Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) (46 page)

Aust
in cupped my face in his hands.“Let’s go for a drive. Let’s just get out of here for a bit,” he suggested.

I bit my lip unwilling to let the tears come.

“Em. Take a deep breath. Act like it doesn’t bother you,” he said.

“But it does,” my voice cracked and my leg trembled up and down on the floor. Ryan had to have seen what was happening because between the time I looked at Austin and glanced back, Ryan had Jaycee’s bicep in his hand.

“What are you doing?” Ryan asked her.

“Get off me Ryan. Zach and Emma are history,” Jaycee said hatefully. 

Ryan let her go and looked at Zach. “Zach. Come on dude. Be smart about this.”

Jaycee flicked Ryan in the head with her thumb and middle finger. “HE-LL-0!” She said loudly. “He’s our salutatorian. He is smart.” Her words slurred as they came out.

The room had quieted and Grant stood behind Ryan.

“Look. I have no quarrel with you, man,” Zach said looking at Ryan. “My fight is with you.” He pointed at Austin and everyone turned to look at him. Oh God! Austin was just as big as Zach, if not bigger, and I feared to venture a guess at who might win. Zach wouldn’t even look at me. 

“Please, Austin. Don’t.” I begged.

He reached up and ran his thumb over my cheek. “I won’t. But he is eighteen.” It was a statement, which I confirmed. Everyone waited for Austin’ response. “This isn’t
gonna happen, buddy.”

“Don’t call me buddy. I am not your buddy. And don’t touch her again.” Zach took a step closer to us, and Austin casually pulled me backward.

“Look.” Austin held his hands up. Vince came into the room and moved toward Austin and me. “I am not here to hurt Emma.”

“Zach, stop,” Jaycee demanded, and he brushed her off his arm.

Vince was next to me. “What’s goin on?”

“Zach.” It hurt to say his name. “Wants to fight Austin,” I whispered.

“Ohh. This should be good,” Vince laughed.

“No.” I hit Vince in the arm.

“This isn’t going to happen, Vince,” Austin echoed my thoughts.

Suddenly Connor, Brett and Josh bolted into the room.

Zach’s face contorted with anger. “You call taking advantage of her, not hurting her?"”

The remark made my chest swell. “That’s my choice!” I screamed. My face froze and for the first time, his eyes found mine. He seemed confused that I was there. His eyes softened for a moment as I stood between them. 

“She’s right,” Vince laughed. “She’s a big girl.”

Zach’s eyes hardened and left me to find Vince. His nostrils flared and he took a step toward Vince. Ryan crammed his fist into Zach’s chest and Connor and Brett helped him.

“Zach. You know Emma loves you, man. What’s the big deal? Austin is a family friend,” Ryan said.

Zach’s lip pulled into a snarl. “Grant told me about your plan. I know what you did upstairs.” He stared at Austin.

“What plan?” Ryan asked, and grabbed the front of Grant’s shirt.

Grant shoved Ryan’s hands away. “This isn’t the time to talk about it. OK?”  Everyone in the room stared at me and Austin waiting for an answer. I thought I was going to burst in humiliation.

“The plan was for college boy to…” Zach’s words trailed off as he shook his head in disgust.

Austin spoke up. “Zach. I believe you’ve been misinformed.”

I quickly turned to Austin and glared at him. “Stop. It’s none of his business what happened between us. That’s between you and me.”

I saw the doubt in Austin’s eyes as he looked at me. He thought we should tell Zach the truth. I could see it on his face. I moved closer to Austin and spun around to Zach.

“He’s only one. I have seventeen more—then we call it even.”

Zach winced as the words came out and lowered his head. Jaycee was right there to console him. Stupid bitch. She whispered something to him. His head rose and the beautiful brown eyes that I’d grown to love were hard as stone. His eyes roamed from my feet up to my face and he shot me a revolted look. He grabbed Jaycee’s hand. “Eighteen,” he laughed and turned to leave.

