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“Holly, you're being unreasonable. It’s just a ride. I don’t understand why you’re being like this. I understand that you don’t like her, but my father asked me to help him out,” I explain again.
“So now you all cater to her every whim? She’s a charity case. You can’t give the little whore whatever she wants,” Holly whines. “I think you need to prioritize what’s important in your life. I need you to leave. You can get your coffee fix somewhere else.”
Holly pushes me out of her house, and I run my hand through my hair, frustrated. I’m really tired of her hitting and scratching me. It would be so much easier if I could go back to being a bad boy. Less responsibilities, less bullshit.
“Sorry I’m late. Did you get my text?” I ask as I walk into the house.
Tempest huffs out a breath, as if I’m offending her. “Are you shitting me? Or is this a really cruel joke?” she asks as she brushes past me towards the car.
What the fuck? Are all the women in my life hormonal today?
“I’m confused!” I yell as I follow her out, locking up. “I texted you just now and you never answered.”
“I have the same number, and I don’t have a text,” Tempest insists, showing me her phone. Taking it from her, my jaw drops as I see there’s no text message from me. Handing it to her, I ask her to call me.
Rolling her eyes, she pulls up my number and shows me as she clicks for it to call. “I’ve called you, and you never answered. How is this happening?”
The number rings before beeping and dropping. “Is it possible someone blocked my number, if you didn’t?” I ask.
Chewing on her lip, she shrugs. “My mother really hated you. She could have called the phone provider and done it from there.”
“Son of a bitch,” I curse as I get into the car, waiting until she’s in the passenger seat before continuing. “I’m really sorry about that,” I tell her. “Fuck! All these years, I really thought you wanted nothing to do with me.”
Tempest clicks her seatbelt into place before looking at her fingers, as if she can’t look at me. “I called, texted, and thought you didn’t want me anymore.”
That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Swallowing hard, I put the car into drive and head to her appointment. We drive in silence, but it’s a little lighter now.
“So, am I ever going to know why you got kicked out of Holy Cross?” I ask Tempest as I drive her to her bullshit doctor's appointment. It seems her mom is still up to her usual shit. I remember she used to monitor what she ate, even when she lived with her dad.
Tempest blinks as she thinks about my question. It appears she’s figuring out what to say. What could be so bad?
“I became friends with a girl at school who was going through a lot,” she says slowly. “We got really close, and our friendship became sexual. The Mother Superior found out, and I was kicked out of school. I thought we were being careful, but someone told on us.”
Huh. “Wow. So this thing with other women is serious then? I don’t remember you hooking up with girls before.”
Tempest shrugs as she looks out the window. “I’m attracted to the light I see in people. Whether they’re female or male doesn’t really mean much to me. It’s also been a long time, King, and you don’t know me anymore.”
Ouch. She’s not wrong. I want to rail at her, tell her that it’s her fault, but I can’t. Her mother kept us from each other, in the most devious of ways.
I drop Tempest off at her appointment, and since my father is picking her up, say goodbye. I promised Holly I would help her with some things at the church, so I drive there next.
Walking into the main community area of the church, I hear whispers as I walk in. Gossip is normal in a community this small. I wish it was different, but it’s human nature. I tend to ignore it. My brain tunes shit out as soon as these people start up.
Except… they’re talking about Tempest.
“…it’s scandalous. They found them together while they were in a reform school,” Mrs. Hollingsworth whispers furiously.
There’s only one person that I know who was in a reform school. Walking slower, I struggle to pay attention.
“She shouldn’t be allowed to live in this town. We’re good, upstanding citizens, and she’s going to ruin this community. We should organize a committee to run her out of town,” Mr. Ford thunders. He is one of the grumpiest men in this town.
“This Tempest girl should be ashamed of herself for what she’s doing to King. Our poor boy is trying to be a good boy, and working to reform his evil ways. And… she’s practically throwing it in his face, that she slept with the girl he was accused of assaulting! I wonder if he and Pastor Roman know all about the lying snake they’ve allowed to enter our hallowed walls,” scoffs Holly’s mother.
I should have known Holly’s mother would be in the midst of this. Everything feels too loud, and I can feel a cloud of anger overcoming me. I can’t fucking be here right now.
Me: I’m sorry Holly, I don’t feel very well. I think I’m coming down with something. I’m going home. I’ll call you later.
Holly: Okay. Let me know if you need me to bring you soup or anything. Xo.
