Arielle shook her head. “He’s not coming until six, so he should have eaten by then. We are going to make some popcorn and watch a movie, I think.”
“All right, kiddo. I will have dinner here by five thirty, so go have fun with your friend ’til then.”
“Okay. I will. See ya soon.”
Arielle opened the door, letting it slam behind her as she walked, more like jogged, down her driveway and onto the two-lane road in front of her house. She crossed the street and all but ran down it, turning on the first side street to the right. Down past a section of woods sat Jess’s house.
She walked up the long, gravel driveway, admiring the century home with its tan siding and red shutters. Jess’s parents had this house built from scratch, designing most of it themselves. It was beautiful inside and out.
Arielle knocked on the red door, then waited about thirty seconds for someone to answer. It was Jess. Her mouth dropped open. “What are you doing here?”
“I haven’t seen you lately so I thought I’d stop by and see how my best friend is. Can I come in?” Arielle asked, holding her breath.
Jess nodded and opened the door all the way, letting her in. “Sure, but you can’t stay long. Damien is coming over.”
Jess led Arielle up to her room, where she sat down on her purple bedspread.
Arielle folded one of her legs underneath her. “So, what’s been going on?”
Jess sat beside her, the bed indenting and making Arielle feel like she might slide off the end. Arielle focused on her friend’s face. Her pale skin made it easy to see the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.
Jess fiddled with a magazine as Arielle inspected her. “Nothing. Hanging out with Damien.”
“Yeah, I know. Guess that’s why I haven’t seen hide nor hair of ya, but when I have seen you, you’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding me. I came here today because I wanted to have a conversation about why those things are happening.”
“Well, have it, then.” Jess’s snarky tone felt like fingernails clawing Arielle’s skin.
Arielle tapped her shaky fingers together, then shook them out in front of her. She had to be blunt now. It was the only way. “Are you doing drugs with Damien?”
Jess scoffed, still staring at her magazine. “Am I. Doing. Drugs? Wow, Ari. It’s good to know what you think of me.”
“It’s not a huge stretch when your eyes are always red. Let’s not forget the dark circles under them or how you’ve been snapping at everyone around you, which I had to find out from other people you used to hang out with. Plus, I’m sorry, but a lot of people say Damien is big into drugs, so please tell me the truth.”
Jess looked at her then, but not in the eye. Her cheeks were red and her lips squeezed together so tightly creases formed in her cheeks. “No. I am not doing drugs.”
Arielle sighed. Jess had lied to her. The truth was painted all over her face, but she would never admit it to Arielle. No, Jess would keep lying to protect her secret. Even though she’d been busted.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Jess slammed her fist down on her desk. “I don’t care what you believe.”
Arielle dropped her forehead into her hand, shaking her head. “If that’s how you want to play this, then fine, but just so you know, if you are doing drugs, it’s the dumbest decision you’ve ever made in your life.”
“Get out!” Jess screamed. “Go. We haven’t been friends since Blake came into your life, so get out of my house and out of my life!”
“No, Jess. We haven’t been friends since you started doing whatever it is you’re doing. Those drugs are pushing you away from everyone you love. Something to think about when you get your next high.” Arielle stood up.
“Get! Out!” Jess screamed, knocking everything off her dresser. “Don’t come back, Ari. We’re done being friends.”
Arielle didn’t say another word as she walked out the door. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she ran into Jess’s mom. Her dad stood in the kitchen, slicing up what looked like green peppers. A hearty smell, like beef cooking, made her wish Mom would be cooking tonight.
Jess’s mom stopped her. “Did you guys have a fight or something?”
“Yes, we had a fight.” Arielle kept walking, not about to be the one to tell Jess’s parents their daughter had an addiction.
“What happened, sweetie?”
Arielle turned just shy of the door. They had no idea what had happened to their daughter. Either they didn’t pay attention or they just didn’t care. But they needed to know. And Arielle had to tell them, even though it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. “Do you have any idea what is going on with your daughter right now?”
Jess’s mom dropped her jaw and stepped back. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“She’s on drugs. Her boyfriend, Damien, is the one who got her on them, and as far as I know, he’s the one supplying them also. Have you noticed her acting strange and being all snappy?” Arielle’s heart pounded in her chest, racing faster than an Olympic gold runner. She realized raged burned through her, making her shake. Not at Jess for lying to her, but at her parents for not knowing something was wrong.
No, they were too worried about each other to pay much attention to their daughter at all, and it had always been like that for Jess. Arielle thrust her chest out, hands on her hips, focusing on Jess’s mom’s face. With a scowl directed at Arielle and her nostrils flaring, Jess’s mom narrowed her eyes. Arielle didn’t flinch or back away. She didn’t care what they did to her. They needed to open their eyes and help their daughter.
“Leave this house right now, Ari. I don’t know what your problem is with my daughter, but I won’t let you make accusations about her.” Her voice shook with suppressed rage.
Jess’s dad came and stood behind his wife, bracing his hands on her shoulders. “You heard her, Ari. You were asked to leave, so please do.”
