Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
AMY
Ipassed my mom’s room on tiptoes, but the floorboards creaked anyway.
“Amy, is that you?” she called. A loud sniffle followed.
She’d been crying off and on since she’d come at me with a shovel.
I’d told her over and over again it was the meds that’d caused her to do it, but that provided little comfort.
I popped my head into her room. She sat hunched under my old, faded flamingo patterned beach towel.
I wasn’t completely sure when and how beach towels became her suit of armor, her protection against all the aliens trying to get her, but if it worked to make her a little less paranoid, then I wasn’t going to question it.
She hadn’t touched the bowl of soup I’d brought her for dinner.
Her shoulders looked ridiculously thin, like a metal hanger holding up her sweater and her beach towel cape.
“Mom, I told you, you need to eat with this medication.”
She blew her nose on her tissue. “Can’t eat because the medication is making me nauseous. Guess those brilliant doctors didn’t think about that.”
“I think food will make you feel better, in every way.” I knew my words were drifting right past her.
Her complexion was sallow beneath the dim light in her room and her dark eyes looked as if they’d sunk into her face even more, as if they were going to eventually be swallowed up for good.
I’d been putting off telling her about the doctor's appointment I’d made for her.
It was always better if I told her just before it was time for her to get dressed and go.
Then she didn’t have days to think and stress about it.
I needed to get her help before I lost her for good.
These new meds were only making everything worse.
She wasn’t hunkering around corners with vases anymore, but she had been brought so low by the chemicals in her bloodstream, I was sure she’d been thinking about suicide.
“Mom, can I get you anything? I’m just going to pop over next door and talk to Slade.” It was just after midnight, and I’d been in bed when I heard Slade pull into his driveway. Hunter hadn’t been home for three days. Slade had driven to his favorite pool hall to see if anyone had seen him.
“No, I’m fine. I’m tired. I think I’ll rest.” She scooted down and pulled the towel over her.
I headed out the door and across the yard. I’d been making good progress with the weeds and mess, but my worry about Hunter had slowed me down some. The light was on in the kitchen. I walked inside.
Slade was getting a beer out of the refrigerator. The Stone brothers weren’t big on showing emotion, but his face was smooth with worry.
“Did you hear anything?” I asked.
He pulled out a chair and shook his head. “No one had seen him at the pool hall in the last few days. Don’t worry,” he told me, but his tone wasn’t too convincing. “He’s a big guy who can handle himself better than anyone. I haven’t heard from the cops or a hospital, so that’s a good thing.”
I sat across from him.
“He’ll be home soon, Street. And then I’m going to kick his ass for doing this. I’m sure he’s with those bikers he’s been hanging with lately. I don’t know much about them except the one guy is called Fletch. They’re big into poker, and you know how Hunter likes to play cards and make wagers.”
“Yeah.” My stomach was twisting into a hard knot. So many ugly scenarios were dashing around my head. “This was my fault.” My throat constricted around the words. “I shouldn’t have gone off with David that night. Hunter was really upset.”
“No, Street, don’t do that to yourself. What you’re doing is good.
You need to show Hunter that he’s not being fair to you.
” It was rare to have a serious conversation with Slade but, of all the brothers, he always made the most sense.
Maybe it was the middle brother thing. Not that he hadn’t lived through just as much despair as Hunter and Colt.
He had. He just seemed to have come out of it a little more grounded.
“Right now, I don’t even care what he’s done in the past,” I said. “I just want his ass home and safe. And I’m going to be right there when you kick his ass for doing this.”
We both fell silent and thought about the comical scenario of someone trying to kick Hunter Stone’s ass.
Slade was the first to break the silence with a laugh.
“Yeah, me and what fucking army, eh? It always sounds easy when the big goof isn’t around.
” His phone buzzed, and we both jumped. Slade looked at his phone and shook his head to let me know it wasn’t Hunter.
I slumped back against the chair.
“Hey, Rooney, what the hell are you doing up and about this late?” Slade asked. He sat forward. “Really?”
I tapped the table to find out what was going on.
Slade lifted the phone from his mouth. “Rooney said there’s a light on in the Durango’s pilot house.” He placed the phone back. “I’ll head down there right now.” Rooney was a guy we’d gone to school with. His father owned three fishing trawlers, and they were moored near the Durango.
“What?” Slade asked. “It is? That fucker, we haven’t seen him in days.”
This time I reached across and tapped his arm. He held up a hand to hold me off a second. “Rooney, can you do me a favor? Walk down to the Durango and see if the big dick is up there. Call me right back. Thanks man, I owe you.” He hung up.
“Hunter’s motorcycle is parked down by the marina. I don’t know what the hell is up with him. Asshole.” His phone rang again. “It’s Rooney.” He pressed it against his ear. “Is he there?” He paused. “You dickwad, where the hell have you been?”
It was Hunter on the other end. I relaxed back and tamped down the tears of relief that badly wanted to spill.
“Are you coming home? You sound like shit.” Slade listened. I could hear Hunter’s voice through the phone, but I couldn’t make out the words. They sounded slow and deep.
Slade rolled his eyes at something Hunter said.
“Yeah, all right. You had everyone worried, fool. Yep, I guess I won’t start selling off your stuff yet.
Later.” He hung up. “He’s been playing poker for three days.
Sounds like he’s been living on whiskey, weed and blow and nothing else.
He says the sea air is making him feel better.
” He looked at me. “Not going to lie, Street. He’s been on a downward spiral and—”
“And I helped start it.” I finished for him. I got up and zipped up my sweatshirt. “I’m going down to the marina to check on him.”
“Might be a good idea.”
I walked out of the kitchen.
“And smack him upside his head for me, would ya?” Slade called.
I laughed. “Aren’t you the brave one?”
I went inside my house and peeked into my mom’s room.
She was fast asleep, snoring softly from beneath the flamingo beach towel.
I grabbed my keys and climbed into my car.
The wave of relief I felt after finding out that Hunter was safe assured me that as hard as I’d been trying to break free from him, I was still just as attached as ever.
There’d been too much time and shit between us.
Somehow, just being friends didn’t seem like an option.
Our relationship was a giant, tangled ball of feelings.
But I wasn’t going to sort it out tonight or anytime soon.
I just needed to see him. Horrible scenarios had been bouncing through my head for the past few days, and I couldn’t sleep easy until I saw for myself that he was all right.