Blood Luster

Chapter Eleven

After taking a shower, Magnolia threw on sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. She quickly texted Leo to let him know she was going to be coming over, then shut and locked the door to the loft. She galloped down the stairs and through the garage. After calling Nat's name a few times, he opened the door beside the office and stepped out.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but could you give me a ride to Mill's Motel? My car is there and there's a few places I need to go today," she asked.

"Sure, give me a moment." He shut the door.

***

"How do you know Benjamin?" she asked, attempting to make small talk as they drove down the road.

He chuckled. "We've known each other for some time, it's complicated."

"Oh. Are you from California too?"

"Not exactly."

It was clear Nat wasn't interested in sharing details of his life. She sat back and enjoyed the scenery. He had the windows of his red Ford truck rolled all the way down, causing her hair to blow around her face. Even though she knew she was going to regret it when she had to brush the knots out, there was something comforting about riding on a hot day with the smell of fresh cut grass filling the air. A slight pang of disappointment flooded her when they turned into the parking lot of Mill's Motel, but it left as soon as it came.

"Thank you for the ride." She popped the door open and slid out.

"Anytime. Do you need me to come get you later?"

"No, I'll bring my car back to Benjamin's."

"Sounds good, be careful," Nat said.

"I will, you too." She slammed the door of the truck and climbed into her Cruze.

***

As she pulled up to Leo's house, he came out to meet her. She gathered her things and stepped out, shutting the car door behind her.

"Hey honey, what's going on?" Leo asked.

"I figured now would be a good time to talk about what happened to mom."

His weight shifted to his left leg, and he ran his hand over his chin.

"I don't think that's the best idea."

"This is why I came back. I have spent the past seven years doubting everything I knew about myself and our family. If you want any semblance of a relationship with me, you'll do what you should've done years ago; tell me the truth. I'm not going home until I find out what happened." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"This is your home."

"Was. It was my home, until mom died and you acted as though nothing happened. You became a shell of the person you were, and you refused to discuss mom or give Vi and I any type of closure." Tears threatened the corners of her eyes.

"It's not as simple as you're making it to be Magnolia." She could hear the plea in his voice.

"Then make it simple for me Leo," she replied.

"I can't."

"I thought you were at least open to the idea of talking about this with me."

"I want to Magnolia, but you have to believe that it's out of my control," he said.

"Why did Jessica move away?" she asked.