Dawn by McKayla Box

Chapter 20

“You’ve told me all this, but now you can’t tell me the rest?” I ask in disbelief. “What the hell?”

“Presley, I—”

“No, come on, Trevor.” I pull my hand from his. “I’ve sat here and listened to all of this. And, okay fine. I still don’t get why you’re just telling me all of this now, but I get it. It’s been hard and you’ve been taking care of Brett and things sort of spiraled out of control for him. I get all that, and I’m not asking you to make up for it. But you can’t dump all of this on me and then not tell me exactly what’s going on.”

He shakes his head. “And this is why I didn’t want to tell you. This is why I haven’t said anything. Because I can’t tell you everything and I knew you wouldn’t hear me out.”

“Why can’t you tell me everything?” I ask.

“Because this isn’t some stupid high school fight or something,” he says. “This isn’t me looking to beat the shit out of Derek Morgan. This is about a million times worse than that. And the less you know the better. I’m sorry if that sounds like bullshit, but it’s not. It’s really not.” His gaze is hard, his jaw tight. “The less you know the better.”

I rub my temples for a second because my head hurts. “Fine. I will hear you out. I won’t say anything until you’re done talking.”

“Yeah right.”

“Shut up and talk.”

He smirks.

“I’m serious,” I say. “I won’t say a word until you’re done.”

He eyes me.

I pretend to twist a key in between my lips and throw the invisible key toward the bay.

“The only reason I’m telling you all of this is because I don’t want you to think I’m lying to you,” he says. “I know I’ve been quiet and vague and I’m sorry. So I won’t be those things now. But the less you know, the better. Because this guy doesn’t fuck around and if things go bad, I don’t want you anywhere near any of this. In any way. If he got wind of us saying anything about dealing with him, it would be bad. You just have to trust me here. I’m not making things up and I’m not trying to keep anything from you. But until this is all settled…this is all I’m telling you.”

I fold my hands together in my lap.

“You can talk now,” he says.

“So what you’re telling me is that this is dangerous? That whatever you’re doing that you can’t tell me about, that whatever this guy is having you do to pay down Brett’s debt is dangerous. Right?”

He shrugs, which I know means yes.

“Jesus, Trevor,” I say with a sigh.

“It’s dangerous if we don’t do it,” he says. “We can’t either way. But at least this way we have a shot.”

“Ask your dad for the money. I know Brett’s dad doesn’t have it, but yours does. Ask him. Tell him what’s going on.”

He shakes his head. “No. I brought that up to Brett and he said no way. He said if I did that, he’d take off because he’d never be able to look my dad in the eye again. And it’s too late now, anyway. We’ve already agreed to…do the work…and now we have to finish it. This isn’t like paying a bank back.”

“Can you get arrested?” I ask. “For whatever you’re doing?”

“Not if we’re careful.”

“Trevor.” The hair on the back of my neck stands up straight. “Listen to what you’re saying. Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m not being stupid,” he says. “I’m trying to save my best friend.”

I shake my head and look away. I know he wants to help Brett, but this feels like more than that. Like the risk isn’t worth the reward.

And he’s right. This all does feel like it’s coming from a really bad movie.

I turn back to him. “So who’s the girl? From the parking lot.”

He thinks for a moment. “Just sort of the go-between. She works for him. We turn the money into her. But that’s it. There’s nothing going on with her.”

“She touched you.”

“So what? Did you see me touch her?”

I hesitate, then shake my head. “No. But that doesn’t mean I like it.”

“There’s nothing there,” he says. “She’s a bitch. No better than the rest of them. But I swear. All I do is turn the money over to her. That is it.”

I nod. “I believe you. But there has to be something you can do.”

“There isn’t,” he says. “Trust me. There isn’t. This is it. But we’ll get it done, and then Brett will be good and I’ll make sure he gets his head on right.”

I think carefully before I say what I want to say. I don’t want him to take this the wrong, but I know he might. But I also know I need to say it.

“You aren’t responsible for him.” I pause. “For Brett. I know you want to help him, but you aren’t his parent. You don’t have to do this.”

A muscle in his temple pulses. “Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t even know what you’re doing and I’m afraid. So what about me? What if something happens to you? Then what? How is that fair to me?”

He gets out of the chair and kneels next to mine. “Nothing’s going to happen to me,” he says firmly. “I’m gonna get this done and you and I will be good. Like always.”

“I don’t think we’re good right now,” I tell him. “Now with whatever you’re doing. Please. Don’t do this.”

“I’ll be fine,” he says. “We’re almost done. And then it’s over and you won’t have to worry about me or anything. Just trust me.”

The butterflies are gone now, replaced by something I don’t have a name for. Fear. Dread. All of those things combined into one.

“Go to the police. Tell them.”

“Tell them what exactly?” he says. “Hey, uh, my buddy owes a ton of money from his illegal gambling to this shithead and we’ve been doing his legwork for him.” He shakes head. “Yeah, that would go over real well.” He leans in close to me. “I have this handled, Pres. You have to trust me. You said you trusted me.”

“I do trust you,” I tell him. “I don’t trust people who might want to hurt you.”

“No one’s going to hurt me,” he says. “We’ll be just fine. You just have to let me do this and trust me and everything will be okay. I promise.”

I want to believe him.

I really do.

But nothing he’s told me puts my mind at ease.

I might not think he’s lying to me anymore.

But now I’m more anxious than ever.

Because this feels far worse.

And I just don’t have the feeling that everything will be okay.

“Alright,” I finally say, because I know arguing with him is pointless. He’s already made up his mind. He’s already in too deep. “But I hate this. I hate all of this. And I’m scared because this all sounds sketchy as fuck and I don’t agree with it.” I pause. “But I said I trust you and I won’t go back on that. But you have to be careful. You have to be. And you have to tell me when you’re off doing whatever it is you’re doing.”

He hesitates. “Okay. I can live with that.”

“When do you work for him next?” I ask. “Or do whatever it is you’re doing for this guy?”

“Tonight.”

My eyes feel like they’re going to pop out of their sockets. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

He shakes his head. “No. We have something we have to do tonight.”

“All night?”

He shrugs.

“Fuck, Trevor.” I draw a shaky breath. “This is freaking me out.”

He stands and pulls me up out of the chair. He reaches for me and wraps his arms around me. “Don’t be freaked out. I’ve got this handled.”

“Oh. Okay.” My voice drips with sarcasm. “That solves everything.”

“I know it doesn’t,” he says. “But I’m telling you what I can tell you, and I’m telling you I’ve got this handled.” His thumb touches my chin and he gently nudges it. “Look at me.”

I sigh and look up at him.

“I’ve got this handled,” he repeats, his blue eyes staring into mine. “You don’t have to worry about me. You won’t even know what I’m doing tonight. It’ll be late and you’ll be asleep.”

“Fat fucking chance now.”

He smiles. “Well, that I can’t help. But wake up in the morning and we’ll go get breakfast and then get out on the water. Alright?”

None of this sounds alright.

None of it.

But I don’t know what else to say.

So I just put my head against his chest and don’t say anything at all.