Page 50 of August Lane

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

L uke went to the farm to see Ethan. But he drank whiskey before he left because he hadn’t been there since he woke up bleeding on the floor.

By the time he arrived, he felt good enough to saunter up the steps.

It was Tuesday, a Bible study night for Ava and her sanctified boyfriend.

Ethan opened the door, and when Luke saw his little brother’s face, healthy and clear of visible injuries, it was a relief.

“Luke!” Ethan threw his arms around his waist. Luke held on tight and rocked a little before stepping back.

“How are things going?”

“I’m okay. I mean, as okay as possible. She’s using more. I think she misses you.”

Resentment and despair bubbled up together, but Luke easily choked them down thanks to the magic of Jim Beam. “I’ll call her once I’m settled.”

Ethan’s face brightened. “Right. Hold on.” He went to his bedroom. Luke remained standing, unwilling to sit on a couch with bloodstained cushions. Someone had tried to clean the floral fabric, but there were pink splotches between the pastel petals.

Ethan returned with an overstuffed backpack. “I wasn’t sure when you’d come for me, so I figured it was good to be prepared.” He gave Luke a flyer. It was an advertisement for Country Star auditions. Ethan had written notes on the back, lists of bus routes and Nashville hostels.

Coming back this soon had been a mistake. He should have given his brother more time to cool off after everything that had happened. Ethan still had that look in his eyes, like plan B was burning the house down.

“I know you said you didn’t want to be on TV, but what if we tried together? Two Black kids has to be different enough to get some attention, right? I can do a cowbell and I’ve been working on spoons—”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Luke tried to give the flyer back, but Ethan refused to take it. Luke stuffed it into his jeans. “Not until you head off to college.”

“I’m not staying here with her.”

“You’re too young.” Ethan ignored him and grabbed his backpack. Luke snatched it from his hand. “They’d come after me for taking you. Accuse me of kidnapping.”

“Show them her stash!” Ethan shouted. “Tell them about the closet she used to lock us in. Tell them there’s never any fucking food in this house!”

“They’d still take you away.” Luke kept his voice calm and even, hoping Ethan would listen. “You want to end up in foster care?”

“I want to be with you.” Ethan’s eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t leave me, Luke.”

There was a moth on the ceiling, and Luke fixed his eyes on it to keep from breaking down.

Both of them bawling in the living room wouldn’t fix anything.

Only time could do that. A plan and some purpose.

“It’s not permanent,” he told Ethan. “Just until you’re done with school.

” Luke smiled, trying to get Ethan on board with his vision.

It was as clear as a photograph. Him wiser.

Ethan older. Their frictionless escape from this life.

“I’ll use my dad’s money to pay for your college.

It’s not much, but it’ll buy books and pizza. That stuff adds up.”

Ethan didn’t smile back. He twisted his hands and said, “She didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That money’s gone. She closed your account when you left.”

Luke heard him, but only in fragments, like a faulty connection over the telephone. “She closed my account?”

Ethan looked nervous. “Yeah. Like I told you earlier, she’s been using more. That’s how she could afford it.”

What Ethan was telling him finally registered just as the front door opened and Ava walked inside. Her boyfriend stood behind her. Don wore a white shirt and khaki pants, with a gold class ring that glinted on one hand. A set of car keys was held in daggers between his fingers.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Luke, with the keys half raised and ready to use as a weapon.

“Visiting my brother.” Luke glanced at Ethan, who was focused on Ava. She hid behind her boyfriend’s arm.

Don curled his upper lip. “Right. A friendly visit. Nothing to do with us clearing out that bank account, huh?”

Luke stared at him. “That was you?”

“We didn’t steal it,” Ava said quickly. “My name was on the account, so it’s half mine.”

“We’re not keeping it all,” Don said. “Just the half that belongs to your mama. The rest’ll go to your college fund.”

“What fund?” Luke flung a hand at Ava. “She spends everything on fucking pills!”

“I’m sick!” Ava shouted. “You know I’m sick.”

Ethan snorted and rolled his eyes. Don glared at him, but Luke sidestepped to block his view. “Knock it off,” he whispered to Ethan.

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Both of you boys need to learn some manners.” Don pointed to the hallway. “Ethan, go to your room.”

“Fuck off.”

Don reached for his belt. Ava’s eyes flew to Luke, and whatever she saw on his face made her touch Don’s arm. “Not right now.”

