by Coralee June
The Black family buried her in their family cemetery. It was a quick and quiet ceremony. Neither Maverick nor I knew enough about her to give a thorough, memorial service. Instead, we only stared silently at her body wrapped in cloth while Patrick, Jacob, and Kemp lowered her gracefully into the ground.
Maverick and I never spoke of the woman again, but something between us changed that night. A bond formed between us that only an experience like that could forge. The night she was buried, we both watched the sunset, paying an unspoken homage to Elliot. Just as it got dark, he gripped my hand, and we both said goodbye to the ghosts that haunted us.
Chapter 14
After her death, Maverick asked me if I would like to be a nurse at his clinic, but I politely declined. I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be there and not think of the sad woman that died trying to change her life.
The boys mostly let me keep to myself. Almost hourly, my Tablet rang. I hadn’t spoken to Josiah in a little over a week, and he was getting more and more desperate. It was a side of Josiah I didn't previously know. Usually, I was left pining for him, but this change in dynamic was jarring.
I made myself busy by cleaning the house and preparing their meals. I found new things to do daily, but I rarely left the home, except to collect groceries. On the fourth day of my saddened state, I made fried chicken and set the table silently; the guys observed me, and even Huxley looked at me with slightly less disdain.
When we all sat down, Kemp piped up. “Ash, have you given any thought to what job you’d like in the town?” He spoke with uncertainty and looked down at his plate, seemingly afraid to meet my eyes.
I observed them all openly and noticed how unsettled they all seemed, especially Jacob. I felt ashamed that my somber mood was affecting them so intensely.
“I was considering talking to the General Store. I noticed that they had a vacant bakery section. I wouldn’t mind selling baked goods there.”
Cyler perked up at this, excited by my ambitions. “Really? Ah, babe, you’d be great at that!” he boomed, while the rest agreed. “Do you need anything?” Kemp asked thoughtfully. “I might need to purchase baking supplies from the Galla providence,” I said.
“Well, make a list of what it is you need, and I’ll make sure you are given it,” Cyler said happily. I smiled at his enthusiasm. They each started talking over one another and making suggestions about what I should do.
After dinner, Patrick invited me upstairs to play games with them. I was curious to see what they were like in a laid-back atmosphere. Most of the times that I passed them in the hall or the town, they were absorbed in their work and wore severe expressions.
I also felt desperate to avoid the constant ringing of my Tablet from Josiah, so I happily agreed to visit with them. Once I cleaned the kitchen, I made my way upstairs to find each guy sitting on the floor around the short coffee table and cheering on one another. They were playing a dice game I was somewhat familiar with. Josiah and I sometimes played it together late at night when Mistress Stonewell was at events.
I casually stood off in the corner and watched with polite interest. “Get your pretty butt over here,” Jacob hollered. His smooth voice made goosebumps cover my arms and shoulders. I made my way to him, and once I was close enough, he hauled me into his lap. He put his arms around me and snaked his head over my shoulder so that he could watch the game.
I blushed furiously at our close contact and forced myself to regard this as sisterly behavior. Jacob's hand rested casually on my thigh, and Cyler gave us a curious stare until he started losing the game, and he quickly remembered that he was, in fact, playing a game.
“I’m happy that you're acting like yourself, again,” Jacob whispered with a blush.
“I’m happy you’re happy,” I replied with a shrug which caused him to turn his head to observe me curiously.
“Ay! Guys!” Jacob bellowed, causing me to cover my ears. “I think we should teach Ash here how to play the game.”
I looked around the room and saw that almost all of them ignored his request. They were too absorbed in what was currently happening on the table in front of them. Jacob snaked his arm around me to grab the remote that sat on the armrest. With a click of the button, the room went black, and the room suddenly erupted in swears and groans.
“I think we should let Ashleigh play,” Jacob yelled over their harsh cuss words and displeasure. Jacob then turned back on the lights, illuminating each of their faces and I giggled at their different looks of disapproval.
