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Wrote this entire chapter on my mom's iPad. It was fun :)
Scuse the mistakes.
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"Long time, no see, Sawyer," Danny said with a smile. "How you been, Runt?"
I used to hate that nickname, but after not hearing it for so long, I couldn't help but grin. "I've been good. I have a grandma now."
"So I've hear," Danny replied, leaning back in his seat. He waved at Griffin's car with his sunglasses and asked, "New friend?"
I blushed deeply and said, "That's Griffin. He's my boyfriend, actually." I watched Danny's cheerful demeanor instantly fall to a more serious one at the mention of Griffin, and I frowned. "What?" I asked confusedly.
"You're getting really attached to this place, aren't you Runt?" he said, making it more of a statement instead of a question. I'd known Danny for almost my entire childhood, and I knew when he had to tell me something. It was in the way he talked, the way his eyes sent me a hidden message, and in his stiff body language.
"What are you doing here, Danny?" I questioned, propping my elbow up on the top of his car.
"Your dad told me to keep an eye on you," Danny answered uncomfortably.
"You've talked to my dad?" I asked, my eyes widening. I hadn't heard from him ever since I'd run away, and the fact that he'd made an effort to talk to someone other than me hurt. I know he must've been upset that I'd run away, but it wasn't like it had been an easy decision for me.
"Yeah," Danny replied slowly, "haven't you?"
"No," I deadpanned, "No, I haven't." So Danny didn't know. That still didn't make me feel all that better about the situation, though.
"Listen, Sawyer," Danny said, recapturing my attention. "I know you're mad at your dad, and I'm a bit pissed as well, but I need you to listen to me. Do you know why your dad left the country?"
"Because there's a warrant out for his arrest," I replied, remembering what Grandma Aggie had told me.
"C'mon, Sawyer," Danny said, "We both know your dad. If it was just a warrant, he'd go into hiding, but he wouldn't leave his business." He had a point.
"So there's no warrant?" I asked, trying to sort everything out.
"Oh, no," Danny said with a chuckle, "There's a warrant, but something else, better yet, someone else drove him from the country."
"Who?" I asked, wondering who on earth my dad had managed to infuriate this time.
"Marcus."
"What?" I gasped. Marcus was an extremely dangerous man, something I knew all to well from personal experiences. Making him mad was definitely enough reason for my dad to leave. "What did my dad do?"
"You're dad borrowed a whole lot of money from him to finance one of his many business ventures. However, the venture tanked, and when the time came for your dad to pay Marcus back, he didn't have the money, so he left the country."
Images of the last time my dad couldn't pay Marcus back, and I could feel the cold metal of his man's gun on the back of my neck. "Why did my dad send you to watch me?" I asked slowly, but I felt like I already knew the answer.
"He's scared that Marcus will come after you to have leverage on your dad," Danny stated, and I sensed some anger in the way he said the words.
"Does Marcus know where I am?" I asked nervously.
"If he doesn't," Danny said, "I'm sure he'll figure it out soon, but I'm going to so my absolute best to protect you, Runt."
"Thanks, Danny," I replied, but I wasn't comforted at all by his words. Marcus didn't have much patience when it came to my dad, which meant that he would have almost zero with me.
"Here," Danny said, handing me a slip of paper with numbers scribbled on it. "This is my phone number. In case something happens, or you don't feel safe, call me okay? I'm here for you."
Okay, those words did comfort me a bit. I loved Danny like a brother and trusted him. Him being here was like a safety blanket.
"I should go," I said, pointing to Griffin's car.
Danny nodded. "It was great to see you, Runt. Tell your boy I said hey."
I smiled and said goodbye, but as I walked back to Griffin's car, I braced myself for what was to come. Griffin was going to want to know what the hell had just happened, and unfortunately. He did have a right to know.
I slipped into the passenger seat of the car and glanced at Griffin. His jaw was clenched tightly and his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. He wasn't looking at me, and for a moment, there was silence.
"What's going on?" Griffin asked finally. "Who was that in the car?"
"Take me home," I replied quietly, "and I'll tell you everything."
