Page 111 of Other Side Of Never
His words gutted me.Body taut, I wrapped my hands around the steering wheel and pulled out.
The story burst out of him in one harsh breath.“It’s the same stuff all the time.My grades aren’t high enough.I’m too thin to play football, too short to play basketball, and too slow to play baseball.”
“Are you still playing the guitar?”
At my question, he turned abruptly and looked out the window.
“Jakey?”
“It’s Jake, now,” he replied softly.“He tossed it yesterday.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in between grieving the child that was almost a man and processing my shock.
My voice rose alarmingly fast.“He what?”
Facing front, he repeated, “He threw it away.”
The blood drained from my face.That was a $4000.00 guitar.
“He said it’s a waste of time and he’s sick of my nonsense dreaming.”
“But—”
“If you’re going to say Keith and Alan both have guitars, you’re wasting your breath.You know the rules have always been different for me.”
I clenched my jaw.It was because I bought it, giving it to him shortly before Gary kicked me out.
He continued quietly, “But I got you and they didn’t.It was a better-than-even exchange.”
The realization that Gary was still punishing Jakey hit me hard.It took everything in me to control my voice.
“Do they know where you are?”
He shook his head.“But it won’t take them long to figure it out.He knows I emailed you.”
I glanced over at him, his expression muted by the dim lighting in the car.“Did he give you a hard time?”
He offered me a half smile.“I’m here, aren’t I?”
I frowned.
He spoke quickly.“I just need a few days.And I wanted to see you before I moved on.I’m going to get a job and find my own place but I—” He cut himself off.“It’s okay if I can’t stay with you.You can just drop me off—”
“I’m not taking you anywhere except home with me, Jakey.”
“Jake,” he whispered.
“Jake,” I acknowledged.“Are you planning on going back?”
He shook his head.“Never.”
“You’re going to try to emancipate yourself?”
“I don’t have to,” he murmured.“Once you reach the age of 16 in Ontario you are legally allowed to decide where you want to live.”
“Okay, Jake.”The shortened form of his name stuck in my throat.“We’ll work it out.Together.”
After Jake fell asleep in the guest room, I opened my laptop to find out just how much trouble I would be in for having Jake with me.Pleasantly surprised to find Jake was right, it didn’t alter my certainty that Gary would show up.
