Page 28 of Reckless Youth
My dad’s whiskered lips pressed together in a firm line, either begrudgingly agreeing or disagreeing with me, I wasn’t sure. Either way, he was so wrong about Sage. He didn’t know him like I did and he had no right.
“London, listen to me, darlin. You’re still young and don’t know the things I know as an adult. Abuse and neglect from a parent can have life-long impacts on young people. One small thing could set him off at any given moment. You may never even see it coming,” he warned.
Crossing my arms in a huff, I turned my face away from his accusations and inaccurate assessment of Sage. If he knew about Sage’s home life, why hadn’t he intervened? It made me angry that he’d let it continue and not do anything to protect him from his father.
We both heard the screen door open and glanced to see my mother walking out carrying a cooler. Her eyebrows lifted at the obvious chill in the air, despite the heat of the day.
The silence was noticeable as she walked down the path to my car, pinging her gaze between the two of us, silently questioning what the tension was all about.
“London, sweetheart, I’ve packed up some food for you and the boys to take with you,” she chirped, her ever-present smile somewhat tempered by curiosity. “I’m sure you’re fixin’ to do some fishing, but at least you’ll have some other goodies with you. And I made Cam’s favorite peach pie and Sage’s Rice Krispies treats.”
My comment was snide and meant to be a barb toward my daddy. “Thanks, momma. I knowyoulove Cam and Sage.”
My dad sighed and shook his head ruefully.
“I’ll let you to it, then, London. Just be careful, ya hear me? I love you and I just want you to be safe.”
He stopped in front of me, my body language still very much a broody, moody teenager with my arms crossed at my chest, and he stooped to place a kiss on the top of my head.
I knew he only wanted the best for me and my life. I was his only daughter and understood where his protective nature stemmed from. But not his malign assassination of Sage’s character. That was hurtful and unforgivingly wrong.
The corners of the condom packages cut into my palm as I hid them from my mother, who placed the cooler in the back of my car as my dad walked off toward the barn.
“Everything okay, sweetheart? You seem upset.”
Shaking off my bad mood, I stuck the packets in my pocket and peeked under the cooler lid, hoping to replace my bad mood with a believable smile.
“Everything’s fine, momma. And thank you for putting this all together for us. You’re the best,” I said, meaning it wholeheartedly.
She stood at my side and put her mother’s caring arm around my shoulder, squeezing me to her side.
“And of course, there’s something special just for my birthday girl in there, too.”
I smiled a genuine smile. “My favorite?”
She nodded. “Yes, your favorite.”
There was nothing better than the chocolate chip, butterscotch cookies my momma made, and I would gorge myself on them anytime she made them.
I hugged her with all my might. “Thank you, momma. I love you.”
She squeezed me tightly in her warm embrace. “Anything for you, sweetheart. I love you, too. And whatever is going on with your dad, it’s only because he loves you so much. You’re his only baby girl and he worries about you. And Lord have mercy we are going to miss you when you go off to college.”
We pulled out of our embrace and my mom had tears glistening in her bright, sky-blue eyes.
“I know, momma. But he doesn’t have to worry about me when I’m with Cam and Sage. They’ll always take care of me.”
If only I knew then what I know now.
Chapter 15
“Your mom made me pie?” Cam beamed with excitement when I told him what awaited us in the cooler.
We’d parked in the overnight lot and had been hiking into the Smoky Mountain park wilderness to find our campsite. The boys were thrilled when I told them where we were going, one of our favorite spots we found two summers earlier. It wasn’t often that we got to spend the entire weekend together, especially now that we were late in the school year and with all the pre-graduation activities eating away at our time.
Sage had been working a part-time job at the local grocery store ever since he was old enough to work. His dad never provided him money for anything outside of necessities, so if Sage wanted to leave town after graduation, he had to earn his own way. Cam had been busy with his athletics and school activities, and I, too, had been focused on my studies in preparation for finals.
I knew when I asked them to take the weekend off for my birthday, both boys would do it in a heartbeat. I’d hoped it wouldn’t be our last camping trip together, but after graduation, who knew where our time would be spent.
