Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
AIR SUPPLY “ALL OUT OF LOVE”
Sarah
We didn’t say much on the drive back to Devil’s Head. My heart was filled with melancholy. How would things play out at home? Could we keep our relationship a secret until Matt went to school?
Then we could act like it just happened. (Which it did.)
We could say we didn’t see it coming. (Because we didn’t.)
Five weeks.
We just had to make it five more weeks until Matt left for college.
Isaac pulled into a truck stop just off the interstate ten miles from the exit to Devil’s Head, parking in a spot far away from other vehicles.
“Come here,” he said, removing his seat belt.
I did the same and slid across the seat, straddling his lap with my arms around his neck. We shared one long kiss after another, each one making us hungrier for the next. When we stopped to catch our breaths, he pressed his forehead to mine.
“Let’s tell them,” he murmured. “Your family. My family. Let’s just fucking tell them.”
I lifted my head. “No. It’s five weeks until Matt leaves. Nothing good will come from telling anyone now.”
“Is it about the money? Your parents paying rent because?—”
“No.” I shook my head. “Well, yes, but that’s not everything. I’m working for your parents this summer. I just don’t want everything to fall apart at once. If we just wait until Matt leaves, he’ll?—”
“Baby, Matt going to school won’t change how he’ll feel about us. How would you react if, a couple of months from now, you found out Matt and Eve had been messing around all summer?”
I scrunched my nose. “She’s sixteen.”
“And he’s eighteen. That’s two years. There’s six between us.”
I shrugged. “I have you, so whatever.” I lied because I couldn’t process how something like that would make me feel, and I didn’t want Isaac to be right.
“But what if you didn’t have me?”
I frowned, which made him grin.
“Fine. I get it. Matt’s not going to like it, but I’d rather he be upset with me in Michigan than upset with me here while I’m working for your family. I can use the rest of the summer to drop hints that Matt and I might not stay together. And you can start sitting in the front row at church, so my dad sees your commitment to God, and therefore increasing your chances of him finding you worthy of his daughter.”
I knew that was never going to happen.
“And maybe you can spend more time teaching me to play the guitar, but not always in secret. Then Matt and your parents will get used to seeing us together, even if not really together .”
He nodded slowly. “Okay. But if anyone finds out about this trip, I want you to let me handle it. I’ll deal with my family and yours. Understood?”
“Why—”
Isaac framed my face in his big hands. “ Understood ?”
I returned a tiny nod.
“Good.” He pecked at my lips. “Now that we have that straight,” he unbuttoned my shorts, “I have one condom left.”
Isaac dropped me off fifteen yards from our driveway with one last kiss. Unfortunately, I had to leave my new clothes, boots, and hat with him so no one at my house would question where I got them. Despite leaving the tangible things behind, I grinned uncontrollably all the way to the front door because the memories we made in three days would stay with me forever.
“Sarah!” My mom ran toward me, hugging me so tightly I choked on my next breath. Dad and my sisters followed her to the front door, all hugging me. My mom, Eve, and Gabby wiped tears from their faces, but my dad blinked his away despite his red eyes.
My heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach. They knew. But why were my sisters crying? I wanted to turn around and chase Isaac. Something wasn’t right.
“Hey, um …” I started to panic, but I didn’t want them to see it, so I swallowed hard and plastered on a smile.
“Where have you been?” Mom pressed her palms to my face, releasing a sob.
My smile faded. The gravity of whatever had her in a fit of worry seemed bigger than my need to look happy.
“Uh, I’ve been camping with my friends. W-why?” My voice shook as I stuck with the lie because I didn’t have the strength to share the truth.
Mom narrowed her eyes and reared her head back as she let go of me and cupped a hand at her mouth.
I looked at my dad and sisters. Why were Gabby and Eve crying?
“Go upstairs, girls,” Dad said, eyeing them.
Without resistance, they obeyed, and they never obeyed that easily.
“ Where have you been?” My dad’s voice was thick with an emotion I didn’t recognize. He seemed angry but hurt— scared but relieved.
He knew. But how? It didn’t make sense. And if he knew, then why did he ask me as if he didn’t know?
“W-what is going on?” I whispered past the lump in my throat, wide eyes ping-ponging between my parents.
Mom covered her face with both hands and cried.
“Sarah,” Dad’s voice cracked before he cleared his throat, “Heather and Joanna were in a car accident.”
That was it. That was all I heard. The room spun, and his voice became a distant, mumbled echo. His mouth moved, hands making gestures before raking through his hair .
“Sarah?”
I heard him wrong. It was a weird dream.
“Sarah?” He grabbed my shoulders. “Did you hear what I said?”
My gaze made a slow shift from his moving lips to his narrowed eyes.
I shook my head. “W-what?” I could barely hear my own voice.
Did he hear me?
“Where have you been?” He moved his hands from my shoulders to my face like my mom had held me. “Sarah, did you hear me? Heather and Joanna were in a car accident.” Dad’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “They didn’t make it. Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick. Praying for your safe return. Nobody knew where you were. Your other friends thought you were home. We went to the police. Sarah Elaine Jacobson, talk to me!”
Everything burned like tiny bees stinging my skin, and my vision blurred behind my tears. I couldn’t breathe. Where was the air? Why couldn’t I find my next breath?
“H-Heath … H-Heather … no … what … NO!” I shook my head and backed away from him until I hit the door. “No …” I continued to shake my head.
My parents stepped toward me.
“NO! Don’t touch me. No. You’re lying. That’s n-not f-funny.”
“Sweetie—”
Mom held out her arms and reached for me.
“STOP!” I batted at her hand. “W-why would you s-say that? Don’t say t-that.” I sobbed, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. “Don’t. Ever. Say. That!” I grabbed my bag and ran upstairs .
“Sarah?” Eve called.
I slammed my door and locked it. Then I moved my desk in front of it, knocking the lamp on the floor and breaking the lightbulb. I choked on my emotions while backing away from the barricaded door. When I hit the opposite wall, I slid to my butt and hugged my knees to my chest.
“No no no no no no no …” I whispered, pinching my eyes shut while my teeth chattered.
I hated my parents.
I hated Heather and Joanna for playing such a horrible joke on me.
But mostly, I hated God because my heart knew what my mind refused to believe. And no loving god would allow that to happen to my friends.