by Kacey Shea
Well, shit. That explains a lot. The weather turned sour yesterday and after spending time with Tyler, I put my cell on silent and went to bed early. I was asleep by seven, pathetic as that is.
“What do you need me to do?” I climb out of bed and head for the stairs.
“I’ve got plywood in the basement. Sandbags too. Board up what you can.”
“Okay.” I flick on the light switch but nothing happens. “Power’s out. Do you have a generator?”
“Yeah, but it’s probably low on gas. Do the best you can and get out of there before this thing hits.”
“Leave?”
“Mother Nature doesn’t mess around. Besides, you’ll likely be without power for at least a week.”
“But what about your place?” Alicia. The kittens. The community center. Fuck, the entire town. I take the rest of the stairs two at a time.
“That’s what insurance is for. Please, don’t wait around. The roads are gonna get jammed up if they haven’t already. Call me when you’re back at your dad’s so I know you’re safe.” Obviously, my dad never let him in on the fact I lost my license.
Yeah, there’s no way in hell I’m leaving. Hell, I don’t even have a car.
“Okay, thanks.” I say good-bye and end the call, anxious to check on the kittens and get things buttoned up here. I notice the missed call from last night along with a message from my brother.
Cam: Pick up your damn phone.
Cam: Jill can drive you back to Richmond, but you need to let me know by the end of the hour or she’s leaving without you.
The time stamps for everything are just after eight o’clock. I was zonked out. I missed them all.
“Fuck.” This storm is worse than projected. But I don’t have a car or any mode of transportation. I need to get to the community center, check in there, and hopefully track down Alicia. But I can’t very well walk or run in this storm, not with five stray kittens. “Fuck. Fuck.”
If I hadn’t decided to go off-roading when I was drunk, I’d have my car and a valid license. I also probably wouldn’t be here right now.
Once I make sure the kittens are safe and sound, I run back upstairs and pull on clothes and one of the rain slickers hanging in the closet. I try calling Alicia but she doesn’t pick up. I drag all the furniture in, from the deck up top and the one downstairs. I’m soaked, but so far it’s nothing more than some rain and crazy wind. I dial Alicia’s cell again. My call goes straight to voicemail. Fuck. Is she really so mad she won’t accept my calls?
Next, I head to the basement to gather everything I need to board up the place. The work is grueling, mostly because I don’t have help. I get it done and drag the sandbags out to line the basement exit since it’s the property’s lowest point.
The wind picks up and the clouds overhead twist into eerie, ominous swirls. A foreboding sense of danger, the same I used to get before certain calls on the department, overcomes my thoughts. My senses are hyper-aware, on alert for something to go wrong. Alicia still won’t pick up, so I dial Charlie’s number.
They pick up on the first ring.
“Hey, Charlie, it’s Chase.”
“Hey, where are you? Are you safe?”
“I’m good. I’m just . . .” I heave out a sigh. “I don’t have a car. I’m stuck.”
“I’ll come get you. Text me your address.”
“I don’t want you to have to drive in this thing.”
“It’s fine. Tom’s driving a bunch of us over to the center anyway. There’s a ton of work to do and we could use your help. We’re setting up an emergency site there for anyone who needs a place to ride this thing out. At least until they decide to evacuate.”
That’s where Alicia will be. Unless she’s gone back to Richmond. I can’t see her leaving this community, though. Not when they need her the most.
“Cool. I’ll text you now. Thank you.” I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. It’d be crazy to walk through this storm. But with the kittens? They wouldn’t make it. “I really appreciate it. You’ll be saving lives. At least of the four-legged variety.”
“Hey, it’s no problem,” Charlie says. “We’re like a family in this town. We’ve all got to take care of each other, you know?” Their words ring true and hit right to the heart. It’s why I’ve been able to find so much peace, so much healing, and experience recovery. It’s why I’m hesitant to leave. I’m trained to react when disaster strikes. Maybe this is my opportunity to give back.
