Close to Me

by Monica Murphy

  “No,” I tell Drew. “I don’t know why she’s here.”

  “Ash! Asher!” Rylie’s shrill voice calls for me and I wince, glancing over my shoulder to see she’s running toward me, the blanket flying behind her. “There you are.”

  “Ry—” I start but she cuts me off, throwing herself at me.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried. The fire was so scary, I thought I lost you.” She clutches me tight and it feels like she’s suffocating me.

  “Hey. It’s okay,” I tell her, trying to disengage myself from her hold. But every time I push her hand off me, she settles it somewhere else. I glance up to find Drew watching us, his dark brows pinched together and I feel…caught.

  Trapped.

  “Sir, could we have a word?” Ramirez asks Drew.

  He sends me a look before he leaves with the firefighter, and I’m alone with Rylie. She finally lets go of me, her smile serene, her expression, her gaze blank. Like a doll’s.

  “Why are you doing this?” I ask her, my voice tight.

  “What are you talking about? I’m doing nothing. Just like you want me to do.” She blinks, her smile fading. “You don’t love me anymore.”

  “I never did love you,” I say bluntly, trying my best to fight the panic that wants to take over. Where’s Autumn? Where’s Fable and the rest of the family?

  What is Ramirez telling Drew about Rylie?

  “My mom will be here any minute,” Rylie says, her voice hollow. “Maybe she’ll bring me back up here later so I can get my car and we can talk.”

  “There’s nothing more we need to talk about, Rylie,” I tell her and her entire face turns red.

  “You fucking coward!” She lunges toward me. Her hands curled into fists as she starts pummeling my chest. I grab hold of her wrists, holding her off as best as I can, but she’s stronger than she looks. She tries to kick at me, punch me, and I just take it, wincing when her foot makes connection with my shin, her fist socking me right in my still sore ribs making me double over.

  That’s when Ramirez and Drew run over to us, pulling us apart. “Come on now, Rylie. Let’s go wait for your mother over here,” Ramirez tells her.

  She leads Rylie away, who’s shaking and breathing heavily. I watch them go, curling my arm in front of my chest, trying to work past the pain that Rylie’s fist caused.

  “The firefighter told me that girl said she was pregnant with your baby.”

  I turn to find Drew studying me, his expression impassive. “What did you say?” I ask carefully.

  “Ramirez said that girl admitted she was pregnant with your baby, but she lost it.” Drew tilts his head. “Yet I’m finding used condoms in the hall, so that doesn’t make much sense.”

  I part my lips, unsure of what I should tell him. Do I clear myself and risk getting Autumn in trouble? “I don’t believe she was ever pregnant in the first place.”

  The moment the words fall from my lips, a sheriff’s deputy car pulls into the driveway, no siren on but the yellow lights flashing.

  Great.

  I would call bullshit on this entire situation, but Rylie’s behavior isn’t right. She’s completely fixated on me, yet she’s also trying to beat the shit out of me.

  It doesn’t make any sense.

  Everything gets chaotic once the deputy arrives. The arson investigator deems the fire an accident, started by an unattended candle that they found in the middle of my bed, a waxy lump left behind as evidence. Since I’ve never had a candle in that room, nor have I seen one, I tell the investigator that I have no idea where it came from when he questions me, Drew still standing with us and listening to every word I say.

  “I brought it,” Rylie calls from where she’s still standing with Ramirez, her gaze meeting mine, eyes wide and her pupils dilated. “Remember? For our romantic night?”

  The disappointed look Drew sends my way guts me. “What the hell is going on here, Davis? Is she telling the truth?”

  “Sir, let me explain.” I have never called Drew Callahan sir in my life. I don’t know why I do it. As a sign of respect? Out of desperation in the hopes he’ll actually listen to me versus Rylie, who’s spouting nothing but a bunch of nonsense?

  “You can explain yourself later,” he says with a shake of his head before he walks over to where the firefighters are clustered together, and they all glance in my direction before they start talking among themselves.

