Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance Read online

  “Fallen? I haven’t fallen at all. I made something of myself. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “No, but shaming me because of where I am certainly knocks you down a peg or two.”

  “Look, I just thought that you would have moved on. You said that you wanted to get out of here. I just don’t understand why you’re still living in that rat trap.”

  I spun around and marched off. “There you go insulting me again. Yeah, you turned out to be a real winner. Glad I didn’t hitch my train to yours.”

  “Let’s just get you home so I can get in my fucking car and be on my way.”

  “I didn’t ask you to walk me home. Go get in your pretty sports car and leave me alone.”

  “It’s a Porsche F-Type R. And it’s not pretty.”

  “Whatever. Seriously, I really don’t care about your car. I just want you to leave me alone.”

  “Well, I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because leaving a woman alone on the side of the road would make me a royal dick.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. You already hold that title.”

  “Anna, could you just pretend for the rest of the walk to your house that you aren’t pissed at me?”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “Because you’re a whole lot more pleasant when your mouth is shut,” he muttered.

  I stopped and spun around again. “You know what your problem is?”

  “No, tell me,” he said sarcastically.

  “You’re a pencil dick that uses money and fancy cars to make yourself feel better for the shit you did when you were younger. I hope it helps you sleep at night. But that stuff doesn’t impress me and it doesn’t make me want to spend any time with you.”

  He sighed heavily. “Anna, how long are you going to make me pay for something that happened when we were seventeen?”

  “I don’t know,” I narrowed my eyes at him. “How long is going to take you to figure out that I don’t want to see you or speak to you?”

  I spun back around and kept marching. I knew he was behind me the whole time, but I didn’t acknowledge him the rest of the walk home. He stayed a good few feet behind me the whole way. When I walked up the driveway, I purposely avoided the potholes that needed to be filled in with gravel. The faint light from my outside light let off just enough of a glow that I could see. It had rained, so I knew there would be sitting water. But Robert didn’t know where those potholes were and I wasn’t about to tell him. He could find out on his own.

  “Shit,” he swore. I glanced over my shoulder to see him lift his foot and shake the water off. I snorted in laughter and his head shot up. “You think this is funny? These are expensive shoes.”

  “Oh, you’re right.” I cleared my throat and fully turned toward him. “Robert, there are potholes filled with water. Watch out.”

  I smiled and sent him a little finger wave before turning around and marching up the steps to my trailer. I slid the key in the lock, but it was sticking as usual, and I couldn’t get the damn door open. I wiggled the key until it finally turned and then slammed my hip into the door like I always had to do. The door stuck like crazy, especially when it rained. When it didn’t give the first time, I slammed my hip against it again, but it still wouldn’t give.

  “What the fuck is wrong with your door?”

  “Nothing, it just sticks.”

  “Move over. I’ll get it open.”

  “Now, I wouldn’t want you to get your pretty suit all dirty.”

  “It doesn’t matter. My pants are already drenched in water, thanks to you.”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault you didn’t see the puddles.”

  “No, but it is your fault for being a bitch and not telling me they were there.”

  “Me?” I asked, placing my hand on my chest in a haughty fashion. “I simply didn’t remember. Besides, you remember what it’s like to live in the country, don’t you? All that dirt and rain that leaves mud all over your truck? Or have you forgotten already?”

  He glared at me and turned to the door, booting it in with one kick. He didn’t even bother to ask before he stepped inside. The roof had been leaking lately, and I still had a few buckets sitting on the floor where they were collecting water. Most of the appliances in the kitchen were from the eighties, and the one that wasn’t was only a few years younger. I sighed and tossed my purse down on the chair and turned to Robert.

  “Was there something else you needed?”

  He was staring around the trailer with a look that was a mix of sadness and anger. I didn’t need him to be angry on my behalf, or sad for that matter.

  “Anna, you shouldn’t be living like this,” he said quietly.

  “Well, I am.”

  He sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. “You make decent money working for my brother. Why don’t you get an apartment in town? It has to be better than living like this.”

  That just sparked my anger even further. I didn’t owe him an explanation. He was nothing to me, and it didn’t matter if he followed me home or not, it was none of his business what was going on with me.

  “Why don’t you mind your own business and leave? You’re good at that.”

  “Anna-“

  “No! You don’t get to come back into my life and pretend like you care about me. You had your chance and you walked away.”

  “It wasn’t that simple. You know that.”

  “No, what I know is that I was seventeen and you broke my heart. You left me to deal with everything.”

  “You went to live with your aunt. What was I supposed to do? Stay here and wait for you to come home?”

  I shook my head because I wasn’t sure what I expected. All I knew was that I couldn’t do this with him again. I couldn’t stand here with him and pretend like we were old friends or something. He was someone that I couldn’t handle being in my life, and if I let him in even a little, it would just break my heart all over again.

  “You need to leave.”

  He sighed and turned for the door. “Lock up behind me.”

  “Right, because I need you to tell me what to do. Thank you, but I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  He glanced around my trailer and shook his head. “Yeah, I can see that.”