Maverick looked at me with a tight grin; it seemed that he, too, still struggled. “Why not?” He shrugged. “Come here; I’ll show you how to play.”
I wiggled my way off of Jacob’s lap. He groaned and bit his fist playfully while I struggled to stand up. I made my way over to Maverick, unsure how to interact with him after we’d shared such an intimate four days together. In fact, he was a significant reason for why I was avoiding everyone.
He pulled me into his lap and began explaining the different rules and objective of the game. Each player received ten dice, and then the first person the get all ten dice to roll the same number wins, it was pure and silly, but each brother placed bets on who could get all ten first, which made for a ridiculously tense room. With Jacob, I felt a playful connection, but with Maverick, my arms, legs, and chest felt heavy with an emotion I couldn't quite identify.
After the brief refresher course, Jacob counted down from ten, and the table erupted with the sounds of flying dice. They continued to roll them as quickly as possible. I spent more time watching them scramble for their dice than I did rolling my own, but eventually, Maverick won.
After losing a few games, I handed my ten dice to Jacob and made my way to the center of the floor. I watched casually for a few more rounds until a loud and obnoxious yawn escaped my lips. Again, Jacob switched off the lights, and a chorus of swears filled the room.
“Ash is bored, guys. We need something else to do.” He had a mischievous look on his face that suggested that what he had in mind would be embarrassing.
“I say we practice for the Solstice Festival,” he added.
“Wha-what’s that?” I asked quietly.
“Ah, babe. Every year we have a bonfire and dance for the summer solstice. Huxley smokes a few hogs, and we all eat, drink, and dance until we pass out.” Cyler laughed. “Last year Kemp got so drunk he went streaking through the town’s center.”
Their group mercilessly chuckled while Kemper turned a bright shade of red. At first, I didn’t believe that my mild tempered Kemp would do such a thing, but when he didn’t deny the others’ teasing, it became apparent that what they said was in fact, true. The roaring laughter from the others made me feel sorry for him, so I scooted over to his chair. I sat at his feet and looked up at him.
“Would you teach me how to dance, Kemper?” I asked sweetly, praying that my question would distract him from their teasing. His embarrassed frown lifted into a sweet and shy smile. He then coughed. “It would be my pleasure, Ash,” he replied with a deep voice and a grin. The others still chuckled occasionally, but it mostly died down. My diversion had worked! They then hurried their recliners towards the outskirts of the room, creating a makeshift dancefloor.
Jacob typed on his Tablet until a folk song began blaring on their impressive sound system. The wooden walls shook with the beat, causing my heart to thud.
Kemp pulled me to my feet while the others watched. He pulled me close while placing a hand on my lower back. We looked at one another while Kemp began describing the dance steps. After he seemed convinced that I understood, he started guiding me around the room.
I was clumsy, as usual. But, instead of teasing me, Kemper seemed more determined to teach me. I tried to fight the grin, but it took up a permanent residence upon my face while he spun me around the room. He seemed in perfect control.
He was gentle yet authoritative, directing me while cushioning my waist with his padded fingertips. Th
e others watched us with kind eyes, except Huxley, who seemed to dislike me more and more as the dance continued. Occasionally, the others would throw out suggestions regarding my posture or our foot placements until Cyler walked up and asked for a turn.
“Kemp was kind enough to teach you a formal step, but just in case, I think you should learn how some of the others in our providence like to dance.” He winked suggestively at me, and my hands trembled. “Are you sure your leg can handle that?” I asked playfully, knowing full well that it was healing nicely.
“Why don’t you let me show you how much I can handle?” he replied.
Jacob turned on another song that emphasized the drum beat; it was a sensual song that made my cheeks flame. Where Kemp held me like I was fine china, Cyler crushed my body towards his. I felt like jelly, molding myself to him suggestively. He placed both hands on my hips, and the room seemed to catch fire. Patrick and Jacob whistled loudly.
