Chapter Five
Sadie and Chad sat at a table in the diner eating cheeseburgers. Sadie was watching him with that knowing, concerned look of hers.
“So, I have a confession to make,” she said suddenly.
Glancing up from his French fries, Chad half-heartedly said, “What’s that?”
“After our talk the other day, I called Amy.”
He dropped the fry, suddenly unable to stand the thought of food. It was always a little tricky, being so close to Amy’s cousin, because they still kept in contact. “How is she?”
“Good,” Sadie said. “She’s still working as an ER nurse. I told her you missed her.”
His eyes bulging, he gawked at her. “Why would you do that?”
“Um, maybe because it’s true?”
“I don’t care,” he snapped, his pride a little wounded. “She doesn't need to think I'm here pining for her.”
“But you are.”
Chad shot her a warning look.
“I'm just saying…maybe you should give her a call.”
“It’s been 5 years. I don't see the point in calling her now.”
Sadie studied him for a minute. “You're right. I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said anything.”
“I'm glad she's alright.”
Sadie looks at him skeptically. “So, since you're over it and everything… how about we go on a date?”
Chad glanced up, surprised.
“Not with each other,” she said, laughing. “A double date.”
“I don’t think so,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not my thing.”
“Come on,” she insisted. “It'll be fun. I'm going out with this guy tonight…and I've got this friend who's really cute…”
“I appreciate the offer, but I don't need your help finding a date.”
“Oh yeah?” she teased. “When was the last time you flirted with a girl? I'll tell ya, six years ago.”
“That's not true. I'll have you know I'm pretty charming. I could get a date whenever I wanted.”
Looking past him, her expression brightened in a challenge. “Easy there, stud. Why don't you start by hitting on the waitress?
“What?” he whispered. “That's so disrespectful—”
“Chicken,” she mumbled under her breath. As the waitress approached, she gave her a bright smile. “Hi, Theresa.”
“Hey guys,” she said, looking to each of them. “Are you enjoying your meal?”
“Yeah,” Chad said, wishing she would bolt and he wouldn’t have to do this. “Thanks.”
Sadie raised an eyebrow, urging him on.
“The uh…French fries were kind of greasy, though. I bet that stuff sticks to your hands.”
Theresa hesitated, like she didn’t know what to say. “Um… I don't usually eat them. I’m more of a salad kind of girl.”
He could feel himself start the ramble of self-humiliation, but he couldn’t seem to stop it. “Oh…well if you did, I was going to tell you that Dawn will really get that grease off there.”
Staring back at him, she barely even blinked.
“It’s just that…I'm a mechanic. So I know about grease.”
“Thanks.” Giving him a strange look, she turned her attention to Sadie. “Just wave me down if you need anything.”
Sadie suppressed a giggle. “Thanks.”
After Theresa walked away, Chad sat, frozen. Staring at Sadie in shock. “Was I just talking to her about…grease?”
Sadie burst into laughter. “Yeah, you were.” Straightening up, she took a drink of her water. “So, you ready to stop being so proud and let me make you dateable?”
***
Walking through the small hallway between the garage and the store, Shane wiped his greasy hands on a towel. He’d been happy to stay in the garage all day, it was like he zoned out while he worked and when he finally noticed the world around him again, it was almost nine and the last glimmers of sunlight were fading into the dark.
Chad had finished his shift hours ago, and Cameron had stayed to fill in for the nightshift clerk. After Chad guilt-tripped her into it, of course. But as he looked around the store, he didn’t see her.
The counter curved around the wall just inside the door, and in the semi-circle space between them, he saw Cameron’s hand pop up and do a funky little wave.
Chuckling, he stepped up onto the small platform the check-out counter sat on and saw her sitting on the floor. With her back leaned up against the counter, she had a red plastic cup in her hand and several miniature bottles of alcohol scattered around her, most of them looked empty.
Before he could speak, she held up her hand to stop him. “Don’t harp on me,” she said, breaking into a fit of giggles. Holding her side, she said, “Get it? Shane Harper? Come on, laugh. I’ve been working on that one for hours.”
Even though what she was doing was incredibly irresponsible, it was almost worth it to see her smile. She rarely ever smiled, but when she did it made her look so much prettier.
“Cute,” he said, taking a look around the store. At least he didn’t see any customers. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he looked down at her and gave her a goofy, teasing grin, “So… whatchya doing?”
She took a drink from the plastic cup before she answered. “The place was dead. I got bored.”
“Bored?” he repeated, heading for the door to switch the sign from open to closed.
“I already did all of that,” she said, her voice muffled by the plastic cup held to her lips.
Turning to her, he gave her a good, long look. “We didn’t have any customers, so you just decided to lock up and get drunk.”
She hesitated for a second; delaying her swallow and making her cheeks puff up. When she swallowed she said, “Was that a bad plan?”
“Thank God Chad’s not here right now,” he said; knowing they’d dodged a bullet with that one.
“In all fairness, I was already pretty drunk when I made that call.” Cautiously looking up at him. “Are you mad?”