61
Alicia
This day is insane and really, it’s only beginning. The storm outside is nothing I’ve experienced before, and the lines of traffic waiting to leave town give me crazy anxiety. The town has issued a recommended evacuation and most of the people leaving are tourists. The locals are more comfortable getting through a week or two of downed power, but I’m scared. I hope I made the right decision to stay. Part of me wonders if I should’ve gone back with Callie and Jill, but there’s no turning back now.
Last night when I left the hotel, I drove straight to the center for meetings that lasted until almost midnight. With us being one of the town’s emergency shelters for residents, there was a lot to prepare in a very short time. The current course trajectory is predicting the storm will hit anywhere from twenty to two hundred miles south of our town. Lucille still hasn’t been upgraded to a hurricane, but there’s a chance landfall will happen early tomorrow morning.
I don’t have time to worry. There’s work to do, and our top priority is getting residents the essentials and providing a safe place to hunker down for those who need it. There’s food to store, cots to set up, generators to procure, and volunteers to coordinate. Sometime around four in the morning my phone dies, and we lose power close to six, but the generators keep the essentials running. I plug my cell into the battery charger in my office then get back to work.
Residents will be able to check in soon and there’s a dump truck delivering a small mountain of sand at any minute. Laura assigns everyone roles and despite not sleeping, I’m energized to take on a new day.
I man the volunteer station for the first few hours, handing out information and telling people where they need to be. One of the local catering businesses brings by a truckload of food to donate, and I send a few volunteers to help bring it in. I need to run back and grab my phone but there’s no time. I’m pointing a volunteer toward the gym when I glance up to see Bailey and Hunter approach. Shit. “Hey.” I smile even though I feel terrible they’ve made the trip for nothing. “We canceled the program this week due to the storm. I’m sorry, you should have gotten an email.” I hope I clicked send; I drafted it sometime around two.
“Oh, we know.” Bailey smiles.
“Yeah.” Hunter wraps his arm around her shoulder. Interesting. They must be together now. I’m not surprised, but I wonder how Tyler’s dealing with it. “But since we’re staying here, we thought we’d see if you needed any help.”
“Oh, that’s really kind.” I didn’t anticipate this scenario. I should run it by Laura but she’s meeting with the local fire and rescue teams. “Are your parents around? They’d be okay with you helping?”
Bailey and Hunter share a look.
“Yeah, my dad doesn’t care,” Hunter says.
“And my mom dropped me off. She’s got some stuff to wrap up at her office. She told me to stay here.”
“Okay.” I nod, already thinking of something I can have them do. “Give me a second. I’ll get you guys to work.”
“Cool.” Hunter nods.
I pull out my clipboard, looking for a small break in my schedule so I can get them started. There are tables to set up in one of the classrooms for meal distribution.
“Look what the cats dragged in.” Hunter laughs. “Dude, you look like a drowned rat.”
I glance over at the source of his amusement to see Tyler approach, soaking wet, holding the familiar pet carrier. Wait. Why does he have the kittens? Did Chase catch a ride to Richmond w
ith Jill and Callie last night? They never mentioned it after they got home so I assumed he stayed.
Bailey slips out from under Hunter’s arm and rushes toward the kittens. “Oh, my goodness! Are they okay?”
“Yeah.” Tyler smiles softly. “Wanna help me feed them?”
“What the fuck is wrong with your hair, dude?” Hunter laughs.
Tyler’s shoulders slump inward, his expression guarded.
Bailey glares back at her boyfriend. “Hunter!”
“What? I’m just saying, it looks like he hacked it with a box cutter.” Hunter shrugs as if he doesn’t know how deep his words cut, but I’d bet he knows exactly what he’s doing. “Bro, you need to fire your barber because they’re doing a shitty job.”
Tyler’s jaw locks, his hands gripping the handle on the carrier so tight it might break. I’m proud of him, though. He doesn’t even give him a response. “Miss Martin?” He turns his stare to me. “I wasn’t sure where we could keep the kittens, I saw the teen room is all rearranged.”
