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“Sure you can. Listen to me, it’s gonna hurt but that’s okay. Life hurts, but you don’t just give up because of a little pain, well, most people don’t anyway.” Her own pain bleeds through her words, a silent dig at her brother for taking his own life. “You have to face your fears, Kenz.” There’s a moment’s silence, then she asks, “Have you seen him?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen him.” I let out a deep sigh.
“And? Don’t keep me waiting.”
“And I bolted like a horse out the starting gate.”
“Of course, you did,” she says, then bursts out laughing. “And let me guess, you’ve not left the house since?”
I shake my head at the fact she knows me so well. “Yep,” I say popping the ‘p’.
“What are you doing about work?” I love her for changing the subject.
“Right now, nothing. I’m living off my last paycheck, but it won’t last long. I’m thinking I need to earn some cash so I can move out of this house rather than play happy families with my mom and her new beau.”
“New beau?” she questions.
“My dad’s best friend.”
Her gasp is instant. “Oh! Yeah, I can see how that would be awkward. What are going to do then? I’m guessing there isn’t a casino around there.”
“There’s a casino in the next town that has a croupier’s position open. It’s the best way to earn some fast cash.”
“You mean it will allow you to hide out during the day.”
There she goes again, calling me out on my shit. “Yeah, well, it’ll work for now. I might have come home, but it doesn’t mean I’m ready to face…the past.”
She lets out a sigh, and I already know there’s a lecture coming. “Kenz, you can’t keep running every time things get tough. It’s not healthy. Like with Owen, what the hell happened between you two?”
I pause, hesitant to tell her but knowing that I really need to. “I caught him cheating. And when I confronted him, we had a huge row, then I left,” I tell her.
“Bastard! He’s been blowing up my phone since you left. Next time he calls, I’ll give him what for.”.”
“No, don’t say anything. Please, just give me a couple more days, and I promise I’ll call him,” I plead, praying that she goes along with it.
“There’s something more you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”
“Damn it, Charlie. How do you always know? You’re right, there is more, but you need to trust me. Just promise me you’ll stay away from him. If he turns up at the house, don’t answer, don’t let him in.” I don’t like keeping things from her, and I know she’s going to be so pissed when she finds out, but I just need some time to get my emotions under check. I can only deal with so many things at once and being back home is at the top right now. She’s silent on the other end, and I can just picture a little cog whirring inside her head as she tries to figure out what I’m not saying.
“Did he hit you? Please tell me I’m wrong, Kenz.” My silence speaks volumes, and she jumps on it immediately. “I’ll fucking kill him!”
“No, you won’t. If you’re my friend, you’ll stay away like I asked you to. Don’t ask me to give you anything more because I can’t right now.”
“Not happy, Kenz. But I trust you. Just remember I’m here when you need me, no matter what time of day or night, and no matter what it is.”
“I know. Thank you. You really are a true friend,” I say, and then we say our goodbyes.
Of course, me coming back here isn’t one hundred percent connected to what happened with Owen, just one part of it. And although I’m not happy to be back here, who knows, maybe he did me a favor forcing me back to Silverbell.
After my call with Charlie, I made a call to the casino over in Tungsten Bay and they want to interview me this morning. Which is why I’m frantically trawling through my wardrobe looking for something suitable to wear. I left most of my clothes back in Delaware at Charlie’s with a small bag of things at Owen’s. Something else I need to sort out, but there was no way I was sticking around to pack after catching him sticking his dick in that bitch from work. Pushing anymore thoughts of him to the back of my mind for now, I focus on finding something to wear.
Eventually, I find a black pair of trousers and a tailor fitted blouse and throw on my heeled ankle boots. Looking myself over in the floor length mirror, it’s as close to casino uniform as I’m going to get. If I get the job, they’ll provide me with their uniform anyway. I put my long brown hair into a high ponytail and put on a little makeup. It’s warm outside so I forgo a jacket and just grab my purse as I leave.
Tungsten Bay is a thirty-minute drive from Silverbell, and I arrive with plenty of time before my interview. After finding the casino, I drive back down Main Street and park up outside a small coffee shop.
A bell jingles as I enter, and the half a dozen people inside all turn to look at me. Their gazes don’t linger, except for one. I can feel his eyes on me as I join the queue. Sitting in the far corner near the window is a guy wearing a high vis with a hard hat resting on the table in front of him. As my eyes scan the room, pausing on him and meeting his gaze, I see that he doesn’t have a drink, or any food so must be waiting for his order. As we continue to look at each other, I swear he looks familiar, but unable to place him or keep staring, I turn away.
He has no such qualms about eyeballing me, and I continue to feel his gaze on me as I move up the line. By the time I reach the front of the queue and place my order, I’ve had enough. Stepping to the side to wait, I turn and face him fully.
