Carey

 

The last week of her time in Holyoke passed without incident. Carey avoided Owen as best she could. Whenever he texted her, she simply told him that she was busy with her internship and work and that she’d be able to see him again when things quieted down. Little did Owen know, however, that Carey was nearly done with her time in the city, and that if she had her way, she’d never see him again.

 

The scene of violence wouldn’t leave Carey’s thoughts. Nearly every time she closed her eyes, she pictured Owen standing over the beaten man, the heavy black chain dangling from his hands. She could hear the whoosh of the chain flying through the air, followed by the sick crack of the metal against bone. The spray of dark red blood against the dirty gray concrete lingered in her mind like a snapshot that she couldn’t shake from her thoughts.

 

“Where’s Owen been?” asked Lily as they finished packing their last few things and tidying up the apartment before turning the keys over. “Haven’t seen him in a little while.”

 

“Um, I’ve just been busy,” said Carey, itching to get in Lily’s car and back home. “And he’s had, um, motorcycle club things going on.”

 

Lily raised an eyebrow.

 

“Have I ever told you what a bad liar you are?” she asked.

 

Soon after, the car was loaded up with their belongings and they were back on the road. As they turned onto the on-ramp to leave the city, Carey felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw that it was a text from Owen.

 

Been too long, kid. When am I going to see you again?

 

Without thinking, she blocked his number and shoved her phone into her pocket before turning her attention back to the passing landscape. She knew that she was only kicking the can down the road, but it was all she could think to do. Placing her hand on her belly, she felt the small bump that had been forming over the last couple of weeks, her mind racing with just what to do. She knew that if she didn’t play her cards right, she’d be a single mother. And for a girl from a family like hers, that simply wasn’t an option.

 

After a long, tiring drive, Lily pulled in front of the large, colonial-style home where her parents lived.

 

“Sure you don’t want to grab a burger or something?” asked Lily. “You look stressed out of your mind.”

 

“I think I just need some sleep,” said Carey. “Been a long day. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

 

The girls hugged, and soon Carey was alone with her bags.

 

Then, the large double doors of the home opened and Carey’s parents stepped out.

 

“There she is!”

 

Carey’s parents were both trim, silver-haired, and dressed in stylish casual wear, the picture of a successful middle-aged couple.

 

“I can’t believe it’s been all summer since I’ve seen you,” said Joanne, Carey’s mother, as she embraced her daughter.

 

“It’s like our little girl is still growing up,” said Mark, her father, as he came in for a hug.

 

“Hey, Mom and Dad,” said Carey.

 

“We’re so glad to have you back,” said Joanne. “We’ve got a surprise waiting for you that we can’t wait for you to see.”

 

“And our surprise can’t wait to see you, either,” said Mark as he picked up her bags.

 

Carey’s stomach sank. She had a very good idea of just what the surprise was going to be, and who it might be was the last person she wanted to see.

 

Her parents eagerly led her into the house, and, sure enough, sitting in the living room was Brady Norwood.

 

Brady was a tall, slim man with slicked-back blond hair, a crafty, angular face dominated by a sharp nose and thin lips. His eyes were a watery, faded blue and always seemed to be narrowed in scheming. He was dressed in his usual white polo shirt and khaki chinos. As Carey entered the room, he rose to greet her, his arms outstretched as he approached her for a hug.

 

“Carey Oakley,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s been far, far too long.”

 

“Brady!” she exclaimed. “I, um, wasn’t expected you here. Not even a little!”

 

“We thought it’d be nice for you to see a familiar face when you came back home. And Brady’s been so eager to see you since he moved back to town.”

 

Brady chuckled softly. “I’ve been running myself ragged getting my new bank branch up and running, but it’s important to make time for old friends.”

 

“Such a sweet young man,” said Joanne. “And look at you two—it’s just like high school all over again!”

 

Brady slipped his arm around Carey and pulled her close. She realized that right then she was in the last place she wanted to be.

 

“I’m so interested to hear about your time in Holyoke,” Brady said. “Never thought I’d see a girl like you slumming it like that, but I suppose college is the time to, ah, find oneself.”

 

Carey slipped out from under his arm. “I’d love to tell all of you all about it, but right now what I need is a nap. I’m just so worn out from the drive.”

 

“Oh, nonsense,” said Joanne, checking her watch. “It’s nearly six—you take a nap now and you’ll be up all night.”

 

“Not to mention we’ve got dinner reservations at seven at the country club,” said Brady.

 

Carey’s stomach tightened at the thought of spending the evening at the snooty country club where her parents were members. Brady being there was an extra annoyance that she didn’t feel like dealing with in the slightest. However, she knew that once her parents had made plans, there was no getting out of them.

 

“A little dinner and some good company and you’ll be right as rain,” said Mark. “Now, go put on some appropriate clothes and we’ll be on our way. Go on.”

