The Keys to Jericho

by Ren Alexander

  She keeps jogging on the dark, gritty berm, which isn’t safe to do during the day, let alone at dusk. “No! Just go! I’m used to walking!”

  “I’m not leaving you here! You’re going to get hit by a fucking car!”

  “I don’t really care!” Fuck. This is code red.

  “Get back in the goddamned car, Katriona!”

  Kat breaks into a faster run, shocking me for a second, before I expeditiously take off after her. Dash may be the runner, but I’m not too shabby. Cutting her off, she makes an effort to dodge me when I reach for her. As she again tries to get past me, I successfully block her and she swiftly spins around, darting back to the car. Sprinting after her, I finally grab her arm and attempt to yank her to me, but she twists away. Giving up on running from me, she paces into a small circle.

  Exasperated, I shout, “Why are you giving up?”

  With her hands on the sides of her head, she aimlessly shrieks, “You were yelling at me! You are now! I know you think I really can’t do this!”

  “No! The only one who keeps saying you can’t do this is you!”

  She waves me off before returning her hand to her shaking head. “Just leave me alone! I’m used to walking! I don’t need to drive!”

  “Yes, you do! You just have to stop being afraid!”

  Kat stops pacing to glare at me, her beautiful brown eyes sodden with tears. “Don’t you think I have good reason to be? I killed my grandmother!”

  I angrily point at her. “An accident killed your grandmother! Not you! She wouldn’t want you to give up and live like this!”

  “I don’t deserve to experience anything when I took her life!”

  “You didn’t! Stop fucking saying that shit! She’d want you to live your life!”

  With tears rolling down her cheeks, she shrugs and throws her hands out to her sides. “I can’t do anything right with my life, so what’s the point?” Kat catches her breath before letting loose with her cries.

  As a wave of cars buzz past us and the hazard lights on the car rhythmically blink, I’m at a loss. I have no fucking idea how to handle this situation. None.

  Kat buries her face in her hands, bowing her head as she sobs. I’ve only been around Hadley when she’s cried. I didn’t know how to handle that, either.

  Sighing and doing the only thing I can think of, I walk over to Kat and gently grab her arm. “Kit Kat, come here.” I pull her to me, putting my arms around her as she shakes into my chest. “It’s okay. Shh.” With her this close to me, the potent scent of her hair is jarring, but I eagerly inhale it.

  She garbles against my chest, “I’m sorry, Jared. I’m a failure.”

  “No, you’re not,” I say over her hair as I impulsively move my hand up and down her back, but once I realize what I’m doing, I still don’t stop. My fingers graze her bra strap through her gray shirt, causing me to think about unhooking it. Wrong time for that thought. Fucking hell. Since meeting her in school, my main thought has been about my need to see Kat naked. That’s an enormous amount of wayward thoughts coming from my corrupt imagination.

  Reluctantly moving my hand to her ponytail, which is certainly a better idea to stay focused on the problem at hand, I insist, “You had a hiccup tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll get back on the road and try again.”

  “No!” she yells into my shirt, vibrating my chest.

  “Yes, Kat. Giving up is not an option.”

  She utters a muffled, “Trying shouldn’t have been a damn option.” Fuck, no.

  Pushing her away from me, but gripping onto her shoulders, I look at her face. “Stop it! Right now. If I didn’t think you could do it, do you think I’d waste my time with you?”

  She looks to the road, not at me. “You must think I’m—”

  I lightly shake her and when she looks at me, the red hazard lights reflect off her tearful eyes. “You have no idea what the fuck goes through my mind, but I can guarantee it’s nothing you would ever believe.”

  Kat sniffs as more tears overflow her eyes. “Try me.”

  Without thinking, I move a hand from Kat’s shoulder to wipe away a tear from her cheek. Her watery eyes glance at my hand and then back to my face as I whisper, “I told you. I can keep a secret.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t anymore.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t doubt yourself anymore.”

  “You first.”

  I scowl at her as I drop my other hand from her shoulder. Kat rubs her damp cheeks and pleads, “Please don’t make me drive anymore tonight.” She’s in no condition to drive anyway.

