Molly:

I run out of the bus like a bolt of lightning. I don’t know what my game plan is. All I know is that a gun registered in my name is out on the streets somewhere. I don’t put it past Moss to use it to commit a violent crime or sell it to someone else who wants to, and I am so pissed at Cheryl for betraying our friendship like this.

I’m mad at Tucker, too. He knew how upset I was when I got home and saw the scene unfolding in front of us, and he just stood there with his hands in his pockets acting like it’s another day in the life.

I don’t get far before he’s wrapping his arms around me, stopping me dead in my tracks. I slap him away, but he doesn’t let go.

“Stop,” he says. “Just stop.”

I’m bawling. I can’t catch my breath.

“Get off of me,” I scream, but he doesn’t. He just hugs me tighter.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to get my gun back. I need to go to the police. I need to talk to Cheryl. I don’t know!”

“Let me take care of it,” he says.

“Like you took care of it back there? I don’t know what kind of power Moss has over you or why. He’s a scumbag. And now he could potentially ruin my life.”

“Nobody’s going to ruin your life, Molly. I’m sorry I dropped the ball. I figured there was no sense in making a scene. You know him as well as I do; he thrives on that shit. I should’ve handled things differently. I’ll go take care of it. I promise.”

I feel sick to my stomach. I don’t want him to go. I don’t trust Moss and I don’t want to see Tucker get hurt. What I really want is for him to see what I see. I want him to understand that those are bad people, and he will be just fine without them. He doesn’t owe them anything more than he’s already given them.

“I’m going to call the police and file a report. I will just tell them we were on vacation and my place got robbed. I just don’t want a gun registered in my name out on the street in the wrong hands.”

“Please don’t call the police,” he says. “They’ll question us.”

“And?” I stammer.

“And I don’t want them to take me away from you.”

“Tucker, nobody is going to take you away. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Are you sure?”

Of course I’m not sure. I can’t be sure until he mans up and does what he needs to do. Goes and sees the doctor. Reports himself missing. Whatever the hell it’s going to take.

“I’ll go talk to Moss tomorrow.”

“After your doctor’s appointment.”

He rolls his eyes at me, like I’m being a nag. “Obviously.”

We stand there in silence, neither one of us wanting to admit that we have been doing nothing but fighting and fucking for the last week. Nothing that I could possibly say to him right now is going to make things any better. Everything that I can think of is just going to sound hurtful, and I don’t want to hurt him. I do want to push him though. I want to put my foot down and get this mess cleaned up. I’ve let this go on for far too long.

“We need to go inside and write down everything you know,” I tell him. “Everything you remember from this weekend.”

“Whatever.” He shrugs.

“Tucker!” I shout. “Why are you being like this?”

“You’re trying to change me, Molly. You’re cutting me off from my friends, making me go to fancy social events and dress up in suits, you’re trying to make me into someone that I’m not! Can’t we just go back to us? Like the day we met?”

“I didn’t make you do anything, Tucker. And your friends are criminals who stole from me. The only thing I’m making you do is go to a damn doctor so you get can treated for your head injury. Is that so much to ask?”

“You’re digging, Mary,” he says sternly. “You’re always digging for something. You try and make it seem like you care about me, but really you just want something from me.”

“Stop FUCKING calling me Mary!” I yell. “You need to get this figured out.” I turn and take off back to the bus.

“Molly,” he whispers loudly.

“Who is she?”

“Nobody.”

I continue walking away, and I don’t even look back. If he wants to be with me he has some choices that he’s going to have to make, and he’s going to have to make them fast. He has to understand that I’m willing to love him no matter who he ends up being, but I’m not going to be haunted by the ghosts of his past for the rest of my life.

I’m not going to be his Mary.

“I’ll go to the doctor’s tomorrow,” he says. “We’ll tell him everything. I’ll help you do your research however I can. I’ll turn myself in. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right to you.”

I’ve heard these words before. He can say it until his face turns blue.

I need him to show me.