Page 36 of When I'm Gone
“Oh,” she breathed out, even her fake smile fading fast. “I’ll go get his stuff.” A trail of toys led from the door to the family room, where Annie and Clayton spent most of their time. His plan for a fast escape seemed unlikely. Luke stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
“Let me help.” He picked up a mini-teddy bear with blue fur and an unopened box of markers and tossed them in the open duffel bag. Annie dumped another armful in right after him, and some electronic toy started talking in a whiny British accent.
“A says ah, A says ah ...” the voice sang.
“God, I hate that toy,” Luke grumbled as he searched through the bag for the white ABC tablet, opened a hidden panel on the side, and flicked the power switch off.
“I have been trying to turn it off for the past six weeks. I don’t know what kind of batteries you put in there, but they never die.” Annie laughed, crouched down beside him.
“Only happens on the annoying educational toys.” Luke smiled back, meeting Annie’s eyes for the first time in two weeks. “Batteries on the fun toys run out after two days, I swear.”
“I’m calling conspiracy on that one.”
“I’m thinking lawsuit. We’ll be millionaires.” Luke threw the toy back in the bag along with a few others and then zipped it up. He stood, the bag clanking with all the random toys flopping around inside. He was enjoying the friendly banter with Annie that had been missing in their recent interactions.
Once he reached his full height, he offered his hand to Annie. She hooked a chunk of short blonde hair behind her ear before placing her hand in his. Her fingers were long and cool, so thin he was worried he could crack them if he pressed too hard. Luke couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt Annie.
“Annie. I’m sorry ... about May’s party ...” He fumbled as he searched for the right words to say. “I know I hurt your feelings.”
“It’s okay.” She pulled her hand away and glanced around his shoulder at Clay. “You were right. Just because Natalie thought you guys needed me, it doesn’t mean you do.”
“Is that what you thought I meant?” he asked, then readjusted the bag on his shoulder. He’d been trying to protect Annie, but he was hurting her instead.
“Mm-hm.” She nodded.
Luke shook his head and stepped closer, reaching out to touch her but stopping halfway.
“We need you, Annie. A lot.” He swallowed a few times. How much was too much to tell her? “I didn’t want to make you feel guilty for leaving. That’d be selfish. You deserve to be happy.”
She wrapped her arms around her torso. The flecks of brown in her eyes darkened like they could reflect her mood.
“Yeah. Happy.” She said the word like it was from a foreign language.
Luke took a step closer, seeing his opening. “Areyou happy?”
She squeezed her body even tighter, biting at a spot on her lip. An old scar. Wondering where it came from made it hard for Luke to be patient. “Are you safe?”
She looked up, squinting. “Wait—why did you really come back today?” Even though they were inches apart, there was suddenly a wall a mile thick between them. “Clayton doesn’t have a doctor’s appointment, does he?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about ...” Luke replied, glancing around for Clay. He’d made a tactical error, said a little too much. Once, soon after moving in next door, Terry had come over to have a talk with Luke’s mom. In her matter-of-fact way, Terry told Luke’s mom that they’d heard his dad’s outbursts and were worried about her bruises. His mom smiled, thanked Terry for her concern, and then walked her out without so much as a cup of tea or doughnut.
“It was one of those letters, wasn’t it? What did it say, Luke? Tell me.” He’d never seen her this aggressive. She leaned in till they were almost touching.
“It wasn’t a letter.” He slapped at his thigh, wanting to back away but feeling like it would make him look weak. “I’m worried, that’s all. I want to help you.”
“Help me with what?” She eyed him suspiciously.
“Brian. I’m worried that he’s ...”
Before Luke could finish his sentence, a door opened to one of the upstairs bedrooms. Brian came around the corner, groggy. Annie let out a little“eep”and jumped back.
“Hey, Luke. Thought I heard you down here.” He leaned over the banister, shirtless in police department sweatpants, crossing his arms casually, obviously unaware of the tension. His right bicep bulged, highlighting a tattoo of barbed wire. Another tattoo scrawled across one of his pecs, one word, but Luke couldn’t make it out from so far away.
“Hey, Brian. I was about to leave.” Luke shifted the strap on his shoulder and waved to Clayton, who’d been curled up on the stairs stacking and restacking a bucket of Lincoln Logs.
“I don’t want to go to the doctor. I hate shots.” Clayton cowered against the carpeted step he was resting on.
Luke took Clayton’s little hand. “Don’t worry; no shots. Just ice cream when we’re done.” He might have to actually go to the doctor after all this buildup.