 

Carey excused herself and trudged up to her old room, wishing she could just shut the door behind her and never leave. Instead, she resigned to the evening ahead and put on some slightly nicer clothes before returning downstairs.

 

A half-hour later, the four of them were seated at a table on the grand balcony of the country club, the full moon above casting silver light on the sweeping view of the club’s golf courses.

 

“First, let’s start with some wine,” said Brady. “I’m thinking a nice merlot.”

 

“Sounds lovely,” said Joanne.

 

“None for me,” said Carey.

 

“Oh, come now,” said Brady. “We can’t have an occasion like this without some wine.”

 

“Really,” said Carey. “I’m not feeling well.”

 

“Nonsense,” said Brady, flagging down a passing waiter with a few obnoxious finger snaps.

 

Once he had the waiter’s attention, he barked out an order, not taking his eyes off of the menu in front of him.

 

“About damned time we got some service,” he said.

 

“So, Brady,” said Joanna, folding her hands on her lap. “Carey’s been dying to hear all about your new job.”

 

“I have?” asked Carey, raising her eyebrows.

 

She felt the sharp poke of a finger underneath the table, her back going straight. Her mother shot her a surreptitious glare as Brady began speaking.

 

“Why, of course,” he said, a smile forming on his face as though he couldn’t imagine a topic he’d rather discuss. “Ever since I came back to town my new position is all anyone’s wanted to ask me about. And I don’t blame them, to be perfectly honest. It’s fascinating work.”

 

“And well-paying, too,” said Mark.

 

“And extremely well-paying,” confirmed Brady, casting a conspicuous glance to Carey. “Well, I’m basically the man in charge. The board gave me the managerial position of a new branch downtown, and they let me know in no uncertain terms that if my performance is what they expect out of me, then I’ll likely see a promotion to regional manager in the next few years.”

 

“Very impressive,” said Joanne, looking at Carey as she spoke.

 

“It’s certainly a challenge,” said Brady, “but I’m more than up to it. In my opinion, it’s about damn time they gave me a chance to show off what I can do.”

 

Carey wanted to roll her eyes, and did her best to fight the urge.

 

“As humble as ever, I see,” said Carey, taking a sip of her water.

 

“Being humble is for those who don’t mind getting stepped on,” said Brady. “To really get ahead in this world, you have to know just what you’re capable of and waste no time in finding a position that lets you shine. I’m lucky to have found just that at such an early age.”

 

Lucky to have an uncle who works for the bank, that is, thought Carey.

 

“Such ambition,” said Mark. “All very impressive stuff.”

 

“Anyhow, I’m considering telling them that I don’t even want to wait three years for my promotion; I’m thinking it should take no more than a year for me to prove just what I’m capable of. And if they can’t see that, then I’m sure there’re plenty of other banks who’d love to bring me on board.”

 

After he spoke, his eyes shot right to Carey, still making sure that she was paying attention. Carey felt somehow even more exhausted. Her mind continued to drift back to Owen, as well, her thoughts alternating between pleasant thoughts of their time together juxtaposed with the brutal fight that she’d witnessed. It was as though her mind couldn’t settle on just what to think about him.

 

The dinner went on like that for the next hour, Carey praying for each minute to pass as quickly as possible.

 

“Let me get that,” said Brady, quickly stabbing a gold credit card back into the air as the waiter arrived with the check.

 

Her father and Brady did the obligatory arguing over the bill, with Brady eventually prevailing.

 

“Thank you, Brady,” said Joanne. “It’s just such a pleasure to see you doing so well.”

 

“Well, it’s always been clear that Brady was destined for great things,” said Mark, his tone so pleased that Carey began to wonder if Brady wasn’t actually his kid.

 

“Yeah,” said Carey, “like that career in biology you always talked about.”

 

Brady waved his hand in a good-naturedly dismissive way.

 

“Dreams of kids who don’t know any better,” he said. “Little did I know at the time, you’re lucky to break six figures in that industry. And that’s after decades.”

 

He then clapped his hands on his knees, making it clear he wanted to change the subject.

 

“Mr. and Mrs. Oakley, as lovely as it’s been, would it be a problem if I stole Carey from you for the remainder of the evening? It’s such a lovely night out, and I was thinking she and I could go for a walk around the club.”

 

“I don’t know,” said Carey, stammering. “I’m just so tired.”

 

“Nonsense—that sounds like a splendid idea,” said Mark, his response so quick that Carey wondered for a moment if this part of the evening had all been rehearsed.

 

“Well then,” said Joanne, standing up. “We’ll leave you two alone. Have a lovely night, kids.”

 

With that they were off, leaving Carey and Brady alone—the exact situation that Carey didn’t want.

 

“Shall we?” asked Brady. “The grounds here are just great after dark.”

 

Carey wanted to jump up from her seat, run to the road as fast as she could, and flag down the next approaching car—taxi or not. Instead, she spoke. “Sure. Let’s do it.”

