by Lynn, Brandy
Chapter 3
Chance
I take a long breath of fresh air as I walk out of these razor-sharp barbed-wire chained gates. Freedom has never smelled so good. You have no idea what it’s like to spend three years locked away for a crime you didn’t commit. It’s life changing. Prison changes a person. Even if you try not to allow the darkness of prison to seep in, somehow you can’t escape its wrath completely. For me, it’s no different. I know I’m different. Changed. I’m no longer a naïve young boy. I won’t ever allow myself to be in that situation again.
I hear the familiar rumble of Zeke’s 1966 restored black Ford Mustang Fastback before I see it. The sound of the engine purring as it nears the prison has me smiling in anticipation. It’s been way too long. Zeke’s been my best friend since third grade when I punched Johnny Adler in the nose for picking on him. I’ve never been one to tolerate bullying. Since that day, we’ve been pretty much inseparable. Well, except for the last three years. He’s been my only connection to the outside world. The only one I can count on. He was just as shocked as I was about my father and Alyssa. That bitch had everyone fooled.
The car comes to a screeching halt beside me. Opening up the door, I slide in, appreciating the feel of the soft, smooth black leather against my back. This car brings back so many good memories as well as a few shitty ones too. “You look good, Walker. It’s been too fucking long, bro.” Zeke reaches over, clasping me in a one-arm hug. Even though we haven’t seen each other since my trial, we pick right back up like we never skipped a beat.
“Yeah, you too, man. It has been too fucking long. Look, thanks for coming to get me. I’m sure you had other shit to do today. I just really appreciate it, man.”
“Are you kidding me?” Zeke asks with a confused look on his face. “Everything else can wait, man. It’s been three years since we’ve seen each other. You’re my best fucking friend, so of course, I would be here. You know this. I would have visited, but your stubborn ass refused to see anyone, me included.”
“Look, Zeke, I know you don’t understand it, but I couldn’t let anyone see me there. Not behind that fucking glass panel. For a while there, I was acting like a pansy bitch and feeling sorry for myself. Knowing I didn’t do shit to deserve being in there except for fall in love with some callous dirty whore. I felt helpless. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced until they locked me away. You think I wanted to be there? That I wanted to push everyone away?” I say a little louder than I intend to.
“Of course, not. I get why you did it. I just need you to know I would have been there, Walker.” Zeke looks at me with a silent apology. He feels guilty for something he had nothing to do with. That neither of us knew was happening until it was too late.
“I know, man. Shit, I’m sorry. I appreciate everything you did for me. If it wasn’t for you, my canteen would have been drier than the Sahara Desert. I’ll pay you back. Every penny. I didn’t expect you to send money every month.”
“Don’t even fucking think about it, man. That’s for all the times you bailed my ass out. Consider us even,” Zeke says as he switches gears and heads straight down the I-95 toward what used to be where I considered home.
“Thanks, man. I know I’ve repeated myself about ten times since I climbed in.” I laugh a little to fill the lingering silence.
“Anytime. It’s the least I could do. So …” Zeke trails off. The unanswered question hangs in the air.
“So what?” I ask because I know where this conversation is heading, and for once in my life, I don’t have a plan. I always have a plan. Not this time, though.
“Where to, man? You want to stay with me? You know you can. I’m sure Meghan won’t mind. She’d probably be glad to have me out of her hair for a while.” He chuckles.
“Hey, how is Meghan? Y’all doing good? I mean you thinking about wifing her up or what? It’s been almost six years.” I quirk an eyebrow in his direction, pressing him for more information. He looks a bit uncomfortable since I put him on the spot with the whole marriage question, but I’m curious if Zeke is finally ready to commit to Meghan.
“Yeah, man. Things are good. They’re great actually. I’m not sure how I got so lucky in finding a woman to put up with my shit, but I’m planning on popping the question here soon. I don’t want to jinx anything, but we just found out last week that Meghan is sixteen weeks pregnant.” Zeke grins. Just the mention of Meghan’s name makes his eyes light up. It’s so good to see him happy. If anyone deserves this, it’s Zeke.
