Hollow

by Teresa Mummert

  “Now that was a beautiful toast.”

  I shrugged, feeling the warmth of the alcohol churn around in my belly. My eyes narrowed as I looked him over. “This night turned out not to be half bad. Besides the fact that Tatum stood me up.”

  “Can’t win ‘em all, Princess.” He held up his glass, his body swaying slightly and I laughed. “Here’s to you.”

  I held up my own cup and waited for him to continue. “May your future be bright, your mind be quick, and your heart be soft.”

  I struggled to smile before I downed my drink hoping I could ingest enough to not even remember back to yesterday.

  “When do you leave?” I asked as I spun the glass between my fingers leaving wet circles as the bottom slid against the wood.

  “A few weeks. It’s not definite.” He didn’t look up from his drink, and I could tell he was worried, but I didn’t know if it was uncertainty about where he was headed or who he was leaving behind.

  “They’ll be fine without you.” I didn’t realize how my words sounded until I’d spoken them. “I mean, they will be okay. You gotta do what is best for you, ya’ know?” I was rambling, the alcohol making my brain work slower.

  He nodded but didn’t say anything. Pushing to my feet, I grabbed the bottle and poured us another round, sloshing liquor all over the place before holding up my glass.

  “Here’s to Knox! May your journey be full of adventure,” I smiled but Knox shoved his chair back from the table, and stood, disappearing through the dining room and out of the back door.

  “Shit,” I whispered as I looked around, uncertain as to what to do next. I should let him go. I had no idea what was going on with him, but instead, I hurried across the dining room in my bare feet, stubbing my toe on a table leg before stumbling to the back door. I pulled it open to see Knox silhouetted by the moon, standing on the top porch step. I tiptoed out beside him, and he didn’t glance down, but he shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets.

  “There used to be horses,” he said, but I wasn’t certain if he was speaking to me or thinking out loud so I didn’t respond. “The fence used to circle the entire property but over the years it had broken down in a few places, and the land was divided up and sold. That was before I lived here.”

  “Why did she divide up the land?” I looked out over the field ahead. In the distance, you could see a line of trees.

  “Lot of work to maintain on her own.” Knox shrugged before he pulled his hand from his pocket and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “Come on,” he stepped down, and I had no choice but to follow along with him.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Do you always ask this many questions?” He smiled down at me as his hand slid from my wrist and he intertwined our fingers.

  “I’d like to know if you are dragging me out into this field to murder me.”

  “Why would I drag you to the middle of the field when all of the knives are in the kitchen we just left?” he asked as if it wasn’t incredibly creepy, if not logical.

  “That’s a good point,” I muttered as the grass slipped between my toes and my soles sank into the soft earth with each step.

  As we made our way further from the house, an old wooden building began to come into view behind an overgrown tree that seemed out of place in the vast field.

  “What’s this?” I asked as Knox stepped through the doorway and I hesitated, still unsure if I could trust him.

  He groaned as he flipped a switch and the inside became illuminated. My eyes widened as I slipped inside and looked at the tiny strings of twinkling Christmas lights that hung on the walls giving the cramped but clean space a magical feel.

  “This is where I would go to get away from… everything… before I had my shop,” he explained as my hand slid from his and I ventured further into the small space. There was a love seat and a stack of books on the floor. I grabbed the top book from the pile and flipped it over in my hand.

  “The Art of War?” I raised an eyebrow as I glanced over my shoulder at him. His lip curved up in a smile.

  “You were expecting something else?”

  “No,” I sat the book back down, impressed. “I didn’t think you even knew how to read,” I deadpanned and he laughed loudly. My eyes danced over the walls that held miscellaneous items propped on nails. At first glance, it looked to be completely random. I stepped closer, inspecting some of the collection. “What’s all of this?”

  He shrugged, his gaze dipping down to the floor between us as if he was embarrassed. “Just some things.”

  “Some things,” I repeated as I ran the tip of my finger over a fork that sat on a shelf at eye level. “Oh, my God. You have a dinglehopper,” I joked, but when I looked back at him, my smile faded.

  He stepped forward and pulled the fork from the shelf it rested on. He turned the utensil over in his hand. “Not everyone was born with a silver spoon, Princess.”

  “Or a decorator, apparently.” This time, he did laugh as he placed the fork back on the wall.

  “The extra place setting, That was for Greta’s husband.”

  “Did he leave for milk one day and not come back?”

  “Vietnam, actually. He was declared missing in action four months after he deployed. She refuses to let go because he promised her he’d come back and he never broke his promises.” It suddenly made sense why he was not wanting to leave Greta for whatever trip he’d been planning.

  “And she’s been waiting for him all of these years? Never remarried? That’s so sad.”

  He shrugged as he sank down on the arm of the small couch. “I think it’s kind of beautiful. Could you imagine trusting someone so implicitly and loving them that much?”

  “No,” I answered honestly.

  He gave me a half smile before shaking his head. “Me either.”

  “You know, you aren’t half bad when I’m drunk.”

  “That’s just because you don’t know me.” His voice trailed off, and I’d be lying if I weren't hoping he’d add the word yet to the end of that sentence.

