Take On Me: Plantain Series Book Three Read online

  Take On Me by Amelia Oliver

  © 2017 by Amelia Oliver. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher or author.

  Cover Design: Dee Ellis.

  Interior Design: Dee Ellis @ Indies Ink

  Editing by Lovenbooks

  Dedication:

  Thank you to my husband and beautiful kids, love you to the moon and back.

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  PLAYLIST

  Prologue

  “Joey…he’s reenlisting,” I stammer out because I can’t believe I’m actually saying the words.

  “What?” Maven asks.

  “He’s been offered some fucking higher-up job, and in order to get it he needs to go into active duty.”

  I sit on the bed, looking at the closed bedroom door, knowing Joey’s probably standing right outside. To say I had a meltdown when he told me, barely describes my reaction. He’d mentioned the call from a general in casual conversation a few weeks ago, acting like he wasn’t interested. But now I know it was to plant the seed. I didn’t think much of it, until he mentioned it again and how he got another phone call, and I knew he was considering it. My mind whirled and raced, thinking back to his three-year deployment a little over ten years ago, being a single mom, and practically a single woman. I knew Maven and Skye sensed something was up with me the last few times I’d seen them, but I wasn’t ready to freak out over something that wasn’t for sure.

  “When?” Maven asks, knocking me out of my thoughts.

  “I don’t know, he just told me a few minutes ago,” I sniffle again, angrily swiping the tears from my cheeks.

  My eyes zero in on the locked doorknob jiggling, but I don’t want to talk to him right now, I’d rather punch his face in.

  “Oh Katie, wow, that’s-”

  “Bullshit, right?”

  “Katie, get off the phone and talk to me,” Joey says through the other side of the door.

  I close my eyes and really, I have nothing more to say to Maven other than what I’ve already said, I just needed to get it out.

  “Sorry Maven, I’ll see you this weekend,” I say.

  “Well, we can meet up for a glass of wine tonight if you want,” she offers.

  “Okay, yeah let’s plan on that, I’ll call you.”

  I hang up the phone and stand, looking at myself in the mirror. My mascara’s smudged and smeared under my eyes, my nose red and runny. I’m so happy the girls are at Gwen and Joseph’s because I don’t want them to see me so upset. The top of my V-neck’s sprinkled with my tears and I hear Joey picking the lock to the door, just before it opens. I see his large frame reflecting in the mirror as he looks at me and moves closer. I know it wasn’t easy for him to tell me he was going back into the service, but he didn’t even talk to me about it, he just made the decision.

  “Katie, I’m sorry-”

  “Stop,” I sigh and look down. “I know since the club went legit, you’ve had a hard time-”

  “It’s not that, beautiful, it’s just…this is a really good opportunity for us, the future, to be able to retire and you not having to work the rest of your life.”

  He stops just behind me, his body wide and encompassing.

  “I know you don’t like being left alone, and I know leaving you when the girls were little was hard as fuck…” His words stop and it has me raising my head to meet his eyes in the mirror. “It’s the afterward, do you remember how messed up you were when you got home?”

  My heart cracking at those memories. Him not able to get out of bed, zoning out and lost in his thoughts a hundred times a day, unable to connect with our daughters and me for months. He was like a stranger, and sometimes I wished he wasn’t even back because that man wasn’t the man I knew and loved.

  “There’s no guarantee I’ll even be deployed, or be involved in anything like I was before…besides, I went to therapy and I know how to deal with that shit now.”

  I turn to face him because he has come a long way from that shadow of a man he was when he arrived back to civilian life.

  “It just all scares me, Joey…you blindsided me with this.”

  He takes me in his arms and pulls me against him, my cheek pressing into the space between his pecs. His embrace feels like home, life, my everything.

  “I have to do this,” he finally says after a long moment. “College funds for all three girls, what I make doing the car deals, we have no savings now, and I want us not to have to worry about money.”

  I nod and inhale deeply, looking up and resting my chin on his chest and he leans down to kiss my forehead.

  “Still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he tells me and I smile.

  “Still the most stubborn thing I’ve ever met,” I retort.

  “Yeah, but being stubborn is what got me you, so I don’t consider that a bad thing,” he smiles.

  I roll my eyes, because that is a true statement.

  Chapter 1

  “Where are you going?” my mom asks, coming into my room.

  I look over at her as I check myself out in the mirror attached to my closet door. Pulling the hem of my T-shirt down and debating on whether I should wear the burgundy or purple one.

  “Little low-cut, don’t you think?”

  I look over at her, drink in hand and I know she’s already buzzed.

  “I don’t think so,” I shrug, pulling my shirt off and grabbing the purple one off the bed and showing her my back.

  “Hmmm, I know you’re trying to get some guy’s attention, but when he sees your body, he won’t like it.”

