"I promise I'll try and make it to Thanksgiving," Harry said as she moved in to give Evelyn a hug. "I'm still the newbie at the station so I got stuck with the shitty hours." She gave Evelyn a gentle squeeze for good measure before letting go. Jerry had driven her to the South side so she could see his mother and she was glad for it. The past few weeks had been spent alone in her apartment and at work. She had never really been bothered by it before, but being alone now almost made her feel like doing something bad was inevitable.
She just really wished she had someone around to let her know that she was still on track and still doing the best she could and Evelyn had done that for her tonight. Jerry and the other men were doing their best over the phone but it just wasn't the same. Going back every night after work to an empty apartment was just a kick in the stomach. Most of the time she was alone was spent worrying about how bad she had fucked up her life and how things would never get back to how they used to be.
"You just be careful. You know me and the boys don't like you staying in that apartment. It worries me, you riding the bus late at night…" Evelyn trailed off.
Harry guess it was because Evelyn knew she didn't have to mention all the awful things that could happen to Harry late at night when she was on her way home from work. Harry knew about the risks and planned accordingly for anything bad that might happen. She tried to keep a pocketknife in the back pocket of her jeans at all times. And the gas station had a shot gun under the counter her boss had told her she was supposed to use if anyone came to rob them or even just tried to hurt her. Besides looking like a complete asshole and having the greasiest hair ever her boss actually wasn't that bad.
"I know, Evelyn. I promise once I save up enough money I'll move out of the neighborhood and try and get a better job." Harry gave her the brightest smile she could even though she didn't believe anything she was saying.
Harry really didn't think she was going to be able to save up enough money to get anywhere. She could barely save up enough money to buy a new shirt. She was getting minimum wage at the gas station and even working full time only barely covered the rent she had to pay on her apartment.
"Well, I'm here if you need me. And Jerry, too. The other boys would be here for you, too, if they could be."
Harry took that as a sign Evelyn didn't really believe her either but shrugged it off. She knew Evelyn wasn't trying to upset her but just look out for her. She really didn't need any more reminders of how badly she had screwed up her life, though.
"Like I said, I'll try my best to make it tomorrow. I just really doubt they'll let me leave early. I think you'll just have to save some turkey for me." She gave Evelyn a large smile. She really didn't want any more reminders of where she was going to be spending the rest of her life or how she was going to spend it. She just wanted to try and live day by day and make it to tomorrow. That's pretty much all she could ask for as a recovering alcoholic. She had to admit that every day was a struggle. Every day she wanted to pick up a bottle and wash away all her troubles and worries and oh how easy it would be to do just that.
She could still remember Rick who owned the liquor store down the street from Stockley. At one point in time he had been like a father to her. He had always put up a fight when she had gone to buy alcohol and had even given her food a few times she had been in there. She wondered what he thought after the first two weeks he didn't see her. She realized then that he probably thought she was dead somewhere in a ditch. He probably thought she had finally drank herself to death. For a few wayward seconds she thought about dropping in so he could get a good look at the new her and then she realized that would be a big mistake. She couldn't just walk into a shop full of her worst addiction.
No. She would give him a ring sometime at the shop. She was almost positive the place was listed in the yellow pages of the phonebook and she could use the track phone Evelyn had bought her to call him. She would try tomorrow, she decided, just in case.
"I'll save you some turkey either way," Evelyn was saying as she walked Harry to the door, Jerry following behind like a lost puppy. She wondered if any of the boys felt like she was stealing their spot light but quickly brushed the thought aside. They were like family to her. They most definitely didn't mind. All of them had been in a situation like hers before.
She kissed Evelyn on the cheek one more time and said her final goodbyes before she lead the way to Jerry's car. She shivered when she took her seat on the passenger side. She really hated leather in the winter.
"So I guess you didn't tell your mom about the incident a couple weeks ago?" She asked Jerry when he finally got in the car. She hadn't really spoken to Jerry about the incident since it happened and she hadn't wanted to either. It just gave him another excuse to bitch about her living in such a bad place. He didn't have to remind her how seriously hurt she could have been, either. She had replayed the situation over and over again in her mind, particularly the part where Jerry had not told her beforehand that she was living next to a drug dealer and gang lord. She had asked Jerry how long he had known and his simple answer had been "awhile". He had also told her that he had heard of the Darley gang and how ruthless they could be.
If the show Darley had put on in the staircase was any indication, Harry didn't doubt it. She had seen how badly that Darley character had treated that guy. You didn't just throw a guy down a staircase unless you really meant business. She had definitely learned that from a few of Bobby and Angel's stories.
"No, I didn't say anything. She doesn't need another reason to worry about you and frankly neither do I." Jerry wasn't looking at her. He was already sticking the keys in the ignition and starting the car.
"Whatever, Jerry. We've had this conversation too many times to count. I really don't want to have it again." She sighed and slumped down in her car seat. She was getting this same speech from everyone in the Mercer family and it was getting old really fast. She had had to talk to Bobby about it for hours the other night. Bobby had cursed her up and down and then told her that he just wanted to look out for her and that she was important to him and his family. She had told him how sweet it was but that he could go to hell for trying to dictate her life and her choices. He hadn't liked that and it had started a whole new fight between them.
"Fine. You know how all of us feel about it and I guess it's pretty apparent you're just gonna let us worry."
