*Warning: suggested violence/abuse*
Right another chapter for you :-) It hit me the other day that I've actually named my O/C after Randy's actual wife. Unintentional I assure you, but bizarre all the same!
Lots of thanks to QueenofYourWorld again :-) And thank you to those you of who review - means a lot :-)
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Stranded - Part 7
(Randy's POV)
I'm sitting at the hotel bar, nursing ice and vodka in one hand and my phone in the other. I keep glancing at the time, constantly trying to work out if it's a good time to call. It's one in the morning. So that means… seven in England? Or eight?
My shoulder aches as I lift the glass to my mouth. The vodka hits, soothes and then ebbs away. I search for Sam's number. Although there's no need, I think I know it off by heart now. I'm about to call her, when voices approach me.
"Dude, you're still here?"
"You called her yet?"
Jeff seats himself on one side, John on the other.
"What time is it there?" John asks.
I shrug. "Either seven or eight."
"You're gonna call her at seven am?"
"I guess."
"Do you do this every night?"
"No. She calls me sometimes." I try to man up my grin, but the look on John's face tells me that I didn't succeed. I probably ended up looking like a love-sick teenager.
Sam calls me every other day in the morning. We take it in turns. Even so, my cell phone bill is going to go through the fucking roof. At nine every other morning, my cell phone rings like crazy and when I answer, Sam breathes "hey…" Her voice just kills me. At night when I call, she sounds sleepy but so fucking adorable. I can just imagine that when she picks up the phone this morning, she'll be standing in the kitchen in that soccer shirt that I saw her in on the first night, probably making coffee, while Toby gets ready for school upstairs. I'll hear her yawn and then apologise. I'll hear her apologise again and shout to Toby to get off the sofa and upstairs to the bathroom. I'll hear her clank around the kitchen; the kettle boil and then she'll say she has to go… And every time, I want to finish the conversation with something else rather than "okay, speak to you later."
The barman appears and asks if the others want a drink. They shake their heads. Thank God. He asks me if I want another. I say no.
"So when do we get to meet this chick who's got you on your knees?" John asks.
"Dunno."
"He won't ask her to come visit," Jeff says.
"Are you serious? Thought you liked her?"
"It's complicated." Out of the corner of my eye I can see Jeff roll his eyes at John. "She's got a kid. Well, the kid isn't hers, but he is sort of. It's just-"
"Complicated," they finish in unison.
I don't bother to say anything. I play around with my phone and as it flicks back to the main screen, John grabs at my hand.
"Is that her?"
"Yeah." The picture is one of Sam and Toby that she sent me the other day. They're sitting in outside, Sam's got sunglasses propped on her head and she's squinting in the sunlight. Toby's arms are hung around her neck and he's grimacing slightly. Sam told me that he was trying to practice his scary face for when he becomes a wrestler.
"Is that the kid?"
"Toby."
"He don't look like her."
"He's her sister's."
"Right." John pauses. "The sister-?"
"She's dead."
"Shit. Sorry."
"That's exactly what I said when she told me." I decide not to expand on the subject. Since Sam told me, it's been hovering uncomfortably in the back of my mind. On the flight home, all I could see was that shudder when she spoke about Jess' husband. It unnerved me. And I haven't had the guts to ask her about it since. It doesn't feel right over the phone.
"How old is he?"
"Eight."
"He looks like a cool kid."
"He is."
Silence. It's quarter past one. I should call her. Perhaps John and Jeff can sense this.
"I'm gonna turn in. Long journey tomorrow. And gotta get a fucking work out in before the flight. You up for it?" Jeff asks me.
"Sure. What time?"
"Seven?"
I nod.
They wander away and I finish my drink. I leave a few notes on the bar and slide off the barstool. On my way to the elevator, I dial.
(Sam's POV)
I can hear my phone ringing as I get out of the shower. Frantically wrapping my towel around me I run back into the bedroom. I answer it one ring from going to answer phone.
"Hey," I smile.
"You okay?"