“Yeah, sorry.” I exhale. “We had to take down the play area.” We also need special approval to let pets stay with their owners so we meet health codes. “You can feed them in the teen room for now, but we might have to keep them locked in my office later.”
He nods and heads toward the teen room. Bailey follows and Hunter rolls his eyes, strolling behind. Lord help me, those three are going to test my patience today. I realize a little too late, I never got to ask about Chase.
“Tyler?” I call after them.
“Yeah?” He turns.
“How’d you get the kittens?” I’m such a coward. I can’t even ask what I want.
“Oh, I ran into Chase out front,” he says. “He got here the same time as me with a bunch of other people.”
I exhale the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. He’s safe. He’s here. “Thanks.” I smile, the first genuine smile I’ve felt all morning. I need to find Chase. Later, once things have calmed down. When we can talk. But just knowing he’s nearby is enough for now.
It’s almost an hour before one of the other staff members relieves me for a break. I use the restroom then walk down the hall that leads to the bank of small offices. I still need to grab my phone. Hopefully, it’s charged.
“Hey, you’re already done with the sand bags?” I hear Tom’s voice around the corner before I reach him.
“Yeah.” The gruff reply sends a tingle of awareness down my spine. I’d recognize Chase’s voice anywhere. I slow my footsteps, apprehension filling my chest at seeing him again. It’s only been a few days, but it feels like a month. So much has happened. So much was said.
“Great,” Tom says. “Can you board up the windows next? There’s wood in the storage unit. You and Charlie can run over and get it.”
“Okay.” It’s only one word and gives no clue as to how Chase is holding up.
“Let me go grab the keys to my truck. Give me five.”
“I’ll be here,” Chase says.
I don’t waste another second, practically jogging around the corner. His gaze lifts from where he leans on the wall. Sweaty or soaked wet, I can’t tell, but his shirt sticks to him like a second skin and I try not to ogle. The circles under his eyes give me pause, as does the lack of smile on his lips. He doesn’t even greet me. But what should I expect after the way we parted?
“Hey, you’re here,” I say, wishing he understood how much that simple fact means to me.
“Yeah.” He pushes from the wall and straightens to his full height. His eyes are cold, his expression hard. “Been here a few hours.”
“I know.” I nod. I hate how far away he is, yet I’m not sure my embrace would be welcome. I stand still. “Tyler told me.”
“Oh.” He scoffs, glancing at the ceiling and shaking his head.
“What?” My brow furrows. Does he think I’m not happy to see him? That after everything we’ve shared I don’t find comfort in knowing he’s safe.
“It’s just, I thought maybe you forgot about me. Or maybe lost your phone?” He takes a step forward, his gaze never leaving mine. “You do have your phone still?”
“Yeah.” I don’t like what he’s getting at, or why he seems so angry. It’s not my fault the tropical storm decided to head this way.
“But you couldn’t bother to call or pick up your phone?” He narrows his gaze.
“When was I supposed to do that?” Defensiveness prickles my spine. He’s mad at me? Not for how we left things, but because I didn’t call. “I’ve been working since yesterday. I haven’t even slept.”
His brows rise. “You came in last night?”
“Yeah, they called us in last night for an emergency meeting,” I say with a little too much attitude.
“Oh.” His jaw clenches and his body goes rigid. He’s pissed off. Angry. Or maybe just a little stressed? Well, I am, too.
“Yeah, so I’ve been a little busy.” I don’t hide the annoyance from my tone. The fear of what’s about to happen—a storm heading straight for us, threatening to destroy this little town I’ve come to love and all the people who live here—is all too much. I clutch my clipboard to my chest.
“Busy.” His mouth falls open and he scoffs. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Chase!” I scold and glance around, relieved when it doesn’t appear we’ve gained attention from other volunteers and patrons. “Language.”
“My language?” He presses a hand into the center of his chest and stalks closer. His eyes wild with anger. I’ve never seen him like this. So unhinged. So mad.
