Chapter 8
Lucy
To say I was terrified was an understatement. And it wasn’t just because Boston was driving when I didn’t think he should be. The small two-seater sports car I used to dream about riding in was now a potential death trap for every hill and sharp turn we took through the surrounding forest.
As I gave him directions to my home, he grew distant. Quiet. And I was trembling worse than ever. This wasn’t going to go well; I could feel it. There was no way Jeff was going to do a one-eighty and welcome the idea of me being with a supposed killer. To make it worse, I was having my own doubts about going back. I didn’t know this Boston. He was constantly touching me, staring at me…wanting me. My girlish fantasies were changing, morphing with the woman I was becoming. I loved it. I loved him. But I was also scared of what that meant.
Our small town came into view, old buildings consisting of department stores, giftshops, and a few family owned restaurants blurring by as we passed. I pointed to a road a few blocks down.
“Take a left there.”
Boston’s eyes narrowed, jerking this way and that, as if he was either remembering or trying to. He nodded, hitting his blinker. My pulse hammered away, and I was shaking to the point of being sick. What was I going to do? I was confused over what was right. Maybe it was the tension. Maybe it was the story my brother fed me. The nightmares still came, transitioning from Boston’s accident to either him or Jeff covered in blood.
“Right down there. The white house with the blue shutters.”
“That’s what I thought.”
The words were barely a whisper. Boston glanced over to me, his face was full of something I couldn’t recognize. It was hard, but there was…fear? Yes and no. There was something more.
“You’re coming back with me, right?”
My mouth opened, but before I could answer, he stopped the car three houses down from mine.
“Lucy, you’re coming back with me, aren’t you?” Not just fear, desperation. It twisted my stomach, almost taking away my consent. Boston needed me. Maybe for more than I realized. Guilt. It returned. I had done this to him. I changed him that day. I changed my brother too. I came between them and ruined everything.
“Y-Yes. You have my word.”
A long moment went by before he eased the car forward. We were barely parking when my brother barreled through the door, his face a mix of rage and terror. My gaze shot to Boston, who’s expression was…gone. I was uncertain on what to do, but I opened the door. Immediately, my hand jerked up to ward off my brother. I didn’t want him coming up to pull me in the house. That wouldn’t be good for Boston to see. I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“Jeff, wait. We came here to talk.”
“Nothing to talk about,” he said, growing closer.
“Yes, there is. It’s time we set things straight.”
Boston came around the front of the car, moving in next to me. I didn’t ignore the fact that the engine was still running. I felt sick, and nothing I could think to do eased the churning.
“What’s there to fix, Lucy? A girl is dead and you’re…what, fucking my murdering ex-best friend?”
More anger. Disgust. My face burned at the acknowledgement, but Boston pulled me in, causing Jeff to side-step like an animal debating which way to attack.
“You’re mad and afraid of me. That’s obvious, but, Jeff…I didn’t kill anyone. I remember making a movie. That wasn’t real. And I don’t blame you for striking me with the axe. I was stupid, getting so close. That’s not on you, man. Let it go.” He paused. “As for Lucy…” tighter his fingers gripped into my bicep, “she’s the only one I remembered when I came out of the coma. Just her. Not you, not my mother or father—her. And my feelings were obvious. Maybe they’ve always been there. I feel like they have. Perhaps it was our friendship that had me not acting on them. But I love her, I do, and I’m sorry, but this time, I’m not holding back.”
“This isn’t fucking happening. Do you see why I tried to keep you away, Lucy?” Jeff ran his hand down his face, going pale. “I know you’ve always had a crush on Boston, but look at me, trust me. I’m your brother. Boston is not Boston. Boston is sick. You need to come to me. Just start walking and I’ll take care of the rest. Don’t be afraid. Walk.”
Jeff was back to cutting sharp angles in the yard as he paced faster. Sweat beaded down his face, and I regretted glancing up to Boston. His eyes…they were different. Darker.
“Jeff, I promised Lucy I would try to work this out with you, so I’m going to pretend you’re not trying to take her away from me. You say I killed someone. Prove it. Where’s the body? Let’s go find it.”
I stiffened and Jeff jolted to a stop. “You knew we’d get to this point. You prepared for this!”
“What?” Boston looked between us, confused. “I’ve been a coma, or did I plan for that too?”
“I don’t know. I…I don’t know, but you knew we would get to this point. It’s gone, Boston! The body is gone. It took me hours to get home. What did you do with it after I ran off? Did you bury it? Burn it?’
“Lucy?” Boston threw me a look, and I wasn’t sure what to do or believe. Jeff wasn’t making sense. It left the confliction worse. I had wanted a resolution, but it didn’t look like I was going to get one. Before I could do much, my mother walked out. She was smiling, but it turned to worry as she came forward.
“Boston, so glad you’re doing better. You look good.”
“Thank you, Ms. Adams.”
Her attention came back to me. “Lucy? Do you want to come in and talk?”
Fingers gripped tighter, and I let my palm settle over Boston’s lower chest. “It’s okay. I have to go in and get clothes anyway.”
“I’ll buy you new ones.”
