The General Store: Where Innocence Goes to Die

by A. L. Moore

  “No but my parents are probably wondering where I am,” I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket. It was dead. “I should’ve called before now. What time is it?”

  “Don’t panic,” he assured me, his cheek resting against my hair when he hugged me to his side. “It’s not too late.” Maneuvering me around, he kissed me lightly on the lips.

  “I know, but I always call when I get off work. They’ve got to be freaking.”

  “So, call now,” he said, easing his phone out of his pocket.

  Staring at the black device, I tried to think of some excuse to tell my parents. I’d never been in a situation that required lying to them before, not to this level.

  “Tell them you had to work late at the store, restocking,” Tyler invented, casually playing with a strand of my hair. “Tom will cover for you.” His lips touched the top of my head.

  “Really?” I asked surprised. “Mr. Smith doesn’t look like the type who’d lie to parents.”

  “Trust me,” he said, watching me intently as I dialed. “He’ll do it.”

  Lying was easy, which only made the guilt that much worse. Mom didn’t even question my excuse. I followed Tyler back into the house where he poured us a drink from the same bottle Robyn had used earlier. He downed his in one gulp and waited for me. I didn’t have time to think about the burn in my throat before he was kissing me, hard. I wasn’t used to drinking anything more than a sip or two of a wine cooler, and my head was swimming. I couldn’t keep up with him. It was difficult to concentrate on moving my lips with his hands inching my shirt up my back. The counter was cool and hard against my skin. The alcohol was taking affect much more quickly than I had ever experienced. My legs felt like jelly beneath me, leaving me to cling to Tyler’s neck to stay up right. As much as I hated giving in, I didn’t have the steam to keep fighting him.

  “Ty?” Liam called from the other room. I opened my eyes only to shut them again. My head was swimming. “Sorry to interrupt, but Marco’s been trying to reach you.”

  Tyler’s lips slowed, kissing me once more before pulling his phone out. Without his hand on my cheek, my head felt too heavy to keep up right. I needed to lie down.

  “The signal up here is shit,” Tyler snapped. “I’ll be right back,” he said, trying to let me go, but I held tightly to his arms. There was no way I could stand by myself.

  “I’ve got her,” Liam assured him, sliding his arm around my back, my head instantly falling to his chest.

  “Let’s get you to the couch,” Liam said, towing me forward. The thought of moving my legs didn’t occur to me until after we’d stopped moving.

  “I thought you left?” I slurred, listening to the slew of profanities Tyler was calling his phone from the porch.

  “I did.”

  I tried to lift my head from his chest, but I couldn’t. The room was spinning like a merry-go-round. It didn’t help that he smelled incredible, like leather and body wash. Even in my drunken haze, I could appreciate that.

  “How much have you had to drink?”

  “Just two…” I said, attempting to hold up two fingers.

  He held me at arm’s length, causing the spinning to worsen. “Did you eat?”

  “Half a burger.”

  “I’ve got to go meet with him,” Tyler announced, followed by more profanities. “There’s a problem with what went out this month.”

  “What do you mean, a problem?” Liam asked, still gripping my arm to keep me upright.

  “Two girls are in the hospital.”

  The last thing I saw before my heavy eyes closed was Tyler reaching for his keys.

  “Will you stay here with her until I get back?” I heard Tyler ask.

  “She’s gone,” Liam said. The warmth of his hand disappeared, and my back hit the softness of the couch cushions. “I’ll get her awake and take her home.”

  Tyler was quiet. I thought he’d left until I heard the unmistakable edge in his voice. “Fine,” he snapped.

  Chapter 8. Contradictions

  The bright sun peeked through my curtain at an odd angle when I woke the next morning. I reached for my phone to find that Mason had called twice, probably wondering why he hadn’t heard from me. We usually talked every day. I’d have to deal with him later…much later. My throbbing head hurt too badly to think of excuses now. Practically falling out of bed, I trudged toward the bathroom and started a hot shower. By the time I made myself presentable, it was time for my shift. Mom drove me, complaining about my appearance the whole way. Of course, my clothes looked slept in. I’d slept in them!

