Chapter Eighteen #2
She’s sobbing again. I get up and pace next to her bed. ‘So lemme get this straight. This asshole already asks a girl to the winter formal, but he goes around telling every other guy in your class not to invite you? Why the fuck would he do that?’
‘I don’t know. I think because I told him I couldn’t get free tickets to any of your games.’
‘So fucking what? Even I don’t get free tickets to the game!’
‘He’s a jock. Everybody worships the ground he walks on.’
‘He plays sports?’
‘He’s on the soccer team.’
I stiffen. ‘They play after school’s out?’
Her eyes flit to mine, like she can read my mind. ‘Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. Jake, just leave it okay, I can handle it.’
Rage in my stomach threatens to boil over. Nobody treats my sister that way. I hold out my hand to her. ‘Put your shoes on. You’re coming with me.’
She’s still wiping tears. ‘No. Just leave it.’
‘Riv,’ I say, my tone forceful. ‘Some guys might be happy to sit back and watch their baby sister take shit like that from some ugly high school douchebag. But not me.’
Thirty minutes later we’ve pulled up in my pickup beside the chain link fence that surrounds the playing fields at River’s high school.
River didn’t say a word the entire journey here.
Just leaned her arm against the doorframe and rested her chin on her hand.
She’s wiped her face clean of tears and makeup but there’s no mistaking she’s been crying.
Now she’s staring from the window in the opposite direction from the soccer game that’s playing on the other side of the fence.
The ball of rage in my stomach has ruptured.
I’m haemorrhaging anger and frustration, and maybe it’s not only because of River’s situation.
I’m angry that I haven’t been there for my sister.
I’m pissed at Sam Conway too, for making me take her daughter out on dates, like it’s an unwritten rule in my NFL contract that my pro-career depends on making her family look good.
I’m frustrated at the hold Serenity has over me, and I have this creeping suspicion that there’s something she’s not telling me, like maybe she’s fooling around with me but I’m not the only guy in her life.
I know her father’s sick. But there must be another reason for her never being around or always needing to leave.
And I think that reason has been staring me in the face all this time.
‘Which one is he?’ I ask in the driver’s seat with the window down.
River glances over at the game for a brief second. Their uniforms are black with yellow numbers.
‘The number ten,’ she says.
‘That’s Scottie Lincoln?’
‘That’s him. Can I go now? I don’t wanna be here if you’re gonna talk to him.’
‘Where you gonna go?’
‘Meet me at the mall? You can buy me a McFlurry.’
‘Fine.’
She opens the car door. ‘Look, just don’t hit anybody, okay? He’s not worth it.’
‘Don’t sweat it, Riv. I know what I’m doing.’
When River’s crossed the road, I take the pickup round to the school’s front entrance. I park across the road from the main lot and I wait.
I don’t have to wait long before the game is over and the kids with cars are filtering out into the lot. I get out of the pickup and cross the road. I keep my sunglasses on. I’m wearing my varsity jacket from Penn State.
I watch Scottie Lincoln bid farewell to his buddies and approach his car – a black sedan – carrying a black sports bag over his shoulder. He’s searching around for his keys when I approach him from behind.
‘Are you Scottie Lincoln?’ I ask calmly.
He turns his head and recognition flashes across his features. ‘Woah, you’re—’
He doesn’t even get to finish his sentence before I’ve body slammed him into his car door. His eyes go wide with fear.
‘That’s right, I’m Jake Walsh, asshole, and my sister goes to this school. You know who my sister is, you piece of shit?’
‘River,’ he sputters. I’m leaning so close to him I can see the sweat break out on his upper lip.
‘Did you tell all the other guys in this school not to ask my sister to the winter formal?’
‘I can explain, man,’ he says.
‘Did you do it?’ I demand.
‘Yeah, I did it,’ he manages, ‘but, hey, you gotta understand—’
‘If I didn’t play for the NFL,’ I interrupt him, ‘and I didn’t value my career as highly as I do, then you should know, right about now I’d have separated your nut sack from your body.
You come within ten feet of my sister again, you’ll be hearing from me, you sorry-ass motherfucker.
And next time I won’t be so fucking soft on you. ’
I shrug him off. The guy looks speechless.
‘Hey, man—’ he calls out in a strangled tone, but I walk away. I cross the road, and head back to my pickup.
I buy River dinner at the mall, though we keep getting interrupted by Mutineers fans wanting autographs. One woman even asks me about my relationship with Lemon. River finds it hilarious and it’s good to see her smiling again at my expense.
We don’t say another word about the winter formal or Scottie Lincoln. Inside, I’m still simmering.
When we reach home around five, I know I need to pack for my trip tomorrow for the away game. But something’s bothering me.
I check the Serenity phone. I know there’ll be no messages or missed calls, even though a part of me wants her to have contacted me, telling me she’s changed her mind.
But doubts linger in my mind about why she was always making excuses, and I want the truth.
Right now, early Friday evening, this was our time. Only a week ago, I was kissing her, and I thought she might have been a virgin.
I realize now that I was totally na?ve.
Because I think I know now what’s really been going on.
I pick up the phone from my desk. My fingers hover over the screen. She’ll have finished her shift at The Bounty by now.
She answers on the first ring, her voice a little breathy and unsure. ‘Jake?’ she says.
I hate how my heart swells at the sound of her voice, how it grounds me, puts me back on her leash.
I close my eyes and rub my forehead. ‘Hey. I, uh, wanted to meet you. At the cabin. Tonight.’
‘Tonight?’ she asks.
‘Just to talk. There’re some things I’d like to say to you. How about eight o’clock?’
Her voice tremors. ‘Eight is difficult for me.’
I roll my eyes. There she goes again. This is why I don’t feel I can entirely trust her. ‘I travel tomorrow. Eight is the only time I can do. You don’t have to stay long. Maybe a half hour.’