When they rounded the corner, I ran toward them with my hands balled into fists. I was going to hurt Jaycee. Ryan stopped me in my tracks. “No,” he said, and I took a couple of steps
backward. I was glad a barstool was close because my wobbly legs gave out. I fell onto the stool beside me as I buried my face into my hands.

“
Dammit!” Ryan shouted moving toward me. “Everybody out of the kitchen.”

I looked up at him. His eyes were furious.

“Ryan.” Austin patted his back and Ryan shoved his hand away. “Hey. Easy. I was just gonna say…”

“Tell me you two didn’t…” Ryan didn’t finish the sentence, but his finger was an inch from Austin’s face.

Austin stood with his mouth open. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re seriously gonna ask me that?”

Ryan shook his head. “I’m sorry.”  He held his hands out to the side in an apology.

“Dude. She’s a beautiful girl that is going to have sex someday. Get a grip.”

Ryan gave him a confused look. “It’s not about sex, Austin. I want her treated right. Respected. He did that for her. I don’t know what the hell is going on tonight, but that wasn’t the Zach I know.” He rubbed my back and glared at Austin and Grant.

I grabbed Ryan’s shirt. “He’s going to be with Jaycee tonight, isn’t he?” The words came out in gasps. “I mean. That’s what he was insinuating when he took her.”

Seven guys—Ryan, Austin, Grant, Brett, Connor, Josh and Vince stood staring at me with Ali at my side. I had to go after him.

On my way to my room, I grabbed Ryan’s truck keys out of the basket and slid them in my pocket. I snuck out dad’s office upstairs and onto his deck outside. I looked over and even the one floor down made my stomach roll. I could land it. I knew I could.  I climbed over the railing, balancing myself on the two by four, then propelled myself off the wood and landed hard on the grass. A stick jabbed into my hand. “
Ow.” I pulled it out and tried to shake off the pain. I ran behind the house and spotted Ryan’s truck parked on the street. I unlocked it and scrambled in starting the engine.  I waited to turn on the lights till I was down the street.

I buckled and drove cautiously toward Zach’s house, my heart pounding as I drove. What I was doing was illegal. I had my permit to drive to school or work but that was it…this was neither. The downtown lights in Ashland were beautiful at night. My eyes searched the streets for the Jeep. I pulled down a road leading to the park. We’d been there several times and I wondered if he took her there. Tears surged in my eyes as I felt sick at what I might find. Two cars were in the lot—a blue mustang and silver Volkswagen. I did a U-turn in Ryan’s truck and kept making my way toward Zach’s house. It was 11:30.

The house was lit but his Jeep wasn’t in the drive. I parked the truck and walked up the path glancing in the window. His folks were on the sofa watching TV. I hesitated but rang the bell. Mr. Owens answered.

“Emma. Honey, what are you doing out so late?”

“Hi, Mr. Owens. Is Zach here?”

Mrs. Owens came to the door. “Hi, Emma. Please, come in.” 

I shook my head. “I can’t. I was just looking for him.”

“You’ve been crying. I can see it in your eyes,” she said in a soothing voice. “Did you two bre
ak-up?”

I covered my eyes so they couldn’t see me cry and I nodded my head.

“Oh, sweetheart. Please sit.”

Mr. Owens turned off the TV and left the room.

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be here. I need…I need to find him…to talk to him…to stop him.”

“Stop him from what, Emma?” Concern touched her tone.

“Being with her.”

Zach’s mom wrapped her arm around my shoulders and hugged me. “Oh. Honey. Love hurts sometimes.”

“I do love him. I love him so much.”

“He loves you too. No matter what’s happening right now. Would you like me to text him?”

I shook my head. “No. I should go.” I stood and I didn’t want to leave. I felt closer to him being here. I wanted to go up and crawl in his bed and wait for him there so I could hold him. No one understood me anymore. Maybe no one ever would again.

