Thanks to Jerrie for the edit.
"Camble, what have I done to deserve you gracing me with your presence?" Rick said smiling and setting his hands on the small counter top in front of him.
"Um... you sent a letter saying you wanted to see me," I said slowly. I didn't really know why I'd come, why I'd felt like I had to, just because he'd asked.
"Oh that's right, I did," Rick said and kept on smiling. His smile pissed me off, made me feel like he was laughing at me.
"If you are just going to smile at me, I'm leaving," I said and stood.
"Damn Kid, sit down," Rick said and stood too. We glared at each other for a few seconds before I slowly sat back down.
"What do you want Rick?"
"Two things," he said and shifted around in his chair. "One, I have something that I need to give you, and two, I want to say that I was sorry."
"You're sorry?" I asked.
"Yes, and yeah it probably means nothing to you, but I am sorry, and I needed to let you know that." I stared at him, mouth wide open. This is not what I expected when I read his letter.
"No, Rick, it does mean a lot to me to hear that from you. Thank you," I said. I was uncomfortable with this, with seeing him again. I had really hoped I never would again. After getting that letter though, I didn't know what to think. Maybe I was just desperate to talk to someone other then Mac and Rhonda and John.
"Okay," Rick said and stood. I stood too and watched as he left the room. The guard that had brought me into the room, was there again waiting at the door for me. I walked toward him, glancing back at the small stall I'd just been sitting in. It had happened so fast, it was hard to believe that I'd talked to Rick at all.
"Come on Mr. York, we have your things at the front desk," the guard said and walked in front of me, expecting me to follow. When we got to the front desk, he pulled a long envelope from a draw and handed it to me. I looked down at it, my name written across the front. I looked back up at the guard and he was smiling at me.
I walked out of the building and got into my truck, throwing the envelope across the bench seat and started the car. A couple hours later I was over by the lake behind my town, envelope in one hand, beer in the other. I was drinking a lot more now, if that was obvious.
I dropped the tail gate, sat down on it heavily, and started opening the seal. I pulled out a packet of paper and started looking through it. It was a deed. It was the deed to Rick's house. The last page of the packet was a letter.
"Dear Camble," it began.
"I'm going to get right to the point here. I did wrong by you, I beat the shit out of you, I called you names, I raped you, and you stuck by me anyway. If it had been happening to me, I would have left, but you stayed. In some ways, I find you noble and loyal, but in other ways, I think you're stupid." It was just like Rick to point out things he knew I didn't want to hear; things he knew I already knew too, things that he knew would hurt my feelings but help me understand all sides of an argument, weather I liked it or not.
"You loved me, and that's great, knowing that you loved me. Knowing that I held you're heart when you could have given it to anyone. So, now it's my turn to finally give you something back." I closed me eyes, trying to hide the words. How could he expect me to except that house? Too many good memories turned bad, so much love and hurt; I don't think I could go anywhere near that house let alone live there.
"I don't care what you do with the house, if you sell it or burn it down, whatever, just take it. I hope that, in some way, it'll help ease some of the pain I put you through.
"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I know better then that, but I am asking that you take this gift. Don't try and send it back to me, because I won't take it. I want you to have it, it's yours.
"Rick.
"P.S.: You don't have to be a stranger; it'd be nice seeing each other once in a while, don't you think?"
I throw the papers to the ground, my empty beer bottle went flying into the lake, and I screamed. How dare he tell me I had to just take the house, and then have the fucking gall to turn around and say I should come see him again, like it was the least I could do to show I was grateful for all he'd done for me? No, I don't fucking think so.
I kicked the papers across the small beach my truck sat in. I was fuming. I felt trapped and stupid. I shouldn't have gone to see him; I don't know why I just up and went the moment he asked me to. I should have fucking thrown the letter away, Rhonda should have thrown it away, rather then handing it over to me like it was nothing.
But I guess it should have been nothing, I shouldn't be pissed about the way he treated me, if I was truly over it I wouldn't react at all. I slammed the tail gate of me truck up, loathing that I was upset, but still upset because I felt like he'd wronged me all over again.
I didn't need this, not when I was still trying to get over Reed...
I picked up the dirtied papers, one by one, and got back into my truck. I drove slowly, using the back roads to get back into town. I looked forward, willing my eyes not to look over when I pasted the road that ran along the back of the Timmy's property.
I couldn't help a glace; I wasn't expecting to see him in the back yard though. I slowed a little more and took a better look. Reed was sitting on the swing hanging from the largest tree in the yard. He was holding on to the ropes, his arms stretched over his head slightly. His eyes were down at his feet as he swung the swing a few inches with his toes.
"Camble, Camble, Camble," Reed said giggling next to my ear. I opened my eyes slowly, still feeling half asleep.
"Hmm," I mumbled and closed me eyes again, snuggling into his warm body.
"Guess what I found?" he said and moved to lay over me, straddling me hips, and moving his arms under my back to hold onto my shoulders.
"Hmm?" I asked again.
"A swing, will you come and help me put it up?"
"Baby, I'm asleep," I said and kissed his neck, wanting him to stay and go back to sleep with me.
"Please? We can take a nap later." I looked up at him again and smiled. He was such a little kid sometimes. So easily amused by such a simple toy, but I loved the joy Reed radiated when he was like this. Plus, I knew if I helped him now, he would reward me later.
"Sure baby, let me get dressed," I said and he giggled, again kissing me hard and ran from the room. Two hours later, we had the swing tied high on the top branch of a tree.
"All those years I've tried climbing this tree, why didn't I ever think of a using a 40 foot latter?" Reed said using his hand to shield the sun as he looked up at the branch.
"I don't know, maybe your just slow?" I said and he pushed me lightly.
"Hey mister, for that crack you get to push me," Reed said and sat down, glancing over his shoulder to smile at me. I shook my head and walked over to him, leaning down to kiss his cheek and pushed him up into the air.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at the road just as I swerved off it. I steadied the car quickly and got off the gravel shoulder and back onto the real road. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my body, and looked back out the window. I was a little ways down the road from the backyard now, but I could still see Reed. He was standing up next to the swing, eyes toward my truck. I slammed my foot on the gas and sped away.
It hurt to see Reed looking so lost, but it hurt too just seeing him. I couldn't take that he'd never even called to say he was sorry. At least Rick had done that much.
*******
"So."
"So?"
"Are you going to keep the house?"
"Are you insane?" I asked Rhonda and stood from the table. I was always restless anymore, I could never calm down, and I felt like I really was going insane this time.
