Beware Of The Dark

Chapter Four

    By Thursday, we still didn't have a way to bring Mystic with us on the flight. Corey didn't want to leave her behind, so our plans changed. I understand why he didn't want to leave her behind. She was his dad's Macaw and when his dad passed, he kept her.

    So since I was off work, I spent the morning going to the school to get Dakota's and Landon's school scripts transferred. And I called my dad to let him know that we weren't flying in. "Why ain't you guys flying?" he asked me.

    "Corey has a Macaw," I told him with a smile.

     "Oh okay," he chuckled over the phone. "I'll get a cage ready for her."

    "Thanks, dad," I wearily ran a hand through my hair. "It's about a twenty-four-hour drive. We'll leave here soon as the boys are out of school."

    "Be safe driving," he sounded anxious about me driving a long distance. I didn't want to tell him that I was nervous.

    We hung up as I pulled up in front of my house. I saw Corey's truck parked up front and he was sitting in his truck. For a moment, I didn't get out of my car. I just sat there watching him as he sat there in his truck. He looked like he was deep in a conversation.

     I snuck up to his window and tapped on his window. He jumped and dropped his phone. I grinned ear to ear at him but he looked upset at me. "You ready for this trip?" I asked him as he opened his door.

    "How long is the drive?" he asked, closing his door.

     "About twenty-four hours," I told him as he leaned against his truck, putting a chew in. "I talked to my dad before I got here. He said that he'll have a cage ready for her."

    "I broke down her cage to travel," he sounded short with me and I had to bite back from saying anything. I'll chalk it up to nerves.

    I reached out to touch his hand but he pulled away. My senses went up as he walked away. Maybe I should air this out now before we are out in Virginia. "Corey, is everything okay?" I asked him as I went to get my cigarettes out of the van.

    "Just nervous about leaving," he turned towards me. "You know that I grew up here. I've only ever left to go on trips. I'm just nervous about this move."

     "I get how you feel," I said after I lit a cigarette. "I was nervous about moving out here after my divorce. We need a fresh start."

    He spits out some chew, a long strand of spit hung on his bottom lip and he wiped it away. "What do you mean that we need a fresh start?" he asked me as we walked up to the front porch.

      This was not the way I wanted to start our trip but I had to say something. "Look, you think I'm stupid but I know that you have been talking to other women," his dark amber eyes flared up in anger but I stood my ground. "I know the signs since my first husband did that to me. It's something I've noticed recently, over the summer. But I just thought that it was because you were busy with softball."

      "So, you want me to stop playing softball?" he snapped at me. "After you promised you wouldn't ask me that."

    "I'm not asking you to do that," I looked at him and he shook his head. "I am asking you to be honest with me. Be honest with me before we go to Virginia."

    "I'm not talking to anyone," I felt drops of spit on my arm as he shouted at me. "Damn, I can't talk to my friends without you thinking I'm talking to another woman."

    "Alright," I backed down even though I knew he was lying now. "I apologize for saying anything."

     I threw my cigarette into the ashtray and went inside. Why would he get defensive quickly? I've been down this road before and I didn't want to go back down it. The first time, I was young and dumb. I wanted to believe that he would change especially after Landon was born. But, that never happened.