  ***

  I awoke in Tatum’s bed, still on top of the covers. The smell of bacon turned my stomach, and even the little slivers of light that broke through the tree branches made me squint.

  I pushed from the bed, rubbing my stiff neck before slipping trudging downstairs. Knox was at the stove, and he smiled when he glanced over his shoulder.

  “You look like shit, Princess.”

  I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. I was so dehydrated.

  “Glass of water is on the table for you.” He motioned to my seat that I’d occupied the night before when we were drinking. “Here’s some hangover food. Dippy eggs.” He sat a plate in front of me with eggs and bacon.

  “What the hell is a dippy egg?” I asked as I picked up my fork and poked at the yoke. He rolled his eyes as he sat down in front of me with his plate. “Relax. It’s regular eggs. Over easy.”

  “Oh. Thank you.” I picked up my glass of water and drank nearly all of it in one gulp. “Why don’t you look as bad as I feel?”

  The front door opened, and Tatum stepped inside, laughing as she said her goodbyes to whoever was on the other side. She closed it and turned to walk across the room, stopping when she saw me.

  “Riley, what are you doing here?” She asked as my head snapped to Knox.

  “She dropped by to see if you wanted to hang out. Oh,” He slipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a phone. “You forgot this here yesterday before you left. How many times have I told you to make sure you have your phone when you leave?”

  “Oh, thank God! I thought I’d lost it.” She grabbed her cell and slipped it into her own pocket before looking me over. “What did you want to do today?”

  “Plot a murder.”

  “Careful, Princess. That’s premeditation.”

  Knox

  I couldn’t wipe the smirk off my face as we finished eating our breakfast. Riley was glaring at m
e the entire time which made the whole situation even funnier.

  “What did you get up to last night?” Tatum asked as she took a sip from her orange juice.

  I shrugged. “Nothing much.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so much. What’s her name?”

  My eyes cut to Tatum and my smile fell. “Can’t I just be in a good mood?”

  “Seriously? No. No, you can’t. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible. You forget that I know you.”

  I shook my head as I leaned back in my seat.

  “Oh, God. It’s Bea, isn’t it?” Tatum laughed excitedly.

  Riley looked to Tatum, her eyebrows pulled together. “Bea? The waitress?” She looked back to me as I grabbed my plate, shoving my chair back from the table as I stood.

  “How do you know Bea?” Tatum asked, and Riley cleared her throat.

  “She works at the only diner in town, Tatum. Everyone knows her.” I replied.

  “She your girlfriend?” Riley asked, and I knew she remembered our conversation in the car where I told her I didn’t do the girlfriend thing.

  “It’s none of your business.” I tossed my plate in the sink and headed out the front door.

  The rain was just beginning to dot the sidewalk as I pulled away from the curb and headed out to my shop. I wondered if Riley would confess to Tatum that I’d tricked her, but I knew the last thing that girl wanted was to feel even more embarrassed.

  ***

  TWELVE

  Riley

  It had been nearly a week since I’d spent the night at Knox’s house and even though we’d hung out a few hours together since then, we still hadn’t even begun to plan the party. He kept telling me to trust him, but it was hard to do when he wouldn’t tell me anything.

  We were supposed to meet last night, but he said he was busy with work. I’d assumed busy meant he was out with a girl.

  My phone beeped with a text from Knox.

  Sorry about last night. Want to meet today?

  I groaned, typing back a quick response.

  Did you blow me off to go on a date?

  His response was immediate, and I could picture his cocky grin.

  Are you jealous, Princess?

  Tossing my phone on the bed, I headed downstairs to get something to eat. I fixed myself a chef salad, and as I poured Ranch onto my lettuce, someone buzzed at the gate. Piper hit the entry button and within a minute, the doorbell rang.

  “I bet that is the party planner,” Piper squealed as she rushed across the room as fast as she could in her mile-high heels.

  “Why are you hiring a planner?” I groaned, shoving a bite into my mouth. “Don’t you just sacrifice the soul of your first born child and eat the heart of a kitten or something?”

  “I’m not a witch,” Piper yelled back as she pulled open the front door.

  “Duly noted,” I heard Knox reply with a laugh. Rolling my eyes, I shoved another bite of food into my mouth.

  “Hey, Princess. Stress eating?”

  “What do you want?”

  “You didn’t respond to my text. I was worried. But now I see you were just hanging out with your younger sister.”

  I made a gagging sound as a piece of lettuce lodged in my throat, and Piper took the opportunity to giggle, placing her hand on Knox’s arm.

  “She’s not my sister,” I snapped before stabbing a cherry tomato and shoving it in my mouth.

  His eyes danced over the binder she’d had laid out on the island. “Planning a party?”

  “Well, trying to but the guy I hired is forty-five minutes late,” Piper answered as she tucked her hair behind her ear, batting her fake eyelashes. I smiled to myself as I thought of the email reply I’d sent pretending to be her, canceling her appointment because she didn’t feel right about stealing another women’s husband. I may have also attached a half-naked pic of her for good measure.

  “I happen to be a party planner. Right, Princess?”

  They both looked at me expectantly. “Umm… I guess you could say that,” I replied trying to figure out where he was going with this.