"Yeah…" I wrap the towel around me tightly. "You really pick the best times to call."
"Why?"
"I just got out of the shower."
"Really?" I can almost see the smirk spreading across his face.
"Do you know what time it is here?"
"No… It's like one here."
"It's just after seven here. Where are you?"
"In a hotel. Like usual."
I giggle. "I meant state."
"Texas."
"Cool. Good night?"
"Yeah. My shoulder fucking kills though. I fell wrong."
"Right." Randy had tried to explain the whole fake thing to me. As had Toby. As they both had at the same time. But I still didn't quite get it. The whole idea of being able to fall a right way or a wrong way still confused me slightly. My attempt to hide my confusion doesn't succeed.
He laughs. "Just watch it on Thursday. I think my face will say it all."
I grin to myself. "I won't be watching your face…" I half-whisper.
Randy chuckles. "Well just make the effort to, just this once."
"I'll do my best."
There's a pause. "I miss you."
My mouth goes dry. He has never said this before. It's been two months and never once has either of us said those three words. Even though, I know I've wanted to since the first day that he wasn't here when I woke up in the morning.
"Come visit me," he blurts out so quickly, I'm not sure if I'm hearing things.
"What?"
"Come visit me."
"I…"
"Don't say you can't. Please."
"I will. But not right now."
"Just say when."
"I can't." I chew my lip. "But I will. Soon. I promise. Look I've got to go and get Toby ready for school."
"Right…" He sounds deflated, rejected.
"I will come and visit you. Honestly," I say, trying my best to reassure him. To reassure myself. "But now… now isn't a good time."
"Okay."
"I'll call you later…?"
"Okay."
"Miss you too," I whisper.
I can almost hear him smile at the words.
***
I walk home from the school slowly, thinking about Randy. Thinking about how I'm going to fly over to America, if I'm going to take Toby with me, or go on my own. I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't even notice the car parked outside the house until it's too late.
"Hi Sam."
That voice sends chills down my spine. I look up and see Craig hovering in front of the door.
"What are you doing here?" I scowl.
"Just fancied a visit."
"Toby's not here. He's at school, seen as it's a Tuesday."
"Right. Well, maybe I just fancied visiting you."
"I feel so honoured."
"You should."
We stand for a moment, frozen, staring each other down. And then I move to open the door. And Craig touches my hand as I slide the key into the lock. I want to throw up.
"Don't touch me," I hiss.
He withdraws his hand by an inch. "Can I come in?"
"No."
"Oh c'mon Sam… I think it's about time we forgive and forget right? I mean it's been four years."
"I won't forgive you ever."
"I could say the same about you."
I freeze.
"Well, you were the last one to see Jess before she went and got herself killed…" His voice is calm. I can't believe this. Not again.
"You still think I caused that crash? I wasn't the one driving the other car!"
"You said things to her. You fucked up her head."
"I think you did that."
"Really? Why would I do that? We were happy," he smirks.
"Yeah I bet she was really happy to be with you, so fucking happy that she wanted to divorce you."
"You put words in her mouth."
"And you didn't? The amount of times I heard the same bullshit about how you were changing, that you were sorry, that you wanted to be a better person and she was the one to help you." I'm almost screaming. I can feel my eyes burning. My head feels like its about to explode.
Craig edges closer to me. I back away into the house, but he follows before I can slam the door shut.
He doesn't say anything as he backs me against the wooden post of the banister. There is something in his eyes that I don't like. Something brewing, that I have never seen before. I can see myself reflect in the dark pools and I look scared.
"We've had this stupid conversation before. And it always ends in the same way," he whispers. "The same fucking way. You don't listen to me. We were happy."
But this time, it's not going to end the same way. I know because of his eyes. I know because his shoulders are tensed. I know because he's going to hit me. I know because right now, I feel like Jess.
In his eyes, I look like Jess.
(Randy's POV)
I'm in the passenger seat of John's truck when Sam calls me. It's four and we're driving through desert. My signal is constantly dipping and I wonder if I'll actually get to speak to her. This morning didn't end well. But I don't exactly know what I can say to change the uncomfortable situation we now find ourselves in.
