Break, page 20
Gripping the back of my neck, I look to the ceiling, pleading with my body to not blush right now, and failing. Maybe I lied to myself before and I am a little embarrassed about buying it for her. Clearing my throat, I mutter, “I got it for you. To replace the one we ruined. That’s what all of this is, trying to give you back what I took away.”
Please don’t make me say anymore. Please figure out what I’m referring to.
She’s confused as she tries to decipher what I’m telling her, but then understanding dawns on her and her face crumples, gutting me to the core. God, I was such a fucking piece of shit to her. “You’re the one that did it?”
Nodding, I can feel the shame rising, lifting my shoulders to my ears. I try to cover it by shoving my hands in my pockets, digging my nails into my palms. “I’m sorry, Mina. I was a stupid kid, and I didn’t think about what I was doing at the time.”
She’s silent for a long moment before finally speaking. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because I want to make it right. And I want you to know that I’m sorry for what Danny and I did to you at your home,” I admit. It’s the truth, but it also feels like I’m not saying enough.
She looks startled when I mention Danny’s part in it, then she narrows her eyes at me. “He lied to me about it. Told me he had no idea who did it or what had happened.”
My jaw clenches, and I can feel the muscles popping. “Of course he did. That fucker wouldn’t know how to tell the truth if his life depended on it.”
Looking away from me, I can tell that what I’ve told her was hurtful. There’s a small weight that’s lifted off my shoulders, having admitted to her what I did, but I don’t feel good about it at all. “I am sorry for it, Mina.”
She doesn’t respond to my apology as we sit in silence for a few minutes, both lost in our own thoughts. Finally, she speaks up again. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you destroy it?”
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the question. “I don’t have a good excuse. I was angry and wanted to hurt someone, and you were an easy target.” She winces but doesn’t interrupt. “Someday, I’ll explain more, but there was shit going on at my home with my parents. Similar to the situation you found yourself in with Danny, and I was just a really fucking angry kid.”
Her eyes widen, then fill with tears as I admit that. She opens her mouth to ask me a question, but Christ, she already looks like she could use another nap. There are dark circles under eyes and they’re heavy, like she’s trying to hold them open.
“Listen, we can talk about it more when you’re feeling better. I just needed you to know, and I wanted to give you this.” I hold my hand out and point between the paper and the dog. Tipping my head toward the animal, I add, “You can do what you want with him. I got him because you seem to have taken to Walt.”
Staring over at the paper, she still looks crushed by my confession, and I feel like such a piece of shit. “Thank you,” she whispers. I’m not sure if it’s for the stuff or for telling her the truth, but I give her a tight smile in return.
“You should take something now, just in case your fever tries to come back and get some more rest. Maybe after, you’ll feel up to venturing out of your room and coming down to eat,” I hedge, seeing if I can get her to talk a little more to me.
She doesn’t, but at least Mina takes the meds and then slides back under her covers. She curls up on her side and closes her eyes. I feel deflated that I’ve hurt her again.
Maybe she senses it because, without opening her eyes, she whispers, “I’ll name him Dennis.” She doesn’t give me her forgiveness, but she gives me her words.
I bite my cheek so I don’t grin like a fool when I realize she’s naming the stuffed dog a ridiculous name just like Walter.
Chapter 27
Wanna Skydive?
Vincent
“Alright, sweetpea. Let’s make a list!”
I grab a pad of paper, and settle into the chair in the corner of her room. The pad is balanced on my knee, pen poised and ready to start jotting down ideas.
Mina is sitting up, leaning against a few pillows, her knees tucked up to her chin and arms wrapped around them. “Sweetpea?”
Snickering, I point the pen at her and circle her face with it. “Yes, sweetpea. You’re awfully sweet, you know that?”
She wrinkles her nose at my compliment, but her face also erupts in a pretty shade of pink. “I can hardly think of a reason to make you think I’m sweet. I’m not rude… but that means nothing in comparison.”
Clicking my tongue at her, I lay my pen down and drop my foot to the ground. “Ahh, I would disagree. I was an ass for years to you, and you let me apologize and haven’t brought it up since. Didn’t yell at me or anything.” I add a wink to show her I’m teasing, and that pink turns a bit darker on her cheeks.
“W-Well, I…” She looks at her lap and picks at her blanket, scrapping her nail against one of the quilted seams. Softening her voice like she’s worried at my reaction, she admits, “I’m still angry about it. I have been for a long time.”
My playful smile falls from my face when she admits that. “Mina, you should be angry at me, at us. Don’t be afraid to let any of us know, either. You won’t get in trouble here.”
She gives me a wary look, unsure if she should trust my promise. Understandable, considering the hell she went through with Danny, but hopefully Mina will soon learn that we mean what we say. “So!” I exclaim energetically, trying to get us back on topic. “Let’s make a list.”
