Page 54 of Always Us

“When?”

“Monday. A week ago Monday.”

“Why? What did he want?”

Garret finally looks at me. “I can’t talk about this right now. I need to deal with this thing with Carson.”

“There’s nothing to deal with. You’ll tell your dad and he’ll deal with it. There’s nothing else we can do. Now answer my question. Why was your grandfather here? He wouldn’t show up here for no reason. So tell me what it is.”

Garret stares at the floor again and shakes his head side to side.

“What does that mean? You’re not going to tell me?”

Silence. Again.

I take a deep breath and wipe the tears from my face. “Fine. I’ll see you later.” I storm into the bedroom and slam the door.

Garret opens it and meets me at the dresser. “Jade, where are you going?”

“Where do you think?” I take out a sports bra and some shorts.

“You’re not running, Jade. I promise you, we’ll talk about this. Just not right now. I need some time.”

“You had time! You had over a week to tell me and you didn’t. And you wouldn’t have told me if it weren’t for Carson. I only found out because of him.”

“Jade, just wait.” He tries to take my running clothes but I yank them back.

“I’m running, Garret. I know you don’t want me to, but I don’t care. I’m running. I have to. Because I can’t handle having you lie to me like this. Not answer my questions. Stand there in silence without even trying to explain. I can’t handle how I’m feeling right now and I have to run. I admit it. I’m messed up and that’s what I do. I run. Deal with it.”

I go to the other side of the room into the walk-in closet and grab a t-shirt, then change clothes as fast as I can. When I turn around, Garret’s blocking the door. I don’t look at his face. I just push on his chest as hard as I can. “Get out of the way.”

His hands are bracing the door frame and he doesn’t move. I can’t even squeeze around his sides.

“Garret, I mean it. Move. I need to run. I can’t stay here and listen to your silence.”

“Okay.” He says it quietly. “I’ll tell you.”

I look up at his face. His eyes are wet and there’s a tear running down his cheek.

I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect to look up at him and see tears. The only time I’ve ever seen Garret shed a tear was last spring when he thought he’d never see me again.

I take a step back. “Garret, what’s wrong?”

He reaches for me and pulls me into his arms. “I almost lost you.”

I swallow hard, fighting back my own tears. “What do you mean?”

He doesn’t answer, but just holds me close to him and breathes. Deep, heavy breaths. He slowly lets me go, then sits on the floor just outside the closet. He’s backed against the wall, his knees bent and his arms resting on them, his eyes on the floor.

I sit next to him, rubbing his arm. “Garret, talk to me.”

“My grandfather came here last week. He broke into the house. I didn’t have class that afternoon so I went home. And he was here.”

“Why? What did he want?”

“A couple weeks ago he called me and told me I had to work for the company.”

“Yeah, I remember. And you told him you wouldn’t do it, right?”

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