Page 33 of Restless
“What’s on your mind, potato?” Mom asked.
A beep alerted him to an incoming text message.
Harley:I’m sorry. Please come and watch my rehearsals during lunch.
“CJ?”
“Huh? Uh, I’m fine, Mom.”
Pulling a chair closer to her bedside, CJ shoved his phone in his pocket, sat down to small talk with his mom for the first time in days, and left Harley on read.
Chapter Five
The next afternoon, Mattie puffed on her bud, inhaling the smoke and allowing it to linger for a moment before tipping her head back and blowing plumes. Sitting on the edge of the railing on the pedestrian walkway of Turn Creek Bridge, she allowed her feet to dangle.
The day was gray, the sky heavy with a snowy burden. Any minute, she expected flakes to fall. Below, Turn Creek meandered along, snaking through the weeds and brambles. Unlike Harley’s disastrous foray from school, Mattie knew how to cut.
She’d slipped away during lunchtime, when other things preoccupied her brothers and cousins, namely Rory and CJ. Her brother was absent today and her cousin was wherever. Once she’d scoped out pertinent information, she’d set her plan in action by intercepting the signals feeding her location to Daddy, Uncle Stretch, and whoever else monitored their movements.
Mattie hoped Harley wised up and realized CJ’s devotion to her. No, Mattie hoped Harley realized how nice CJ was. He had none of Ryan’s dickheadness and bravado and none of Rory’s weariness and hangups. CJ was justsweet. Sometimes, she regretted he was her firstandsecond cousin, because, yeah, their family tree was more like overgrown and intertwined vines.
Giggling, she hit her bud again, then checked her watch. She’d head back in fifteen minutes since she didn’t mind her art class. Not only was it the last of the day, painting relaxed her.
Some music would hit so hard right now.
Not wanting to drop her phone in the water, she swung one leg over, then turned and jumped the short distance to the concrete. As she pulled up her streaming service, she smoked. By the time she settled on a song, her bud had flickered out.
The first snowflake fluttered by, and she tipped her head back, allowing the iciness to batter her face. When she straightened, her surroundings swirled around her. She laughed again, not having a care in the world.
Aunt Meggie grew stronger each day. Jo had survived. Maman was calm again. Even Daddy wasn’t preoccupied with Mattie being a lady. At school, Wallace Byrd had yet to return and Lumbly had resigned.
Life was good.
Grinning, she pulled upCall Out My Nameby The Weeknd. She loved that song so much. Unfortunately, she’d never listen to it at home. Her parents liked Opera and Country. Without Aunt Meggie and Lolly, Mattie would have very stunted musical tastes.
The snow fell faster.
“Shit.”
Mattie stumbled forward and pitched to the ground. The pain barely registered. Instead, she screamed with laughter.
“Hey, girl.”
At the sound of the gravelly voice, she blinked. A tall man in a denim cut, leather duster, and leather chaps stood in front of her.
She blinked again. She’d know those eyes anywhere. Many people had green eyes, but only two people in the world had such burning intensity. She’d just seen CJ…recently.He wasn’t bald. Her uncle stayed at the hospital with Aunt Meggie, so maybe he’d shaved his head and she hadn’t been told. “Uncle Christopher, where’s your hair?” She squinted. “When’d you grow a goatee?”
“I’m not Christopher, Matilda.”
Her sudden alarm stole some of the fog in her head. The way he studied her mouth creeped her out. She’d seen those looks before and knew exactly what they meant.
She backed away, then halted. She needed to get around him and escape, not end up deeper in the woods. He could kill her and toss her body in the water.
She tried to read his patches, but with each movement his duster hid them from her view.
“I have to get back to school,” she said, trying to walk around him.
He cut her off. “You go back when I say so.”
