Free Shine On by Allison J. Jewell

each other nearly every day. She had been going to Ava’s almost every night. Her house felt too dark and lonely. Ava had asked her countless times to pack up and stay with her but she just wasn’t ready yet.
    “You should do it more often, you know,” the words escaped her lips before she even had the chance to think.
    “Talk about your dirty shoes?” He loved to keep her riled up as long as possible.
    “No, smile. Makes you look years younger.” She tried to turn it into a joke but wasn’t as witty as he was.
    “I’ll keep that in mind.” And just like that he looked more serious again.
    “Oh, come on. I was just teasing. You know you don’t look old.” She smacked his arm playfully.
    He rubbed his arm and looked genuinely surprised. “I never took you for a violent girl, Emma Talbot.”
    “Only when forced,” she smiled.
    “I’ll remember that,” he answered.
    “And please don’t call me Emma. My mama only called me that when I was in trouble… and even worse than that… it’s what Mr. Thomas calls me.” She faked a shiver for effect.
    “Why don’t you just tell him you don’t like it?” He arched a brow and glanced over at her as they turned into the driveway.
    “I did correct him once when I first started working there. He told me ‘Emmie is a child’s name and you are a lady now, Emma,’” she mocked his voice perfectly. “It wasn’t worth the argument, so I let it go.”
    Silas shook his head. “He’s a real pain in the ass isn’t he? Why do you work for him?”
    “Ronnie took out a mortgage against the house last year and I’m trying to pay it off. Mr. Thomas pays me better than I deserve, so I put up with it. And you heard the rest the other day. I’m going to go to school and I’ll need money for that too. Doesn’t look like it’ll happen this semester but I have to keep trying, right? And I never really got to say thanks,” Emmie added.
    “For what?” He looked puzzled.
    “For telling Mr. Thomas that I am good enough for college.” She looked right at him. Her big blue eyes wide and honest.
    “Oh, well it was the truth. You shouldn’t have to listen to someone put you down like that,” he shrugged.
    “Well, thanks. Nobody really understands why I want to do it go to school so badly.” He looked over at her again as she spoke. He was surprised she was telling him all this. He wasn’t the type of person that people usually felt comfortable opening up to. She just kept talking and talking. Odd that he didn’t mind. He didn’t really want to think about that too much.
    “See my momma wanted to be a teacher. But then she had me, married Ronnie, life happened. Mama put her dreams in me. She believed in me then I started to believe in me too. It wasn’t until this summer when Ronnie died and all the expenses fell on my feet that I really got scared. I may not be able to do it. I went to Mr. Thomas and told him about my plan. He laughed but said he’d give me a job to help pay for the house. He pays me too well and I hate it. I hate feeling like I owe that crazy man something.”
    “Maybe you could find another job. Have you thought of talking to Uncle Al? I bet he could get you some secretarial work, answering phones or something,” he suggested.
    “I really don’t want to ask him for that. If something came open there, I’d apply in a heartbeat. But I really don’t want any special favors,” she answered.
    “Swallowing your pride might be worth it to get outta that shop.” He pulled into the carport on the side of the house and turned to face her.
    Emmie thought for a second. “You might be right. I swear the next person that asks me if I’ve ever just considered marrying Mr. Thomas will get more than a soft smack to the arm like you got.” She tried to joke but he didn’t laugh.
    Marry Mr. Thomas. Marry Paul Thomas. He’d seen girls back home do that before. Mr. Thomas was just the type of leach that would feed off her desperate situation