Standing By

Off-Roading

(Austin)

I swear, I was setting land speed records on the drive to Nashville. I'd just jumped in the car, hadn't even grabbed a coat (I'll probably be regretting that later), and put the pedal to the metal. I'd been most apprehensive about Atlanta, certain I'd be running into traffic and getting caught in it. Doesn't matter what time of day it is—morning, noon, night, wee hours—Atlanta always is a snarl. I wasn't even entirely sure why I was driving anyway. I could get there a hell of a lot faster. Reckon I'd just jumped in the car by pure habit. Besides, if I got there too fast, I'd be getting a lot of questions I really didn't want to deal with. And by some incredible miracle, it wasn't too bad today. Granted, I'd had to slow my butt down from ninety miles per hour to sixty, but it was navigable and I was through it in a reasonable amount of time. I was rather pleasantly surprised. One north of it, I returned the gas pedal back to ninety and was well on my way to the state line. No doubt Chance would beat me, but as long as one of us was up there with Tim, I'd feel a little bit better. It broke my heart to think of Tim sitting up there in jail because of that—that bitch. Suffice it to say, if I saw one glimpse of that blonde head, I'd jerk a knot in her tail. What she'd done was inexcusable. Lying, making shit up to get him arrested. I hated her with every ounce of of my being. He'd better slap her with a divorce. If he didn't, I'd file the paperwork myself. Once I get riled up, I don't back down. Takes a lot to get me this angry, but once I'm there, I can be hell to deal with. Bitch had done flipped my switch. She'd be wishing she never fucked with him if I really let it out on her.

My phone started ringing and I glanced down at my Bluetooth. Rob. About damn time—I'd called him hours ago! And I'd told him to call me back ASAP. Apparently, ASAP to him meant whenever he felt like it. WHFLI. Already in a pissy mood, I jabbed at the 'answer phone' button on my steering wheel.

"About damn time," I greeted him.

"Austin," he scolded, sounding tired. "Don't start in on me. Listen, we—"

"I will if it's deserved!" I asserted, feeling entirely justified in letting him have it. I'd said it was important and to call me back right away. Not hours later. "I'd told you it was important! That means you put everything else aside and take care of it before anything else! Ugh!"

"Austin, listen to me," Rob said crankily. "I—"

"No, you listen to me!" I argued. "This time, it's my turn! I—"

"Well, excuuuuse me for prioritizing Chance when he called me crying hysterically beside himself with fear and worry!" he snapped. "Next time, I'll tell Chance to just choke his pain down! Hopefully, he won't try to butcher himself again!"

"Ch—Chance?" I stuttered at him, anger abetting. "You talked to Chance?"

"Yes, I talked to Chance." Rob sighed. "I know all about Tim."

I let out a noisy breath. "That's what I was calling about," I admitted, now feeling a little bad about yelling at him. "I'm sorry I was hollering at you. I'm shook up and on edge."

"I know," Rob told me, then started crying himself. "I'm sorry too."

"It's OK," I sniffled, trying to get ahold of myself. I blew my nose on a paper towel I'd found earlier when rustling though my console.

"You're going to bail him out?" he asked me.

"Yeah. I'd never be able to forgive myself if Chance went in that house for his checkbook and Jen—she started shit with him too, and I could have prevented it. Once of us in serious trouble is plenty. I don't think my poor heart could handle much more heartache."