“What kind of list are we making?” I can tell she’s a little curious but doesn’t want to seem too eager.
I can’t stop the sly grin that grows on my face because my idea is fucking fantastic. “I want you to make a list of all the things you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity before now.”
Lifting her head, she gives me a surprised look. “Like, what kinds of things?”
Waving my hand in the air, I start to list off ideas. “Anything you can think of that you’ve always wanted to do. You could choose skydiving, bungee jumping, travel to a specific country, go to the beach, fishing. It all depends on what interests you.”
Her body tilts forward, closer to me, and she seems very intrigued. “I don’t know about some of that, but I’ve never been fishing before.”
My mouth falls open. “I was just joking about the fishing thing. You’ve seriously never been? It’s like the first thing a dad ever does with their kid.”
I know I’ve embarrassed her when she tucks her chin down to her chest. “Well, going to the beach sounds… fun.”
Narrowing my eyes, I realize that I’ve just caught this woman in the first lie she’s ever told me. I jab the pen at her and, maybe a little too loudly, yell, “Liar!” She flinches at the sound of my voice, so I quickly soften it. I can’t hold back my laughter. “Wilhelmina… wait, what’s your middle name?”
“Uhh… Joyce?” She sounds like she’s asking me, but I know it’s because she’s not used to my personality yet. She’ll figure it out soon enough.
“Wilhelmina Joyce Bardot, because fuck calling you Reed. I do believe that I’ve caught you in a lie.” Grinning, I lean as far forward as I can without my ass lifting from my seat. “You hate beaches, don’t you?”
Her shudder answers for her. “I don’t really know. I haven’t been to one, but they don’t sound enjoyable. Sand everywhere, seagulls eating your food, things in the water…”
I bark out a laugh at her worry over ‘things’ in the water. “Well, I can assure you, beaches are awesome, but we won’t add it to your list. Fishing, though? That’s going down.” As I write it across the top line, I shake my head at the men she’s had to deal with her entire life and want to smack them. Who doesn’t go fishing? “Max and Ethan are big into going down to the lake when they have a morning off. We’ll schedule it soon.”
“Oh, I don’t want to be a bother-”
I cut her off before she worms her way out of it. “Absolutely not. Seriously, they’ll be like excited little puppies. We’ll all go. It’ll be awesome.”
It’s obvious she wants to go because she doesn’t continue arguing and moves on. “I’d like to sleep outside.”
“Like camping?” This time I make sure I don’t make a comment about her wanting to do something that most people have already done. She nods sharply, eyeing my pen as I write it down. “Camping it is. That shouldn’t be too hard to plan out. But, and I gotta be honest here.” I cup my mouth to whisper, like I’m letting her in on a secret. “Ethan is a fucking pussy when it comes to sleeping outside. We’ll need an air mattress or something.”
My breath stalls when she silently laughs, an almost full smile breaking out. Jesus, her smile is radiant.
“Bullshit. I sleep on the ground just fine.”
Both Mina and I turn our heads quickly to find Ethan walking in with her lunch. He moves over to her desk and sets the tray down. Then he grabs the fresh bottle of water to loosen the cap for her before picking the whole thing back up and bringing it over to the bed.
“Oh, I could have come downstairs. You really don’t need to keep bringing this up to me.”
“Don’t mind,” he says, and I roll my eyes at his inability to engage in conversation using full sentences.
She thanks him as I look back over the list only containing only two things. “Alright, let’s get back to this. What else is popping into that pretty little head of yours?”
Mina blushes, flashing a quick look at Ethan when he lets out a small rumble. “List for what?”
“We are making a list of things that she’s never done. A bucket list of sorts,” I inform him.
“Tattoo.” He’s quick with his answer and I arch a brow at Mina.
“You want a tattoo, sweetness?” I ask her.
Shrugging, she picks up a chip from the plate with Ethan watching her every moment. He’s been obsessed with making sure she eats three full meals a day, along with snacks. I’m also pretty sure he’s counting her empty water bottles to ensure she’s getting enough fluids. After swallowing her bite, she tells me, “I’m not sure. I wouldn’t even know what to get.” Looking up at Ethan where he’s hovering, she asks, “Would it hurt?”
Slowly shaking his head, he looks down at his arms. “Not bad. Just more like an itch you can’t scratch for a while. It can be uncomfortable, though.”
Writing down ‘tattoo’, I can tell she had wanted me to wait. I gently reassure her. “I’m just writing it as a maybe. You don’t have to do all of this. It’s just ideas for now.” Once I’m done, I look back at her and find her staring right at me. My stomach does a little turn and I look away this time, a bit unnerved that her attention has me feeling… things.
