Little Red (3 page)

“My sister and I came here years ago.

I just kept coming back after she...”

“I’m so sorry,” I say again, not meaning to bring her up

“It’s alright,” he tells me.

“You look a lot like her.

She was so beautiful and charismatic and graceful; tough, but at the same time feminine.”

I feel my cheeks flush with color.

“Thank you.”

“She was my twin,” he says finally

My eyes grow large as I begin to stare hard into him.

I can’t imagine losing a sibling, let alone a twin

“She was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he explains, a crackle in his voice
popping out momentarily.

“Bad group of guys.”

I suddenly feel where the story is going, and it comes to me how she met her end.

Her end had not been peaceful.

I feel myself sinking into the old worn couch, staring at Ethan with sad, teary eyes

“She was sixteen.
We
were sixteen.” He laughs.

“God, when you’re sixteen you don’t think anything bad will happen, let alone here.”
He shakes his head.

“Not a town like this; not Greensburg.”

It’s apparent Ethan just isn’t a man who talks about his feelings.

Suddenly, my heart begins to ache for him.

His silvery eyes wash over with what I can only guess are tears

“We didn’t think anything of her walking to the store.

Who does in a town like this?” he asks, shaking his head.

“There were eight of us, you know? One girl who had seven brothers.

How could it happen? We were always watching her.

We were always checking on her.” He looks down at his feet, and I feel my lip quiver.

“She was only supposed to go get a carton of milk.

Our mother needed it for baking.

Elise begged us.” His eyes meet mine again.

“She begged us to let her go alone.” He looks at me as though I’m supposed to say
something, but my mind feels lost and empty and I can barely manage to look him in
the eyes.

“After a while, we just knew.

We knew something wasn’t right.” I hear his voice crackle again.

“My brothers went after her.

Elise and I were the youngest at sixteen, but I trailed after them anyway.” His eyes
flit away from mine as he stares at the ceiling.

“We got there just before her last scream.” I knew it was coming, but for some reason
as the words trailed past his lips, my heart shattered for him.

I look away from him and suddenly feel a few tears slide down my cheeks.

“My brother, Colt, gave me a hard push, screaming for me to go get help.

I remember, I fell back and I caught a glimpse of two men over my sister.” I glance
at him from the corner of my eyes and see his head drop.

“My brothers went insane.

They ran and grabbed the men who were just passing through.

The men didn’t stand a chance.”

I open my mouth, trying to find the right words.

Something kind to say, but the words “I’m sorry” just don’t seem good enough.

Before I can think, before I can stop what I’m about to do, I open my mouth to say
something I never tell anyone.

“My mother killed my father.” His head snaps up and his eyes lock with mine.

I feel as though I can’t stop now; I have to keep going.

He opened up; I have to do the same.

“He abused me my entire life.

My mother fought him constantly.

We tried running, but it was useless.

He always found us.” I swallow and pretend to scratch at my eyes.

“One night he beat me pretty badly.

I don’t remember too much.

I can remember him grabbing my ponytail and my head slamming into a wall.

I was told that was all my mother could take.

She went into a rage.

She just couldn’t bear him doing that to her child.” I look down.

“She killed him.”

Ethan is quiet and attentive as I feel his eyes on me.

“She ended up going to jail.

I was just fourteen and had no other family to speak of.

So, of course, I went right into the custody of the state.

One crappy foster home after another.” I give my head a shake.

“They said she could appeal, said she stood a chance at getting out and getting me
back.

They had all her filed police reports against my father.

But, before she could, she was stabbed and killed in prison.” I hear an unrecognizable
noise come from Ethan.

I look up at him and his silver eyes seem to want to comfort me.

I watch as he walks slowly to the couch and sinks in next to me.

“I haven’t had a real home before in my life, usually the next was as bad as the last.

Beatings, not feeling like I belonged, and when I became too much of a ‘problem’ or
‘too expensive’ I was sent somewhere else.” I rest my head in my hands a moment.

“For four years, I was miserable.

Until I was eighteen, and I met Josh.” I laugh.

“Josh Darren, the rich boy in town.

Daddy’s a judge; mommy’s a lawyer.

That had to mean a good life for poor ole Sam.” I look into his eyes again.

“That’s when he began controlling every move I made.

Everything I did was wrong.

That’s when the beatings started.

I had this friend, my only friend really; he fixed up old bikes and paid me to help
him.

It was my only job, but he paid me well enough.

After six years of hell, I just got tired of it.

I begged him for a bike and took off.” He stares at me blankly for a moment.

Who could think of anything to say after hearing that? I give my lips a lick and sigh.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have.” He shakes his head and I suddenly feel his hand on
my cheek in a way that I’ve never felt.

It’s soft, warm, and comforting.

I feel my heart beat speed up as I stare at him.

I fight off both tears and bad memories.

I blink my eyes quickly as I feel one of his fingertips brush softly over my skin.

I yank my body back and off the couch.

I try to speak, try to explain myself, but I can barely move.

Ethan lets out a breath as I find myself stumbling backward

“I won’t hurt you,” he says again

I feel my lip quiver as I urge myself to speak

“You’re safe here.”

“I can’t believe I just told you that,” I manage, choking back a few of my tears

“I told you about my sister,” he says.

“And you listened.”

I nod.

“I did.”

“And, I listened to you.”

I look down.

“I’ve just never told anyone all of that.

It’s my little secret, you know?”

“Something tells me that’s the condensed version,” he says

“And, the same for yours,” I say softly

He gives me a little nod

“Josh will find me here,” I say.

“It’s just a matter of time.”

His eyes grow wide as it settles on him.

