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Paige swallowed thickly and nodded. “Yup. Mr. Davis isn't big on modern conveniences – things that rot your mind, or have the potential to educate you, aren't allowed in his household. God, even talking about it ...I hate it. I hate him. It felt like I was in jail when I lived there. I'llnevergo back to that house. I'll never let someone treat me the way my father did, or the way he treats my mother.Never. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life.”
Paige was breathing hard, still staring out the window. Shedid notlike talking about her family. The memories, the hatred, all of it was bad enough, but the worst part? The lingering feeling offailure. Her father didn't love her, and her mother was too weak, too stupid, to fight for her. There was no one to care about her, she was completely on her own.
Which is why I have to convince myself that's the best way to be.
“A lot of things make so much sense now,” Parker murmured. She refused to look at him – she didn't want any pity.
“It wasn'tallbad. I do know a lot of things other people usually don't – I can build a fire without matches, I know how to fix most plumbing issues, I can build things. And before I went to school, I was close with my brothers and sister, we did have fun together sometimes, running around outside when dad was gone. And when I was fourteen, I got a fake ID, got a job at a McDonalds. I never told anyone, said I was studying after school. I saved every dime, worked up until the day I left.”
“Do you ever speak to any of them?” he sounded curious.
“Sometimes ... sometimes my mom calls me. She's the one who snuck me the phone. I'll get calls or texts, late at night, telling me it's one of the bad times, when he's on a drinking binge, making them sleep outside in the middle of winter, or forcing them on a three day hike with no food. I always tell myself it's not my problem – they're all adults, they've made their choices. But then I think of her, and I think of my little brother Albie, and I go back. Never to the homestead, but back to our town. She usually manages to sneak away to meet up. Last time, she brought Albie, and Sydney even came along.”
“Maybe things are changing,” Parker suggested hopefully. She smirked.
“That was also over a year ago, and she hasn't contacted me once since then. I called my old boss, just to see if he'd heard about anything happening to them. He said he'd seen her in town the day before, and she'd looked fine. Things will never change. I just worry what will happen when she can't have any more kids. What use will she be to my dad, then?”
Parker let out a deep sigh.
“I'm ... I'm really sorry, Paige. I had no idea. I kinda feel bad for pushing you so much to talk about it, but I'm really, really, glad you did,” he spoke softly. “And just know that ... not everyone is like that. Not everyone is going to try to control you, orruleyou. Some of us just want to be your friend.”
There was an awkward silence for a minute, and then Parker reached out and rubbed her shoulder. She smiled and stared out her window, trying hard not to cry. They hadn’t hardly touched at all since leaving Galveston. She'd missed it, so she leaned her cheek against his hand and closed her eyes.
She'd never told anyone else about her family. It was too embarrassing. Too ...shameful. Why she felt ashamed, she couldn't figure out – it hadn't been her choice, she'd been born into it. She hadn't known any better when she'd been a child, and when she had known better, she'd fought tomakethings. What was there to be ashamed about?
Because no matter how much better I eventually make it, it won't change the past. So I just keep running from it, getting as far away as I can until Mom pulls me back in, and then it all starts all over again.
It was a heavy, charged moment. Parker couldn't have known just how strange her family was; just how deep her issues went. It wasn't his fault. She didn't want to be angry at him, or sad, or depressed. That's why she'd avoided talking about it before, to avoid all these feelings.
And now they'd been sitting in silence for a long time, just stewing in those feelings. She hated it. She wanted to be different. Normal. She wanted to laugh and have fun with him, not be awkward and stressed and –
“HEY!” Parker suddenly shouted, and she jumped about three feet in the air.
“What!? What!?” she exclaimed. He pointed at a huge sign.
“I saw some of these a ways back – there’s a music fest going on a couple miles out. We're gonna check it out,” he informed her, abruptly pulling off the highway onto a smaller road.
Paige's first instinct was to complain, to demand to know where it was and what kind of music – typical “Paige attitude”. But then she stopped with her mouth still open, realizing what he was doing.
He's changing the subject. He's pretending everything is still normal. He's making it easier for me to beme.
She shut her mouth and settled back into her seat, a small smile spreading across her lips.
“Can't wait.”
A couple miles later, there was another huge sign with an arrow pointing down a dusty road. A couple cars were ahead of them and they all tooled down the lane, dust surrounding their vehicles. A makeshift parking lot had been built in a field, and farther down, a huge stage with a white canopy could be seen.
Parker parked the car and they made their way to the main event. Tickets were twenty bucks, but it got them a t-shirt and a free drink ticket each at a beer garden. Paige surprised him by paying for both of them.
The music was pretty good. The bands played a lot of original stuff mixed with covers. “American Woman” blared out over the speakers, not long after followed by “Black Betty” and Blues Traveler’s “Run Around”. Paige raised her hands and sang along, and eventually Parker lifted her up on his shoulders so she could see the stage.
“Flash ‘em! We could get more t-shirts!” he urged. She whacked him on the top of his head with her water bottle.
“Shut up! My breasts are sacrosanct!” she yelled.
A bearded man standing next to them stared at her with eyebrows raised.
“She’s right, they’re pretty amazing,” Parker told the guy, so she whacked him again. “Careful or I’ll drop your ass,” he warned.
