Chapter 24 #2
Noting the look on my face, Billy says, “Sorry, babe, it’s just a small family thing.”
She bites her lip. “I would never say anything about, you know—”
“Madison,” Billy warns.
“No, let her finish. About what?”
She shifts nervously. “Just, um … about what your dad does. I mean …” She takes a breath before rushing on quickly, “Everybody already knows, but I wouldn’t say anything. You can trust me.”
“And why would I trust you? You’ve never given me any reason to.”
“What about her?” she asks, motioning to Sam. “How come I have to prove myself and she just gets a free pass?”
“You wouldn’t even be able to wrap your pretty little head around all the ways she’s proven herself loyal,” I respond coldly.
“All right, let’s just calm down, huh?” Billy says, always trying to mediate the situation. “There’s no need to—”
“No,” Madison huffs. “He can’t talk to me like that.” Her face shifts, and for the first time, she drops the mask, glaring over at me. “You act like you can do and say whatever you want just because of who you are, like it’s some sort of excuse to be an asshole.”
Billy pulls his head back. “Whoa—”
“What’d you just call him?” Sam demands, taking a step forward.
“Just because I didn’t grow up the way you guys did doesn’t mean you can treat me like I don’t matter.”
“Pretty sure you’re from the same shitty neighborhood,” I mutter.
“Yeah, but my family is …”
“Your family is what?”
“Nothing.”
“No,” I push. “Your family is what?”
“Respectable.”
“Ah,” I say. “And that what? Makes you better than me?” I wave my hand around. “Than us?” She starts to answer, but I cut her off. “This is why you can’t come tonight, why I don’t trust you, and why I don’t fucking like you.”
Her face drops before she turns to Billy. “Are you just gonna stand there and let him talk to me like this?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because we’re—”
“We’re nothing,” Billy tells her. “Not anymore.”
“But—”
He backs away. “You should go find someone more respectable. You know, so my filth doesn’t rub off on you.”
“I wasn’t talking about you,” she sputters.
“Right,” he says with a bitter laugh. “You realize Jameson is my family, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“You should leave now.”
“Billy,” she pleads.
“Seriously, Madison, you should leave.” He points at Sam. “I don’t know how you got away with saying that shit about Jameson in front of her, but neither of us are gonna step in if she goes after you.”
Her eyes widen. “Jesus, she’s not gonna jump me.”
Sam takes another step forward. “I’m not?”
Madison looks over at Sam and inches back. “Fine, I’m leaving. I don’t need this shit, anyway.”
Sam gives her a condescending wave, mirroring the one Madison gave her when she walked up.
Once she’s gone, Sam mutters, “Bitch” under her breath.
I turn toward Billy. “You all right?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” He shrugs, trying to appear unaffected. “Things were getting weird with her, anyway.”
I start to answer, but he turns from me. “We should probably head to the garage; it’s getting late.”
I nod, giving him the out he clearly wants.
Sam must pick up on it, too, because after a couple minutes of walking, she changes the subject, asking, “So, when can I give you your presents?”
I slow. “You got me presents?”
“Of course I did,” she answers. “It’s your birthday.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
She smiles. “I know, but I wanted to.”
“Oh, yeah,” Billy says. “When are you gonna give it to him?” He motions to Sam. “We coordinated.”
“You coordinated?”
“Yeah, on your gift,” he clarifies. “What about now?”
“Now?”
“Can we give it to you now?” he asks, the question coming out in an excited rush.
I look between them. “You have it with you?”
They both nod.
“Okay, yeah, sure.”
We move off to the side of the road, and Sam fishes around in her purse until she pulls out two packages.
She hands one to me and says, “This one is from Billy.” Then hands me another and adds. “And this one is from me.” She eyes them, shifting on her feet. “Well, they’re really just both from us.”
I look down at the packages. They’re wrapped neatly in what looks to be a brown paper grocery bag.
Sam twists her lips. “Sorry, I didn’t have any wrapping paper.”
I shake my head. “It looks great.”
Carefully, I begin to unwrap the first one. She holds out her hand, and I pass her the paper, watching as she crumples it up and tucks it into her purse.
Before unwrapping it, I could immediately tell it’s a DVD, but when I flip it over, my eyes shoot up, glancing between the two of them. “You got me Taxi Driver?”
“Well, you said Scorsese was your favorite—”
“And I remember we saw it when they were doing that summer classics series last year at the drive-in and you said you liked it,” Billy finishes.
Sam motions to the DVD. “You don’t already have it, do you?”
“No. This is … Thanks.”
“All right, open the other one,” Billy says.
I tear away the brown paper and find a box with headphones inside.
“When I was over, I noticed the cord on yours is all messed up,” Sam explains. “Figured they must not work that well anymore.”
“They don’t,” I answer. The sound cuts out unless I hold it at a certain angle.
I stare down at the gifts, feeling oddly emotional. They’re so … thoughtful.
With my free hand, I pull Sam into me and kiss her. “Thank you, baby.”
“You’re welcome,” she breathes against me.
I look over at Billy, tipping my head up. “Thanks, man.”
“Of course,” he answers.
“Seriously,” I say to the two of them. “These are … These are some of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.”
“Glad you like ’em.” Billy grins, spinning and starting back down the road.
I keep Sam tucked under my arm as we follow behind him, needing to have her close.
Her and Billy are talking about something, but I’m not really listening.
Instead, I’m watching her. I watch as she laughs, the sound pouring from her as her head drops back.
I trace her lips with my gaze as they spread into a wide smile, and I realize how beautiful she looks when she’s happy.
That I’d do just about anything to keep her smiling like this.
I watch her, and it hits me.
I think I’m in love with this girl.