Arielle threw her hands up in the air. “Fine. Put your blinders back on. See if I care.” She walked out the door, slamming it behind her, and sent a little prayer up toward the sky. Maybe her best friend would come back to her one day, but Arielle feared it wouldn’t be anytime soon. It might not be ever again.
Chapter 18
The Last Day of School
The day came faster than Arielle had imagined it would. And it shredded her heart when the final bell rang because Blake was leaving tomorrow for the long trip home. He wouldn’t even be here to get his diploma or graduate with his class.
She headed to her locker, walking almost like a zombie to grab the last few items in there. She shoved them in her book bag and walked out the front door.
The last day of school should have been the best day of her life, but she’d been dreading this one for weeks. She’d been trying to push reality to the back of her mind, but it had caught up with her and she had nowhere to hide. She had to face the facts.
On her way down the steps to meet Blake at his car, she passed Jess, who turned and gave her the cold shoulder. Jess hadn’t talked to her since the incident. Hadn’t even looked at her, which was fine. She tried to be a friend by telling her parents the truth and they hadn’t believed her.
As much as it hurt, she had to let her go because she’d tried…and failed to help her. It was too bad a seven-year friendship faded into what they had now, avoided glances and awkwardness.
Blake sat on the hood of his car, waiting for her with his arms crossed over his chest and a sexy smirk on his face. She jogged the rest of the way to him, pulled his arms open, and stepped into him, burying her face in his chest. “I can’t believe today is the last day I’m going to get to spend with you.”
He rubbed his palms up and down the side of her arms. “I know. I can’t believe it either. But we’ll have to make the most of it. Hop in.”
She did without any reservations, tossing her backpack in the backseat and strapping her seatbelt on. She popped in the Journey CD and cranked it up as they ba
rreled out of the parking lot.
One hand on the wheel, Blake used his free hand to grab one of hers and kissed the back of it before holding it against his chest. “Your parents know we’re going out after school?”
“Yeah, they said to have fun but be careful. And to stop and see them before you leave.” Arielle’s fingers trembled and she tucked her right hand under her leg to hide it. The last thing she wanted was Blake to be even more upset than he already had to be. She could tell he liked living here and didn’t want to go back to South Carolina, but at the same time, he needed to fix his relationship with his dad, so he was torn between two worlds.
As Blake drove, the world slowed down around her. A lump had formed in her throat and if she started talking, she’d cry; she didn’t trust her voice at all. Instead of talking, she stared out the window, not focusing on anything specific, just watching the scenery fly by. Since it had gotten warmer, she cracked her window, not stopping until she had it halfway down, letting the breeze ruffle her hair.
Blake pulled down a side street. Arielle had no idea where he was headed, had decided not to ask because that pesky lump remained in her throat.
Her chest ached, a throbbing ache she didn’t think would go away any time soon. Each minute the pain intensified until she could hardly breathe. Arielle pulled her free hand up and rubbed her chest, but it didn’t help, not that she’d thought it would.
Blake pulled into the driveway of a small house Arielle recognized right away. “What are we doing at the Christmas house?”
Blake brought her hand up and kissed it. “Remember the first day we came here? How we got busted standing in the rain in the driveway of some stranger’s house?”
Arielle laughed. “How could I ever forget? It was the first day you kissed me.”
“I replay that day in my head all the time. When I’m upset or angry, I think about it because it is so special to me.”
Arielle’s breath caught in her throat. Her voice was strained with unshed tears. “I don’t know what to say except you are amazing, which isn’t enough at all.”
“You have made me so happy, Ari. When I’m with you, I feel like I can be myself, and that is amazing.”
Arielle turned toward him, pulling her hand from his to touch his cheek. “Me too.”
“I don’t ever want to lose this.”
“Me either.” She peered out her window. “But I feel like it’s going to be so hard to keep our relationship as strong as it is now.”
Blake nodded. “I do too, but we have to work harder.” He reversed out of the driveway and began driving again.
“Where to now?”
Blake darted his gaze toward her, then winked. “You’ll see.”
Arielle wanted to cry, but they would be happy tears. She didn’t know how she’d found such an amazing boyfriend. Then sadness crept in because she had no clue when she’d see him next. It was too much and all of a sudden her chest grew heavy, like an elephant had sat on top of it and wouldn’t move. She steadied her breathing and rubbed at her chest some more, but deep down it wouldn’t help.
Nothing would.
The next stop was the parking lot behind the grocery store, where they’d spent many nights sitting and talking. They relived their memories there, then Blake took her back to the school. He made her get out of the car and grabbed her hand, pulling her along with him to stand on the field in front of the school.
He stopped about halfway down and to the right a little bit. “This is where we had the bonfire and you saved me from the clutches of Karla Lust.”
Arielle chuckled. “I didn’t think I had a chance with someone like you then.”
“But you still came up to me. You’re braver than you know, Ari. You need to have more faith in yourself because you are so special to so many people.”
She smiled, silence enveloping them both as Arielle replayed that night in her mind, like she was watching a movie reel unfold in front of her.
