by Amber Garza
“Hey, I helped make it. I’ll help clean it up.” His fingers swiped my neck, his eyes roving over my paint-smeared skin. “Sorry. I guess I may have gone a little overboard.”
“No. It’s fine. Like you said, I started it.” I grinned. “Besides, I like that you make me laugh. It’s not something I’ve done a lot of in the last fifteen years, and it sort of feels good.”
TWENTY-TWO
Carter didn’t live that far from my house. It seemed odd that we’d never crossed paths until I remembered that I never went anywhere. Hard to cross paths with someone when you spend all your time on your own property. It’s not like I’d run into him leaving the guesthouse or sitting on the back porch.
Sometimes I found it overwhelming to think that there was a whole world outside of my parents’ house. A world I’d never seen.
For the first time in years, I was curious, and the world outside my front door didn’t seem as scary.
His house was small, painted blue with white trim. Like most of the homes in Red Blossom it sat back from the road, at the end of a long gravel driveway. I could see what he meant about the flowers. He had several lining his front porch, a few around the edges of the yard. None of them were planted in the correct spot. The ones that needed shade were in the sun, and vice versa. I chuckled as I stepped from the vehicle and made my way over to the saddest of all the plants. The minute my fingers touched the dying petals, they fluttered to the ground.
“I see what you mean. These really are sad.”
Carter came up behind me, circling his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. “I have a little confession.” His breath tickled my neck. “I didn’t actually bring you here to look at my flowers. I sort of lied.” His lips met my skin briefly. “What I wanted was a little time alone with you.”
I whipped around to face him. “You lied? To get me alone?”
“You don’t have to look so panicked.” He smiled, reaching for me. “It’s nothing sinister, I can assure you. It’s not like I lured you here to get you in my bed.” He paused, assessing me. “Unless you want to get in my bed, and then, of course, I won’t stop you. I’m all about woman’s rights.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “I hate to rain on your parade, but I won’t be getting in your bed today.”
Carter stepped forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I know, Aspen. I was only teasing you.” He looked at me. “You trust me, right?”
I nodded.
“Great, because what I really wanted was some time with you away from your parents. And I thought a change of scenery would be good for both of us.” He turned, offering me his arm. “What do you say? Want to see where the magic happens?”
“The magic happens? Are we still talking about your bedroom?” I raised my brows skeptically.
“Get your mind out of the gutter.” He nudged me in the side. “I meant where I edit my photography.”
“Ah, that magic.” I linked my arm in his.
“We’ll get to the other magic another time.” He winked before guiding me forward.
A tiny laugh bubbled from my throat. Leave it to Carter to get one last joke in. But truthfully, I was getting used to his jokes. In fact, I was starting to enjoy them. It was nice to laugh, to banter, to be carefree. It was one more thing Carter had helped me steal back.
The inside of his house was spectacular. Large framed photographs lined the walls. Pictures of flowers, trees, the ocean. They were so lifelike that as I stared into them I felt like I’d traveled to that location.
“Did you take all of these?” I asked, staring at one of the beach.
“Yeah.” He draped his arm over my shoulders. “They were some of my favorite places that I visited, so I decided to bring them home with me.”
“I get that,” I said, thinking about how I live in my backyard in a guesthouse made primarily of windows.
“I knew you would.” He kissed my cheek. “Want a tour of the rest of the house?”
“As long as this tour isn’t a ploy to get me in your bedroom, I’m up for it.”
“You know me so well.” He grinned. “Kidding. I’ll be a perfect gentlemen.”
I smiled, knowing he would be. He loved to tease, but I didn’t feel threatened by him at all. I’d known I could trust him from the first day we met. Carter’s house wasn’t very big, so it didn’t take long for us to make our way through his kitchen, dining room, family room, bathroom, bedroom and office.
There were more framed photographs in his office, a bookshelf containing tons of magazines, as well as a few books on photography. A desk was nestled in the corner with a keyboard and large computer monitor sitting on top.
He pointed to it. “That’s where the magic happens.”
I moved toward it. There were a few glossy pictures sitting on top of the desk that caught my eye. I picked one up. The shot was of a woman’s profile. She had dark hair and piercing eyes; eyes that told a story. There was a quiet strength in her expression that sent a chill down my spine. I’d never met her, and yet I felt a kinship with her.
“That’s Jade.” Carter came up behind me. “She’s your neighbor, actually. Lives in the house with the barn.”
I thought about what Mom had said about them. “Oh, the girl who lives with the writer?”
“She’s a writer too. Has her first book coming out soon. She hired me to take her author photo.”
“It must be so amazing to do what you love for a living.” I dropped the picture on the desk. “But you know all about that. Clearly you’re doing what you were born to do.”
“What about you?” Carter’s arms wrapped around my middle, holding me flush against him, my back pressed to his chest. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. I never thought about it, I guess. When I was younger I wanted to be free. Then when I got free I just wanted to stay free. I suppose I’ve never thought beyond that.”
“Maybe it’s time you do.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I squirmed in his arms, not wanting to have this serious discussion anymore. I was at Carter’s house for the first time, and I wanted to enjoy myself. For one night I didn’t want to think about anything except for having fun.
