3. Lennon
Chapter three
Lennon
Welcome to Pine Creek
Population: 3210
I always wanted to move back to Pine Creek. I was raised here. My parents are buried here. I never wanted to leave to begin with. I wanted to stay here and commute to a community college, but my brother gave me the push I needed to spread my wings. He had put his own life on hold to support me through my final year of high school, so I felt like I owed him. The summer before my senior year, my parents went out of town for their anniversary. Only they didn’t make it back. A pileup on the highway took my parents away from me. So, Cash moved back into our family home and took over guardianship of me since I wasn’t eighteen yet.
After six hours on a hot bus, I’m ready to scream. Well… food, water, a shower, some Advil, and a good scream. Followed by a good cry. I haven’t looked at myself in a while, but can feel the swelling and know that I am not looking my best. That was confirmed multiple times by the strange looks sent my way. I don’t know if it was the bruising or my ridiculous clothing choice. I’m the last one off the bus, and it’s my lucky day. Since no one knew that I was coming to town, and I don’t have a cell phone, I get to walk to my brother’s house.
Five miles.
My body already hates me, I wonder what walking five miles is going to do to it. With no other choice, I start my trek and get my thoughts in order. My brother is going to explode when he sees me. Hey, I get it. The sister you barely have seen in the last couple of years, shows up on your doorstep bruised and broken. I would lose it, too. Cash has always been protective over me, and when we lost our parents, that went to an overbearing level.
Keeping my head down, I walk as fast as my body will allow to get to Cash. As much as I want to take in the new sites of home, I don’t want to run into anyone looking the way I do. The gossip would be going around town by the end of the night. You take small town living with a grain of salt. In a small town you will find the best kind of people, they will help you in your time of need, but we sure do love to gossip.
I wish this wasn’t the way that I was coming back home. Broken, bruised, and a shell of the person that left. I was never this person he made me become. I was the person that gave smiles freely. Laughed unapologetically. I could talk to a random person for hours, to get their life story. Now I jump at loud noises, have barely spoken to anyone in over a year, and am on the run.
The last time I spoke with Cash was over a month ago, and I could tell that he knew something was wrong. I had to act like everything was okay, since Connor was standing next to me and made me put the call on speaker.
“You sound tired, sis. Are you sure everything is okay? Maybe you should come home for the weekend. I know your niece and nephew would love to see their aunt.” God, my niece and nephew, I miss them so much.
“I’m okay, Cash. Work has been keeping me busy. As soon as I wrap up this project, I’ll plan a trip home. Promise.” Work, what a joke. I had a job that I loved. But Conner being Conner, ruined it. But I couldn’t tell my brother what happened, so once I was let go, I had to act like I was still going to work every day. That I was so busy as a journalist that I couldn’t come home for the weekend. I’ve missed holidays. Birthdays. I’ve missed everything.
“If you say so, Lennon. I better go get dinner started for the kids. Shelby had to stay at the diner late because someone called off, but she told me to tell you that she loves you and she is going to kick your ass if she doesn’t see you in person soon.” Shelby has been my best friend since second grade and is now my sister-in-law. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my best friend and my brother liked each other.
“Give the kids a kiss for me and tell Shelby I love her, too.”
It would have been so easy to tell Cash that I needed him, and he would drop everything to get to me. He was always like that, my fierce protector. But he’s married with two kids, and between him and Shelby, they own two businesses. His plate is full. Overflowing . I’m not the kid that he helped clean my cuts when I hurt myself rollerblading. Or the teenager at my first high school party, calling her big brother to pick her up, because I took one sip of a drink and thought it was spiked. It wasn’t . I am an adult and got myself into the situation I was in, and it was up to me to get myself out of it.
I sigh in relief when I make out the driveway that leads to home. The relief is short lived when I notice all the cars in the driveway. And the bounce house. Shit, I’m going to ruin my nephew’s birthday party. I remember the text that I had to respond to, inviting me home to the party. I of course was made to decline, made to say that I was out of town on assignment.
I was so stupid.
I’m about halfway up the driveway when I’m spotted by a group of people standing at the side of the house. If I can just make it to the garage, I can sneak up to the apartment, and let everyone have a good time. Once my brother sees me, the party is going to be over. And how do you make it up to a five-year-old after ruining his birthday party?
I won’t be winning aunt of the year anytime soon.
I’ve almost made it to the garage when I hear someone walking quickly in my direction. “Lennon?” I turn because unless this is a new development, I can’t make myself go invisible. I should not have turned. I should have been rude and went about my business to the garage, because as soon as I turn, I get dizzy and everything goes black.
“What the fuck happened to her?! I’m going to kill whoever did this to my sister.” I should open my eyes, but I don’t want to deal with this yet. Right about now I’m wishing that this couch would just swallow me whole, so I didn’t have to explain myself. Or look into my family’s eyes and see pity.
“Cash. Babe, I know, but you need to try to calm down. Can you please bring me a bowl of warm water and some washcloths, I’m going to try to clean up her face so we can tell what we are working with here.” Thank God for my best friend. When my brother gets in one of his moods, she is the only one that can talk him off the ledge.
I hear Shelby sniffle, I wish I didn’t bring this drama into their house. Just like my brother has been, Shelby has been my rock especially since my parents’ accident. Without speaking any words, I can tell my brother is back in the room. The air seems thicker. More tense.
Since I am pretending to sleep, I didn’t have any warning for the bite of pain that occurs with the first wipe from the washcloth. With a wince, I open my eyes and take in the room. The first person I see is Shelby, her blue eyes swimming with tears. I seek out my brother who is pacing the room like a caged animal. But those aren’t the only people in the room. The one person I really didn’t want to see me like this is my high school crush. I was so delusional to think that someone like Hayes, my brother’s best friend, would notice the quiet bookworm .
“Cash, stop pacing, you are making me dizzy.” His head pops up in my direction, eyes wild. His dirty blonde hair is sticking up everywhere, like he was tugging on it. He rushes over to the couch and kneels down, taking my hand in his. “Fuck, sis. Never. Never do this to me again. I text Scottie, he is on his way so you can make a report, and then we are going to get a restraining order.”
“Cash, man. Give your sister a minute. Here’s a water, Lennon.” Hayes hands me a bottle of water, and when I try to sit up so I can take a drink, three sets of hands help me. “Thank you, Hayes.”
Before I can respond to everything Cash spewed out of his mouth, there is a knock at the door. Hayes quickly walks out of the room to let whoever in, and my brother and Shelby sit down on either side of me.
“Girl, I know I said I wanted to see you, but you didn’t need to make such a dramatic entrance.” I cringe at Shelby’s words, because yeah, that was pretty awful. Not my finest moment. “Hey, none of that. We will get you all fixed up and I’m never letting you leave again.” Never leaving again sounds like a good idea to me.
Seeking some comfort from my brother, I scoot over a little and set my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me in closer. I feel like I could sleep for a week straight and still not feel rested. I’m not even sure if I will try to get into the garage apartment tonight, just throw me a blanket and I’ll make do with the couch.
My eyes open when someone clears their throat, and I lock eyes with another one of my brother’s childhood friends. Scottie Mercer always knew that he was going to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a police officer. With all the town pranks he pulled in high school, it shocked everyone when he actually did go into the police academy.
“Hey, Scottie.” He moves the ottoman over and sits down in front of me, pulling out his small notebook ready to hear what the hell happen to me. Ready to hear how the girl that was loved by all of Pine Creek, let her life end up like this.
You’ll be waiting awhile for those answers, Scottie.