catch us if you can

“Oh, so you’re a proper young man now?” Rosetta teased before nervously glanced at her door as Clyde climbed in before closing the window behind him. At his comment, she chuckled and shrugged as she sat down on her bed. “I guess you’re movin’ up in the world now. First, my closed bedroom and eventually…I dunno, something actually meaningful” She laughed before covering her mouth in fear of having woken her dad

“That I am. Only four things a proper young man’s gotta do. Open doors, cook a gal’s favorite meal, have a good car to drive a gal around, and wait for an invite before sneakin’ into her bedroom. I reckon I got three of the four, but you ain’t never told me your favorite meal.” He sat on the foot of her bed and looked up at her. “What kinda meanin’ful are you picturin’ for me to move on up to?”

“That counts as something. I suppose I will have do all the talking and you will have to guide me around. Even if we don’t get that cabin, I am sure that any will do just fine as long as I am with you.” 

“Now that’s damn sweet. If we don’t get that one then - hell maybe we get the one with the fire place. You happen to have any swim clothes? I use’ta have some shorts, but I figure it don’t matter what you wear.” 

“You are quite the charmer, I wouldn’t try anything impressive in those cuffs around the authorities.”

“A charmer huh. Well, I’ve been told I got me a silver tongue. You ever see a fella tie a cherry stem in his mouth?”

“I think that is a good idea, Jack. There is no such thing as being too cautious and you know that.” Goodbye did not mean that this would be the last time they would ever see each other, though it certainly felt like it was. Perhaps, he would someone while in the city and never come back. Perhaps, he would like living there so much that he refused to leave. Possibilities swirled in her head. “That could work out, it is a little late though…”

“No, it ain’t too late! I mean - the job I got lined up don’t start til the first of the month, we got a good few days ‘fore I gotta head up. We could convince your pop then -- then we could pack up all your stuff and head on. Or, hell, we can just head on out now and take the scenic route on up!” He could feel himself getting too excited. Doubtless she’d rather stay put. North was unknown, but right here was comfortable and secure. No way she’d want to go anywhere. and especially not with him.

Brows furrowed together, her heart sinking further into her stomach. “Fine, I shall do you the pleasure and leave. You will never have to see me again, even when you’re free. I hope you’re happy now.” 

“Right.” fuck he looked up too soon, too quickly. A quick burn in the back of his throat and a knot in his chest reminded him to look back at his hands - at the bruises on his wrists and the chain preventing him from moving away from the table.

Lillian crossed her arms, taking slight offense to her brothers comment. She knew he meant well, but she was already hesitant about the wedding, she didn’t need her brother building on her doubt, “It’s not a mistake Clyde, I’m getting a little old to be living with ma and pa,” maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say. Maybe she should’ve told her brother that she loved him instead of explaining the logical reason, but it was the truth, “He shouldn’t try anything, I don’t think he would, he’s not that kind of a guy,” Lillian hoped she was right, she had never seen anything that would suggest otherwise, but she had heard tales of things going badly after marriages began.

“That is a God awful reason to marry someone. You wanna move out then move in with Jack or Artie. Hell, I know Nellie just got divorced but movin’ in there is a damn sight better than marryin’ the wrong guy to move out.” He knew his sister - he knew the more he lectured her the less she would listen, but he just couldn’t stop. “I’m sorry, when ya’ll havin’ the ceremony? I don’t think I’ll be able to attend proper, they’ll be waitin’ for me to, but maybe I can come by a little while after.” Clyde had already missed too many big family events in recent months, he didn’t plan on fully skipping yet another. 

Rosetta blushed at his words, ducking her head as she smiled a bit bigger. Looking up as he leaned closer to her, she did the same with a smirk. “Are you coming in or should I shut the window and leave you stranded on my roof?” She teased

“I was wonderin’ when you’d invite me in. A proper young man can’t climb through no windows without an invitation ‘ya know.” Clyde pulled himself through the window as silently as he could. He’d never admit to having practice sneaking in and out of windows, but he was confident her father wouldn’t hear any time soon. “I do believe this is the first time I’ve ever been in your room with the door closed.”

@lottieseye​ || continued from x

Rosetta laughed a little as she heard his response. “You seem inclined to risking your ass for me, Barrow.” She teased, playfully poking his chest. “I feel bad cause I never seem to do anything in return”

“Ain’t much else in this world worth riskin’ my ass over.” He grinned a huge one dimpled grin and leaned toward her. “Like hell you don’t. That smile is more than enough in return for me.”

“Joe’s a good guy Clyde,” sure he might not be perfect, but Lil wasn’t like her brother, she was anxious to start her own life. Maybe he wasn’t the guy she had always dreamed of, but he was nice, and she cared about him. She wouldn’t tell Clyde this of course, she knew he would likely insist on her waiting for someone who she could have something with like him and Bonnie. She was settling, even she’d admit that, she was settling for him, but she’d rather settle than wait any longer to find a guy who likely wouldn’t exist, “I love him Clyde, he’s amazing,” she smiled, although he wasn’t what she had imagined, she was still happy, and she hoped her brother saw that. 

