Miss Bitty didn’t say a word to Allie until after they dropped a still high, barely coherent Hannah off at her house.
The old woman still didn’t say anything when she pulled out of the Hanovers’ driveway, but her face was red and her lips kept twitching as though she was having a difficult time keeping her words to herself.
Back at the house, she gestured to Allie to take a seat at the table, then went to the refrigerator and poured a glass of wine. After downing it in a few gulps, she poured another, then had a seat opposite Allie.
Allie glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only ten o’clock in the morning.
Why is she drinking so early in the morning?
Is it because of me?
Allie’s cheeks burned. She felt awful about her decision to sneak out. She wanted to apologize, but she knew any apology would sound flimsy. She really had no words for what she’d done. No good reason for why she’d done it.
When Miss Bitty spoke, her voice was disturbingly calm. “Do you understand how dangerous that was? Leaving here in the middle of the night and walking through those woods?”
Allie stared down at her lap.
“There’s a murderer on the loose. Do you know how stupid that was, Allie? Do you?”
“Yes.”
“What you did was incredibly irresponsible. How do I get through that thick, incorrigible head of yours? How do I?” The woman’s tone grew sharper. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, young lady. Don’t you dare not acknowledge me when I’m talking to you.”
Allie looked at her and saw that the woman’s eyes glistened with tears.
“Tell me! What is it I have to do? Are you really that self-destructive? Do I even have a chance? Tell me. What do I do to get through to you?”
Allie’s heart felt heavy. How could she say she had been jealous of the attention Hannah had been getting? That she was immature and stupid and absolutely pathetic. That she hadn’t wanted to go to the house but was talked into it because she was so desperate for Hannah to be her friend.
That she’d never had a friend before except for her brother.
That she was really, really sorry . . . Yes, again.
Allie loathed who she was. She loathed that apologizing was so hard for her. Her eyes welled up with tears and words she hadn’t planned to say came pouring out. “Maybe you expect too much of me. Maybe I can’t be who you need me to be.”
Miss Bitty’s eyes hardened. “Excuses aren’t going to cut it, young lady. Not with me.”
It wasn’t an excuse. She had meant it. The woman was the only one who had ever expected anything out of her—and clearly, she was letting her down.
Bitty stared hard at her. “Look, Allie. Don’t make me fail you because I’ll probably be the last chance you’ll get.”
I know.
The old woman exhaled loudly and left the room.
Piglet growled softly in Allie’s arms.
“Miss Bitty?” Allie called.
Silence.
This time she called out more loudly. “Miss Bitty?”
The old woman appeared in the doorway again. “Yes? I’m listening.”
“You’re right . . . and I’m so sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.”
CHAPTER 44
Great to hear from you, Li’l Bit! I was just thinking about you the other day. How are things? You make it back home yet? Get your pic up on here. Miss seeing your beautiful face!
-Johnny
PS: I canceled the credit card so no worries.
IT FINALLY CAME. A message from Johnny! Tears of joy running down her cheeks, Allie danced around the room while Piglet yipped happily at her feet. She needed to tell someone, and fast . . . or she was going to burst!
She never imagined she’d be the type of girl who would have a friend who she could confide in over a boy. It felt good! Exhilarating even! Her heart smiled all the way to Hannah’s house.
“Have fun,” Louis said, easing the car to a stop. “Call when you need to be picked up.”
“Okay, thanks!” Allie threw the car door open and tried not to skip up the porch steps. When she was at the door and about to knock, she heard voices.
“No, honey. If you really need me to fix you dinner in order to feel like a real man, then I want to do it for you.”
The voice was Claire’s and it was coming through an open kitchen window.
“No, it’s okay. Seriously. I’ll stop what I was doing to make sure you get it. I’m here for your happiness, sweetheart. After all, that’s what God put me here for, right?”
The voice that answered was Ted’s. “Claire, come on. That’s enough. I only asked—”
If the circumstances had been different, Allie would have turned and left, but she was giddy and practically bursting to tell Hannah about the message Johnny had sent.
About Johnny, period.
So she rapped sharply on the door.
The talking in the kitchen stopped and a few seconds later, Claire opened the door. The lady’s icy eyes narrowed shrewdly.
“Uh, is Hannah home?” Allie asked, realizing it was the first time she’d seen Claire since she and Miss Bitty had driven home a heavily medicated Hannah. Surely the woman blamed Allie for her daughter’s recklessness. But Allie’d been so excited about the message from Johnny, she hadn’t even considered it before she’d come.
“Sure, Allie. She’s in her room,” the woman said, her thin lips easing into a smile. Her icy eyes even seemed to grow warmer. “Just go on in. I’m sure she’d love to see you right now.”
“Thanks,” Allie said, surprised by the woman’s sudden good nature.
Allie hurried to Hannah’s room and was just about to knock on the door when she heard Hannah talking inside.
“It was so creepy I literally peed my pants in the first five minutes,” she was saying on the other side of the door.
Another girl spoke: “You really saw someone in the yard?”
“I didn’t, she did . . . and I thought she was going to lose it. The puppy started going crazy, too, like she sensed something was there.”
Allie’s pulse quickened. Who was Hannah talking to? And why was she talking about her . . . and that night?