  I wonder where Fable and the kids are. And Autumn. She has to be awake. Worried about me. Maybe she already knows that Rylie’s here, and someone told her what she said. Maybe she’ll believe her.

  But how could she? I was with her right up to the moment I first discovered the fire. There’s no way Autumn will believe Rylie. We were together. Autumn’s my alibi. Not that I can tell Drew that.

  Hey, I didn’t start that fire. And I definitely wasn’t with Rylie. Where was I? Yeah, I was with your daughter, taking her virginity in her bed. You have the used condom that’s evidence, so that means I’m off the hook, right?

  The grim thought almost makes me want to laugh, but I don’t. That won’t go over too well.

  “We’re going to need to talk to you a little more, son.” I turn to find the fire investigator standing in front of me, his expression serious.

  “Right now?”

  He nods. “We’ll just take you to the station and interview you real quick before we bring you back here.”

  He’s lying. He was probably given orders by Drew to never bring me back here again.

  “Can I get some pants on? And some shoes?” I ask him. Though I really don’t know if I have any pants or shoes that aren’t either burned or damaged by smoke.

  “I’ll get him some stuff to wear from my son,” Drew says, his tone clipped before he leaves, heading for Jake’s room.

  Great. I’m borrowing more of Jake’s clothes. That guy must thoroughly hate me by now.

  “I’m not in trouble, am I?” I ask the fire investigator.

  “As long as you tell the truth, you’ll be fine,” the man says, patting me on the shoulder.

  His words, the way his hand clamps my shoulder, heavy and tight, feels like a prison sentence. Will he believe me?

  No one ever has before, so why change now?

  Thirty-Eight

  Autumn

  I come into the kitchen to find my parents talking, their voices low and serious, so wrapped up in what they’re saying, they don’t even notice me enter the room. They wouldn’t let me talk to Ash earlier, when the fire was first discovered. Mom made all of us go outside and wait it out in the front yard on the opposite side of the house where the fire started. She said she wanted to keep us safe, but I don’t know.

  It also felt like she wanted to keep me away from Ash.

  After a while Dad came out front to talk to Mom, and when the house was deemed safe, she sent us all to our rooms with strict orders that we couldn’t leave. Sleep wouldn’t come, so I paced my room, bit my nails down to nothing and stress ate the rest of the bag of kettle corn I left in here a few days ago. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and sent Ash a text. Then another one, but he never responded.

  I have no idea where he is.

  Giving up, fear propels me downstairs, where I find my parents. They’re talking so intently, I have to clear my throat in order for them to notice me.

  “Oh. Autumn.” Mom gives me small smile. “Come sit with us. We need to talk.”

  Dread makes my steps slow and I settle onto the empty barstool that’s in between my parents. Mom gives me a side hug while Dad just glowers. He’s mad. Upset. I’m upset too. I want to know where my boyfriend is. I want to know that he’s okay.

  “We don’t know how to tell you this,” Mom starts, and I turn to look at her, fear making my insides quake. “We think Ash started the fire. By accident. But—he had a girl there with him. In his room.”

  My mouth drops open. “What?”

  “Her name is Rylie Altman,” Dad bites out
. “Do you know her?”

  Oh. My. God. “Yes, I know her. I go to school with her. She was here? At the house?”

  “She was waiting outside when the fire engine showed up, frantically waving them down. She told them she was inside with her boyfriend and they fell asleep. She said they must’ve knocked over the candle that was sitting on the bedside table that they lit for their romantic encounter,” Dad explains, his voice harsh and full of disappointment.

  “But that’s not true. None of it is. Ash is with me,” I tell them.

  It’s like he didn’t even hear what I said. “Apparently he’s with this Rylie, and it’s serious. She claimed she was pregnant with his baby, but recently lost it,” Dad continues, driving the invisible knife up to the hilt, sticking me right in my heart.

  “Drew,” Mom chastises, but Dad shakes his head, cutting her off.

  “She deserves to know the truth, Fable. Ash Davis is nothing but a con man who used us and our daughter.”