 

Ten minutes later, the two of them were walking under the light of the moon, the soft bubbling of a nearby fountain and the light chatter from the restaurant balcony an accompaniment to the sound of their steps on the grass.

 

“Well, here we are,” said Brady.

 

“Yup,” said Carey. “Here we are.”

 

“I hear you spent a summer interning with an artist in Holyoke.”

 

“Sure did.”

 

Silence fell as they walked. Carey wasn’t sure how much small talk she could stand. Then, Brady abruptly spoke.

 

“Listen, Carey—I’m going to be brutally, terribly honest with you.”

 

Oh, no, though Carey. Here we go.

 

“I want us to be a couple again. It’s been years since we met, and even now I find myself still wondering why it is that you and I broke up. We were so happy together, weren’t we?”

 

We broke up because everything I liked about you changed so that you could make money.

 

She kept those thoughts to herself, of course.

 

“I don’t know, Brady,” said Carey. “I suppose we just grew apart.”

 

“Exactly! We grew apart—my thoughts exactly. I decided I want to make more money, and you wanted to pursue your dream of being a, uh, sculptor.”

 

“Painter.”

 

“Oh, same thing. But I’ve been thinking. I decided that if it’s possible for two people to grow apart, then it’s certainly possible for them to grow back together again. Right?”

 

Carey realized there was no way of getting out of this. But she had a thought as Brady stood with her, his face in an expression of wide-eyed supplication: what if he could be the father to the baby? After all, the child was going to need a father, and Carey didn’t trust Owen with the job one bit, not after what she’d seen. Brady, on the other hand, might be a tiresome boor, but he at least had money and stability. And she realized that if she timed things right, she could have him believe that he was the father.

 

It struck her as a devilish option, but the more Carey thought about it, the more it appealed to her. All it would cost her was the love of the man she’d cared for more than any other in exchange for a life of stultifying stability. With a child in the picture, however, Carey knew that she couldn’t only think about herself anymore. What was love in the face of the future of her child?

 

“Let me … think about it,” said Carey.

 

“That’s all I was hoping to hear,” said Brady, his face eager and pleased. “Let’s spend the day together tomorrow. I’ll show you just how good of a decision it would be to get back together with me.”

 

Then, as though possessed by a wild animal, Brady launched into a kiss that Carey wasn’t expecting. It was so sudden—one moment Carey was looking at the ground in front of her feet, the next Brady’s face was right in front of hers, his thin lips puckered.

 

Carey dived out of the way, and Brady stumbled forward, falling into the grass.

 

“What the hell was that?” asked Brady from where he sat.

 

“Good question!” shouted Carey, shocked from the attempt.

 

“I just thought it looked like that was what you wanted!” he said, shocked.

 

Wait, she thought, play it cool. Don’t let him know that the idea of kissing him is enough to make your stomach turn. Don’t scare him off, or the plan will be ruined.

 

“Um, it was just so sudden,” she said, extending her hand and helping him up. “I mean, maybe we can give this couple thing a try. But you’re going to have to take it slow. And, um, I mean very slow.”

 

“Fine, fine,” he said, smoothing down his now-wild blond hair. “But what’s the point? I mean, we’ve already done everything together.”

 

“I just need some time to adjust to it. And if you want this to work, you’re going to need to be respectful of this.”

 

“Fine!” he said, clearly frustrated. “Then let’s call it a night. How about we meet for lunch tomorrow? I know a lovely bistro in Boston at which I’m sure I can easily get a reservation.”

 

“Sounds great,” said Carey, eager to get home.

 

“Then let me call for my ride.”

 

He dialed up a number on his phone as they made their way back to the front of the country club. As they arrived, a sleek black Mercedes pulled up to meet them.

 

“Wow, this yours?” asked Carey.

 

“Why, yes—it is,” he said, a smirk on his face making it clear that he was happy to have impressed her.

 

They climbed into the back of the car and were soon off. As the driver took them back to Carey’s place, Brady placed his hand on Carey’s thigh, a small smile on his lips. Carey wanted to slap his hand off as though it was a little spider that had crawled onto her skin, but she decided to let him have this, at least.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, dear,” he said, holding the door open for her once they’d arrived.

 

“Until then,” said Carey.

 

Once the door was shut, Carey entered the house as quickly as she could. Her parents were seated in the living room, and both of their eyes eagerly shot to her as she entered.

 

“Well?” asked Mark. “How was it?”

 

“Fine! Tired! Going to sleep!” shouted Carey as she ran up the stairs.

 

Once back in her old room, she shut the door and fell onto the bed. Pulling her phone out of her bag, she brought up Owen’s number, a picture of him attached to the profile. She gazed longingly at his face, wishing she had the courage to just call him up and tell him what she wanted more than anything.

 

But before she could indulge the fantasy for too long, the image of the violence from the other night entered her thoughts like an invader. Tears formed in her eyes. Carey, for the first time in as long as she could remember, felt terribly, terribly alone.