Page 66 of Fall From Grace
John’s skin color was a sickly brown with the snow reflecting off it. He held his small jacket around him and shivered. “About Noah… I need you to give me his number.”
“Why?” My hackles rose. “You know you’re not allowed to have contact with him.”
“Do you know if he’s working or anything… or if the people he’s with give him money?” My shoulders dropped. This was about money?
“Don’t come back over here,” I told him, turning around then stopped. “I can’t believe you want me to contact your son just to get money!” I yelled.
“He’s my son, he should want to help his dad,” he had the nerve to say.
“He’s seventeen! You were supposed to take care of him!”
I opened the door and was about to shut it when he muttered, “My power is about to be cut off in a couple of days… if I don’t come up with the money to pay it. Please,” he paused, “it’s November and snowing!”
I walked inside, slammed the door, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn’t want to tell Noah. I didn’t want to burden him with his dad’s problems. I didn’t want him to feel more tossed aside and hurt than I could imagine he already felt when it was about his dad… But how could I ignore someone going without electric in the winter? My chest felt like it had been dipped in acid because I knew I was going to let him know even though John wasn’t worth it.
I’d let Noah make the choice once I told him.
I sent him a text telling him to call me when he got the chance. No sooner than I sent it, he called within a minute. I answered as I walked into the kitchen and grabbed my hot chocolate that I didn’t even feel like drinking now. “Hey.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. “Don’t say nothing when I can tell by the sound of your voice.” I heard the machinery at the garage in the background.
“You could have waited to call me when you got home,” I told him.
“I was just changing someone’s oil, no big deal. What’s wrong?”
“It’s your dad, he just came to the door.”
He sighed. “I told you to stop going over there, Grace.”
“He came over here!”
He paused. “What did your parents do?”
“Dad’s working and Mom’s in the bathroom so she didn’t hear him knock, don’t worry about that,” I told him. I took a deep breath. “Your dad was wanting your number. I didn’t give it to him, though.”
“Good… What did he want?”
“His electric is about to get cut off… is what he told me.”
I could imagine the frustration and disappointment reflected in Noah’s eyes and closed mine as if that would make his sadness fade from my mind. “And let me guess, he wants money from me,” he swore. “After all this time, he wants to use my connection with you to get in touch with me… just to get money.”
“I’m sorry, Noah,” I whispered. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have told him I was dating you.”
He laughed sadly. “You’re never to blame, Grace. I just can’t stand him coming to you… Can I ask you to do me a favor?”
“Tell me what you want me to tell him and I will,” I replied right away.
“You’re not getting off the phone with me, but I need you to get my dad’s electric bill from him.”
“Noah… you’re really going to help him, aren’t you?” I wanted to drive all the way to him just so that I could hug him, if only the roads weren’t terrible.
“If it’s really a bill that needs to be paid… then yeah, I’m going to. He’s not worth a damn to anyone else but he’s still my dad.”
“Stop, Noah… I understand you, I always have. I just hate…”
“Don’t start crying,” he ordered me, and I looked up to keep the tears from spilling as I ran to the door and slipped on some boots. “Are you going?”
“Yes,” I mumbled as I opened the door. “Come on, Gus.” He darted out into the snow and disappeared. I ran and fell on my butt in the process. I got right back up until I was knocking on John’s door.