Chapter 81
“Jesus, what happened?” Melissa stared at her with a mix of horror and worry as Anna clambered into the truck. “Was it my dad?”
Anna leaned against the headrest, catching her breath and taking stock of every screaming muscle in her body, not yet able to answer. There was a water bottle in the cupholder and she opened it and drank hard. She glanced toward Melissa, then looked back into the dark night. “Can you just drive?”
“In a minute.” Melissa lit two cigarettes, handing one across. “No one’s behind us. You’re okay.” She twisted around in her seat to face Anna, full of concern, taking in her appearance. “It was my dad, wasn’t it?”
Anna didn’t know what to say. Yeah, he scared the shit out of me and also he murdered your last best friend, so I didn’t want to hang around.
This wasn’t the moment for that. If Melissa reacted badly and kicked her out, then she was stuck in the night alone.
It might be chicken, but she didn’t want to be the one to tell her either.
She just wanted to get away. “Drive, Melissa, please.”
Finally, Melissa ground the gears into first and the truck pulled away, Anna’s blood pressure dropping with relief.
“He came in the house ranting about a girl.” Melissa’s eyes were on the road, but her brow was furrowed.
Upset. “I knew he had to mean you. It’s why I came out.
He scares me when he’s in those moods.” She took a drag of her cigarette and looked across at Anna, embarrassed and sad.
“It’s why I said I’d come to your place if you wanted to hang out.
I told you he was funny about me having friends. What did he do?”
“I probably overreacted. It was dark. I got scared. I have issues with men.” She looked out at the night rather than facing her friend. “He was drunk, I think. Tried to grab me, so I ran.”
“He did what? Motherfucker. I’m so sorry, Anna. I don’t know what he was thinking. He hates people coming on the farm. He wouldn’t have hurt you, though, I promise. He’s more likely to hurt himself or set fire to a field.”
“Like I said, I probably overreacted.” She smiled wanly. Melissa was so eager to be believed and Anna wondered which of the two of them she was trying to convince.
“Let’s get you home. Whatever it was, you’re shaken up. And did you hurt your ankle? I thought you were limping.”
“A little. I rolled it. Still weak from landing funny going over the cemetery fence.” She could already feel it swelling in her shoe.
“How come you came to the farm? I thought you were looking after your grandma.”
“I am. I was. But Doc Burdett is there now. Thought I’d surprise you.” She half laughed, trying to be normal. “But fair to say it was me who got the surprise.”
“I’m so sorry, Anna. I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe the fucker’s drinking again. Going off the rails. He’s going to kill the business, I know it. Won’t let me get anyone in to help. That farm is all we have.”
Her mouth trembled, and suddenly Anna almost forgot all her own problems and wanted only to make her friend’s world better.
She couldn’t, though. Melissa’s life was about to get a whole lot worse.
She was going to lose both her uncle and her father to prison.
And then Lila’s and Bonnie’s families might bring a civil lawsuit and that would take the farm for sure.
Anna’s heart was breaking for her. Melissa was tough, but how was she going to get through this?
She couldn’t even go to her mom; there was no way she’d join a cult.
Maybe Anna’s own mom would let her stay with them, but Anna couldn’t imagine Melissa wanting to do that. It would be hard for Melissa not to see Anna as central to the collapse of her life. The ripples of trauma were becoming a tsunami.
“It’s not your fault. None of it is. I should have stayed home.” Anna could barely look at Melissa. “I’m really sorry, but all I want to do now is shower and go to bed.”
“No problem, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll come in and say hi to the doc and then head out. I need to check on Dad anyway.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
They rode in silence after that, neither quite sure what to say to the other, smoking their cigarettes down. Anna flicked hers out the window as they passed the cemetery, watching it tumble and toss on the wind like a firefly. “It’s got to rain tonight,” she murmured. “It has to.”
“Amen to that.” Melissa pulled the truck up, parking alongside the doc’s.
Lights were on in the hall and the living room, and Anna could almost cry with relief that he was already there.
Maybe she should ask Melissa to stay. If her dad showed up, maybe Melissa would be able to talk him down from murder.
Maybe they were all going to be safe after all.
She climbed down cautiously from the truck, gingerly attempting to put weight on her ankle. It was bad, but not too bad, and she took a few careful steps. The pain was still there, a throb now rather than a stab after the few minutes’ rest. It was twisted, but nothing was torn or broken.
“I’ll follow you in,” Melissa said. “If you can manage those stairs by yourself. I want to check the rear tire. It felt off on that track. I went over something following you and I’m hoping it hasn’t done any harm.”
“I can manage. And thank you.”
“Don’t be crazy. I feel awful. Now shoo, get inside and get ice on that ankle.”
Anna looked up at the house. She’d never been so happy to see it.