  I thought about crushing the tiny brass bell as I walked through the door of The General Store. Robyn looked up from where she organized the over stocked magazine rack. We kept the racier covers near the top, not that it helped. I’d caught one boy around Josh’s age standing on top of a twelve pack of Coke to sneak a peek at a scantily clad model on the front of Sports Illustrated. Grabbing a sweaty water bottle from the ice cooler, I claimed ownership to Robyn’s precious stool. There was no way I could work the floor today. Mr. Smith would have to fire me. My phone buzzed again from my bag. The thought of bending to pick it up only made the threat of dry heaves worse. I kicked the bag a couple of times with the toe of my sandal, hoping it would break.

  “Thanks for all the overtime you pulled last night,” Mr. Smith said dryly, appearing from the stock room. “Your father was on the phone first thing this morning, reminding me you are still in high school.”

  “Sorry about that,” I said uncomfortably, my heavy head propped on my hand. “But thanks for covering for me.” Not that I understood why he’d done it in the first place.

  “Here,” Robyn said, handing me two small, white pills. “Take these. It’ll take the edge off.”

  “What is it?” There was no way I was downing anything else without finding out what it was first.

  “It’s just aspirin,” she rolled her eyes. “It’ll make your head stop spinning.”

  “I’m never drinking again as long as I live,” I said, covering my ears when the sound of motorcycles rumbled by. “Why aren’t you sick?” It wasn’t fair. She’d drank three times as much as I had, and she could still place in a beauty pageant.

  “Tyler probably slipped some Ambien in your drink,” she said flatly. “It causes a killer hang over. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

  My jaw hit the floor. Tyler drugged me! “What?” I said stunned. “Ambi…What? Is that like a drug?” I’d never even smoked weed, intentionally.

  “He was probably just trying to get you to loosen up,” she said as if he’d dosed me with a multivitamin. “You did look like you were having a good time,” she pointed out, squeezing behind me and drumming something out on the computer.

  The anger quickly overtook the bile threatening my throat. “I don’t even remember who brought me home last night, Robyn, or how I got into bed!” I seethed. “What if my parents had seen me like that?”

  “It’s too bad you don’t remember,” she said, tapping her lime green nails on the counter, “because Liam drove you home.

  “Not that you’re into him,” she snidely added, tucking a fallen strand of dark hair behind her ear.

  “What?” I said mortified, palming my stomach, the nausea back full force. “You’re joking, right?” She had to be lying. Liam had left before Tyler and I stopped shooting. The house had been empty.

  “I had to help him get you inside,” Robyn said amused. “Don’t you remember anything?” I shook my head, wiping away an escaped tear before it fell to the floor. “Don’t worry. Your parents were already in bed," she said reaching for her phone when it buzzed and typing a quick message.

  My head throbbed as I tried to recall anything she described. “Did I say anything else?” The last thing I remembered clearly was using Tyler’s phone to call home.

  “Not that I know of…” she trailed off, pausing long enough to make me squirm in my seat. “I did have a time getting you to let go of Liam.” Ther
e was a double edge to her voice, but I didn’t have time to worry about her accusations right now.

  “Ugh,” I moaned in my hands.

  “Don’t worry, you seemed pretty convinced he was still driving. It was actually kind of funny," she chuckled humorlessly.” She knotted her hair on top of her head and started again with the computer. Each key stroke was a hammer to my head. “Besides, it was just the alcohol talking, right?”

  Even hungover, I knew she was on to me. I’d have to deal with her at some point, but right now, I had much bigger problems.

  I waited until Robyn walked to the front to help a couple of kids before I bolted. I had to talk to Liam. There was no telling what I’d said to him. Making my way down the alley to the row of bikes, two of which I’d apparently ridden, I climbed the metal steps and peeked inside the door. Jayson was busy at a large scale, much like the one in the store, spooning in white powder while Alec used a razor blade to scrape it into clear baggies. Based on the heavy-duty metal shelves stacked from the high ceiling to the floor, the building was clearly a warehouse, but there was no store merchandise insight. The few opened boxes near Jayson’s feet held tightly packed blocks of the same white powder he was busy weighing.

