by Emma Cole
I sighed in relief. “Nope, I'm fine. Did you need me to do anything?”
“Not unless you made a mess while we were gone or had a raging party. If so, you'd better hurry and clean up, we'll be there in an hour or so.” Mom dropped that bombshell like it was nothing. And to her, it wasn't. There was no way we'd make it back before her.
“I thought you were staying another night?” Fuck, fuck, fuck. I started grabbing my things, dumping them in my bag. The guys were still asleep. How, I wasn't sure.
“We were, but a few of the guests got called away so we decided to cut it short as well. I'll see you soon sweetie. Love you.” I returned with my own “love you too” and hung up.
“Dylan! Beckett!” I reached over and dragged the blankets off of them. “Guys, we gotta go. Right now! My parents are on their way home, early.”
They both sat up with matching looks of worry on their faces. I wished we didn't have to rush; they were adorable with bed head.
“They're what? You're joking right?”
“No, Dylan. I'm not joking. They're about an hour out. Best we can do is go and hope they don't expect me there right away.” They quickly tag-teamed making the bed and packed their own stuff. I grabbed a change of clothes and toiletries and went into the bathroom to change my clothes and brush my teeth.
As soon as we were all ready and had our turns in the bathroom, we went to tell Alan and Derby we had to cut our visit short. The guys promised to visit again, and we all thanked them for their hospitality and the tattoos, before we headed out. It was a much quieter ride home than it had been coming to the city. We were all in our own heads, worried about the fallout from our secret trip.
We arrived at my house not too far off the mark. Then the twins started swearing. Their dad's car was in the drive. We left our bags in the car, the guys planned to leave mine in the orchard for me to retrieve later.
“I'm nervous, guys. What if they know we were gone?” I was anxiously twisting my fingers together. I saw the guys exchange looks and do that silent speaking thing they do. It was cute but also annoyed me, making me feel left out.
“I think if your parents knew they'd be out here already. Better get inside. Text us and let us know what happens.” With that, Dylan hugged me through the gap in the seat and dropped a light kiss on my lips. They couldn't see from the house, but we didn't chance anything more, just in case. Beckett did the same while Dylan got out to open my door.
“We'll miss you, Duckie.” It felt so final when he said that. It made me wonder what else was up with them, both looking so somber. I didn't have time to find out, though, and as soon as I opened the side door to the house, Dylan put the car into gear to back out. Beck waved, and I returned it before they were facing away from me. I lingered until I could no longer see them.
Going into the kitchen, I found my parents and the twin’s dad. Mom swooped in for her customary hug and a kiss on my forehead like nothing was wrong, so I thought I everything was fine. I made my excuses after I said hello and went up to my room to text the guys that it was all clear here. I took a shower while I waited for them to reply. Not long after I got out, I heard their dad leave. Checking my phone, I realized neither of them had answered me.
I decided to take a nap as we hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Before I laid down, I pulled the pictures out of my purse and put them in a stationary box inside my nightstand drawer for safe keeping.
Later that evening after dinner, I finally received a text. It was from Beck, asking if I could meet them in the orchard. Nothing about if anything had happened or if everything was okay. At this point, I was really stressed out. I was glad my mom didn't think anything about me going for a walk out there at night. I did it often enough with Alex or on my own; it wasn't out of the ordinary.
I got to our tree to find the guys waiting on me. I embraced Dylan first, and Beck slid in behind me so that I was cocooned between them. Pulling back a little, I tried to turn my head to see them. They were quiet. It was unusual and worried me.
“What's going on? Did you get into trouble?” I looked from one to the other and back again.
Beck answered when Dylan remained silent. “We have to leave. Our father found out.”
A sense of dread overtook me while Dylan elaborated.
“He's making us leave in the morning. We snuck out to tell you goodbye in person. I'm not sure when we'll be able to see you again. He was furious. Said it could have caused an issue with his placement here. He knows we took you with us.”
