Kate
“You did amazing, babe.” Max kisses the top of my head for the hundredth time and squeezes my hand.
My insides continue to shake, even though I seem fine from the outside. Moments ago, it was a whole different scene. My voice quaked with nerves and tears spilled over as I stood in front of the school board and told my story. The interim superintendent, elementary principal, and new school board president were all present to hear it. It took me three weeks to get there.
Jessie’s parents and Cody sat in the back for support, along with Max. Whit and Jack watched the two younger kids in my room. I have no doubt it’s going to be destroyed.
After all the incriminating evidence was laid out and my lawyer set up our plan of action if this wasn’t corrected, the school board moved to pull the write-ups from my file. It was refreshing, and gut-wrenching, that it had to come down to this. Documentation and me saving all the texts were solid proof they couldn’t turn down.
I didn’t think Max was going to make it. At the very last minute, he slipped into the small room. That was the moment I relaxed just a tick, knowing he was standing behind me.
“She didn’t show,” he whispers as we walk down the hallway to my classroom.
“She didn’t?” I whip my attention up to him.
“We waited the entire scheduled time. Harriet and the counselor played it off like they had missed her. Finn never brought up the fact Ally didn’t come.”
My heart is wounded for the little man. He has to be hurt. She is his mother, even after everything she’s done to him.
“How is he?” I ask.
“Fine on the outside. He rolled his eyes when he saw Emma and growled a little about how obnoxious she was, but then he was showing her around his classroom.”
“I’m telling you those two are going to be trouble, Max.”
I was right; my classroom is destroyed. There are two happy children in the middle of the chaos.
“Who wants pizza?” Jessie announces when he follows us into the destruction zone.
“Me!” Emma jumps up, running over to her dad.
“Go clean up, then we’ll go.”
Finn looks up from his desk and smiles then goes back to writing in his journal. He keeps his eyes on the page as he frantically jots something down. “Dad, I need three and a half minutes.”
“You got it.” Max begins helping his little sister pick up the mess.
There was a break-through the night we went to Max’s parents for dinner. Finn was exposed to new people and an environment in which he thrived. It was when Finn thanked Max for his journal on the car ride home. Jules never commented on how bratty Finn had seemed. She kept her opinion to herself. It totally came across that way. But once Finn’s mind was released from the one-way track of thought, he set it on thanking Max. It was everything.
The room almost looks normal in a matter of minutes.
“Your room is amazing,” Jules comments.
“Thank you. It’s my home away from home.”
“Load up,” Jessie announces.
The older kids are already outside with their faces plastered to their phones. Emma squeals and Finn closes his journal, having had enough time to finish whatever he was doing.
“Can I ride with Max? Please, please?” Emma clasps her hands in front of her chest, hopping up and down.
Finn grunts, but the smile on his face tells another story.
“Honey, there’s not enough room. Where would Kate sit?” Jules asks.
Emma’s excitement falls flat on the ground.
“I’ll ride with you guys, and Emma can have my seat,” I announce before tears start.
“Yes.” Emma fist pumps the air. “Thank you, Kate.”
“Come on, Finn.” She grabs his hand and leads him outside.
“Trouble. I’m telling you all, and for the record, I predicted it first,” I say.
Laughter ensues as we exit the building. Jessie orders enough pizza to feed the town. He knows what his family likes and doesn’t have to ask. I noticed he leaned down and whispered in Finn’s ear. He whispered right back, and I know that’s why a large cheese pizza with extra cheese and a bottle of ketchup show up at our table.
Emma claps her hands when a pepperoni one shows up. The pepperonis spell out her name. Max and I fight over the Sour Pig.
“Finn, do you want a pepperoni from the E on my pizza? It’s the most important letter in the alphabet, you know.”
Finn curls his lip. “No, it’s not. There’s not one more important than the other. We have to have all of them.”
“No sir, E is the best.”
Finn rolls his eyes and takes the offered gift. He glides it through the ketchup before putting it in his mouth. The bell above the door rings, and we all turn to see Cody striding in. The older kids groan and protest that now there won’t be any leftovers.
They are right. Cody puts down slice after slice, not caring what kind he inhales. I relax back in the booth, and Max’s arm comes down around my shoulders. I lay my head on his chest.
“This is perfect,” I whisper.
“It is.”
I glance down at my freed wrist, thankful I got rid of that clunker of a cast. I’m good as new in so many ways. I first notice Jessie stiffen, then Cody follows suit. It’s not long before Max sits up to attention.