He moved me against him achingly. I felt every move his body made pressed upon mine. My chest surrendered to his, and my forehead rested on his shoulder. The earlier playfulness everyone felt seemed to dissolve, as I danced against Cyler. Too soon, Jacob cut the music, shocking me out of the trance that dancing with Cyler caused. I looked into his deep eyes while he brushed his shoulder-length hair off his neck.
For a brief moment, I wished the song hadn’t ended, but I remembered Jules, and the distance she put between each of them, and it was like a bucket of iced water on my senses. I quickly scrambled to brush off the awkwardness left behind by our suggestive dance.
“Thanks for the lesson, Cyler. If a suitor asks me to dance, I believe he will be most pleased,” I joked with a wink. However, instead of the playful chuckles, I intended to cause, Cyler threw a predatory gaze my way.
“The only men that will be dancing with you are in this room, babe,” he said in a tone that made me shiver. I looked around the room, but the other boys refused to make eye contact with me. I felt like I’d ruined the mood of the evening, so I excused myself and said goodnight. The sudden turn of events made me nervous. I didn’t want to anger them, and I certainly didn’t want to disappoint Jacob after everything he had experienced.
Everyone mumbled their good wishes, and I made plans to head over to the General Store in the morning. I headed back to my room, feeling entirely defeated and was surprised to find Huxley standing outside my door. I wasn’t sure how he managed to pass me, but his brooding figure made me more nervous.
He walked closer to me, breathing hot air on my face. His proximity made my chest heave, and Huxley was so near that I brushed against him with every inhale.
“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” he began. “I don’t want to scare you, but I need to make something abundantly clear.” My eyes widened at him as he leaned in even closer to whisper in my ear. “I will protect our group at all costs. Remember your place here.”
As soon as he said it, Huxley retreated into the hallway and out of sight. I felt cemented to the floor and unsure of what exactly he meant. I knew things got slightly heated with Cyler, but it was harmless, right?
Regardless, I heard him loud and clear, and suddenly, I felt like I was back in my basement at the Stonewell Home. Back where I was a nobody. Back where I wasn’t good enough for Josiah. Despite the freedoms of the Dormas Providence, I was still the little, Walker girl from Galla.
Chapter 15
The next day I made arrangements with the owners of the General Store, Mr. and Mrs. Caverly. They even gave me my first order, which was to complete a giant cake for the community, solstice festival scheduled for a week and a half from now. I was nervous to start off with such a significant event, but they seemed excited to have a baker on hand.
Once I made arrangements and ordered supplies, I made my way to the gold mine where Patrick and Huxley worked. Although I was anxious around Huxley, I wanted to bring lunch as a sort of peace offering.
The mines were at the far side of town, but it wasn’t a terribly long walk. A ten-foot fence with barbed wire stood proudly around the entrance of the mine. I was worried that I wouldn’t be allowed entry, but the four posted guards seemed to recognize me, and they immediately granted me access. Although the fence looked intimidating, I felt concerned that they only had four guards stationed out front.
What would happen if the scavengers came back? In front of the mine’s entrance was a log cabin that served as their office. I walked towards it, praying I wouldn’t have to search for them in the mines.
I entered the door and was surprised to find Patrick snoozing at his desk peacefully. I wished I had my Tablet out so I could capture his peaceful face in a photograph, but before I could reach for it, Huxley stormed in the door with a murderous expression.
“Is this where you’ve been all morning?!” he roared, causing Patrick to startle and fall out of his chair. I stifled a giggle.
“And, what are you doing here?” he added in a growl. I’m not sure what came over me, but his tone and my tiredness from the week before caught up with me, and I growled back.
“I was bringing you lunch, you giant jerk!” I stomped my foot to accentuate my frustration. I was hoping that at the very least, Huxley would get mad at my outburst, but instead, he merely shook his head, and the ghost of a smile graced his perfectly-shaped lips.
He reached out and grabbed the basket full of meat and cheese from my thin fingers. He peered inside, while Patrick dusted himself off and massaged his jaw.
