by D. Breeze
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I knew it could be a dangerous situation.
“So what did she do? Why does she need to get away?”
His silence was telling. I wasn’t going to like whatever he said.
“She um...she rang the police and told them that she’d witnessed Freddy start the fire that killed your parents and that he murdered Mrs Henley, the old lady who used to live next door.” He spat the words out in a rush.
That wasn’t just bad.
That was really, really fucking bad.
“Holy shit!”
“Told you it was bad. They haven’t picked him up yet, they said they can’t find him, but I’m not stupid and if he doesn’t already know who grassed him up, he will soon. She can’t be here when he comes for her. He’ll fuck her up for sure.”
I didn’t even have to think about it.
“Give me a time and a place, I’ll sort something out and I’ll be there.”
“Just get here in the next three days and you know where she’ll be.”
Before he hung up, I quickly added, “I hope you don’t get too long...I missed you.”
He was silent for so long, I checked the phone to make sure he hadn’t already disconnected. Then I heard him sigh.
“They reckon I’ll get seven to ten years. I could be out in five on good behaviour. First offense and that, you know? Maybe when I get out, I can give you the beat down you deserve for leaving us without a word but...I missed you too, brother.”
And he hung up.
My heart was in my throat. How could I have severed all contact to them? I loved them, I missed them and I owed Lucas huge.
I could do this for him, for her.
Lydia Romero.
Damn, it had been a while since I’d let myself think about her. I wondered what she was like now and if she was ok. Guess I’d find out real soon.
*~*~*
Lydia
I knew my time was coming to an end. I could feel it with every fibre of my being. My bare feet pounded the pavement but I didn’t focus on the pain of the stones and broken glass piercing my skin, I couldn’t. I focused on surviving. On getting away from the hell my world had descended into.
It wasn’t my life, it couldn’t be. I was Lydia Romero. Spoilt, beautiful, innocent Lydia Romero.
Everyone said so.
“Aww, isn’t she adorable. You must be so proud.” I heard Mrs Henley saying to my mum over and over again in my head. Poor Mrs Henley would be turning in her grave if she saw what they’d done to me.
I heard them cackling behind me and I knew I had to move faster: to where, I had no idea. Just keep moving, run as fast as you can and it’ll all be ok. I convinced myself of it.
I turned the corner and stopped dead.
Oh fuck.
Freddy stood there, leaning against the swings, grinning from ear to ear, a sinister grin. My blood froze in my veins. I was sure I was going to die, I felt the fight drain out of me and crumbled to the floor, wincing at the pain that shot through my knees.
My body gave up, my heart gave up and I quickly realised that it would be easier to just give in. I could handle pain, I’d learnt how to, but I had a feeling that whatever he was going to do to me would be so much more that just pain.
I saw his feet touch the pavement in front of me and I braced.
“Now, now little Ladybug. Why would you go and do a stupid thing like running away from me, huh?” He breathed. I didn’t speak.
“Answer me!” I jumped, but still didn’t speak. I had nothing left to give him.
He tutted. “Don’t worry little girl, we all make mistakes,” he paused and I could just picture him looking deep in thought for a second. “Though not everyone goes to the police and makes false statements.”
I fought back the urge to roll my eyes. He wasn’t lying, but that’s not to say he didn’t deserve what I’d done to him.
He grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up to rest against his chest.
“Who’s my good girl?” He asked, his voice laced with a sinister undertone.
I swallowed, but remained silent once again. I didn’t want to be his good girl.
“That’s right Ladybug, you are.”
I felt a sharp pain in my neck, and my world faded.
*~*~*
Ruben
Three days felt like an eternity, but I sat in my car driving the seventy mile journey to the past, having no idea why I was doing it alone, or what I was actually going to do when I got there.
Turning into the familiar neighbourhood, I felt a shiver crawl up my spine when I looked at the same dull, run-down houses and roads littered with broken glass.
I pulled over for a second when I saw our old house. Metal sheets covered the windows and the old front door, but it wasn’t exactly secure seeing as the whole roof had caved in and all that remained was charred black support beams from the fire.
It didn’t surprise me that no one had done anything about knocking it down or rebuilding it. No one cared enough about the area to do that. The whole front of the house was decorated with graffiti and the front garden was more than a little overgrown.
What did surprise me though, was that I felt...nothing. I thought maybe I’d feel angry, or sad, or disappointed – but I just didn’t feel a thing. It was just a building, and I’d long since buried the memories of my life there.
I restarted the engine and headed over to Lydia’s house. I jogged up the front path and knocked on the door. My mouth dropped open when her mum answered – but then I wasn’t even sure it was definitely her mum.
The woman who stood in front of me was frail and haggard and looked about twenty years older than she was.
Drugs will do that to a person I guess.
“Can I help you?” She rasped.
She didn’t recognise me. Not exactly a surprise seeing as I looked a hell of a lot different and she clearly had more drugs than blood running through her veins.
“I’m looking for Lydia.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who isn’t?”
