sharp.
“You need help.”
“No, I don't.”
“Do you...” she faltered and tried again. “Do you want me to call Dad? Mom?”
I shook my head hard. “No. Absolutely not.”
“But, Lily...”
My voice was almost a whisper “Neither of them were on board with me leaving. They're sure as shit not going to be on board when they found out where my car broke down. And you're not gonna tell them. Got it?”
Jenna didn't respond and I could picture what she was doing. Chewing on her own lip, a nervous habit we'd both inherited from our mother. Tugging on her earlobe, twisting the diamond stud she always wore, her flesh turning an angry pink as she tightened her grip. Probably pulling a cigarette out of her purse, desperate to hold something so she wouldn't shove her fingernails into her mouth.
“Promise me,” I said. “Promise me you won't say anything. I'll be fine.”
“But...”
“No buts.”
“You can't go back there,” my sister said, her voice barely a whisper.
I didn't say anything for a long time, just held the phone to my ear, letting the silence hang over us.
Finally, I spoke. “I don't have a choice.”
FOUR
“Are we good to go?”
I handed the phone back to Ty. “I guess.”
We were sitting in the cab of his truck, my purse and duffel bag at my feet, the air-conditioner on full blast. He'd handed me another bottle of water as I made a few more calls. To the rental office at Oak Terrace, letting them know I'd had car trouble. To Timely Towing, where my call was directed to an answering machine. And to A-Plus Auto, where the recording informed me they were indeed closed until Monday.
He took the phone and his fingers grazed mine. “Let me make one more call.” He tapped at the screen and the phone began to ring. He'd put the call on speaker.
“Hello?” A woman's voice.
Ty smiled. “Mom.”
“Are you going to be late for dinner?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said. He shifted the truck into drive. “Just wanted to let you know I'm bringing a guest. If that's okay.”
“A guest? Not Caroline —” I wasn't sure but I thought I heard a flicker of hope in her voice.
He cut her off. “No, no. Someone passing through town. Her car broke down. I didn't want to leave her out on the highway.”
“Oh.” She sounded surprised. “Of course. Well, we're having taco bake. And a Jello salad. I hope that's okay?”
Ty glanced at me, eyebrows raised and I bit back a smile.
“I think that's fine, Mom.” He stepped on the gas and the truck lumbered back on to the highway. “We'll be there in a few.” He ended the call and and tossed the phone into an empty drink holder.
“See?” he said. “I'm totally cool. Even if my mom is a bit of a nut.” He rolled his eyes. “Who the hell serves Jello salad with a taco casserole?”
I smiled in spite of myself and the situation I was in. Ty was definitely a good guy.
“Thanks,” I said.
He just nodded and turned the radio up a notch, some country song I didn't know. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat, his eyes focused on the road.
I leaned against the side of the truck and stared out the window, trying to steel myself for what was coming. Pelican Lake.
It had been ten years since I'd been there. Since Jenna had been there. Since my whole family had been there.
I wondered if it would look the same, if the images that had been seared into my memory would ring true. I'd clung to the strangest details. The farm on the outskirts of town, the one with a blue barn. It was the first blue barn I'd ever seen. The log cabin home tucked among the corn fields, beautifully rustic and awkwardly out of place. The soft serve shack in the middle of the post office parking lot, a three-foot plastic ice cream cone spinning on the rooftop. It was a swirl cone, chocolate and vanilla, and my parents had promised us girls a trip into town for ice cream before we headed back home. We'd never gotten it.
“You're awfully
“You need help.”
“No, I don't.”
“Do you...” she faltered and tried again. “Do you want me to call Dad? Mom?”
I shook my head hard. “No. Absolutely not.”
“But, Lily...”
My voice was almost a whisper “Neither of them were on board with me leaving. They're sure as shit not going to be on board when they found out where my car broke down. And you're not gonna tell them. Got it?”
Jenna didn't respond and I could picture what she was doing. Chewing on her own lip, a nervous habit we'd both inherited from our mother. Tugging on her earlobe, twisting the diamond stud she always wore, her flesh turning an angry pink as she tightened her grip. Probably pulling a cigarette out of her purse, desperate to hold something so she wouldn't shove her fingernails into her mouth.
“Promise me,” I said. “Promise me you won't say anything. I'll be fine.”
“But...”
“No buts.”
“You can't go back there,” my sister said, her voice barely a whisper.
I didn't say anything for a long time, just held the phone to my ear, letting the silence hang over us.
Finally, I spoke. “I don't have a choice.”
FOUR
“Are we good to go?”
I handed the phone back to Ty. “I guess.”
We were sitting in the cab of his truck, my purse and duffel bag at my feet, the air-conditioner on full blast. He'd handed me another bottle of water as I made a few more calls. To the rental office at Oak Terrace, letting them know I'd had car trouble. To Timely Towing, where my call was directed to an answering machine. And to A-Plus Auto, where the recording informed me they were indeed closed until Monday.
He took the phone and his fingers grazed mine. “Let me make one more call.” He tapped at the screen and the phone began to ring. He'd put the call on speaker.
“Hello?” A woman's voice.
Ty smiled. “Mom.”
“Are you going to be late for dinner?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said. He shifted the truck into drive. “Just wanted to let you know I'm bringing a guest. If that's okay.”
“A guest? Not Caroline —” I wasn't sure but I thought I heard a flicker of hope in her voice.
He cut her off. “No, no. Someone passing through town. Her car broke down. I didn't want to leave her out on the highway.”
“Oh.” She sounded surprised. “Of course. Well, we're having taco bake. And a Jello salad. I hope that's okay?”
Ty glanced at me, eyebrows raised and I bit back a smile.
“I think that's fine, Mom.” He stepped on the gas and the truck lumbered back on to the highway. “We'll be there in a few.” He ended the call and and tossed the phone into an empty drink holder.
“See?” he said. “I'm totally cool. Even if my mom is a bit of a nut.” He rolled his eyes. “Who the hell serves Jello salad with a taco casserole?”
I smiled in spite of myself and the situation I was in. Ty was definitely a good guy.
“Thanks,” I said.
He just nodded and turned the radio up a notch, some country song I didn't know. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat, his eyes focused on the road.
I leaned against the side of the truck and stared out the window, trying to steel myself for what was coming. Pelican Lake.
It had been ten years since I'd been there. Since Jenna had been there. Since my whole family had been there.
I wondered if it would look the same, if the images that had been seared into my memory would ring true. I'd clung to the strangest details. The farm on the outskirts of town, the one with a blue barn. It was the first blue barn I'd ever seen. The log cabin home tucked among the corn fields, beautifully rustic and awkwardly out of place. The soft serve shack in the middle of the post office parking lot, a three-foot plastic ice cream cone spinning on the rooftop. It was a swirl cone, chocolate and vanilla, and my parents had promised us girls a trip into town for ice cream before we headed back home. We'd never gotten it.
“You're awfully
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