Four Walls (Book One) ✔️

Chapter Forty-Six

"That's fair. As of right now, my birth control pills are going to waste." I flash a flirty smile at my... whatever he is. Like I told him, I don't want to jump into anything too serious.

"Well, I'm glad you aren't hooking up with anyone else," he admits.

"I work two jobs, go to school, and scare incestuous warlocks out of town. Do you think I have time for multiple lovers?"

"I mean, when you put it that way...."

"I'm not interested in anyone else," I assure him. "Are you gonna finish your scone, by the way?"

Chuckling, he slides his half-eaten pastry in my direction. "All yours."

Zane and I stay at Gabby's for another hour. When I return home, I find Margo packing a suitcase full of clothes.

I take a deep breath, preparing for another goodbye. I knew she wasn't going to stay forever. After the whole Bradley/Anson fiasco, it doesn't shock me that she wants to get out of town. I just wasn't expecting it so soon, or so suddenly.

"Are you leaving?" I ask, fighting back tears.

"Just organizing," she replies. "Been thinking about it, though."

"Oh." I nod my head in understanding, because I do understand. Starkton is not only boring; it's now dangerous. Of course she wants to escape while she still can. "Where are you thinking about going?"

"Maybe to visit Saul and his family. If I'm being honest, I wasn't a good mother. I wanna make amends. No offense to your dad, but he's a lost cause. Not much more I can do for him, you know?"

"I get it."

"What are your plans?"

"Um, school?"

"You got summer vacation in a few months, right? Anything planned then?" she inquires, tapping her fingers against the top of her suitcase.

"I was just going to pick up some extra shifts at Gabby's and hang out with my friends. Nothing too exciting."

"Why don't you come with me?" she asks, catching me off guard. "I still gotta get a hold of Saul, anyway. What do you say?"

"Y-yeah, I'd like that." More tears threaten to fall, but these are joyful ones. "I'd like that a lot."

"Alrighty then." She closes her bag before tossing it onto the floor. "I better call Saul."

"Yeah, you probably should." I pull her in for a hug, thrilled about our upcoming adventure.

The next couple months go by uneventfully. I talk to my teachers about taking my finals early. Since I have the highest marks in all of my classes, none of them object. Even our principal, Mr. Schutrick, agrees that I can finish off the year in late April.

Damian and Jessica make it clear that they're going to miss me. Zane gets agitated every time I talk about my summer trip. Gabby is distraught about having to find a new employee with my work ethic. Even Hank, who I seldom ever talk to, seems despondent.

I, however, am ecstatic. I'll miss my friends more than anything, but I can't pass up an opportunity to meet my uncle and cousins. I need a break from the mundaneness that is Starkton. I've never even left the state before. Now is my chance to see what else is out there. To see the world.

As April nears its end, I start to pack my belongings in one of Margo's extra suitcases. Never having traveled before, I have no idea what to bring.

"Just take the essentials," my grandmother advises. "When you've been on the road long enough, you learn that most things are replaceable."

"You're kind of a nomad, huh?" I ask, taking a seat on her bed.

She lifts her bony shoulders up and down in a nonchalant shrug. "For me, life's just easier that way."

"Why's that?"

"Like I told you before, I sucked as a mom. I loved my kids, but I didn't know how to parent. I fucked them all up pretty bad. After Cynthia put a bullet in her brain, packing up my belongings and hitting the road seemed like the easiest thing," she replies, her expression crestfallen.

"That must have been hard."

"It was, but at the same time, it wasn't. It was the fresh start I needed. The world's a big place, and people are fucking stupid if they choose to stay in the same good-for-nothing town their whole lives."

Resting my head on her shoulder, I inquire, "What's your favorite place you've visited?"

"Easy. Starkton, Michigan," she answers, "because that's where I met you."

I wrap my arms around her torso, squeezing her tightly. "I'm glad you decided to come here."

"Me, too." She kisses the top of my head before rising to her feet. "Anyway, enough sappy talk. We gotta keep packing if we wanna be on the road in a few days."

The morning we're scheduled to leave, I wake up at sunrise. I take a quick shower and then shove my toothbrush, hair products, and face scrub into my suitcase.

Margo has yet to emerge from her room, so I decide to take a stroll, knowing I won't walk these streets again for a few months. Uncle Saul said we could stay with him until June, and after that, we're taking a road trip to Arizona. I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.

It's almost ten a.m. when I return home. Hank has already claimed the couch, his morning beer in his hand. Rolling my eyes, I knock on Margo's door, only to be met with silence. I knock again. Still no response.

"Margo?" I call out, twisting the doorknob. It isn't like her to sleep in so late. "Margo, are you awake? You said you wanted to be on the road by—"

I freeze when I see her. She's lying in bed, her body motionless, her eyes wide open.

Slowly, I approach her. I rest my fingers on the ice-cold skin of her wrist and feel for a pulse. Unsuccessful, I try again below her ear.

"Margo?" I whisper, my bottom lip quivering. "G-grandma?"

She doesn't answer. I know in my heart she isn't going to.

A/N:
I'm the author and this still made me cry like a baby 😭
Anywayyy, thanks for reading!! Please don't forget to give that star a tap ⭐️