Did she want me to answer?
“She’s probably at that park. Weird girl spends too much time there.”
The park. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it – she always used to go there to get away from everything. More than once I found her sitting on the swings, sometimes she’d sit there lost in her own head for hours.
Instead of taking the car, I walked in-between the houses and took the short cut across the field to the park.
What I saw there stole my breath from my lungs. Two men stood behind a girl on her knees and Freddy stood in front of her. I was too far away to see for sure, but I knew it was Lydia.
Freddy shouted something that made her jump and when he reached down to grab her, I forced my legs to work and sprinted towards them.
Her body slumped to one side and he threw her over his shoulder. I wasn’t close enough to stop him.
“Hey!” I yelled, trying to get their attention.
All three men turned to face me.
“Let her go.” My demand fell on deaf ears and they started to walk away.
“God damn it! Let her fucking go you bastard!” I screamed. I knew that would get a reaction from him. No one disrespected Freddy.
He turned back to me, Lydia still lying over his shoulder and scowled.
“Listen kid, this is nothing to do with you. Just run along now and forget you saw anything.”
“I can’t do that. See that girl you’ve got there, she belongs to me.”
He frowned at me and I saw his two thugs share a confused look. Freddy tilted his head and studied me. He could have shot me on the spot, but he didn’t. He dropped Lydia like a sack of potatoes and I winced.
“Well, isn’t this a new turn in the story? Didn’t think I’d see your face around these parts again, Ruben,” I really wished he didn’t remember my name. “Come back to play knight in shining armour have you? Little too late for that kid.”
I pulled a pen-knife from my pocket and flipped it open. It was the only thing I had and I needed to find a way to get her.
His thugs edged towards me but Freddy held his hand out to stop them. He laughed.
“No, no. Let’s see how this plays out. You think you got the balls to take me on kid? That’s almost too funny to believe.”
I shrugged, I knew I was out of my league, but I’d rescue Lydia or die trying. The latter option seemed the most likely in the given situation.
“She’s mine, Freddy and I’ll do whatever I have to do, to get her away from you and your guard dogs.”
He stroked his bottom lip with his index fingers and a sinister smirk spread across his face.
“I tell you what, I’ll let you take her,” he paused. “But if I ever, ever find her again, even catch a glimpse of her, I’ll make both of you wish that you’d never interfered. I’ll make her my whore, I’ll pass her around, I’ll slit her throat and let you watch, and then I’ll torture you every fucking day until you beg me to let you die...got it?”
I swallowed, my mouth was suddenly as dry as the Sahara.
Freddy was a sick fuck.
What sort of human being said things like that to people?
“You have half an hour to get you and her out of here, after that, all bets are off.”
I had no doubt that he’d do it either. Nodding my head at him, he turned and whistled for his two thugs to follow him. One of them grinned at me like a maniac, then swung his foot and kicked Lydia in the ribs. Tears sprung to my eyes because I knew there was nothing I could do until they’d left. Her body moved with his foot, but other than that, she showed no reaction.
“Freddy, wait! What did you give her?” I called out to him – pushing my luck just slightly.
I heard his chuckle and he didn’t reply with words, he just held a needle, half full with clear liquid, out to one side. Damn, not good, it could have been anything.
One plus point, was that I knew whatever it was, wouldn’t be fatal. That’s too simple for Freddy and he’d want her to suffer.
As soon as they were far enough away, I fell to my knees next to her. She looked like she was sleeping and I was glad I’d got there in time to stop them beating her more.
After checking she was breathing, I held her gently against my chest and cursed my decision to leave the car outside her house.
I reached it in a matter of minutes but I was worried about how much damage was done to her ribs and the purple bruise that was forming across her shoulder and collar-bone.
I lay her across the back seat, pulled the seat-belt across her hips and drove.
I wasn’t sure where I was going, I just knew I couldn’t drive all the way home with her and I couldn’t take her to a hospital. Freddy wasn’t stupid, he knew I’d probably have take her to see a doctor and he’d check the hospitals first.
That was part of his game.
I drove for about twenty five miles and pulled in at a small hotel just off the motorway. I booked a room and then went back outside to get Lydia. She weighed about as much as a feather and my guilt roared to the surface of my emotions.
I left her.
I wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive me.
I carried her to the lift and as we got out on the second floor, an elderly couple frowned at the passed-out girl in my arms. It didn’t look good.
I gave them my best charming smile and rolled my eyes.
“She’s never been good at long journeys, she was out like a light after the first hour!” I joked.
The old man looked like he knew exactly what I was talking about. They both laughed and as I walked away, I heard the old lady speak to her husband.
“Why don’t you ever carry me in?”
I snickered.
Lying her on the bed in our room, I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding. She looked so peaceful, almost serene, and I bit my lip. She probably hadn’t looked like that much in the last six years.
I stripped off her jumper, but left her tank top and jeans on – I was pretty sure that she wouldn’t want me undressing her.
