by Sarah Dosher
She elbowed me in the side. “That’s kinda disgusting to hear. You know that, right?”
“I know. But it also explains a lot, don’t you think?” She looked at me, totally confused. “You’re just too focused on the grossness factor to understand. It really explains why your dad doesn’t want you around me. I’m another Haven boy trying to steal a female that belongs to him. I thought it made perfect sense when York explained it.”
Her eyes grew big and her mouth hung open. “Oh my gosh, that does make total sense. When you came back to town he immediately made me swear I’d stay away from you. And the closer we got, the angrier and more delusional he became.”
“I know. That’s exactly what I thought, too.”
She stared off into the distance for several minutes, probably thinking and rethinking everything that had happened since I’d come back to town. I didn’t want her to reach the same conclusion that I had - that she was better off before I came back to town. My presence only made things worse for her.
“Don’t stress about it. There isn’t anything we can do about that. That’s all history and we have each other now.” She placed her lips on mine and slowly moved her tongue along my bottom lip, tracing the edge. Her hands gripped my shirt, pulling me against her. She raggedly released a breath that only made me want to take things further, but I knew we didn’t have time for that now.
“You really gotta get home soon. If your dad is gone, you need to get home before him. You know, maybe I should just go over there with you and make sure he isn’t there. Adley isn’t even home yet. I can call her and tell her not to come home until she’s heard from me. I won’t stay, I’ll just make sure that you get into your room safely.”
She moved away from me. “Dean, no, that’s not necessary. I’m sure he isn’t even home. It’s barely after nine. He wouldn’t dream of leaving the bar this early. Plus, I’m not ready to leave just yet.” She took my hand and led me into the house, to the living room couch. I could tell by the look in her eyes what she had planned. “I thought we’d see what else we could find to do before I have to go home.”
Even though every fiber of my being wanted her body, I put a halt to it before we got too far. “Lily, I really don’t want you getting home late. Unless you’re going to stay here tonight, and every night after, please don’t start something we don’t have time to finish.”
She pulled back and looked up at me with a smile. “Why Dean Haven, are you telling me no?”
I nodded my head and laughed. “Yeah, I guess I am. You better make note of this because it will never happen again.”
“Fine, then just sit down and I’ll leave soon.”
She sat on one end of the couch and patted her lap for me to lay my head down. I really hoped she planned to rub my head like she used to. It’s probably the first thing I remember about Lily, running her long fingers across my head and through my hair. I quickly laid down, smiling from ear to ear. She shook her head and giggled at me. As soon as my head touched her lap, I felt hands in my hair.
It felt like heaven.
I thought about trying to convince her again to stay, but I decided there really wasn’t a reason to fight with her. Ever since she was a little girl you could always tell when her mind was set. She’d squint her eyes and ball up her fist, ready to fight for what she wanted. That’s the exact look she had this morning and this afternoon when she declared she was now going to do things her way, so I knew no matter what I said or what I did, she’d stand her ground. That’s when I decided to let Lily have her way, but to also do things my way. Before we left the karate studio, I convinced Adley to stay the night at Derek’s house and I’d give Lily an hour to get home and in bed before I snuck into her room. She might have had her mind set on doing things her way, but I was stubborn too and my mind was set on keeping her safe.
The blowing of a train whistle woke me.
It took me a few minutes to figure out I was still on the couch. Where was Lily? I looked at the clock; it was almost midnight. I must have fallen asleep. That was probably her plan so I wouldn’t try to make her change her mind. She was smart, I’d give her that much, but I wasn’t giving up so easy. I found the keys to my truck and headed out the door.
When I pulled into Lily’s driveway, I turned my headlights off. The moon was bright enough that I could see her dad’s truck wasn’t home yet. I pulled around to the side of the house. Her car was exactly where it was always parked. I got out of my truck and immediately felt like something was wrong. I rushed to the door and saw that it wasn’t latched so I pushed it open and found that her room was completely destroyed. Her dresser was turned over on the floor, her mattress was pushed across the room, and all her pictures were ripped down. The door that lead into the rest of the house was completely cut in two, like someone had cut it with an axe. I ran screaming her name through the house, but there was nothing.
She was gone.
I was having that nightmare again. I was lying in the dirt, surrounded by thick ivy. Blood and dirt were coating my mouth. I struggled to wake up; why couldn’t I wake up? My head was pounding and I felt cold and sluggish. There was a sharp pain in the back of my head that shot down my neck. I tried to move, but my arms were stuck behind my back. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself by breathing deeply. Three deep breaths, in through my nose and out through my mouth. I finally felt a calm feeling spread through my body.
I was having a hard time focusing, everything was blurry. I turned my head to the side and saw the moon directly above me. It was a perfectly round moon with a huge halo around it. I could slowly see the stars appearing as my vision was clearing. I focused on what was around me. I was completely surrounded by dirt and thick branches, or maybe they were tree roots. They were long and thick, covering the walls and floor where I laid. I tried again to move my arms, but could feel something tied around my wrists. I was able to swing my legs around; they were tied together with a thick rope.