“Holy shit! Zeke Andrewski is going to be a dad. Congratulations, man. That is amazing news. I’m so happy for you both. Damn sixteen weeks, huh? Yeah, you’d better wife that girl up. Seriously. She’s gorgeous. And she loves your stubborn ass. Not to mention she’s about to be your baby mama.” I laugh, earning one from Zeke in return.
“It was definitely a surprise, but if I’m being honest, we’re fucking ecstatic. I can’t wait to spoil that baby rotten. We weren’t trying, but we also weren’t preventing it, if you know what I mean.” Zeke winks in my direction, letting me know just how much pussy he’s been getting lately. Lucky bastard. So you cool staying with us?” Zeke asks with hope in his eyes.
We’ve talked about this, though. In my letters. I told him I couldn’t come back here. That I couldn’t stay. There’s nothing here for me. Plus, with Meghan pregnant, they’re going to need that time. I definitely don’t want them to feel obligated to help me. They should focus on their growing family.
“Nah. You know I can’t do that, Zeke. I just can’t come back here to stay. I don’t belong here anymore. This town is fucking toxic. Aside from you and Meghan, I have no friends here, and any family I had is dead to me. Visiting … maybe in due time, but I can’t stay. Not now. Not ever. I’m sorry, man. I want to run as far as I can from Mecklenburg, Indiana,” I say with conviction. I need Zeke to know he can’t convince me to stay.
“Okay, Walker. I get it. Shit, I feel the same way. Hell, I want out of this god-forsaken town too. It brings everyone down. Sucking you into a black abyss, it takes everything in its path as collateral damage. Either you’re with them or against them. There’s no in between with these people here. But … where will you go? Do you have anything lined up?” he asks, genuinely concerned for my well-being.
“I’m not sure yet,” I answer honestly. I have no idea where I’ll be tomorrow morning, but I know it won’t be in Mecklenburg. “Did you get what I asked for?” I ask, Zeke hoping he got everything I asked for in my last letter.
“Yeah, of course, man. The duffle bag is in the trunk. I was able to get you a new cell phone, Chromebook, and some clothes with the work release check you had the prison send from your account. There was a little leftover, so I just put the cash in with your stuff,” he says in a gravelly voice, trying not to show emotion. I know this is tough on him. Hell, it’s tough on me. We haven’t been separated more than a day except for my prison stint, and here I am, just getting released, and I’m leaving.
“Great. Thanks, man. That’s perfect.” I see the exit sign up ahead for the west side of Mecklenburg. “Zeke.” I look over at my friend. “Take me to the bus station, man.”
“Sure thing. But look. If and I mean if you ever change your mind, our door is always open.”
“You know I appreciate that, but I have to do this for me. I guess I should probably find and thank Johnny Adler. If it wasn’t for him shanking your pants on the playground all those years ago in front of everyone, we might have never met.” I shake my head at the memory.
“Yeah, well, if I ever see Johnny Adler again, I’ll show him what’s it like to be picked on. I wonder if he would try some shit with me now that I’m not a snot-nosed skinny kid with glasses.” I look over at my friend and admire him. He’s overcome so much. Being bullied. His parents’ divorce. His father’s mental breakdown. His mother’s very public affair with Senator Gibson. His sister turning to drugs and alcohol because of it all. His best friend being accused of being a
drug dealer and thrown behind bars. And on top of it all, he took all those insults thrown his way and powered his way through life. He began working out at the gym to build himself, and he’s a badass motherfucker. I guarantee none of those fuckers would say shit to him if they saw him today. He’s a fucking beast.
We pull up to the Greyhound bus station a few minutes later. Stepping out of the car, I head to the trunk to grab my duffle. It’s bustling with people, and no one is paying any attention to us. That’s good. I don’t want to draw any attention. And with a car like this, sometimes that’s impossible. Not today, though. Thank God. I want to be as inconspicuous as possible as I get the fuck out of here.
“All right, so this is it. Any idea where you’re heading?” Zeke asks curiously as I scan the arrival and departure board hanging high on the wall.