"Love ‘im, huh? Well - guess we all gotta make mistakes some time.” Joe Bill Francis wasn’t worth much of anything, and definitely didn’t deserve Clyde’s little sister. “I suppose I’m happy for ya. Just remember that if he ever tries anythin’ stupid on you to tell me as soon as you can. He ain’t worth gettin’ hurt over.” He could only think about the stories Bonnie had told him about her marriage -- Lillian wasn’t much older than Bonnie had been. 

this      information      certainly      peaked      her      interest.      a      kid      who      was  freshly      eighteen,      who      had      been      in      and      out      of      jail      practically      his      whole      life      ?      a      tough      case      to      win    ,      but      that      was      what    made      it      all      the      more      intriguing.      maybe      laurel      had      picked      up      a thing      or      two      from      annalise.      “      what      proof      do      you      have      that    someone      is      pining      this      thing      on      you      ?      ”      laurel      took      a      seat  at      the      table      ,      her      pencil      pressed      to      her      notepad.

clyde sat back against his chair with a short scoff. “No sheriff never had proof against me - but it ain’t stopped ‘em from haulin’ me in every chance they get. Ain’t this country supposed to be innocent til proven guilty? How come we gotta come up with the proof that I ain’t steal no cars?” He figured that maybe he should feel bad for lying - no one ever told him it was okay to take that car. But hey - it’d probably be just as hard to prove they didn’t say that as it would be to prove he stole it. 

“What do you mean you don’t want to see me?” Her heart sank. “Should I do you a favour and leave so you don’t have to see me anymore? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

Fuck no - please don’t. “That’s what I said. Might be better if you do go on now.” If he looked up now she’d see it. If he kept talking she’d hear it. He chewed his lip and kept his eyes solidly down. Better for her to hate him than to step anywhere near that bleeding hell.

“You have nothing to apologize for. I understand that you want to start anew, but do you have to do it so far away?” Leaving for a new job and more opportunities was not new to her. It was actually the reason why the two met in the first place, though it was due to her father that time. 

“Reckon I do. If I’m too close by then -- Well -- look I’m usin’ a new name too. Jack Bailey. Just a little precaution, ya know.” He should’ve just gone, he was bad at goodbyes. It used to be that he’d stay at his older sister’s house for four or five weeks longer than he was supposed to - just putting off leaving. “You could come with, if you wanted to. It ain’t so far. We could come back here for our folks on weekends?”

“That is five more times than I’ve ever been. I’m fluent, but the dialects might differ and I haven’t spoken in a while. Why are you asking?”

“Cause I ain’t speak a lick of it. Just donde es la playa and gracias. Negotiatin’ is gonna be a hell of a lot easier with you around. Might even get to rent the cabin with the queen bed too.”

“I didn’t mean to hide it from you Clyde,” Lil finally met eyes with her brother and stepped towards him. “I wanted to tell you first,” she wasn’t lying, it was the fact that she knew he’d likely oppose it and tell her she didn’t need to marry because him and Bonnie haven’t and they’re just fine, on top of that was the fact that she was his youngest sister and youngest sibling. And on top of that she hadn’t had the impression Clyde was his biggest fan, as he hadn’t been of any of her boyfriends really “It’s not supposed to be a big thing anyway,” she lied slightly, she had wanted it to be small and just with her and his family, but her momma had insisted on a bigger wedding with practically the entire town coming, despite the fact that they could hardly afford a small wedding. 

“You ain’t never gonna be able to pull the wool over my eyes, little sister. I’m a hair smarter than Buck and them.” He wasn’t really mad. He didn’t exactly like her boyfriend - or fiance - and he didn’t love finding out second hand and especially didn’t enjoy being lied to. Okay, a little mad, but he wanted to be happy for her. Buck had been married three times already, Nellie and Artie had husbands, Jack already had four kids of his own, hell even Bonnie’d already been married. But he’d never been married - never would be probably. It was too late for Bonnie to file any papers for divorce, they’d get arrested before they left the court house. “You at least find a good man since the last time I came around? That boy you been tuggin’ around ain’t real good husband material.”

“   you   can’t   just   borrow   a   car.   that’s   theft   ,   no   matter   your   intentions.   ”   the   word   ‘   borrowed   ’   would   hardly   hold   up   in   court ,   and   she   pitied   whomever   was   stuck   trying   to   defend   him.   he   surely   wouldn’t   be   an   easy   client   ,   basically   admitting   to   his   crime  up   front.   laurel   sighed.   “   i’m   just   saying   ,   you   may   not   want   to   paint   yourself   in   this   light.   have   you   ever   been   in   prison   before   ?   ”

“What if the person who gave me the car said I could take it - now they’re just lyin’ to see me in trouble?” It had happened before. That had been a rental car, but still -- if it happened once maybe it could happen again. “I’m 18, when exactly would I have gone’ta prison? Jail, sure. Cops have found loads’a reasons to knock me around in jail, but prison seems a bit steep for borrowin’ a car.” maybe she was right, maybe he should just shut his mouth.