53
JOHNNY
Ican no longer tell the difference between my own paranoia and real life.
Every single thing causes my mind to race.
I fucking hate hiding things from Claire, but I don’t want to tell her about the note from Franklin, and Josey showing up, until I actually have some kind of plan put in place to get us out of this mess I’ve created. I was selfish for allowing Claire to waltz right into this chaos, and I refuse to let her fall victim to something that was my fault.
“What’s on your mind?” Claire glances at me in the mirror as she braids her long brown hair.
I let out a breath and take in her beauty. “You’re really pretty.”
She rolls her eyes and blushes. “That wasnotwhat was on your mind.”
I shrug and lay back on the bed, one arm behind my head, the other resting on my stomach. “Coulda been.”
Claire plops down beside me and props herself up on her elbows. “Tell me.”
I reach forward to run my fingers down her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”
“Fine then.” She pokes me in the side and laughs. “Secrets don’t make friends.”
Oh, what I would give to just confess it all. To not harbor a single piece of information that she wasn’t aware of. But if I’m going to keep her safe, I have to hold off a little longer. I don’t want to ruin her mundane college experience any sooner than I have to. She deserves that, at least.
Her phone buzzes, and when she glances down at it, her eyes go wide. Claire answers it immediately. “Dad?” She presses her index finger to her lips to signal me to be quiet and then clicks the speakerphone button.
“Claire-bear!” The genuine happiness in his tone is heartwarming.
“Hey, Pops.” Her eyes glisten with the tears she’s holding back. “How’s Africa?”
The line cracks slightly. “It’s good, but hey, I don’t have long, just a few minutes. The international rates are insane, I had to prepay just to make the call. Anyway, what’s this about you being back home?”
“Yeah.” Claire glances up at me. “I—uh—I got that scholarship I was trying for, remember? They went ahead and awarded it to me effective immediately, so I borrowed Beth’s car and drove home.”
“Wait, what? You drove two thousand miles,by yourself?”
“Um, about that, I wasn’t exactly alone…”
Her dad sighs loudly. “Did Griffin have something to do with this?”
“Dad, actually…”
“I’m telling you, Claire, that boy, he rubs me the wrong way. You’re an adult and you’re going to do what you want, but so help me God, if he derails your college plans…”
I like this guy.
“Dad—” she interrupts. “It’s not that. Griffin is…” Claire drags her bottom lip into her mouth and tugs on it before saying, “He’s dead.”
“What?” is all he manages.
Claire nods although he can’t see that. “A lot has happened since you left.”
Shuffling sounds in the background. “Griffin isdead?Dead? That’s it. I’m done. I’m calling it quits. I’m coming back there. I should have never left.”
She interrupts him again. “Dad, I’m fine. I promise you, I am. I have an apartment. It’s really nice, safe.”
“An apartment? How are you affording that? And hold on, you said you didn’t come alone?”