finger in front of her face. "Watch those wandering eyes, girlfriend. You are not available."
Jules smooshes closer, tossing her arms around Cassie's neck and tangling her fingers in my hair. "Unless my eyes deceived me, I would say Carter isn't available either."
They bat their lashes until I break and supply them with every detail of my hookup with Carter Cooper.
Cassie sighs. "And to think, this is the same guy you pulled up on the roster page of Oregon's website and told me about our very first month at A&M."
"Wait! You what?" Jules shoves Cassie. "You never told me this."
"We were bonding, Little Miss Jealous." Cassie sneers playfully. "Jess was telling me about that crazy Aubrey chick, which, can I just say how crazy it is that all your lives are so tied together?"
"Yeah, that's small-town living for you."
"Anyway, she told me how she'd crushed on this one boy throughout high school, but he was always taken."
"Carter? Really?" Jules sinks into the corner of the couch again. "I can't believe I didn't know."
I shake Cassie off. "It's not like I ever acted on it. It was a crush. Half the population crushed on him. Hell, they still do."
"I can see why." Cassie wags her brows. "No shortage of hunky football-playing men in this area."
"For real." Jules agrees.
Rolling my eyes, I settle into my seat again. "Considering two of them are your guys, I think you're a little proud."
My shameless friends burst into laughter.
"You two are the best, really," I say out of the blue. "Thank you for driving over just to see me for one day. I'm sorry I wasn't open with you before all this happened."
Jules waves my thanks off again. "Do you know what you're going to do? You can't watch your dad every minute, and you can't force him to get clean."
"Even if I could, I don't think Carter will let me go back to that house." I run my index finger over my lip. "Am I a horrible daughter, a horrible person, if I walk away?"
"Jess, no. Of course you're not." Cassie grabs my hand. "You know I've been there, girl. You have to save yourself, too. His addiction can't tear you apart."
"Cass is right. You can place everything he needs to get help in front of his face, but he has to take the steps."
I've been Dad’s savior for so long. That brick wall of bitterness vanishes into the clouds at this point. I've climbed and climbed to save him. Maybe it's time I stop. Perhaps it's time I allow the people I love into my life, my whole messy life, and see how far they'll climb for me.
Carter
While Jules and Cassie occupy Jess, I round up Owen, Finn, and Frey, and we make a surprise visit to Paul Womick's home. Unbeknownst to Jess, I placed her car keys in the shed, and Owen and Frey grabbed them Saturday afternoon and drove to her neighborhood where I left her car Friday night and picked it up. We parked her around the corner from my place because I didn't want Jess to get any ideas about going home without me.
Now we're picking up the rest of her personal items. I'm also doing a welfare check of my own. The man knocked his head open once; I'll feel better knowing he's safe.
There's no answer at the door after five minutes. The twins jog around back, and Owen checks the windows while I continue knocking.
Two teens on skateboards circle in the street and stop. "He left," one says.
I jog down the steps and cross the overgrown front yard. "He what?"
The boys, probably thirteen or fourteen years old, exchange glances before one shrugs. "He went somewhere. My mom and I saw him loading bags into a car yesterday."
"You’re sure it was Mr. Womick?" I ask, my mind working for how best to describe him.
"The drunk? Yeah, I'm sure." They chuckle.
Owen joins me, followed by the twins, each of them has the same look on their faces—no sign of him.
"Was he alone?"
"Nah, there was a woman, a blonde. She was driving."
"Thanks for the information." I turn toward the house, fishing Jess's keys from my pocket.
"Hey, he has a daughter. Real fine. Haven't seen her in a few days, though."
Finn chuckles. "Real fine, huh?"
"Oh yeah." The boys warm up to the topic. "She likes to jog, we used to line the street for a glimpse of her tight—"