“Hungry?” Carter asked, clearly sensing my mood.
“Very.”
“I’ll have you know that I’m a very talented chef.”
“Really?” I turned to him, my brows raised in surprise.
“No, not really. But I do know how to follow a recipe.” He smiled, sweeping his arms in front of him. “Shall we?”
Nodding, I glanced down at his desk, my gaze catching on the photos of Jade once again. She seemed to watch me as I walked past. But that’s not what stopped me. It was the picture underneath that one. I only caught the edge of it – the splash of hair, a pale cheek, one eye – but there was no mistaking who it was. I’d recognize her anywhere. My heart stopped. Why did he have a picture of her? It didn’t make any sense.
“Aspen?” Carter turned to me. “You coming?”
I wanted to reach forward and snatch the picture, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Besides, I could be wrong. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. Yes, that had to be it. There was no way Carter had a picture of her in his office. It was impossible.
“Yeah. I’m coming,” I mumbled, moving away from the desk. With my head down, I trailed behind Carter down the hallway and into the kitchen. But no matter how far I went from the office, I couldn’t get that picture out of my mind.
It haunted me the rest of the night. I thought about it all through dinner. I even thought about it after dinner when Carter and I sat on the couch and made out. Despite my best efforts, Carter could sense my distraction. He kept asking if everything was okay, and I kept lying and saying it was. But it wasn’t. I had to get back into his office and find out if I was right.
Finally, I had my chance.
Carter went to use the bathroom. I knew I’d be cutting it close,
but I had to do it. If not, I would always wonder. I’d never be able to get that picture out of my mind.
As I raced into the office, keeping my ears perked, I prayed that I was wrong. I hurried to the desk, pushing the pictures of Jade out of the way. My stomach dropped when my gaze connected with the picture underneath.
With a shaky hand, I picked it up. It trembled in my fingers.
The toilet flushed. My pulse quickened. I had to get out of here.
I hesitated a moment, knowing I couldn’t leave the picture behind. My fingers were slick with sweat, and my heart pounded in my chest. Swiftly I folded the picture and shoved it into the pocket of my shorts. Then I scurried down the hallway. The door to the bathroom popped open the minute I reached it.
Carter gave me a funny look, as if he wasn’t expecting me to be standing outside the bathroom when he emerged. Which I was sure he wasn’t. I wasn’t expecting to be here either.
Play it cool, Aspen.
“My turn,” I said with a calm smile, careful not to arouse suspicion.
“Oh. Of course.” He stepped aside, and I slid into the bathroom.
Once inside I took a deep breath and yanked the picture out and stared at it. Eve’s face stared back at me.
“Do you think we’ll ever see each other when we get out of here?” Eve asked me one night as we lay in bed. She was obsessed with the idea that one day we’d be free. I’d given up on the notion, but she talked about it nonstop. I didn’t mind. It gave me hope that she still believed it was possible.
“Of course.” I threaded my fingers through hers “We’re sisters. No one’s going to separate us.”
“I hope not.” Her voice took on an ominous tone that worried me.
“They won’t,” I responded firmly, squeezing her cold fingers.
“I think I’d like to go home,” I said when I exited the bathroom.
Carter glanced at me from where he sat on the couch, his brows knit together. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just not feeling so good.”
“Oh, no. I hope it wasn’t the chicken.” His eyes widened.
“I’ve been feeling a little off all day. It’s probably just a bug.”
“That makes sense. I thought you were acting strange.” Standing up, he snatched up his keys. “I’ll take you right now.”
“Thanks.” I couldn’t meet his eyes, not with the secret I was carrying in my pocket, and not knowing that he had a picture of Eve in his office. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to look him in the eyes again.
TWENTY-THREE
Carter wouldn’t stop calling.
No matter how many times I refused to talk to him.
“Aspen, you’re going to have to talk to him at some point,” Dad said.
It was morning and I was watering my flowers in the front yard. “No, I don’t.” I sprayed the roses, watching water bead on their petals. There was no way I could talk to Carter right now. It would be too hard. This whole time I believed he was falling for me. That we had a real connection. But if he knew Eve, then there was more to his story. At the very least he hadn’t been honest with me, and that was something I couldn’t get past. He knew how hard it was for me to open up, to trust someone after everything that had happened. And yet he’d violated that trust by keeping vital information from me.
“Want to tell me what happened?”
I shook my head.
“Honey.” Dad placed a hand on my arm. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Nothing.” I swept my arm over to the next bush. The wind caused water to fly back in my face. It misted over my skin, but it felt good. It was already warming up good today.
“Mom told me about your conversation with her.”
I glanced over. Dad was in his usual Saturday outfit – sweatpants and a t-shirt. “Aren’t you hot?”
He smirked. “Don’t change the subject.”
“That’s right. Old people are always cold,” I teased.
“Very funny.” He jabbed me lightheartedly in the shoulder.
I giggled.
“I’m serious, Aspen. I’m concerned with your behavior. You won’t talk to your mom. You refuse to take Carter’s calls.”
I turned off the water. “I have a lot on my mind right now.”