She goes quiet. I taste bile at the back of my throat because she’s no doubt thinking what excuse she can make up to not come see me.
‘Alright. I’ll be there at eight,’ she says softly.
I get to the cabin early. My mood hasn’t improved. If anything, it’s worse. I walk into the bedroom to witness the bed linen still tied up in knots and I’m reminded of everything that happened Sunday afternoon, and what a goddamned idiot I’ve been. I find myself pacing, waiting for her to show.
At just after eight, I hear tires crunching on the track. I stiffen. I hear her car door open and close, the sound of her boots against the porch steps. Usually, the sight of her makes me weak.
Not today.
When she knocks on the door, I open it. I swallow when I see her face. This is gonna be harder than I thought.
‘Hi,’ she says.
I open the door wider. ‘Come on in,’ I say, trying to keep my voice free of any emotion.
She steps inside. She carries a bag slung over her shoulder. The sleeves of her sweater are too long for her arms, and she tugs nervously at the material.
I close the door behind her.
‘How are you?’ she asks.
I’m not doing this. Getting into banal conversation. I didn’t come here for that.
‘Thanks for coming,’ I tell her in a tone that’s even more detached than the one I was going for.
Her eyes flit to the bedroom door and I see her swallow. Like she’s remembering how good it was between us.
‘Look, I know you’re busy with something so… I came here to say… I think I figured it out.’
Her eyes search mine. I remind myself that resistance is the only way I’ll overcome this.
When she speaks, her voice sounds a little stifled. ‘Figured what out?’
‘It’s another guy, isn’t it? I’m just your side piece. You’re either in a relationship or there’s some other guy you’re hooking up with. I figure there has to be a reason you’re never available.’
She looks at me for a moment, then turns her head to the side, biting down on her bottom lip. Her chin trembles and her eyes turn glassy.
She takes a moment to compose herself. Her voice quivers when she speaks. ‘Because that’s the first conclusion you’d draw, ain’t it? Forget about the rules of my contract, forget that my father is sick, I can’t spend time with you so that automatically means I’m cheating on you with another guy—’
‘Are you?’
She glares at me. I’m a little taken aback to see the level of rage that flashes in her eyes.
‘Everybody wants something!’ she explodes. ‘You want my time, the Mutineers want my time, my father needs me, everybody needs something!’
‘You’re doing it again,’ I say to her, and I keep my voice steady.
‘Doing what?’ she yells.
‘You didn’t answer my question. About whether there’s another guy in your life.’
‘Would you like that?’
I grit my teeth. The thought of it is torture. ‘Of course not. I just wanna know what’s going on with you. I need to know the truth. Is there somebody else?’
‘NO!’ she practically screams at me, and at the same time, her cell phone starts ringing in her bag.
She covers her face with her hands, maybe in reaction to her phone, I’m not sure.
I don’t know what else I can ask. The ball is in her court.
The phone rings out. Moments later, it’s ringing again.
‘Goddamn it!’ she curses.
She looks stressed as she pulls her cell from her bag. She walks past me in the direction of the bedroom and lowers her voice.
‘What the hell, Jax?’ she hisses and my whole chest tightens up, because maybe Jax is the guy.
I hear the muffled voice of the person at the other end of the phone.
‘I know, I know,’ Serenity says. ‘I left a message with Mila, did she not tell you?’
The voice says something else.
‘I’m a half hour away,’ Serenity says, flustered, before she adds, ‘No, don’t send anybody. I’ll be there, okay? I’ll be there… Can you stall for me?’
The voice is talking again. I move closer to her.
‘It wasn’t my intention to make him mad, Jax. Just… I’ll leave now, alright? I’ll be there soon.’
She hangs up the phone.
For a long moment, there’s quiet in the room. I’m prepared to let her explain, so I stay silent.
She exhales. ‘I work in a club,’ she states quietly. ‘It’s on the west side of Canyon.’
‘What… like, you t-tend bar or something?’
She looks at me, and tears fill her eyes when she says, ‘I’m a dancer. A private dancer. I take off my clothes on stage each night, for cash tips. I’m a stripper, Jake. That’s what I do. It’s my other job.’
I take a step back, reeling. Her admission is… so far from what I imagined.
‘I don’t—’ I say, stunned. ‘Is that supposed to be a joke? You… yanking my chain for some dumb reason?’
‘What, you don’t believe me?’
My mouth opens to say something. In this moment, I don’t know what to believe.
‘I have to go,’ Serenity stutters, an edge to her voice. ‘I have a shift. If you want proof, then follow me. Get in your car and follow me back to Canyon. You’ll see for yourself… you’ll see the truth about me.’
She drops the phone back into her bag and stalks over to the main door of the cabin. With one hand on the door handle, she looks at me, tearful eyes questioning. ‘Are you coming?’
I look her up and down, confused as hell. Then I swallow my doubts.
‘Yes,’ I say.
It’s dark on the ride back into Canyon. I sit in the cab of my pickup, my grip on the wheel unusually tight, my headlights illuminating Serenity’s license plate on the back of her car.
The radio’s on low. Questions go in circles round my head.
Serenity claims to be a stripper. My Serenity. Can it be true? But why? And for how long?
Back in Canyon, the rain’s coming down. Nearer the center of town, the traffic grows heavier. I stick close on her tail. She knows I’m here. We head west before taking a left into a parking lot.
I follow. I don’t park up, but she does, and then I watch as she hightails it inside the back of a building.
I peer through my rain-soaked driver’s side window into the darkness.
Then it hits me. I see the red neon sign and I realize I’ve been here before, the night I celebrated with my fellow teammates when us rookies officially joined the Mutineers’ roster.
To Surly’s Tavern.