It was summertime. I came to a stop in front of the beach house, glad to be home and done with school for the summer. A lot changed since the summer. I enrolled in Ashwilder's big sister school, Asu. If not for Nona I would have never afforded such a place. College proved hard, but I loved every second of it. Although I had to admit I loved being home even better.
Dad hurried down the porch steps. "There's my girl. Welcome home, Hope." He wrapped his arms around me, not letting me get a breath in, I kissed his cheek before I pried his arms off me.
"Missed you guys too, where's Elliot and Easton?" I searched the beach, the house, anywhere they could be. I knew the answer before Dad even said it.
"Well you know how teenage boys are when they discover girls," Dad told me. He took my duffel bag. "I barely see anyone anymore. It's nice that you're back."
I followed on his heels up the steps. Noticing the new paint job, Dad had a lot of time on his hands now. He didn't have me there to keep him busy and help him out anymore. It took a couple of months to accept I couldn't be superman. That he had to learn to survive without me, but I did, and looking at him now I knew everything worked out just fine.
Dad touched my hair. "New hairdo?" He smirked.
I ran a hand through my longer style. "It's trendy. All the girls on campus do chic."
Dad nodded, out of the loop and not caring in the least, as long as I was happy he was. "So what are the plans?"
I opened the refrigerator, scrunching my nose at the lack of food. "Getting you some groceries," I said. Dad shook his head, refusing to give in and admit he would be lost without me. When he disappeared into the living room, I raised a single finger at my palm, concentrating hard.
"What's that?" Dad asked, returning with a pile of mail. He handed it over.
"Pudding cup," I said, shaking the chocolate pudding at him.
"Odd. I didn't even know there was pudding." He opened the refrigerator looking inside. I smirked.
I finished unpacking my old room. My bed and dresser still the same. I looked around, remembering the fond memories and some bad ones. This was my house, my home.
I did a lot of growing up in the beach house. I smiled at some of the moments.
I dropped the last of my clothes in the drawer and headed out. Dad was in the shower, the boys still gone. This was my chance.
I pushed open the front door, heading down the stairs and across the sands of the beach, knowing where I was heading and who I wanted to see. Slade.
I was sure Dad would understand my need to see the boy from the most incredible summer of my life. At one time, Crawford was my joy, my excitement when I came home from just about anywhere. However, Crawford passed away while I was at school, and he no longer was a part of my life. It made me sad, so I usually blocked it out altogether.
The familiar scent from the ocean reminded my nose just where I was, the memories of Slade and I together the summer before waged war in my mind.
I stared at the red door of the rv. Part of me was nervous. A lot of time passed since Slade, and I were in the same room—or town. I smoothed my hair, looking at my jean shorts and white t-shirt, wiggling my toes in my strappy sandals. I hoped I looked decent enough.
I shoved the anxiety aside and knocked. But nothing happened. All was still. There was no pleasant greeting by Lucy or Oz or any of them.
I dropped down from the steps taking a seat. Where was everyone? And why did Slade not tell me he was moving away? It was a mistake, I was sure of it. Slade and I might have missed seeing each other when I left for college, but he wouldn't have just left me.
I forced myself to believe I was wrong. The entire crew of Evil Kings of Ink wouldn't have just abandoned their home and taken off.
I stood, letting out an annoyed sigh. I decided to head back to Dads instead of hanging around some deserted stomping ground.
Each footstep toward the house made the ball of stress in my stomach that more obvious. I needed to know he was alright.
Dad was toweling his damp hair as I made it back into the kitchen, my miserable expression catching him off guard.
"You're here for ten minutes, and you're already sad and depressed?" He opened the cupboards looking for something.
I sighed. It wasn't like me to share my disheartening woes with the world. Nevertheless, I missed Slade terribly while I was away. We talked on the phone every day, but the idea he wasn't waiting in Cherry for me to return made my stomach ache.
He was the only thing that mattered. Sure Dad meant a lot to me, and Karsen, but when you fell for that special person, it was hard to see anyone else but them.
"I just thought he would be here when I got back."
The instant exhale of air told me Dad was uncomfortable with the topic. He brought his hand up pretending to check the time.
"Have you seen much of Slade while I've been away, Dad?"
Dad gave me the come-on-you-can't-be-serious expression.
"Dad it's not like I asked you to spy on him. I just want to know if you have seen him."
Dad shook his head, grabbing his keys from the counter. "No, I have not seen much of Slade. He's not exactly the friendly type without you around. And I am not fond of death metal, so we haven't hung out much."
I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. And realized he was leaving. I raised an eyebrow.
"I promised to meet Lynette for lunch." He kissed my cheek. Searching my eyes for disgust or something, I wasn't sure what. "You can visit Nona while I'm gone."
I couldn't believe Dad was still dating Lynette after everything I had been through because of Tucker. I swallowed the resentment.
"It's fine. I have to pick up Karsen at the airport in a couple of hours. I'll stop at the grocery store." I smiled, heading to my room before I burst into tears. Not only did Slade abandon me, now Dad was leaving me for his girlfriend.
I climbed into bed curling into a ball and buried my face into my pillow.
