Three hours after my little spat with Scott, I was regretting turning down that offer, ten percent was a lot, but what the heck? Wasn't kitchen duty punishment enough and Wendy was more than excited to help her boyfriend out. The entire ranch seemed to be giddy the moment a black SUV pulled up and a lady in her mid fifties stepped out wearing a white suit, black shades, her silvery hair made into a neat bun. She was not impressed with the ranch by the disgusted look she gave. She said something to two guys who quickly rushed to pull out her suitcase from the trunk of the cab hurling them to the house.
Scott and Mark strolled towards her, she gave Mark a big hug and ignored Scott's hand.
I had bigger problems, where was I gonna stay? Going back to Lena's house would be embarrassing. Rent would be expensive and the boarding house in the ranch was just suicide, there would be a lot of deductions from my salary. I looked at one of the barns which was basically a warehouse for old tractors and other equipments, it was sealed shut. Who would I talk to about this?
I found Mark sweeping the stables, he was a terrible sweeper.
"Hey, kid, over here." I said.
He gives me a look. "What?"
"A word?"
He groans. "Get lost, I'm busy."
"Fine, we'll talk as you uh, do whatever it is you're doing." I walked towards him.
"Look, don't bother me okay."
"You know that barn, that nobody uses, the really old one." I say casually.
"Oh, you're still here? " He says sarcastically.
"I was hoping to you know borrow it for a while." I whispered. He drops his broom and opens his mouth in shock.
"Are you dealing with drugs? Oh my God, you're with the mafia? Triad?" He whispers in excitement.
"Yeah, I also planted a secret marijuana farm on this property." I whispered with equal excitement.
He grins.
"Get real kid, if I was a drug peddler I'd be in a big city. No, I need a place to crash, nothing big, that attic looks perfect and I need the spare keys to it, I'll give you three bucks for it." I squatted, he did so too.
"Whoa, is my dad paying you to get something out of me? Cause it's not going to work." He glares at me.
"Of course not."
"Plus three bucks? You really think I'm that retarded?"
"Eight bucks, that's how high I can go." I said.
"Hmm, if you really need a place to stay, you'll get caught because Dad inspects the barns for rattlers and bats every Sunday. Tell you what? There's an abandoned shack a mile away from here, it's ours, but Dad doesn't use it anymore."
"How do I know I can trust you?" I asked.
He glared at me. "Hey, you asked for help, not me."
"Alright, we'll go get some ice-cream later tonight." I stood.
He gives me a look. "Ice-cream?"
"I mean go check it out later."
"Why didn't you say so?"
This kid was as dumb as he looked. I thought.
* * *
Dinner was quiet, except the clanking of cutlery against plates and Mark loudly chewing on his food and gulping down orange juice quickly. Miriam gives him a look.
"Try to chew quietly Mark, although I blame your father for not teaching you proper etiquette. "
"Eti-what?" Mark asked.
She gave him a stern look. Mark managed a fake chuckle. "I'm kidding."
"So, how do you like your meal?" Scott asked.
"It's a little flat, but the serving is admirable." She commented.
That meant good, coming from her.
"The house is quiet dull, green is not my favorite color. If Quinn were here, oh she would have the decency to improve this." Miriam said.
"And where is Quinn these days? Peru? The Bahamas? She always liked the grand lifestyle of traveling, running away from the real world." Scott poked at his chicken breast. He looked at Miriam who frowned for a moment then glared at him.
"Clearly you could not give her the world. I have no idea where she is, but she misses Mark dearly." Miriam stated.
"When can I see her?" Mark asked.
"Soon." She stated.
After dinner, Scott did the dishes while Mark cleaned the dining table.
"I see no trace of a woman here." Miriam walks into the kitchen.
"I don't really have the time for women, got a lot to do." He wipes the last dish, placing it in a rack. Miriam looks at him.
"Oh don't lie to me, I know you can't cook."
Perfect.
"Did you fly all the way from New York to criticize my lifestyle?" He inquired.
"Actually, yes, more about Mark, my husband and I feel he needs proper guidance." Miriam explained. "A proper education, perhaps he should come with me."
"He's not going anywhere, and definitely nowhere in Manhattan." He queried.
"Do you really feel he should be here rounding up horses and cleaning stables?"
"Did Quinn put that idea in your head?"
"Don't you dare talk about my daughter in that tone?" Miriam glared at him. "I see you're unwilling to oblige."
"Yeah, because I'm not that idiotic boy you could talk down on anymore. You ever think about what Mark wants?"
"Of course I do, I don't need to be psychic to feel the elephant in the room. You two do not get along."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because he told me on the phone."
This time he was quiet. Damn, Mark you idiot—
"It's only a matter of time before something horrible happens. Think about it." With that Miriam leaves him in the kitchen alone.
When Mark sat on his bed, he takes up his cellphone and dials a familiar number. The same voicemail plays like a mantra.
"Hiii, this is Quinn, please leave a message." Quinn's voice says.
* * *
I was vaguely tired from all this walking, I held on to my backpack as Mark led me to a small shack, in the middle of the woods. He placed his flashlight to the house.
"That's it, complete with water and a bathroom, no electricity, but there's a fireplace."
I moved forward. "Go home. I'll take it from here."
