“No, not at that point. She was dead already.”
I shook my head at her. “So maybe he was in mourning. Take care of your table, Mom, seriously.”
“I’ll owe you one. I’ll give you one of my shifts. Or I’ll take one of yours. Whatever you want.”
I sighed. “Take the counter,” I said, “Which table is he?”
“Eight. Thanks, honey!”
I muttered to myself as I approached the table, annoyed that I’d caved, irritated that I was so annoyed over something so dumb. “What can I get you?” I asked, staring down at my order slip.
A gruff, low voice answered. “Coffee, black. Steak and eggs special. You’re Veronica’s daughter.”
I finally looked up. My breath caught - a pair of light green eyes locked on mine. Wilhelm Green was supposed to be too old to take a young girl’s breath away like that. But he was definitely not just “some old guy.” His hair was white, but fully covered his head. His bared arms were thickly muscled; softer with age than a younger man’s, but still big, still tough. No one would mistake him for weak. His face was hard, deeply lined, but didn’t sag. He was truly the picture of a tough old brawler, and his age only made him look distinguished and wise.
As his brows furrowed, he also looked like someone who would tolerate no shit. None at all. “You gonna answer that, girly?”
“Yes. Sorry. I’m Veronica’s daughter. Lily.”
“Shame,” he said. “I told her to get the hell out of this town. Raising a young daughter with these brutes is a shit thing to do.”
“Oh. Well. We’re all right.”
“Sure. My order?”
“Yes, be right up!” Heart pounding in my ears, I scampered off to deliver the ticket to the kitchen. Why am I reacting like this? He’s just another biker. He’d even been wearing the colors, I’d realized, though I’d only seen the front of his jacket. Get it together. It must have been nerves - I was still waiting for the shoe to drop after the incident with Sam the night before.
And boy did it drop. The breakfast rush was over, and the diner nearly empty when Bill finally showed his face. He didn’t disappear into the back with my mother this time. He grabbed me by the wrist instead and tried to drag me behind him towards the back door.
“No,” I said, pulling back. It was like trying to stop a bull. “No! Bill, cut it out!”
He stopped and turned on me. “You turned down Sam’s proposal. And you haven’t left. So that leaves one option for you, sweetheart.”
“I’m not going to fuck you, Bill, Jesus.” I rubbed my arm where he’d grabbed me. More bruises. Lovely.
“Then you’ve gotta go. To start, you’re fired. Do you want to do the rest of this the easy way or the hard way? The easy way means no one gets evicted. Your mom gets to keep the apartment.”
I looked between him and my mother, wiping down one of the tables. She refused to meet my eye. So be it. “Fine,” I sighed, “I’ll just go.” I threw my apron to the ground. “I don’t know where I’ll go, but I’ll pack my things and be on a bus by tonight.” I couldn’t believe my mother still wasn’t saying anything. She wanted to be on Bill’s good side, I knew - she secretly hoped he’d make her his old lady someday. I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but that was her thinking. I couldn’t fault her. She’d been in this life for too long to make a big change and move away. She’d be just as lost as I felt.
Understanding didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, though. I squeezed my eyes against the rising tears as I rushed for the door. Don’t cry in front of them. Just make it outside.
“You can hitch a ride with me.” I looked up at the sound of that gruff voice. I hadn’t realized Wilhelm was listening. Hell, I’d almost assumed that he’d left already. He barely glanced at me as I stopped near the door.
“Where to?” I asked.
“LA.” It’s a big city. There’s always work in big cities.
“I’d appreciate it,” I said.
Bill chuckled from the counter. “She won’t appreciate it enough to repay you, though.”
“It was an offer, Bill, not a sale,” Wilhelm said, sitting back in his seat. “Go on home, Lily. Get your things. I’ll pick you up in a couple hours.”
I nodded and raced outside, my tears dry and my feet lighter. I was filled with a different kind of anxiety, though - butterflies. I’m riding across the desert with Wilhelm Green. I barely knew him. The thought shouldn’t excite me. But my situation suddenly felt a little less terrible.