Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

I’m skeptical. “Miles, you’ve crashed here plenty and you’ve never called to say thanks.” I chuckle in my confusion and keep walking. “What’s up?” I ask again, scanning along the cliff-side, down the line of all the plants. All clear.

“I just want you to know I appreciate you. You’ve taken care of me a lot when I’ve been in pretty rough shape. Look, I’ve been talking with Barry. I’m getting back on track with AA.”

“That’s great, Miles.” I sigh with relief; it’s about time. “You getting all sappy on me, now or…” I smirk to myself.

He laughs. “Hey, no, sorry, just wanted you to know I’m doing better.”

“Seriously, that’s great news. Keep it up.” I turn, walking down the gravel path to the sunken garden.

I hear him scoff on the other end of the line, then laugh. “Keep it up?” he repeats, mocking me. “No congratulations? Just keep it up? Like, don’t fuck it up?”

I switch my phone to my other ear, smiling to myself. “Yeah. Don’t fuck it up.” Gotta keep that big brother thing going.

“Alright, alright, message received,” he laughs. I can almost hear him rolling his eyes. “Well, that’s the plan, anyway.”

“Good.”

He pauses. “Hey, about that girl you had over. Sorry again for freaking her out, by the way. Everything okay with her?” He sounds concerned.

I hesitate. “Uh, not really, actually. Long story.” I’ve been trying my hardest not to think about Olena for the last three days.

“Sorry, man,” he says, “I hope I didn’t… I mean, I hope it wasn’t me.”

“No, it wasn’t you. Don’t worry about it.” Looking around the sunken garden, my eyes land on one of the benches around the fire pit. Something black sits tucked between the cushion and the frame.

“So, what happened with her? What was her name, anyway? I don’t think you ever told me.”

I walk over to take a closer look. It’s a phone.

“Olena.”

Turning it over in my hand, I recognize the case. I press my lips together and close my eyes, shaking my head.

“Alanna?”

“No, Olena.” I sigh. “Nevermind. Uh, well…” I pause, rubbing my forehead with the back of my knuckles, Olena’s phone still in my hand. I contemplate how to explain everything without it taking hours. “Her ex was bothering her—scaring her. He’s from out of town and apparently he threatened to come see her here.” I look at the phone once more and slide it into my pocket, then continue walking.

“Shit, man. That’s grim,” Miles says.

“Yeah, not great. Anyway, she didn’t tell me about it… but then I found out. And I got… upset. We haven’t really been talking since.” Memories of a tearful Olena hugging her knees sweep into my mind. I’m not proud of how I left things with her on Wednesday morning.

“That’s rough.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. It has been.

“So, wait a sec, she’s got some unstable ex-boyfriend who might show up in Lennox?”

“Yeah.” I frown.

“And you got pissed and split?”

“Uh, yeah.” I’m uncomfortable with where this is heading.

“This is the same girl you were falling all over yourself about when I showed up there last time?” He chuckles incredulously.

“Get to the point, Miles.” I wasn’t prepared for my little brother calling me out like this.

“Okay, okay, I’m just saying… I could see you were a goner that first day, man.” He pauses. “Even though my memory’s a bit fuzzy, that much was clear.”