Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“I hadn’t heard that name in years, but I sometimes think about her and what I could have done differently that night.”
“Do you care to share.”
I nod slowly. “My family had a vacation home on the lake and we’d spend a chunk of our summers there. The summer after my father died, I didn’t want to go because it didn’t feel right going without him but my mother insisted. She said it would look bad if we didn’t otherwise, although I think she wanted to go because she had a special friend who lived in that area. Anyway, there was a girl named Melody who lived in the area. She invited me to a party and my mother didn’t want me to go because she thought the townspeople were trash. I was angry and still grieving my father’s death so I decided to rebel and snuck out. I wish…for once I wouldn’t have been so stubborn.”
“Anyway, I go to the party and I don’t know any of the kids besides a few locals I’ve made small talk with. I had some drinks and Melody suggested we go out to her dad’s boat. I wanted to get away from the crowd so I went with her. When we were out on the lake we had a couple drinks and we talked and then we started making out but she made some offhand comment about her friends being jealous that she snagged the rich boy.”
“It turned me off and I pushed her off of me. She snapped and started attacking me. I restrained her while she tried to hit me. She called me some awful names. She was clearly drunk, and I don’t know if she would have stopped if I allowed her to get some hits in. I’m a strong swimmer and we were only two miles from the shore so I jumped in the lake and swam back. It was the last time I saw her.”
“And then what happened?”
“The town went crazy the next day because the boat came back but Melody didn’t. Her body was found a day later. People at the party pointed out I was the last person seen with her and there was an investigation. My mom paid a considerable amount of money to have this swept under the rug. She paid some false witnesses to say that they saw Melody way after the time I left her. But the damage was done. Those initial articles about me were damning.”
“Damn. I’m sorry man.”
That night still haunted me. Worse was the fact that my mother would use that incident to paint me as the worst person in the world. I wish I wouldn’t have left her out there alone. She was clearly inebriated and had I stayed, maybe she’d be alive.
“Does anyone know what happened to her exactly?”
“I can’t be one hundred percent certain, but I remember there being strong currents that night. I was a state champion swimmer, and it was a challenge even for me to get back to the shore. If she fell out of the boat, it’s possible she might have got taken under by one of the currents. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning.”
“What about the guy you beat up?”
I groan. “It wasn’t a fight. I caught him making out with Zora at the party and I went into a rage. I’m defending myself but I only hit him once but I ended up breaking his nose and couple of his teeth. His family sued. I assume those are the records my mother included in those envelops she sent out.”
“Yeah. I mean, we can explain it away. Initially it doesn’t look good but in that context we can sooth over the powers that be. We all do dumb shit when we’re younger. But if you have any more secrets you better let me know now.”
I shake my head. “There are no more secrets.”
“Good.” He nods, seeming satisfied. “It’s kind of fucked up what your mother did.”
“To be honest, it’s not the worst thing she’s done.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
“You have no need to apologize. It’s something I’ve come to expect from her.”
“So, when do I get to meet your, lady friend?”
“I don’t know. When I get back, to Champion, we’ll have to talk. I want her to be with me not because I’m holding something over her head but because she wants to be.”
“I’m rooting for you. I’ve never seen you fail with the ladies before.”
“She’s different Gavin. She’s not just any woman.”
“You love her don’t you.”
I’ve never admitted it out loud before because I’ve always been too scared, afraid I’d lose her as soon as the words were out my mouth. But when I do say it, I want her to be the first to hear it. “Like, I said, it’s a conversation I’ll need to have with Zora.”