Chapter 204 - Other Options
The grill had been closed for twenty minutes.
The sign on the front door said CLOSED, but the door remained unlocked while the last workers finished. Two servers counted their tips near the register, and someone dragged a full trash bag through the kitchen toward the back exit.
Roxie had finished the last rack of plates and wiped down the sink. Her apron hung beside the kitchen door, wet across the front, and she still smelled like grease and dish soap. Her feet hurt from practice and standing all night.
Zac had driven her to work earlier. He kissed her in the truck, watched her walk inside, then drove away. Roxie assumed he went home. He had barely slept, and his parents were probably waiting to start another fight.
She had already told him Ethan could bring her home.
Ethan sat near the service window with the college pages spread across the table.
Roxie stopped when she saw them. "I gave those back before work."
"I know." Ethan pulled out the chair with his foot. "You barely looked at them."
"I looked enough."
"You probably looked at the first page, made a face, then shoved it away. Sit down."
"My feet hurt."
"That’s what the chair is for."
Roxie looked toward the kitchen. Most of the cleaning was finished, and Ethan was supposed to drive her anyway. She sat and dropped her practice bag beside the chair.
Ethan pushed one of the pages toward her. The deadline was circled, with tuition, distance, and housing costs written down the side in his messy handwriting.
Roxie picked it up. "You seriously did all this?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"You haven’t applied anywhere."
"That’s my problem."
"Okay." Ethan reached for the page, but Roxie held on. He looked at her fingers still gripping the corner. "Then give it back."
She released it. "You’re annoying."
"You’re the one who sat down."
"You told me to."
"And you listened. That’s weird for you."
Roxie rolled her eyes while Ethan pushed the papers into a smaller pile.
"There’s only three schools here. Just look."
"I have schools."
"In Tennessee," Ethan said. "Name one."
Roxie stared at him. When she had no answer, she grabbed the first page again.
"Yeah," Ethan said. "That’s what I thought."
"Shut up."
The first university still accepted late applications. It had business programs, a cheer team, and jobs inside the student center. The second school was closer to Briarwick and cheaper. The community college near Richmond cost the least.
Ethan tapped the community college page. "This one."
"I’d have to move."
"You could drive."
"With what car?"
His hand stopped on the page.
Roxie dropped it onto the table. "That’s what I mean. None of this works."
"It could."
"How?"
"Financial aid. Grants. Work study. You apply and see what they give you."
"That doesn’t pay for everything, and I already work."
Ethan glanced around the dark grill. "You wash dishes a few hours a week."
"After school and practice. I’m already gone all day."
"I know."
"Then why are you acting like I can add another job, college, rent, and a car?"
"I’m not acting like that." Ethan rubbed a hand over his face. "I’m saying you haven’t even applied. You don’t know what they’d give you."
"And if they give me nothing?"
He looked down at the papers.
Roxie knew what he was thinking before he said it.
"The house is worth money."
Her chair scraped across the floor as she stood and started gathering the pages. "No."
"I didn’t say you had to sell it."
"You were thinking it."
"I said it was worth money."
"That’s the same thing."
"It isn’t."
"It’s my house."
"I know."
"No, you don’t."
The bungalow was small. The pipes knocked at night, the bathroom door stuck when it rained, and part of the kitchen floor bent whenever Roxie stepped on it. It was still hers even if Claire had believed she never deserved it.
Claire could never touch it again.
Roxie’s chest tightened.
Ethan placed one hand over the pages. "I’m not trying to take your house."
"Then quit talking about it."
"Fine."
He removed his hand, but Roxie stayed standing. Ethan leaned back in his chair and watched her until she glared at him.
"What?"
"Just sit down."
Roxie sat again, mostly because her legs hurt. Ethan pushed the page for the nearby school toward her.
"This one’s cheaper."
"I still need a car."
"Yeah."
"At least you admit it."
"I never said you didn’t."
Roxie read the distance written beside the school name. It was close enough that she might stay in the bungalow if she found a way to commute.
Her shoulders loosened. "I could stay home."
Ethan nodded and let her keep reading.
The school offered business administration, general studies, communication, education, and nursing. Roxie crossed out nursing immediately.
"You didn’t even read it," Ethan said.
"I’m not touching blood."
He laughed and reached for the pen before she could cross out education. "What’s wrong with that one?"
"Kids."
"You work with a kid."
"Because they pay me."
"They pay teachers too."
"I’d get fired."
"Probably."
Roxie took the pen back. General studies would give her more time to decide. Business sounded boring, but at least it seemed useful. The school also had a cheer team.
Ethan circled the coach’s email. "Send them your State video."
"We haven’t won."
"You will."
"You’ve never seen us compete."
"I saw you at the rivalry game."
"That was halftime."
"You were still doing cheer stuff."
"That isn’t the same."