  I start to laugh. Seriously, this is hysterical. I can take care of this ridiculous story with the truth. “He definitely wasn’t with Rylie.”

  “Autumn, this isn’t funny,” Mom says, reaching out to rest her hand over mine. She ducks her head, looking me in the eyes, her expression dead serious. “The arson investigator called just a bit ago. He said one of the deputies called to let him know that Ash’s mom heard about the fire and said her son should be investigated. She claimed that he started another fire near the lake eleven years ago that went unsolved.”

  “Mom.” I’m laughing again, and my parents are glaring at me like I’ve lost my mind, which I sort of feel like I have. “Ash told me about it. He was six. He stole a lighter from his dad and set a bush on fire. His father felt so guilty when he found out, he gave up smoking for the rest of his life and got rid of all the lighters in the house. Ash isn’t a serial arsonist. He was a curious six-year-old who mistakenly set a fire because he thought lighters were cool.”

  They say nothing for a while until Dad asks, “What about the girl? She was there, Autumn. I saw her. I talked to her. She said they were together, in his room, and they fell asleep. She told everyone that. All the firefighters that were there heard the same story I did.” He hesitates. “I found proof that they were together.”

  “What proof?” I ask incredulously.

  He sends Mom a look before he breathes deep and says, “I found a used—condom, wrapped up in a tissue, on the floor in the hallway just outside the guest room.”

  I hang my head, fear filling me and making me shaky. That condom was the one Ash and I used, but how do I admit that without disappointing them completely? I don’t want my parents to be mad, or to think less of me. We broke their rules. What Ash and I did violated their trust—this may ruin everything for him, for us.

  But what am I supposed to do? He’s already in trouble with the fire, and with Rylie being here, which makes absolutely no sense. Why was she at my house? How did she get here? When did she get here?

  Did she start the fire?

  I can’t let this go on. I have to tell the truth.

  “Ash—like I just said, he was with me. Last night. Well, early this morning,” I say, staring at my hands as I twist them together in my lap. “We were together in my room for…a couple of hours, and he was returning to his room when he must’ve discovered the fire. He—he probably dropped the condom then. He took it with him when he left my room.”

  My parents are deathly quiet and I start to tremble, tears stinging my eyes.

  “So he couldn’t have been with Rylie when he was with me,” I say, my voice small. “I don’t know why she was at our house, but I think maybe she started the fire.”

  “Autumn.” I look up to meet my father’s stern gaze. Oh, he looks angry. Angrier than I’ve ever seen him. He also looks concerned and maybe even a little…hurt? I did that to him, which kills me. “Are you lying for Ash so he doesn’t get in trouble? Because you don’t have to do that. If he did sneak off with this girl and set that fire, even if he did it by accident, he has to face the consequences.”

  “But you see, he didn’t do anything. He definitely didn’t set that fire. How could he be two places at once?” I shake my head, the tears coming, sliding down my cheeks, one after the other. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, and I can understand why, but he was with me, Daddy. He spent the night with me in my room, he wasn’t with Rylie. We’re in love, Ash and me. And we wanted to be together—but we didn’t think it would end up like this.”

  I start crying hard, burying my face in my hands, and I feel Mom smooth her hand over my back, trying to offer me comfort. Dad curses under his breath before storming out of the kitchen, and I just start crying even harder.

  It was right to tell the truth, but now I’ve completely lost my parents’ trust. And I’ve probably sealed Ash’s fate. He won’t be welcome in my house any longer. Dad won’t help him.

  I’ve ruined everything.

  “Autumn. Wake up.”

  Somehow, I fell asleep. After the embarrassing discussion with my parents where I made my father so upset he walked out and didn’t come back, Mom accompanied me to my room. I was a crying, sobbing mess the entire walk up the stairs and into my room. She told me to lie down and then she joined me, where she held me while I cried, until I fell asleep in her arms. She must’ve eventually left me alone, and I have no idea how long I’ve been sleeping, but it’s my dad who’s trying to wake me up, and he’s the last person I want to see.

