Chapter 18
Ihum Christmas carols as I make Mill’s Coffee House’s specialty drinks.
Christmas is two weeks away, and this year's Christmas menu is a hit, so the shop has been pretty busy all month. We kept the Melted Snowman from last year and also added Santa’s Cookies, which is an iced mocha with cookie dough cold foam and a chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out of it on top.
Ev and Gage are sitting at their corner table working on homework, or really just goofing off. Blowing straw wrappers and flicking paper footballs at each other. I laugh at how easily entertained teenage boys are.
After our little bonding moment, Gage has been opening up more with me.
Not as cold, but still kind of a dick. At least now there is a hint of sarcasm in his tone and eyes.
He has been helping me with my confidence.
And I appreciate it more than I could ever express to him.
Through him, I have someone who understands my pain and is helping me overcome my fears.
Unlike Ev, he doesn't respect my boundaries, he pushes me to talk about things I don't want to.
It irritated me at first, but I am growing to appreciate it.
I needed to be pushed. Needed to be challenged in a way only Gage can do because he understands.
When the bell rings out signaling a new customer, I yell out a quick, “Be right with you,” before finishing the latte I’m working on.
When I turn, I drop the latte and the cup shatters at my feet, drawing the eyes of everyone in the shop. Ski comes out from the back.
“Is everyth—”
He must follow my gaze.
“There you are, you little bitch! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. You think you can just run away, like I wouldn’t find you?”
“Mom.”
She storms up to the counter, stumbling on her heels as she comes.
She has never come into the shop—hell, she has never been to any store in this town. I always do the shopping. I never told her this is where I work. How did she find me?
Ski stands behind me, as Ev and Gage make their way toward me.
“You’re coming home. Now. I’ll fucking lock you in that house till you rot—”
The old man steps in front of me now. “Celleste, you need to leave. She is safe here.” Ski's eyes are pleading as he begs my mother for her mercy. But he will find none.
My mom’s eyes turn vicious. “I'm not leaving without her, she is my daughter and she is only seventeen. Should I call the cops and report you for kidnapping, since I assume she has been staying here?” She waves her hand around, and a sneer blankets her face, as if this place is beneath her.
No. No. No. She can’t do that to Ski. But she is right. I am still only seventeen, a minor. And he is an adult who has been letting me stay, but it doesn’t matter what my story is. He would be in trouble.
“Stop, Mom. I’ll go.” I unwrap my apron and step out from behind him.
As I make my way to the door, my head down, I can’t even stand to look up and see everyone staring. All eyes on me. A light revealing more than I ever wanted people to know about me.
A warm hand grasps my wrist, I feel his presence before I even look at him. I would know his touch anywhere. “No, Leo. You can’t go with her. Please.”
“It’s okay Ev. I’ll be okay. I’ll see you tomorrow at school. I love you.” I whisper it, but my mom is close to me, her grip wrapped tightly on my other wrist.
“Oh, isn’t that just fucking sweet. Didn’t I see something recently about your eighteenth birthday, Everett? Did you know fucking a minor is rape? Should I get the cops involved with you too?”
She is relentless, vicious, merciless. But I won't let her ruin him like she has me.
“Let me go, Ev.” I beg him with my eyes and command him with my voice.
His eyes are sharp, dangerous. “Never. You want to take her from me, Celleste? I’ll report you to the police for all the shit you do to Leora.
Just fucking try me.” His voice is deep, deeper and meaner than I ever thought possible from my sweet Ev.
But no matter what emotions fill him, what threats he makes, he needs to let this go. I won't let her hurt him.
“Ev, stop.” I warn him away.
A large hand comes down on Ev’s shoulder, “Listen to her, son. There is a reason Leora and I have not reported Celleste. Trust her.” Ski nods at me. He knows I can handle her. I’ve survived this long. I can survive just a little more.
Ev’s grasp releases, and my mother drags me away.
I can’t look back at him. I won't. I can be beaten, belittled, choked, burned. But watching the fear in Ev’s eyes as I leave, it would break me.
But I do catch Gage's eyes, they are narrowed in on me.
I can see in his eyes, he isn't upset with me.
It's more like he is thinking, his wheels turning, trying to solve the puzzle that is my life.
Before the door shuts, he nods at me. He understands.
We get to Mom’s car, and she goes to the driver's side. She stumbles and has to catch herself on the door.
