It’s at the Schrocks’.”
“I guarantee there’ll be more Yanks than Amish there.”
“So?” Elisabeth was starting to see why Deborah thought her snobby. Aaron was coming across the same way. “You act like being around Yankees will give me a disease or something.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. That’s not what I mean. You know what goes on at those parties.”
Elisabeth crossed her arms over her chest. She wore a navy blue sweater over her dress, but it did little to ward off the early spring chill in the air. “Since I’ve never been to one, I don’t.” She didn’t mention that she’d heard what happened at some of those parties, especially about the drinking. “And since when do you have the right to act like my big bruder ? Or worse, my daed ?”
“In this case I have every right.”
“ Nee , you don’t.” She brushed past him and went back inside the shop, straight to her office. When she tried to shut the door, he grabbed it, stopping her. “Will you just let it geh ?”
He stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. “ Nee . I won’t. Not until you tell me you aren’t going to the Schrocks’.”
“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about this.” She went to her desk and sat down, then picked up the accounts ledger. Maybe if she ignored him he would go away.
“Because unlike you, I’ve been to these types of parties. And I know what goes on there.” When she didn’t respond, he went and stood beside her, not speaking.
She finally looked up at him. “Deborah’s my friend, Aaron. She wouldn’t invite me if there was going to be trouble. And you haven’t attended every party in Middlefield. I’m sure this one will be fine.”
“And what if it isn’t? What if there’s drinking? People using drugs? Girls and guys pairing off to go into cars or up in the hayloft? Because that’s what these kids do, Elisabeth. They get drunk and high. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what else they’re doing.”
Her face heated, and she turned away. “I wouldn’t do something like that.”
“When you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs—or both—you’re capable of anything.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, and I’ve paid for them. With jail time, remember?”
She turned and looked up at him, fully expecting to see his hardened expression. Instead, she saw regret.
“You don’t want to get caught up in that, Elisabeth. Because I know how tempting all of that freedom is. All of the things we’ve been told not to do. Then once drugs and drink get ahold of you, it’s almost impossible to break free.”
“You did it.”
“ Ya , and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. I went to rehab while I was in jail. And when I got out I had to fight the temptation to go back to my former life. To start drinking and using again. I’m still paying the consequences of those choices.”
Under any other circumstances she would have appreciated that he had finally revealed something so important, but she couldn’t help but feel talked down to. “That’s you. I don’t drink, and I’ve never even seen a drug. And I can’t believe you think I’d go off with some guy and . . . and . . .” Anger took the words from her mouth. She gripped the ledger book until the sides bent. “I have work to do.”
“Promise me you won’t geh to that party, Elisabeth.”
The lowness of his voice, along with the intensity and a touch of pleading in his words, almost made her look at him again. But she held her ground and thrust open the account book, tapping random numbers on the calculator as if she were deeply involved in balancing the books. Only when she heard him leave, loudly shutting the door behind him, did she look up. Through the small window on the office door, she saw him storm off toward the forge.
Hurt coursed through her. She couldn’t believe how little he thought of
“I guarantee there’ll be more Yanks than Amish there.”
“So?” Elisabeth was starting to see why Deborah thought her snobby. Aaron was coming across the same way. “You act like being around Yankees will give me a disease or something.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. That’s not what I mean. You know what goes on at those parties.”
Elisabeth crossed her arms over her chest. She wore a navy blue sweater over her dress, but it did little to ward off the early spring chill in the air. “Since I’ve never been to one, I don’t.” She didn’t mention that she’d heard what happened at some of those parties, especially about the drinking. “And since when do you have the right to act like my big bruder ? Or worse, my daed ?”
“In this case I have every right.”
“ Nee , you don’t.” She brushed past him and went back inside the shop, straight to her office. When she tried to shut the door, he grabbed it, stopping her. “Will you just let it geh ?”
He stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. “ Nee . I won’t. Not until you tell me you aren’t going to the Schrocks’.”
“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about this.” She went to her desk and sat down, then picked up the accounts ledger. Maybe if she ignored him he would go away.
“Because unlike you, I’ve been to these types of parties. And I know what goes on there.” When she didn’t respond, he went and stood beside her, not speaking.
She finally looked up at him. “Deborah’s my friend, Aaron. She wouldn’t invite me if there was going to be trouble. And you haven’t attended every party in Middlefield. I’m sure this one will be fine.”
“And what if it isn’t? What if there’s drinking? People using drugs? Girls and guys pairing off to go into cars or up in the hayloft? Because that’s what these kids do, Elisabeth. They get drunk and high. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what else they’re doing.”
Her face heated, and she turned away. “I wouldn’t do something like that.”
“When you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs—or both—you’re capable of anything.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, and I’ve paid for them. With jail time, remember?”
She turned and looked up at him, fully expecting to see his hardened expression. Instead, she saw regret.
“You don’t want to get caught up in that, Elisabeth. Because I know how tempting all of that freedom is. All of the things we’ve been told not to do. Then once drugs and drink get ahold of you, it’s almost impossible to break free.”
“You did it.”
“ Ya , and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. I went to rehab while I was in jail. And when I got out I had to fight the temptation to go back to my former life. To start drinking and using again. I’m still paying the consequences of those choices.”
Under any other circumstances she would have appreciated that he had finally revealed something so important, but she couldn’t help but feel talked down to. “That’s you. I don’t drink, and I’ve never even seen a drug. And I can’t believe you think I’d go off with some guy and . . . and . . .” Anger took the words from her mouth. She gripped the ledger book until the sides bent. “I have work to do.”
“Promise me you won’t geh to that party, Elisabeth.”
The lowness of his voice, along with the intensity and a touch of pleading in his words, almost made her look at him again. But she held her ground and thrust open the account book, tapping random numbers on the calculator as if she were deeply involved in balancing the books. Only when she heard him leave, loudly shutting the door behind him, did she look up. Through the small window on the office door, she saw him storm off toward the forge.
Hurt coursed through her. She couldn’t believe how little he thought of
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