"You looked good."
Roxie glanced at him, but Ethan had already picked up the next page.
"This one’s farther."
"Cross it out."
"You haven’t looked at it."
"I can’t get there."
Ethan drew a line through the school name.
The two servers near the register put on their coats. One waved toward Ethan and told him to lock the door before leaving. He lifted a hand, and the girls went outside. The door closed behind them but stayed unlocked.
Roxie returned to the cheaper school. "This one might work."
"That’s all I was trying to show you."
"You could’ve said that before making a whole folder."
"It’s eight pages."
Ethan gave her a look, and Roxie almost smiled.
The front door opened.
Roxie looked up and saw Zac walk inside.
His eyes found her first, then moved to Ethan and the papers covering the table. His expression changed before he reached them.
Roxie stood and started stacking the pages. "What are you doing here?"
"Picking you up."
"I told you Ethan was driving me."
"I know."
"I thought you went home."
"I did."
Zac crossed the dining room without taking his eyes off Ethan. Roxie placed one page over the school names, but he was already close enough to read the heading on top.
College application deadlines.
He stopped beside her. "What’s that?"
"Just college stuff."
"I can see that."
Ethan leaned back in his chair. "I gave it to her."
Zac looked at him. "Why?"
"She hasn’t applied anywhere."
"I know."
"Okay."
Zac’s eyes narrowed. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I printed some schools for her."
"I already looked at schools with her."
"Tennessee schools."
Roxie’s stomach tightened.
Zac stepped closer to the table. "She wants Tennessee."
Ethan gave a short laugh.
Zac’s face hardened. "What?"
"That’s what you want."
"She told me she wants to be with me."
"That isn’t the same thing."
"Stay out of it."
"You came in here acting like she got caught."
Zac moved toward him, and Roxie stepped between them with her hand against his chest.
"Zac, stop."
He kept looking over her shoulder. "Quit talking about us."
"I’m talking about her."
"You know exactly what you’re doing."
Ethan stood. "I gave her a list."
"And now I’m here. So back off."
"Zac." Roxie pushed lightly against his chest until he finally looked down at her.
His anger made it harder to speak. She could already hear how every explanation would sound.
Zac’s eyes moved to the pages in her hands.
"When did he give you those?"
"Yesterday."
"You had them all night?"
"I gave them back." Roxie glanced at Ethan before looking at Zac again. "He brought them out after closing."
"And you stayed."
"I was waiting for him to drive me home."
"You were checking colleges with him."
Roxie lowered her eyes to the pages. "I only looked at two."
"Outside Tennessee."
She said nothing.
Zac’s jaw tightened. "You had all day to tell me."
"I wasn’t planning on anything. That’s why I didn’t tell you." Roxie’s guilt pressed harder against her chest.
"I’m sorry," she said quietly. "I should’ve told you he gave them to me."
Ethan moved closer to the table. "She doesn’t have to apologize for looking at colleges."
Zac looked past Roxie. "Shut up."
"Quit talking to her like she cheated on you."
Roxie turned toward Ethan. "Stop. Please."
Ethan’s mouth tightened, but he stayed where he was.
Zac looked at the papers again. "Were you going to apply?"
"No."
"Did you pick one?"
"No. I was looking."
"With him."
Roxie swallowed. "Yes."
Zac’s hand closed around her wrist. His fingers pressed into her skin as he pulled her slightly toward him.
"We’re leaving."
Roxie looked down at his hand. Her pulse moved beneath his thumb.
"My shift just ended."
"Good."
"Zac, you’re hurting me."
His grip loosened, but he kept hold of her wrist. "Get your bag."
Ethan stepped around the chair. "Let her go."
Zac turned toward him.
Roxie pulled her wrist free and pressed her hand against the sore skin. "Ethan, stop. You’re making it worse."
His expression changed.
"I’m making it worse?"
"I just need to talk to him."
Zac picked up her practice bag from the empty chair. Roxie looked at the college pages still in her other hand.
She could put them inside the bag, but Zac would stare at them for the entire drive. He would ask which school she liked, what she and Ethan had discussed, and why she had been afraid to tell him.
The argument would keep growing.
Roxie pushed the papers toward Ethan. "Keep them."
Ethan frowned. "Roxie."
"Please. Just keep them here."
He took the pages slowly.
Some of the anger left Zac’s face as soon as they were out of her hands. Roxie felt relieved before the feeling made her ashamed.
She took her practice bag from Zac. "I can carry it."
He released the strap.
Roxie looked at Ethan. "I’ll talk to you later."
Ethan glanced at Zac. "Sure."
Zac opened the front door and waited.
Roxie walked past him.
She could feel Ethan watching through the glass as Zac followed her toward the truck. Her wrist still ached where he had held it, but she kept her hand hidden against the side of her coat.
This was going to be a long night.