Before I knew it, I drifted off into a comfortable catnap, oblivious to the time. It wasn't until my phone was ringing that I awoke from my sleep.
I searched for it on the end table. "Hello?"
"You're a dirty bitch," Karsen shouted in my ear. "I ask you to do one thing, and you fail."
I sat up, running a hand through my hair still discombobulated. "I'm so sorry, Karsen." I winced at the time. I was late.
"Your excuse better be good. And I mean earth-shattering. Like, I don't know an alien abduction."
I swallowed, trying to come up with something. "I fell asleep."
Karsen hung up. I groaned. The first day home was not turning out the way I planned it. I dropped my feet to the floor. There was pounding on the kitchen door.
"I'm coming!" I shouted, hurrying down the hallway. I pulled the door open, shocked to see Karsen and Kidd standing before me.
I let Karsen and Kidd inside. Handing over bottles of diet soda—it was the only thing in the house at the moment. Finally, there was hope. Now that Kidd was in front of me, I knew I could get some kind of answer about Slade.
"So," I said, taking a seat. "How was your flight?" I couldn't just come right out and ask about Slade.
Karsen cracked the soda. She looked it over. "This is a woman's drink."
I gave her a confused look.
"If I am correct your dad and brothers live here. Is your dad still dating that one woman?" Karsen's jaw dropped. Kidd shook his head in disgust.
"Yeah, they are at lunch as we speak. I am home from school, and he is having lunch with Lynette."
"I'm so sorry. Even so, don't worry I'm here now." Karsen flashed me a big smile. "This summer is going to be awesome." She took note of my lack of enthusiasm and shot Kidd a look. Kidd cleared his throat.
I expected one of them to bring his name up. However, all I got was compassionate looks from the peanut gallery. I felt like I wasn't in on the big secret. I gritted my teeth.
"Just tell me what is going on." I looked away, feeling the tears building all over again. Since when was I so emotional?
Karsen rounded the table. She placed a concerned hand on my shoulder. "We didn't want to break the news to you like this."
I began thinking the worst. "What's the news? What's going on you guys? Is Slade okay?"
Karsen looked at Kidd. Kidd sighed, filling me in. "Slade is downtown."
I shook my head in confusion. "He's downtown, as in jail?"
They both nodded. I wasn't feeling too good.
"It gets worse," Karsen told me. "Tucker isn't in jail."
My heart sank.
"They released Tucker the other day. Slade and Tucker got into it, and both of them were arrested. Only problem is, Tucker was free to go, Slade wasn't."
I cringed. "Let me guess. They want to press charges on him."
Kidd nodded. It was clear by the expression on his face he was as pissed off as I was.
The kitchen door opened. All three of our eyes settled on Lynette and Dad.
"Hey, Hope. Glad to see you," Lynette gave a sweet smile. It soon faded when she noticed the angry expression on my face. One I couldn't shake.
Dad touched Lynette's arm. "Give us a minute."
"Yeah, he needs a minute to explain what he is doing running around with you still," I snapped.
Kidd reached across the table, grabbing my wrist. "Don't." He warned.
"Why not?"
Kidd backed off. I shot out of my chair ignoring Dad's angry glare and shoved the kitchen door open. I took a seat outside.
"You can't be disrespecting Lynette like this, Hope." Dad started. I looked at him. His polo, his pressed khakis, it angered me. He was taking the time to be anything other than himself around her. And he didn't care her son was already making my life miserable again.
"You know I was happy to be coming home, but not anymore."
"Why's that?" Dad questioned, taking a seat next to me. "Because you found out your boyfriend is in jail for assaulting someone?"
I looked at Dad in shock. "Tucker Sinclair is not someone. He is a lowly piece of shit." And suddenly it hit me. Dad knew nothing about what occurred over the summer. I retracted the claws.
"All charges against Tucker have been dropped. They said there is no evidence to prove anything," Dad insisted. "You can't be slandering Tucker, Hope. His father is on the lookout for anyone trying to make a mockery of his son."
"His father?" My heart picked up beats. The idea of the two of them being free to roam made my insides swirl.
"Yes, his father." Dad stood. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
I pushed my hair behind my ear. "No." Like I was about to tell him how Tucker and his Dad tried to kill me, and that they got off on assaulting girls after drugging them.
He squeezed my leg, as he headed to the door. He stopped handle in his grip. "I'd like you to apologize to Lynette. She has nothing to do with her son's actions. And like me, she loves him regardless of what he did or didn't do, because she is his mother."
I nodded.
Karsen and Kidd emerged from the house as soon as Dad went in. Karsen's eyes filled with concern. She took the seat next to me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah fine," I lied.
"Kidd said they are getting the money together to bail him out of jail. At least, this way he is free until a court date or however that stuff works." Karsen shrugged.
"How much more do you need?" I asked Kidd. He waved a hand dismissive.
"Don't worry about it. Lucy and Erica are taking care of it." Kidd told me.
"I am worried about it. He shouldn't be in jail. I have money. I can help."
Kidd shook his head again. "Slade is not the guy to let a girl bail him out of his mess up."
"Well Slade can get over it. Let's go." I jumped up, prepared to save my criminal boyfriend.
Such the storybook life.