I felt ready to cry. Like I'd never see them again. “We can still text and call and email. Write letters if we have to. Right?”
Neither answered for a minute and my heart sank into my stomach.
“Duckie, he indicated we're going to be on lockdown once we get back to campus. It's a good school, but it's also one that problem kids get sent to as well, and they have ways of limiting communication. I won't - we won't be surprised if that's what happens. He went off on us about jeopardizing his career with our stunt.” Beck stepped back to rest against the trunk of the tree, head hung in defeat.
“So, this really is goodbye, goodbye.” My voice caught. Dylan pulled me in and crushed me to his chest. I could feel his heartbeat. It galloped as fast as mine through the contact. I didn't want to let him go. I was going to miss them so much.
“We'll try. I don't know how long until we can contact you. If he really wants to be a dick, he could limit us until we're eighteen. If we defy him and get caught, he can send us to another school back in England.” Dylan was resolved with his statement.
I got angry. They weren't even acting upset! Like it was just normal procedure. Did they not care?
“Of course, we care, Remi!” I must have said that last part aloud. Dylan was pissed, Beck just looked hurt.
“Well, what am I supposed to think? It just doesn't seem like it. I don't understand why you can't be my friends. So, we snuck out. Teenagers do that and nothing happened. We're fine.”
“Duckie, it's not that. It's just how our father is. He worked a long time for this assignment, and he thinks we jeopardized that by taking you with us. He doesn't care that we were gone, he cares what your dad could do if he found out.”
“But he wouldn't.” I frowned. “I don't think so, anyway. I don't know.” I was so frustrated. “When do you have to leave?”
This time Dylan answered. “We're gone first thing in the morning.” He hugged me to him again. “Sorry I yelled, love. We're going to miss you terribly.”
“I'll miss you, too.”
Beck took his turn with hugs and with kisses that lingered. The pall of separation that hung over us we said our goodbyes was choking me. They stood there under our tree as I walked out of sight. I turned and waved, just before I could no longer see them. Returning home, I held my composure past my mom, until I reached my room where I let all my anguish out into my pillow. Hoping it was enough to muffle my heartbreak but not completely caring either. I clutched their locket in my fist until I fell asleep with my face tear stained.
In the present...
“Are you kidding me? That's what happened? What an asshole. I thought you must have gotten into something big. A little sneak out and a finger bang he didn't even know about.”
My eyes about bugged out of my head. “Alex! Really? I tell you I was heartbroken, and you land on finger banging? Is that even a thing anymore? It sounds so vulgar.” My friend turns mischievous.
“What should I go with instead? Moist love tunnel stroking?”
I pounce on my former best friend. Moist is for plant dirt and she knows it. I clamp my hand over her mouth, and we tussle until we both roll off the bed with a thump into a heap of pillows and comforter. Laughing, we separate from each other and get up to straighten the bed.
“So, that's it. Got my teenage heart stomped all over by those two. Never heard from them again. I tried to send letters a couple times, but not knowing if it would get them in trouble, I only sent a
few.”
The gift box wrapped in purple catches my eye when I go to sit back on the bed. I get up to assuage my curiosity, wanting to know what Eli had gotten me. Alex, nosy friend that she is, is perched over my shoulder waiting. Wanting to keep the pretty paper for scrapbooking, I slide a fingernail to dislodge each piece of tape—and because it makes Alex nuts when I'm so methodical. Paper finally off and being folded by Alex who'd snatched it first chance she got, I lifted the lid off the box.
"Oh." I covered my mouth with both hands, eyes wide and tearing up as I stared at the contents. "That's what he went back for. I feel like an ass running out on him."
"Wow, what a gorgeous scarf. Where'd he get it?"
I told Alex about the stall at the festival we had gone to.
"That's so sweet!" At my crestfallen expression she hurried to add, "He loves you, ding dong. He'll understand. You'd better tell him thanks for that scarf in a big way." She waggles her eyebrows at me.
