A Simple Life: Chapter 150 (Patreon)

When I look up next I find that we are pulling up alongside a picnic area that looked down onto the beach. I knew it well as Grandpa and I had eaten many an ice cream cone from the quaint shop just across the street. In sunny weather and during the tourist season you’d be lucky to find an open table but with today being cool and wet the area was deserted.

Winona parks the truck and looks over at me as I look back at her. Before I can get a word out she exits her door then walks around to my side to open mine. She offers me her hand. I am happy to take it. Hand in hand we walk to the furthest table where we sit facing the ocean, our backs resting against the table. She slides her arm around me and pulls me close. Our butts were getting wet on the bench and a light patter of drizzle sprinkled down from above but all I can feel is the warm body at my side.

I look to my ring again and let all that it represented buoy my courage before looking to her. “You’re g-gonna get mad.”

“Maybe.” She says honestly. “But I’d still like to hear it.”

I let out a long breath and melt into her side. “Okay.”

And so, as we stare out at a gray and turbulent sea, I tell her. I tell all of the terrible details that I had held back from speaking about the last time we spoke. As calmly as I could I tell her about Lauren, the nighttime visit to the station, the visit from the police just a short time ago, and the meeting with Brenda afterward. I lay it all out with nothing held back.

For her part Winona sits quietly and patiently as I go through my story. When I needed a hug, she hugs me and when I needed a bit of prodding, she gives it. Otherwise she simply listens. A small flinch of her eye and tensing of her body follows my account of seeing Lauren’s bruise but she holds her anger inside of her until, by the time I was done, the flash of hot rage had cooled.

Laying my head on her shoulder I softly sigh. “I sh-shoulda known better. J-J-Jack always w-wins.”

“The hell he does.” Winona says. “No. Jack is the biggest fucking…” She takes a deep breath to calm herself again. “Jack is the biggest loser on this island. He’s losing his brother. He’ll lose his wife and kid, eventually. Probably lose everyone he ever loved. And if I ever spot him in a quiet alley…”

“Winona.”

“…he’ll lose a lot fucking more than that!” Her lips twitch into a near snarl as her nostrils flare with pent up fury. “Piece of shit! If he thinks he can…”

“Winona.” I lay a hand on her chest and whisper. “P-Please.”

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Sorry.”

“The p-police are st-still looking into it. Maybe…I d-don’t know.”

“Yeah.” She says in a clipped tone. “Maybe.”

“You’re m-mad at me?”

She looks at me and shakes her head. “No, baby. I’m not mad at you.”

“I shoulda t-told you l-last night.”

“You had your reasons.” She kisses my head. “Probably good ones. Had I been alone when I heard that I might have done something…stupid.” I lay my hand on her thigh. She lays her hand over mine and with interlocking fingers takes a hold. Against my side I could literally feel her tension drain from her. We sit for a long, quiet moment, each of us using the other as our anchor. “Brayden really came through last night, huh?”

“Yeah.” I say.

“Son of a bitch. He surprises me.”

“J-Jack and his f-friends don’t t-treat him very good. Never did.” I say. “They think h-he’s a loser. B-Because he d-doesn’t drink and p-party like they do. B-But th-they’re the only f-friends Brayden has.”

“Brayden’s a big boy. He’ll be okay.”

“I hope so.” I say. “J-J-Jack c-can really hold a grudge. If he f-figures out who my w-witness was…and it c-can only be one person…ohhh boy. I r-really messed everything up this t-time.”

“No, Avery.” She says. “You did what you thought was right. Don’t ever beat yourself up for following your conscience.”

“But w-was it r-right?”

“Mmm.” She grumbles. “Honestly?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know.” She looks at me and pulls one my long, wet bangs away from my face. “Where I’m from you deal with this stuff directly. And we never snitch on family. No matter how bad it is.”

“You…th-think I’m a snitch?”

She smiles. “I didn’t say that, Sprout. I’m just telling you things from where I come from. Not saying it’s better or worse.”

“Oh.”

“Your grandpa’s a lot wiser than I am. He’s a proper elder. His words carry weight. You can feel that when you are with him. Besides, this sure as hell isn’t the Rez. Things are different here.” She gives me a squeeze. “It was probably the right thing in the end.”

“I hope so.” I let out a long breath and look up into the cold drizzle. “I hope I’m n-not suspended f-for long. I h-hope th-they don’t fire me.”

“They’d be stupid if they do.”

“I’m g-glad Brayden’s g-got a job now.” I say as, for the first time, my mind starts to focus in on practicalities. “M-Maybe he c-can repay some of the m-money he owes me s-s-so I d-don’t have to tap into my savings too bad.”

“Mmm.”

“I know w-we w-were gonna go shopping t-tonight…” I sigh. “…but…g-given the circumstances…”

“No way. Uh uh.”

“Huh?”

“You think I’m gonna let an asshole like Jack ruin my baby girl’s shopping trip? Pah! You don’t know me if you think that.”

“But…”

“You’re gonna come shopping with us and that’s that.” She nods. “You let me worry about the bill.”

I smile as my heart lifts. “Y-You sure?”

“Sure I’m sure.” She says, then after a beat quips. “And I’ll pass it right on to Pops.”

“Pffft!” I start to giggle. “What?”

“He really thinks he’s getting my man to work for biscuits and tea? Fat chance, ya cheap old gorilla!”

“Ha ha ha!”

She chuckles and gives me a shake. “You just enjoy yourself tonight and let me worry about the rest.”

“Okay.” I am grinning from ear to ear.

Her chuckles subside. Her hand slips from the top of mine to slide in underneath to hold it from below where she takes it in a tight grip. Staring down at it she runs her hand over the tiny pink heart. “Hey…Avery.”

“Yeah?”

She swallows hard, prickling with a sudden nervous energy. “I, um, I mean…”

“Wh-What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She says. “I was just thinking…um, maybe…maybe I could help you?”

“Help me? You’re already h-helping me.”

“No.” She says. “I mean…um…financially.”

Flattered as I was I was also taken aback. “I d-don’t w-want your m-money Winona.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Not like that. I mean…maybe can help out with, um, rent and…bills and…stuff.”

“I don’t…” Just as I am about to say that I didn’t understand I suddenly did. It comes on a like a light bulb.

“I know it’s sudden and…I know we’ve only known each other a week and…I know it’s just a small room and…smells like a garage and…I know it would be cramped and…um…I know you deserve better but…”

“Winona?”

Rain spattered over her glasses and dripping from her hair, just like that first time she said 'I love you', she looks me in the eyes. “Baby, I would give you a palace in the sky if I could. Until then…could you settle for what I got?”

Chapter 151