45
JOHNNY — ALMOST TWO MONTHS AGO
Ihate how fucking weak I am.
There’s too much that needs to be done, and I’m in no shape to do it all myself.
The perfect opportunity has presented itself, and I have to take advantage of it.
Franklin may have thought he had the upper hand, but he underestimated my ability to adapt to whatever is thrown my way.
I never meant to involve anyone else in this twisted world of mine, but if I’m going to make it out of this, I’m going to have to get some outside help.
Starting with Claire and Bram.
The machines I’m attached to beep in the background. I keep my voice low but loud enough for them to hear. “I’ll need a new burner phone and the contact to get in touch with someone at the coroner’s office.” I hold onto Claire’s hand and brace myself for what I’m about to ask of her. “Claire, you’re in charge of planning my funeral.”
Her eyes go wide, but she doesn’t say anything. I can sense her unease but if this plan is going to work, we have to go through the motions as if it really happened.
“Do either of you trust any cops that are willing to take a bribe?”
Bram speaks up from his spot at the foot of my hospital bed. “I have a guy in mind.”
“Good. But you need to be sure, okay? We can’t make any mistakes with this.”
“Got it.” Bram stands from his chair. “I’m on it.” He looks at Claire. “Call me if you need anything else in the meantime.”
Bram goes, making sure to latch the door shut behind him.
“You okay?” I rub Claire’s hand with my thumb.
“How are we going to pull this off?” Her blue eyes stare into me.
“Do you trust me?”
She blinks up at me. “Of course, I do.”
“You’re distraught, Claire. Your boyfriend just died. It makes total sense for you to leave this place behind and go home. You got a scholarship to pay for school, and have enough money saved to get your own apartment.” I go over the story she’s going to tell anyone from back home if it’s brought up.
Rosie is the only one who knows about me, so she’s the only one who needs to know anything. Everyone else? Claire followed through with her plan to win that scholarship and is returning home the way she always intended.
“But I don’t have that kind of cash. And I have no clue when the award will be processed.” Claire second-guesses my cover story.
“That part isn’t important; I have it covered.”
Claire narrows her eyes. “That’s too much. And with everything else? There’s no way.”
“I’m telling you. The financial aspect of this entire thing is the last thing you should be concerned with.” I don’t know how else to make her realize her worries are misplaced without actually showing her how much money I have saved.
“What about that?” She points toward the bandage wrapped around my torso.
“I’ll figure that out, too. We’ll make stops along the way. Speaking of, I’ll have to figure out a car, preferably with deeply tinted windows.”
An idea seems to spark in Claire’s mind. “Beth’s BMW. It’s the least she could do for being such a shit mom, and it totally fits in with the story we’re telling.” Claire’s brief optimism is quickly erased. “Shit, what am I going to tell my dad?”
I soften my voice. “Have you talked to him?”
“No. But I’m going to have to. I can’t just move back across the country and not let him know.” Claire picks at her thumb. “What am I going to say to Rosie?”