“Kids, let’s go wash up then we can get ice cream.” Jules stands, ushering Emma and Finn out of the booth. They go without a protest because—I mean—ice cream.
I’m the last to notice what everyone else already has. I blame it on my high on life and love stupor. When I see, I wish I could’ve remained in my perfect world. The reality is that Ally ripped that right away from me.
She’s with the same filthy, nasty man. She hasn’t noticed us yet as they talk to someone in the corner. Their voices rise with each word that’s spoken.
“I don’t have your stuff. Ally, you need to go home.”
“That was my dead grandma’s china and jewelry. You stole it.”
Max discovered the reason Ally was looming back around her hometown. Her grandma passed, and she was back to collect what she thought was owed to her. It’s really an easy equation. Money equals drugs.
The man stands from the booth. “You were evicted from the property and chose to leave everything behind.”
Whoever the man is plays this out smart, walking out of the pizza place, not entertaining Ally’s demands. She slams her foot down and goes for the door but not before she spots us in the corner. A hellacious laugh escapes her.
In this moment, my heart sinks for Ally. She’s fallen even further down the endless pit she’d spiraled into. In the short time since we ran into her on the sidewalk, her eyes have sunken in even more. She looks like she hasn’t slept for days. Open sores cover the right side of her face, and she can’t seem to stand still. Her hands move in rapid succession as she bounces from foot to foot.
“Jimmy,” Cody calls out, then gives the guy behind the counter some sort of signal.
Ally seems to pick up on this, knowing exactly what it means. I’m assuming Cody just had the guy call the cops. Ally refuses to give in without a final word.
“Where is he?” she screams across the restaurant. “Where is my son?”
Max doesn’t answer her, nor does anyone else at the table.
“He’s mine.” She beats her chest. “If you won’t give him back, I’ll take him. I need him. He’s the only way I can get money now.”
This last comment sets Max on fire. He’s up and out of the booth before I realize what is happening. Cody and Jessie act fast, grabbing Max by his arms and yanking him back.
“You stupid, worthless bitch.”
“Oh no.” She covers her mouth. “Gutter trash turned town prince is a little pissy.”
“Ally, let’s go. They called the cops.” The man wraps his greasy hands around her tiny arm and drags her out.
“I’m going to k—”
Jessie yanks Max back before he can finish his thought. “Not here, son.”
“Fuck this.” He jerks free. “I’m no longer a pawn in anyone’s game, and my son won’t be either.”
Max storms out of the pizza place. I slide from the booth, but I’m too late when the door to the restaurant slams shut. Cody is hot on his heels.
“Let him go,” Jessie says.
I know he’s right, but staying here might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And the fact he’s with Cody doesn’t settle the tension at all. If Max wants whiskey, I know Cody won’t blink twice giving it to him.
“I’ll go get Mom from the bathroom,” Whit announces.
“He’s going to get drunk.” The honest fear escapes before I realize it.
Jessie runs a hand over his hair then massages the back of his neck. “Have faith, Kate, have faith.”
“We are ready!” Emma announces, prancing over to us.
Finn looks around for a second before his eyes go wide. “Where’s my dad?” He turns around. His voice grows louder each time. “Dad. Dad. Dad.”
“Hey.” I rush over to him, dropping to my knees. “He went back to the school because I forgot to turn off a light. I gave him my key card to get in. He’ll be back.”
“You didn’t forget to turn off your light. I saw you.”
Finn has never been angry with me until this moment. He tries to shove away from me, but I don’t let him.
“It’s the room we had our meeting in. The one right next to the music room, Finn.” I’m dying inside as the next lie slips from my mouth. “I promise. He’s going to meet us at the ice cream shop, okay?”
He shakes his head. The hurt and pain on his face is enough to cripple me.
“Come on, Finn.” Emma grabs his hand. “Mom said we can get as many scoops as we want.”
The glare Finn shoots my way as he walks off crushes me. I tug my phone from my purse and text Max. I don’t dare call him, knowing damn well Finn will be studying every one of my movements.
Me: Max we need you. Finn had a freak out when you weren’t here.
Me: Please don’t let her get to you. She’ll never have Finn. He needs you right now.
My fingers tremble as I type. I can barely get out a whole thought before hitting send.
Me: I told him you went back to the school to turn off the lights in the room where we had the meeting. Heading to ice cream. We need you. Come back to us.
We don’t even make it a half-block away before my phone begins ringing. Jessie, who is holding Emma’s hand, and Jules, who is holding Finn’s, both look back at me. My shoulders sag when I see Max’s name on the screen.
“Hello.”
“Hey, on my way. Is he okay?”