"Pervert. And yes, I'll have to call him soon."
Changing the subject, Alex says, “So that explains those two. Now, what happened with Ethan? You told me a little. More than the twins for sure, but I think I haven't gotten the full story either.”
“No, you haven't. I'm not sure why I didn't, but I was definitely heartbroken over him. I was also embarrassed.” Remembering what transpired that summer with Ethan was enough to dually make me pissed and melancholy.
Chapter Six
Four Years Ago…
It had been a year since I met them and almost just as long that they'd been gone from my life. I still didn't understand it all. Their dad was just a straight-up asshole. After they left, their parents stayed on, but I never had the nerve to go talk to them. A couple months ago, they had packed up and left as well. Probably on to the next assignment. The new liaison was moving in. I'd seen the box truck go by on one of my walks.
I turned my attention back to my dad and the dingy primer gray car he had gotten me last summer, a project to take my mind off the boys. It had been nice to have something to do with him that wasn't awkward parent talk. I was fairly certain he knew where I’d gone that weekend with the twins, yet he'd never brought it up. I appreciated his silence on the matter.
Over the last several months, Dad and I had gutted and restored everything from rings and spark plugs, to floorboard carpeting and light harness wiring. This week we had buffed out the rust and applied Bondo to the exterior, before putting on a coat of primer. The chrome had been removed and sent to be restored and re-plated.
When dad had first dragged the dilapidated 1967 Cougar in, I was a bit skeptical. I had loved old cars when I was little, and so did my dad. We used to save little trading cards of souped-up classics that I'd slide into the wooden frame of my full-length mirror in my bedroom. Today, we were hooking it up the car to a dolly to tow it down for a paint job. I'd picked canary yellow, and dad was still making corny jokes about Sylvester and Tweety.
Dad and I made it to the body shop to drop the car off, and soon enough, we had it unloaded into the bay. Assured it would be done next week, we got back in the truck to head home.
“You want to stop for ice cream?” he asked.
I side eyed my dad. It was almost dinner time. Mom would skin us both if we filled up on sundaes, as we were wont to do at the local ice cream parlor.
“Maybe when we pick it up? I don't want to make Mom mad.”
He deflated at my answer. Dad and I didn't have a lot in common anymore. You know, me being a hormonal teenage girl, and him a middle-aged father who worked in one of those acronym-loving intelligence agencies. It didn't leave a lot of middle ground. I knew he’d gotten the car as a distraction, initially, but we had really bonded over working on it.
Dad grunted an acknowledgement, and we continued on our way home.
“Dad! The body shop called, the car is ready to pick up!” I yelled through the house as I ran to put my shoes on. I was antsy to get it finished and have the freedom of driving. I had gotten my license a month prior, and it was burning a hole in my pocket. With Alex gone at her grandparents in Florida, again this summer, having just left last week, I was bored out of my mind.
I found my dad on his cell and hoped he hadn't gotten called in to work. I didn't want to have to postpone the pick-up.
“That was the chrome shop,” said after hanging up the call. “They're done with the rims and fenders. We'll grab those at the same time. The body shop can put them on as well, if you want to wait.” My dad's grin told me he already knew the answer.
“Yes, I wanna wait!” With a squeal and a happy dance, I ran out the back door through the mud room off the kitchen and bolted for the truck. My father followed more sedately, chuckling at my antics.
We headed for the chroming place on the other side of town. As dad pulled in, I had my hand poised on the release catch for my seat belt, I was so excited. Hopping out as soon as we were parked, I urged dad to move along. We entered the shop, the bell clanging from the glass door, and the smell of metal and chemicals wafted in the air.
“Hey, Dave, I'll be right with you two,” the owner called. He was speaking with a young man, leading him over to the open bay doors to a black and chrome monster of a motorcycle. Upon a second look, the customer appeared to be closer to my age, and he was hot. Like, really hot. So was the bike.
