Narrow Paths

Chapter Seven

I woke up with a fresh perspective on life, thanks to Darcy. I showered and ate breakfast as quickly as I could. Neither of my parents were awake yet.

I headed outside and started up my truck. The deafening roar of the engine made feel like I was waking up the whole town. It was only a bit after eight o'clock, but it was a Saturday. It was a well known fact that everyone slept in on Saturdays.

I headed down the dirt road straight for Darcy's house. When I parked, I noticed that her father's Dodge truck was parked right in front of the house. I cursed and prayed that Darcy would answer the door.

Of course, I wasn't allowed to get that lucky. Her father answered the door and I immediately regretting coming over. He was a tall man in his late thirties, always dressed just as lavishly as his daughter. His height made him an intimidating figure.

"May I help you?"

"I'm here to see Darcy," I said.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're the sheriff's son."

"Yes, sir."

"I don't want her associating with boys like you."

"I can't see why, sir, I've got a good reputation and have never done anything wrong."

"One wrong word out of her mouth and she's getting arrested," he said with a bitter look on his face.

"My dad makes roughly one arrest a year."

He didn't laugh like I thought he would. I half expected him to slam the door in my face. Instead, he sighed and opened it wide for me.

"At least you can get her off if she gets a ticket," he muttered.

I nodded in thanks and was about to rush up the stairs to Darcy's room when Victoria walked into the hallway.

She was almost trashy, but not quite. Her hair was dyed with a box color she bought at the store, the brightest red she could find. Her make up was tacky and caked on her face. I was surprised she could blink with how heavy her mascara was.

Victoria came from a middle class family, just like most everyone else in Benton Ridge. Her one fatal flaw in the eyes of the town was that she never went to college. That's what turned her from classy to trashy, according to the old women who liked to gossip on front porches.

She smiled sweetly at me, causing wrinkles to show. She was only twenty, but she'd had a few botched plastic surgeries that couldn't be fixed.

"Hello, Carter!"

"Hi, Victoria," I said politely.

"What are you doing here, you old dog?"

I bit back laughter. She was calling me an old dog when she was two years older than me!

"I'm here to hang out with Darcy."

"Oh, she doesn't deserve a boy like you," she said in a slightly slurred voice.

Darcy's father cleared his throat. "I second that."

"I'm not dating her or talking to her. We're just friends. She's made that quite clear and so have I."

He didn't seem to believe me, but he smiled nonetheless. "Good."

"You shouldn't be so hard on him!"

To say that he didn't look pleased would be an understatement. I could tell that he loathed her secretly. If she wasn't pregnant, I doubt she would even be under his roof at this moment.

"I'll do whatever I please."

"I'm sure you will," she said with pursed lips.

He walked off toward the back door. Victoria turned her eyes on me, observing me with a glance that would normally make me uncomfortable. As it was, I simply laughed.