“Discipline needs to be swift to be effective.” Don yanked his belt from the loops. He folded it in half and slapped his palm. The sound flipped a switch in Luke’s head.

“You touch him, and I’ll kill you.”

Don went still. “Don’t threaten me.”

Ava stepped between them. “Luke, you should leave.”

“Give me back my money,” Luke said to Ava. “Dad left it for me.”

“He left it for us ,” she snapped. “You didn’t even know him. And thank God, he died before you—”

Luke grabbed her arms and held her still. He was trembling, fighting the urge to shake her. “Stop,” he said, his voice cracking. “Please, Mom. Stop.”

“Get your hands off her!” Luke’s back caught fire as Don hit him with his belt buckle. Luke spun around as the man wound up to hit him again. He grabbed Don’s wrist and twisted, then slammed his fist into his face.

Ava screamed. Don stumbled back, arms flailing, and crashed into Ethan. Luke watched helplessly as his little brother fell into the coffee table.

“Call the police,” Don groaned, crouched on the floor. His nose was gushing blood. When Ava didn’t move, he screamed at her. “Call them now!”

She jumped to action, rushing into her bedroom to retrieve the cordless. Luke crouched beside Ethan, checking him for injuries.

“Get out of here,” Ethan said, while staring past him to where Ava crouched next to Don. Don jerked the phone from her hand and jabbed at the numbers, dialing 911. Ava looked at Luke, flicked her eyes at the open front door, and mouthed, “ Go. ”

Luke kissed Ethan’s forehead and mumbled “I’m sorry” before he ran out the door.

Delta Blue was crowded, so no one noticed when Luke slipped into the studio and started packing.

He had to leave town, get far enough away from Arcadia to figure out what to do next.

Don wasn’t like Richard, who was too embarrassed about losing a fight to press charges.

Ava’s boyfriend was righteous, a terrible trait for a man who viewed the world with the compassion of a debt collector. He only cared about what it owed him.

Someone knocked at the door. Luke remained silent, hoping they’d think the room was empty. But then Silas said “Bill’s here” and Luke’s shoulders collapsed. There was no window to crawl through. Nowhere to hide. He had to open the door.

“I need to call August,” he told Silas, who immediately shook his head.

“No time for that.” Silas grabbed his duffel. “Come on.”

They walked into the club, weaving through oblivious customers to where Bill Parnell stood in full uniform near the entrance.

A few people looked their way, but they were used to cops hovering around their good time, so Bill’s presence was met with a collective shrug.

Silas locked eyes with Bill, who then gave Luke a stern nod of acknowledgment.

“You ready?” Luke shook his head, and Bill sighed. “Yeah. Stupid question. Let’s go.”

Silas clapped a hand on Luke’s shoulder and walked him outside. They stopped in front of the cruiser. Bill stuffed Luke’s bag in the trunk. “Don’t look back,” Silas said. “Eyes forward, you hear me?”

Luke stared at him, realizing that Silas had been here before, on his way to a jail cell. “Is that how you handled it?”

“No. So I know what I’m talking about.” He stood between Luke and the police car. “Some of this is your fault. But most of it isn’t. Try to remember that.”

Silas hugged him. Luke’s throat tightened as they parted. He could feel himself reverting to the guy he was before he met August. The one who could never find the right words. “I’ll call you when I can.”

Luke climbed into the back seat. The door slammed, shrouding him in darkness.

It was hard to breathe. “Can you roll the windows down?” Bill glanced over his shoulder through the grid now separating them.

Luke added “Please, sir?” because it felt appropriate.

They weren’t neighbors anymore. They weren’t friends.

“I can crack it,” Bill said. “Can’t let anyone see you, though.”

The drive was longer than he expected. When Bill finally let him out, Luke was surprised to see they were at a bus stop. “What are we doing here?”

Bill didn’t answer. He moved to the trunk, then pulled out Luke’s bag and his guitar. “Here you go.”

“I thought you were arresting me.”

“So did Don. We went to school together. He’s always been a whiny bitch.” Bill pulled out a bus ticket and an envelope of money. “This’ll get you to Little Rock. Not sure how much money Silas sent, but it’ll pay for a place to stay.”

Luke took the ticket and the money. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because your dad was my best friend. I loved him, which means I love you too.” He tugged his hat down over his ears. “And there’s a right way to do that.”

He climbed into the car and drove away.

