Relativity (19 page)

I peel out of the lot and head back home. I need to talk to Dad. I feel like I’m going to go crazy if I can’t get some of this stuff off my chest. I can’t tell him about Mom but maybe I can talk to him about Natalie.

A few minutes later, I pull into our driveway and let myself into the house. I hear voices and at first I think it is just the television but then I realize they are coming from upstairs.

“Dad,” I call, charging up the stairs.

Dad and Karen emerge from his bedroom, looking guilty as hell. Bile rises in my throat. I turn around and run out the door, ignoring Dad’s pleas to stop. I back out of the driveway, never looking back.

I’m halfway to Knox’s place when I realize that he isn’t going to throw open the door, ravage me, and take all my problems away. He thinks I’m a total slut.

I pull into a deserted park and shut off the car. I scream so loud I’m sure someone will call that nice police officer to find out what the crazy girl is screaming about but I don’t care. I pound my fists into every surface of the van, trying to physically beat the hurt out. Every single person I care about has betrayed me. Mom, Dad, Natalie, and I’m sure if I would have given him time, Knox.

No one is who I thought they were. So many secrets. Such a tangled web of lies. Not that I’m any better telling myself the biggest lie of all: that I’ll ever be able to fall out of love with Knox.

Somehow I manage to pull my shit together enough to go back to work. Knox’s Jeep is parked next to Natalie’s Mini-Cooper and Cale’s Charger is nowhere to be found. I get out of my van and make my way into the restaurant on auto-pilot. I swing open the back door and hear the jukebox blaring as I walk through the hall into the kitchen.

I can feel Knox staring at me, but I don’t acknowledge him. He’s probably wondering how in the world he let himself get involved with such a train wreck.

“Hey, Ripley,” Mr. Parsons greets me and I give him a half-smile as I tie on my apron.

Natalie comes bursting through the kitchen, her arms full of empty napkin dispensers that she is working on refilling. She looks so happy that I just want to smack her. “Hey, gorgeous,” she greets me. I cut my eyes toward her, my murderous glance telling her everything she needs to know. She almost drops the napkin dispensers when she realizes that I know.

I see her exchange a glance at Knox out of the corner of my eye and Natalie shrugs her shoulders like she just doesn’t have a clue what my problem is. All this time I was so afraid of hurting her by being with Knox and she doesn’t give a shit what she’s doing to me.

I busy myself straightening menus and refilling Parmesan cheese dispensers when I hear my phone ring. I pull it out of my back pocket to see who is calling. It’s Dad. I decline the call then turn off my phone.

One after one, families start filing in for an early dinner. I manage to plaster a fake smile on and get everyone’s order correct even though my mind is barely on the tasks at hand. I’m busy thinking that maybe going away to college isn’t such a bad idea after all.

All this time I felt like I would be abandoning Dad but he has already moved on. In fact, I think he secretly can’t wait for me to leave so that he doesn’t have to sneak around with Karen anymore.

“Do you need anything else?” I absent-mindedly ask a couple as I get ready to leave their check. They say no and I thank them for coming and walk away.

If I left for college in a few weeks then almost all of my problems would be solved. I wouldn’t have to constantly try and stop from throwing myself at Knox because he wouldn’t be there. I wouldn’t have to witness Natalie’s self-destruction. And I could give Dad the space he needs to begin a new life. After all, why shouldn’t he have a new life when his dead wife was obviously getting some on the side?

“You okay?” Knox asks, gripping my arms as I carry a tray full of dirty dishes to the back.

“What do you care?” I ask, looking through him. I’m so numb that I can’t even feel his touch which normally turns me into a rubbery mess. Natalie brushes past us, knowing what’s wrong, at least part of it, but terrified I’ll actually verbalize it to her brother.

“Seriously, Ripley. Are you okay?” he whispers and the look he gives me tells me that I haven’t been the only one worried about the one time we had unprotected sex.

“I’m fine, Knox,” I say, giving him a look that lets him know I understand what he’s really asking. I shrug him off so no one gets suspicious even though I know Nat is too wrapped up in herself to notice today.

“I’m sorry about those things I said last night, I was just shocked. It’s none of my business what you do anymore but we’ll always be friends,” he says.

