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I wished the ranch was only two minutes away. Unfortunately, it was a little further outside of town, making me suffer with more time for me to stew in my anger. All kinds of stupid scenarios came to mind of what could or could not be true.
Teddy was waiting in the driveway for me when I arrived. He opened the door and pulled me into a protective hug. The tears could no longer wait. I pushed out of the embrace and blubbered.
“They-they showed me photos of you around my car. I thought nothing of it because I knew you were keeping an eye on it. Then they showed me a video that looked like you were the one leaving the flowers. And the sweatshirt, and the-the letter—” I couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes, so I examined the ground around my shoes, watching a few teardrops fall around them.
His boots stepped into my view. The next thing I knew, his hand lifted my chin, begging me to lock eyes with him.
“Be real clear with your memory here. Did you see my face in the photos or videos? Did you see me placing a rose on your windshield?”
“No. B-but the letter from your ex, Tracy?”
He cocked his head to the side. “Come on, Mia.”
He took a step away from me and threw his arms in the air. “Unbelievable. You know me better than that. It was all bullshit. Chad and his father got her statement back when my dad was having the assault charges dropped. They’d planned to use it in court against me somehow, but things never got that far. My dad later wrote me a letter when I was at boot camp saying he’d run into Tracy. She told him Mr. Buckingham paid her to write the statement and none of it was true. Of course.”
“It’s sounding an awful lot like your word against Chad’s.” I suddenly felt ill and sat down. I hadn’t eaten all day, and the stress was too much.
“Fuck. Do you really need proof? Fine. I might still have Dad’s letter in storage somewhere if you really need to see it. Hell, for that matter, Tracy may still live here. We’ll find her and you can ask her all the questions you need to.”
“You conveniently have an answer for everything, don’t you? Other people are always fixing things for you. You get in trouble? Call Daddy. Boom. Trouble gone.” By this time, I was shaking, not even sure I was making sense. I never was good in a fight.
“I don’t know how my dad did it. I was all set to take the charges, facing possible prison time. We were at the station, and Dad entered a room with his buddy, the chief of police, and with Mayor Buckingham. The three of them were in there for maybe an hour. I heard voices raised between them, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Next thing I knew, they exited, and my dad said it was over. As we were leaving, the Buckinghams left too, but Chad seemed none too happy, cursing his father all the way to their car and flipping me off across the parking lot. I wish I were a fly on the wall to know what kind of deal the three of them struck. But I never dared ask.”
He knelt before me, wrapping his hands around my wrists. “Mia, I never stalked Tracy. I was glad we broke up so I wouldn’t have to deal with her when I went away to bootcamp. I hated Glendale Falls and wanted nothing tying me here when I left.”
My breath caught, and I jerked out of his hold. “Nothing?” I don’t know where I got the strength to stand and push out of his reach.
“Aargh. You know what I mean. Back then, this town, my dad, my mom, I just wanted out of this place. So I went off to the Navy. But I can’t say I never looked back. Because memories of you and our last night together never left me. Never.”
I took a few steps away from him to think. To breathe. Of course, a blooming cherry tree stood before me. How I’d love to sit on the porch in the back of the ranch house with him next week during spring break and take in the beauty. But right now, I found it challenging to see the beauty in anything.
He came up behind me, but didn’t reach for me. “Look, all of this can be cleared up in just a few simple words because they’re asking me where I was on specific days and dates. I don’t know if they have evidence that the roses were left on certain days and times, or else why would it matter? But guess what? I was with you. You’re my alibi on every date. But I can’t tell them that without jeopardizing your job, can I?”
“I-I don’t know. It’s all becoming too complicated, Teddy.” This time he was the one walking away, with his fingers laced behind his head. In the middle of trying to figure out what to say next, my phone buzzed with a message from Diego. “Oh my God. My dad is being taken to the hospital. They think because of the flu bug he’s been fighting, his blood pressure has become erratic, and they’re worried about him. I have to go.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“No! Please, I need to go to be with my family alone.”
“Let me help you.”
Now the tears were unruly, streaming down my face. My heart ached for Papa, but ached for the love I questioned with Teddy, too. “No. I don’t know about us anymore, Teddy. I need time to think.”
“What are you saying, Mia?” His stance was defensive, with his hands pleading between us.
“It’s been too much for me lately. I was supposed to take on teaching these few classes this semester to prove myself as a professor. That alone was enough stress, but then you came along.”
“So I’ve been a burden to you. Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s not what I’m saying. My words are getting all twisted around. Please, Teddy, I’m begging you. Call Luc’s driver. I have to go. Give me space to deal with things.”
“How much space?”
“Let’s take a step back…think about things for a while.”
“Like a break up? You can’t be serious, Mia.” His boots kicked at the rocks away from me, and scared me a little. I gasped. Our eyes locked and maybe my fear was visible. He froze in place.
We stood there quietly, nothing more said, as I counted down several seconds and worried for my father. More texts came in from Cruz and Mama, too. Finally, Teddy pulled out his phone and called the driver.