The bus was leaving in half an hour. Luke pulled out the cell phone he’d recently purchased. He flipped it open and dialed August’s number. Birdie answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

Nothing came out when he opened his mouth. She must have heard him breathing.

“Lucas Randall, is that you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He swallowed hard. “Can I speak to August, please?”

Birdie was quiet for a long time. “What do you think will happen if you do that?”

She knew what he’d done. Silas must have told her or maybe it was on the news, some all-points bulletin labeling him a fugitive.

“She’d find me,” he said, which is what he wanted.

He wanted August to run away with him, share whatever terrible life was at the end of this bus route so he wouldn’t be alone.

“I can’t let her do that. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” He blinked, blinded by tears. “Yes, ma’am, but could you… could you tell her I lo—”

The phone clicked and he heard a dial tone.

Mavis and August sat across from each other with barely touched dinner plates as Birdie wiped down the counter, pretending she wasn’t eavesdropping. August wasn’t eager to talk, but Mavis kept tossing her anxious looks while picking at her spaghetti.

“Are y’all hungry? I can fix you something,” Birdie said.

Mavis’s eyes darted to her plate and then to Birdie’s back. “No, ma’am?” It was a confused question, and August waved her hand, signaling that she should ignore it.

“Not good for young girls to skip…” Birdie’s voice trailed off when she spotted their full plates. She rubbed her face and walked past them, out of the kitchen. “Let me know if you need anything.”

They were silent until she was gone. Mavis stared after her. “Did she forget making us dinner?”

August didn’t want to talk about Birdie’s memory issues. Not until they had a diagnosis. “She’s distracted.”

“Does that happen a lot? She’s only fifty-seven.”

“Things have been stressful lately.”

They fell silent again. Mavis cleared her throat and said, “We should talk about it.”

August picked up her fork and stabbed a green bean. “Why?”

“Because that’s what normal people do.”

“I shouldn’t have told Luke anything. I’m sorry I did that.”

Mavis’s face crumpled. Tears started flowing. “Jessica threw it in my face. She sounded so happy when she said it, like she’d caught me being evil. I would have said anything to make her stop.”

“It’s okay.”

“You’ve always been tougher than me, so I thought—”

“It’s okay.” August raised her voice to stop her. “I forgive you.”

Mavis’s mouth fell open. “What? Why?”

“Because it feels worse not to. You’re the only person in this family that gets me.”

“I don’t understand you at all.”

“I don’t understand you, either. But see how we both get that? That’s more precious than a grudge.”

Mavis burst out laughing. “You’re so weird. But you’re also amazing.” She sighed. “I don’t get what you see in Luke.”

August ran her hands over the table. “It’s a long story.”

“Have you spoken to him since it happened?”

“Since what happened?”

Mavis looked surprised. “He got arrested.”

August stilled. “What?”

Mavis told her what she’d heard from friends. Luke had attacked his family and run away. “I heard they’re charging him with assault. Maybe attempted murder.”

August remembered what she said to him, all that stuff about needing time and space. What did that even mean? She was sitting here eating Ragú, for fuck’s sake. He was out there, dealing with this alone.

“I have to find him.”

“Don’t!” Mavis grabbed her arm. “He could be dangerous. This isn’t the first time he’s hurt someone.”

August ignored her. She grabbed her keys and rushed out the door. Ten minutes later, she pulled into Delta Blue at high speed. It was late, and the club was still crowded, but Silas stood outside, like he was waiting for her.

“Where is he?”

“Gone,” Silas said. “Bill put him on a bus a while ago.”

“To where?” Silas didn’t answer. They faced off until her control snapped, and she shouted, “Tell me!”

“I gave him some money,” Silas said. “I don’t know what he did with it.”

She looked at the empty road as if it could tell her what her uncle wouldn’t. “Did he leave a message for me? A letter or… a notebook? Something with songs in it?” There would be new music notes alongside a city and date. He would have drawn her a map.

Silas sighed. “August…”

“Anything?” Her voice was rising again. If it was possible for someone to rip themselves apart, she’d do it. It’d feel better than this. “Did he mention me at all?”

Silas looked away, which answered her question. Luke had taken the money and run. “He would have left you something if he had time,” he said. “That boy loves you.”

“No, he doesn’t.” A sob clogged her throat, and she choked it down. She’d never cry over Luke Randall again. “If he did, he would have waited. He would have stayed.”