"I think that---"
"Griffin!" I cried, interrupting him, "I'll tell you at my house, so just drive!"
"Fine," Griffin replied through gritted teeth, and he turned the car back on and peeled away from the curb. We drove in silence, but it was rick with tension, and my stomach was doing somersaults with nerves and doubts.
What would he do when he found out about my past? Would he care? Would he think I was a freak? Would he leave and never look back? There would so many possible reactions, and I had no idea which one to expect. I would find out soon, though.
As we pulled into my driveway, rain drops started to sprinkle from the sky, and Griffin followed silently as I let myself into the house. I led Griffin to the living room and sat down on the couch. Griffin sat down next to me, but I noticed sadly that he'd stayed closer the the end than to me.
"Okay," I said, trying to figure out the best way to start this explanation. I decided to just rip the band aid off. "That guy in the car is named Danny, and he works for my dad. My dad is, basically, the drug dealer of drug dealers."
"What?" Griffin breathed, but I ignored him and continued.
"I meant what I said about loving my dad. However, my home wasn't safe with all of the dangerous men coming and going at all hours of the day and night. So, a couple months ago, I ran away.
"I managed to live on my own on the streets for about a month before getting caught by the police. Then, I was sent to a juvenile detention center where I stayed for a month until Grandma Aggie came to get me, and she brought me here.
"The reason my dad couldn't pick me up is because he pissed off a very dangerous man and fled the country. Danny is here because my dad wanted him to keep an eye on me and make sure I'm not hurt."
Griffin didn't say anything, and I stared at him for a moment. His face was expressionless, so it gave me no indication on what he was thinking. I bit my lip and shifted uncomfortably, the silence becoming unbearable.
"Say something, Griffin," I said in a slightly pleading voice.
"I've got to go," he replied stiffly. Then, he pushed himself up from the couch and walked out of the room. I watched him go, completely confused and somewhat hurt.
I'd just told him stuff I'd never wanted to tell anyone, even Grandma Aggie, and he didn't even have anything to say back to me. I wasn't going to let him go that easily.
I jumped off of the couch and sprinted through the house and out into the pouring rain. Griffin had just reached his car when I called, "Wait!"
He stopped, and I watched him sigh before he turned around. "What do you want?" Griffin asked, his voice cold and distant.
I didn't know what to say. I was taken aback by his hostility. "I just... I want to know what you're feeling. I just told you something huge, and you walked out on me without telling me."
"Oh!" Griffin said with a chuckle, completely throwing me off guard. "You wanna know how I feel?" I nodded slowly, and Griffin's eyes narrowed.
"I feel betrayed, Sawyer. You lied to me about your dad, don't say you didn't. An entrepreneur is not the same thing as a drug dealer! I thought I knew you, but I guess I don't. For all I know, you could be on drugs or selling them!"
"Excuse me?" I spat, anger pumping through my veins. "how dare you! When I told you those things about myself, I was being honest with you!"
"You call that honesty?" Griffin exclaimed, and he pushed his wet curls of his face. "I really like you, Sawyer, but if I don't feel like I can trust you, then this isn't going to work."
"Wha--- what are you saying?" I asked, even though I knew deep down.
"I can't handle your past, Sawyer," Griffin stated grimly, "So I can't be with you."
He didn't give me a chance to respond. Instead, he ducked into his car and I watched as it roared to life. Griffin backed out of my driveway and drove down the street, leaving me standing alone in the rain.
I'd finally broken down and been vulnerable with Griffin. I'd told him about my past and I'd been honest about my dad and my relationship with him. Where'd that get me? Dumped and hurting.
This just proves I was right; I shouldn't have told him. We shouldn't have gone on the second date. I should have just kept to myself.
Now, I couldn't tell the difference between the rain on my face and the tears streaming down my cheeks.
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Poor Sawyer...
So, I'm in love with Cupcake Wars. Like, obsessed, so anyone want to hold an intervention?
Anyways, now I'm watching mean girls. "Don't have sex. Because you will get pregnant. And die." That is my advice to you all :)
Byes!
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