AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What are we going to do?” he asks, his hands visibly shaking.
I make sure to play it as calmly as possible in hopes of settling him down. “The same thing we talked about. Nothing’s changed.” I might not be certain, but I know one thing… “If whoever it is wanted to turn us in, they would’ve already.”
“Maybe they’re just waiting.”
“Not likely.” They might be looking to get more details on what happened and that’s even more reason to stay in line. “So let’s not give them a reason or a detail to bury us with. Nothing’s changed,” I repeat again as he nods.
Savannah takes a seat beside him and asks, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just trying to stay in line,” I tell her and hope she can help keep Neil on the path that doesn’t lead to him behind bars because there’s a helluva guilty expression covering his face. “What is it?”
He hesitates for a second before he responds. “I just feel bad for his parents. They’ll never know and just keep thinking he’s out there somewhere.”
“I doubt they’ve noticed,” Savannah says without missing a beat. “His mom moved to Lafayette and basically has nothing to do with him. His dad is here but doesn’t care about much other than work. I think they both knew their son was evil and didn’t want to deal with him.”
They got their wish.I keep it to myself, but Neil says, “It’s still not fair to them.”
That’s when I have to speak up. “And what he did to you wasn’t fair. But none of it is your fault or theirs. He was a miserable piece of shit.”
“Who’s a miserable piece of shit?” Topher says, taking a seat beside Neil.
I keep it cool and reply, “My dad.” Which is also the truth. Just not the one we were speaking about.
Topher seems to buy it when he starts talking about Friday’s game. “Has anyone else heard from Lenny?” He glances at the three of us.
Savannah and Neil shake their heads, then he looks to me. “Nope. But he’s not friends with any of us, so it’s not that shocking.”
“True.” Topher drops his spoon on the tray then turns to me like he’s about to ask a serious question. “Do you think Coach is making a smart move with Johnson? I thought Miller would be good, but Johnson did great at practice.”
“Yeah. Johnson is decent.” Anyone is better than Lenny. The only thing I hope now is the miserable piece of shit remains an afterthought and doesn’t continue to make people miserable from beyond the grave. Because even dead, he could still bring a shitload of misery.
7
MORGAN
“Well, hi there, Miss King.” I hear a gruff but chipper voice behind me.
I look over to see the old guy who manages the marina walking my way. Otis keeps a warm smile on his face as he sits on an ice chest nearby, then proceeds to grab a rag out of his pocket and rubs the sweat off his forehead. “What brings you by?”
I don’t fucking know why I’m here. I just know one thing: “So I could be left alone for five fucking minutes.” That’s all I want, five freaking minutes without the words “sorry,” “are you okay,” and whatever other mushy shit Cade would come up with.
Otis lets out a tired chuckle. “I know the feeling. Guess I’m messing that plan up though.”
“Yep.” His presence isn’t actually bothering me. It’s all the other annoying fucks who I needed to get away from. And this place just felt like the best option when I didn’t want to go home yet. It’s not like anyone would think to look for me here.
“I won’t bother ya then.” He slaps his palms against his dirty jeans then pushes himself to stand. I can see he’s watching me a bit but trying not to be obvious. I’m sure he’s curious about why my face is injured. Thankfully, he doesn’t ask if I’m doing all right or some other stupid, pointless shit. “How’s Cade been doing?” I take it back, I just had to wait for the pointless shit to surface.
“Clingy as fuck,” I mutter.
“Eh. He just cares. The kid has a big heart for sure,” Otis says. Like it’s a good thing. A big heart is just a bigger target to break, which is why not giving a fuck about anything is the best option.
He’s got a big dick too. Which is the only reason I tolerate him. Mostly.
I’m really off today. Why else haven’t I shut this old geezer down with something to make him balk and walk away? Maybe I should inform him that caring about someone brings nothing but misery. It’s a weakness, not a strength. It’s why Cade is such an easy target to torment. SuperCade thinks he can fix everything. Even me. But I don’t want to be fixed.
Thankfully, someone shouts for Otis, and his attention moves away from our bullshit conversation. But before he walks away, he looks to me and says, “We’re prepping in case that storm heads this way. So, I’ll be around a while if you need anything.” He nods, then walks off, shouting at someone across the lot.
My head drops back against the wood post as I shift a bit. The dock is not the most comfortable thing, but I remain in the same spot for another hour before returning to my car. The light of my phone’s screen catches my attention from where I’d left it on the passenger seat. When I pick it up and see the missed calls and messages, it reaffirms leaving it in the car was the right decision.