For a girl, almost woman, who had clearly had a tough life, it didn’t show.
She wasn’t scrawny or worn down and she clearly took good care of herself. Everything about her was clean and beautiful - from her shiny blonde hair right down to her painted toe-nails. Her full, pouty lips moved with every breath she took. Her dad was Italian, so she had that gorgeous olive skin that was totally flawless.
I really couldn’t believe that the little girl I’d known years ago, had grown up to be such a stunner. Part of me wished she hadn’t, because this little rescue mission was going to be harder than I thought...literally.
Damn.
Laying down next to her, I linked our fingers and held on tight, she was mine now and I’d protect her.
No matter what.
Chapter Seven
Lydia
It hurt to breathe. It hurt to blink.
I was too scared to open my eyes in case Freddy was waiting for me to wake up.
I shifted my hips and sucked in a breath; that really, really did not feel good.
I started to test my body, hips were good, so were my legs, feet, toes. My whole torso was throbbing – probably not a good sign. I wiggled my fingers, or I tried to, something had my hand held in a vice grip and my eyes shot open.
Why would Freddy be holding my hand?
I looked at the face of the person lying next to me.
“Am I dreaming? Am I dead?” I asked out loud.
He stirred, but didn’t wake.
I sighed. “I like this dream.”
Ruben Brent - or what I imagined an adult Ruben would look like. It surprised me actually, that this dream vision of him seemed to be a hundred times better than any I’d had before.
Damn, I hadn’t seen him in years. That dusty part of my heart that I had ignored for years, started beating again.
Oh, he wasn’t the same scrawny little boy I knew, that was for sure.
He had filled out nicely, his black t-shirt was stretched taut over his chest and the muscles in arms bulged, even in his sleep. His hair was slightly longer, long enough for me to be able to run my fingers through it but still dirty blonde and beautiful. A lock had fallen across his forehead, I wanted to stroke it away from his face.
My fingers twitched.
I was itching to reach out and touch him. Then I realised that it was my dream, I could do whatever I wanted.
I tried to pull my hand from his, but he wouldn’t let go. I pulled harder and his grip finally loosened.
Running one finger across his temple, I moved the hair from his forehead and carried on down his face to line his jaw. His high cheekbones and flawless complexion made him model-beautiful. I touched his full bottom lip, wondering what it would feel like to kiss it.
He was just so handsome. He’d be twenty, I thought. Stuck somewhere between male adolescence and real adulthood, but even in his sleep he had a face that dared you to call him a child. There was nothing childlike about him, no, this guy was all man.
I let my fingers trail down his chest and almost giggled out loud when his nipples rose under my touch. I really, really liked this dream. I spread out my fingers and ran my whole hand across the plains of his abdominal muscles, biting my bottom lip when I felt the ridges and how defined he was. He shifted and groaned so I froze, his muscles tensed under my palms.
Definitely not a scrawny little boy any more.
“Are you finished exploring?” His deep, sleepy voice asked.
I looked into his eyes, dancing with humour. He shouldn’t be laughing at me in my dream.
“Hello Squirt.”
Oh my God.
Oh my God!
I stiffened and looked around the room. Not a dream, not even slightly a dream.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.
He frowned, probably wondering why I was short with him.
“Rescuing your ass.” He answered, before sitting up from the bed and getting to his feet.
I was frozen in place, not that I could move because of the pain, but my brain and body did not seem to be in sync with each other. He stood above me and stroked my face, making me flinch away from his touch. His hand drew into a fist and he moved it back to his side.
“How are your ribs?”
I knew they were sore, but I prodded them with my fingers to see how bad and I cried out in pain.
“Hey! Are you insane? Don’t do that!” He yelled, sounding panicked.
I spoke through my tears, “Not broken, but really fucking bruised.”
His eyes narrowed, “How do you know they’re not broken?”
“Because life isn’t all sunshine and flowers, Ruben. I’ve long learnt the difference between a break and a bruise. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Thanks for saving me, however you did that, but you can go now.”
I didn’t want his help. He’d left me and that had been the catalyst for everything that had happened. I didn’t need him coming into my life when I was at my lowest and playing the hero.
“And how do you think you’re going to be fine with no money, nowhere to live and no one to lean on?”
“I can...I have...I don’t know! Ok? I don’t know, but I’ll manage, I always do.”
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“No.”
“What do you mean no? You can’t tell me what I am or aren’t doing, Ruben. I don’t even know you anymore.”
*~*~*
Ruben
Ouch. That kind of hurt.
She was right, but she was also wrong. I might not be the same person as I was back then, but with her, I’d never change.
I was still fighting an internal battle between guilt and anger. I didn’t forget her, I never could, but I did switch off my brain to those memories. They were too entwined with the life I tried to forget and it was just painful to think of them.
I opened and closed my fists over and over again. I wasn’t thinking it was going to be easy, but I didn’t think she’d outright refuse my help.
“Right, so how about this...you let me help you get set up on your own, then I’ll go my way and leave you to it.”