"Whoa, you're not seriously moving in tonight? No one's been here in years." Mark said.
"Yeah, got it, you should head back before papa bear notices you're gone." I took out my cellphone and turned on its flashlight.
"Well, you gotta be careful out here though." He says handing a key to me. "You owe me, a lot more than eight bucks."
"Sure, now beat it."
When he was further away, I pushed the key into the lock and opened the door. I ran into a cobweb, coughing out dust, there was a bed by the corner, dishes stacked in a sink, in the other corner, a fireplace, two rocking chairs.
Looks like I wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.
I was immune to the harsh cold water bath in the early mornings, just like in prison, at first it was terrifying but she learned to cope. I had to drink extra hot coffee to get by the day. I tried to ignore Easton's stares as I passed by serving the lousy workers, it killed him to see me here, I didn't care, he had to deal with it.
My third weekend came and I decided to buy some hair shampoo at a grocery store. I took the fruity scented shampoo, this would be a waste since i was working day and night, trying not to get caught, who knew it'd be as hard as it sounded?
"Mom?" I hear a voice say.
Ugh, kids were so loud and annoying these days, his parents should really be watching him. But I was wrong because he hugged me tightly. I look at the ten year old standing before me with a puzzled stare.
"Okay kid, gotta get back to—" I stopped when I saw he was a spitting image of my ex husband.
"Bobby, don't run off like that." I hear a girl cry out. She jogged towards us, she had a swinging dark ponytail behind her, she wore a white shirt with a blue sweater above it, jeans and flats, she had a pink purse hanging over her shoulders.
She peered Bobby away from me. "Sorry, he gets like this sometimes —" She did a double take when she saw me. "Mom? When did you get out of jail?"
"You better keep an eye on him, lot of crazies out there." I simply said and brushed past them.
"But you're Chloe Carter right? You can't pretend it's not you." She said loudly.
God, Lana was such a big mouth. I look at her anyway with no reaction on my face. "Look kid, don't think this will be one big reunion, you pretend you didn't see me and I'll do the same."
Lana glared at me. "Reunion? You're kidding right? You're not here to make amends or anything related to that?"
"Of course not." I scoffed.
"You're really her," Bobby asked, his eyes faced the floor.
"Aww, Bob-train did you called me?" A woman brushed past me and hurried to kiss Bobby's hair. That was my cue to leave.
What was happening to me? Why did I feel so...so different? There's no way i would ever try to even see them, I had a goal, and would accomplish it. That goal would have to wait because I see Helena pulling over at the grocery store in her car. Her face says get in, and I oblige, before Lana's Stepmother comes looking for me.
I'm eating a plate of roasted beef and mashed potatoes at Clyde's. It was the best restaurant in town, well back before she was in prison. It still was. She sat by the window wolfing down her food then realising Helena was glaring at her.
"What? I said I'm paying for mine." I say.
"You got a lot of nerve leaving like that, ignoring my phone calls, I almost called Scott but I didn't want him to think you were up to something. Where are you staying now? The ranch boarding? " Helena asked.
I drink from a glass of water. "Hell no, that get up is way too expensive, I think I'd rather live in prison for free. " I see a little girl and her father walk by, the guy looks at me before going.
"Don't say things like that." Helena said.
"I'm staying at the ranch though, just not at the boarding house—" I said. Lena gasps interrupted me.
"Don't tell me Scott let you in his house." Lena whispered.
"No, it's in a barn attic."
"Don't you get cold? Won't you get caught?" Lena asked.
"Not really, and nobody suspects a thing except Scott's brat, Mark?"
"Mark?!" I swore Lena died every time I revealed my hideout information.
"What happened to Mark?" We hear Scott asked.
We see Scott standing in front of our table wearing a shirt and tie, he even had his hair combed up and was holding a laptop back.
"Whoa, is it Halloween already?" I teased.
"Chloe." Lena whispered.
I gave Scott a smile. His broad shoulders heaved. "I didn't know it was your day off."
"We're just having lunch, I'll be back at the ranch soon." She bit into the beef and munched.
"What's with the outfit?" Lena asked.
"I have a meeting with an investor from out of town, owns a restaurant in San Francisco. The ranch needs a couple of finances here and there." Scott explained. "Now, what did Mark do? Or is this about about another person?"
"Oh Mark's fine he uh was um telling Chloe how you never take him out for uh...ice-cream and a game." Lena said quickly. I glared at my friend.
"Not that I care about that father son bullshit, just a suggestion. " I say.
"Mark told you that?" Scott asked with full disbelief.
I shrugged and looked away.
"Well, it was a pleasure seeing you Helena, Chloe but my investor is waiting." Scott told them and walked away and shook the hands of the man who had walked by with his daughter, they sat and began to chat.
"Ugh, what were you thinking? " Chloe told Lena.
"It's sort of true, well considering you're both terrible parents now, I thought you'd take a hint." Lena shrugged. "Oh my God, Chloe you're going to put Mark in a lot of trouble with his Dad."
"Relax, I won't snitch on him, okay? We have an agreement and I sincerely hope you won't snitch on me." I said.
"Fine, but pick my calls okay? You have to be safe at all times." Lena warned.
"I will." I glance at Scott and his investor talking in hushed tones and hoping there won't be some kind of an inspection.