  He walked out and closed the door behind him. I wasn’t going to lie, it hurt to have him look at me like that, like I was trash. I used to mean something to him. We loved each other, but now all those good memories were tarnished with our mistakes. We had totally different lives now, and I didn’t belong anywhere near someone like him.

  Robert

  I grimaced as I stepped in another puddle in her driveway. My shoes were ruined for sure, along with the pants of this suit. I’d have to get it to the dry cleaner and see if they could get it clean. If not, this suit was wasted. I glanced back at the shitty piece of metal she called a home. I couldn’t believe that she still lived there. When we were in high school, all she could talk about was getting out of there and going on an adventure. Maybe our lives took us in different directions, but she still should have been able to move out of there by now. It had been thirteen years.

  I walked back to my car, dreading that I had to get inside my baby with dirt all over my suit. It had taken me a long time to save up enough money to not only afford my apartment, but also that car. Pretty. That car wasn’t pretty, it was freaking awesome. If she wasn’t being such a bitch to me, I might have offered to let her drive it.

  By the time I got back to my car, I knew I had already missed the start of poker night. Had I left work earlier, I would have made it in time, but then I wouldn’t have come across Anna on the side of the road, and who knows what she would have done. She probably would have called the garage in town, and then she would have met some skeevy asshole that would have put the moves on her.

  I pulled up in front of Eric’s place ten minutes later and cleaned as much of the dirt out of the car as poss
ible. Sighing, I knew I would just have to take it to be detailed tomorrow. I couldn’t risk letting the dirt sink in and stain. Walking up the steps to the porch, I heard a loud round of cheers and banging. I pushed the door open and everyone turned to look at me.

  “What happened to you?” Joe asked. “Did that fancy car break down?”

  “No, I was driving over here and I saw Anna broken down on the side of the road. I walked her home.”

  “You didn’t offer her a ride? You’re such an asshole,” Will grumbled.

  I took off my coat and hung it on the taped together coat rack. Eric had broken it in half earlier this year after Kat left him and he got drunk.

  “I did offer her a ride, but she refused.”

  “Because you’re an asshole,” Will said again.

  “Are you ever going to tell us what happened between you two?” Eric asked.

  “No.” I took my seat as Eric dealt the cards.

  “You must have done something really shitty. She hates you.”

  “She said that?” I asked Eric.

  “She doesn’t need to. If I even mention your name, it’s like she turns into a feral beast.”

  “Who turns into a feral beast?” Kat asked as she walked into the kitchen. She leaned over and kissed Eric, then slid into his lap, studying his cards.

  “Anna.” Eric shifted Kat on his lap and slid his hand around her waist. What I wouldn’t give to have Anna here, looking at me the way Kat looked at my brother.

  “Because Robert’s a douchebag?” she asked. I glowered at her.

  “Thanks, sis.”

  “Hey, I’m just repeating her words. I happen to like you.”

  She hopped up and grabbed some snacks out of the cabinet and poured them into dishes to put on the table. Then she grabbed a beer and handed it to me.

  “Have you seen where she lives?” I asked after a moment.

  Eric looked up and shook his head. “No, why would I know where she lives?”

  “It’s a shit hole. The same place her parents used to live.”

  “That thing is still standing?” Andrew asked.

  “Barely.”

  Andrew chuckled, shaking his head. “Dude, I remember sneaking out of the house with you on Halloween to go see her.”

  “Shut it.” I tossed a chip at him, hitting him in the face.

  “And you fell into the rose bushes at the Martin’s house when you jumped the fence.”

  I cringed as I remembered the thorns poking me in some very uncomfortable places. “I’d rather not think about that.”

  “You would have done anything to get to Anna back then,” he laughed. “I just never understood what happened between you two.”

  “Yeah,” Joe agreed. “You were together one day and off to college the next. And then Anna disappeared for a year, and when she came back, she was a totally different person.”

  I drank my beer and ignored my brother’s comment, but as I glanced up, I caught Kat’s penetrating gaze. She narrowed her eyes at me, but kept her mouth shut.

  “So, when are you two getting married?” I asked, shifting the topic of conversation off me.

  Eric slid his arm around Kat’s waist and pulled her into his side. “I’d be fine with getting married tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow’s Sunday,” Will pointed out. “Nobody gets married on a Sunday.”

  “Well, we’re not everybody else,” Eric snapped.

  “I’m not getting married tomorrow,” Kat said. “I want a real wedding, something special.”

  “I’m not waiting until next spring. That’s too far away. Besides, we can keep it small, just our family.”

  “We could do a Christmas wedding,” Kat beamed. “It’s far enough away that we could still pull off something simple.”

  I grinned and discreetly pulled out my phone, pulling up the town Facebook page. #Kat&EricGetMarried- Christmas wedding. Any ideas?

  “It would be nice, but what if it doesn’t snow?” Joe asked. “You’d just have mud outside.”

  “Yeah, winters have sucked lately. Last year, it was fifty degrees over Christmas,” Andrew added.

  “Bring in a snow machine,” Will suggested.

