Chapter Twenty-Two

"Where are we going?" I asked Chris as we started up the road from the diner. He shrugged and then put his hand into his pocket.

"Anywhere you want, just call Gordie first." He dropped a quarter into my hand.

"What for?"

"Because he's worried sick about you and you're- you know- going home with Ace later." He was trying his best to be okay about it and I mumbled a thank you as we strode up towards the payphone.

It took a long time for somebody to answer at the Lachance's but I was relieved to hear Gordie on the other end. I was in no state to make nice with his parents.

"Hello?"

"Gordie, it's me."

"Nina! Where are you? Are you okay?"

I'm fine. I'm-uh- with Ace. I just wanted to call you and tell you I'm okay."

Chris was stood a few feet away from the call box and I wondered if he could hear me from the other side of the glass.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom. Can you come over? Or do you want me to come over to you?"

I felt tears prick my eyes at his offer. The last person he wanted to see was Ace but that didn't matter to him right then. I felt a first class bitch for lying to him.

"No, but I'll come and see you after school tomorrow. I don't know if I'm going to go to work yet but if I don't we can hang out."

"Okay," Gordie accepted quietly. "You know where I am if you change your mind though, huh? I'll leave the window open."

"Thanks, Gordo. I-" I felt another lump form in my throat. "I guess that's the last of my family gone."

"No," he said firmly. "No it isn't. I'm here. I'm your family too."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Yeah, you are. I'll see you tomorrow."

I took a breath before I replaced the receiver and when I left the call box, Chris lifted his head enquiringly.

"Everything okay?"

I nodded.

"Cool. Could you give me a minute?"

It was his turn to go into the payphone and though I couldn't hear him from outside I could see the frown on his face as he spoke.

When he came back outside I wanted to ask who it was that he'd called but it didn't seem like it was any of my business so I stayed quiet.

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We wound up at the treehouse.

I don't think either of us were planning on it but before we knew it we were climbing the ladder. Once inside, Chris slid the trapdoor back into place, sat down in the far corner and patted the space in front of him.

"What?" I questioned, embarrassed, but he continued to pat the floor until I scrambled over and sat down. He opened his legs wide, swivelled me round so I had my back to him and put an arm around my waist, sliding me towards him until I was snug against his chest.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as his chin came over my shoulder and I felt his warm breath against my cheek.

"Nothing," he answered. "If you wanna talk, I'll listen, but if you don't want to, that's cool too."

I did talk some. I told him how my mom used to be before my dad died. I told him all the good childhood memories I could recall although there weren't that many. I told him how much I hated Stan and how I was terrified that when the principal caught up with him, I'd be thrown into a foster home.

Chris didn't say very much but he listened. And he had one of those rare gifts where you knew he was really listening even without responding to you.

I cried for a while and he let me. He wasn't uncomfortable with my tears like Ace, or worried by them like Gordie. He held me a little tighter and when I was done crying he used his fingers to wipe my tears away before kissing my cheek softly.

And then I didn't want to talk anymore and that was okay with him too. The silence between us was comfortable, the sun went down slowly, and I guess for a little while I must have fallen asleep.

"Hey." I heard his gentle voice and stirred, waking up to his arms still around me. I leaned back and nestled against his smooth cheek, leaning into his arms. "Wake up, baby."

"I don't want to," I murmured.

He chuckled, soft and deep.

"I don't want you to either but you have to get back to the diner before closing."

Startled, I opened my eyes and sat up.

"What time is it?"

"Relax, it's ten thirty, we've got a half hour. Just thought you better get back in case Ace shows up early."

I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling an anxiety sweep over me.

"I don't want to go back with him."

Chris released me and stretched his long legs out.

"Well, don't. Get him to drive you to Gordie's."

"I don't want to go there either. I want to stay with you."

He sighed and wrapped his arms round me again.

" I wish I had someplace to take you."

"We could just stay here?"

"What's poor Fran gonna say to Ace? Besides, this is no place to be spending the night in. Believe me, I know."

"You've slept here?"

"Sure. In the summer it's not so bad besides the foxes and the coyotes. But it gets hell-a cold in the winter."

It was so easy to forget how bad his home life was. I wondered how it was that he had turned into such a good guy despite everything that his daily life threw at him.

"Why don't you go to Gordie's, Nina? If Ace won't take you, Fran will. Or I'll walk you there."

"No. He'll only get mad if he comes back for me and I don't want to stay with him."

"Who gives a rats ass? Today isn't about him, it's about you."

I sighed and stood up while thinking that every day seemed to be about Ace. The world seemed to revolve around him.

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I made it back to the diner before Ace did. Chris gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and left me at the door. I watched him walk into the shadows, desperately disappointed that he hadn't kissed me properly all night but at the same time, knowing why he hadn't.

"Hey, sweetie, how you doing?"

Fran looked up from a table she was wiping and gave me a smile. The place was empty.

"It was a quiet one," she told me. "I sent Tim home early so have to do the dishes myself."

"I'll help," I said, following her into the kitchen.

"I wash, you dry?" She offered as she filled the sink with hot water.

We didn't say much until she'd turned off the faucet.

"You look a little better," she commented. "Some time out must have done you some good."

"I slept some," I said absently. Fran shot me a meaningful look.

"And did Chris sleep too?"

I suddenly realised what that must have sounded like.