I paused. “That’s absurd. I’m going to talk to my mom. I’ll be right back.”
“You won’t. I’ll go in with you.”
“Boston.” I tried to keep calm. “Stay here or wait in the car. It’ll only take me a few minutes.”
He shifted, and I practically had to pry his hand off me. Jeff back-stepped, following me toward the house. My nausea was at an all-time high, and I was beyond shaking. My teeth were chattering so hard, I was sure they’d break.
The door shut behind me, and I moved in toward my mom to keep Jeff at a distance, but I wasn’t so lucky. He was on my heels, following me and my mom to the table. I didn’t sit down. I couldn’t. I felt like I was split between two people—two different versions of myself. The good me, and the new me.
“All right. You two better start talking. What is going on? And, Lucy, don’t get me wrong, I love Boston like a son, but staying away from home without letting me know is not okay. I almost went to the police. If it weren’t for Jeff filling me in and Mrs. Marks coming to the diner, I would have thought you were taken. I’m on the verge of grounding you for a month.”
“Do it. Ground her.”
“Shut up, Jeff! Mom, Jeff says—”
“Don’t, Lucy.”
My eyes cut over to him and tears spilled down my cheeks. “Don’t tell me what to do. This is your fault! You’re sick and you need help.”
“What?” My mom’s voice had me turning back to her.
“Jeff said he and Boston killed a girl before he hit Boston with the axe. He said he was trying to defend himself, but the girl he claimed they killed isn’t dead. She’s alive. He…invented it all to cope with his guilt. Now he’s afraid of Boston and says I can’t be around him. It’s not real! All he does is drink now and freak out about something that didn’t happen.”
“Not true! It did, goddammit!”
“Calm down,” my mother exploded. “Jeff, what’s this about killing a girl?”
A sob left him, and he jerked the chair from the table, collapsing into it. “I swear, Mom, I didn’t want to hurt her. Boston…he’s a monster. I thought we were just going to use her for the movie, but what he did…I-I didn’t want to hurt her, but I didn’t have a choice. He had a knife. I didn’t know what to do!”
A shade of color dropped from my mother’s face and she turned to me. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”
“He made me promise not to tell.”
“Lucy Elaine, that is not a secret you keep. You said the girl he claimed he hurt isn’t dead?”
“No. Her name is Rhonda. There was a missing poster up in the break room at the theater, but she returned with her boyfriend, pregnant. She probably doesn’t even know Jeff. She’s a little older than me.”
My mother nodded, closing her eyes for a second longer than normal. “Okay. And what’s going on between you and Boston? Do I even need to ask?”
“He says he loves her,” Jeff blurted out.
My mother’s eyes widened and one of her eyebrows rose. “And what about you? Do you love him?”
“I…did. I mean, I do, but…” My hand went out to Jeff, and she seemed to understand.
“And what do you plan to do?”
Lowering my head, I stared at my fingers as they tugged at the hem of my shirt. “I want to go back. We’re staying at his parents’ guesthouse. I’m staying there with him.”
“Unbelievable. You’ve both known each other for most of your lives. How did I not know? How did I not see it before?”
The questions were whispered, but they had Jeff glaring over. “Because it wasn’t there before. Boston didn’t give a shit about Lucy until he woke up from his coma.”
Anger had more tears leaving me. “You don’t know that, Jeff. Just because he didn’t tell you doesn’t mean he didn’t feel something.”
“Hey. Enough. Both of you. Lucy, I think maybe you should stay here for a few weeks. You’re young, and he’s just recovering. If it works out in the long run, great. If not, you may be sparing yourself from a life you aren’t prepared for.”
“Mom!”
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me. You’re staying. And you,” she turned to my brother, “we’ll…talk to someone. We’ll figure this out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. I know what happened. I know what I saw. What I did,” he said lower.
“Be that as it may, you’re still going to talk to someone.”
“We can’t afford that.”
“Jeffrey.” Her voice was stern as she stared at him. “You let me worry about that, and stop arguing.”
I took a step toward the door, pulling my mother’s attention. She gave a quick shake of her head, and more tears left me. I was crumbling to pieces, caught between figuring out right and wrong. All I knew was what I had to do.
“Boston needs me. I love him. I have to go.”
“Like hell!” Jeff surged to his feet, but my mother’s arm shot out to push against his chest.
“Lucy, I told you what I wanted you to do. I want you to stay home and take this slow.”
“And I respect that, but I’m eighteen, and I can make my own decisions. I choose to be with Boston.”
She was ready to argue back, but I saw her exhaustion. Defeat had her shoulders sagging, and for the first time, I saw just how aged my mother had become. Life hadn’t been easy on her. It hadn’t been even before my absent father left. Now with all of this in the open, I worried whether she could handle it.
“I’m sorry, Momma. I am, but please…don’t be mad at me.”
“Baby, I’m not mad. I’m worried about you.”
I threw myself in her arms, hugging tightly as my brother made a growling sound. “Don’t worry. I’ll be okay. I promise. I’ll come by all the time. It’ll be fine.” I turned to Jeff, trying to root in my assurance. “I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, sure. Until he tries to kill you.”