Abbi Glines - Never Too Far

“I hate her,” she seethed.

“I said to listen to me. Don’t assume I’m bluffing Nan. Because this time you’ve fucked with something I care about. This affects me, so listen and shut the hell up.”

Her eyes went round from shock. I was sure I’d never spoken to her that way. I was even a little surprised myself. Hearing the hate in her voice directed at Blaire had set me off.

“Blaire is staying with Bethy. Woods has given Blaire her job back. She has nothing in Alabama. She has no one. The father the two of you share is worthless. To her he might as well be dead. She’s back to find out where she fits and what to do next. She was doing that before but when the truth came out it sent her world crumbling so she ran. It’s a fucking miracle she’s back here. I want her back here, Nan. You may not want to hear this but I love her. I will stop at nothing to make sure she’s safe. She is secure and no one and I do mean no one, not even my sister, makes her feel unwanted. You leave soon. You can keep your misplaced hate if you want to but one day I hope you grow up enough to realize there is only one person to hate here.”

Nan sank down onto one of the lounge chairs she kept out here to lay out and read books. I loved her too. I’d been protecting her all my life. Telling her this and threatening her was hard but I couldn’t let her hurt Blaire any longer. I had to stop this. Blaire would never give me another chance as long as Nan was tormenting her life.

“So you’re choosing her over me,” Nan whispered.

“This isn’t a contest Nan. Stop acting like it is. You’ve got the dad. She lost him. You won. Now let it go.”

Nan lifted her eyes and tears were clinging to her eyelashes. “She’s made you hate me.”

Damn fucking drama. Nan lived a soap opera in her head. “Nan, listen to me. I love you. You’re my little sister. No one can change that. But I am in love with Blaire. It may be a major hitch in your plans to conquer and destroy but baby, it is time you let your daddy issues go. Three years ago he came back. I need you to put this behind you.”

“What about family first?” She choked out.

“Don’t go there. You and I both know I’ve put you first all my life. You needed me and I was there. But we are adults now, Nan.”

She wiped the tears that had leaked out of her eyes and stood back up. I could never tell if her tears were real or fake. She could turn them on and off at whim. “Fine. Maybe I’ll go back to school early. You don’t want me here anyway. You’ve chosen her.”

“I’ll always want you around, Nan. But this time I want you to play nice. Think about someone else for a change. You have a heart. I’ve seen it. Now it is time to use it.”

Nan’s spine stiffened. “If we’re done here could you please leave your condo?”

I nodded. “Yeah I’m done,” I replied and walked back inside. Without another word I headed out the front door. Time would now tell if I had to follow through on my threats to teach my sister a lesson. I really hoped I didn’t.

Blaire

I needed my things and I needed to sell my truck. It would never make it this far again. Cain had checked it out for me last week after it broke down and said he could temporarily fix it. The cost to fix everything that was wrong with it would cost more than I could afford to spend. Calling and asking Granny Q or Cain to ship my things and sell my truck seemed wrong. They deserved an explanation… or at least Granny Q did. She’d given me a roof, a bed and fed me for three weeks. I was going to have to go back to Sumit to get my stuff and say goodbye to Granny Q. Woods had given me a few days to get settled in before I started back to work.

Bethy had taken off yesterday to take me to apply for Medicaid. It was time I saw a doctor but I would require insurance first. Today I had overheard her tell Jace she looked forward to their date tonight. I’d been monopolizing all her time since she came and got me. I was beginning to feel like a lot of work. I hated that feeling. I could take a bus. It would be affordable and I wouldn’t be a burden on Bethy. I opened Bethy’s laptop to google the bus schedule.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I stopped my search for a bus station and went to open the door. Rush standing there with his hands tucked into the front of his jeans and one of his tight tee shirts on was not what I’d been expecting. He reached up and pulled off his aviator sunglasses. I wished he’d kept them on. The silver color of his eyes in the sunshine was even more breathtaking than I remembered.

“Hey, I saw Bethy at the clubhouse. She said you were here,” Rush explained. He was nervous. I’d never seen Rush nervous.

“Yeah… um Woods gave me a couple of days to get my things from Sumit before I start back to work.”

“You’ve got to go get your things?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I left them there. I just brought an overnight bag with me. I hadn’t exactly been planning on staying.”

Rush frowned. “So how are you going to get there? I don’t see your truck.”

“I was just about to google bus stations and see where the closest one to here is.”

Rush’s frown deepened. “It’s forty minutes away. All the way in Fort Walton Beach.”

That wasn’t as bad as I’d feared.

“A bus isn’t safe Blaire. I don’t like the idea of you taking a bus. Let me take you. Please. I’ll get you there faster and I it’s free. You could save your money.”

Ride with him? All the way to Sumit and back? Was that a good idea?

“I don’t know…” I trailed off because honestly I didn’t know. My heart wasn’t ready for that much Rush.

“We don’t even have to talk… or we can if you want. I’ll let you choose the music and I won’t complain.”

If I went back with Rush, then Cain wouldn’t put up a fight. Or then again maybe he would. He could tell Rush about the pregnancy. But would he? I’d never confirmed to Cain that I was pregnant.

“I know you can’t forgive the lies and the hurt. I’m not asking you to. You know I’m sorry and if I could go back and change things I would. Please, Blaire, just as a friend who wants to help and keep you safe from crazy men who could hurt you on a bus, let me drive you.”

I thought of how very unlikely it was that I’d get hurt on the bus. And then I thought about the fact I wasn’t just keeping myself safe anymore. I had another life inside of me to protect.

“Okay. Yes. I’d like a ride.”

~*~

Jace was sprawled out in the large stuffed blue chair that sat in Bethy’s living room with his feet propped up on the ottoman and Bethy curled up in his lap. I was on the sofa feeling like a science experiment as they both stared at me in confusion.

“So you’re fine with Rush taking you to Sumit tomorrow to get your things? I mean you don’t feel weird or...” Bethy trailed off.

It would be strange. It would also hurt just being near him but I needed a ride. Bethy needed to work, not to take another day off to help me this week. “He offered. I needed a ride so I said yes.”

“And it was that easy? Why am I not buying it?” Bethy asked.

“Because she’s leaving out the parts where he begged and pleaded,” Jace said with a chuckle.

I pulled the afghan up over my shoulders. I was cold. I was cold a lot lately which was odd because it was summertime in Florida. “He didn’t beg,” I replied, feeling an urge to defend Rush. Even if he did actually beg, it wasn’t Jace’s business.

“Yeah, right. If you say so.” Jace took a drink of the sweet tea Bethy had fixed him.

“It isn’t our business. Leave her alone, Jace. We need to decide on what to do about the lease on this place ending in a week.”