“Yes and no.”
“Let me talk to him.”
“Finn.” I hold the phone up. “It’s for you.”
He swipes it from me. “Dad.”
I can’t hear what Max is saying on the other end. Finn nods and wipes away a stray tear.
“Dad, please hurry.” Finn hands the phone back to me. The call has already ended, and I’m left feeling…I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. We barely make it to the counter when the door to the ice cream shop swings wide open. I’m on edge, not so sure Ally won’t still be creeping around. I’m hoping the thought of the cops being called will keep her the hell away.
“Finn.” Max rushes in.
He looks like shit, frantic as hell with sweat beads on his forehead. I notice the smear of blood covering his knuckles. Finn darts to him, leaping up into his chest, burying his face in the crook of his neck.
“Why did you leave me?” Finn’s muffled question is barely audible.
“Just ran to the school, buddy. I’d never leave you. Kate was with you and Jessie and Jules, and who could forget Emma?”
“Hey.” She props a hand on her hip. “Let’s order ice cream.”
Emma starts off the long line of orders. Finn orders his from the safety of his dad’s arms.
“Kate, you want anything?” Jessie asks.
I wave him off. “I ate too much at dinner.”
The truth is I feel like I could puke at any moment. What I really want is to go home, curl up in a ball, and cry. I’m so pissed off at Max right now I’m not sure I can even look at him, much less enjoy ice cream. His reaction has me dumbstruck.
I get he has a temper when pushed, but to run out on Finn like that was bullshit. Yeah, he had all of us with him, but what happens when this happens and it’s just Finn and Max?
I take a seat while the others wait for the young teens to scoop out their dessert. I’m being irrational, and I know it. Max would never leave Finn alone, no matter how pissed and raging he was. I just can’t handle Ally and the way she can so easily disturb our lives.
I battle the instinct to react on my anger and try to remind myself to process this.
“Can I sit with you?” Whit asks, pointing to the single chair across from me.
I nod. “How did you manage to beat Emma through the line?”
Whit blushes. She’s such a different girl than the one I met weeks ago. After witnessing the damage Ally has done to this family, I wholeheartedly understand her defense mechanism when we first met.
“Zack,” she simply replies with a blush coating her cheeks.
“Zack?”
“Don’t be obvious like my mom, but he’s behind the counter with black hair.”
I pretend to glance over at Max and Finn and get a perfect view of this Zack.
“Oh, Zack.” I hum and smile.
“Don’t tell my parents, especially my dad. It will get so ugly in here.”
I laugh. “This is awesome. Tell me more. I need to hear something good after tonight.”
Whit sets down her bowl of bubblegum ice cream. “First, I need to apologize to you for being a total bitch when I first met you.”
“Trust me, I get it now. No worries.” I wave her off. “But cussing and telling me juicy secrets, take it easy on me here.”
She giggles, then proceeds to tell me everything about Zack Montgomery. He’s the star quarterback of their rival school. She’s the head cheerleader of her school. Her dad would hurt him and then lock her away is repeated several times during the description. And in the end, I realize Whit is madly and deeply in love.
The rest of the family has settled in with their ice cream. Finn remains latched onto Max as he eats his chocolate tower of ice cream. Max helps him every once in a while, taking a spoonful for himself. My raging uncontrollable emotions rear their ugly head. I want to be by their side. I focus back on Whit.
“Is he your first?”
Her face goes pale.
“Love, Whit. Is he your first love, crush, or whatever the kids are calling it these days?”
She relaxes with the color coming back to life in her cheeks. And in perfect time, since Zack saunters over to the table next to us with a rag, cleaning an already pristine tabletop. Googly-eyed stares are shared for the briefest of moments before he walks away.
“He smells so good,” she gushes.
All I smell is the cold scent of sweet frozen treats.
“He has a nice butt,” I add. “Eeewww, no, that was so wrong. I was trying to be hip and cool, and that pushed the limits. Gah.”
Whit and I burst out in laughter. My stomach flexes in pain, the joyful kind, and tears roll down both our faces.
“Yeah, just a bit creepy.” Whit holds up two fingers, leaving a tiny space between them.
“What’s so funny down there?” Jessie asks.
“Yeah, what’s so funny, sis?” Jack chirps.
He knows and he’s holding it over her, but Whit isn’t one to back down.
“The fact I’m making you ride the school bus tomorrow instead of with me to school.”
Jack retracts really fast. Jules flicks her gaze to the counter, knowing damn well what is going on. Whit schools me on trends, the cool words to use, and words not to use. I’m still in awe “radical” is on the “do not say it ever” list. That was cool as shit when I was her age.
