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rushed me. I swung without thinking about it, and knocked him over the head. Chad s tears started to fall. But he kept coming at me, kept trying to fight back. And I kept hitting, over and over, until he wasn t moving, anymore. Ash sank to his knees and started to retch. Jamie wanted to go to him, but he couldn t. He had to finish it. So you dragged Ben s body out into the middle of the road, and then slashed his tire to make it look like he d been changing a flat. Chad put his head down and nodded. I started to throw his jack handle back into the trunk, but there was blood all over it. I had just enough time to run back to my car and switch Lewis s handle with mine before that drunk guy came barreling down the road. He made it so easy, didn t even try to stop. He hit Lewis and then took off in one direction while I ran back to my car and took off in the other. Ash looked up from where he was kneeling on the grass. You left him there like a piece of road kill. Chad was full-on sobbing. I thought that would fix it. With Lewis gone, you and me, we should have been okay. But you were different. You acted like you missed the bastard. I took hope from the fact that you said your father was making you go to that stupid memorial service, but, deep down, I knew it was a lie. You wanted Lewis more than you wanted anything or anyone, even me. You wanted him enough to die for him, with him. I was so damn scared when I heard you d tried to kill yourself. I rushed to the hospital, only to hear you say you were bisexual. That s when I knew for sure. No matter what Lewis had done to you, you were in love with the guy I d killed him for nothing. Chad struggled for breath and swiped at the tears rolling down his face. I thought if I got away from you, pretended I was mad about you being a fag, that the distance between us would make you see how much you needed me, how important I am to your life. His anguish rose. But you went on without me, damn you. You picked up the pieces of your life and came out better for it. You came out on top, and I m right where I started. At the bottom. He moved back so that he was gripping one of the iron pickets on top of the guard rail. You have it all, and I got nothing left. In that instant, Jamie knew that there would be no trial for Chad Minton, no day of reckoning in front of a jury of his peers. Even before Chad took the three steps needed to climb over the top of the railing, Jamie could see it. Chad Minton had come full circle. For one shining moment, he d been in the sun, catching the rays Ash had shed his way. From bottom to top was one thing, but going back again wasn t an option. Jamie reached out his hand to grab Chad, to stop him from going down the one road from which he could never come back. He caught a handful of Chad s coat, the fabric making an even rip as Chad freed himself from the last of his bonds. Chapter Twenty-Two Jamie placed one more box on top of the stack in the back of the U-haul and moved aside so Ash could close the door. Is that everything? Yep. That was the last box. Jamie wiped the sweat out of his eyes, not that it did any good. The late August sun was relentless, especially at three o clock in the afternoon. He couldn t wait to get back inside the air-conditioned apartment. But first, thanks were in order. I appreciate your coming over here and helping me load all this up, man. Dillon wanted me to wait until he got back, but I hate packing. I figure it s better just to get it over with. When Ash nodded his agreement, Jamie said, I still can t believe your dad is doing this. I can t believe he bought and furnished a house near Garman just so the three of us wouldn t have to live in the dorms. Ash grinned and shrugged back into the t-shirt he d shed while they were loading the truck. I can. You know my dad, Jamie. He s still pissed that you wouldn t keep that money Ben left you. You should have known he d find a way to pay you back, somehow. He feels like he owes you for all you ve done for me. Hell, I wouldn t even be here if it weren t for you. His face fell. Not to mention the way you helped me when Chad & well, you know. Jamie nodded. How are you doing with that? Ash sighed. I still can t believe he s gone, even though it s been over three months. After everything he did, I think a part of me will always miss Chad. Understandable. He was a part of your life. And watching a guy kill himself isn t something you just get over. I know. I m glad that you and Dillon didn t have my death to add to the shit you ve already been through. Where did you say Dillon is, again? Saying goodbye to Heath. Ash leaned against the back of the truck. Heath s not coming to the going-away-party your aunt s throwing for you guys tonight? Nope. Not that I m sorry to hear it, but why? Said he didn t want to be around a bunch of people right now. He s taking Megan s leaving town a whole lot harder than I thought he would. Ash curled his lip. It s his own damn fault. I feel the same way about Heath that I feel about Chad s father. Jamie propped his foot on the bumper of the U-haul. What do you mean? You saw how Mr. Minton acted that night at the police station. A whole roof full of people heard Chad confess to killing Ben, and Mr. Minton still didn t want to believe it. He practically accused us of pushing him. Jamie winced. Don t remind me. Talk about misery. The thing is, though, I felt sorry for the guy. He d just lost his son. He must have loved Chad a lot to be so torn apart by his death. Ash shook his head. That s just it. Up until that night, he acted like he didn t even know Chad was alive. Mr. Minton drank or gambled away every paycheck he ever got. If it hadn t been for Chad s grandma, the guy wouldn t have even had clothes to wear. And Chad s mom was just as bad, leaving him home alone every night while she was out screwing around on his dad. Ash spat on the ground. Heath s exactly like they are. He treated Megan like some whore he picked up for the night, then acts like he s dying with love for her now that she s gone. Yeah, well, some people don t know when they ve got it good. At least Megan sounds like she s doing okay. She called us this morning to tell us she finished up her summer credits. She sounded better than she s sounded in a long time. Yeah. I talked to her for a little while last night. She s still giving me lip about not walking with the rest of you on graduation night. Jamie s skin itched just thinking about that stupid cap and gown. You didn t miss anything, believe me. Megan did miss you at graduation, though. She mentioned you not being there only about a hundred and fifty times. She s really come to depend on you. I m just glad she had someone to lean on. With you guys, her family, and me, Megan was able to pull it all together. Ash drew a deep breath. Someone should have done something like that to help Chad. I should have done something. If I had, maybe Jamie didn t let him finish. Don t even say that. You had no way of knowing that the guy was obsessed with you. He killed Ben because he wanted him out of the way. You couldn t have known Chad was that close to the edge. Ben sure as hell didn t, or he wouldn t have taunted him that night. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |