Finding Charley (Full Circle) (12 page)

Trying to hide the fact that I know I’ve got him looking, I hop out of the pool in one fluid motion and make my way to the locker room, shaking what my mama gave me on my way to get ready for the day.  It’s time to let Cash, Piper, and Tessa know t
hat this plan is starting now.

Entering the locker room, the first thing I do is send a group text to Piper, Cash, and
Tessa from the prepaid phone.

Me: Dylan’s here. I’m k. B home n 30.

I put down the phone and begin to grab my shower stuff from my bag when the phone starts to blow up.  The first text is from Cash, followed by Tessa, and then Piper.  I assure them that I am fine, and we will talk as soon as I get home.  I can’t risk anyone overhearing anything.

I shower, get dressed and pack my bag to leave. As I open the door to the locker room, I almost jump out of my skin when Dylan startles me.

“Can you not scare people like that?”

“You know, Charley, it wasn’t too long ago that you liked when I startled you in this hallway.”

“Well, that was then, and this is now.  Why aren’t you in the pool anyways?”

“I just wanted to talk to you in private before you left.  Make sure everything was okay.”

Okay my ass.  He is totally up to something.

“I’m good, but I gotta go. Piper’s waiting on me.  We got a little girl time planned this afternoon.”

A flash of confusion runs across his face.  “You mean you, Cash and Piper, right?”

“Um, no.
  I said girl time, Dylan.  My life doesn’t revolve around Cash.”

A smile beams across his entire face, and I know I’ve got him hook, line, and sinker.

“So, I take it there is trouble in paradise?”

“There is no trouble because we aren’t together.  We haven’t been for a while, if you recall.  I like being away at school, and he wants me to stay in this little hicktown. I’m enjoying living life.  Kinda like what you wanted me to do, but I was too much of a prude back then.”

“Well, well, I find that a little odd, considering your strong values, but college changes folks.  I’ve changed, just so you know.”
I bet he has.

“Oh, really?
  You wanna prove it?”

“I thought you’d never ask.  So, what do you say if I pick you up tonight, and we catch up on what’s been going on?”

“Aight, want to see if Tessa and Dustin want to hang with us?”

He must sense that I’m nervous because he gives in to that, or maybe because he’s trying to play the good ol’ boy card.

“I guess.  Dustin and I will pick y’all up at seven.”

“Sounds good.”
  As I turn to leave, Dylan's hand brushes my arm.  I get chill bumps, but not in a good way.

We go our separate ways, and I hurry to the car.  I have got to get out of here before I lose it.  I throw my bag into the car and break ever
y speed limit on the way home.

Once I’m back at the farm, I notice that Mama’s car is gone, and I’m thankful.  I need to talk to Tessa without a chance of her eavesdropping.  I hurry into the house and start to holler for Tessa.  She is halfway down the steps before I even get the “T” out of my mouth.

“Char, are you okay?  What did he say?  Did he touch you?  Are you sure you can do this, because I really don’t think I can.  I mean, I will if you still want to, but I don’t know.”

“TESS!”  She stops mid-sentence of her rant.  “I’m good; it
’s a day early, but I’m okay.”

“Really?
  ‘Cause I’d have wanted to chew him up and spit him out!  Cash has already called and said you need to call him when you got here.  Piper’s on her way over.”

“I’ll call him in a minute, but we need to talk, just you and me.”  She gives me her best ‘what the hell’ look. That’s when I explain our double date.

“Tessa, you have got to act like you like him, and that Cash is nothing to me.  Do you understand that?  You wear your feelings on your sleeves, and right now, we can’t let that happen.”

“I gotcha, Sis.
  I guess I’m jumping on the Team Dylan bandwagon for you only.   I’ll call Dustin and fill him in before Dylan gets home from the pool.”

Tessa hurries back upstairs to call Dustin, and I call Cash.

“Hey, Cash Money.”

“Char-coal, I’m so sorry you have to deal with this already.  I just wanted one more day.”

“Listen. If it wasn’t today, it would be tomorrow, and then we would want another day.  The sooner this starts, the faster it’s over.  But, you’ll be proud to know that he’s already falling right into my hands.  This might be easier than I thought.”

“Char, don’t get too confident because you never know what that sick fucker is thinkin’.”

“I know, but he totally believed that I was pissed at you.  Oh, and we have a date tonight with Tessa and Dustin.”

Cash doesn’t say anything.

“Cash?”

“Char, something is so off about that.  He’s totally jumping right back on the Charley boat, and that’s not his style.  Be careful.  I have a feeling that he has something up his sleeve.”

“I will, and Dustin and Tessa will be there.  I’m not putting myself alone with him unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“It’s not.  Remember that.  Do you know where you’re going tonight?”

“No, but somehow I’ll let you know.”  As Cash and I finish our conversation, I see Piper hauling ass down the gravel.  “Um, Piper’s here, so I guess I better get off the phone and explain it all to her.  I’ll let you know where we are and call you tonight when I get home.  Okay? And, Cash Money, I love you.
Only
you.”

“Be careful, Char-coal. I love you so much.  I’ll be waiting, and if you need me, I’ll be there in a flash.”

“Charley! Where are you?”  Piper yells as the screen door slams behind her.

“I’m in the kitchen talkin’ to Cash.”  Turning my attention back to Cash, we say our goodbyes once more and hang up.

Piper stands there impatiently tapping her foot for answers.

“Charley, what the hell?
  I thought we had one more day?  One minute we're talking about a plan and the next it’s in motion.  I just can’t handle this!”  I look at her with complete surprise.  Piper is never this tore up. She is an emotional wreck.

“Pipe, what’s really goin’ on?”

“It’s Joe.  He just called me and said that Dylan’s making plans for you again.  He sent him another creepy message.  This is too dangerous.  You need to go to the cops now.”