"No, it wasn't like that. We went to the treehouse. Just hung out. I think I drifted off to sleep."

Fran nodded as she passed me a shiny dish.

"He's a good listener."

It was my turn to give her a meaningful look.

"He's a good kid," she went on. "He fixed a couple of things over at my place. Leaky tap, broken closet. My landlord's not good for much. Guess I must have chewed his ear off about what a freaking mess my apartment is after dropping him home one night. He showed up the next day with his Daddy's tool box."

I rubbed the sparkling dish dry with a dish cloth before setting it onto the counter and reaching for the second one she was handing me.

"What I don't understand," Fran went on, "is why you're wasting your time with Merrill when you could be with Chris Chambers."

I nearly dropped the plate I was holding.

"Chris and me are just friends," I babbled.

"Sure," Fran said. "That's why you had your eye on the door the whole time this afternoon until he walked in. And I know it works the other way too. I seen him come to your rescue more than once. What are you doing with Merrill, darling?"

"He's…"

"A hard habit to break?" She asked softly.

I nodded miserably.

"Well, then you have to try a little harder. If that's what you want, I mean. Life is too short to be wasting it with people that are no good for you. I learnt that the hard way."

"I don't have any place to stay," I told her. "I stay between Gordie's and Ace's."

Fran digested this.

"Well, usually I savour my alone time, but I got a couch at my place. If it's just for sleeping, I'm okay with giving it to you a few nights a week. If it helps cut ties with Merrill, I mean."

I gave her a grateful look. I wasn't in a mind state to start thinking about breaking up with Ace but when I was, it would be good to know I had more than Gordie's place to crash at.

We were interrupted a couple of minutes later by Ace yelling at me from the door of the diner.

Fran came out into the restaurant with her hands on her hips.

"Alright, she's coming. Wouldn't hurt you to learn a little manners."

"What for? She likes me just as I am." Ace smirked at Fran but I was too embarrassed to even look at her as I said goodbye and followed him outside.

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I could feel Ace's lips on the back of my neck the next morning. I could feel his hands sliding tighter around my waist too but I was in no way in any sort of mood for what he was after.

"Stop it," I mumbled, but this didn't seem to deter him.

"Stop it!" I snapped, more loudly this time.

Ace stiffened behind me, growling loudly in his throat.

"What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Me?" I exclaimed. "Something must be the matter because I won't let you maul me?"

"Maul?" His laugh was bitter. "You havent let me near you in weeks, for Christ's sake."

I rolled over to face him, angry tears beginning to spill down my face.

"My mom is dead, Ace."

"She wasn't dead last week. What was your excuse then?"

"You were an asshole then. And the week before, and the week before. You know what? I've got to the point where I just cant take this shit anymore." I slid out of bed and started to yank on my clothes. He rubbed a hand across his face and then sat up.

"Where the fuck are you going?"

Maybe it was because my mom was dead, maybe it was because the only person that had made me feel any better was Chris. But suddenly, I didn't know what it was I was holding onto with Ace.

"Anywhere where I can get a little peace. You know what I've worked out with you, Merrill? Theres never any peace. Even when it's good, which is next to never, I'm always waiting for it to turn bad."

"Jesus, it's too early for this," he snapped, reaching over for his smokes and lighting up a cigarette.

"It's never a good time to tell what a dick you are, is it?" I had my shoes on now and I was striding across the room for my jacket.

"Where you going, you crazy broad?"

"Away from you, Ace. Away from us. I'm done with it."

He put the cigarette out in the ashtray beside the bed. Slowly. Deliberately. Then he sprung towards me.

In seconds, he had me pinned against the bathroom door but this time, I wasn't going down without a fight.

"I already told you you ain't leaving me." His hands were tight on my shoulders but I struggled back ferociously.

"About that, Ace? Relationships are something of a consensual activity. And I ain't consenting anymore. So get off of me!"

"You need me, doll. You ain't got nobody no more."

"That's not true. I have Gordie. And I have me." I gave him a hard shove just as he released my arms and he went tumbling backwards towards the bed.

"I won't let you go, Christina. Not a chance in hell."

He was coming back towards me but I strode around him, backing away with my hands up high.

"You don't have a choice, Ace. What you gonna do? Kidnap me? You know why I don't wanna be with you? You're rude, insensitive and you dont treat me right. Maybe I knew you weren't Prince Charming when we met but I've raised my standards since then. Maybe now Prince Charming is exactly who I'm after. And that sure ain't you, is it?"

"You'll be back!" He spat. "You're just all fucked up because of your mom. Once you get your head straight you'll be back like always."

"Well, if that's what you believe, you should have no problem letting me walk out of the door, should you?"

We stood face to face, him glaring hard at me. It was easy to remember why so many people were afraid of him. He looked like he was capable of murder right then.

"You wanna leave, huh? Well, take all your shit with you then." He started picking up my things and throwing them towards me. My school books, some clothes.

"I can pack them myself, stop being such an ass." I picked up my school bag and shoved my things inside before walking around the cramped studio to retrieve other things. All the while, Ace kept yelling.

"I could have anybody I want. I always get what I want. Your space will be filled before you can blink."

"Well, wish the poor girl luck from me," I said, turning my back on him and slamming out of the door.

Outside, I leaned back on the brick exterior and took a deep steadying breath.

It hadn't been easy but I had done it. I had broken up with Ace.

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