There it was. He was skipping right to the guilt part of the speech. He was trying to guilt her into moving by telling her the whole Mercer was worried about her. She knew for a fact that it wasn't true, though. All of the Mercer boys had other lives they worried about, Angel with the military, Jack with his non-existent rock star career, Jerry with his wife and kids, and Bobby with whatever the hell he was doing in God knows where. It wasn't like any of them were sitting up worrying about her all the time. Even Evelyn had other things to occupy her thoughts with like helping out the neighborhood kids and keeping them out of jail.
"Don't try the guilt thing, Jerry." She stopped him before he could start. "It's not going to work. I know you guys don't worry about me 24/7. I also know you guys know that I can take care of myself."
She could hear Jerry sigh and could see him slump a little in the driver's seat. She had won this battle but this battle was only one out of hundred more she would have before the new year began.
"You want a ride tomorrow?" Jerry quickly changed the subject and Harry turned her head to look out at the snow covered ground.
"Nah," she said, "Like I said I don't know if I can make it. If I can I'll just catch the soonest bus over here and walk to Evelyn's." She didn't turn her head to get Jerry's reaction. She already knew what it would be anyway. It would just be another one of those disappointed looks that said he wished she could make a better decision. But that was just it. She couldn't. She didn't have the option to.
"That Darley guy give you any more trouble?" Another change of subject. It seemed like anything the pair talked about today was leading to a fight.
"No. For the most part he stays quiet. Sometimes I can hear him yelling through the walls but I'll just turn the TV up louder. He keeps to himself mostly. Except for that one time," she added with a nod of her head.
"Good," she heard Jerry mutter as he finally turned onto her street. "Alright," he said when they stopped in front of her apartment building. "I hope I'll see you tomorrow but if not give me a call. We can set up a time for me to take you back over to get that left over bird." He gave her one of his big toothed smiles and she couldn't help but smile back.
"Thanks, Jerry," she said lowly, her smile slowly falling. "I don't think I have to tell you how much this means to me."
"No, you don't." Jerry agreed with that same smile. "You're family, girl!" He added with a laugh. He unbuckled his seat belt and held his arms out in her direction.
She did the same and let him engulf her in a bear like hug, or at least the best one he could give sitting down.
She waved goodbye to him when she was finally standing at the doors and watched as he pulled away from the curve. When he was out of sight, she let out a long sigh.
Alone again. How wonderful.
She hated this life, she realized, but she still had it so much better than so many other people.
That thought was reiterated when the doors opened behind her. She spun around and was met with the cold gaze of one of Darley's men. He glared at her for a few seconds before also turning around. She realized then that Darley himself was standing behind his gang member. She blanched for a few seconds but quickly recovered. She didn't want to show any weakness in front of him. She was better than that, had been taught better than that by Bobby.
"Well, look who it is," Billy said as he walked further away from the doorway and stuck a cigarette in his mouth.
Harry tried to glare the best she could. "I don't want any trouble," she said as she shuffled from one foot to the other. "Let's just continue living peacefully next to each other, ok?" She made a move towards the door but Billy blocked her.
"I don't know," he said lowly, an evil yet playful glint in his eyes. "I think making things tough for you would be fun. Might liven things up a bit."
"I don't think so," Harry found herself saying with a sneer. "You can barely keep your own guys in line. What makes you think you can take me and my protectors on?" She wanted to cringe at her words once they were out of her mouth but stood tall. She knew immediately it was the wrong thing to say but she couldn't take them back now. She could only fain confidence and hope he would leave her alone and not hit her.
"You got a mouth," Billy said. The glint from his eyes was gone and was replaced with a glare and pursed lips. It almost looked like he was considering something. "You must get that from those friends of yours," he continued. "But you better keep your mouth closed around here. People don't talk to me like that in my neck of the woods."
Harry tried not to cringe again.
"You've said that before," she said softly, finally looking down at her feet. At this point she just really wanted to get inside. She was exhausted from everything that had happened. Dealing with Evelyn and Jerry's worry for her was a daunting task.
When she looked back up again, Darley and his friend were making their way towards a black Mustang, both silent and cold looking. She sighed heavily and reached for the doors.
When she had finally made it the flights of stairs to her door, she relaxed a little bit more. All she could think about was a warm bath in candlelight and a nice long night of sleep to make her worries go away for a few hours.
As she turned the key in the lock and opened her door, a chaotic movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Seconds later she was being pushed into her apartment forcefully and then falling on her ass by the door. It all happened so quick she could barely see and then when a fist connected with her face, she definitely couldn't see. She struggled for a few minutes as her attacker got on top of her and started to try and wrestle her arms to the ground. She fought with all her might and finally managed to reach into her back pocket. She pulled out her pocket knife and without further hesitation plunged it into her attacker's stomach. She heard a loud, pain driven groan and squeezed her eyes shut when her attacker's full weight fell on her and the knife was shoved deeper into his stomach.
When she finally realized he wasn't moving anymore, she used all her strength to roll him off of her. He lay on the ground next to her motionless. She was able inspect him for a few minutes before a scream grabbed her attention. A second attacker was headed her way. She screamed and used her hands to pull her backwards as fast as they could. As soon as she thought she was done for, a gun shot rang through the air. She watched as the guy coming at her slumped into a heap on the floor next to the other and looked towards the door in complete shock and wonder.
To her complete and utter surprise, Billy Darley was standing in her doorway holding a smoking gun.