The drunk stranger, who’s swaying down the trailer’s steps, heaves a throaty laugh at the sight of Will charging toward him.
“Long time, kid.”
“Answer the fucking question, Steve.”
“Just paying your mom a visit.”
“Where is she?” Will blurts, fear lacing his tone.
“Inside. I wouldn’t bother her. She’s… resting.”
Then the man zips up his pants.
My blood freezes over.
The man laughs again, tipping his beer back for a sip. Except the bottle never meets his lips. Will snatches the beer out of his hands, launching it against the trailer at full strength. I shriek as the glass shatters into a million pieces. I unbuckle my seat belt and reach for the car handle, ready to go over there.
“One beating wasn’t enough, huh? You need more?” Will grips the chubby man’s collar and punches him to the ground. That’s my cue. I’m at Will’s side in seconds, holding him back before he dives in for round two.
“Will, stop!”
“What the hell? I told you to stay in the car!” Will shouts, worry crossing his features when he sees me. The man jumps at Will’s inattention, seizing the opportunity to crawl into his car and bolt. The vehicle roars down the street before we know it.
“Fuck!” Will kicks the trash can by the trailer in anger. “I have her fucking money right here. I…” He gestures to his own car. “She couldn’t have waited a goddamn hour. She had to…”
Realization of what’s happening here makes me sick to my stomach. I wanted to give his mother the benefit of the doubt, but the evidence is damning.
She’s prostituting herself.
In exchange for her fix.
And I’m guessing Will is paying for her shit because he would rather give her money himself than watch her…
Oh my God.
Then, as if it wasn’t bad enough, the door creaks open. A frail woman who seems to be in her early forties stands on the other side, her post-sex, honey-colored hair cascading down her shoulders. Wearing a lilac bathrobe, she looks like she just woke up. Her delicate features peek through the dark spots under her eyes. I’ll admit, she’s nothing like what I pictured.
Sure, she looks older than her age, exhausted and a bit worn-out by a hard life, but she’s still beautiful—Will had to get his charm somewhere. Her good looks solidify my hunch. I’m sure she’s got plenty of dealers willing to negotiate.
“Honey, y-you’re here early.” She tries to smooth down her hair. “I thought I heard something.”
Lady, you thought you heard something? How about a violent altercation and a glass bottle being smashed against your house? I don’t know what she took, but it’s working.
“Oh.” She notices me. “Baby, is that her? Your girlfriend? William, she’s so pretty.”
It’s strange.
Hearing her call Will by his full name.
“Kassidy, is it? It’s so nice to meet you.” She holds out her hand to me.
I see it now.
She’s the kind of person you want to believe. Charismatic, seemingly harmless—manipulative. Must be how she keeps her son wrapped around her pinky. I lift my hand to meet hers, but Will stops me, catching my fingers into his.
“You’re not meeting her. We’re out of here. Come on.” He urges me toward the car.
“William!” She runs after us, too intoxicated to notice the glass cracking under her slippers. “Why are you leaving? Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
Will spins. “What’s wrong is you fucking called Steve!”
His mom stops short.
“Honey, you have to understand, he… He’s helping me. He said he’d find me a job.”
Will’s anger decreases. Don’t tell me he’s falling for it. I squeeze his hand in the dumb hope it’ll knock some sense into him. Much to my surprise, it works.
“Let me guess, as his own personal whore?”
His mother’s jaw hits the floor, her skin paling.
“Save your breath. I saw him sneak out.”
She smacks her mouth shut, knowing damn well she’s busted.
“You were never looking for work, were you?”
“William, please. It’s just not the right time for me, I’ll… I’ll get back on my feet soon, I promise.”
Will opens my car door for me, willing me to slide into the passenger seat. As he rounds the vehicle to reach the driver’s side, his mom leaps in his way.
“William, wait,” I hear her beg through my opened window.
“What?” he snaps.
Slightly trembling, she has the audacity to ask, “Do you have it? The m-money?”
Wow.
“Are you kidding me?” he hisses. “That’s what you care about right now?”
“Of course not. Y-you know I love you, baby. So much,” she backpedals. “But I need it. I’ll pay you back when I find work. Please just… give it to me.”
He huffs a scoff.
Climbs inside the car.
And speeds away.
We spend the rest of the day driving around, listening to music and pretending like our “lunch” with his mom didn’t go to hell. I don’t bring up what happened once, talking about anything but the elephant in the room. Will seems to appreciate it, entertaining my drivel without hesitation.
The sun is setting by the time Will drives us up the hill he first took me when he came back into town, snatching a parking spot that’s the equivalent of a front-row seat to Mother Nature’s show. He kills the ignition, leaving the radio on and keeping quiet for a while.
“Do you see it now?” he eventually breathes out.
“See what?”
“Why I didn’t want to bring you into this?”
Pain spreads through my rib cage.
“Jesus, your first time meeting my mom and she…” He throws his head back against the headrest. “I can’t imagine what you must think of me.”
He can’t imagine what I must think of him?
“I’ll tell you what I think.”
I unbuckle my seat belt, propping my foot up on the seat and hugging my knee to my chest.
“I think you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
“Right,” he scoffs.
“It’s true. I think you were dealt a shit hand in life, and you did the best you could with what you had.”
He once told me he didn’t want me to look at him like he was broken. What he doesn’t know