  “Justice?” Liam startled me from behind. His eyes flashed from surprise to fury as he took in the sight over my shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

  “Is that what I think it is?” I staggered, trying to keep my voice as low as his.

  His large hand encompassed mine, pulling me quickly down the steps and beneath the railing. My mind raced as he backed me against the cool bricked building. The strong burning smell from the door was stuck in my nose. It smelled like the time I’d thrown Josh’s plastic pool into a bonfire, only worse. The smell was much worse. Combined with my queasy stomach, I knew I was going to be sick. A choking cough slipped from my throat. Liam silenced me with a quick finger to my lips. We stood motionless until Jayson’s voice all but disappeared. Liam leaned in close, his dark hair brushing the sides of his face. My stomach tightened watching his lips come closer. As much as I wanted to kiss him, now wasn’t the time, not when my stomach was rolling with nausea. Bypassing my mouth, he whispered in my ear, “You shouldn’t have come here.”

  “I needed to talk to you…to thank you for taking me home.”

  He sighed, leaning one hand against the wall above my head. “You don’t have to thank me.” His eyes moved over me to the door and back again. “Tyler was a prick for spiking your drink.”

  It was true. Tyler had drugged me. Having Liam confirm it made me angry. Why was everyone acting like this wasn’t a big deal? It was a crime to have drugs, not to mention the slipping them to another person. The thought of what could’ve happened had Liam been ten minutes later getting back made tears burn in my eyes. I shook my head, trying to shake away the nasty thoughts Liam saved me from.

  A warm breeze swept through the alley, carrying the scent of fried food from the Main Street vendors and garbage from the trashcans down the way. Even in the shadow of the steps, the summer heat was stifling. It was ninety degrees or worse. I could feel sweat on the back of my neck and perspiration peaked along Liam’s forehead, too. Pushing my hair back from my face, I asked, “Is that what they’re packaging, drugs?” Liam closed his eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Are you a drug dealer?”

  Clearly, he didn’t like that title. In a flash, his strong hands gripped my arms. It wasn’t painful, but I couldn’t move even if I’d wanted to. His skin was rough and fevered. His face was a hard mask as he leaned closer. “Forget what you saw in there.” His voice was adamant and angry. “Do you hear me, Justice? Forget it.”

  “Does Robyn know?”

  My question only made his eyes darker. It shouldn’t have mattered if Robyn knew, but it did. I wanted to know what was going on. I’d been on the sidelines too long.

  Liam sighed, using his black t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. “Of course she knows.”

  “I swear Liam; I won’t say anything.”

  Liam punched the brick above my head and cursed under his breath. “You don’t get it,” he said angrily, his arms caging me in. “You don’t want to get involved in this. Quit the job at the store and go back to your boyfriend. You’re still in high school for crying out loud!”

  What was with him and my age? I was seventeen years old! To the state of North Carolina, I was a legal adult, not a kid as he’d referred to me on more than one occasion.

  “School’s out for summer,” I grumbled.

  He practically growled, “You know what I mean.

  “What do you think would’ve happened if I hadn’t come back last night? You’ve probably never even…” he trailed off, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “You’ve got no business at the cabin, Justice!”

  I should’ve been afraid, ducking under his arm and running to the nearest cop. That would’ve been the logical thing for a person in my situation to do. Liam towered over me, his dark eyes blazing. He was trying to scare me, and if he’d been anyone else, he might’ve succeeded, but I felt safe with him. There was something about Liam, something in his eyes that made me trust him, that drew me in.

  “I like hanging out with you.” I said unthinking. “I mean, with all of you,” I stammered to correct myself.

  Liam shook his head with a heavy sigh. "What then, you’re just going to keep humoring Tyler until he gets what he wants?”

  “Who says I’m humoring him?” My voice didn’t sound nearly as confident as it had in my head.

