Don't Save My Life

Chapter 29

Emmett

First Bennett, mom and Daisy were nowhere to be found, and now Dad was making me ride in the car somewhere with him. I looked over my shoulder into the backseat, scoping for shovels or weapons. Maybe all this "family bonding" had finally driven him insane. 

His voice interrupted me, as if he was speaking the words that ran through my mind he said, “If you're looking for the ax, it's not back there." 

He chuckled. "C'mon son, I'd hope you know I was a little classier than that. An old-school revolver is without question, my weapon of choice."

I let out a breathy laugh. "Whatever you decide, can we make it snappy? Lyle said he needs my help with something down at the Crescent." I looked out the window. "In fact, we're going in that direction, why don't we just-"

He cut me off. "Already ahead of you."

Lyle met up with us at a quaint beach house a few miles down from the Crescent. When Mrs. Haldon answered the door I nearly died of a heart attack. Dad brushed past me, into the house, unaware that I was rooted to the welcome mat. After hugging dad and directing Lyle to the burgers, she turned her sights towards me.

Her smile was infectious, but reminded me so much of Willa I almost needed to shake my head to remind myself that it wasn't her.

"Oh Emmett, it's so nice to see you again! Oh look at you! How long has it been?" She hugged me before I could give her a silent answer. 

"F-Five months." I stuttered, after she'd pulled me in and closed the front door behind me.

"Yep, that sounds about right." she nodded, leading me over to the couch to sit. "I'm sorry I have been such a stranger, I got promoted and my job moved a little ways out so I don't spend much time in town anymore."

"It's alright." I said quietly, scanning my surroundings. I recognized Todd walk past and out onto the patio where I could see a few people. Daisy was sitting crisscrossed on the floor near the fireplace where my niece and Theo played together. I could hear Benet's voice as he and Lyle talked loudly from the back, where a few more people had gone.

My mind drew numerous blanks. How had my Dad and Willa's mom gotten so close? Did mom know about this? 

"So um, what is this? A Housewarming party?"

She nodded. "Something like that."

She was interrupted by Todd whose voice called from the outside. He had just started grilling whatever he'd brought out from the kitchen.

"Make yourself comfortable." She said, patting my hand before hopping up to scuttle out the backdoor.

When she was gone I waved Daisy over but she pretended as if she hadn't seen me. She was carrying on a conversation with the toddlers as they did a conga-line out the back door. When it seemed I was in the house alone, I heaved out a sigh, lifting a pillow to my face and leaning my neck back against the couch.

I felt the presence of someone sitting on the couch next to me and I turned to see.

"Mom?" If my face hadn't done it well enough. My voice displayed my confusion, to which she just smiled, freaking me out even more.

"What are you doing here?"

She narrowed her eyes at me before taking a look around. Framed photos of the Haldon family, old and new gleamed from behind glass frames.

"I should ask you the same thing." She said sternly.

I swallowed, ready to defend myself. "Dad brought me here! Talk to him about it!"