I look at the impending departures. Scanning their destinations, I decide right then and there where I’m going. I point at the board. “There. And, I”—looking down at my phone I grabbed from the duffle before pulling it out of the trunk, I check the time—“have fifteen minutes before it leaves. I gotta jet, man, so I make sure I get on that bus,” I say a little more anxious because this is it. I’m doing this.
Zeke is still staring at the board with his mouth hanging open. “Endings, South Carolina? You can’t be serious, man? What the fuck is out there?” he asks bewildered.
I shrug nonchalantly. “Honestly? I have no idea. And personally, I don’t give a fuck if it’s the biggest hick town I’ve ever seen. I just know it’s not Mecklenburg, and I need a fresh start. Somewhere far away from here, and eleven hours away seems good enough for now.”
“Yeah, okay. I get it. Well, I guess this is it,” Zeke asks more to himself than me, accepting the finality of my decision.
“Look, I’ll call and visit. Hell, once I settle somewhere, I hope you and Meghan will come out and visit. You know, once she has the baby.”
“Of course. You know we will. Hell, we may be right behind you. If we can save enough to get out of this shitty ass town.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I clasp my best friend in a strong hug. I don’t give a shit what it may look like to the people mulling around us. He’s my ride or die—the one person in my life I have always been able to count on—and I’m not scared to admit that. I’m definitely going to miss my boy.
“All right. Have a safe trip, and if anything changes in your itinerary, just shoot me a text. I want to make sure I know where you are just in case. Oh hey, man, I wanted to talk to you before you left about something Meghan heard about Alyssa.” He says the last part quietly like mentioning her name might break me. Maybe three years ago it would have, but now? I won’t give that bitch the satisfaction of breaking me. And for that very reason, I don’t want to hear anything anyone has to say about her. I’d be okay if I never had to hear her name again. In fact, I prefer it.
“Don’t, Zeke. I can’t. Not now. Not after everything. I can’t take any more blows from either of them. I don’t care what it is that Meghan heard about her; I don’t want to know. Please,” I plead with him, letting him know whatever tidbit of information he has; he can keep to himself. I don’t want any part of it.
“Shit. Of course, man. I wasn’t thinking. I just thought … I just thought you would want to know, but you’re right. You’ve dealt with enough shit from them. I’m sorry for bringing that up. It won’t happen again.” He holds his hands up in surrender, letting me know he’s letting it go. Good. I’m not ready to deal with their bullshit. Whatever it is.
“No worries, bro. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I’ll definitely shoot you a text if for any reason I change my mind and decide on somewhere else. All right, man, drive safe and thank you again for everything.” Bending down, I pick up my duffle and swing it over my shoulder before turning to head toward the ticket counter.
Heading toward the ticket counter, I grab my place in line and wait for the cute busty blonde behind the counter to acknowledge me. She looks up after dismissing her customer. “Next please,” the blonde’s voice drips sweetly from her perch as she eyes me up and down, appreciating the view in front of her. Yeah, sweetheart, not a chance in hell. Don’t get me wrong, she’s hot, but I’m only looking for one thing here—a one-way ticket out of this place. And not even a sweet piece of ass can change my mind at this point. Even if it has been a long fucking time since I’ve had anything other than my own hand.
I step up to the counter, and if it’s even possible, her smile grows wider. Her sharp white teeth are almost blinding. “And what can I do for you today, sir?” she asks, and I don’t miss the innuendo in her tone. I just choose to ignore it.
“Yeah, a one-way ticket to Endings, South Carolina, please?” I ask politely, hoping my smile wins her over. I know I’m running short on time, and I don’t want to miss that bus. I also don’t have time for her to bat her eyelashes at me. I need to get out of here as fast as possible.
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir. We stopped selling seats about eight minutes ago for that bus. It’s actually leaving in less than ten minutes.” Shit. I need to get on that bus. I don’t know why—call it a gut feeling or intuition or whatever the fuck they call it—but I know I need to be on that bus. I can feel it. I notice her name tag reads Molly Harper, so I decide on another approach.
