Page 56 of The Summer Request
Michelle and Lisa exchanged looks. “We’d better go.”
“We’re not going anywhere until we get some answers,” Val growled.
The man behind the register emerged and waved his arms. “Okay, ladies. That’s enough. We don’t need any trouble.”
Sam held his phone to his ear. “Yes, we’ve got some belligerent customers down at The Lobster Shack.”
Val’s nostrils flared and she looked like she was going to say something highly regrettable. Michelle didn’t know how to stop her. She just stared with her mouth open.
Luckily, instead of insulting the kid, Val turned and stormed out, Michelle and Lisa following closely behind.
Twenty-one
They drove to the house in silence. Lisa was thankful for it. While she didn’t know what to say, at least Michelle wasn’t taking the opportunity to kick Val while she was down.
When they were nearly there, Lisa’s phone rang, Neil’s face lighting up her screen.
She ignored it, but he called back again, and again.
“Would you answer that?” Val snapped.
She winced. So much for keeping quiet. She answered his fourth call in a hushed tone. “Neil, now isn’t a good time.”
His voice boomed through the speaker, loud and wild and uncontrolled. “You’re telling me! They just repossessed the car.”
“What? Who did? Which car?”
“I don’t know, the bank?” He scoffed. “Your car!”
A hot feeling ran through her. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I guess you didn’t make the payments,” He paused. “You’ve been too busy running around the country enjoying yourself instead of finding another job.”
“What?” Lisa shut her eyes. How could her not having a job for three weeks cause the bank to take the car? She was still making the payments, she’d never fallen behind, she…
“Neil.” She took a deep breath. “What did you do?”
“Nothing! I’ve been looking for work. I was supposed to have an interview today, but with all this commotion, I missed it.”
Of course. Here they were again. He was at rock bottom – a new rock bottom. “Did you sell my car, Neil?”
Silence.
She sighed. It was wrong to leave him to his own devices. It was too much temptation. Lisa felt the shame of her selfishness washing over her. All so she could go on a fun trip? “I’m coming home. We’ll figure it out.”
“It’s about time.”
Val let out a laugh from the driver seat. “Are we supposed to believe Neil could ever hold down a job?”
Lisa shielded the phone with her hand. Neil didn’t need to listen to that. It’d only make him upset. “I have to go. Bye, honey.”
“But – ”
She ended the call.
“I’m sorry, but we could hear everything,” Val said. “The volume is too loud on your phone.”
“Sorry.” Lisa cleared her throat. “I need to get back home. I shouldn’t have come on this trip.”