  Rolling over on my side, I face the wall and pretend to still be sleeping, hoping he’ll go away.

  He sighs, reaching out to give my shoulder a gentle shake. “I know you’re awake.”

  Can’t he pretend I’m asleep too? That’s what I’m trying to do.

  When I still don’t move, he starts talking. “Ash has been released. Your mom is going to pick him up right now.” He pauses for a moment before he says, “We thought it best I don’t go. I’m afraid I might say or do something I’ll regret.”

  The relief I feel at hearing Ash isn’t in trouble anymore is so strong, I can’t pretend I’m sleeping any longer.

  “Oh, Daddy.” I turn and sit up, slinging my arms around his neck and holding him tight. “Do you hate me?” I ask, my words muffled against his neck.

  “Of course I don’t hate you.” He wraps his arms around me and it feels so good, so comforting, to have my father holding me. I used to love Daddy hugs. That’s what I called them. I was so little and he was so big. I thought he was a giant. I don’t want him disappointed in me, though I know he must be. “But you know you two shouldn’t have been sneaking around. So did Ash.”

  I pull away from him so I can look into his eyes. “Am I in trouble?”

  “Yes.” He doesn’t even flinch when he says that. “You definitely are. I just don’t know what your punishment will be yet.”

  “What about…Ash?”

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do about him either. I spoke with Weldman earlier, and he said he could have Ash stay with him,” Dad explains, referring to one of the assistant coaches of the football team.

  “So he can’t stay with us any longer?” I’m sad. I knew if we got caught Ash would be sent away. I hate that he’ll have to leave us, but I couldn’t stand by and let him take the fall for something he didn’t do.

  “Not if you two are involved and are going to sneak into each other’s rooms behind our backs.” The pointed look Dad sends me has me bowing my head in shame. “Hey, I was a teenager once upon a time, you know. I know what’s going on, and why you feel the need to sneak around.”

  “Oh my God, this is so embarrassing,” I mumble.

  “Just promise me you’ll be safe, okay, sweetheart?” He lifts my chin so I have no choice but to look at him. “That’s all I ask. Now let’s change the subject.”

  Gladly. “Did you hear anything else about Rylie and why she was here?”

  Dad sighs, his expression softening. “Th
e deputy said she confessed to setting the fire to her mother, who called in to let them know. Since we don’t want to press charges, nothing’s going to happen. Though I do believe they’re going to seek help for Rylie. I guess her mom said she’s not been doing well for some time now.”

  “Oh.” I feel terrible. Poor Rylie. She’s not a terrible person. It just sounds like she’s having a hard time processing stuff. I don’t know. Maybe she’s depressed and what happened with Ash pushed her over the edge? “Is she going to be all right?”

  “I hope so.”

  “What about Ash? Is he really going to stay with the Weldmans?” I don’t know their family very well, but Dad always says he’s a nice guy. And their kids are older than me, so I never went to school with them.

  “I think it might end up being a better atmosphere for Ash there. No other kids to deal with, and Weldman’s wife is retired, so she’s home all day. She’ll make him homecooked meals and fuss over him, help him with his homework. Give him some motherly attention, something he’s been sorely lacking the last few years.” Dad offers me a small smile. “And after a while, when I’m not so mad at him, Ash can come over and hang out with us.”

  “How long will that take?” I ask.

  “I don’t know,” he answers truthfully. “You’ll have to be patient with me. You two will also have to work hard to earn my trust.”

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” I whisper, gazing at him. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

  “It’s not the end of the world. We’ll work through this.” He squeezes my chin gently before he releases it. “Now I have to go put a call in on an insurance claim. Looks like we have a couple of rooms we’ll need to redo.”

  I’m thankful my parents believe me. I’ve never really lied to them before, not like this, and I’ve given them no reason not to trust me up until now.

  Stupid boys.

  Stupid hormones.

  I love that boy, though. So much, I’ll do anything to make sure he’s safe. I told the truth even though it got the both of us in trouble. It’s okay.