  “I’m not bringing in a snow machine. When I marry Kat, I want everything to be perfect. A snow machine would be a huge hassle.”

  I checked my phone again.

  Mrs. Cranston

  I’ll make the cake! I have the perfect recipe!

  Jeannie Jax

  I’ll check with the church first thing in the morning. Should I plan for the whole town?

  Carly Summers

  No! They should get married under their tree! Remember that sweet picture that we saw from the funeral? It would be a perfect place to get married. And plenty of room for everyone to show up.

  Bessie Phillips

  That would be depressing. You want them to get married where their daughter is buried?!

  Angela Fuergeson

  I’ll take care of the flowers. Oh! A winter wedding will be so beautiful. Just think of red roses against the white snow.

  Bessie Phillips

  If it snows. When was the last time we had a white Christmas?

  John Henderson

  The diner can provide the food. We could have pigs in a blanket for appetizers and then I can make my famous chili.

  Jeannie Jax

  You can’t serve chili at a wedding!

  John Henderson

  Why not? My chili is awesome!

  Jeannie Jax

  You really think a room full of people is the best place to serve beans?

  I snorted, completely oblivious to the conversation around me. They looked up at me curiously. I grinned and waved my phone at them. “It looks like your wedding is being handled.”

  “What?” Kat screeched, rushing around to snatch my phone away. She looked at the phone, her eyes moving furiously back and forth. “Oh my God! Why would you do this?”

  “Do what?” Eric asked.

  “Pigs in a blanket and chili?” She screeched again.

  “What is she talking about?”

  “The town is taking care of your wedding,” I grinned.

  “They’re what?” He stood, shoving his chair away from the table and stomping around to stand behind Kat. He stared over her shoulder at the phone.

  “This is a disaster!”

  “I think it’s nice,” I grinned, drinking my beer. “Even Mrs. Cranston wants to be part of it.”

  “His creepy stalker?” Kat snapped.

  “Hey, Mrs. Cranston is sweet. She just appreciates the male form.”

  Joe and Andrew chuckled along with me while Will continued to scroll through the feed.

  “Look, the town practically lived and breathed your relationship. I think it’s only right that they get to share in your day with you.”

  Eric looked up from the phone and glared at me. Okay, so he was a little pissed at me, but Joe and Will got to have their fun with the Facebook page. Why shouldn’t I?

  Eric calmly set down the phone and smiled at me. This was bad. If Eric was calm, that meant something else was going on, and I wasn’t going to like it.

  “Did I mention that we’re having a guest on Thanksgiving?”

  “No. Who?”

  He smirked at me. “Anna.”

  “What? Why the hell would you invite my ex-girlfriend to Thanksgiving dinner?”

  “She doesn’t have anyone to spend it with. It was the least I could do.”

  “No, the least you could do was mind your own fucking business.”

  “Like you did here?”

  I glared at him. “Not the same thing. You don’t know what the hell you’re messing with.”

  I shoved out of my chair and headed for the door.

  “We might if you would actually tell us what happened between you two,” Eric pointed out.

  That wasn’t going to happen. There was no way I would ever tell him what happened between Anna and me. It was too embarrass
ing. And in the end, I knew they would take Anna’s side. I left, not wanting to be around anyone else tonight. Eric followed me outside, refusing to let it go.

  “Why the hell won’t you tell us?”

  “Because you’ll hate me,” I said, unlocking my car.

  “Well, now I really want to know.”

  “Too bad. I’m not going to tell you.”

  “Robert, I could never hate you. You’re my brother.”

  I looked up at him and wondered if he would still feel that way if he found out. It wasn’t a chance I was willing to take. I got in my car and left, while he stood in the driveway and watched me drive off.

  Anna

  I spent the weekend looking at used cars. Mine was fucked. It was going to cost more to fix it than to get a new vehicle. I found my new car yesterday and had to deal with a guy that reminded me a greasy used car salesman. I bet if I looked up the term in the dictionary, his face would appear.

  So, while I was busy getting a new used car, I barely had a chance to think about Robert over the weekend. It was my first time seeing him since I was hired for the job, and even that one time had been more than enough for me. When I saw him the first time, he was at least dressed somewhat normally. But when I saw him Friday night, I was disgusted. He wasn’t anything like the man I used to know. He had that flashy sports car and his suit had to have cost a few grand at least. Who walked around in clothes that expensive? It was ridiculous. I bet his shoes cost more than my entire outfit.

  I grinned as I remembered him stepping in the mud puddles in my driveway. I wouldn’t lie, I was pretty pleased when I saw that he had ruined his suit. But the one thing that bothered me was the look of disgust on his face when he walked in my trailer. I never let what others thought of me bother me, but with Robert, it was different. We knew each other from another time. He used to be the one person that knew me better than anyone else. We loved each other. When I was having issues with my alcoholic mother, he was there for me. When my dad showed up out of the blue after being absent for ten years, he took me back to his parents’ house until my dad took off. He was always looking out for me, taking care of me. But then everything changed and he was gone. I felt abandoned.