“Tacos, of course. Even pulled out a jar of peppers that your uncle refused to touch.” She sniffs, annoyed with him. Uncle Ronnie’s low rumble of laughter makes me wish I was there with them.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “Are you guys really okay? You’re happy where you’re at?”
Aunt Elaine sounds sad when she says, “We’re happy enough. We wish you’d tell us where you were. I’d much rather be with you than here. Florida is always humid and no matter what I do, my hair ends up sticking to the back of my neck the second I walk out the door.”
I refuse to tell them where I’m at to protect them, but the guilt I feel forces me to give them this small mercy. “It’s much cooler here. I think our high was only in the mid-sixties today and it just won’t stop raining.”
There’s a pause on their side of the phone before Uncle Ronnie asks, “So you’re much further north than us. Are you still in the state?”
“I won’t tell you that, but Iamfurther north than the house.” Although I can’t see them, I know they’re heartbroken over the fact that I refuse to divulge additional information. I can’t stay silent. Never with them. “I don’t keep it a secret to hurt you. You know that, right?”
Uncle Ronnie coughs, and it almost covers the sound of Aunt Elaine’s sniffle, before his gruff voice turns serious. “We know. But we’ll also say that it’s not your job to protect us, Susanna. That’s OUR job. I won’t lie and say I’m fine with how you’ve chosen to handle the situation you’re in, but we do understand. Will you agree to something for me?”
My eyes fill with tears, and I nod before saying, “I’ll try. What do you want?”
“One more month. That’s all we can handle. It’s been some time since we all left our home and unless you’re not telling us everything, it would seem nobody is looking for us.” His voice is soft, but I hear the plea lacing his question.
I chew on my lip, wanting to say yes immediately, but knowing that I can’t. “Can… Can we see how we feel in a month instead of me making promises I may have to break? I don’t ever want to lie to you.”
“We’ll accept that for now, honey,” my aunt says. I ignore the emotion clogging her throat, hating that I’m the cause of it. “What’s your plan for today?” she asks, redirecting the conversation.
Sighing, I fight off a bout of exhaustion that hits me since I’ve calmed down. “I have to work this afternoon and evening, which means I should probably go back to sleep. I’m so sorry for waking you both, but thanks for answering.”
“We’ll always answer, sweet girl,” she promises through a yawn.“Call us again soon. When you’re more awake. I’ve… we’ve missed you terribly.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I whisper. “I love you both so much.” I choke on the words, but I mean it down to the depths of my bones. They’re everything to me, and I have no idea how I would have survived without them.
Aunt Elaine cries out softly and I hear a rustle, most likely Uncle Ronnie comforting her. “We both love you like you were ours from the start.” He doesn’t express how he feels with words often, but when he does, they always hit hard.
“I wish you were.” My voice is broken when I speak the truth I’ve always felt regarding them. They’ve been the most imperfectly perfect parents I could have asked for. “We’ll talk soon, I promise.” At least this one I know I can keep.
Our goodbyes are quick and once I hang up, I lay in the dark, hating the silence.
I manage to get another hour of sleep before the memories of my earlier nightmare wake me once more. Giving up, I spend the morning reading on my phone about men who waited seven years for the love of their life until she finally escaped. Determination, dedication, and faith… that’s what attracts me the most to stories like this one. I make it to the end, only to realize that there’s an entire second book after the cliffhanger. I sigh, download the next one, and then get in the shower to get ready.
Thankfully, when Chester picks me up this time, he doesn’t just drop me off at the front of the bar. He parks and walks inside with me. Cliff shows up around an hour later, but I’m already finished entering the receipts from the night before and in front of the piano before he’s able to say anything.
I still feel slimy after making the changes that Cliff asked of me, but I’m not sure what else I should have done. Heisan owner and has just as much say in the financials as Chester does. I had considered mentioning it to Chester, but Cliff’s warnings kept my fingers buried in my lap and away from my phone for the drive.
It’s stupid, I know. But the fear is real. Remembering the way he cornered me yesterday creates so much tension in my shoulders to the point I’m bordering on agony because of how painful it is.
Thankfully, the performance goes well enough with Vance, but I know he could tell that I wasn’t as invested as I had been the previous week by the way he kept checking in on me.
“Susu,” Chester calls out to me as I step off the stage, thankful that the bar is closing and Theo, along with the bartenders, are urging the remaining customers to leave. “I have a few things I need to finish up before we head out. Do you mind waiting, or would you like me to have Theo drive you home?”
‘I can wait.’I message him, and he nods once in thanks before heading behind the bar; I assume to give them a hand with cleanup. Tonight was more packed than I have seen on a Thursday night to date, so I decide to get a head start on the pile of receipts he’s already stacked on the corner of his desk for me.
It was the wrong decision.
The moment I step into the office, Cliff, looking exhausted after the day, narrows his eyes on me. “You doing books tonight?”
I debate saying no, but there’s no other reason for me to be here, so I reluctantly nod my head.
He eyes me and then hands me two pieces of paper. “Put these in as well.” I take them and before I get a chance to read them over, he adds, “You know, I did a bit more digging on you, because of the lie I already caught you in. Turns out, the college you said you graduated from has never heard of you. Why is that, Susanna?”
The way he says my name makes me shiver. I can’t look at him, devastated that he’s calling me out for another fib I wrote down. If I don’t answer him and just do what he asks, maybe he’ll stop digging, exhuming secrets that need to stay ten feet underground.
I quickly grab the ledger and scoot back out of the office, ignoring the way he huffs in irritation. Setting it on an empty table that hasn’t been cleaned yet, I use my hand to wipe away pieces of food and drink rings marking the tabletop, then quickly enter his new invoices, along with the receipts for the night. His paperwork is for another $2,750 and change.