The window was cracked and I could hear my dad talking to the police officers. He was thanking them for finding me and thanking them for their service. He was playing the role of good politician so if the stories circulated about his delinquent daughter he could play it up as the good guy who was trying to help his child.

I knew the way these things worked. I wasn’t an idiot to that side of life. The cops seemed to fall into the palm of his hand just like everyone else did. It wasn’t long until he joined me in the car and another silent ride home commenced.

It was nearly dawn before I was free of my dad. I stood in the hot shower and tried to wash his punishment away. It was the worse one yet, but I made it through thinking about all the wonderful things Zeke said to me in his car.

The next day, I spent most of my time with my mom. She looked good and was actually sitting up in bed watching TV, versus being completely out of it.

“So, are you going to tell me who he is?” she asked as I painted her thin nails with a bright-pink polish.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

She smiled at me and shook her head.

“I wasn’t always a sick woman, you know. I remember what it was like to be young and in love. Don’t tell your father this, but I was in love before him. His name was Robert and he was wonderful. I fell in love with him almost instantly.” She had a happy, dreamy look that made me smile.

“So what happened?” I asked.

“Well, my father told me to stay away from him. He said he wasn’t good enough. I guess you could say he was a bad boy.” She grinned. “But when it came to me, he was the sweetest guy in the world.”

I was shocked by how similar our stories were. Maybe that’s what made me comfortable enough to open up to her.

“His name’s Zeke,” I said with a smile.

“Oh, now we’re getting somewhere.” She patted my hand. “Tell me more about this Zeke. Is he a bad boy?”

And in that moment I’d never felt more close to my mother. I didn’t tell her the entire story of how I met Zeke because I didn’t want her to worry, but I did give her a few details.

“I’m so glad I got to see this,” she said sadly.

“See what?” I asked confused.

“The look on your face. I didn’t think I’d live to see the day when one of my girls would fall in love and I’m grateful that I at least got to see it once.”

A tear slipped down her cheek and I couldn’t hold mine back no matter how hard I tried. I reached out and hugged my mother’s small frame to me and we cried together.

“Do me a favor, Patience,” she said to me as she captured my tear-stained face in her hands.

“Anything,” I croaked.

“If you love him, don’t let him go for anyone and tell him how you feel. I never got that chance with Robert, and I found out ten years ago that he died. I never got a chance to tell him how much I loved him. Don’t let that happen to you.”

An hour later, my mother slept and I was standing in the middle of the garage next to the dreaded gray Toyota with a set of never-before-touched keys. I took a ton of deep breaths and grasped the door handle five times before I was even able to get in the car.

The inside smelled brand new since technically it was a brand new car. My dad had forced me to drive it once when I first got it and I silently cried the entire time. Even now, climbing inside the car felt wrong. I felt like I was saying what my father did to me was okay. It wasn’t, but I needed to get to Zeke and I couldn’t keep calling Megan every time I needed to go somewhere.

I knew my way to Zeke’s house well. What I didn’t know was what the hell I was going to say to him once I got there. He’d probably never talk to me again and I couldn’t blame him if he didn’t, but I promised my mom I’d be honest about my feelings toward him and that’s what I was going to do.

I had the feeling that once I confessed my feelings to him he’d never talk to me again. Guys like Zeke ran from emotions, but deep down I could feel things getting out of hand. Soon, we’d never talk to each anymore anyway. This way I could get my feelings off my chest and have a peace that my mother never got.

When I pulled into Zeke’s muddy yard, I parked between his car and his dad’s tow truck. I cut my engine and got out. My shoes sank into the dirt as I cut across his small yard. The steps squeaked as I went up. I held my hand up and was about to knock when I heard a loud smashing noise on the inside.

Someone was yelling and then there was another loud noise. Without thinking I grabbed onto the knob and turned it. The door opened easily. Stepping inside the small, shabby space, the first thing I saw was Zeke on the floor with blood on his face. His father was standing over him with fist in the air ready to come down.