Chapter 4
Adeline
Ifinally wake up hours later to loud yelling coming from down the hallway. My mother must have one of her boyfriends over for the night. Great. I check the time on my phone and realize it’s already twelve o’clock, thank god for the twenty four hour Walmart we have here in town. I feel like I’m literally starving, after emptying the contents of my stomach this morning.
The best time to go out is at night. Barely anyone is around. Which is great for me considering every time I step out of my house the stares and whispers follow me around. It was fine at school because I had the guys there to shield me, but when I’m alone it’s like putting a chicken in the lion’s den. The whole town likes to talk about my mother and what she does in her free time, then they target me as if I’m the spawn of Satan. Sometimes I wonder if I really am.
I search under my bed for my purple chucks and grab some cutoff jeans and a T-shirt from my dresser. I put my ear up to my door and listen. The sounds coming from the other side are almost enough to send me running to the bathroom. It’s no surprise to me what my mother has to do to get a bag these days, but I still don’t like to hear or be anywhere near it. I walk over to my window and slide the glass up as carefully as possible. With one leg over the sill I pull the other one over and jump down. Thank god we live in a ranch style home, so the drop isn’t too far. The harder part is climbing back in.
It takes a while but eventually I make it Walmart. The bright neon sign is like a beacon welcoming me from a distance. I only have six dollars I remind myself as I make my way through the automatic doors, gotta spend it wisely. I take my time roaming up and down the isles basking in the silence… for the most part. The only other people here seem to be the workers and the occasional night owl here and there. I head toward the toiletries with my basket of milk and honey smacks. I know I already have my money’s worth but I can’t help but look at the mousse and body wash I could have had if my mother didn’t take our grocery money.
After minutes of sulking I finally decide to head to the check out. As I come around the corner I slam directly into a massive wall. The basket in my arms falls to the floor with me not too long after it. My elbow connects hard with the floor, and the pain ricochets up my arm.
“Ow fuck!” I screech on impact. I inhale a sharp breath through my teeth, as I try to hold in the tears that threaten to follow.
“Adeline!” his voice comes out sharp and unforgiving as his large man hands come down to grip around my bicep and pulling me to my feet. “Are you alright?” huge black concerned eyes stare deeply into my soul and for a minute I forget he’s waiting patiently for an answer.
“Gideon?” his name comes out like a question and my cheeks heat with fire. “I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention.” I turn my eyes to the floor and it’s at that time I realize the jug of milk I had has spilled all over the isle floor. “Shit...” I curse as the wetness seeps through the rips of my converse.
“Are you okay? You took a hard hit.” He pulls my body towards him and seems to inspect me from head to toe. I bend to pick up the now soaked box of honey smacks when he beats me to it. “Here, let me get it.” I watch in confusion as he sweeps the box up and throws it into the mix of items in his carriage.
“Yeah I’m fine, I was just on my way out.” I try to bypass him and grab my cereal but he blocks my way like a brick wall. My body ignites with heat in this close proximity, and I have to close my eyes for a second to reign in my raging hormones.
“Let me get that for you.” I stare into his dark eyes and try to see where he’s playing at. I don’t get it.
“No its ok I got it.” I try one more time, but watch in confusion as he starts to wheel his way to the checkout only stopping to get a jug of milk along the way with me in tow.
“Seriously, Adeline. I just knocked you on your ass and spilled your milk all over the place, the least I can do is buy you some milk and cereal.” My cheeks blush as I watch him throw my two measly items up one the conveyer belt right next to his axe body wash and aftershave.
“Fine.” I mumble under my breath, knowing I lost this argument. I shut my mouth and try to swallow my pride. I watch as the cashiers eyes widen with shock. I mean I bet my reaction would be the same if I saw both the town recluse and the towns crack baby checking out together. I turn my attention to the candy section. The little luxuries I was never able to buy, and pick up some peanut M&M’s. The cashier tells Gideon the amount owed just as I set the package back down with the others.
“Oh, one more thing!” I hear Gideon say just before handing the cashier a wad of cash. I watch in shock as his arm reaches in front of me just barely touching my chest and grabs for the package of small chocolate candies, adding them to his pile.