  “I could help if you like,” He said, turning his attention back to Piper.

  “I mean, yeah… I guess that’d be okay. Just want to plan an engagement party. Nothing big.” Her cheeks turned pink even under the mountain of makeup caked on her face.

  “Great. We can start tomorrow.” He held out his hand, and she took it, shaking it gingerly. “A deal’s a deal.”

  His eyes cut to mine, and I ducked my head, smiling down at my food. He was really going to help me get rid of her. Deal's a deal.

  ***

  I grabbed my purse and hurried out to my car where Knox was waiting on the steps.

  “You’re still here,” I groaned.

  “Has Tatum said anything about how things are going with Bryce?”

  I shrugged as I opened my passenger door, tossing my purse on the seat before shoving it closed.

  “Just that she loves him,” I sighed as I turned back to face him.

  “She doesn’t know what love is.”

  “And you do?”

  “I know what it isn’t. It isn’t what they have. Trust me.”

  “Why are you so sure he’s no good for her? He seems to care about her, even if he does like to stare at my ass.”

  He shook his head as he stood. “He has good taste, I’ll give him that.”

  “Was that almost a compliment?”

  “Just promise me you’ll keep an eye out. I don’t trust him.”

  “You keep saying that but so far he doesn’t seem like such a bad guy. In fact, the only person around here that seems to have a problem with lying is you.”

  “Because you don’t know him. And I haven’t lied to you, I just haven’t told you the entire story. Big difference.”

  “Tatum knows him, and she doesn’t seem to think anything is wrong with him.”

  “I’m not asking you for your opinion of him. I’m asking if you’re going to keep your word.”

  “A deal’s a deal.” Slipping into the driver’s seat of my car, I waited for him to get on his bike and take off down the road before heading in the opposite direction to school.

  ***

  Bryce was standing next to Tatum’s locker as walked down the hall.

  “Hey, Tate,” I called out, and Bryce looked over his shoulder. I gasped when I saw his face. “Jesus. What the hell happened to you?”

  “Practice got a little rough,” he replied casually. His eye was purple, fading out into a yellow over his swollen cheekbone. “Took a ball to the face.”

  I couldn’t help the snort that escaped me. “Getting hit in the face with balls a regular occurrence for you?”

  Tatum smacked my arm, but she was struggling to contain a laugh as well.

  “What? It’s a legitimate question.”

  “I gotta get to class,” Tatum groaned before kissing Bryce on the cheek.

  Bryce and I began walking toward our classroom when Landon stopped in front of him.

  “What the hell happened to you, man?” He asked as he leaned in to examine his face. Why wouldn’t Landon know he hurt himself during practice when they’re both on the team?

  “I’ll tell you about it later,” Bryce stuttered.

  “I have an appointment later, but I’ll be at practice tonight.”

  THIRTEEN

  Riley

  I groaned as the light in my bedroom snapped on, blinding me. “Time for school, Princess.”

  My eyes snapped open to see a smiling Knox next to my bed. I grabbed my blanket and pulled it up over my chest.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to help your evil step-mother plan her ball. She gave me your gate code.”

  “She is not and never will be my step-mother, I hissed, tossing off my cover and storming into my closet. I began yanking clothes from my hangers as I pulled my camisole over my head, dropping it to the floor beside me before pu
lling on a t-shirt with my back turned to Knox.

  “So,” I turned around to face him, pulling my hair from under the collar of my shirt. “What is your plan?”

  “My plan?” He asked, sinking down on the foot of my bed.

  “You have to have some sort of plan to get rid of her.” I kicked at my closet door to give myself some privacy as I shimmied out of my shorts and pulled on a pair of panties and jeans.

  “I figured I would charm her with my personality and good looks. If that doesn’t work, I’ll show her my cock.”

  I yanked open the door, glaring at him as he tilted his head back and laughed before laying back on my bed. “I don’t want you to sleep with her. I just want her to leave.”

  “So this is where the magic happens, eh, Princess?”

  “It’s also the scene of the crime if you don’t get your diseased ass off my bed!”

  “Fine. Fine. Hurry up, I want to go get some coffee before going out with Piper.”

  “I thought that’s why you were here?”

  “Nah. She wants to meet up at nine after dear old dad is off to work. I couldn’t sleep and I know misery loves company, so here I am to save you from your loneliness.”

  Sliding my feet into my shoes, I gathered my hair and twisted it up into a messy bun. “What are we, friends now?”

  “Partners in crime,” he quipped. “And it’s only seven in the morning so we have some time to kill.”

  “You’re kidding, right? Are you a glutton for punishment?”

  “I’d hate to break it to you, but you’re not nearly as scary as you think you are.”

  “Neither are you.” Narrowing my eyes, I grabbed my purse from my dresser. “Let’s go. Your treat,” I called out as I walked out of my room.

  ***

  I blew into the tiny hole on the lid of my coffee before gingerly taking a sip, trying not to burn my tongue. Knox took a long pull from his straw, slurping up his Vanilla Frappuccino.

  “You’re like a five-year-old.”

  “They’re good. Besides, I can’t drink coffee. Makes me hyper.”