Without thinking, I hop out of bed, shove my phone in my pocket, and grab my sweatshirt from the back of my door. A pair of flip flops rest a few feet over in front of my dresser. I shove them on my feet without even checking to see if I match and slowly open my bedroom door. I’m practiced enough that I make it down the stairs and through the living room and out the front door without triggering the alarm or making much noise. I’ve timed myself, and I’m now able to get from my bedroom to the front porch and reset the alarm in under forty-five seconds.
Shrill guitar riffs and a heavy drumbeat sound from the basement level where Dad’s room is, and I say a little thank-you to whoever is listening, because I know from experience that he can’t hear my Bug starting up when his music is that loud. My keys and my license are already in the pocket of my sweatshirt, thankfully. I didn’t even think about grabbing them on my way out, which could’ve turned out really bad. With a practiced ear, I listen to the sound coming from the basement level and wait until the chorus, which seems to be louder than the rest the song. Right when the chorus starts up, I slide into my unlocked Bug, fire the engine, and back down the driveway as quickly as I can without hitting anything. The first few times I tried to sneak out, it was not without disastrous results. I did everything slowly, with fear that I would get caught. But then I finally learned that faster is better, because at least if I get caught, I can get away first and have a chance at freedom. I’ve since had a much higher success rate.
Jeremy’s house is less than a five-minute drive, and there’s no traffic in a small, boring town like Fort Bragg. Soon enough, I’m pulling up to the yellow ranch house whose driveway plays host to two Harleys and a Toyota Corolla. The living room light is on, and through the front window, I can see the TV is on as well. I’m hoping Jeremy’s not in there, because there’s no way I’m going to the front door if Nic and Duke are awake. Nic would keep her mouth shut, but Duke would personally escort me back home. I used to like him, but he’s kind of a wet blanket these days.
I opt for parking in front of their neighbor’s house in order to avoid getting busted. My stomach flips uneasily with the worry that I might get caught, so I’m particularly quiet as I cross the front lawn and press my nose up to Jeremy’s bedroom window.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder if ambushing him like this is a good idea. He could be with another girl. That would break my heart, and as much as I don’t want to believe it, I think a part of me is waiting for it to happen. Even Jim screws around on Aunt Ruby at times. I know Uncle Chief was hooking up with Chel on the regular before he died. Aunt Barbara knew about it, and she disliked it, but it was something she accepted. Until I met Holly, I’d never known a woman who had demanded exclusivity. Most just demand silence.
I can’t see much of anything through the shrouded window. There seems to be little movement in the room, if any. Holding in a deep breath, I check my nerves and tap the window just hard enough to make a distinct clicking sound against the glass. Anticipation builds in my gut, and my hands practically shake. I’m working myself up into a frenzy over a fear I don’t know I’ll ever be able to shake.
CHAPTER 20
March
13 months to Mancuso’s downfall
The aged forest-green curtains rustle from behind the glass and swoop to the side, revealing Jeremy’s tired face. He looks like he’s been put through the ringer, which motivates me to get through this glass barrier and wrap my arms around him that much faster. He blinks twice before smiling wide and working the window open with fast, knowledgeable movements.
“Hey,” he says as he slides the glass to the side and reaches an arm out. His fingers curl around the back of my head as he pulls me in for a kiss. I slide my lips over his and savor the calm that overtakes my entire body. This is right. This is us.
I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything before. I lift my arms up and pull him in closer, needing more. My tongue traces the inside curves of his bottom lip. He opens to me immediately and gives a low growling noise. It’s the same noise he makes when I know he wants to go further but restrains himself for my benefit. Pulling away slowly, I lick my lips and look into his hazy eyes. My heart practically thumps out of my chest, and my palms are sweaty when I place them on the window sill.
“Help me in,” I say. My foot finds purchase on the brick retaining wall that holds the budding yellow daisies that Duke had a few prospects plant for Nic. I’m careful not to disturb the flowers as Jeremy reaches out and helps guide me in the window and around the crap he has piling up on his bedroom floor. Once I’m inside with my feet firmly on the carpet, I snake my arms around his neck and grin up at him.