“You didn’t have to do that” I grumble on our way outside. He bought everything. The six dollars in my pocket are weighing me down like a fifty pound bag of guilt.
“I know.” He sounds annoyed. For the first time in minutes I finally lift my eyes to meet his. His eyes look like whiskey. I feel myself dying of thirst just staring into them. I mean whose eyes can turn from chocolate brown, to midnight black, to a cool glass of whiskey? All at once it’s like they change colors with his mood, or maybe the time of day.
I don’t know what it is, but I can’t help my reactions when I’m around him and yet I can get hardly any words out. I watch his lips move and it’s as if the noise that comes out is just static to my ears. All I can concentrate on is the glimmer in his irises, the pool of whiskey I’m just dying to take a bath in.
“Adeline?” his eyebrows pinch together. Little lines form around the edges as his eyes squint together.
“Huh, what?” I inwardly slap myself in the head over my dumb antics. “What did you say?” we stop walking when we land in front of a huge black pickup truck. My mouth goes dry as I watch Gideon’s huge biceps lift the plastic bags from the carriage to the bed of the truck.
“I asked if you needed a ride home.” his shirt rides up just a little and I get a perfect view of the dark patch of hair that runs under the waist band of his dark wash jeans. “Adeline?” goose bumps rise along my skin every time he speaks my name.
“Oh um nope, I live just across the street.” We both turn our heads in that direction as soon as the lie leaves my mouth.
“You live in a rundown bowling alley?” a smirk crosses his lips as I let out a sigh. Seriously I couldn’t have made up something better?
“Yes?” it comes out like a question. Gideon chuckles in return and pulls on the handle of the driver’s side door.
“Get in.” he stands in front of me one hand on the door the other on his broad hip.
“What?” I ask in confusion.
“You heard me, I said get in.” he points to the empty seat and waits for me to make a move.
“No it’s okay really, I live like five minutes away I walk here all the time.” I brush off another lie and hope to god he can’t see through it.
“Come on Adeline, get in. It’s really late and really dark, and I can’t in good conscience let you walk home all alone. Now if you can please get in, Max is patiently waiting for me at home.” a small smile plants itself across my lips when I remember the huge fluff ball.
“Ugh fine.” I roll my eyes and hop up into the cab of the truck. “Let’s go, can’t keep Max waiting.” I mumble.
“So where to?” his smug smile makes me want to smack him, but instead I rattle off directions as we head out of the parking lot. The drive is mostly silent, except for a random direction I spit out every now and again. The air inside of the cab is thick and tension filled.
“It’s right at the end of this street.” I watch with embarrassment as he pulls his huge truck into the dirt driveway. The big headlight light up my house like a magnifying glass. His face is impassive as I study his reaction. Where Tim lives it’s a decent neighborhood. It’s where the middleclass people of Brookfield with cookie cutter houses and manicured lawns; much like Gideon’s himself lives.
“Thanks for the ride.” I say quickly as I hop out of the massive truck. I head to the bed and struggle to reach for my small bag that seems to have moved directly to the middle.
“Here let me.” Gideon’s side brushes mine as his long torso reaches in beside me and grabs the bag I was reaching for.
“Addy?” our heads whip around in unison. My mother stands on the door step in just a small robe and a burly man directly behind her.
“Shit.” I whisper loud enough for Gideon to hear.
“Addy did you get me cigarettes?” her voice is scratchy and pierces my ears like nails on a chalk board.
“You going to be alright?” Gideon’s weary voice speaks up.
“Yeah I’ll be fine.” I make the mistake of looking into his eyes, and all I can see is a tremendous amount of worry. “It’s fine Gideon it’s just my mother.” I force the words out and make a move toward the door.
“And the guy?” his hand creeps out and wraps around my arm stopping me in my tracks.
“Her man for the night.” I say with all seriousness. It must shock him because the hold he has on my arm loosens giving me just enough room to break away. I feel his eyes on me the entire way, boring holes through my back like a laser.
“Well?” my mother asks. “Did you get the cigarettes?” her face is earnest.
“No mom, you used the money for a fix, remember?” she gasps in shock as I push my way past her and the random guy to head directly into my bedroom. Feeling overly exhausted as soon as I make it to my bed I pass out like a light.