Free Stronger than You Know by Jolene Perry Page B

car.
    â€œHe seems nice,” Uncle Rob says as he watches me.
    â€œHe is.” My eyes focus on the front door, which feels much safer than looking at Uncle Rob.
    â€œReady to head in?” he asks.
    I shake my head. Holding myself together for that long car ride with Justin wore me out. Trent’s friends are sure to put me over the edge.
    â€œYou don’t have to, Joy, but do you want to go somewhere with me?”
    â€œWhere?” It comes out before I have a chance to filter it. The destination really shouldn’t matter.
    â€œJust a few minutes down the road. I thought we’d get you a phone.” He’s standing patiently, even though the rain is really coming down.
    â€œFor what?”
    He chuckles. “So friends, like Justin, can call you. So when you decide to get a ride home with someone we’ve never met, you can tell us first. When you decide you want to run to the mall on your own like Tara does nearly every afternoon, you can call home if you need a ride. Or we can call you if we’re worried. It was one thing when you were with Tara or Trent all the time, but now you’re doing things on your own, and I want you to have that freedom but also the safety in knowing you can reach us. So, you know, normal stuff.”
    â€œNone of that seems normal.” Though I don’t really know what normal is. “I’m sorry. I didn’t really think about if it was okay for Justin to give me a ride.”
    â€œIt’s okay.” He nods. “My guess is that you’d be a lot more careful than most.”
    I don’t say anything, but I have to agree.
    â€œAnyway, I know his dad. Good man.” He takes a step back toward his car. “Wanna head out?”
    â€œOkay.” I jog around the front of the SUV because I don’t want him to have to wait for me and climb in. Now I’m in Uncle Rob’s car. Just a month ago I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him.
    â€œReady?” His voice is loud as he climbs in on his side.
    I jump and lean toward the door. Totally involuntary. Totally makes me a coward.
    â€œI’m sorry, Joy. I forget.” He sits still for a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. “We don’t have to do this.”
    â€œI’m just tired.” I rub my forehead with my hand. “I talked with Justin all the way home from school and we stopped for hot chocolate, and …” It’s nothing that should leave me feeling so wiped out.
    â€œAnd that kind of energy is exhausting. I get it.” His smooth voice is back. “Tell you what. We get there, and you change your mind about any part of this or want to sit in the car while I go inside, you just let me know, okay?”
    â€œThanks.” I let my head rest back and close my eyes.
    Uncle Rob doesn’t talk and I don’t talk during the drive. I think about my short time with Justin this afternoon. I’m sort of in shock that I rode with him. I may be nervous around him, but I’m not afraid to talk to him anymore. That feels big. Significant.
    â€œWe’re here.” Uncle Rob turns the car off. “Do you want to come in?”
    I open my eyes to a small storefront that looks nearly empty inside. I should be able to do this. Nothing bad has ever happened to me in a cell phone store. I’m good.
    I grab the door handle and step out.
    â€œOkay.” Uncle Rob jumps out his side and we walk in together.
    I’m overwhelmed by the choices. There must be more than a hundred kinds of phones here.
    â€œDo you know what you want?” Uncle Rob asks.
    He stands close, but it feels more like protection than anything else, which helps me relax. Even two weeks ago the idea that Uncle Rob close to me could be relaxing would have felt impossible. It’s proof that I can do better—move forward. All of those things that Lydia spouts at me.
    â€œI want something really, really simple.” None of the phones