I checked myself to make sure no one noticed my over gawking. Dad was eyeing me and shook his head no. At the boy, the bike, or both, I wasn't certain. Probably both.
The hottie pointed out the pieces he wanted to have worked on, and Ben, the owner of the place, nodded and makes notations on a paper pad. I didn't really pay attention to what they said, I was so entranced by the customer.
Discreetly, I looked to see what dad was doing and if he'd noticed where my attention was still riveted. He sure did.
“No. Just no.” It was definitely a no to both.
In true teenage girl fashion, I rolled my eyes at him, like I hadn't just ogled the hell out of both objects.
They wrapped up their conversation and the guy went out through the other open bay door in the fabrication area to a truck with a bike trailer attached. Ben returned to the front, and we got down to the reason for our trip.
Soon enough, we were on our way to the body shop. My excitement was back with the cargo we carried, and the hot guy mostly forgotten. Dad dropped me off at the door to the front office, while he went around back to the service entrance to unload the parts to be put on. I took the opportunity to text Alex and update her on the progress of my car and to check in and see how she was doing. From her response, she was enjoying her visit but was bored without much else to do besides swim and work on her tan. My bestie had sprouted some serious assets over the last year and was eager to use them to her advantage. Not that I blamed her a bit. I would have been, too.
Shortly after, Dad came out to settle up the bill and then pulled the car already on the dolly and attached to the truck around. I went to check it out. It turned out just as I'd hoped it would. A few more final touches, and I'd be able to take it for a test drive. I couldn't wait.
The sound of the engine firing up was enough to make me squeal with joy. The proud look on Dad's face was the cherry on top.
“High five, baby girl!”
I slapped dad's hand back, and we towed it home.
I hooked my safety belt before engaging the clutch and putting the gearshift in reverse.
“Alright, now let off the brake and slowly let out the clutch while you give it some gas.”
I followed his instructions, and the moment the car started to roll backwards, I panicked. I fumbled the pedals, resulting in a couple jerks and a sputter of the engine dying. I slammed my foot back on the brake and turned wide eyes to my dad.
“Everyone kills it when they're learning to drive a stick. Don't worry about it, Remi. Worst that happens is the clutch can burn up, but now you know how to replace it. Try again.”
I pressed the clutch and
the brake down together, returned the gearshift to neutral, and cranked the key to start over.
“I should have parked it facing out it would have been easier.”
“I can do it.” With determination I put it in reverse again and let off the brake. Slowly I pushed the gas down. I didn’t startle that time and let the clutch come up.
“It's just like a stair stepper machine. Up with one, down with the other.”
With a little more confidence, I gave it more gas, and the tires chirped as it was too fast which caused me to slam the clutch back down and rev it up instead.
“Aargh!! Come on feet!”
After a few more shaky tries, like a new colt using its legs for the first time, I backed out into the turn-around in the driveway and was now facing forward toward the lane.
“I did it!”
Dad gave me a grin and a thumbs up. “Okay, now we're going to go down to the end here and turn around at the main road. I want you to be comfortable shifting and stopping and starting before we go any further.”
I practiced for an hour with Dad before he turned me loose to try on my own.
“Just stay where we've been and call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Dad!”
For the rest of the afternoon, I practiced and finally pulled in to park it right before dinner. Before bed, I messaged Alex some pictures and told her I missed her already. I wished she hadn't had to leave before the car was done. We had all sorts of plans for when she got back. Now just to keep occupied until then.
For the next several days, I continued to practice until dad declared me cleared for driving around town. My first expedition alone? Mom's errands. First up was the grocery store.
Headed down our lane, I went past the house that my neighbors lived in, and noticed the moving trucks were all gone. As I came around the corner, a motorcycle almost ran into me. I slammed on the brakes as the driver cruised by, not even slowing down after cutting me off. I noticed that the person pulled into the driveway of the house where the twins lived last summer. Thoughts of the twins made me melancholy, but I was also angry at the driver that just cut me off. And I was going to tell him all about it.
