standing on the front lawn. He knew she would be there, knew she would be coming outside. Somehow he’d just known.
For a moment, she wasn’t sure whether to just stand there and awkwardly say hi, or yell at him for freaking her out by showing up out of nowhere like this.
And then she saw his grin, that grin she’d been remembering, the look that had given her strength through all of this mess—and she couldn’t help herself. “Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” she said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him, feeling his warm body against hers.
“I did,” he replied.
“You didn’t say who you were!”
“I figured you’d know. Besides, I like to keep you guessing.”
She hugged him tightly, and the tears came flooding down her cheeks. “Of course, I’m crying again,” she laughed through her tears.
He pulled back a little and looked at her, concerned. “What’s wrong?” he said. He put his thumb on her cheek and wiped some of her tears away. “Tell me what happened.”
“I’m just relieved to see you,” she told him.
He was wearing jeans, a leather coat, and a baseball cap. He looked somehow rougher around the edges than he had when she’d met him a few days ago. Maybe, she thought, it was because he was back home, back to his old ways.
“I’m happy to see you too, kid.”
She didn’t bother giving him crap for calling her kid again. “How did you find where my parents live?”
He chuckled. “It’s not exactly rocket science. Your cell is registered to your dad’s name, and then it’s a pretty simple Google search to get a street address.”
“When did you get out?” she asked him as she stepped away, running a hand through her hair. She was still stunned that he was actually here, in person.
“Just a few hours ago. This is the first place I came when they let me go free.” He grinned.
“But whose car is that?”
“You’ve got a lot of questions, don’t you?” He chuckled. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s talk in the car.”
As they walked to his truck, she reveled in the feeling of Elijah’s hand wrapped around hers. All of the misery she’d been feeling, the weight of the world on her shoulders—it was all gone.
She felt light as a feather, light as air, and the smile she had on her face was totally unrestrained. It was like a dream, and if it was a dream, she was determined not to wake up from it.
Caelyn got in the passenger side and then Elijah walked around to the driver’s side.
When she got in, Caelyn smelled minty gum, a hint of cigarette smoke, and old leather.
The truck was clean, but not as clean as the SUV had been. There were papers and envelopes, a couple of McDonald’s bags on the floor at her feet.
Elijah got inside and turned to look at her. She wanted to touch his face, just to feel his skin, to know he was really real. His dark eyes searched hers, as if questioning the same thing.
And then he smiled back at her. “I know I was acting crazy when we last talked on the phone. I’d been cooped up too long and it was getting to me, picturing the next five years of my life—locked up. Away from everything. Away from…”
She thought he was going to say, away from you . But if he was, he didn’t allow himself to finish the sentence.
“I get it,” she said. “I would have freaked out too.”
He looked down for a moment. “I didn’t think I’d be out anytime soon. Leaving the state is one thing, but getting brought up on assault charges is a whole other can of worms. It pretty much guaranteed that I was going back to jail. But then today, out of nowhere, they came and told me I was free to go.”
“Just like that?” she said.
He shrugged, his eyes locking on hers again. “Apparently, that asshole dropped the charges against me. And the state of Florida’s not going to pursue anything, so I was let go.”
She nodded, wondering if it was a good time to tell him what she’d done. But it didn’t
For a moment, she wasn’t sure whether to just stand there and awkwardly say hi, or yell at him for freaking her out by showing up out of nowhere like this.
And then she saw his grin, that grin she’d been remembering, the look that had given her strength through all of this mess—and she couldn’t help herself. “Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” she said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him, feeling his warm body against hers.
“I did,” he replied.
“You didn’t say who you were!”
“I figured you’d know. Besides, I like to keep you guessing.”
She hugged him tightly, and the tears came flooding down her cheeks. “Of course, I’m crying again,” she laughed through her tears.
He pulled back a little and looked at her, concerned. “What’s wrong?” he said. He put his thumb on her cheek and wiped some of her tears away. “Tell me what happened.”
“I’m just relieved to see you,” she told him.
He was wearing jeans, a leather coat, and a baseball cap. He looked somehow rougher around the edges than he had when she’d met him a few days ago. Maybe, she thought, it was because he was back home, back to his old ways.
“I’m happy to see you too, kid.”
She didn’t bother giving him crap for calling her kid again. “How did you find where my parents live?”
He chuckled. “It’s not exactly rocket science. Your cell is registered to your dad’s name, and then it’s a pretty simple Google search to get a street address.”
“When did you get out?” she asked him as she stepped away, running a hand through her hair. She was still stunned that he was actually here, in person.
“Just a few hours ago. This is the first place I came when they let me go free.” He grinned.
“But whose car is that?”
“You’ve got a lot of questions, don’t you?” He chuckled. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s talk in the car.”
As they walked to his truck, she reveled in the feeling of Elijah’s hand wrapped around hers. All of the misery she’d been feeling, the weight of the world on her shoulders—it was all gone.
She felt light as a feather, light as air, and the smile she had on her face was totally unrestrained. It was like a dream, and if it was a dream, she was determined not to wake up from it.
Caelyn got in the passenger side and then Elijah walked around to the driver’s side.
When she got in, Caelyn smelled minty gum, a hint of cigarette smoke, and old leather.
The truck was clean, but not as clean as the SUV had been. There were papers and envelopes, a couple of McDonald’s bags on the floor at her feet.
Elijah got inside and turned to look at her. She wanted to touch his face, just to feel his skin, to know he was really real. His dark eyes searched hers, as if questioning the same thing.
And then he smiled back at her. “I know I was acting crazy when we last talked on the phone. I’d been cooped up too long and it was getting to me, picturing the next five years of my life—locked up. Away from everything. Away from…”
She thought he was going to say, away from you . But if he was, he didn’t allow himself to finish the sentence.
“I get it,” she said. “I would have freaked out too.”
He looked down for a moment. “I didn’t think I’d be out anytime soon. Leaving the state is one thing, but getting brought up on assault charges is a whole other can of worms. It pretty much guaranteed that I was going back to jail. But then today, out of nowhere, they came and told me I was free to go.”
“Just like that?” she said.
He shrugged, his eyes locking on hers again. “Apparently, that asshole dropped the charges against me. And the state of Florida’s not going to pursue anything, so I was let go.”
She nodded, wondering if it was a good time to tell him what she’d done. But it didn’t
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