Chapter 35 #2
“You’re right, but it doesn’t change this situation.”
“What will?” I’m not going to volley with him all night. I just wish he’d do the right thing to start with. “You know Lark. You know what it means to her. She deserves to have it back.”
He pulls another cigarette from his pocket. It’s bent as if he bummed it off someone. But he doesn’t light it. He holds it between two fingers like the act itself is enough to settle his nerves.
When he checks his phone, I’m thinking we’re on borrowed time. He finally says, “What would you have me do that doesn’t fuck up my relationship with Mia?”
“If it’s that volatile, it’s already fucked up. But maybe . . .” Last resort. Here goes. “My cousin traded it for drugs. I’ll trade you cash. What’s it worth to you?”
“Priceless if it keeps the peace with Mia.”
“Don’t do this, Dane. You know what’s right in this scenario. Lark loses if you choose wrong. I’ll give you five thousand dollars.”
“Fuck,” he says, laughing and waving his arms in front of him. “Just like that, huh? Wish I’d been born a Pointe kid. You know your cousin threw money around like it was endless and then his daddy cut him off.”
Wait . . . I never heard this. “How would you know?”
“He and Ronnie hit a few houses back in the day when they needed a fix.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Ask Ronnie. He’s doin’ time down in county.”
I can’t wrap my head around how bad it got for Lucas. Each new detail is a part of his life that I’m unfamiliar with when I thought I knew everything about him. The deeper I get into Lucas’s history, the more I wish I didn’t know.
“You didn’t know they hit Lark’s house? You didn’t piece that together back then?”
“I was almost in as deep, dude. I wasn’t investigating anything. He came to me and traded some goods I’d just gotten. Mia found it in a shoebox while clearing out the closet to put the crib.”
“How did she know it was real?”
He shrugs, tucking the cigarette in his back pocket. “Girls know diamonds, I guess. Look, I need to go.”
“You won’t take the money?”
“It pains me because I could really use it, but we’ll get by.
” He eyes me up and down, and then adds, “I get that you want to be the hero in Lark’s story, but I can’t rock the boat with Mia, especially when she’s pregnant.
” He holds out his hand, and I know what it took for him to offer it to me, so I take it, and we shake again.
“Sorry, man.” His eyes dart behind me, and he says, “Sweet ride.”
“No fucking way.”
“Not even for Lark,” he asks, fucking hopeful to make the trade.
“She’d never want me to do that.”
“What do you want?”
Shaking my head, I reply, “It’s in my parents’ name. I just make the payments.”
“Must be nice,” he sings with a swagger to his step. “Must be nice.”
Given one more minute, I would have been handing over the keys. But I know a car doesn’t trade as easily as drugs do. Fuck, I was close. Lark would kill me, and I quite like seeing her every day.
He opens the door and looks back. His good mood is gone, replaced by the side I imagine Lark knows. “You’re going to make sure she gets out of Beacon, right? You’re her best chance.”
“She’s her best chance, but I’ll make sure she does as a backup plan.”
“Righteous.”
I have the wildest thought. I run my hand through my hair, doubting I should even do this.
The guy’s causing Lark heartache on purpose.
But maybe there’s a way for him to change the direction of his life.
Lark’s heart is pure gold. I know she wouldn’t be upset over what I’m about to do.
“Hey, Dane.” He looks back once more. I say, “If you’re looking for more of a steady gig, I know a few guys who could probably use some help.
Nothing big, but they have good benefits and offer a decent salary. ”
He stares at me, his face contorted like I might be pulling one over on him. “Why would you help me?”
I shrug. “You have a baby on the way, and because you’re Lark’s friend.” I walk to my car. “Amanda has my number if you ever want the connections.”
“Thanks.”
I take one last look and then sink into my car. On the way to pick up Lark, I start thinking about this brooch. I think it’s going to be chalked up to a lost cause. If he’s not taking money, I don’t have anything else to offer.
So other than stealing the brooch back from him, which has crossed my mind at one point, Lark may never have it in her possession again. As the messenger, I was not wanting to be the guy who breaks her heart.
I pull up out front, and she gets in. Leaning over, she kisses me all smiles like I didn’t just fail my mission. “Hi,” she says, strapping on her seat belt. “Did you get any texts recently?”
“Texts frommm . . .”
She shoves her phone in my face. “I got in, babe. I got into Yale Medical School. Did you hear back?”
I got the text weeks ago, but I didn’t tell her because I wanted to see if she got in first. I’d already decided I’m going where she’s going because I can’t live without her. But what do I tell her? That I lied, that I only had to apply as a formality?
“I knew you could do it, baby.” I lean over and kiss her. When we sit back, I start to drive us home.
She asks, “Is it normal not to receive the scholarship with the acceptance letter? I received both at the same time for Beacon.”
“Maybe you get it when you commit?”
“Oh. Maybe you’re right.” She slides her finger up and down the screen, and then says, “Oh my God. I just committed to Yale.” She’s giggling in excitement when she adds, “I’m going to check emails just in case it comes in that way.”
She’s silent and staring out the window by the time I’m parking.
Her nerves are even eating away at my stomach. “Anything?”
“Still nothing.” Her good mood has taken a turn for the worse. She chews on the inside of her cheek and gets out of the car without another word.
Trying to stay positive for her, I say, “I’ve heard sometimes people receive them later. Maybe it comes in a formal letter and not a text.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.” I reach over, taking her backpack and swinging it over my shoulder, and then take her hand as we walk toward the elevators. She stops suddenly, tears filling her eyes. “What if I don’t get it?”
If I have my way, I’ll give her the whole world and more like she gave me the universe. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “You will.”
If I only knew then what I know now, I would have savored the kiss I placed on her head that day.