One Day Soon (50 page)

“Don’t know. She may have split town. Probably smart considering there’s fuck all to stay around here for,” Karla snapped, grabbing the bag of bread and taking the last two pieces for herself.

It started to rain. Not much, just enough to make us wet. As much as I hated the cold, miserable damp, I was glad it wasn’t snowing anymore.

“Where’s Yoss?” Karla asked, tossing the now empty bread bag into the fire.

“He went to get some stuff. Uh…well…” I stuttered.

“Just spit it out. What’s your problem?” Karla glared at me. She was being particularly crabby. Not that I blamed her. I couldn’t summon up my usual annoyance with her attitude. We had all been through a lot. We were all grieving. Some allowances could be given for that.

“Yoss and I are leaving today. We’re getting out of town,” I finally got out.

Neither Shane or Karla said anything. The only sounds were the roar of traffic overhead and the crackling of the fire.

“Where are you going?” Shane asked after too long without saying anything.

“I don’t know,” I told him and Karla snickered hatefully.

“You
don’t know
? That sounds like a great plan,” she sneered.

“Karla, give it a rest, will ya?” Shane muttered tiredly.

“So Yoss sent you to come break the news to the kids. Isn’t that nice of him?” Karla spat out. She clenched her hands into fists. Her anger was wild and out of control and clearly focused on the wrong thing. Me.

“What did you say to make him agree to this? To agree to leaving us?” Karla asked. I looked from her to Shane, but he only gazed back blankly.

“We’ve been talking about it for a while now. I think now, after everything that’s happened, it’s the best time—”

“Whatever. Go ride off into your sunset and don’t worry about the people you’re leaving behind. Forget about family. Do what the hell you want!” Karla screamed, getting to her feet and stomping away.

“We aren’t abandoning you guys. You get that, right? We just…after Bug…after the fire, it seems like a good time to go,” I stammered to Shane.

“Don’t listen to her. She’s upset. Bug. Then Di taking off. Now Yoss leaving. She has a hard time expressing her feelings in a positive way.” Shane patted my hand. “You and Yoss
should
get out of here. I’ve never, in all the years I’ve known him, seen him happy. And he’s only happy with you. Take care of him, Imi.”

My eyes burned from smoke and tears. “I will, Shane.”

“Tell Yoss…” Shane gazed out at the river, his eyes losing focus for a moment. “Tell him it’s okay. We understand. And to be selfish. For once, be selfish.”

I didn’t understand. But I knew I wasn’t meant to.

“Yoss will probably be back in a little while,” I told him.

Shane stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets, his shoulders up around his ears to shield himself from the rain. “That’s okay, I think I’d better catch up with Karla.” He smiled at me and I was able to appreciate, perhaps for the first time since I had known him, how truly handsome he could have been. But Shane’s was a face that life had ruined. Scars were etched deep on someone so young.

“Take care of yourself, Imogen.”

“I will. You too,” I replied.

“Yoss isn’t back yet?”

I had been staring out at the river, imagining the life Yoss and I were going to have. The great things we would experience. Together.

Fanciful thoughts full of possibilities.

“No,” I answered Manny curtly, keeping my back to him.

“Hmm.”

Manny sat down beside me. Too close for my liking. I had never spoken to him without Yoss. I didn’t particularly want to start now.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay,” he said with a nice smile. Too nice. It was horrible.

“What—”

And then I remembered Manny helping me to my feet when I had fallen at The Pit. He had helped me outside and to safety.

“Thanks. For helping me out of the fire,” I said begrudgingly, hating that I had to thank him for anything.

“I wasn’t going to leave you there. Yoss loves you. That makes you important to me,” Manny remarked. He sounded sincere. As if Yoss mattered to him.

As if this despicable man could care about anyone.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I had moved to underneath the bridge, next to one of the uprights in an attempt to stay dry. I had been waiting for what felt like hours. The rain looked as though it would never stop.

“Yoss says you two are leaving town,” Manny mentioned and I tried to hide my shock.

“You’ve spoken to Yoss?” Why was I asking him anything? I should just ignore him. Hope he’d go away.

“Yeah. He told me about your plans to get out of the city. I told him that was a good idea with the fire at The Pit. He needs to get out there and start a real life.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t upset about losing such a lucrative product.” I bared my teeth at him, my anger obvious.