  I know what she’s saying is true, I can’t hide the scars on my body. I pull on the purple one and decide I like this one better, brushing my hands through my long dark brown hair.

  “Did you ask your father about going out tonight?” Mom says, taking another sip of her cocktail.

  “I’m going to the library,” I tell her.

  “Did he say you could?” she retorts.

  “Yes, Mom, he’s dropping me off at seven and I’m staying until it closes.”

  She continues to watch me as I tilt my head back and gather my hair into a ponytail.

  “I bet those librarians really care about your appearance,” she says before turning and walking down the hallway and out of sight.

  I close the door and turn my stereo on, Madonna’s “Dress You up in my Love” fills the room and pushes my doubt away and fills me with excitement. I listen to the song as I gather my books. Shoving them into my backpack, before putting my socks and shoes on. There’s a tap at my door as it opens and my dad’s head pops in.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  “Yeah, let me grab my calculator,” I say, raising a finger in
a hold on gesture.

  “What test are you studying for?” he asks, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

  “Calculus, Economics, and English.”

  He nods as I approach the door, slinging my bag over my shoulder and turning the music off.

  “Good,” he comments as he looks at me.

  I wait for him to say something about my jeans since I know last time I wore these he commented that they were too tight and made me change. But that’s not my problem, I told my mom I needed new clothes from the Salvation Army because I was growing out of them, and she ignored me. Thankfully he doesn’t say anything, and moves aside so I can exit my room. I grab my house key from the ring in the bowl placed by the front door, and walk to the car.

  Dad follows and I get in the backseat as I watch him squeeze into the driver’s seat. My dad’s a large man, tall and overweight, and he radiates something off him that always makes me tense and anxious. We sit in silence on the short drive since the Bannister public library is only a few blocks away. My dad’s a functional drunk, if that’s even a thing. As he drives, it’s slow, very slow. I’ve given up actually watching the road while he drives years ago because I was constantly freaking out if he got too close to a car or was swerving.

  “Do I need to pick you up?” he asks as he pulls up in front of the building.

  “No, I asked the librarian if I could stay after close for a little while and she said it was no problem since she doesn’t leave right away either, I’ll just walk.”

  His eyes are staring at me in the rearview mirror, and I’m met with silence.

  “I know you think we’re hard on you, but discipline is something you need to learn and live by,” he tells me and I nod.

  “Yes, sir.”

  He nods once and I open the door, sliding out and grabbing my backpack. I approach the library doors and turn back to give him a wave before entering through them. I walk inside a few feet and pause, counting to ten before walking back to the door and looking out the glass windows. The car’s gone and I slowly push through them, and back out into the spring air.

  “Katie,” I hear a whisper and turn to my right, seeing my only friend Nancy hiding behind a tree just beside the library. I run over to her and smile as she steps out from behind the tree, she’s all smiles too and she takes my hand, pulling me around the building.

  “I’m so excited,” she squeals and I can’t help but feel a rush of adrenaline.

  My parents don’t know about Nancy, and that’s because I don’t want them to know anything about me. Not only because I’d never hear the end about how friends hold you back, or how bad peer pressure is, but because they don’t deserve to know me. Not even that I really would consider Nancy a friend, we talk in the few classes we have, but that’s it. I toss my bag into some shrubs that line the building, slipping my house key into my pocket. When she mentioned to me in history class yesterday, that her older brother was going to a house party Saturday night and we could go, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the opportunity. Which was such a surprise to me when I replied ‘yes.’ Because it’s so out of character for me to do anything I might get in trouble with my parents over, but something inside me was pushing me to go.

  “What time can you be out ‘til?” she asks as we resume walking towards the back parking lot of the library.

  “Midnight max,” I tell her and set the alarm on my wristwatch.

  “So that gives us five hours, I wonder how much we can do in five hours?” she says with a laugh.

  Her brother’s blue Oldsmobile comes into view and we practically run to it, Nancy swinging the backdoor open and sliding in and I follow. Her older brother Jake is eighteen and could give a shit about us, so he doesn’t talk to us as he pulls out and begins driving down side streets. Nancy takes out a compact from her purse and opens it, applying lipstick. I don’t wear makeup. Personally, I don’t think I need it, but it would be fun to get dolled up sometime, regardless it’s not another thing I want to worry about my parents finding.

  “Want some?” she asks and I shake my head.

  She digs around her purse and pulls out a tube of clear lip gloss, handing it to me. I take it because this is doable. I press my lips together and hand it back when the car stops and I look out the front windshield to see the house I assume that the party’s at with all the lights on inside and cars lining the street. I’m nervous, this is my first party ever, but I’m more excited than anything. There’s an energy I feel tonight, like nothing will stop me from having fun and forgetting about reality for a little bit. I can be anyone tonight, give any name, any age, lie about who I am if I want, and knowing that is freeing.

