Free This Side of the Sun (The Sun Trilogy) by M. Lauryl Lewis

out of the parking spot.
    “The charger’s in the box in the bag. Make sure you plug it in as soon as you get home.”
    “What time are you picking me up?”
    He looked at his watch. “It’s almost twelve-thirty now. How about three o’clock?”
    “Sounds good.”
    We listened to his CD for the rest of the trip, while I browsed through my new phone in a pretty pink case.
    “Okay, we’re here.”
    I looked up. The ride from the store to my house had gone by a lot faster than I had hoped. Joe’s car was there in the driveway, with Miranda’s parked next to it. I found myself greatly relieved to not see Everett’s truck there. I made no effort to leave Saul’s vehicle. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone except for the man beside me, nor did I feel like explaining myself to anyone.
    “You okay, sweet thing?”
    I looked over at Saul and shrugged. “I guess I need to get it over with.”
    “Want me to come in with you?”
    I forced a smile. “Yes, but I should deal with them alone.”
    “Is that guy here?”
    “I don’t see his truck.”
    “Okay. Try to get some rest. And just call if you need me.”
    I noticed the front door open. Joe was standing there; obviously irritated that he had to wait for me.
    “That’s your brother?”
    “Yeah. Joe.”
    “He looks pissed.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Hattie?”
    “Hmm?”
    Saul looked at me intently. “I’ll miss you.”
    He brought a genuine smile to my face. “Me too.”
    He leaned forward and kissed me. It felt almost like he was saying goodbye in a way I feared, and my heart skipped a beat.
    “I’ll be here at three o’clock,” he whispered. He leaned his forehead against mine and gripped the back of my neck gently with one of his hands. “I’m not sure what spell you’ve cast, Hattie Leonardo, but you’re turning my world upside down.”
    I reached up and grabbed his wrist and closed my eyes. For a moment I wished we were back in his tiny home, just the two of us.
    “Promise me you’ll come back?”
    He kissed me again, harder than before. “I promise.”
    He let go of me. I made sure I had my new phone, and I slid out of the truck. I turned my back to the house and waved as Saul carefully pulled away from the curb. I could sense Joe standing behind me, but kept facing the road until Saul’s truck was gone from my sight. I already felt an emptiness within me.
    “Hattie.”
    Joe’s voice from behind me caused me to turn.
    “We’ve all been worried, Hat. Are you okay?”
    “I told you I’m fine,” I said as I began to walk toward the house.
    “That’s all you have to say? You run off in the middle of the night with some guy you don’t know and none of us knows why? You come home with a hickey on our neck and all you have to say is ‘I told you I’m fine?’”
    Almost to our porch, I stopped walking and whipped around to face him.
    “Bullshit, Joe. Everett knows why I left with Saul.”
    “Saul? So the mystery guy’s name is Saul? And what are you talking about Everett knows what?”
    “What did Everett tell you?”
    “That you got drunk after we left, some guy showed up saying he knew you, and you left. He said he begged you to stay.”
    “Joe. You know me. You’ve known me our whole lives. Everett got a little too demanding last night. He tried to kiss me and wouldn’t stop when I said no.”
    Joe laughed at me, making me furious.
    “It’s not funny!”
    “We’ve known Everett since we could barely walk, Hattie. He’s not like that. He was probably just wasted.”
    “You did not just say that.”
    I turned and walked into the house, ignoring Miranda and Justine. I took the stairs two at a time and went to my bedroom, where I slammed the door before taking a couple of deep breaths to calm down. I could hear Joe downstairs, talking to the other women in a raised voice. Within moments all three were yelling, and it was clear they were all blaming me for overreacting. I set my pretty new phone on my dresser, stripped out of