“Well, come on, sit down and eat with us, or Maverick will get on to us for being rude,” Huxley said in a clipped tone.
I accepted the small win gratefully, and they spent lunch discussing the different operations of the mine. It was interesting to hear about how much coordination and scheduling went into managing the mines, as well as how little help they had. All their talk about the running of the mine made me realize that Huxley was cranky because he was exhausted.
I observed how the twins mirrored each other perfectly, but with individual quirks that made their contrasting personalities stand out. Patrick’s movements were fluid and graceful, and Huxley moved with a staccato aggressiveness that seemed out of place for a polite lunch
To my dismay, Patrick left in the middle to address a fight between two miners. He kissed me lightly on the cheek while walking out, and I wiped it instantly, afraid Huxley would notice and get angry again.
“You’ve built up a great mine,” I observed. Without Patrick, the silence made my chest feel heavy. Huxley’s warning still echoed in my mind, and I felt unsure of how to act around him.
“We do fine,” he grunted. We continued to eat, but the silence gnawed at me.
“What have I done to make you hate me so?” I asked candidly. Maybe if I understood why he hated me, we could move past this unnecessary tension.
“Jacob told us that he told you what happened with Jules.” He shrugged. “I made a promise to him that I would never allow anyone to endanger our group again. This town has lost almost everything. I’ve had to bury my neighbor's daughters. Their sons. They need a cohesive leadership council. ”
“I’m not a threat to you,” I barked. Huxley looked me up and down with appraising eyes. “You are exactly the kind of threat I’d like to avoid,” he said. “We’re a competitive bunch, and someone like you could ruin us.” I openly gaped at him. I’m a nobody. How could he possibly think that I could ruin anything? I reached out and grabbed his hand. Dirt completely covered it, and he tried to yank it away, but I gripped harder, refusing to release my hold.
“I am not a threat to you,” I insisted, waiting until he looked me in the eye. “I’m not Jules. I’m just a girl that needed a safe place and freedom.” Admitting this hurt me, and I released his hand to wipe a tear that streamed down my cheek.
“The fact that you don’t know your power makes you that much more destructive.” I flinched at his words. How could he think I would ever do anything to hurt the people that gave me a life outside of t
he Stonewell House?
“I see,” I whispered. I quickly stood and threw away the trash from lunch. Within seconds, I had packed the leftovers and was fleeing out the door. Huxley didn’t stop me, nor did he apologize. I suddenly felt determined to prove him wrong. I would become like a sister to them. Despite the undeniable, but minor, attraction, I felt towards them; I refused to allow Huxley to have any further reason to hate me.
Perhaps my new determination was what encouraged me to answer the Tablet call that rang in my room the moment I arrived in my bedroom. I sighed but answered on the fourth ring. Josiah rolled his eyes the moment our Tablets connected, in a brief relief before scrunching his face up in frustration.
“Where the fuck have you been?!” he asked incredulously, and in a tone that made me nervous. Despite our relationship, the Stonewells maintained an authoritative hold over me. I still cringed, knowing I’d done wrong, even miles away in a completely different Providence.
“I-I needed space,” I answered cautiously.
“I’ve been going mad not talking to you,” he said helplessly. I observed him openly and felt my heart break at his disheveled appearance. Josiah, indeed, appeared to be distraught. His hair stood up as though he had spent the past four days running his hand aggressively through it.
“Please tell me you're alright. Tell me you miss me. Tell me anything; I just need to hear your voice and pretend you're in this room with me. That I’ll wake up from this nightmare.” He threw his head down on his arms and shook violently. This new, vulnerable side of Josiah was shocking.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I miss you, too . . . so much, Josiah.” The truth of my words rang through me, but something nagged my conscious. I would never admit it, but when I was with the others, I didn’t miss Josiah as much. That realization was both a relief and a terror.
“I keep thinking about our kiss,” I added. I’m not sure what compelled me to tell Josiah that, but it was true. Late at night, I still remembered how he crushed himself to me.