Manny cocked his head as he regarded me. As if I were something cute he wanted to tuck away in his pocket. It was condescending. It was flattering.

He could make you feel so comfortable as if you weren’t disgusted by the things he did. It was quite a talent.

“I’ve known Yoss for a long time, Imogen. I found him as a twelve-year-old kid. Did he ever tell you about how we met?” Manny asked.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear anything this man had to say. I wanted Yoss’s history from his lips. Not from the man who took his innocence and sold it to the highest bidder.

But I listened.

Because I couldn’t help it.

“He was attacked by two men. Just over there.” Manny pointed to the line of trees on the other side of the bridge.

“They beat him up pretty bad, but it could have been worse. He was small for his age. Thin, scared. He had been through a lot that was obvious. I stepped in and made sure those guys never messed with him again.” He seemed so proud of himself. It made me want to slap him.

“So you took advantage of him. Because he was vulnerable!” I accused.

“I helped him take control of his life. I gave him options. I helped him survive,” Manny argued in a calm, placating voice.

I curled my lip in revulsion. “It’s sick, you know.” Manny raised an eyebrow. “How you can justify pimping out children for money? They look to you for safety. For security. They’re out here because they have nowhere to go and they are desperate for a home. For belonging. So you give it to them. At a price.”

“I think you have the wrong idea about me, Imi—”

“Do
not
call me that! Only my friends call me Imi,” I warned him, moving away from him. His words coated me in a layer of filth. Even though I had just showered hours before, I felt dirty again.

“Imogen, Yoss, the boys, they’re my family. I
love
them.”

“I think everyone would be better off without your brand of
love,”
I shouted.

Manny looked out at the river, his round face thoughtful. “I understand you don’t like me. That’s fine. But I sincerely wish you and Yoss all the best. And I was glad to be able to help him out so you could start your new life.”

There it was. The bomb Manny had been waiting to drop.

“What are you talking about?”

I knew.

“He came to me this afternoon. He needed money. I was able to get him one last job that would set the two of you up for a long time. Yoss is a good boy. He’ll take care of you.”

I jumped to my feet, my heart thumping madly. “Where is he?” I whispered.

“What was that?” Manny asked, cocking his head to the side again. I was close to violence. I felt it crackling in my veins.

“Where’s Yoss?” I said louder.

“The Meyer’s movie theater. The alley in the back is nice and secluded.”

The movie theater. Where we had watched Fiddler on the Roof.

That’s where he was.

He promised he would never let himself be used like that again.

Liar.

I turned and ran. Manny called my name, but I didn’t stop.

I ran and I ran.

He was there.

I had been berating myself for doubting him.

He wouldn’t do this. Not when he had promised me. Not when we had plans.

Important plans.

I had almost talked myself into going back to the bridge to wait.

He had errands. He’ll meet me soon…

The alleyway was dark. But not dark enough that I didn’t see the two figures tucked into the corner. Behind the dumpster. Away from prying eyes.

I’d recognize the dark black waves of hair anywhere. Even in the shadows, illuminated by the gritty illumination of the street lamp, I knew him.

He was on his knees.

And then I saw the man with his sick, sick smile. His hand on the back of Yoss’s head. Holding him in place.

I backed away, stumbling over a beer bottle and falling to the ground.

The man opened his eyes and looked in my direction. He pushed Yoss away and hurriedly zipped up his fly.

He threw something on the ground and ran in the other direction.

Yoss picked up whatever the man had tossed at him and tucked it in his pocket, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked over his shoulder.

My heart broke.

His eyes shattered.

I turned and I left. Without saying a word.

Present

“I
am
not
staying here!” Yoss seethed hours later, trying to pull the IV from his arm.

“Stop it! Just stop it!” I beseeched him, trying to calm him down. I was at my wit’s end. We had been at the hospital for over six hours and Yoss had become increasingly more agitated as time went on.

He had been rushed back once we got there and Dr. Howell was called. He didn’t ask why I was with him. It wasn’t really important. Because Yoss was delirious, coming in and out of consciousness.

“He’s going into acute liver failure,” Dr. Howell pronounced once the test results had come back. “The rest of his organs will begin to fail unless—”

“He gets a liver transplant,” I finished for him. “Where is he on the list?”