Page 24 of Trailer Trash

We were silent as we took off, and I felt a sense of impending doom like I’d never experienced before. Not only was I about to lose the life I’d built in Henryetta, but I was handing Jed my heart on a silver platter.

And I was powerless to stop any of it.

Chapter 8

We’d beenon the road for ten minutes when I got another text from Rose. She’d sent the first one while we were still on the road to Little Rock.

Are you feeling better?

I tossed the phone into my lap. She’d see the note soon enough; I couldn’t bear to answer. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to cry. Crying never solved a thing.

Jed sent me a questioning look. It would seem he was back to his silent ways—he hadn’t said a word since we’d climbed into the car. He’d just plotted a course on the map app on his phone and started driving.

A few minutes later, Jed’s phone vibrated, and he turned it off without looking at the screen.

“Don’t you need to get that?”

He stared at me for a long moment—longer than was prudent while driving seventy-five miles an hour on a highway lined with eighteen-wheelers. But then he turned back to the road and clutched the steering wheel so tightly I was surprised he didn’t snap it in two.

Had he changed his mind? Sure, it was one thing to offer to go with me in the heat of the moment, but maybe he was having buyer’s remorse? “Jed?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

He didn’t answer, making me more nervous. Maybe I should give him an out when we stopped for gas.

The car was chilly, but I sure wasn’t going to complain given that the alternative was riding on a hot, smelly bus. I reached into the back and rummaged around in my bag until I found my denim jacket.

“What did you tell Rose?”

I stalled by starting to put my jacket on. How much should I tell him? I knew Rose had him on her speed dial—they weren’t only protector and protectee, they were friends—but I found myself wanting to be honest with him nevertheless. This was a good place to start. “I just told her I had to take care of some things, and I didn’t know when I’d be back.”

“And she was good with that?”

I made a face as I slipped into my other sleeve. “I left a note. I expect her to be calling in another couple of hours. Or sooner, since I haven’t answered the texts she’s sent this afternoon.” I glanced at him. “I told her I was sick and stayed home from work.”

He studied me for a moment before he turned back to face the road. “You can trust her, Neely Kate. Rose is one of the most nonjudgmental people I know.”

“I know . . .” I shifted and tucked my feet under me, staring down at my lap. “But if she found out . . . she’d never look at me the same.”

“Rose has done some bad things herself. She’s killed two men.”

“In self-defense.” I glanced up at him. “How many men have you killed?”

His jaw tightened. “Enough to damn my soul.”

I turned my back to the door and gave him my full attention. “Do you really mean that?”

His gaze met mine. “Yeah.”

The sadness and regret in his eyes caught me by surprise. This was the most real I’d ever seen him, and the rawness on his face touched something deep inside me. I grabbed his hand and sandwiched it between both of mine.

He seemed surprised, but he didn’t let go. “How many people have you killed, Neely Kate?”

“Let’s just say your damned soul has company.” And every mile that brought us closer to Ardmore also brought me closer to the things I’d done.

He was silent for several heavy seconds. “Is that what you’re trying to hide?”

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