Leaning in, I ask her, “Molly, sweetheart, is there any way you can get me on that bus? It’s important that I make it there before the end of the night.” I notice her let out a small breath. That’s it, sweetheart. I can see the effect my proximity has on her. I just hope it’s enough. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to run any game on a chick. I wasn’t sure if I still had it in me until Molly replies.
“Um, well, let me see if I can get my manager to override it. One moment please.” She walks through a door behind her and is gone for thirty seconds tops. She comes bustling back out the doors somewhat out of breath. “Okay, she said that would be fine. I was trying to hurry so we could get you on there. The bus leaves in four minutes. I need your license or identification card please.” I hand over my license—thank goodness, it’s not expired—and wait for her to enter my information. “Okay, Mr. Walker, and one last thing. The ticket is going to be one hundred thirty-one dollars and fifty-two cents.”
“No problem.” I hand over a wad of cash. She counts out what she needs briskly and hands my change back to me. I notice she makes sure to rub my hand as she retreats. I don’t have time for this. I need this chick to hurry up before I miss that bus.
She picks up her radio and announces, “Bus 1687, please hold steady. We have another passenger who will be boarding shortly.” Oh, thank God.
I feel instant relief when I hear the driver respond. “10-4, we will standby.”
I see her scribble something down on a ticket stub before saying, “Here’s your ticket, Mr. Walker. Please go through the double doors to your left. Bus 1687 will be halfway down on the right-hand side. Have a safe trip and thank you for riding with Greyhound.”
I look down at my stub and see her name and number scrawled across the top. Shaking my head, I smile at her. “Thanks, Molly. I really appreciate it. And if I find myself in Mecklenburg again, I’ll be sure to look you up.” I wink in her direction, and I can hear her giggling as I walk toward the double doors.
Finally, I find my bus and make my way up the stairs. “Boarding pass, sir?” the driver asks. I hand him over my ticket. He scans it and then moves aside so I can make my way to my seat. I locate my seat, 32A, and open up the overhead storage compartment. Hauling my duffle bag into place, I drop into my seat. I look to my left and see an older woman maybe in her sixties crocheting. Ah-ha, this is good.
“Hello, I’m Chance.” I introduce myself because it’s going to be a long ride.
“Ah, that’s a lovely name, Chance. Well, Chance, I’m Beverly. It’s nice to meet you. Are you from around here?” she asks.
“Not anymore, ma’am.” That’s all I say before she
nods her understanding.
“Well, I think you’ll fit in just fine in Endings, South Carolina, Chance. We’re all about giving people second chances there.” She winks at me like she knows what I’m running from before going quiet as she continues to crochet.
“I sure hope so,” I whisper before plugging in my headphones and falling asleep.
Chapter 4
Callie
Knocking on my dad and Patty’s door, I’m so relieved to be out of that courtroom. Patty opens the door and greets me with open arms. “Oh, honey, how did it go today?” She clutches me to her chest, and I let out a sob I didn’t even realize I was holding in. I think all of it has finally caught up with me, and I’m exhausted. Dealing with Derrick and all of this has put a toll on me.
“He—” I hiccup as I start to respond to her question then I try again to get it out. “He got twenty-nine years.” My body sags with relief as I say it out loud.
Patty holds on tight, never letting me go. “Oh, honey, thank God. I wish we could have been there today. I’m so sorry we weren’t able to go.” She apologizes.
“No. It’s fine. I needed to do this by myself. I needed to stand up to him. To let him know I won’t ever be his punching bag again. He has to pay for what he did. Plus, you both have already missed so much work this past year with everything with me. I’m forever grateful to you both.” Finally, I allow her to let me go as I make my way to the sofa. Plopping down on the sofa, I pull my legs in together and tightly to my side as I make myself comfortable.
“Do you want something to drink? Sweet tea, soda, or coffee?” she asks, forever the hostess. That’s what I love about Patty. She’s always taking care of people, and she has a heart of pure gold. My mother would be so happy that my dad and I have someone like her in our lives. I miss my mother. So much it hurts. Patty is the closest thing I have to a mother since my grandmother passed away.
