“Thanks for the lift home.”
“I need a coffee, and you’re going to make me one.”
Todd goes ahead of me and strides up the path. I watch his retreating form and have no choice but to follow him. When I get to the door of my home, it’s open, and I follow the noises into the kitchen.
“You should lock your doors.”
“I know everyone in town.”
“And everyone in town knows you live alone. Lock your doors.”
“Yes, Deputy Roth.” Todd hands me a cup of hot, steaming tea. I take a sip. “Ahh, peppermint, thank you. Do you want to tell me why you’re so mad?”
“He’s an asshole.”
“Kris?”
“Yes, Kris Livingston. He’s a self-assured asshole. An asshole who thinks he’s got you wound around his little finger.”
I take another sip of my tea and move to sit on my big, comfy armchair. I had it made, it’s dark red with overstuffed arms and envelops me when I sit in it. Tucking my feet under me, I look up at Todd, who has calmed down and sits on the sofa.
“I was unprepared for how I’d react. We never said goodbye, and he’s here, and I guess I have some unresolved feelings…” my words trail off, and I wave a hand in the air. “It was a long time ago.”
“Okay, let’s recap. The asshole, aka Kris Livingston, left you seven years ago. No phone call, no note, nothing.”
“I know that.”
“Hush. Fast forward to tonight. The asshole—”
“Please stop calling him that.”
“Nope. Now, be quiet. The asshole waltzes back into town with a girlfriend, and you fall at his feet. He says a few nice things, I miss you, Athena, etcetera, etcetera, and you forgive him,” Todd pauses then raises his voice. “For ripping out your heart and treating you like garbage! Does that sound about right?”
I’ve never known Todd to raise his voice at anyone.
I purse my lips together and nod. “Sounds about right, but you shouldn’t call him that.”
“Athena, I love you, and you’re my closest friend, but this guy, this guy treated you badly. He doesn’t deserve you. You deserve so much better than that, and the fucker nearly crushed my hand.”
“When you shook hands?”
“Yeah.” Todd flexes his hand twice. “Okay, so new plan of action. I am now your boyfriend. You are not going to be alone with the asshole at any time. You will remain strong, and if he wants you, he’s damn well going to have to earn you back. You are not something to be thrown away. You are precious.”
That one little word brings tears to my eyes. I shake my head as a tear trails down my cheek. Quickly, I brush it away.
“I’m sorry, Athena, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“No, Todd, you’re right. H-He just made me remember what it was like to be young and in love, but I’m not seventeen anymore. I think I’ve been waiting for him to come back. Todd, you’re gay, you can’t be my boyfriend.”
Todd smiles. “No sex, no extracurricular activities, but while this guy is in town, I’m all yours.” Todd does jazz hands and flicks imaginary locks over his shoulder.
Laughing, I nod. “Okay. Will you be my plus one for the wedding?”
Todd puts both of his hands to his chest. “I thought you’d never ask! What color are you wearing?”
“Pink.”
“Great. I get all of my pink ties together and go to your mom’s house tomorrow and make sure one of them matches.”
“How many pink ties do you have?”
“Girl, I am a proud gay man. Well, sort of. I have a multitude of colors of pink. One should match, if not, I’ll ask your mom to make me one.”
“You’re never going to get a boyfriend if you pretend to be mine.”
“One problem at a time. Right now, let’s concentrate on you.”
Chapter Seven
Kris
I’m standing outside my dad’s house. It’s ten in the morning, and if he’s not at the docks, he should be home. Sophia is waiting in the car. I didn’t want her to come. My dad and I have lots of issues, and I wanted to handle him alone. But Sophia said she’d be bored and well, a bored Sophia can be a spiteful Sophia. It was just easier to bring her along.
“Isn’t he home?” calls out Sophia.
I turn around, my hand raised in a stop gesture, and she scowls at me. Sophia is also out of the car. With a sigh, I turn back around and rap my knuckles twice on the old front door. The paint is peeling off in places and needs to be sanded down, much like the front of the house. Every summer he’d make me do the front door. Looking at it now, it looks like it did when I left, so he hasn’t done anything to it.
I’m nervous.
Turning around, I head for the street. I have the gate open when I hear the front door creak on noisy hinges. Looking over my shoulder, my old man is standing there staring back, but instead of the scowl he always wore, his face breaks into a smile.
“Kris, is that you?”
I let the gate go. It falls back against the rock-lined path that leads up to the house, and I hold up a hand and wave. “Hey, Dad.”
He comes out of the house further, his hand raised to shade his eyes. I feel Sophia by my side, hand entwining with mine as she pulls me toward the only blood relative I have left. Dad maneuvers around Sophia and engulfs me in a rib-crushing hug.
“I n-never thought you’d come back.” Surprisingly, his words are thick with emotion.
“TB is getting married. I’m the best man.”
Dad pulls away from me, wiping his eyes as he does.
“Right, right. Yeah, he’s marrying that nurse from the medical center. Nice girl, always polite.”
Sophia clears her throat, and Dad looks at her as though he’s only just realized she’s there.
“Dad, this is Sophia Thorne.”
He holds out his hand, and Sophia places hers in his and holds on with her other hand. I’ve seen her do this a thousand times, it’s an old trick to make people believe she cares.
“Mr. Livingston, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” Her words are saccharine sweet, and inwardly, I cringe and wish she wasn’t here.
“You’re that actress I’ve seen on TV.”
Sophia smiles warmly at him. “Yes, I’m an actor just like Kris.”
Dad glances at me, the barb from Sophia correcting him isn’t lost on him. I wait for him to say something, but all he does is turn his lips down at the corners and look at me.
“Do you want to come in, son? I know you’re probably busy.”
“Nonsense! We came here to visit you. Of course, we want to come in,” replies Sophia.
Dad nods and leads the way into my family home. I pull back on Sophia’s hand, letting him get ahead of us.
“Be nice,” I hiss.
In return, Sophia smiles, pulls out of my grasp, and walks into the house. I rub the back of my neck and look up at the sky.
I should have left her at the motel.
With a sigh, I venture into the house. Not a home. It was never that for me. The Boswell’s house is home. This was just a place where I existed. No love. No encouragement. Just a bitter old man. It hasn’t changed. The brown sofa still has plastic over it, the carpet is worn and threadbare in places. It needed to be replaced when I was young. The walls are the same cream that used to be white. It still looks like it did the day my mother died. It’s like he got stuck in time. Dad never moved on. They should have buried him the day she died for he stopped living that day too.