“Home. Please.”
It looks like mostly welts and scrapes so we help him to Jake’s truck, and get him to his bed at the Inn with some Tylenol and an ice pack. We decide to stay and keep an eye out, in case he needs to be taken to a hospital or in case that guy—whoever he was—shows up again.
I’m sitting next to a sleeping AJ on his bed, when Jake looks at me from his spot on the floor. “How did you know about my sister?”
Oh. Yeah. All the stuff that happened with AJ, I’d nearly forgotten all of this. My stomach turns. “I was curious about where you came from. AJ and I drove to take a look. I was going to tell you, but it hadn’t come up yet. I’m sorry.”
Conflict twists his features. “I thought you said you trusted me.”
“I did. I do. I guess I wanted to brace myself for whatever you had to tell me.”
“Do you still? Trust me, I mean.”
Did I? I think so. He seems awfully mad that I went to see his family though, and that has me worried. “I guess the question is whether or not you still trust me.”
Jake
I wake up on AJ’s floor in the morning. Cold, which I guess is appropriate. Sore, which probably is too. I have no doubt there’s concrete not too far under whatever basic carpet padding Mrs. Choi’s put down.
On the bed, Cassie and AJ are side by side, asleep but neither one looking rested. His lip is split. One cheek has puffed up and turned that special shade of purple that only comes from a shot to the right spot on your cheekbone. Poor bastard.
I don’t want to wake anybody, but I need time to think. I also need to get home so I can shower and change before I get my ass to work. So after a fast stop at the sink to wake myself up and get the funk out of my mouth, I head for the door with my shoes.
I’m on the curb outside putting them on when the door’s hinges creak. It’s AJ standing there when I turn around.
“You, uh, gonna get that looked at? Press charges?” I point vaguely at the damage to his face.
“Nah. I’m good.”
I only nod, because I figure he’s got his reasons and it’s none of my business. Anyway, I’m trying to leave without waking Cassie.
“So you’re taking off?”
“I need coffee. Shower.”
He points into the room. “Got all that in here.”
“I also need to change clothes.” I need to get my shit together. “Make sure my fucking stepmother went back to her cave.”
“Right. Sure.” That should be the end, but AJ’s got a look like he wants to say more. “Listen, I don’t know the whole story with you guys—”
“Then maybe you should mind your own fucking business.”
I’m being a dick on purpose. This whole shitstorm has me feeling cagey and restless. I’d punch a wall if I didn’t know it could keep me out of work.
“Maybe I should,” he says. “If you’re like, not coming back though... I should tell her. Or you should tell her yourself. She deserves not to keep hanging around waiting.”
“Just... Jesus. I gotta go, AJ. I don’t know, okay? I don’t know anything. My fucking stepmother shows up accusing me of shit I thought I’d gotten away from, and I guess I didn’t expect to hear that you and Cassie had already taken a field trip to visit her, of all goddamned things.”
“That was my fault. Okay?” AJ starts to rub his eye, but winces when he touches his own face. That’s gotta suck. “Anyway, it isn’t like we knocked on the front door. You kept making a big deal about how you wanted to tell her some scary news. I found mail with your old address. I figured maybe seeing where you were from might help calm her concerns. Or prepare her for the worst. Whichever was appropriate. Plus, I’ve always been a little too nosy for my own good.”
A blush adds to the colors already blooming on AJ’s face. I didn’t honestly remember there had been anything with my old address on it, or maybe I would have cleaned out the car myself.
Thinking about all of this is making my head hurt. “Look, I’m not pissed at you. I’m not even pissed at Cassie. I’m trying to give her some space too now, you know? Some things came out last night. I didn’t screw Mariana, but I can’t prove I didn’t. I want her to decide how she feels.”
I couldn’t tell for sure if she believed me and I don’t want to try to convince her. If she doesn’t believe me, I figure the rest was kind of all bullshit. I thought she knew Mariana was lying, but something about her mood last night had me wondering.
AJ rests his unbruised cheek on his hand. “Sure, man. I’ll let her know. And hey. Thanks for helping me out.”