“Mom, let me drive.”
She looks at me for a moment with accusation, like I’m going to try to run away again.
“Come on, Mom. You shouldn’t be driving. You can get in first.”
She decides to let me, and I send up a prayer. I was not too keen on driving with a drunk person and possibly dying.
I drive us home, and when we get in the house, it’s a mess. It looks like she didn’t clean a single thing while I was gone. There are dirty dishes everywhere, clothes thrown about, take out containers litter all surfaces in the living room, and the trash is more than overflowing.
“Clean up this mess, and I’ll deal with you tomorrow. I’ve been out looking for you all fucking day. I’m tired. And don’t you think about running again. I’ll fucking shut that old pedo and that stupid shop down so fast. You understand me?”
“Yes, Mom.”
I’m up till two in the morning cleaning, and when I finally crash on the couch, I am out in seconds.
By the time I wake in the morning to get ready for school, I am dead. I can feel the exhaustion in my bones. I just want to cover my head and sleep the entire day. But then the covers are ripped from me.
“Get up. The house is a fucking mess. Looks like you’re going to miss school today.”
What? It was spotless when I went to bed!
I sit up and look around.
She trashed it.
How did I not hear her? I guess I slept deeper than I thought.
All the food is ripped out of the fridge.
There is ketchup and applesauce smeared across the walls and into the carpet.
All our dishes, which thankfully are plastic, litter the floor.
All the clothes I washed, folded, and put away last night are thrown about the house.
Some even have some unknown substance on them. Those clothes are all mine.
Great.
I lay my head in my hands. Take a deep breath and stand. I’ll take this over a beating or burn any day though. I guess you could call me lucky.
“Oh, and we need more food. After you're done cleaning, go to the store.”
She begins to walk down the hall but then tacks on, “Oh, and use your own fucking money from your fancy little job because I’m done giving you all of mine.”
After I clean, I make a run to the store.
Now that I know how to drive, it’s a lot easier.
I debated not taking the car, but it’s a particularly rainy day, and now that I know how to drive, thanks to Ev, I decided it was worth the risk.
I peeked in on Mom, and she was passed out in her bed.
I don’t think she will be waking anytime soon.
After I restock literally all our food, which took a whole $150 out of my own money, it’s four p.m. I don’t know if Ski was expecting me to come in for work, but I decided not to. I don’t want to get him in trouble, but I can’t leave him to worry.
I sneak into my mom’s room, grab her phone off the charger, and sneak back out. I dial the shop's number.
“Mill’s Coffee. How can I help you?” The roughness of his voice soothes me.
“Hey, old man. It’s me.” I’m whispering even though I know Mom isn’t going to wake up for at least another five hours.
“Leora, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m going to stay away from the shop for a couple of days. I don’t want to get you in any kind of trouble. I just wanted to let you know I was okay.”
“Don’t worry about me, sweetie. I can handle your mother and any threats she makes toward me.”
“I won’t risk it. I won't bring you into my mess. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you or the shop because of me. Hey, if you see Ev, can you tell him I’m okay? I couldn’t make it to school today, and I’m worried he will think something bad happened to me.”
“About that. He has been here multiple times today, checking to see if you were here. Gage is here also, trying to find you with his tech stuff.”
My heart warms in my chest, to know that if I went missing, someone would be looking.
“How did I get so lucky to have three amazing guys looking out for me?”
“Well, not to brag or anything, but I knew you first. But yes, I’ll let ’em know.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in a couple days.”
“Take care of yourself, sweetie. If you need me, you know where to find me.”
I hang up, delete the call history, and plug her phone back in just as I found it.
No matter how much Gage searches, he won't find me here. Even if he knew Mom’s full name, the trailer isn’t in her name. It’s in one of her regulars who pays the rent each month for us to live here.
I don’t have a cell phone for him to trace, or even a computer for that matter. The only phone is Mom’s, and again, not in her name.
When Mom wakes around nine p.m., I am at the dining table working on some homework.
“Did you get the food?”
“Yes.”
“Remember what I said about running, Leora. I will take that man down—and your little boyfriend. Don’t underestimate me.”
“Of course, Mom.” I keep my head down. She used my name. She is not in the state for me to look her in her eyes.
She gets ready and leaves for work. Not another word between us.
January 22nd could not come soon enough. I’ll be eighteen. I’ll be free.