I could hear the bullfrogs croaking through the night air. Their sound soothing rather than annoying, it fit right in with the country life Roger and his family lived. Every moment was even better than the last in this place.
I thought to myself if I ever got to choose a way of life and where to live it, this would be perfect. I would love to live in an old country home, secluded from the sounds of the city, with my family. How great it would be to breathe in the fresh air on a daily basis and to live a simple, peaceful life.
I laid eyes on Roger as he walked across the lawn. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes were filled with questions and concern. I knew he would never have the guts to ask the questions he wanted to ask.
“Hey there, beautiful,” he said, climbing the stairs.
“Evening, Roger,” I said softly, keeping my eyes on the stars—those very stars that I’d wished upon a million times or more. “I heard you guys are heading out,” he said, joining me. He looked up at the stars as well, running his hands along the railing, not speaking, just enjoying the view.
“Yeah, we’re leaving. It’s been nice. I really like your home,” I said. It wasn’t easy for me to make small talk.
“What do you like about it?” He leaned against the railing.
“It’s relaxing. And really pretty,” I said with a shrug.
Roger moved past my compliment, I could see in his eyes he was about to burst if he didn’t say something. I swallowed, afraid to hear what he had to say. I knew that Noah was more than likely only an earshot away and Mason was probably crouched underneath the porch waiting to attack if he tried anything.
“Lainey came to me concerned about you and Mason,” he said finally. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied me very carefully.
I sighed, not sure what to say, but I looked him straight in the eyes. “Did she say why?”
“That’s not important. The important thing is, I wanted you to know if there’s anything you need to tell me, you can do it right now.”
Silence crept into the moment, curling its fingers around us. We both stood very still. I didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t know if you know this or not, Kendall, but I’m worth a lot of money, and I’m willing to help you and Mason out,” he confided.
I shook my head. I felt the heaviness of remorse from a life full of misdeeds come rushing at me. My legs felt heavy as lead. The thought of anyone knowing the real Kendall was the worst thing that could ever happen.
I was seven years old the first time I realized my life was a wreck. I remember the first time I saw, with my own eyes, what evil really looked like.
My mom and Wanda had gotten into a big fight. I remember my mom bolting out the front door of our house wearing that old, worn out dress that she’d worn for as long as I can remember. She was barefoot and drunk.
Then I saw Aunt Wanda racing down the street in her car, trying to run her over. I imagined how great it would have been if Wanda had hit her. I was seven years old and I would have been happy to see my own mother plowed down by a car. How wrong is that?
I sat down on the porch steps watching the chaos play out around me. The sun was about to set, and it was a beautiful moment in spite of Aunt Wanda’s screeching tires.
It didn’t take long before I couldn’t see my mom anymore; she was busy running between cars and mailboxes trying to outrun Aunt Wanda.
Eventually, they found their way back home. Aunt Wanda acted as if nothing had happened, and by this time, my mother had sobered up from all the running. She walked right past me going back inside the house like she hadn’t a care in the world.
That was the day I knew we weren’t a normal family—we were the rejects, the trashy people who didn’t care about anyone or anything.
“This one time she almost strangled my mom,” I confessed, looking away from Roger.
“Wanda?” Roger asked. I just nodded my head.
“She choked her until I thought her eyes were going to pop right out of her head. I never saw someone’s face look like that before. That was the day I knew Aunt Wanda was a bad person,” I said, barely able to settle my unsteady breathing.
Roger stayed still. He let me keep right on talking. I’m sure I said more than I should have, but it felt right to do so for some reason. I didn’t care that I might regret it later.
“Payton is just as evil. Mason’s in the same situation I am.”
My thoughts drifted back to the times Mason and I would talk about all the horrible things we did while on the run with Wanda and Payton.
It was the only part of my life I shared. Mason could always one-up or tie any story I had about Wanda, proving Payton was just as nasty as Wanda.
We were both screwed up, and we knew it. It’s what made us close.
“You’re still a young girl. You could make life better for yourself if you put your mind to it,” Roger said, giving me a crooked grin. “You could probably have anything you ever wanted.” He playfully elbowed me in the side.
“I must admit I’m surprised by you, Roger,” I said, holding tight to the railing. I looked at him, a smile creeping up out of nowhere.
“Now why would that be, Kendall?”
There was nothing complicated between us. We were just two people talking.
“I expected a long, drawn-out lecture about how sorry you are for me and my life.” The wind blew my hair against my face as I stared off, my eyes seeing every lightning bug appear then disappear again.
“I’d like to say I have the answer to your problems. I’d even like to fix what is going on, but I think you’re the only one who can fix this. And I think you know it,” he told me.
I nodded, wishing I knew what that even meant. I had no clue how to fix any of it.
“What do you want out of life, Kendall?” Roger asked, touching my hand gently.
“Peace. I want to be able to trust someone. And maybe a giant bathtub I can use whenever I want,” I said, smiling at the thought of it.
Roger chuckled. I felt a bit stupid. I didn’t have high hopes. I barely had hope at all.
“This is the only advice I can give you.” He stood up straight, his shoulders relaxing some.
“What’s that?” I asked, curious.
He headed down the stairs without finishing his sentence. He motioned for me to follow. I looked around, heading down the steps slowly, a bit nervous to be sneaking around right before we were leaving.
Roger was nowhere to be found in the darkness, his shadow vanished beyond the doors of the workshop.
I hurried after him, adrenaline surging my body, my heart leaping out of my chest, my stomach clenching in a panic.
“I want you to take this,” he whispered as soon as I was inside, his figure hardly evident in the darkness. He pushed some kind of envelope in my hand.
“What is it?” I whispered, running my fingertips across the material.
“That’s two thousand dollars.” He pulled me close, his hands gently leading me to the ground.
“Roger, this is a lot of money,” I said, lying down next to him. I gripped the money with both hands, trying not to think about what he might want in return. But nothing happened. He was silent and then he pulled me close to his warm body, holding me…comforting me.
“You take it. You never know when it could come in handy. I’m sure it could get you far away,” he whispered, his voice having a calming effect.
“Go on now,” he whispered as soon as we heard the car start up breaking the silence.
I jumped to my feet, blindly finding my way to the moonlit doorway.
“Goodbye, Kendall. Take care of yourself,” Roger said.
I scanned the darkness for any signs of him, jumping when I realized he was right in front of me. He gave me a gentle nudge, sending me off.