Pieces of Summer (A stand-alone novel)(3)

“I’m going to Hayden,” I bite out.

“You’re seventeen. You can’t drive all the way to Georgia, Mika. Don’t be ridiculous. And why would you even want to? Your mother needs you right now.”

“My mother needs AA, anger management, and a damn good therapist. Not me.”

He glares at me, but he reaches over and jerks my keys out of my hand.

“Your mother does need therapy. I blame your adulterous father for that. She was fine until she married him. My sister isn’t the same person she used to be. Now I’m here to help out, and I’m definitely going to get her help. As for her sorry excuse for a daughter and uncaring shithead son, I’m going to raise you two to be respectful while there’s still a chance to right your father’s wrongs.”

“You’re an *,” I snarl. “And my father is a good man, so how dare you.”

“Guess that’s why the court awarded custody of you two to your mother.”

“No, that’s the backwoods court system in which the man has less to offer a child than a mother. That and the fact Mom’s overpaid lawyer made him sound like a drunk for having a glass of wine with his meal. Never mind the fact she’s the damn lush. Dad will get custody of us eventually, or we’ll get out of here soon regardless.”

“Well, you’re here for now. Consider yourself grounded indefinitely from your car. Go inside and try to be a good daughter. Your father killed her dreams and ruined their marriage. Not your mother. Your loyalty should be with her.”

“I’m seventeen! Their marriage has nothing to do with me. I’m sick of getting dragged into this like I have to choose a side! Mom f*cked around too!”

He climbs out of the vehicle and I curse while following him. It’d be awesome to have an extra set of keys right about now.

“She’s messed up because of him!” he roars. “You will stay here and you will do as you’re told.”

“You’re ruining my life!” I yell, then roll my eyes at myself. “And I hate you for making me say that and turning me into a cliché like the both of them!”

He doesn’t even turn around. It won’t be the last time I try to get out of here and back to Hayden. He’s crazy if he thinks it is.

***

Summer turned into fall, fall turned into winter, and winter turned into spring before I knew it. Escape from Crazy Town hasn’t been possible because of my militant, ever-watchful uncle. But my mother finally has a new boyfriend, and her attention on me has slowly dwindled to nearly nothing.

All they do is make the bedroom wall rattle day in and day out. It’s disgusting and disturbing, and my mother seems a little weirder every day. If she’s not f*cking him, she’s sleeping or crying for no real reason at all. And my uncle won’t leave.

But that doesn’t matter today. Today, I’m five minutes from Hayden. I’ve driven straight through, only stopping for gas and pee breaks. Mom is in a sleeping mood, so she hasn’t even noticed I’m missing. I will owe Aidan for forever for having my back on this.

My stomach tightens with anticipation, nervousness, and excitement. It becomes a painful wad in my throat and stomach, growing bigger the closer I get to town. My hands actually shake, and my heartbeat drums in my ears. I can barely even continue driving by the time I reach town, taking the curve that leads to the dirt road I know so well.

Chase hasn’t answered my letters at all—not since summer began. That’s my fault. I left him hanging, but he doesn’t understand, and he’s probably hurting. Chase is easily hurt, because everyone always lets him down. Not me. I’m not going anywhere. Well, I’m going to him, but nowhere else.

The deep craters in the road have been dug out by the rain over the years, never getting repaired, and they try to slow me down. I don’t slow down. I don’t care if I tear my BMW apart on this shitty road as long as I reach Chase.

My neck is red and flushed, along with my chest. I’ve never been so excited and nervous in all my life. My smile is painful when I see his small, pitiful looking house. The house is certainly nothing to smile about. It looks like it should have been condemned five broken windows and four missing floorboards ago, but knowing Chase is close… I can’t contain my smile.

However, the smile slowly starts to fall when I see all the cars in the small yard. There’s nothing but open fields all around the house, so it’s easy to spot the fire in the back field. It’s also easy to hear the roar of music coming from the backyard where there’s apparently a party going on.

It’s Saturday night in Hayden, so they have field parties. Chase always said it wasn’t his style. So why is he having a party at his house?

Parking behind a massive truck, I turn my car off. With shaky hands, I push the door open and walk on unsteady legs toward the origins of the music and laughter. I’ve never been this nervous about seeing him. I’ve also never missed one of our summers before, and I don’t know how well he will have taken my absence.

The party is actually much farther behind the house than I initially realized—off in one of the empty fields. The bonfire is raging, red plastic cups are everywhere, and laughter and dancing is being shared by everyone.

Desperately, my eyes move from face to face, searching for the one guy who will make all these insane knots inside me go away. Each face is vaguely familiar, but none of them are who I want.