“Thanks for the pizza.” I hug Jules and Jessie and even Whit. I get a chin jerk from Jack and pat Emma’s back, who had crashed in her daddy’s arms.
“And I’ll see you two tomorrow.” I wink at Max and awkwardly hug Finn, who is still clinging to his father.
“Where are you going?” Max asks, shocked.
“Just gonna walk back to the school, grab my car, and go home.”
“No, you’re not.”
I nod. “Yeah, I am. I’m exhausted. Finn needs to get to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I wave and walk off before he can stop me. Max has his family to part with and Finn in his arms, leaving no way he can protest or stop me. The truth is I need space right now. Whit was the perfect distraction to neutralize my emotions, which happen to be all over the place right now.
In that short time, my anger has transformed into sorrow and bitterness. Not toward Max or Finn, but aimed directly at Ally. She has no idea how much power she holds over them. She doesn’t give a shit either. She’s fixed on one thing and one thing only: getting her next high.
It’s all too much, and I just need a timeout. My phone dings when I get to my car, alerting me to a text.
Max: Did you make it to your car? I’m not very happy with you right now.
Me: I’m fine and in my car.
Max: I’m coming to the school once I get Finn buckled in.
Me: Don’t. I’m tired and going home.
Max: What the hell, Kate? Are you mad?
Me: I’m not pleased. I’m tired. Good night.
I barely get the final word typed out before my screen goes black. That’s what happens when you don’t charge it after twelve hours. The streets are deserted as I drive home. My porch light is on and my bed is calling my name. I unlock the front door, step inside, lock it back up and kick off my shoes.
I feel horrible about my texts when I see the vase of wildflowers on my dining room table, the ones Max and Finn picked for me a few nights ago. I skip washing my face and climbing into pajamas. I strip down to my panties and tug on a t-shirt before plugging in my phone and waiting for it to power on.
My eyelids grow heavy as I wait for the phone to get enough juice to come back to life. I’m about to drift away into peace when a loud clang startles me to life. I leap from the bed and clutch my chest. It takes me long moments to realize it’s my phone making the noise as my notifications flow in.
It must have been the fact I was moments before entering dreamland that startled me. There are six texts from Max. I don’t read them; instead, I call him.
“Hello,” he whispers into the phone.
“Hey, you get Finn down?”
“Yeah, just creeping out of his room.”
“Oh.” All of a sudden I’m at a loss for words.
“You’re pissed at me,” he states.
I slap a hand on my forehead. “I don’t know what I am, Max.”
“I shouldn’t have left.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. It hurt.”
“She knows how to push my buttons.”
I exhale loudly and brave his anger to speak the next words. “I get that. What I’m struggling with is you letting her. Is this going to be how it always is? It’s complicated and nasty. I get that. She threatens taking Finn away every time and knows just how to make your old scars burn to life.”
“Kate,” he tries to interrupt.
“No, Max, I’m not done. I’m hurt because I love Finn and I love you. You know this, yet you took her bait so easily then stormed out tonight. It’s not okay.”
There’s silence, so I continue.
“Finn deserves better. I deserve better and so do you.”
“What are you saying, Kate? You’re scaring the hell out of me.”
“You need to work harder on you, Max.”
“Are you leaving me?” His voice cracks on the last part.
“No, but I won’t be around much longer if tonight ever repeats itself.” I pause. “I love you and want all of you, every single second of the day.”
“I get it.” He lets out a huff of air. “Dad chewed my ass, too.”
“Good.” I smile.
“You walking away from me tonight scared the shit out of me, Kate. Don’t ever do that again, please.”
“Don’t make me feel like I did tonight, and I won’t.”
“How did you feel?”
“Hopeless.”
“Jesus, baby, I’m so sorry.”
I yawn into the phone. Not lady-like at all.
“Get some sleep. I’ll have coffee over to you in the morning. Love you, Kate.”
“Love you, too, Max.”
I end the call feeling better about getting my mixed-up emotions off my chest. It’s healthier than letting them take up space and fester. It’s not long before my eyelids close and I have a smile on my face.
“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful,” I whisper to myself.
Right before I’m about to drift to sleep, a strong odor invades my room. I gag when I sit up. Gasoline? What in the hell?
“Get her valuables. I’ll take care of her.”
Am I caught in a nasty nightmare?
Voices stream into my bedroom. I scramble for the phone. The door bursts open, startling a scream from me, deep down low. My phone crashes to the floor.
“Hello, Kate.”