He knows I’m right

“I really don’t want to cause you any trouble here,” I say, pushing my hair back from
my eyes.

“If you could just get me to a gas station and I could get some gas for my bike, I
could head out.”

“I,” he pauses.

“I can’t.”

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t just let you walk out that door, knowing some lunatic is right behind you,”
he says.

“You’ll stay here.”

“You’re going to protect someone that you don’t even know?” I ask, looking at him
both confused and a little thankful

“I know enough,” he tells me

I run my hands down my face.

“And, if he finds me, I’ll just be dragging you into this.”

“And, my brothers,” he tells me

I look up at him.

“I assumed they…” I stop myself before I upset him

He shakes his head.

“They served some time, but not much.”

My mouth forms a tight little
O
as I stare into his eyes once more.

“You would really protect someone you don’t know?”

“Someone who reminds me of my sister as much as you do? In a heartbeat.”

I finally feel myself smile

“I did bring you to a place that I’d left between Elise and me until now.” He turns
his head to the side.

“Elise was my…”

“You know, she had this locket.” He stops long enough to get off the couch and walk
to the old fireplace mantle where he wiggles what seems to be a loose block of wood
free.

He blindly reaches into the hole, pulling out a shiny, gold locket that dangles from
a gold chain

I can barely control the gasp that releases from me as he steps closer to me, holding
the locket out for my inspection

“She got this when we were born.

Our mother put our baby photos in it for her.

She wore it ‘till the day she died,” he begins, working the locket open carefully
so as not to damage it.

“At the funeral, I needed something, some piece of her.

As I gave my sister one last hug, I took it.”

He holds out the open locket for me to take.

Two beautiful babies, himself and the twin he lost, stare up at me.

“Some part of me feels that she wouldn’t mind.

I tucked it away here since this was our spot, our own private club house.”

“Ethan, it’s beautiful,” I manage to choke out.

“I couldn’t imagine.

Your poor mother; no one should bury a child.” When his eyes meet mine, I realize
quickly that I’ve struck a raw nerve

“She couldn’t handle the loss of not only a child, but her only daughter,” he explains.

“All the medications in the world weren’t enough to keep the depression at bay.

After a six month battle, my mother killed herself.”

I let out a soft cry as my shaky hands nearly drop his precious locket.

He gingerly works it from my fingers, closing it tightly and tucking it away in its
safe spot.

I find myself completely at a loss for words.

I feel tears prickle at my eyes as I swallow hard and look away from him for a brief
moment

“Our father had lost the two most important women in his life in just six months.

I was sixteen, but wasn’t stupid.

I knew he wouldn’t last.

Mentally, he was drained.

Emotionally, he was gone.

He would work, put food on the table for me, and sit in that rocker until it was time
for bed.”

I wrap my arms tightly around my body and find myself holding a breath in.

I don’t want to imagine his father’s demise

“He went completely insane shortly after my brothers were released from prison.

I kind of think he waited for them to serve their time so that he knew I would be
taken care of, that I wouldn’t be completely alone.

We managed to find a hospital for him that could care for him when we couldn’t,” he
explains.

“Luckily, Aaron and Colt were twenty-five and able to talk the judge into not splitting
up the family.” He shakes his head.

“What was left of us anyway.”

I reach my hand out to touch his scruffy face and immediately draw myself away.

He stares at me, knowing that I can’t find the right words or the right thing to do

“Your ex,” he starts, shaking me back to my reality, “Is he dangerous?”

“He can be.” I find myself suddenly unable to control my staring.

My eyes seem to lock on him, unable to find anything else in the shabby old room

“You just…” He stops and stares back for a few moments.

“You have no idea what...” His voice trails and he looks at his feet.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.

Now? This happens now?” He shakes his head.

I look at him, confused, almost questioning his words before he speaks again.

“You have no clue what I’m going through right now.”

“No, I don’t.” I look down.

“I’m sorry, I just...” I shake my head.

“I wasn’t trying to upset you.”

“No,” he says, finally.

“You weren’t trying to upset me.

You were trying to comfort me,” he states as his eyes meet mine again.

“You just have no idea what you’re doing.”

I drop my mouth open.

“I mean, I’m not an expert on running away and hiding, but I’m doing the best that
I can.”

He laughs an almost insane laugh, as though he just can’t control himself.

Finally, he smiles; sweet, endearing, and sincere.

His jaw unclenches and his body finally relaxes.

I see that his hands are shaky as he takes a few steps toward me.

I feel his hand on my face.

I fight the urge not to jump, as the move isn’t threatening.

It’s soft and surprisingly gentle for a man of his stature.

I can’t fight the shake that travels through my body unexpectedly, though

He smiles, again.

“It seems that I have the same effect on you, Red.”

Before I can open my mouth, his lips press to mine.

I feel a wild jolt course through my entire body as though I’ve struck a live wire,
and I jump back.

I gasp for breath as I feel my cheeks grow pink.

He stares at me, and his heart rate has increased so much that I can see his pulse
through his neck

“I have to go,” I stammer.

My feet pound on the creaky floorboards as I bound for the door.

My trembling hand fights with the rusted doorknob as I fling the door open.

I’m not even sure how to get back to the motorcycle, but my feet find the woods and
I can hear Ethan’s hard footsteps behind me.

I stop, there in the middle of the woods, and turn to face him

“I can’t believe that you would think I would hurt you!” he yells.

“After what I told you!”

I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t.

I stammer, fighting with myself.

I bring a hand up to my head.

“It’s not that!” I finally cry out

He takes a few more steps toward me, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

He’s testing me.

He’s seeing if I’ll run again.

I fight the shakiness.

I fight the fear.

I fight the urge to run.