I’m here. I’ll drive you home.
That was even weirder. I’ll be out in a minute.
I found Crystal and told her I had a ride. She’d been taking me home the last few weeks. After I reassured her multiple times, it wasn’t Dylan and it was a female, she relented. Her mothering instincts were smothering, but I secretly liked it. Mom hadn’t taken much concern in who I hung out with in a long time.
Iris flashed her headlights at me after I searched the parking lot for her. She’d parked off to the side by Dylan’s car. I smiled. Iris and I had been friends forever. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until now. She knew all my secrets, and I knew hers. She waved from behind the steering wheel as I walked toward her. I waved back.
Dylan’s car beeped when I got close, and I jumped about five feet. Spinning around, I caught his cold gaze. He stood near the stage door with his arms crossed. I wanted to go to him. The pull was so strong. He threw his hands out, locked his car again, and shook his head as he headed back inside.
My heart dropped. He’d reached out with the newspaper article and warning. I should’ve done more than just text him back. And I wanted to. I wanted to fix everything between us. I wanted to run off to wherever with him. I just couldn’t.
Instead, I turned and climbed into Iris’s car.
“Text him a pic of us together,” Iris said, taking my phone.
“No,” I said. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah, it does.”
She forced me into the pic and snapped it. Then she sent it to Dylan. I ripped my phone from her hands and read the message she’d sent too. It’s not what you think. That was all. He didn’t respond and I put my phone in my lap.
“Why’d you do that?” I asked, not keeping the whine from my voice.
Iris snorted. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you and him, but it was pretty clear he didn’t like the idea of you getting into my car. He needed to know I’m not some random dude.”
I didn’t say anything as I stared out the window at the gray siding on the back of the theater.
“Anyway,” Iris said, dragging out the word as she started the car. It backfired before becoming a smooth rumble. “Why are you working at the resort?”
“Who told you that?” I asked calmly. Obviously, it was Miranda.
“Duh,” she snapped. “What’s going on, Cami? She said you needed the money. What happened to all the cash you had saved to leave Branson?”
“Spent it,” I said.
“Why?” Iris pulled out onto the main drag and headed in the general direction of my house.
I wanted to tell her everything, but I didn’t want to either. She’d tell Miranda who would probably use it against me. I’d seen Miranda’s revenge schemes on people who had wronged her or who she thought had wronged her. This information was definitely something she’d use against me.
“Does it matter? I don’t have it. I’m not leaving any time soon.” I pinched my nose. Was I being unreasonable? Maybe, but it really wasn’t her business. She took Miranda’s side and virtually shut me out all summer.
“Okay, I deserve a little attitude.” Iris pursed her lips. She sighed then glanced over at me. “Miranda’s been unhinged, Cami. She’s just... broken. I’ve been sticking by her side to try and help, but she’s her own personal Girls Gone Wild video.”
I sniffled, usually a sign tears were coming. Closing my eyes to stop anything from breaking free, I nodded. Miranda had shut me out completely. And I’d been so focused on the show and my family, I hadn’t gone outside of my own box.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around.” Iris turned on her blinker then made a right. “This wasn’t how I thought our last summer before ... well, would be. You know?”
“Yeah.” I opened my eyes and stared out the window. “I used the money to pay... Mom and Dad were getting final notices to shut off the electric, gas, and water. The mortgage was behind too. I wasn’t going to let my family get kicked out of the house.”
“Oh, shit,” Iris said, not bothering to hide the shock in her voice. “Seriously? It was that bad?”
“Yep.” I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “I did what I had to do.”
“That sucks.” She turned down my street. “I never knew it was that bad.”
I huffed a laugh. “Me either. I mean, I knew we were poor...”
“You wiped out your savings?”
“Almost. I still have some left.”
“Damn, I’m sorry, Cami,” Iris said.
I shrugged. There wasn’t anything she could do about it. Nothing I could either.
“What about the guy?” She raised an eyebrow as she parked in front of my house. The lights blazed inside.
“It’s over.” There wasn’t anything else I wanted to say about Dylan.
“He doesn’t want it to be over,” Iris said.
Neither do I. “We don’t always get what we want.”
Iris parked the car, but she left the engine running. We sat in silence. The radio played softly. It was a Hank Williams classic. I wanted to turn it off, but you never touch another person’s radio.
“What’re you going to do now?” she asked quietly.
“Work.” I shrugged and reached for the door handle. “Mr. Reynolds hired me to work my off days. Couple people from the band want to do something together once Hank leaves. I’ll figure it out.”
Iris nodded.
“I’ve got to go.” I opened the door and started to get out when Iris stopped me.
“I’m really sorry, Cami.” Her lips tightened into a thin line. “I haven’t been a good friend lately.”
“That’s not true.” I smiled, but it felt bitter. “You’ve been a great friend to Miranda. She needed you.”
“So did you,” Iris whispered.
“I’ll land on my feet.” I stepped out of her car and headed toward the house.
I always do.