  With a nod, I sigh. “Okay. We’ll pick up again tomorrow.” I touch her shoulder and glance at the car. We slowly walk toward the flashing lights and it occurs to me that nobody stopped to even ask if we needed to call someone. Though she has a phone, it worries me when Kat will be by herself when I’m gone. I still wouldn’t want her stuck on the side of the road with nobody around to help her. Damn it. Why am I thinking of that shit now?

  When I pull the car onto the road, she asks, “So, am I going to be driving all of Independence Day weekend?”

  “Oh. I thought Dash told you.”

  “Told me what?”

  “Shit. I’m going to his dad’s beach house for the weekend with him and Rio. I’m leaving Thursday afternoon and will be back Sunday night.”

  “Oh.” Glancing away from the road, I see her face fall, even in the darkened car. “I’m sorry. I thought he mentioned it or I would’ve told you sooner. You actually get a break from me.”

  “I need a break from driving. Not you.”

  Astonished by that response, I practically stutter as I look at her again, “What?” I lick my lips as I watch the road, still dazed. “I thought you’d be fed up with me.”

  “Nope.” She sniffs again and when I turn to quickly look at her, she’s staring straight ahead.

  Having no proper reply for her that I can think of, I instead say, “You can drive tomorrow and then have a break from driving before we’ll kick it into high gear.” I smile at my pun and glance at her, but she doesn’t look back at me, so I return my gaze to the road. “That sounds good, right?”

  From the sideline of my vision, I see her shrug. “Can’t we do something else?”

  I warily ask, “Like what?” Is she going to have me work at her mom’s tomorrow? Shit. I really don’t feel like doing that. I’d rather…just be with Kat. Almost two weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to get away from her.

  “Go to Quiet Waters?” Not what I expected.

  “The park? For what?”

  Turning to her, I see her shrug again, but she doesn’t look up from her lap. “Time to regroup?”

  “You have to do some driving tomorrow before I leave Thursday.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  When I look at Kat, her eyes are intent on mine as I warn, “Oh, Kit Kat, there will be hell to pay. I promise you that. If you think I’ve been an asshole tonight, just test me tomorrow and you’ll see a whole new rank.”

  She shakes her head and scoffs before turning away. “Why do you care?”

  My grip on the steering wheel is sharp, and so is the pain that follows. “Because I do.”

  “That’s not a real answer.”

  “Well, that’s my answer.”

  Nothing else is said until I pull up to her apartment. The awkward silence that follows is more painful than during the drive, until she asks, “Do you want to come in for a little bit?”

  Before I can say yes—against my better judgment—in my side mirror, I see her mom walking toward Kat’s apartment. “Your mom is here? Now?”

  “Oh.” She turns to look and sounds disappointed when she says, “Yeah. She’s temporarily my neighbor, but she seems to be at my place. A lot.” Shit. Maybe that’s a good thing.

  Taking the opening for me to exit, I tell Kat, “I’m just going to go. I’ll take you to the park tomorrow afternoon, but you will drive after that.” She nods as she glares past me.

  �
�Hey, guys!” Brenda cheerfully greets into my open window. “What’s going on? How’d driving go?”

  “Fine, Mom.” Kat’s tone seems to be edgier than normal, so I promptly peer over and see her giving her mother a strange look. What did I miss?

  “I made an apple pie, if you both want to come over and have a piece.”

  “It’s late, Mom.”

  Brenda glances at her watch. “It’s 9:01. Jared, why don’t you come over with Kat and have some pie?”

  I politely smile, hoping it’s sufficient for her to back the fuck off. “As tempting as that sounds, no, thanks. I’m going to go home.”

  “Give me a minute,” Kat rigidly says to Brenda, who strangely smiles at her daughter as she swiftly backs away from the car.

  Brenda imparts with, “Okay. Take your time, Katydid.”

  When she starts walking back to her apartment, I turn to Kat and questioningly laugh. “Katydid?”

  “Yeah. Jericho.”