Oh, God. No. He wouldn’t. Would he? “Have you been drinking?” I whisper, taking a step closer. I immediately regret the question. There’s no scent of alcohol on his breath and his glare is completely focused.
“No.” He grinds between his teeth, his stare burning into my soul as he steps back. He shakes his head, malice thick in his next words. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” It’s not a compliment.
I honestly don’t know why he’s behaving this way, but my patience is worn thin. “Look, I don’t know what is up with you, but we don’t have time for this. There are people working their asses off to make this place safe tonight. You can either be a part of that or not. I’m not gonna play games.”
“You know what?” He scoffs, Shoving the hair back from his face. “I’m not doing this with you. Not now. Not ever.” He turns on his heel and stomps away, heading for the front doors.
“Chase!” I call after him, regret hitting me square in the chest. I hate that we’re fighting. I hate that I have no fucking clue why he’s so upset or angry. Even more, I hate watching him walk away. He doesn’t even look back.
It’s not until I slip into my office that I realize what an insensitive, selfish prick I’ve been. God, no wonder he was upset with me. My notifications light up with a half dozen missed calls from Chase. All within the early morning hours. There’s also a text from Charlie.
Charlie: FYI. Picking up Chase and the kittens. Didn’t want you to worry.
The time stamp shows two hours ago. Chase doesn’t have a car. I know this. Yet never once did I stop and think he might be stranded at the beach house. Not once did I take a moment to check on his well-being. I was here, safe all along, but he was out there. It’s inexcusable. Unforgiveable. I deserve every bit of his coldness and hard stares. He probably hates me, and I wouldn’t blame him. I’m not a big fan of myself right now.
The rest of the morning passes faster than it should. I set the teens to work packing sack lunches in one of the empty classrooms. Some of the bags will be used for volunteers and the rest we’ll store in case the storm lasts longer than predicted. There’s a good chance residents will be stuck here for a few days and we want to be prepared. None of the food items require refrigeration in case the generators go down.
Of course, as soon as I’m done explaining what I need to Hunter, Bailey, and Tyler, I’m called up to help with registrations. I’ll be taking ove
r a shift soon and need to get trained on the protocol. I’m distracted though, my mind wondering where exactly Chase is. I need to apologize. I can’t let him go another day without letting him know how sorry I am, and taking responsibility for how badly I screwed up.
“Fuck you!” A muffled shout comes from down the hall. A woman screams. Something bangs against a table or maybe a wall. It’s so out of place it takes my brain a second to process. Everyone stops what they’re doing. Gazes darting around for the source. More curse words fly, and that’s when I know. I take off running for the classroom, dreading what I’ll find.
The shouts grow louder. Bailey cries, pleading for them to stop.
Inside the room Tyler and Hunter scuffle to the ground, knocking into the table and sending bags of chips flying.
“Enough!” I shout and move closer but they don’t hear. Or maybe they don’t care. With two older brothers, I know better than to get between two guys fighting. As much as I want them to stop, I am not about to take an accidental elbow to the jaw.
“Take it back,” Tyler growls.
“Why? It’s the truth,” Hunter says, getting a jab into Tyler’s side. He rolls, moving Tyler to his back and pinning him to the ground. “She’s mine. You missed out.”
“Bailey, get help!” I turn, meeting her gaze until she races out of the room.
“Stop fighting!” I shout, channeling my inner mom voice but failing miserably. “Hunter, get off him!”
“I hate you!” Tyler squirms under the weight of his opponent. I’m surprised by his scrappiness, considering they aren’t a fair match. “I hope you die!”
“Tyler!” I shout.
“Why? You think she’ll fuck you next?” Hunter laughs, breathing in his face. “She’d never be caught with a loser like you.”
Tyler bucks his hips. His arm swings out and knocks Hunter under the chin.
A few men rush into the room and separate the two. Hunter goes easily, but Tyler kicks out and swings, trying to get a parting shot. Both young men’s chests heave with forceful breaths. It takes a few minutes before their adrenaline fades and they agree to stay apart.
