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Chapter Sixteen – Addy

I couldn’t go home. I was stuck on Puck in the middle of the woods with my heart about ready to tear through my chest and I didn’t know where to go. I felt like I was going to be sick again. My nose was dripping like a faucet and I had never been as cold as I was at that moment in all my life.

It seemed like horribly uncanny timing for him to show up just as the sheer memory threatened to invade my mind and bring me down again. The seemingly tough exterior I was able to display around town was quickly falling. Too many things were happening way too fast. That was the reason I lived in Sadieville; nothing changed. It was safe.

Now I didn’t feel so safe.

Puck stopped and took interest in the bark of a particular tree. I looked around at the woods. They were usually so alive; in the winter everything seemed to just disappear.

I didn’t like the sense of being so vulnerable. I knew that Toby wouldn’t come tramping through woods. His expensive coat and boots highly prohibited that.

I pulled Puck away from the tree and walked
slowly through the woods. I hoped by dallying that Toby would give up and leave or that my dad would at least come home. I made my way to where the tree line ended and squinted off into the distance. I could just make out the house; no cars were around. Swinging myself back up on Puck, I took off towards the house.

The first thing I noticed when I led Puck to his stall was that Moonshine and Robin Hood were locked in there stalls. I didn’t have time to do that. They had gone to the barn automatically, but I had turned around and taken Puck back to the fields.

“I gave them a little hay, too.”

I spun around and fought down a scream. I knew that voice and it wasn’t Toby’s.

Kevin sat at the top of our hay pile, gazing down quietly at me.

“T-thank you,” I stammered.

“So,” he said lightly. “You have a visitor in town.”

My palms began to sweat. “Oh?”

“I assume it’s someone you don’t want to see?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Kevin gave me a half cocked smile. “I’d like to believe you; however, I don’t think I can. See, something’s going on. Most people don’t vomit in the snow for no reason. And yesterday…”

I winced. I knew he was going to bring up yesterday. “I’m sorry, I get jumpy sometimes.”

“You expect me to believe that’s all there is?”

“Don’t stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong,” I said, perhaps a little more rudely than even I wanted to sound.

“You stuck your nose in where it didn’t belong,” he said. “Not that I don’t thank you for that now.”

“It’s complicated.”

I began to walk back towards the house; I heard the telltale sign of one jumping from the top of the stack. By the time I reached the back door, Kevin had caught up with me. We walked in. The first thing I did was run my cold hands under hot water.

“I’ve come to realize that everyone’s life is complicated,” Kevin said. “You know my dirty laundry; share some of yours.”

I gave him a look. “I don’t have dirty laundry.”

“Why’d you drop out of school?”

I turned around and placed my wet palms on the stainless steel sink. “Who said I dropped out of school?”

“Dr. Davidson. You were pre-med?”

“That was a long time ago.”

“Well you made an impression. Toby said that he was going to be in town a few days; he said he really needed to talk to you.”

My eyes widened. “A few days?” I felt the sudden urge to lock the windows and doors. That was a big deal; no one in Sadieville ever locked up.

Kevin sat down in a kitchen chair and rocked back. “Was he your boyfriend?”

Just for the sake of keeping busy, I opened the refrigerator and began to take out lunchmeat and condiments. “I guess you could say that,” I said tensely.

“Well, he sure didn’t like me much,” Kevin said thoughtfully. Unconsciously I began to make two sandwiches.

“You like mayo?” I asked.

“Yup.”

I heard the scrape of a chair and then a solid wall of warmth come up to stand next to me.

“Addy,” Kevin said. I looked up at the serious note in his voice.

“Just answer me one thing, truthfully. Do you not want to see this guy?”

I took a deep breath. If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want to see anybody that was of the male species besides my dad. I placed our sandwiches on paper plates and stared at the worn, chipped countertop. I took a deep breath.

“Under no circumstance do I want him anywhere near me,” I said, my voice shaking.

“Okay.” Kevin said. That was it; just ‘okay.’ He took a plate and sat down at the kitchen table. I sat down across from him and we ate in silence.

As we were finishing up, the phone rang. I glanced at it warily; our number had been the same since even before I was born. I weighed my options, but finally on the last ring I answered.

“Hello?”

“Addy, it’s dad.”

“Oh, hi,” I said in relief.

“I did have to take Lois to Lexington. She’s scared to death and I promised her I would stay with her through her surgery. It’s scheduled for tomorrow morning. I should be home late tomorrow evening. Could you go put a message on the office door?”

“You’re…you’re not coming home tonight?” I said. I knew my voice sounded like a small child’s, but I couldn’t help it. Of all the nights that he would be out of town…

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Lois hasn’t been to Lexington for years and certainly not to the hospital. All the hustle and bustle is freaking her out.”

I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. “Okay dad. No problem. I’ll go put a message up.”

“Thank you, honey. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I put the phone back slowly.

“Problem?”

I looked over at Kevin warily. “My dad’s been called out of town tonight,” I said quietly. I grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble out a note. I didn’t say anything else, but he seemed to pick up on my fear.

“What’s that?” he said, nodding towards the note.

“I need to put a message on the office door.”

“Want me to drive you? I hid my car nearby.”

I looked at him carefully. It wasn’t a long walk, for sure, but I had a vision of a Lamborghini driving up alongside of me. Even though I didn’t want to, I nodded.

Kevin threw our paper plates in the trash and waited for me to finish the note. In mutual silence, we headed to his car.