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He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. We drove a bit, passing familiar landmarks and street signs until I finally had an inkling of where we were going.
“Springer’s Point?” I guessed.
“I like the trees,” he said, referring to the ancient live oak trees that were known to line the trail and the beach.
It also happened to be the beach where the infamous pirate Blackbeard had been killed, but I doubted that was relevant right now.
He parked at a nearby church since there was no actual parking at the trail site. He turned off the engine and looked out at the empty lot.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said, his brows so tightly scrunched together that it looked painful.
“You’re apologizing? Why?”
“I’m sorry you had to see that.” He took a deep breath. “See him.”
I turned and scooted closer. For once, I wasn’t hating the bulkiness of a truck. “You are not responsible for your father’s actions.”
“No, but I could have controlled my response to him,” he said. “He always knows exactly what to say to get a reaction out of me.”
“Your mom?”
He nodded as his hands rested on the steering wheel. “Things were always bad. My dad never made our lives easy, but when my mom died”—he blew out a long breath—“it just got worse.”
“How old were you?” I asked. I always had a feeling she was gone, but until now, he’d never confirmed it.
“Twelve,” he said. “Car accident.”
“Here?”
The speed limit was, like, twenty-five.
He shook his head. “No. Up near Corolla on the interstate. My dad said she was visiting friends, but I think she was leaving—or trying to.”
My eyes widened in shock.His mother tried to leave her own kids?“You think she would do that?”
“I think my dad made life bad enough that I could understand her wanting to get away—even if that meant leaving us behind.”
“Why do you think your dad would lie to you about something like that?”
“Well, besides the obvious reason, he’s a dick.” He gave me a sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t think he wanted to admit to us or to anyone that she would leave him.”
“But you knew?”
He nodded. “She didn’t have friends. He’s made a lot of enemies on this island throughout the years. He doesn’t pay his debts, he cheats and steals. It made me hateful, and bitter and our family suffered the consequences.” The pain in his eyes was immeasurable. “She would have had nowhere to go. But I also remember noticing a lot of things missing around the house. The few pictures she had of us, a few things she had from her childhood—things like that.”
I couldn’t stand seeing him so broken any longer. I closed the distance and took his hand. His thumb brushed over mine. Slowly, deliberately.
“Do you think she would have come for you? After she left?” I asked, still so shocked she would leave. But then I had no idea what their life had been like.
“No,” he answered, but then quickly followed it up with, “I don’t know. Maybe eventually. But I guess we’ll never know.”
No, I guessed he wouldn’t. And what a thing to wonder for the rest of your life.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” I asked.
“What about the ferry?” His eyes met mine, brimming with concern.
“We can catch a later one,” I suggested, realizing just how at ease I was with our travel plans.
