25. June
Chapter 25
June
“ B ye, Mom.” I kissed her on the cheek and gave her a quick hug, then moved on to my father, who struggled to pull his jacket straight over his shoulder, his eyes locked on the photo in the hall. “Do you want some help?”
He stiffened, tearing his gaze away. “I’ve got it. This stupid lapel is tucked...”
“Here.” I scraped my fingers beneath the folded fabric and pulled it free, letting it float around his collar. “There, all better.”
“Thanks, June- bug.”
I cast him a warm smile and wrapped my arms around him, his arms loose around my shoulders, then kissed his cheek. “You guys drive safe. Call me in the morning, and we’ll do coffee. I’ll bring the donuts.”
“ Ohhh . I like the sound of that, Junie.”
Shutting the door behind them, I met the rest of the family in the living room, their subdued chatter setting me at ease.
“That was a wonderful evening, Carter. Now that everyone is settled, we can do it more often.” Linda crossed her leg over her knee.
“That’s a great idea.” I plopped down beside Carter, laying my cheek against his damp shoulder.
His arm curled around me, his thumb brushing a soothing circle against my waist. I closed my eyes, breathing in the familiar scent—clean, with a faint hint of the spices from dinner still lingering on his clothes.
“How’s your father, June? He seems a bit... edgy,” Linda said.
I shrugged. “He’s having a rough time assimilating, I guess.”
Frank huffed with a nod. “I know how that feels. It took us— me especially—a few weeks before we felt any semblance of normalcy.”
Carter perked up, his brows pulling down. “You never said anything.”
“You’d already done so much.” Linda swirled her wine around the glass. “We didn’t want to make you feel like we weren’t grateful.”
“I wouldn’t have felt like that. I know moving is hard. ”
My hand found his and threaded my fingers through. “It’s been five weeks, and I’m still trying to find my place here.”
He squeezed my hand. “It’s by my side.”
I grinned and nuzzled into him. “I know. But I was kinda hoping to check out that school by now.”
“Why haven’t you?” Frank ran his hands through his hair, the same way Carter would.
“Um...” I exhaled. “I guess I’ve been afraid they won’t hire a small-town teacher whose ex was found murdered in her home.” Linda’s eyes widened, and I damn near choked on my tongue. “You...” I snapped my eyes to Carter. “You didn’t tell them?”
He shook his head and cleared his throat. “I hadn’t had the chance.” He adjusted his seat and squeezed my hand tighter. “They took care of it.”
“They?” Linda looked from Carter to me, then settled on Carter.
“The Exodus.”
Her face washed white, and Frank sat straight. “Her or you?”
Carter gulped. “Me.”
“When?” Linda let loose a gasp. “Since when?” Frank put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look. “It’s okay, Linda.”
They’re so much like us.
Frank, the reassuring, kind-hearted and caring husband.
Just like Carter.
“It’s over now. I took care of it, Mom. ”
A tear dripped down her cheek as she buried her face in Frank’s chest. Her muted sobs filled the living room, the dishwasher sloshing through its cycle.
I leaned into Carter, and he tightened his arm around my shoulders, the somber mood filling my stomach with acid, twisting it and churning until it burned at the back of my throat.
Linda pulled back from Frank and sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Well, I think it’s time we call it a night,” she said, her voice feigning strength as she looked between me and Carter. “It’s been a long day.”
Frank nodded in agreement, setting his empty tumbler on the side table. “We’ll leave you two to get some rest.”
“Are you sure?” Carter stood, and Frank followed his wife to the door, helping her with her jacket. Her movements slowed as she stared at the wall.
“Carter, what’s this?”
She shrugged her jacket over her shoulders and stepped closer to the hall, her eyes squinting.
Carter shifted beside me, his arm tightening around my shoulders. “What is it what?”
Linda reached out and pulled the photograph tucked into the picture frame, her expression indecipherable as she turned back toward us.
My stomach somersaulted, and the air thickened. Pressure struck my temples.
Linda looked at Carter, then at me, her brow furrowing. “Where did you get this? ”
My heart thudded in my chest as if a knife stuck in my rib cage. Carter’s hand slipped from my arm, his back stiffening as he walked toward his mother, then took the photo from her.
“It was in my parents’ things.” I stood and walked over, staring back at my best friend’s picture.
“Def Leppard?” Frank said, his forehead creasing.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“The stage. I’ve been to a few in my lifetime. I would recognize it anywhere.” He rubbed his beard and pulled down on his chin. “She never listened to them, though. They were well before her time.”
“That’s what I thought. And I’d never listened to them either. But my dad said that she and I went to it.” I shrugged. “I have no recollection of it.”
“Strange,” Linda whispered with a sniffle. “She didn’t go with you.”
“What?” I gave her a quizzical stare, my head cocked to the side. “You knew? I’m so confused right now.”
“She said she was going with a new friend.” Linda shrugged. “I didn’t think anything of it. But she was so happy when she came home.”
“How old was she?” I hugged my chest. “She doesn’t look old enough to drive yet.”
Linda nodded. “She’d passed the test that day, and Frank was working late nights then, so I let her drive herself.”
“But that doesn’t explain why I told my dad I went with her.”
“Maybe you were covering for her. You guys always did that for each other.”
I nodded and swallowed hard.
We were like sisters born into different families, keeping one another out of trouble, cheating on school papers, and cutting classes. I hung my head. “Did she say who this new friend was?”
“No. That was the time when I was trying to let her live her teen life.” She turned to Frank, tears flooding her eyes again. “That was obviously a mistake.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Carter draped his arm around me. “There’s no reason for you to apologize.” He pressed his lips to my temple, and I leaned into him, drawing in his acquainted scent.
“Well, I didn’t mean to make this evening so emotional.” She wiped her mascara-lined eyes with the back of her index finger, her eye rolling back, then smiled. “Okay. We’re leaving now.”
“Drive safe. Please .“ I hugged her and then Frank and then stepped back.
Carter dropped the picture on the shelf, then saw his parents out while I sat on the couch with nothing left to do but turn on the TV.
The door shut as I curled into the blanket, clicked the remote to the faux fireplace, and then flipped a couple of channels.
Carter dropped into the living room, his eyes heavy, then settled beside me, laying his head on my lap.
“Do you think my father lied to me?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t see why he would.”
“It’s just strange, right? It was in a box with a locket and some other knickknacks that I didn’t recognize.”
He stiffened. “What kind of locket?”
My eyes rolled to the side as I recalled the box. “ Um ...“ I touched my throat where the necklace would hang. “It was a gold heart-shaped with flowers etched in the metal.”
“And what else was in the box?”
“A postcard for Garden of the Gods, and a chainring.” His eyes darkened as I stared into them. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing.” He shrugged, the darkness fleeting from his eyes. “What do you want to watch?”
I moved his stray hairs away from his forehead. “I was thinking something scary.”
“Hannibal?”
Grimacing, I shook my head. “More like a slasher. Freddy Kruger.”
“Hmm. I like your style.”
I typed in the title and rented the movie. Carter turned down the lights with the remote that controlled everything but the curtains.
“Popcorn?”
I patted my belly. “Oh no. I’m stuffed.”