  Liam dropped one arm casually to his side but didn’t move away. With the anger gone from his eyes, the closeness felt more intimate. I couldn’t steal my eyes from his lips. They were easier to appreciate when he wasn’t fussing at me.

  “You were pretty convincing last night with a gun in your hands,” he allowed, releasing me altogether. “I almost bought it myself,” he smirked, crossing his arms. “But after our ride last night, I wasn’t quite so convinced?”

  “What?” I chocked.

  “That’s all I’m saying,” he crooked a grin, holding his hands up in innocence.

  My head met the bricked wall as I buried my face in my hands. The worst possible scenarios flashed through my mind. If any of them were close to being true, I would have to dig a hole and bury myself inside.

  “It was just drunk rambling, Justice. Don’t worry about it.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” I said, peeking through my fingers. I hated Tyler for putting me in this position. It was his fault I couldn’t remember what a fool I’d made of myself last night.

  Liam's hand gently caressed my cheek. “Justice, seriously, it was nothing.”

  His attempt to comfort me only made me feel worse. He’d made it painfully obvious he wasn’t interested in me the first time I’d opened my big mouth and now, he was dealing with my unwanted stupidity a second time.

  “What’s going on out here?” Tyler’s voice came from the platform above us. I froze like a deer in headlights, and Liam moved back a step. He was nearly a foot away from me now, but it still felt too close. It was too late to do anything about it now; Tyler was leaning over the metal railing, having already spotted us.

  It was hard to look him in the eyes knowing what he’d tried to do to me. What he’d done to me. What kind of creep drugged people?

  I forced a weak smile and muttered, “I was just thanking Liam for driving me home.”

  Other than a slight nod, Tyler didn’t acknowledge me at all. His eyes did not move from Liam. “Go relieve Jayson. He has to meet with his parole officer.”

  “Is it that late already?” Liam said, retrieving a phone from his back pocket.

  “Maybe I should give you my number in case you need my taxi services again,” Liam kidded me, before shooting a hard look Tyler’s way.

  The metal railing shook when Liam gripped it, climbing the steps two at a time, until he disappeared from sight. I ran my hands over my arms at the sudden
chill I felt without him. Tyler jogged down and took his place, instantly pulling me to his chest. My body turned to stone.

  “Sorry I left you last night,” he said, his hand wrapping my lower back. Pulling away enough to see my face, he said, “Maybe I can make it up to you tonight.”

  I couldn’t stand this. Whether he was my in at Robyn’s or not, he couldn’t get away with what he’d done. “Did you put something in my drink last night?”

  Concern filled his eyes. He leaned down so we were eye level with one another. “What,” he choked. “Who told you that? Did Liam…”

  “No one,” I said quickly. “But I don’t remember a lot about last night, and I’ve never had a headache like this before.”

  “I would never do that to anyone,” he said, cupping my face, his eyes willing mine to believe him. “I was afraid this might happen. You barely touched your burger, Justice. I shouldn’t have let you drink that last shot without eating something.”

  The sincerity in his face was hard to dismiss. I’d been ready to crucify him. But now, listening to him plead his case, I wasn’t so sure. He was right about the food. I hadn’t eaten very much. I also wasn’t used to drinking the hard stuff.

  “You’re a light-weight, baby girl,” he smiled, lightly tugging my crossed arms apart.

  “You would’ve taken me home if Liam hadn’t shown up?”

  “Of course,” he said surely. “But to be perfectly honest, I was going to let you sleep it off on the couch a few hours first. I didn’t want to get you into trouble with your parents.”

  “Right,” I said skeptically. I didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

  “Okay,” he grinned, “You’ve got me.” My breath caught in my throat. “I made-out with you, but you’ll have to cut me some slack on that because you’re seriously hot, and you were all over me.”

  That I did remember. The memory was fuzzy around the edges, but the intense kissing in the kitchen and the way I’d grasped him was unmistakable.

  “I’m so embarrassed, Tyler. Can we please forget this conversation ever happened?”