“Emma. When we moved here, Zach was…less than thrilled.” She smiled. “He struggled and you know what I’m talking about. But for whatever reason, he took an instant liking to you and it has grown into something bigger than both of you. I don’t know if either of you knows what to do with the emotion you feel. He’s leaving. You’re leaving. He’s scared. You’re scared. Love is a powerful thing. We will always be grateful for what you did for him.
You
brought Zachary back to us at a time we weren’t sure we’d get him back. Thank you.”

A twinge of pain shot through my heart as her words sounded more like a farewell. I nodded. “You’re welcome. Take care of him for me.”

“We will.”

“Bye.”

My phone was lit up on the seat of Ryan’s truck. Seven new texts. I scrolled through them and not one was from Zach. I didn’t care about the rest. A car honked behind me and I glared into my rearview mirror. The light had turned green and I hadn’t noticed. I suddenly turned and headed to the creek Zach had taken me to when he told me about the probation. Maybe that’s where he’d taken Jaycee.

I was driving faster than I should as the city lights faded behind me. I knew the turn was a dirt road, so when I passed one on my left I did a U-turn in the street and went back.  I pulled off, following the gravel road for a bit which came to a Y. I closed my eyes and thought back to that day trying to recount his turns. I recalled one for sure, but I know we didn’t go right, so I took the left. Gravel turned to dirt and it curved around, but I didn’t see a creek. There weren’t many trees at all and I couldn’t see any lights from the city.

My phone buzzed—it was Ryan. I knew he’d be pissed so I didn’t answer. Finally, another left that should take me back to the road I came in on. I breathed a sigh of relief. This road was narrower, more winding than the last and seemed darker but probably not. I decided to turn around on the single lane road and a sense of urgency overwhelmed me. I put the truck in drive and reverse almost ten times before I was going the opposite way. Then before I knew it, a right turn was there. That was too soon…I chewed on my cheek. Keep going it couldn’t possibly be that one. Then within a few minutes, I figured I’d driven too far and turned around again. I started to panic. I couldn’t remember
now which way to go or turn. I stopped the truck and texted Ryan.

Help me! I’m lost.
send

Where r u?
             
Good question dumbass
 
send  Seriously, Ryan??

Which way do I go???

South of Ashland—dirt road
.
send

What?

I’m scared
.
send

Don’t panic

Too lat
e
send

Ryan’s tank was half full and I left the engine idling and in park with the lights on. I’d tap my brakes from time to time, lighting up the area behind to make sure nothing was behind the truck. Dad had always taught us not to panic in a time like this, but I was failing miserably. I kept the radio loud to drown out any wolves or coyotes that maybe circling. Twenty minutes had passed when my phone rang. I was down to two bars on my battery.

“Ryan?” I answered.

“OK. Where are you? We are south of Ashland on I-5.”

“No, go over toward the vineyard and winery. I was on that road and then turned left off that.”  I knew that much but it was more vague from there.

“OK. We’re headed there now. Are you alone?”

“Yes. Hurry. Who’s with you?”

“Everybody. We’re in Grant’s truck cause someone took mine.”

I smiled. He wasn’t as angry as I thought. “Sorry.”

“Let us get over there and I’ll call you back.”

“Bye.”

I decided to turn off my lights to see what I could see. The intimidating black night surrounded the truck and I tapped my brakes again. Only a sliver of moon hung in the sky and stars dotted the orbit. I couldn’t see the city lights or the mountains. I could see a red tower light blinking in the distance that might help. Ten minutes had passed since the last phone call. I flipped the car lights back on as a raccoon crossed the road in front. I shivered to think of what other creatures might be smelling this foreign object polluting their air with exhaust.

The phone rang. 

“Where are you?” I asked desperately.

“We’re on the road. But Em. We have no idea where you turned. Where were you going?”

“Zach took me to this creek once off that road and I was looking for it. You kind of have to do a U-turn to get into it.”

“Turn around.” I heard him say. “OK. Grant’s turning around right now and we’re looking for the turn. I’ll call you in a minute.”