Page 32 of Rock and a Hard Place

“It’s okay. I know what you mean. He wasn’t in his right mind. I tried to get him to take me with him, but he wouldn’t. He seemed to just shut down. He rarely ate and lost a lot of weight. Something inside him just broke.”

“Grief is a powerful thing, and you both lost a lot.

Listen, I’m eighteen now, and I want you to come be with me. You’d be safer.”

Peter could picture how much fun they’d have together and how happy Libby would be away from Rockville. He hoped she agreed.

She sat, wide-eyed. She opened her mouth to speak and then stopped. He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind.

“I would love to escape this town and be together 24/7, but how would we do that? Where would I live? Would I go on tour with you?” Libby asked the same questions that rolled around his mind.

“I haven’t got it figured out, but I’m working on it, and it’s going to take some time before I can make it happen.”

“Peter, I’d love to run away with you, but somehow I don’t think your family would be too keen about somestrange girl showing up. What about school? And what about my dad? He’s coming back for me. I know he is.”

Peter wanted to say that if he hadn’t come back in the past year, it wasn’t likely he’d return any time soon, but he kept it to himself.

“I know. It’s a lot to think about. You’re in a bad situation, surrounded by people who don’t care about you, but I care, and I want you with me.” He reached for her hand and held it firmly. “I’ve got all kinds of money, and it should be good for something. Maybe it can help get you outta here.”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I’m so happy, I could cry.”

“Good. I don’t think I could take any more tears. When you live in a house with four guys, crying doesn’t exist. Garrett beat that out of me when I was three.”

“So what was the other thing you wanted to tell me about?”

Peter couldn’t wait to lay this one on her. “I think we should go to your homecoming dance.” He waited for her reaction.

Libby stared at him, her mouth agape. “You’re nuts. You just agreed I have nothing here, and now you want to go to the Rockville homecoming?”

“Why not go? You mentioned homecoming earlier and I never got the chance to go to a school dance. Don’t you think it’s something everyone should do once? It would be normal. I never get to be normal, and think how surprisedeveryone will be to see you with me.”

“Aren’t we a little full of ourselves?” she teased. “Actually they would be shocked to see me with a date at all. Heck, they’d be shocked to see me out after five o’clock.”

“Then it’s a date.” He wanted Libby by his side. He wanted to show the world his beautiful girlfriend.

“I think you’re crazy. How do you know you can even make it? What if you have a concert or something?”

“If I have a concert, then obviously it won’t work. I guess we’ll have to crash some other school’s dance. Get the date, and we’ll figure it out from there.”

“I’ll have to deal with the crazy aunt issue. I’m not sure how tonight is going to go over. I might be locked in the castle tower for the next month.”

“Then I’ll come rescue you.” And he would.

Anywhere.

Anytime.

“Deal.”

Peter drove past the entry to the preserve. “Where are you going? You need to drop me off.”

“I’m not dropping you off in the woods late at night. I assume your aunt’s place is up ahead.”

“Yeah, but don’t go there. Drop me off at the corner.

I don’t want her to see you.”

“No.” He turned onto the side road that led to the old farmhouse and slowly pulled into the driveway, and then faced Libby.

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