Page 55 of Old Habits
“Jovie Watch?” she says. “Jovie Watch?!”
Her voice echoes throughout the square, causing a few to look up and watch in a more obvious way.
“Okay,” I whisper, “if you don’t calm down then you’re only going to confirm what they think of you.”
“Good!” she shouts. “If loud, unhinged Jovie Ross is who they want, then that’s exactly who they’ll get.” She steps off the sidewalk and kicks the edge of a trash can. “There! Oooh, no! Better call the sheriff! Jovie’s gone amok!”
I stand still, watching her seethe until the color drains from her face and her breathing slows back to normal.
“Are you finished?” I ask.
“I haven’t done anything to these people…” She sighs. “Sure, I wore leather pants and I liked sex and motorcycles but I never hurt anybody. I never deliberately brought pain on anybody.”
“Except me.”
I regret it as soon as the words leave my mouth. Her eyes darken and she takes a step back.
“Will, I never did anything to purposefully hurt you,” she says.
“Then, why did you leave? I know I said I wouldn’t ask but, honestly, it’s pretty obvious that your silence isn’t to protect me — it’s to make yourself feel better about whatever the hell you did.”
She looks down. “I didn’t do anything.”
My guts churn. “Okay, look, Jovie…” I step forward and rest my hands on her shoulders. Thankfully, she doesn’t move. She stays still with her eyes down low. “Just answer this one question. Did you leave because of me? I need to know that much. Please.”
Jovie looks up and shakes her head. “No.”
“No, you won’t answer? Or no, it wasn’t me?”
“No,” she says again, “it wasn’t you.”
I lower my hands. “Thank you.”
My phone rings again in my pocket. I instantly tap the ignore button and throw it back in without checking to see who it is.
She scans the square again with shame in her eyes. “I’m going home.”
I walk with her. I can tell she doesn’t want me to but I do it anyway. I keep my eyes open, watching for anyone who dares stare at us. If I do make eye contact with someone, I glare even harder until they look away first.
Jovie Watch.Are they fucking kidding?
She’s absolutely right. Jovie never did a damn thing to hurt anyone here. She was rebellious and wild and never took shit from anyone but that doesn’t mean she deserves to live like a damn prisoner here.
We reach her house and Jovie pauses for one brief second. “Good night, Will,” she murmurs.
“Jovie—”
“Just go home,” she adds. “Or I’m sure Mrs. Clark will be around any moment with a sudden need for a cup of sugar…”
She picks up her pace and rushes inside without turning back.
I let her walk away. Even if I did follow her inside, I’d have Hank to deal with and he feels about me the same way the town feels about Jovie.
My phone rings three times during the walk between Jovie’s door and mine. I take a peek each time, just in case it’s her but it’s Sara twice and an unknown number once. I hold down the power to shut it off completely but the damage is already done.
I’m not sure if I’m more angry or humiliated. Jovie is definitely the latter. I’ve seen her angry face. I’ve seen the way the little vein above her eye protrudes outward during moments of quiet rage but that never happened tonight. She’s embarrassed and humiliated and I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. I want to go back and comfort her but it’s only a matter of time before someone shows up to intervene.
I won’t let this end without a fight. I’ve waited four years to see her again and I won’t let the people of this town bully her like this — and if I know Jovie Ross… she won’t either.