Page 1 of Arrested By My Mate

ONE

Nori

Just another half an hour.

It feels like I’m not going to make it.

I’ve been driving for days now and I’m so sick of being stuck in the car and of sitting down. I can’t wait to get to my uncle’s place and walk around a bit. I can explore my new town and stretch my legs for a bit. That sounds like heaven right about now.

My phone rings, and I grit my teeth as I see my uncle’s name come up on the screen. This isn’t the first time that he’s called me. He’s been checking in with me at least twice a day since I left Tempe to head up here. At first, I thought that he was just looking out for me, but now I’m just annoyed. He keeps calling and interrupting my favorite true crime podcast right when it’s getting really good.

He’s called me four times already today, each time just to anxiously ask me when I’ll be arriving. He never sounds concerned about me in the calls, or even excited to see me. He almost sounds annoyed. I don’t know, but something aboutthese calls has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge.

My mom was never close with him, at least not that I remember. We didn’t see much of him when I was growing up. My mom always said it was because we lived too far away, but I don’t remember ever really talking to him on the phone even. There were no Christmas or birthday calls, no phone calls, or video chats. Nothing. She never even really talked about him.

I always wondered why, but she never wanted to talk about him or his parents, and I hated seeing her upset, so I never pried. When he called me after her funeral a few weeks ago, I was hesitant to talk to him, but curiosity won out.

When he found out that I had to sell our house and was looking for a new apartment, he invited me to move up to Red Fog, Oregon. I thought that it sounded like a good time to start over somewhere fresh, plus, I didn’t really have any other option, so I took him up on it. He’s the only family that I have left now, and I’m hoping that maybe we’ll be close.

Although, with each call from him, that hope dies more and more.

I sigh as I hit accept and try to sound upbeat as I greet him.

“Hey, Uncle Jim! I’m almost to Red Fog. Just driving through…” I pause as I squint to read the upcoming town sign. “Through Twisted Oak.”

“Ugh,” he says in disgust, and I wonder about his reaction.

Twisted Oak actually looks really nice, from what I’ve seen so far, anyway. It’s close to the shore and if I were to roll the windows down, I would hear the crashing of the waves along the rocks. It seems like most small towns. There’s no traffic, no tall buildings, no crowds. I actually kind of like it.

Snow is still coating some of the roofs of houses and it gives the town a cozy feel. The houses are all pretty spread out, and it seems like a laid-back, relaxing place to live.

I wonder why Uncle Jim doesn’t like it.

“So, you’ll be here soon then?” He asks, that annoyed tone in his voice, and I bite back another sigh.

“Yep. I think about thirty minutes.”

“Sir,” he snaps, and I blink.

“What?”

“Show me some respect. You’ll address me as sir.”

I tense at his tone, and for a moment, I think about stopping in Twisted Oak and putting down roots here instead.

Uncle Jim is starting to seem more and more like an asshole, and I think that I’m starting to see why my mom went low contact with him. He’s only been in my life for a few weeks, and already I’m ready to kick him out of it.

An ache forms in my chest as I think about my mom, and I push down the memories before I can start crying.

“Nora!” My uncle yells, and I blink.

“Nori. My name isNori,” I remind him.

“Sir,” he seethes, and I’m close to telling him that I’m not coming when the call drops.

I pick my cell phone up out of the cupholder and frown as I see that I don’t have any service here.

It’s probably for the best.

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