Next to You (Life) Read Online Free PDF Page A

her—Becca. The effects of the last drink I had dissipate too fast; reality is striking me.
    “What are you two doing here?” I ask Nate and he looks at Nick. Neither one answers. “Setting the Subaru on fire was a once in a lifetime thing. A way to… fuck she’s going to go nuts when she learns about it.” There are a few things she dislikes, the word hate for starters. Alcohol and drunken assholes top the list, followed by being disrespectful and vengeful. So far I’ve been tapping all of those. “She’s going to crack my nuts.”
    Nate and Nick nod.
    That white car, which she bought with her own savings, was partially my first gift to her. As usual, the gullible girl believed a friend found the four month old car with only two thousand miles at an auction for almost nothing. In truth, it had been a brand new car we used for that many miles so she would accept it. Either way, the money she saved had been part of her hard work for years and she valued it not for what it was, but for the fact that the fruit of her effort gifted her a little freedom.
    “Have you been able to find a replacement, Nate?” He shakes his head. “Damn it, how hard can it be?”
    “The car was almost nine years old,” Nate begins. “Pristine condition and low mileage for a car that old, try impossible.”
    “When you bought her the Lexus,” began Nick, “Becca didn’t take it well. I can only imagine what she’ll do. Torch something of yours, the Aston Martin or something else.” Both look at my bike and begin to laugh. “I’ll help her if she decides to go for it,” he adds. “I hope that was the only temper tantrum. Getting you out of trouble wasn’t easy.”
    Though I took it to one of my empty lots that had nothing around and torched it, the police weren’t as receptive as one would hope. They called the swat team, and put me under custody until they had proof that I only torched my girlfriend’s car. In other words, that she wasn’t inside the car when I set it on fire. Not my proudest moment, but her letter did a number on me. She fucking left me. The idea of seeing her with a new identity in Alaska, trying to blend with the natives, had bothered me the most. The image of her falling in love with a Mr. Lumberjack or a fisherman drove me crazy. Alaska had been one of the places she had chosen to run away to, after finishing high school—before I convinced her college was a possibility. Now, knowing she’s spending her time between therapists and others like her calms me some—not much.
    “Who gives any crap about it, both of you can go.”
    “This is how we see it, Brightmore, you received a letter from Miss Trent,” Nick says with a humorless smile. “You take off immediately after reading it and land here. Whatever it is, we need to make sure it is only an exchange of words and not… something else. You become a liability and as your partners, we can’t let a load of crap take us down and jeopardize our business. Then there’s her, she’s going to read me my rights when she’s back if I let something happen to you.”
    Not wanting to argue my current life or Becca, I head to the Patrick’s house. Mrs. P. opens the door with a wide smile just as I’m about to knock on the door.
    “Hello, Mr. Brightmore,” says the woman while smoothing her hair and clothes. “Would you like to come inside?”
    “Your husband?” I ask her without acknowledging her greeting. My presence has one purpose and repeating a message isn’t my favorite game. “We need to have a chat.”
    “He’s watching the game in the family room,” says the tiny lady opening the door wider to let me go through. No one gave her a lesson about strangers in her house. The fact that we shook hands twice and she has seen my picture everywhere doesn’t make me a safe friend. Hell I can get rid of them and my men can hide the bodies without a second glance. “Can I offer you something to drink?”
    “No, if you will lead the way,