The last thing I remembered was going home from Violet’s. I pulled into the driveway and stopped to look for my dad’s truck, but didn’t see it anywhere. I got out of my car and saw Red sitting on his perch by my door. He started flapping his wings and shrieking at me. The closer I got to the door, the more frantic he got. I saw that the door was slightly open and my heart stopped beating. That was when I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head and fell to the ground as I watched Red flying towards the moon.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” I yelled. I knew who would answer me, if anyone answered me.
“Aww, sleeping beauty finally wakes up. Too bad you don’t have Prince Charming here to protect you,” I heard my father yell back in a calm steady voice.
“Surprise, surprise…it’s you that tied me up and threw me into a hole in the ground.” I knew I should be scared right now. I mean, this was beyond crazy, even for him. But that was the furthest from what I was feeling right now. I was pissed!
I heard him growl in frustration. “Even when you’ve been beat, you’re still going to be smart with me? That boy really has done a number on you. Those Havens are poison.”
“This has nothing to do with Dean! Leave him out of it!” I pulled against the rope holding my wrist and felt it give slightly. I thought that if I kept at it I could get loose.
“This has everything to do with those Havens. They think they can just come in and take everything that belongs to me! Well, they’re wrong. I’m done letting them ruin my life.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve lost it. You hit me over the head, tied me up, and threw me down a hole because you don’t want me to be with Dean? Would you seriously listen to yourself? You haven’t cared about anything I’ve done my entire life, why are you going to start know?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Liliana. This has never been about you. You’ve just been in the way since the day you were born.”
“Oh, well that’s heartwarming,” I muttered under my breath.
“This has always been abo
ut revenge. Everyone thinks they can take away what’s mine, but they’re wrong. I’ve been sitting by, watching them do to you what they tried to do to Julie, and I won’t let it happen any longer. I finally decided to take care of it.”
“Are you talking about Mom and Dean’s dad? I wasn’t even born when that happened. What does that have to do with me?”
“Yes, I’m talking about John. Julie was mine from the time we were children and he thought he could take her away from me. Luckily, they were both easy to trick into believing whatever I wanted them to.”
“What are you talking about? Mom wanted to be with John and you tricked her?”
“Damn right I tricked her. Made her think he was messing around with anything wearing a skirt and he was wild enough that she easily believed me. Didn’t take much for me to win her over after that, but I almost lost her when she went and got herself pregnant by John. He’d already screwed everything up by then, so even being pregnant with Easton didn’t make her stay with him. He’d also gotten Dean’s momma pregnant at the same damn time. Julie practically begged me to marry her after she found out about that and she actually thought I was doing her a favor by hiding her bastard child. John was dead by the time you were conceived, so lucky for you and Dean we know you’re this Daddy’s little girl.” His manic laugh sent chills up my spine.
“Easton? They’re brothers?”
“Yes, Easton. You never wondered why he and Dean looked so much alike? Well luckily no one else did, either. I’ve spent over 25 years dealing with those Havens trying to sabotage my life. I sat by and let Violet try to steal you away since she didn’t have Easton anymore, but the day Dean came back with his eyes set on you I knew I had to finish it. He’s going to regret ever coming back to this town.” I heard the door of his truck slam and the engine start.
“Wait, where are you going? Leave Dean out of this! Stop!”
But it was too late. The sound of the truck grew faint as it pulled away.
I fought against the restraint on my wrists. I could feel it getting looser, but only by a fraction, and it dug deeper and deeper into my flesh. I twisted and pulled as the rope bit and ripped at my skin. I started pulling my legs apart, trying to break free from the rope around my ankles, but the pain was even worse. I had to get them off of me and find a way to save Dean.
I couldn’t catch my breath and felt myself panicking. My ears were ringing and my heart was racing. I felt myself shaking as tears clouded my vision. This wasn’t real. I was dreaming again and Dean would wake me any minute. I felt myself drifting…
A loud shrieking rang in my ears.
I pulled my head away, but heard a familiar swooshing sound. I opened my eyes and was face to face with Red. I looked around and remembered I was still tied up in the dirt hole. Red was on one of the large roots sticking out of the side of the hole. It was brighter now and the sky was pale blue so I knew it was morning. I nodded my head at Red and he flew up out of the hole, landing on a tree branch where I could just barely see him.
I rolled onto my back and slowly sat up, waiting for the pounding in my head to return. The pain came rushing back and I had to close my eyes to keep from falling back over. I thought back to what my father had said. Easton and Dean were brothers. I had to get out of here before he came back…if he came back.
I waited several minutes before I tried to open my eyes again. It was still relatively dark in this hole, but what little light was shining seemed to pierce my eyes. I squinted and tried to focus on the rope again. I could feel that it was loosening. I pulled against it with everything I had left in me. I let out a loud scream as pain shot from my wrist and from the back of my head, but this time I was able to wiggle my right hand free, then my left. Blood was streaming from my torn flesh. I knew there would be scars, but I’d have to survive in order to care about the scars it left behind. With my hands free, I was able to untie the rope around my feet. I was free now, but had no idea how I was going to be able to climb out. I didn’t want to start screaming in case my father came back and stopped me.
