Chapter 10

Shawn

I drive around for a couple of days before I build up the courage to go home. Finally I’m out of money and I have no other options that I can think of. It’s a shame, really. My other bruises are almost all gone.

I pull into the driveway and walk into the house. “Dad?” I call, bracing myself.

He’s nowhere to be found. Instead I find my Aunt Sadie sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her. “Where’s my dad?”

“Oh, Shawn,” she says, getting up to hug me. “Someone reported him to the police, and he’s down there now being questioned. Apparently he caused some kind of big ruckus when the police came here to check him out, and he couldn’t tell them of your where-abouts. They called me and asked me to wait for you. Apparently the anonymous caller said that you would be arriving home soon and feared for your safety.”

“Anonymous caller?” I repeat. I know it was Sarah, it has to be. No one else ever knew the truth about what my father did to me. And if she believed me about that, maybe there was some hope that she believed me about other things…

“Shawn…” Aunt Sadie says. “Is it true? I mean, I knew your father has a drinking problem, but I never knew he was abusive.”

In response I raise my shirt to show her my bruises. They’re almost all faded, but there’s no mistaking them. Aunt Sadie’s voice catches in her throat. “Oh, you poor thing. Why didn’t you ever tell me? I would have put a stop to it.” She wraps her arms around me and I can feel her breath on my neck.

“I don’t know,” I say. “Sometimes it’s easier to lie.”

“Well, now you’re coming to live with me. I’m not going to let that man hurt you anymore.”

That’s when the phone starts ringing. Aunt Sadie starts reaching for it, but I stop her. “No,” I say, “Let me get it.”

And it’s her on the phone, Sarah, or Amy, or whatever the hell her name is, I don’t care, but it’s her. “Hey, Shawn.”

“Hey,” I reply. “Listen… I don’t really know how to say this, but… thanks for doing what you did. You may have very well saved my life, too. So now we’re even.”

“Well, you may have done some fucked up things, but there’s something called cruel and unusual punishment. And I think that being beat up by your dad falls under that category.”

“Why do you even care about me after what I did to you?” I wonder, wrapping the phone cord around my finger.

“When I found out the truth I wanted nothing more than to be home. But now that I’m here I find that there’s a reason why I wanted to run away in the first place. And the truth is…” she pauses, “and this is the real truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…. Sometimes I wish I was Sarah.”

A smile spreads across my lips quickly as she continues talking. “You know what I mean. Just me and you and the open road ahead of us, waiting to take on whatever life has in store for us. No families that abuse us in one way or another. I guess I just wanted to thank you for the greatest adventure of my life. And anway, true love is a feeling, so it can’t be a lie.”

I shake my head, smiling so bad it hurts. I’m surprised that my eyes almost feel kind of wet. But I’m not the type to cry. Really. Then it gets even better. “You’d better start packing,” she says next.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Well, we have another road trip to plan, silly. We’ve still got your mother to find. And this time we’re gonna make it to California, no matter what. Maybe this time we should stay away from ticks, stupid cheerleaders, and mountain forests at night, though.”

“You got it, Sarah. I mean, Amy.”

“You know what? Sarah Sullivan does kind of have a nice ring to it. Plus, it’s a much less recognizable name than Amy Jacobs, don’t you think? Anyway, I don’t care what you call me, just hurry up and save me from my family again, please.”

“Okay,” I nod. “And Sarah?”

“Yes?”

“I promise to be true to you, all the days of my life.”

Sarah laughs. “Jeez, Shawn. You’re so cheesy. I love you anyway though.”

“Love you too.”

I hang up the phone to find Aunt Sadie staring at me. “Who was that?” she wants to know.

“Only the most beautiful, amazing, wonderful girl in the entire world,” I inform her, grabbing my keys and heading out the door. “No kidding.”