He should’ve been, but she looked so lonely and sad, sitting on the floor getting drunk, that he couldn’t have been angry for a second. So he sat down on the floor across from her and crossed his legs. “That depends on why you did it.”
“Like I said, the store was—”
“That’s the excuse. I mean the real reason. Something tells me you’ve been aching to knock back a few for awhile now.”
Her lips curved in kind of a bitter smile and her gaze turned distant and thoughtful. Leaning her head back against the counter, she looked up toward the ceiling. “Why do I do any of the things I do?”
“You mean like crashing your car?”
She nodded. “Or lying to Sam about running away.”
“Or kissing me,” he said, getting a better idea of the big picture. Cameron was impulsive to a fault, and never thought anything through, and was motivated by something so deeply rooted it was a mystery to even her. But Shane always liked mysteries, and he’d liked this one ever since she grabbed him in that bar. Now, he realized there was much more going on with her than probably anybody else knew, and she really looked like she could use a friend.
“Well, I know Chad was in a mood today,” he started. “Did something happen at home?”
“Home,” she repeated with a bitter laugh and he felt a stab of regret. “Yeah, I guess.”
He pulled the deck of cards out of his pocket and began to deal them. “Tell me about it while we play a game of blackjack.”
She looked from the cards to him with a chuckle and then shrugged. “Fine. I’m in.”
***
Chad sat on the couch in Sadie’s living room while he waited for her to get ready. They were supposed to meet the other two at the movie theatre in about ten minutes, and he was so nervous and dreading it, that couldn’t quit fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt.
“Stop it!” Sadie called from the other room.
“What?” he shouted back.
“Worrying. I can sense it from here.”
“You cannot,” he said.
“Can too.”
Her voice sounded closer this time, and he looked up to see her standing in the doorway. She looked breathtaking in a brown mini skirt and a pink satin top.
“What?” she asked, when he didn’t say anything.
He looked awkwardly away, unable to believe he’d been checking her out. “Nothing. Just...a little dressy for the movies, isn’t it?”
She looked worried. “Too much?” She turned to a nearby mirror and double checked.
“No. You look great.” Looking down, he kept messing with his shirt. Something was up with the buttons, but he couldn’t figure out what. “I just hope he doesn’t get the wrong idea.”
She scoffed and moved toward him. “Honestly Chad, how much action am I gonna get with you around? Come here, you’ve got that buttoned all wrong.”
“Ugh. I hate this thing,” he said as Sadie began to work with the buttons. “What’s wrong with a t-shirt?”
“A t-shirt says ‘I don’t care how I look.’ But the button up says ‘I can look sexy and still chill at the same time’.”
“Where do you get all this information?” he asked as Sadie unbuttons his shirt, adjusts it a little, and then expertly begins to fasten it all back up.
“The internet is wonderful. You should really try it.”
“Wow. You did that fast,” he commented.
She simply smiled. “Now remember, keep it simple. Basic compliments on hair, jewelry, etc. K?”
He nodded.
“And don’t be nervous,” she continued. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”
Taking a breath, he smiled to convince her he believed her. But what he really wanted was to grab a pizza and a movie, like they always did.
***
Leaned against the counter while Shane dealt them each a hand of cards, Cameron took a drink from her cup. “You know,” she said after she swallowed, “This would be a lot more fun if you’d drink with me.”
She held out one of the tiny bottles of vodka for him and raised an eyebrow playfully.
But he only glanced at it and said, “Nah, I don’t need that stuff to have a good time.”
“Sure,” she said, adding the bottle to the drink in her cup. “Says the guy who was playing quarters when I first met him.”
“I was a DD. I wasn’t even really in the game,” he admitted, looking a little sheepish and adorably innocent. “I just joined it when you…”
She lifted her gaze to meet his, trying to hide a shy, flattered grin.
“Anyway,” he said with a light chuckle. “So, what is it? Did something happen with your brothers?”
For a minute, she wasn’t sure she was going to answer him. And then she found herself asking, “Why are you being nice to me? Shouldn’t you be firing me about now?”
“I can tell you’ve had a rough time.” He shrugged. “I figured I’d cut you a break.”
He made this sound so matter-of-fact that Cameron felt vulnerable. How did he know that about her? Could everyone tell, or was it just him? “I have not.”
“You lost your parents,” he said. “And you had to grow up without your brothers. I don’t think anybody really gets how that’s affected you.”
His words cut her to the core before she had a chance to brace herself against them. She looked down into her cup as she took a long drink. “I don’t need your sympathy.”
“No sympathy,” he said, his blue-eyed gaze catching hers. “Just understanding.”
Maybe it was because she was drunk and on the brink of passing out, but she was dying to get something off her chest. “I always thought it would be different.” She set her cup down on the floor and started picking up whatever bottles she could find that still had alcohol left in them. Absentmindedly, she began to mix them all together as she opened up to him. “Meeting my brothers, being around them, I thought it would be different. But Chad and I can’t be around each other for five minutes without fighting, and Sam looks at me like I’m a disappointment.”
“That’s gotta be tough,” he said, idly shuffling the stack of cards in his hands.