"Hiya," Sam says when I pick up. She sounds overly cheerful.
"You okay?"
"Yup. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You sound…" I pause, treading carefully. "You sound good."
"That's because Toby just went to bed without asking if you were going to phone and talk to him for the first time in two months."
"He's forgotten me already?"
She pauses. "No. But his dad…Craig visited today."
"Oh, that's cool."
"Yeah. He took Toby swimming after school. Which was good because Mrs Harris isn't well at the moment and I was desperate for someone to look after him because of my shift at the pub." She stumbles over the words, as if eager to get them out before she forgets what to say. It sounds rehearsed.
"I thought Craig didn't visit Toby that often."
"Oh he does visit, just not regularly. Which is annoying because it messes Toby around, but Craig doesn't see it that way. And in Toby's eyes, Craig can do no wrong." Her tone slowly changes from an overcompensating cheerfulness to very pissed off.
"Right… Did something happen?"
"What?"
"Did something happen between you and Craig?"
"Not really. I just try not to talk to him. He takes Toby, goes, brings him back, job done. Why would he want to talk to me anyway? He hates me for what happened to Jess and vice versa." Defensive. And "not really" sounds like "yes, but I'm not going to tell you."
I debate whether to ask or leave it. Something in her tone tells me to leave it. So I do. Sort of.
"Does he know about us?"
"Why would he care?"
"I dunno. I just wondered."
"No he doesn't know. Unless Toby said anything. But I doubt he would because once Toby is with Craig, everything that has happened up until that point is irrelevant."
"Okay. I just thought that maybe Craig could look after Toby if you came and visited."
I instantly regret my words. I close my eyes and wait for the onslaught that I fully expect.
All I can hear is Sam's breathing.
"Sam?"
"Maybe. To be honest, I think he's looking for any excuse to get Toby for a longer period of time. And Toby would love it."
"So you're going to ask him?"
"Might as well."
I can't help but grin insanely. I see John pull a face in the rear view mirror. I flip him the finger.
"So you'll come visit?"
"If I can." And then her tone changes. She softens. "Of course I'll come visit you. In fact, I'll phone him tomorrow and ask." Sam pauses. "So, what are you doing?"
"Fighting like a fucking child over the radio station!" John shouts.
"Who's that?" Sam asks.
"John."
"Oh… Oh! The guy that talks like a chav?"
"Chav?!" I laugh.
"Ghetto, you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I guess that's him."
"Toby doesn't like him."
I choke with laughter. John looks at me confused. "Well that doesn't surprise me. I never liked him that much either."
"Anyone else with you?"
"Jeff's asleep in the back."
"The guy with multicoloured hair? The guy with you when your car broke down here?"
"Yup. Let me guess, Toby doesn't like him either?"
"I'm not sure… He likes that backflip jump thing he does."
"Swanton bomb."
"Yeah sure… It's like a different language,' she laughs. "Where are you heading?"
"New Mexico. And then Arizona."
"Why don't you fly?"
"Road trip."
She giggles. "Road trip? Don't you get sick of it?"
"Sick of the company, sure," I grin. John punches my shoulder and I grimace.
"So what we would be doing if I came and visited?"
"Depends when and for how long."
"Okay… Say I come over for a week?"
"I'll have to work one night, so you could come to a show. And then I'll just get time off and we can do whatever you want."
"I'd like to see where you live."
"We can do that. What else do you want to do?"
She giggles. And I really wish that I wasn't in the car with John and Jeff.
Sam's voice is low when she answers. "I want you to do something."
"What?"
"That thing that you did…"
"What thing? Oh… that thing."
I wonder what she's doing to make her think of that. I really need to get that image out of my mind. Save it for later.
"Yeah," she breathes. "Can you do that again?"
I close my eyes and clench my fist. "Yup. I can definitely do that."
"Definitely do what?" John chuckles.
He manages to dodge my fist without swerving off the road.
