Page 19 of Drifting

Patty runs around to the other side and climbs in, grabbing her purse from the backseat. She digs around and pulls out a pill bottle. “It’s time for your pain meds.”

“I don’t want it.” Even though everything hurts like hell.

“Shelby, I can tell by your face that you need one.” She shakes the bottle, rattling the pills inside. “How about half?”

“Okay, but only half,” I agree reluctantly. “Can we stop at a drive-thru first? I’m hungry.”

She smiles. “Yeah, sure, I could eat.”

After I take my meds, we get back on the road, and she drives until we spot a sign for a McDonald's. Once we get our food, she pulls around to the parking lot so we can eat, then hands me half of a pain killer to wash down with my drink.

“They gave you my pills.” I shake my head. “They gave an ex-druggy pills.”

Is this how things will go to shit this time?

“They didn’t realize I’m an ex-druggy.” She holds the bottle out to me. “Here, if it bothers you, take them. I haven’t touched anything in a year and a half now.”

Whatever therapy she’s been doing is working.

“You look healthy,” I acknowledge.

“Well, thank you. I feel healthy.” Setting her purse and the empty food bag in the back, she starts the SUV and pulls back onto the road. “So, you going to tell me how you got multiple fractures?”

I stare out the window, watching the small town pass by. “Street racing. It was the final race of the year and had a big payout. Cin and I wouldn’t have needed to worry about rent for six months. But I caught the damn flu about a week before. Had a high fever, runny nose…all the good stuff. My team told me not to race and even offered to pay our rent, but I don’t like owing anybody anything--I learned that lesson from you. Cin begged me not to race. She was worried my mind wasn’t clear enough. She said she’d never talk to me again if I wrecked, and now, she got sent back home.”

Guilt and regret surge through me. Why didn’t I listen to her?

I throw my head back. “I’m not sure what happened. The guys told me someone stole my opponent’s car. He purposely crossed the line and hit me, causing me to flip. If I didn’t have the flu, maybe I could have reacted quicker. I don’t know.”

“God, Shelby, he could have killed you.” She shakes her head while keeping her eyes on the road. “You might resemble me, but you got your father’s sense of recklessness.”

“I don’t want to talk about my deadbeat dad.” I rub my temple, where I feel a migraine coming on. “Tell me about this new family.”

“Um…” She bites her lip as she thinks of where to start. “Oh! The house. It’s big and has a pool. I spent a couple of weeks decorating your room, so I hope you like it. I repainted the walls. It used to be Nick’s room, but he moved up to the small apartment above the garage that we fixed up for him. And you don’t have to worry about sharing a bathroom. You have an ensuite.”

I eyed her sideways. “Mrs. Abney said you searched for me?”

“Of course, I did, the very minute we got back from our honeymoon, which was only three days. Peter can’t be away from work for too long since he takes the family on an annual vacation. The life of a doctor,” she huffs. “The minute the court restored my parental rights, we started searching. Who knew you’d be so close?”

She talks nonstop about Peter, Nick, and Hannah until I think my head will explode.

When she pulls off the highway, there’s a big sign on the right that reads Welcome to Greyhedge, Maryland.

The farther we travel away from the highway, the fewer business buildings I see and more houses that look like mini-mansions hide among the trees on each side of the road.

We turn into a neighborhood with a sign announcing West Court.

The homes— No, that’s not right. The mansions, make my eyes widen. This can’t be right. She must have made a wrong turn somewhere. We always stayed in rundown apartments in the worst areas of town.

She turns into a driveway and shuts off the engine.

I think what I’m staring at is a garage, but it’s bigger than anywhere we’ve ever lived.

“Um, Patty, you sure you didn’t steal one of my pills?” I ask, still in denial. “You made a wrong turn somewhere, right?”

She pats my hand. “It’s the right place.”

Something outside the SUV catches her eye, and a big smile spreads over her face.

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