  Nancy gets out as Jake shuts the car off and he walks off ahead of us, while she waits for me and we walk side by side up towards the lawn behind him. There are a few teenagers I don’t recognize standing outside the house smoking, and it’s clear to me they’re older and probably seniors. Jake gives them a chin tip before walking over to join them, and Nancy and I make our way up to the front door. I can hear the party going on just behind it and I almost feel like Alice before she goes down the rabbit hole.

  Nancy gives me one more smile before turning the knob and pushing the door open. The sound blasts us, music and talking, laughter and cheering as everything invades my senses. People are sitting around a kitchen table with cards and red cups of alcohol, chanting and clapping. Partiers in the living room are standing and talking while several people are dancing to “It Takes Two” by Rob Base.

  “Come on,” Nancy says taking my hand and leading me towards the card players.

  I don’t recognize anyone here, and look around as she weaves us in and out of bodies towards the kitchen. There’s people standing around in here too, bottles of liquor covering the countertops. Nancy sneaks us through a little opening and we squeeze in, I turn my back to the counter to look out at the other people.

  “Want something?” she shouts over the music, and I shake my head no.

  My eyes scan the faces, not like I expect to know anyone, but just to people watch. Most the girls are wearing tiny shorts, or skirts, tank tops or barely-covering shirts and I feel a little self-conscious at first, feeling out of place for wearing too much clothing. Commotion comes from the dining room table and my eyes shoot there, landing on a guy standing as he smiles and raises his hands.

  “Okay, okay, I need another drink,” he amends as he slides between the people sitting at the table and the wall.

  He’s tall and looks muscular, but can’t be much older than me. His hair is dark brown and longer on top, it flops to one side before he pushes it back with a massive hand. He has some scruff on his face and I wonder now how old he is actually, since I don’t see many guys our age rocking facial hair. I don’t know why my eyes stay locked on him, I mean, I know why, he’s gorgeous. His perfect teeth flash as he smiles and dips his head before entering the kitchen, raising his head and his brown eyes meet mine. Before I can connect that he sees me staring at him, his smile falters for a moment, his eyes looking me up and down, before he starts walking again, straight toward me. I drop my head and turn to face Nancy, embarrassment flushing my cheeks.

  “What did you make?” I ask her, not really caring but hoping to deflect him from coming over to me because I have no idea what to say to him.

  Nancy shrugs and takes a sip from her cup which has brownish green liquid in it, grimacing after she swallows.

  “Hi,” a male voice says at my side, and before even looking I know it’s him.

  My head turns and I look up at him, because shit, he’s tall.

  “Hi,” I say.

  “I’ve never seen you before.”

  “I’ve never seen you before either,” I retort.

  He gives me a smile and the expression fills me with a sensation I’ve never felt before.

  “Do you live around here?” he asks reaching over and grabbing a bottle from the counter.

  “Yeah, you?”

 
“No,” he says shaking his head and taking a swig from the bottle that says Jack Daniels.

  I nod and watch his throat work as he swallows. I’ve seen people swallow millions of times, but something about him doing it gives me that unexplainable sensation again.

  “I’m from Plantain,” he tells me.

  I nod again because I don’t know what to say.

  “That’s like twenty minutes away,” he adds.

  “I know.”

  He takes another drink then reaches out a hand. “I’m Joey,” he says.

  I debate if I should use my real name or not, but before I can think, I take his hand and say, “Katie.”

  When our hands meet, the warmth from his sends tingles up my arm, and causes my heart to race.

  “I’m Nancy,” she says, putting her hand out above ours.

  His eyes shoot towards her and he smiles, letting go of my hand to take hers.

  “And what brings you ladies here tonight?” he asks, looking between the two of us.

  “Looking for some fun,” Nancy says and I inwardly cringe at how young that makes us sound.

  “Oh yeah? What kind of fun?” he asks.

  His warm brown eyes look into mine again, and I feel myself begin to breathe faster at his attention.

  “What did you have in mind?” Nancy asks.

  “Well, we gotta good card game going on over there if you ladies would like to join us,” he suggests. “Or, we could go somewhere,” he adds to me in a lowered tone.

  I’ve never been propositioned, or whatever you want to call this…hit on? Whatever it is, I’ve never had any guy show me any sort of attention like this. I don’t know why; do I look like I’m an easy girl or something? I know I’m not dressed like these other girls and look rather plain in comparison. Maybe he thinks I’m naïve, which I am, and maybe he thinks he can easily seduce me or something.

  “Ooooh, a card game! Yeah, let’s play!” Nancy says, tugging my arm.

  Joey claps his hands and rubs his palms together. “Let me just get a drink,” he says, reaching over me to grab a cup and pour the Jack Daniels into it. “And what would you like to drink?” he asks looking at me.