Hero Ever After: A Novel by Sarah Ready

Author:Sarah Ready [Ready, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781954007048
Publisher: Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC
Published: 2021-01-25T18:30:00+00:00

11

Liam

I show up at Ginny’s garage door entrance at six o’clock. I knock and clasp the bouquet of daisies in my hand. They’re a little scraggly and weedy looking, but Centreville doesn’t have a florist. So I spent a half-hour wading through the tall grass on the side of Route 511 collecting the daisies that grow there. I’m more nervous than I was before my first audition, and I don’t know why. I just want to apologize. Flowers in hand.

This morning, I was feeling things for Ginny that I don’t have any right to feel. I’m not a good bet and I’m not sticking around. At first I thought that Ginny was the one with all the baggage and that was the reason I wanted to avoid her. Now I realize she’s dealt with her past, it’s me that can’t move forward. In fact, I want to head back to the past and live in it. Hollywood, here I come.

The door to Ginny’s garage apartment remains shut. The flowers are starting to sag. I knock again then use my sleeve to brush at the sweat dripping down my face. The full sun glares down and the black pavement of the drive is hot.

“Eww. Is that loser giving Ginny flowers?” Someone makes gagging sounds. My neck prickles with embarrassment and I turn around. It’s that little bully Redge. He’s with the teen Finick and Heather. I recognize Heather from the day she came by the trailer. She’s wearing a tight dress and high heels. There’s a sneer on her face. Then she notices the flowers in my hand and the fact that I’m standing at Ginny’s door. Her eyes narrow.

“Ha,” says the man with them. He has a long narrow head with a sharp chin, pleated pants, tassel shoes, and a gold watch. He slaps Redge on the back. “Good one, son.”

“Stoney,” Heather purrs. They walk up to me. Heather looks at the flowers in my hand and smirks. “Looking for someone?”

I don’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued. I get the feeling that there’s no love lost between this family and Ginny.

The man looks between me and Heather and finally seems to realize that Heather and I have met before.

“Heather, you know him?”

Heather gives a little smile. “Stoney and I used to work together. He was an actor.”

Comprehension lights in his eyes and he slaps his thigh. “Oh, right. Ha ha. You’re the has-been hero. That coo-coo comic guy. The wash-up everyone makes fun of.” He chortles and little Redge snickers. Then he leans toward Heather and says under his breath, “Didn’t you say he was a drunk?”

My jaw clenches and a little lead ball settles in my chest.

He turns back to me. “I’m Joel Wilson, mayor of Centreville.” He holds out his hand to shake. Then he realizes the bouquet of daisies are in my right hand. He gives me a hard look.

“You’re not bothering Ginny, are you?”

“What?” I’m sort of shocked with his sudden turn from put-downs to hostility.

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