Chapter 16 #4
“There was a sniper on the roof of a house two blocks over, shooting at everyone who came down that street. Two people are dead, and four are wounded. By the time the police began arriving, he shouted something crazy, then killed himself.”
Shock rolled through him in waves. That boy’s warning likely saved my life. My God. My God.
Less than an hour after arriving in the city, Tate was already making his mark.
* * *
Less than a week later, the Bandy house in Star Ridge was empty. No one saw them leave, or commented after they’d gone.
For Lilith, it was like being set free, and in Abel’s mind, he was just going home.
In less than seven days, everyone that mattered in Briar Lowe’s world was gone. She grieved silently for days, reminding herself this was what they’d planned all along. To get where they wanted to be, they had to go through the separation to get it.
Roger knew Briar was sad. He also knew why, but he was confident that new SUV on the way to town would change her whole attitude.
When it arrived the weekend after the Bandys’ exit, he made a big deal out of presenting it to her, confident she would be ecstatic.
“Briar, come outside,” Roger said. “I have something for you.”
She followed him out, and when he put the car keys in her hand, her eyes widened. “Is that for me?” she asked.
“Yes! Isn’t it great? I got the SUV instead of a sedan or a sports car because I knew you’d need storage when you move to college. It has a four-wheel drive for snow and ice.”
“Thank you, Daddy. It’s wonderful, and quite a surprise!” She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Take it for a drive,” he said.
“I don’t have anywhere to go, but I guess I can take it for a drive around town.
And I can drive it to school and back come Monday.
” She went back to get her purse and driver’s license, appreciated the new car smell and pushed all the buttons and tried out all of the programs, and thought it looked like it might also launch a missile if she was so inclined.
She knew why he’d given it to her. Part of it was a guilty conscience, but it also absolved him of having to drive her to New Orleans when she left for college.
* * *
Briar got her diploma on the last day of school.
Superintendent Autry wished her a merry Christmas.
It was a bitter cold day as she drove home, praying for all she was worth that it wouldn’t snow and that the roads would stay clear for travel tomorrow. It had been five months since she’d seen Tate, and his physical absence from her life was a daily ache.
She drove home and started loading her SUV with suitcases and a couple of boxes, anxious to get everything packed in the car before it got dark.
She needed to be ready to leave early tomorrow morning.
It was going to be a long drive. Over nine hours, and she didn’t want to be driving around in a strange city in the dark, not knowing where to go, or who to check in with.
Roger was on the phone, oblivious to the dozen trips she made in and out of the house, and the last thing she put in the front seat was her Star Wish Bear that Tate had given her on her birthday, and the framed star certificate. After that, she closed the garage door and went into the house.
Her dad was still on the phone when she walked in. When he immediately lowered his voice, she knew something was up, didn’t care enough to ask, and headed upstairs to shower. Tonight would be the last night she’d spend in her room, in that bed, and tomorrow she’d be free.
The next morning, she showered and dressed in warm clothes, picked up her winter coat, and went downstairs to grab a doughnut and a glass of milk.
The plate and glass clinked against the sink as she rinsed them off and put them in the dishwasher, then made one last look at her checklist to make certain that she wasn’t leaving something important behind.
She stood in the kitchen for a few moments, wondering why her dad hadn’t left her a note or at least acknowledged that she was leaving, then shrugged it off.
She was walking through the kitchen to the garage when Roger came flying out of the house in his pajamas, all but shouting at her in dismay.
“You were actually going to leave without saying goodbye? That’s the thanks I get for the nice car I gave you?”
The accusation was a slap in the face. “I thought the car was a graduation gift. I did not know it came with emotional debt. And don’t yell at me. I thought you were already at work. Are you sick?”
He sputtered. “No. No. Nothing like that, but your mother is coming by today, and—”
She stopped, seeing the truth on his face, then rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Oh. My. God. You are such a coward. Follow me to the garage so you can close the door after me. I left my remote by the microwave. Your ex-wife will need it when she moves back in.”
Roger looked away to locate the remote, but when he looked back, she was gone. He ran through the garage, but she was already backing down the driveway. He waited for her to turn and wave, but she never looked back.