I start laughing and brush past him. Friends. Yeah, that’s gonna happen. We were friends once, and then we weren’t. And now, we’re just nothing. I dump the dishes loudly in the sink, getting an eyebrow raise from Mr. Parsons. Screw it, I don’t care, let him fire me.

“I’m sorry. Okay? I’m not perfect like you,” Natalie whispers, cornering me in the supply pantry.

“I’m not perfect, I just don’t fuck married guys,” I hiss. I try to leave the room but she blocks the entrance. Her eyes might as well be shooting poisonous arrows at me but I stare her down, daring her to cross me.

“Not all of us can date the prom king and get straight A’s every quarter and have perfect fucking parents,” she shouts.

“I think you mean, parent,” I correct her.

Her eyes soften as she realizes for the first time what she actually said. But it’s too late. She’s obviously been holding some of this stuff in for a very long time. “I’m sorry, Rip. I just don’t see how you’re doing so good. I mean, your mom is dead. Do you even realize that?” she asks, black tears rolling down her face from her eyeliner.

“She was my mom. Of course I realize it,” I shout. Knox sticks his head in to see what we are yelling at and his beautiful face makes me lose it. “I’ve been so busy trying to look out for everyone else that I never bothered look out for myself. But that’s all changing as of right now. I’m going to start being honest with everyone, including myself.”

I storm past both of them and back out to the dining area where several tables have filled up since we disappeared. I rush around giving everyone menus and taking drink orders. I glance around making sure I have taken care of everyone when the front door opens. I can hardly believe my eyes when Cale and his wife walk in. They seat themselves at a table and I tentatively approach, menus in hand.

Cale is busy eyeballing the restaurant trying to find Natalie. I cannot believe the balls on this guy to bring his wife to the restaurant where his girlfriend works. I have to warn her so she doesn’t come out here and give herself away. I take back what I said about wanting the whole town to know. Natalie made a mistake by being with Cale but she shouldn’t have to pay for it with her reputation in front of the whole town.

“Welcome to Mozzarella,” I tell them, timidly. I hand menus to Cale and his wife. “Can I start you off with something to drink?” I keep my eyes on the kitchen, praying I have just a few more seconds before Natalie emerges from the back. She’s already upset, this is the last thing she needs. There I go protecting her again, but that’s what best friends are for.

“I know you,” the wife says. I look back at her and realize that I recognize her, too. She was the waitress at the sports bar that Natalie took me to after shopping for prom dresses. Now Natalie’s strange behavior at lunch makes perfect sense. We were stalking Cale’s wife, even though I had no idea I was an accomplice at the time. I love her but the girl needs therapy.

“I’m sorry?” I say, acting like I don’t know her.

“You don’t know her,” Cale says, glancing up, hiding an evil smirk. I realize that this is his way of getting back at me for threatening to blackmail him. He knows I won’t rat out my best friend and he wants to throw it in my face.

“No. I do know you,” the wife says, adamantly. She is getting visible upset.

“Drinks? Can I get you drinks?” I offer nervously, trying not to make eye contact with her.

“At the hotel, you bumped into me and I dropped my phone,” she says, remembering one of our chance encounters. Her voice is getting louder and some customers are starting to stare. I see Natalie, frozen near the counter as she witnesses the scene. “And you came to my work, too,” she shouts.

“For God’s sake, Hilary, shut up,” Cale threatens, gritting his teeth. He is realizing five minutes too late that his plan is backfiring on him.

“Jasper’s a pretty small town,” I say, hating that I’m helping Cale lie to his wife when she is obviously already suspicious.

“So you’re telling me that you aren’t having an affair with my husband?” she shrieks, sealing my fate.

Knox and Mr. Parsons come rushing through the dining area to find out what is going on. I’m standing, frozen, unable to speak.

“Is she even eighteen, you piece of shit?” she screams. “You told me you were taking me for a date night and you brought me to the restaurant where your girlfriend works? I didn’t think even you would stoop this low,” she sobs.

Cale makes eye contact with Natalie and neither of them know what to do. Meanwhile, an entire restaurant full of people think I’m a home wrecker.