“What did he say? And when did he send it to him because he was getting ready to start his workout when I left.”

“I’m guessing that as soon as your Honda was outta sight, he went back to being the same old Dylan.  He called Joe this time and thanked him for all his hard work because you were falling right where he wanted you.  Charley, that’s freaky!  Joe called me as soon as he hung up with him.  He doesn’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Are you sure, or do you think this is part of Dylan’s plan, too?”

Piper paces back and forth and turns on her heels so many times I lose count.

“Char, he’s on our team.  I’m positive.  He has a good heart.  Yes, he made a horrible mistake, but haven’t we all?  Please forgive him, and let’s move on.”

“I’m tryin’, but I just want to be mad at him.  Isn’t that okay?"

“I know you do, but it’s not right!  If it were you, you wouldn’t quit until he forgave you.”

I don’t say anything to that because I know she is exactly right.   I turn and grab a Choice Cherry Gold from the fridge and toss her one as well.  She pulls two packs of Fun Dip from her purse, and we sit at the table and eat in silence, but yet the silence fixes what is broken between us.

“Pipe, I’m sorry.  You’re right, but I just don’t want to.  I know he’s got a good heart, but there are things that I thought I knew that I don’t and that scares me.  What if Dylan talks him into doing something else?”

“He’s not.  He doesn’t want to lose you again or me for that matter.  I believe in him, Char, and you should, too.  Now, back to what’s going on here.  What are you going to do?”

Tessa be-bops in at the perfect time.
  “I’ll tell ya what we’re gonna do.  It’s called a double date.”

Piper turns to look
at me, and I nod my head yes.

“Well, I’d love to see how this goes.  I think that’s safe, Char, and don’t be alone with him, not until you know it has to happen.”

“I won’t, Piper.  I do need a favor tonight.  I need you to text me while we're out and ask what I’m doing.  Then, you can relay it to Cash.  Sound good?”

“You got it!”  I give her a hug, and we curl up on the couch and watch a few
ABC Family
Christmas movies before she leaves.

Piper gives Tessa and me
hugs and then makes her way down the drive.  Tessa and I look at each other.  It’s time to get all dressed up because we have somewhere to be tonight. Plan Take Dylan Sloan Down is about to be in full swing.

Chapter 14

Right on time, Dylan and Dustin pull into the driveway.  Knowing that I’m about to get back into the car that started my night from hell gives me goose bumps.  Tessa must sense it, too.  She looks at me with questioning eyes, and I just smile.

Mama and Dad are in the kitchen.  We’ve tried to keep them in the dark as much as possible.  The less time I have here with them and
less questioning, the better.

“Mama!
Dad! We’ll be back by eleven!”  Tessa yells.

“Hold up, young ladies. Where are you going?”  Dad asks as he makes his way toward us in the
foyer.

“We have a double date tonight with Dustin and Dylan.”  Dad looks at me
like his head is about to spin.

“You’re what?”

“Goin’ on a double date,” I say.

“Charley, are you okay?  I know that was bad with Cash, but to just jump ship back to Dylan?  I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Dad, I’m fine.  He’s home for break and wants to go out.  No big deal.  Plus, this way I can keep an eye on Tessa for ya!”

Dad looks at me with questioning eyes, but shakes his head and walks back to the kitchen.

“Girls, be home no later than eleven and call me if you need me.  Got it?”

As soon as those words are said, there is a knock at the door.
OMG! Really?  He’s actually going to talk to my parents. 
I begin to walk toward the door when I see my mama making a beeline for the foyer. 
Shit.

Tessa and I walk to the front door, and I push open the screen.

Dylan and Dustin are standing there with bouquets of flowers, dressed like they are taking us somewhere totally not in Grassy Pond.

“Hello, Mrs. Rice, how are you?” Dylan asks with sweet Southern charm.

“I’m good, Dylan.  How about yourself?  School going okay?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m good and school's great.  Thanks for letting Charley go out with me tonight.”

“You’re very welcome.  Dustin, it’s good to see you.  Make sure they are home by eleven.”

They say, “Yes, ma’am,” in unison.  Mama gives me a look that only I understand.  It’s a look of question, concern, and one that says, call me if you need me.

“Mama, can you put these in a vase for us?”

“Sure.”  She turns and walks into the kitchen, and we
make our way out of the house.

Once the door shuts behind us, the four of us let out a deep breath.  Are we all that uncomfortable?  Dylan takes his hand and gestures for me to go first.  Where is Dylan?
This nice guy is definitely not him.  I nod and make my way down the steps, followed by Tessa and the guys.

Once we are in the yard, we pair up.  Dustin takes Tessa by the hand, and I’m beginning to panic just thinking about Dylan’s hand on mine.

As we reach the Mustang, Dylan makes his way to the passenger seat and opens the door in one suave motion.  He has this game down to an art.  When I approach him, he takes me by the hand and kisses it. 
Yuck! I need some hand sanitizer! 
It is amazing how much effort it takes to keep my feelings in check when all I really want to do is go ape shit on this total asshole, and that is putting it nicely.

“What was that for, Dylan?”

“Can’t a guy try to make up for being such a jerk?”

I look at him as if he has lost his damn mind, but then turn on a little Southern charm of my own.

“Then you better start doing a lot of ass kissin’, Prince Charming,” I say in the sweetest, thickest Southern accent as possible.

“There’s the Charley I’ve been lookin’ for.”  As he bows, I slide into my seat.  Then he winks, closes the door, and walks with confidenc
e around to the driver’s side.

Once inside the car, Dylan asks what we should do tonight. 
Strange
.

“In all the years I’ve known you, Dylan Sloan, I’ve never known you to ask what someone wants to do. 
What has gotten into you?”