Arielle sat down on the green grass, biting her nails. Blake grabbed her hand, yanking her fingers away. “I thought we’d cured you.”
“Not so much. It’s been my bad habit forever.”
“Well, at least you aren’t doing it as much as when I first met you.”
Arielle watched as he sat down beside her. “You know, when I first saw you, you took my breath away. You were such a hunk…and I was so scared to talk to you.”
“You were scared to talk to me? There’s no way. You sure didn’t seem like it.”
“Oh, I was. Terrified. For some reason, once I introduced myself, all the reasons not to talk to you faded away.”
“So fate brought us together, then?” Blake lay back on the grass. “It would be nice to believe.”
Arielle lay back beside him. “I think it was, even though I’m not a firm believer in fate or anything.”
“And then I almost screwed it up.”
Arielle bit her lip. “Yeah, you were a moron.”
Blake laughed. “But I’m not anymore?”
Arielle shrugged, which was awkward lying on her back in the grass. She turned her head and looked at him. “The jury’s still out.”
“Your dad said something along those lines when I first met him. You sound like him.”
She tilted her head, her chest swelling with pride. “I don’t see my mom much, so my dad is all I have most days.” Arielle paused. “It’s funny, I always thought I’d be closer with my mom, but I was always a daddy’s girl. Reed was older and the one boy Dad and Mom had, so me being the baby and the girl made it tough on me, but I know everything my dad did was out of love.”
“You’re lucky, Ari. You dad is amazing. He even took me in…and not even my own dad will do that.”
“Sometimes being away for a while changes things. You’ll see. Maybe you’ll go home and your dad will realize how much he missed you.”
Blake frowned. “Or maybe he’ll be the same ass he always is.”
Arielle rolled over, draping her arm over Blake’s stomach and resting her head on his shoulder. He shoved his arm under her back and pulled her close.
Arielle could hear his heartbeat drumming like a beat in a marching band, loud and consistent. “I’m going to miss you more than you know.”
“Me too.” Blake’s voice cracked. Leave it to a guy to have so little words.
Arielle lifted her head from his shoulder in time to see a single tear slide down his cheek. She wiped it off. “Don’t be sad. We’ll be together again, sooner than you know.”
“I hope so. If I don’t see you soon, I’ll go crazy.”
“I’m sure my parents and your mom will work something out where I can come visit over the summer, and I’m sure you will be able to come visit too, maybe for a weekend here and there. Don’t worry, Blake. This love is strong.”
“Did you say love?”
Arielle’s heart raced as her cheeks heated, but she remained focused and nodded her head.
Blake grabbed her cheeks in his hands and pulled her face to his, smashing his lips against hers. “I love you too. And as long as we have love, nothing else matters.”
They lay that way for a long time, until the sun started to sink below the horizon and purple and pink hues took over the blue of the daytime sky. Arielle didn’t want to get up at all, but she had to, so she pried herself off Blake and stood, grabbing his hands to pull him up. His white shirt had dirt on it, so she tried to wipe it away but the stain had already set. “I think we’d better go. It’s getting late.”
Blake nodded. “I figured…but I don’t want to.”
“Me either, but it’s time. And don’t worry. We’ll talk every day and see each other when we can.” Together, they got in Blake’s car.
Silence filled the car on the way back to Arielle’s house. She didn’t know what else to say and she guessed Blake didn’t either.
When he pulled in to her driveway, she sighed. “Home sweet home.” Her heart ached, not for the first time.
Blake followed her in the house. Inside, it was all hugs and more goodbyes. Another lump formed in her throat as she watched her dad and mom both get watery eyes as they hugged Blake and said farewell.
Arielle turned away, but it didn’t help since she could still hear everything.
When Blake finished saying goodbye to Mom and Dad, Reed came over and bumped fists with him. “See you soon, man.”
Blake nodded. “Yeah, man. Thanks.”
With all the goodbyes done, Arielle walked Blake out to his car. He wrapped his arms around her. “Guess this is my final goodbye.”
Arielle’s voice quaked as tears spilled down her face. “I don’t want you to go. Can’t you tell your mom you are staying because you want to go to college here? Tell her you don’t want to leave me, you can’t.”
Blake hugged her tighter, running his hands through her hair. “I can’t, babe. I wish I could, but I can’t. I have to go home and at least try with my dad. I even think I’m going to take a year off school to work on our relationship.”
She cried harder. “I know. I don’t want you to stay, even though I don’t want you to go either.”
“I know what you mean.” He backed her into the side of the car, kissing her for what seemed like a long time. He put every ounce of feeling into the kiss, and when he yanked away from her, more tears fell and she tried to catch her breath.
“I love you,” he said
“I love you too, Blake.”
He got in his car and Arielle backed up, crying so hard she hiccupped and gasped for breath. She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug and squeezed tight, swaying back and forth to try to comfort herself.
Blake started the car, then rolled the window down. He grabbed his shirt at the collar and ripped it right down the middle. Then he threw it at her and she caught it.