The Soul Seekers

The Soul Seekers by Amy Saia Page B

Book: The Soul Seekers by Amy Saia Read Free Book Online
Authors: Amy Saia
Ads: Link
these things you seek will come. Just let them.”
    The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Finally I jumped up to grab the receiver. “Yes?”
    “Hey, what’s goin’ on? You looked kind of upset there this afternoon when you got in the boat.” It was Jesse.
    “I’m fine.”
    Pause. “Wanna go out tonight? We can go driving, anywhere you like.”
    “No thanks.”
    “I’ll come over then. You sound like you need me.”
    “I don’t need you, Jesse.”
    “You do.”
    “I don’t. I need to be alone. I’m hitchhiking out to Brentwood tomorrow to buy a bus ticket.”
    Pause. “I’m coming over.”
    “No.”
    His end clicked dead and I hung up the phone. I turned to Grandmother Carrie. Her expression was full of a nervous expectation.
    “You’re leaving?”
    “No.” There went that eyebrow again. “I mean, yeah, of course I’m going to leave someday . You’ve been begging me to do it.”
    “Are you leaving now?”
    “I don’t know.” I took my plate to the sink and washed the food into the disposal. I watched it spin and grind until every last bit was decimated. “You tell me .”
    “I see a car. And I see you driving away. Soon maybe.”
    “Well then, it’s all set I guess. Since you see it and all.”
    I’d miss you.
    My mouth opened but no words came. Avoiding her stare, I moved past her to the front door and went outside. It wasn’t long before I heard the giant rumble of a muscle car descending the hill. It parked on the curb, a brake was cranked up hard, and then brown boots clicked up the drive toward me.
    “Think we’d better take a drive.”
    “Jesse.”
    His hand squeezed around my arm, dragging me to the curb. “What about our plans, Emma? We were going to leave together. How is that supposed to happen when you selfishly decide to hitchhike out into nowhere?”
    “I can do whatever I want. Let go of my arm.”
    He let go, standing back with an angry expression, arms crossed. His eyes held accusation. “I trusted you.”
    “Yeah, well . . . don’t. You barely know me.”
    Our eyes locked for a long time, neither one wanting to back down. “That’s it then? You’re gonna do this?”
    “Yes.”
    I watched him change tactics. I wasn’t trying to notice things like that, but saw it the second it happened nevertheless. His eyes softened, his body relaxed. “Emma, what are you trying to prove? You know you can trust me now, don’t you? Or are you still afraid?”
    “No, I’m not afraid.”
    “What then?” He was almost purring, using everything he had to draw me in with his eyes, his voice.
    “I don’t know. Look Jesse, I’m tired. How about we call it a night so I can get some rest? We can talk tomorrow, all right?”
    “Yeah, sure.” He grabbed my hand and held it up, entwining his fingers with mine just like he had that afternoon. “Only, wouldn’t it be nice to go out tonight and talk about this? You can sleep in the car if you’re tired. I’d kind of like to go up to the bluffs again, you know, to hang out for a while.”
    The bluffs.
    I started to pull my hand away, but felt his fingers tightening, holding it there. “Gosh, I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow night, okay?”
    “We can’t go tomorrow. I have a gig, remember?”
    “Oh, right.”
    “Well then, come on.”
    Big pause. This is where a weaker person would give in. “No.” I pulled my hand away. “Honest. I need some sleep. You probably should practice anyway, for the gig.” I smiled for effect.
    Sticking both hands in his back pockets, he said, “Yeah, you’re right. Will you come to the show? It starts at nine. You can’t leave town until you hear me sing.”
    “Sure. I’ll be there.”
    He turned away for a second, then turned back, causing his brown hair to swing under the setting sun in chocolate waves. “Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure you bring the coin. I found someone who wants to give us a wicked deal. Okay?”
    I nodded, feeling a wave of sickness pass through my stomach, like the

Similar Books

Numbers Don't Lie

Terry Bisson

Behold the Child

Harry Shannon

Against God

Patrick Senécal

A Voice in the Wind

Francine Rivers

Girl on a Plane

Miriam Moss

Kolyma Tales

Varlam Shalamov