Page 57 of Trapped

Her hand tightened on his. “Everybody else scattered—but you ran toward Danny. And when you threw him down, two fireballs flew over your head.”

“I heard them,” he whispered.

“Nobody had cell phones back then. One of the guys ran to the pay phone at a gas station and called 911.”

“Yes. They took him to the hospital in an ambulance. But I wouldn’t go,” he finished.

“Why not?”

“Because I was afraid they were going to charge me for treatment, and I knew my mom didn’t have the money.”

“So, you went around with blisters on your arm.”

“Yeah.”

“And they hurt like hell.”

He winced. “Yeah.”

“Do you remember anything else connected with the incident?”

“My mom getting mad because my shirt was ruined.”

“You were a hero, and that was her focus?”

“After my dad died, we didn’t have a lot of money.”

“Still.”

He shrugged. “In my household, every penny counted. That’s why I don’t like remembering that I kept the money I earned at Popeyes and spent it on myself.”

“Most kids would have done that.”

“I should have given some to Mom.”

“Did you make it up to her later?”

“Yeah. I bought her a condo in Daytona Beach.”

“You’re allowed to feel good about that.”

He nodded.

“What else do you remember about your family?”

“I had an older sister. She got married right out of high school and moved away. We didn’t see much of her after that. But I gather she was in an abusive relationship.”

She winced. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “No wonder I wanted to forget all of that.”

“But you’re doing good at bringing it back.”

He snorted. “I’ve tried to bury all that stuff.”

“What do you remember about my family?” she asked in a low voice.

He turned his head toward her, then looked across the room, his eyes unfocused. “Your background was a lot different from mine. Your dad was the president of the local bank. And your mom spent a lot of her time playing tennis at Turf Valley Country Club. They wouldn’t have liked to know you spent the night with me.”

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