I stood, leaning against the wall for support. I grabbed the largest root I could find sticking out of the wall and tried to pull myself up the wall. I discovered quickly that plan wasn’t going to work. The roots were strong enough to hold me, but I didn’t think my body was able to make the climb. I thought back to that ditch over four years ago. I was weak and could barely cling to the weeds waiting for someone to rescue me. They finally came, but not in time to save those I loved. I refused to be that helpless girl again. I would get out of this hole if it killed me.
I stepped back to get a better look at the walls. One side was completely covered with roots that were long and thick. That was the only option. I grabbed a root and pushed off with my foot. I was barely able to pull myself up. The roots were thick enough for me to lean into them and rest. I could feel the blood as it pounded in my head and made me dizzy, but I knew I had no time to stand here mid-air, holding tight to a tree root and waiting to pass out. I thought of Dean and used the strength he gave me to pull myself up to the next root. I was getting close. Only a couple more pulls and I’d be at the top. I gripped the edge and could feel grass. With every last ounce of strength I had left, I climbed over the side of the hole and dragged myself to a nearby tree.
The sun was bright so I used my arm to shield my eyes. I was breathing heavy and I started to feel nauseous. I tried to look around, but my head didn’t want to cooperate and my neck was stiff. I couldn’t see anything but grass and the trunk of a huge tree that helped block out the sun. I heard footsteps crunching the grass next to me.
“Well maybe you’re stronger then I give you credit for. I never imagined you’d be able to climb out, especially after that nasty wound on the back of your head. Violet didn’t even move again after I hit her, but you seem to be more of a fighter than I imagined.”
“I should have known you had something to do with what happened to Violet.” My words came out slurred.
“Yeah, I thought that bit of information might take a little wind out of your sails. I’ve been waiting for the exact right moment to tell you, and I think this is the perfect time.”
“Why? Why would you kill Violet?”
“She couldn’t stay out of my business. She wanted you to be a part of her family so badly that she was doing everything possible to have you taken away from me. I finally informed her that she’d already been near her other grandson for years before he got himself killed in that tornado. Of course, that was right before I hit her over the head with this exact tire iron right here.” He waved the tire iron back and forth in front of my face. “I think it’s kind of poetic that you and your boyfriend are gonna die by the same instrument that she did.”
“Don’t you touch Dean!” I yelled, but quickly grabbed the sides of my head to try and stop the sharp pain it caused.
“If I had my way, he’d already be dead. But he’s out with the Sheriff right now looking for you, so that part of my plan didn’t work out very well. Good thing I hid you out here in the middle of nowhere - they’ll never find you and eventually they’ll give up. His time will come, just like yours has.”
He pulled me by my ankle away from the tree. I screamed when the sun hit my eyes and I squeezed them shut as hard as I could. I was digging my fingernails into the ground, trying to find something to hold on to. He finally stopped and dropped my leg back to the ground.
“Well, Lily, it’s been a fun ride, but I think it’s time for you to leave now. Tell your mother I said hello.” He laughed loudly.
I felt dirt beneath my hands; I picked up a handful and threw it in the direction of his voice. I didn’t wait to see if I’d hit my target. I scrambled backwards while trying to get to my feet. I heard my father yell and felt the tire iron hit my legs, knocking me back to the ground. I opened my eyes and the sun wasn’t as bright.
I saw my father as he rubbed one of his eyes. He had the tire iron in his other hand so I scrambled back toward him
and gripped the wrist of his hand holding the tire iron. I shoved the heel of my other hand into his face and aimed directly for his nose. He dropped the tire iron and placed both hands over his nose. I snatched the tire iron from near his feet and backed away quickly.
He sourly laughed. “You’ve been learning. I bet that boyfriend of yours has been teaching you lots of things. Are you a whore like your momma was?”
“Stay away from me! I’ve learned some things and I will defend myself. Just get in your truck and leave.” I could barely stand and didn’t know if I’d be able to hit him again.
The wind was picking up and rain was starting to fall. The cold rain felt good on my skin, but the water was making it harder to hold onto the tire iron since my strength was fading. I saw Red fly close behind my father’s head. He flew over to a nearby rock and landed. My father used my distraction as an opportunity to try and take the tire iron from my hand, but he missed and was holding my hand instead. I knew exactly what to do. I leaned away from him, lifted my foot up and brought it down on the side of his knee. He started to fall to the ground and I was able to pull away from him. He barely hit the ground before he lunged at me and I swung the tire iron, connecting with the side of his head. His momentum carried him right into me, sending me flying backwards.
My vision was going black, but I saw my father’s limp body lying on the ground barely inches away from me as the blood poured from the side of his head. It was the first time in years that I felt safe. Red landed on my chest. I could see him squawking at me, but all I could hear was a whooshing sound.
I felt rain falling on my skin and I heard thunder echoing. I tried to open my eyes, but a thick sheet of rain blinded me. I heard a loud ringing in my ears, like a siren. Red was seeking shelter under the branches of a nearby tree, so I crawled toward him and he flew down to land next to me. We sat still for several minutes, just staring at each other. He finally spread his wings and flew into the sky. He hovered overhead, then started moving off into the distance. I crawled after him, away from my father’s lifeless body.