Page 6 of Screwing With The Scrooge

“She wouldn’t want me,” I say, the words feeling like a punch to my stomach.

“Shedoeswant you. She’s not doing this to anyone else in town. Besides, I’ve seen you two together. It’s nauseating. All these longing looks when the other isn’t watching. Both of you blushing.”

He pretends to throw up, and I roll my eyes. Hope starts to grow in my chest and I try to tamp it down. I know how dangerous hope can be.

“It would never work out. I’m better off by myself,” I tell him as I finish with my strand and start to gather all of the lights.

Townes sighs, following me across the road to Olive’s house. I stack the lights outside of her door, and when I turn around, he’s standing there, staring at me, a mixture of concern and pity in his eyes.

“I know about your dad and mom, X. He’s wrong. You have to know that. You didn’t kill your mom. You were a kid, and she was taking care of you like a good parent would.”

I swallow hard, trying not to show how deeply his words hit me. I can feel the color draining from my face, and I grit my teeth.

I hate thinking about my mom’s death or anything having to do with my dad, and Townes knows that. I told Townes about the night that my mom was killed one night when we were both drunk after we graduated Ranger school. We both woke up the next day and seemed to have agreed that neither of us would ever mention it again. If he’s bringing it up now, it’s for a reason.

“And I know that you blame yourself for the accident when we were deployed, but that wasn’t your fault either. No one blames you. No one except yourself.”

The familiar taste of regret fills my mouth, and I try to take a deep breath, hoping that the cold air will chase it away, but it only seems to amplify it. As soon as he mentioned the accident, it’s like I’m back over there. I can almost feel the sand blowing against my face. When I breathe, I can feel the oppressive heat, the sweat trickling down my back. I can hear the screams and yells from my friends.

Townes was the only one who walked away from our last mission unscathed. Well, that’s not the right word. I know that what happened affected him too. He was just the only one able to walk away without help.

“I’m not dating her,” I whisper, and then I clear my throat, speaking louder. “It wouldn’t work.”

Townes sighs, seemingly disappointed and I hate him and myself a little bit in that moment. He knows me; he should know that I’m not capable of what he’s telling me to do.

“You should try it,” he says, and I open my mouth to argue when he interrupts. “Messing with her back.”

My mouth snaps shut and we head back to my house in silence, just our boots crunching on the snow filling the stillness around us.

I’m not sure that what he’s suggesting is a good idea, but I can’t deny that the thought of getting Olive back, at being closer to her, even in this small way, has my heart racing.

“I’m not good at pranks.”

“Can’t be that hard,” Townes says with a shrug. “Make her a dessert with salt or fill her front yard with gnomes doing it. Hell, Google it. I’m sure that you’d be able to come up with a few ideas.”

I smile at his words and grin when I get an idea.

“Alright.”

His eyebrows shoot up, disappearing under his wool hat.

“Really?” He asks, and I nod.

“Yeah, I’ll try it.”

He smiles, clapping me on the back, and I roll my eyes.

“Now, are you going to help me shovel my driveway?” I ask him, and he starts backing up.

“You know, I think that I have somewhere to be,” he starts, and I laugh, tossing him a shovel.

He catches it easily, and we fall into a comfortable silence as we start to work on shoveling away the snow that had fallen last night.

“What about you?” I ask him once we’re done.”

“I already did my driveway.”

“No, idiot. When are you going to find a nice girl and settle down?”

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