  “That’s adorable!” I tease her. It would be such a missed opportunity not to.

  She smiles. “I like Kit Kat so much more.”

  I shake my head. “Oh, no. That’s boring.”

  “Not to me.” Kat’s smile extends, brightening her face and I involuntarily smile. She says, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I guess so since you’re stuck with me.”

  Her smile endures, which is much more preferred than seeing her in tears. “I like being stuck with you, Jericho. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  “I won’t. I’ve told you that.” I reach over and jokingly tap her on the side of her head. “Get it into that head of yours, Kit Kat.”

  From nowhere, Kat grabs onto my arm and pulls her upper body closer to me, which renders me speechless and unexpectedly…nervous and uneasy. I think I gawk at her as such, too. Christ. If I start drooling, I may as well change my name to Dash Calder.

  Almost nose-to-nose to me, Kat whispers, “You didn’t call me baby.”

  I swallow, suddenly hoarse, trapped in my own game that I started. I endeavor to be casual when I repeat, “Get it into that head of yours…baby.” Fuck me. I like calling her that, and I’ve never called a girlfriend by that name before. However, Kat isn’t my girlfriend and never will be.

  What the hell is wrong with me then?

  Grinning, she quietly says, “I’ll try. Just for you.” As I gape at her lips, I have the familiar and relentless urge to kiss her, but I refrain, assuming she doesn’t want me to kiss her, and if I did, she’d laugh or think less of me.

  I spontaneously joke in return, “Just for you…what?”

  She softly laughs and leans in to whisper in my ear, “Just for you, honey.” Without predicting it, she kisses my cheek, her lips moving against me as she says, “Thank you again for your faith in me, Jared.”

  And just as fast as she did that, she exits the Altima faster, leaving me stunned, alone, and hard, which is beginning to feel like a rule in itself when I’m with Kat. Cold showers are way past annoying, but they’re a recent necessity, along with now jerking off every night.

  I’m the one who’s clueless? Kat Merrick has no fucking clue what she’s done to my life.

  CHAPTER 15

  “How’s Kat doing with driving?” my dad asks as I walk toward the construction, which looks like a house now with the siding and shingles finished. He’s barely let me get two feet from the Altima before accosting me and even though it’s mid-morning, I’m not even fucking awake yet.

  With a scratchy voice resembling his, I blearily answer as we walk, “Good.”

  “You got in kind of late. Are you having Kat drive at night yet?”

  “Early evening. Not night.”

  “Is she getting better?”

  “Yep.”

  “Is she reading a manual, too?”

  “Yep.”

  “Make sure she knows how to put air in a tire and change a flat.”

  Glancing at him, I unsurely laugh. “Whose dad are you?”

  His lips push flat together, and adjusting his tie, he says, “I’m only checking to see if you’re covering the bases.” Still in baseball mode, I see.

  “Got ‘em.”

  You’re going slow with her, right?” Painfully. In all ways possible.

  “Yep.”

  “Do you hang out with her after driving?”

  I stop walking and he regards me curiously. “Actually, I make her park on the side of the road so I can have sex with her in the back of Grandma’s car. You know, as a form of reimbursement for services rendered. Last night was particularly super-hot and heavy.” Damn it. I’m getting turned on. “We tried not to make a mess or get arrested, but I think we wore a hole in the upholstery. I sure hope Grandma doesn’t mind the burn marks and the flat tire.” Jesus. I want that to happen.

  “Okay, Jared. I was just asking what you two were doing besides driving. I guess I wondered if you were friends.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask that instead of sounding like a creepy Internet predator?”

  Propping his hands on his hips in his authoritative dad stance, he rolls his eyes and sighs. “Are you and Kat friends?”

  “No. I can’t stand being around her.” I bite the inside of my cheek, so I don’t laugh from the irritated look on his face.

  “You’re not the easiest person to talk to. I thought maybe she really had a problem with your mouth.”

  “Nope. No complaints from her about my mouth. Kat says I have a special skill.” I impishly smile as I push up the bill of my ball cap. Dad catches my sarcasm, but is none too happy about it, since his frown is immediate.

