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Josh’s face hardened, and he shrugged. Anger filled me suddenly, and my patience snapped.
“The truth is that you’re just not as good as him, and you can’t stand it. Even with all the money and privilege in the world, the best equipment, private lessons, he’s still better, even though he had none of that, and it burns you up inside.”
My words were like a whip, lashing Josh with the truth he didn’t want to face.
He stared at me a long moment, his expression dark, and then pushed me toward the car. “You have no idea what I’ve had to put up with since starting this whole thing. Jack – that guy is crazy. I don’t want anything to do with him, but he won’t leave me alone. You’re going to help bring Cade here, and then it’s over for us, we wash our hands of it. Get in the fucking car, right now.”
When we got out of the truck at Black Lake trailer park, I scanned around wildly for someone else who might help me, but it was useless. No one was going to go against Uncle Jack. In the distance, a storm brewed. The clouds rolled in off the sea, clearly visible from the nearby cliff top. A broken fence separated the drop into the sea from the trailer park, a shitty, ineffective barrier.
I could taste the salt whipping into the air. It was going to rain, and a lot.
“Come on inside, girl,” Uncle Jack said, gripping me hard by the arm.
Ellen hesitated as she peered around the trailer park. “I’m going to go now, since we’ve done what you wanted.”
“Please, call someone, the police – anyone…” I pleaded with her.
She looked miserable as she shook her head.
Jack chuckled, patting her arm. “Ellen’s a good girl and she takes care of her momma. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she has what she needs,” he said to Ellen, who only nodded.
Ellen shook her head sadly at me. “I’m sorry, I can’t. Don’t worry. Jack doesn’t need anything from you, just getting Cayden here is enough, then you can go, too.”
I didn’t see her leave before Jack pushed me into the trailer. The same smell of hopelessness filled my nose as I sank down on the faded bench seat in the kitchen.
“Now, let’s see if he’s replied,” Jack said, taking my phone out of his pocket and checking it. He held it out to me. “There’s a notification. Unlock it.”
I pressed my finger to the sensor, and Jack snatched it back.
“Aw, a message from Mom. ‘Hope you’re making good progress at the library. That’s my future Cali superstar.’ I think Mommy dearest doesn’t know you’re here at all.” He frowned at the screen. “But still nothing from Golden Boy. You better hope for your sake that he comes.”
“Why? What are you going to do?” I challenged and looked at Josh, who lingered uncomfortably by the door. “What are you going to do to me?”
He scowled at me. “Nothing, I told you. He’ll come. I’m sure.”
“We’ll see. Now, I’m going for a nap, had a late one last night. You watch her. Put the TV on or something,” Jack said and got up.
I watched him leave with relief. I could work on Josh, he wasn’t a hardened criminal like Jack. I had more chance of getting him to let me leave if Jack got lost.
He left us alone. Josh ventured further into the trailer and searched for the remote. He clicked a button, and a soap came on.
“Here, watch this until Cayden shows up.”
“Are we seriously just going to sit here and watch TV? You know this is wrong…Josh, what would my dad think?”
He grimaced at that. “He won’t know anything about it. Cayden will come, and you and me will leave. I’ll drop you off at home, and Coach will never know about any of this. Fucking Jack will leave me and Ellen alone, and it’ll all be over. You won’t tell the coach either, because it’ll open a whole can of worms about you and Cayden. Now, let’s watch TV.”
Josh turned to the TV, determined to be interested in the random show. I sat next to him, teeth clenched, hands balled into fists.
I had to get out of here, one way or another.
What if Cayden didn’t come?He’ll come.I knew it without a doubt. That was the scary thing. What the hell did Uncle Jack want with him when he came? What would he do to him?
I couldn’t sit around and wait to find out.
I had to get out of here, before Cayden came.
* * *