“Share it with me. Maybe I can help.”
“I don’t think you can.” I smiled sadly. “I think this time I have to figure it out on my own.”
“Have you read the article yet?”
My stomach knotted. The article had come out a couple of days ago on their online magazine, but I couldn’t bring myself to read it. Mom had approved the article, so I’d never even read it. And I had no desire to do it now. Besides, I didn’t know what pictures they would display. What if they showed a photograph of Kurt? I’d read other articles about girls that were kidnapped and they always had at least one section of the article devoted to the kidnapper. I didn’t think I could stand it.
“No.”
“I think you should. Maybe it will give you some clarity.”
“There’s nothing in the article that will give me clarity, Dad. It’s all based on interviews with me. I know everything I said.”
“Just read it. You might be surprised.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t want to be surprised.” I carried the hose to the side of the house and started rolling it up.
Dad followed me, his feet crunching on the twigs and grass. “Okay. Just know that I’m here if you need me.”
I leaned into him, and his arm rested on my back. “I know, Dad. And I appreciate it.”
I sat on my bed spreading out the picture of Eve in front of me. White lines ran along her face from where I’d folded it. I smoothed out the kinks with my palm, pulling it tight in an attempt to make it flat. But it still curled at the edges, puckered in the middle. Her bright eyes stared up at me, serious, yet with a mischievous glow. Her smile held a hint of mystery. I ran my fingertips over her face, over her pale cheeks and long eyelashes.
Longing filled me, sinking into the pit of my stomach. I missed her. And as I stared at her picture, extreme sadness descended on me.
“Eve?” I whispered her name in the dark. My hands felt around the bed, reaching for her, but she was gone. The bed was empty. Panic gripped me. “Eve?” I slid across the bed, and it creaked beneath me. Holding my breath, I froze, mentally chastising myself for moving too quickly. I listened for sounds – footfalls in the hallway, doors opening. When I was satisfied that I hadn’t woken him, I inched forward, slipping off the bed.
“Eve?”
“Yes?”
Relief flooded me at the sound of her voice. “Where are you?” It was dark. Too dark. I could barely see my hand in front of my face. I waited until my eyes adjusted a little and then stepped forward.
She was curled in a fetal position in front of the window. I bent down, my knees quietly hitting the carpet. “What are you doing?”
She didn’t answer, so I reached out and touched her face. As I suspected, her cheeks were wet.
“Sometimes I wish he’d just kill me,” she whispered.
“No.” I gripped her shoulders. “Don’t say that.”
“I don’t want to be here anymore, Aspen.”
“But what about escaping?”
She snorted. “I wish.”
My insides twisted. Wasn’t she the one who believed we would one day get out of here? She couldn’t give up now. Then I’d have no hope left.
It was time for me to be strong for her. “We will, Eve. We just need to come up with a plan.”
“I’m too tired.”
“Okay. We’ll do it in the morning.”
“No. I mean, I’m too tired of all of this.”
Dread filled me. “What happened?” I tried to move into the light, to see her face. Had he beat her again? I hadn’t heard him come in tonight. A tiny sliver of light shone in through the window. That’s when I saw that her pants were wet, her shirt ripped.
“Oh my god.” I smothered my mouth with my hand. “Did he-”
“Stop. I don’t want to talk about it.”
I shut my mouth, determination filling me. “I’ll help you get out of here, Eve. I promise.”
“How will you do that?” There was no life in her voice any longer. Only death.
“I don’t know, but I’ll come up with a plan if it’s the last thing I do.” I couldn’t let this go on any longer. There had to be a way out of here, and for Eve’s sake I had to find it. This wasn’t about me any longer. There were two lives at stake. I couldn’t keep being a coward. I had to take a stand. To do what was right.
“I wish my family would find me,” Eve said suddenly. “Then they’d kill that bastard. Kill him with their bare hands.”
TWENTY-FOUR
That was it.
I knew why Carter had Eve’s picture in his house. Why hadn’t I figured it out before? She was his sister. That had to be it. Eve didn’t talk about her family much but when she did it was with fierceness and love. I pictured the flash in Carter’s eyes, the strength of his hand when it folded over mine, the intensity behind his words. It was so similar to how brave and strong Eve was. No doubt he would have saved Eve if he knew where she was.
He would have saved us both.
Shame filled me with this new revelation. I never should have pushed him away. Why had I done that? I should have asked him about the picture. Given him a chance to explain. Perhaps there was no ulterior motive.
But I was scared, plain and simple. And fear had always been my worst enemy.
I needed to talk to Carter, find out why he hadn’t told me about Eve sooner. Give him the chance to tell me the whole story. I had made assumptions about Mom, and they were wrong. Very wrong. Maybe I was doing the same thing with Carter. I wouldn’t know if I didn’t talk to him.
As much as I hated confrontation, I knew what I had to do. Tucking the photograph into my pocket, I hurried out of the guesthouse. My feet glided across the yard and up the back porch steps. The slats on the back patio creaked with each step as I made my way to the back door. It was cool in the house, the air conditioner running at full blast. It’s how Mom liked it. She never opened windows. That kicked up her allergies.