“It’s…” stopping, she picked up one of the tequila bottles and poured it into the red cup as she tried to choose the right word to describe how she felt. “Awkward. It’s really awkward all the time.”
He waited a minute, as if he didn’t know what to say. “I’m sure you guys just have to get used to living with each other again.”
“We wouldn’t have to do that if…”she trailed off, her voice lowering. “If I’d stayed here.”
Looking up at her, he caught her gaze as if this would reinforce his words and give them some extra value.“You’re here now.”
“This is going to sound really selfish, but…” she dipped her head, staring down into her cup. An inner-alarm told her he was getting too close. He was acting like he knew her or something, like they had some kind of connection and she needed to shut it down. Now. Shaking her head, she moved to her knees and began to pick up all of the empty bottles, stuffing them back into her purse. “I’m sorry. God, what was I thinking? When they find out about this…”
Reaching out, he covered her hand with his, stopping her as she frantically tried to rid the area of evidence. “Whoa, just calm down.”
“I can’t,” she said. “You don’t understand. They already think I’m a screw up. I mean, I’m eighteen. I’m supposed to be an adult, now, right? And look at me. Do I look like an adult to you?”
“Cameron, you don’t magically become an adult just because you turn eighteen,” he said. “It’s a process. And you’re not a screw up. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone.”
“Well I make them constantly,” she said. “I’m serious. I couldn’t finish school; I couldn’t even get to town without crashing my car because—surprise—I was drunk. And I couldn’t even get to know my brother before I hit on his best friend. Everyone’s just waiting to watch me bomb this job, too.”
“But you’re not going to,” he said.
“Right, like you’re not going to fire me for this.”
“Maybe I should, but I won’t.” Taking her hands, he guided her to her feet and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You can do this. I believe in you.”
Gazing into his eyes, she looked completely bewildered. “Why?”
He was quiet; looking at her with such understanding that she didn’t know whether to run and hide or to reveal all her secrets to him. “I don’t know,” he said finally.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, pulling back. She sniffed a little and crossed her arms around her abdomen, hugging herself tight. “Because you’re wrong. I wouldn’t even begin to know how to turn this around. My life’s so screwed up, you have no idea.”
“No, I don’t,” he admitted. “But I’m willing to listen if you want to tell me.”
Darting her attention to the floor, she remained silent.
“I do know one thing.” He took her purse, rummaging through it until he pulled out her keys. “Sometimes, you just need a little help.”
Handing her purse back to her, he motioned to the door. “Let me take you home.”
She looked from him, to the door, wondering why he was trying to help her. Then she finally nodded and let him lead the way.
***
The gentle car ride must have lulled Cameron to sleep; in minutes she was passed out cold. Shane wondered how much she’d had to drink tonight, and how he would explain this to her family. He hoped they would cut her some slack this time. Something told him that Cameron—damaged as she may be seem—just needed a chance. He hadn’t even stopped to question where this knowledge came from; he just took it on faith.
When he walked up onto the porch, cradling Cameron in his arms, Sam met him at the door. Eyes narrowed in concern, he pushed open the screen door. “What happened?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly,” Shane said as he carried Cameron throu
gh the kitchen. Then he stopped. “Which way?”
Sam reached over and opened Cameron’s bedroom door. Shane carried her inside and gently rested her on the bed, then turned to Sam. “She’s really…” From the doorway, he looked back in on her, where she’d curled up on her side. “Sad.”
Titling his head, Sam gave him a questioning look.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Cameron’s keys and handed them over to Sam. “So try not to be too hard on her.” He gave Sam a pat on the shoulder as he headed back outside. “I think she really missed you guys.”
***
Lana and Chad sat next to Ethan and Sadie with Chad awkwardly in the middle.
Ethan and Sadie huddled close, whispering and giggling, enjoying their date. And distracting Chad.
He looked over at them, a little jealous, and then back over at his date, and wondered why he didn’t remember dating being so uncomfortable before. As far as blind dates went, he’d gotten pretty lucky. Lana seemed nice enough, and she was pretty. But Chad felt nothing.
On the screen, a girl ran through the woods, fleeing from a killer, who was gaining on her. The psycho caught the girl and knocked her down.
Looking away, Chad fought a gag of disgust. Bothered, he kept his eyes on the seat right in front of him, but he could still hear the girl scream. Maybe he was losing his mind, but he could swear the screams started to echo, and the voice changed... and he knew they were no longer from the movie, but a haunting from his past.
He couldn’t take it anymore. Standing up, he edged past Lana and into the darkened aisle.
“Chad,” Sadie said in a whisper.
But he pushed open the doors at the back, squeezing his eyes shut at the sudden light.
As he made his way across the deserted lobby, Sadie caught up with him. Grabbing his arm, she made him face her. “What are you doing?”
“Are you kidding?” he asked, yanking away.
“The movie sucks, I know,” she said. “But you can’t bail on Lana mid-date. It’s just not right—”
Backing away, he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
Without looking back, he kept up a brisk walk until he got to his truck.
Another Life: Another Life Series #1 Page 7
