Page 25 of More Trouble
None of us could understand it or even begin to comprehend it.
“Seems like the youth of Cali Cross are trying to lower the population,” commented Mr. Danvers as he started to put my groceries through the till. “First Jack, now Wes.”
“I don’t think you can compare, can you?” I snapped. “Jack willingly puts himself in danger. Chucking himself around a racetrack at ridiculous speeds, he’s an accident waiting to happen. Wes was changing a tire. Some drunken prick slammed into him. He couldn’t have known the danger.” I shook hard; consumed with grief again.
Mr. Danvers bowed his head. “Sorry, son. I didn’t think. You are right, you can’t compare the two situations.”
The rest of the transaction passed in silence as I tried to compose myself. Losing my shit in public wasn’t something I wanted to make a habit of. We exchanged goodbyes and I headed back out into the parking lot. I packed the bags into the trunk and got back behind the wheel.
The conversation with Mr. Danvers reminded me I should contact Jack. He needed to know what had happened. I knew Wes had tried to get in touch to tell him the news about him and Scarlett and the baby. I wasn’t entirely sure where Jack was, but when I called his number it went straight to voicemail. My throat closed. How the hell was I meant to tell him in a voicemail? But I had to try.
“Jack, hey, it’s Andre. Um, Wes is, I mean, he’s…” I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t say the words. “Shit. Jack, call me when you can.” I ended the call and tossed my cell onto the passenger seat.
It was going to be hard going back to the apartment and being the strong one again.
But I had to do it for Scarlett’s sake.
Maddox was waiting on the sidewalk outside the apartment block when I arrived back.
“You okay, buddy?” I asked as I got out.
“Taking a breather. It’s getting intense in there.”
I flipped the trunk. “Yeah, I can believe it. How is she?”
“Scarlett’s refusing to eat anything, despite Willa’s best efforts and tempting her with everything under the sun.” His stomach growled. “Hell, she’s even making me hungry.”
“And Willa? How’s she doing?” I bit my lip again, wondering if she’d mentioned anything about my message.
Maddox shrugged as he hefted one of the bags out.
“Does she still hate me?” I had to know.
He placed the bag on the sidewalk and squared up to me. “You’d have to ask Lyla. The two of them have been catching up this whole time you’ve been gone.” He frowned, his gaze falling to the curb, avoiding looking at me. “But I don’t think she ever did, Dre. Not really. You hurt her. That’s why she left and never returned. She loved you too much to watch you date other girls. I thought you understood that?”
I didn’t have the first clue. How was I only hearing about this now? Why had Maddox never told me before? Or more to the point, why hadn’t Willa herself?
“You’re trying to tell meI’mthe reason she’s been gone?”
He nodded slowly.
I dragged a hand through my hair. “I don’t have that much pull, man. I’m nothing special.”
“Andre, you were Willa’s whole world.”
My head fell back, and I stared up at the sky. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any worse, there it was; a reminder that I was a complete and utter asshole.
We went inside, straight into the kitchen and started unloading the groceries. There was no-one else in the kitchen. I put things in cupboards with similar products, trying to make things as easy for Scarlett as possible, as Maddox put the perishables in the refrigerator. It was almost laughable to watch me, opening cupboard doors, examining the contents and working out whether the flour belonged in there. When we’d finished, we headed back into the living room. Scarlett was sitting on the sofa, sipping tea, Lyla curled up at the other end. The TV was on low in the background, a re-run of Friends, breaking the silence. There was no sign of Willa.
“You know what goes perfectly with tea?” I wriggled down onto the sofa between them, crushing my sister’s feet as I did so.
Scarlett shook her head.
“Cheesecake,” I announced triumphantly.
Instantly, Scarlett dissolved into tears again. “Wes always brought me cheesecake,” she managed between sobs.
Lyla reached over and punched my arm, muttering something under her breath.