“What’s she talking about? Is this the guy I saw you with today?” Knox asks, surrounding me protectively, even though he is obviously suspicious. I know in that moment that he still loves me but if I stand here and let him think that I was having an affair with Cale, I might not be so lucky. His heart can only withstand so much.

I look to Natalie, whose eyes are so huge with terror that I almost can’t do it, but I convince myself I’m actually helping her. Maybe it isn’t true, but I can’t keep hurting myself to protect her. I take a deep breath, hoping I can spit these words out.

“I’m not having an affair with your husband, Mrs. Timmons. I was with him behind Mozzarella today but only because I was trying to get him to stop cheating on you. He tried to kiss me but I wouldn’t let him.”

“Ripley?” Knox says, clearly confused.

“You’re a liar. If you aren’t having an affair with him, then who is?” she screams, still not believing me.

I lift my head up and stare directly at Natalie. Every eye in the restaurant turns toward her. She is nearly crumbling in front of our eyes so no one doubts it for a second.

“You were screwing my baby sister?” Knox shouts, then reaches across me and grabs Cale by the shirt. He throws him to the floor then pounces on him. They roll around punching each other, pulling down food, drinks, and tables. Customers leave mid-meal, rushing out the door to avoid becoming part of the drama.

I watch Mr. Parsons let Knox get a few good punches in before he finally pulls him off of Cale.

“I’m going to fucking sue you,” Cale threatens, blood running down his nose. He spits blood on the floor, just missing my foot.

“You go right ahead and do that,” Mr. Parsons counters, giving him a murderous look I wouldn’t have thought him capable of. “When you call your attorney, how about mentioning to him that you were having sex with an underage girl. I have a feeling a lawsuit would be the least of your worries.”

Cale visibly pales under his fake tan. He rushes his wife out of the restaurant. Mr. Parsons locks the restaurant behind them, everyone else already gone.

“Natalie?” Mr. Parsons asks, obviously hoping for some sort of explanation, as if there could ever be one.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she says, before collapsing into his arms, her world shattered. Mr. Parsons walks her to the break room to talk, closing the door behind them.

“She took him to the hotel room, didn’t she?” Knox asks, pieces of the puzzle locking into place for him. I nod my head yes.

I brace myself for the explosion. He has to be furious with me for lying to him and not telling him what Natalie was getting herself into.

“So you tried to bully that jerk-off into not seeing her anymore?” he asks, running his hands through his hair. I nod, again.

He doubles over, holding his head in his hands for a few seconds, then straightens up. “You’ve been so loyal to her. First with us, now this. Thanks for looking out for her.”

I just look at him, shocked. All this time I thought he would be furious and I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Our eyes lock and I want to come clean with him about everything, but tonight has been enough of a revelation. We get to work cleaning the restaurant, not saying another word to each other.

******

By the time Natalie and her dad finally emerge from the break room, Knox and I have everything cleaned and the restaurant ready to be closed for the night.

Mr. Parsons is visibly shaken at the news that his little girl was carrying on with a married man. I feel so sad for him as he locks up the building and we all walk to our cars. He must feel like his life is imploding with the separation and now this.

“I’ll see you at home, Natalie,” he says sternly before backing out and heading out of the parking lot.

Knox gives Natalie a hug then gets in his Jeep and pulls away, driving away with my heart. I wonder if I will ever feel whole again.

“I’m so sorry about all those things I said tonight,” Natalie says, her voice cracking. “I’ve been such a lunatic lately. I haven’t even been there for you.”

I pull her into a hug and rub her back. “I’m not perfect, Nat. I screw up all the time. Everybody does.” I think about telling her about finding the phone and my mom but I don’t think she needs anymore drama tonight. Besides, now that I’ve calmed down I’m not sure I want anyone else knowing about the affair. Maybe Mom was like Natalie and she just made a mistake. I don’t want one mistake defining who she is in people’s memories forever.

“I love you, bestie,” she says, clutching me tight.

“I love you back,” I reply.

We finally let go of each other and pull out of the parking lot, going our separate ways. I’m not ready to face Dad yet so I cruise around for a little bit, pulling into a park. If only there was someone I could talk to about Mom, without having to worry about them being judgmental.