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I kind of leaned back in the seat as if the windows weren’t already heavily tinted.
She looked at me and grinned. “Oh, you like being the center of attention any other time. What’s different about now?”
“I didn’t think that we would literally be the sole car on the road, Quinci.”
“Even if we weren’t, people would still gawk at this car. We don’t get many ‘famous’ or ‘rich-rich’ people to come through here; unless they are trying tobuy up some land or my family’s Grove. I hate it with a passion, honestly.They will see something so beautiful, like a row of trees that provide oxygen andproduces oranges and lemons, and want to dig all that up and put something like afucking…who knows…something like a…damn football stadium or something. Forovera hundred and fifty years, our small town has tried its hardest to keep the people outwho only want to harm our city.”
“Hmm. When you say harm, what do you mean?”
“Instead of coming in and trying to help our community, they come in and want to push us out. A while back, maybe when I was in high school, some man with loads of money wanted to literally buy the whole city, push us out, and put an amusement park resort here. It was a mess.When I say our people literally ran his ass out of town, that’s exactly what they did, throwing bottles at his car and all.” She started laughing so hard, making me laugh. “It was a sightto see.”
“I betit was.”
Her talking about thatmade me think about what Denim told me about her motherand fathergetting ready to lose their land. Judging from the way she wasspeaking,her family still hadn’t told her anything.From experience, it was never good to keep secrets from your children. I hoped she would be able to forgive themonce they finally told her.
Five minutes later,she turned intoone of the larger houses that I’d seen since we made it to her town. It looked perfect fora bed and breakfast.Just like the rest of the houses, they had different flags all over the yard regarding City Day.
“Here we are.” She killed the engine.
“Good. At least we made it here in one piece. You were hitting those corners a little wild.”
She looked at me and rolled her eyes. “Please. I can drive.”
When I got out the car, I looked around, only seeing one car in the yard;a newer, but older modeled, Mercedes. Maybe year 2014or something like that.
“Did you have a car?”
She shook her head. “No, I didn’t need one. I walkeverywhere or ride my scooter, like mostly everyone else. My mom’s car is basically brand new. She only drives when she has to go into the city. Anythingneedsto getdone around here, she just sends me.”
“Makes sense.”
Her hands shook as she pushed her key into the doorknob. When the door opened, the food aroma slapped me in the face, and it smelled sodamngood. My stomach immediately started to growl.
“Aww, is this little Quinci?” I asked, looking at the picture on the wall.
She was sitting on the porch with a boy, who I assumed was her brother, and they were eating ice cream.
“Yeah. Been cute all my life. Never had an ugly phase.”
“I can relate.”
She scoffed before laughing. “You’re so full of yourself, Mr. Dymon.”
I followed her through the house, nearly bumping into her when she stopped suddenlyin the entry way of the dining room. Derek sat at the tableacross from her parents, and two older women who had to be her grandmothersthat she always spoke so highly of.
“What are you doing here?” Quinci hissed.
He looked at me and then back at her. “I’m worried about you, Quinci. That’s all.”
“So worried that you made a special trip to speak to my parents instead of just…you know,calling me?”
He looked taken aback. “Would your master have let you answer the phone?”
“You have some…”
Itapped her waist twice, and she immediately stopped talking.
Derek jumped up, knocking the chair backwards, pointing his finger at us. “Mom. Dad. You see that! You see how he controls her! He controls her! And she lets him! That is not how you raised her!”
