked my interviews. I was so unfocused and anxious, and in the end, I decided I didn’t want to get a job close to home after all. It was my dream, but I couldn’t stay there with him acting that way. I was afraid. I worried he’d hurt my family. If I told Dad about him, he might confront him, and then what would happen? I didn’t want to find out. So, I took this job last minute to get away from him and have a fresh start.”
Teja reached for her hand across the table and squeezed it, her eyes glistening. “It’ll be good for you… You’ll love it here. I promise. And I’m only a quick walk or phone call away if you need me.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I feel safe. I changed my phone number and told my family not to give it out to anyone, so he has no idea where I am. I hope he forgets about me and moves on.”
“I hope so too.”
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks later, Rita was growing concerned. She stood in the hallway and peeped into the den, where she could see the back of Tyler’s head. He was propped up on a beanbag, his long legs bent up awkwardly, and his body hunched over the game controls. On the screen, some kind of violent video game flashed and blared. She could barely keep up with what was happening—some kind of shooting and building. Nothing his character did made much sense, but he was absolutely transfixed by it.
“You gonna come out of there anytime soon?” she asked.
He grunted. “Maybe.”
“You’ve been on that thing for hours.”
“Got nothin’ else to do, Momma. Give me a break.”
She inhaled a slow breath and told herself to bite her tongue. He’d been home for a little over two weeks—she could let him relax a while before she expected him to jump into the next phase of life. Right?
Wrong. This wasn’t him. He was always motivated, had a plan, was moving forward. Not this constant gaming and snacking. He’d been a teenager a decade earlier, and even then, he hadn’t gone through this phase. She’d heard about it from other parents, but her son was too busy playing football and going out with friends to get into gaming. He’d never been much for studying, but he’d done so many other things that he had led a very full life.
She slowly walked into the room and stood in front of her son. “Don’t you think it’s time to start looking for work?”
He paused the game, a frown on his face. “I will.”
“But this…” She gestured around the litter-strewn room—bags of tortilla chips, empty jars of salsa, cups and crumbs scattered everywhere. “This is no way to live.”
“Momma, I’ll get to it. I just need some downtime to figure things out.”
She sighed, tipping her head to one side.
He stood up. “Fine, I’ll go and look for a job.”
He stalked down the hallway to his bedroom and shut the door. Rita sighed again, feeling a little like she’d done the wrong thing. Maybe she should’ve left him alone. He’d spent eight years in the military and worked hard during that time, surely she could give him a break. She went to the kitchen and started making a pot of sweet tea to chill for supper.
An hour later, there was a knock at the front door. Rita answered and immediately smiled at the man standing on her stoop.
“Brian!”
He grinned. “Good to see you, Mrs. Osbourne.”
“Please, call me Rita. You’re not a kid anymore. I wasn’t expecting you. Does Tyler know you’re here?” She ushered him into the house.
“He’s expecting me. I’m his designated driver until he finds himself a vehicle.”
“Well, bless your heart. You’re a good friend. I’m making sweet tea. Would you like some?”
“I’d love a glass, thanks.”
She added a slice of lemon and a handful of ice cubes, then gave the glass to Brian. He took a great gulp.
“What have you been doin’ with yourself these days?”