  “Very mature of you.”

  I shake my head with a laugh as I start to walk again. Dad walks with me and I ask, “Why are you here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

  “I had a meeting downtown and I wanted to stop by before heading back.”

  “To check up on me?”

  “No.” Lie. He says, “I hope you are being nice to Kat.”

  Stopping again, a sour expression covers my face, as Dad turns around to see me not moving. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  He sweeps a hand through his graying, brown hair. “I see how you treat…certain people.”

  That puts me on the defensive right away. “She’s not certain people.”

  He quickly nods. “I know that, but what is she to you then?”

  Getting pissed off, I lick my lips and snap, “What are you getting at now?”

  My dad’s light brown eyes dart to the sides of us before he asks, “I know you joke about it, but are you…dating…Kat?” Not up for discussion.

  I cross my arms and appear confused. “Dating Kat? No. I just have her drive to places where we can have sex.”

  He sighs heavier than last time. “I’m being serious.”

  “I’m not?”

  “So, you don’t have any feelings for her?” My joking attitude drops like the blade of a guillotine.

  Scowling at him in disbelief, I take a step back. “Fu—What? Really, Dad? Why does everybody need to analyze my feelings for her because we’re spending time together in a car? We’re friends. That’s not unheard of.”

  “She’s a nice young lady, Jared. Brenda said Kat has had a hard time since her accident. Don’t give her more of a hard time.”

  “I’m not making her push the car home.”

  His condescending frown returns. “I’m not joking. I don’t want you breaking her heart.” Oh, he didn’t just say that.

  “What the hell?”

  He says, “I know you say you’re just friends, but does she know that? I think Kat is hoping for more.”

  “Wait. How do you know that?”

  Dad shrugs. “I can see it. Her mom can see it.”

  “And I’m just too stupid to?”

  “You’re not. I just think you need to take a step back to see it.”

  “If Dash didn’t read it in an astrological forecast, then it’s not true.”<
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  He ignores my comment, as usual. “You don’t want to ask her out?”

  I laugh at his tenacity, but then become further annoyed. “Come on, Dad! I’m not talking about this with you!”

  His arms lift from his hips. “Why not? You know you can tell me anything.”

  “Not really. You’ll only compare me to Hadley.”

  My dad looks completely baffled by that accusation. “No, I won’t. I love you both.”

  “Just not the same.”

  “Jared, my love for each of you is unique to fit the individuals you are, but the amount is equal. I could never love one of you more than the other. It’s unfeasible.”

  Not wanting to argue about that subject here, I go to walk again, but he grabs my arm. “Please take what I said about Kat seriously.”

  I impatiently sigh, hating to have to repeat myself. “We’re only friends.” Then I angrily roll my eyes, repeating him this time. “I wouldn’t want to ‘break her heart’ anyway.”

  “If you are serious about Kat, then you can go out with her.”

  Being overdramatic, I imagine, I clasp my hands together and vastly smile. “Gee whiz, Dad. Thanks for the permission.”

  Ignoring my tone, he says, “I don’t want you hurting her.”

  I laugh because it’s not even funny. “Not only that, but because your assistant’s feelings are more important than mine, right?”

  “No!” He shakes his head and lowers his voice like he’s revealing KFC’s secret recipe. “That’s not what I’m saying. You’re leaving in a little over a month.”

  Returning my arms over my chest, I rigidly answer, “I’m aware of that.”

  “Don’t bait her and run. I’ve been through that, and it still hurts.” Now, he’s comparing me to my mother? Fuck, no.

  Grinding my teeth, I seethe, “I’m not doing that to Kat.”

  “I’m not saying for you two not to give it a try, but don’t just romance her and then cut her loose right before you leave.”

  I cringe. “I don’t even know what romance her means.”

  He shoves his hands into his pockets and bows his head. “Don’t make her fall in love with you and then dump her, Jared.”

  “Like I have that kind of influence over her. I can’t make her do anything, and it’s not my fault what she does.”