“I’d like to get drunk.”
Both Ethan and I stare at her in surprise, my mouth dropping open once again. “Really?”
She looks at the ceiling for a second before confidently nodding. “Yes. At a bar, too. I’ve never been to a bar.”
My thoughts race as I write this one down. Looking over her list, I realize that everything she wants to do are things that literally everyone has experienced at her age. It’s like her parents and then Danny locked her up and threw away the key, never letting her out to live her goddamn life. Every fucking one of them should be ashamed of how they’ve treated her and restricted her. Christ, what a lonely life she’s had. It only makes me feel more determined to get her out to try new things. To bring a fucking smile to this woman’s face.
My friend and I have been quiet for long enough that Mina backpedals and second guesses her choice. “If… If you think that’s a bad idea, you can cross it off. I suppose it is silly. Who wants to actually be drunk and hungover?”
“No,” Ethan growls at the same time I shout.
“Absolutely not! We’re gonna get you drunk enough that you’ll be cursing us the next morning. Smelly bar, sticky floors, pool tables, loud music, the whole works.”
Her nose wrinkles in that adorable way again as she considers my description of a night out. “Maybe that doesn’t sound so great,” she mumbles.
“It sounds perfect. It’s also going to be the first thing we do once we find a place safe enough to take you. Do you sing? We could find a karaoke bar!”
I chuckle when her face goes pale and any hint of amusement seeps from her face. “Please… no.”
Ethan’s laughter surprises me. He sits on the side of her bed, careful not to tip her tray and pats her lower leg. “No singing, then.”
As we continue to go through the list, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement. The thought of showing Mina all of these things and seeing her experience them for the first time is thrilling. It’s like discovering the world all over again through someone else’s eyes.
We toss around a few more ideas, but nothing else makes it to the list. As the conversation comes to a lull, I watch as Mina’s eyes start to droop, her breathing beginning to even out. “Looks like someone’s got the right idea,” I say, nodding towards her.
Ethan stands up and moves the tray from her lap. The absence of the weight makes her shift lower and snuggle down into her pillows. Ethan walks back over to her and looks down for a moment, then at me. “I should get back to work.” He gives her another look, then reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
It’s clear to me that Ethan is becoming attached to her. To be honest, I think we all are. How did we miss so much about her when we were younger? I don’t think she’s projecting someone new to us. I think we were just oblivious and self-centered. Would I have had a crush on her back then? I don’t know… maybe if I had taken the time to talk with her and get to know her. Older me definitely is crushing on older Mina, I can at least admit that much. I also find that I don’t mind so much that Ethan is apparently feeling something, too. A discussion for another day, I suppose.
A loud bang from downstairs draws both of our attention to the door of her room. “Max?” I ask Ethan, whose eyes are narrowed in thought. When his arms flex, I know the answer is going to be no.
“He’s doing fieldwork. Won’t be back until tonight.”
We both move at the same time to go find out what caused the noise. A glance at Mina laying in the bed shows her fast asleep, so I slow down long enough to make sure the door shuts silently behind us.
I always keep a weapon on me, especially since I’ve been staying here at the house with a psycho ex looking for the wife we’re hiding.
Ethan and I both make the trip downstairs as quietly as we can, and when we hear another bang coming from the back door off the kitchen, Ethan waves his hand for me to go toward it. He quickly mouths that he’ll go around outside.
Nodding my head, I hold my gun to point at the floor as I brace myself against the wall that is shared with the kitchen. Giving Ethan a minute to make his way outside, I take a quick peek around the corner and fucking see red.
Goddamnit! Fuck Danny and fuck ever meeting him all those years ago. This piece of shit has the nerve to try to break into Max’s house? Christ, he’s stupid.
Stepping into the room, I hold my gun up, aiming it directly at his chest. He’s so absorbed with what he’s doing, trying to maneuver his way past discarded shoes laying across the entryway, he doesn’t see me until I make myself known.
“Well, this was a terrible idea. The fuck are you doing here, Danny?” I can hardly contain the sound of loathing and anger from my voice.
His bloodshot eyes shoot up to mine and he sneers. “You guys are hiding my fucking wife from me, aren’t you? She’s in this pathetic house too, right?” He takes a step forward and I tighten my stance, unwavering.
“Don’t fucking move.” His eyes bulge when he realizes I’ve got a gun pointed at him. “What makes you think she’s here?”
Danny is practically shaking with rage, fisting his hands at his sides. “After you all had that little visit to my house, I started keeping an eye out for you when you went into town. Want to explain to me why I just saw Max at the store, picking out women’s clothing and other shit like hairbands and stuff?” He jabs a finger at me. “You all are fucking hiding her from me. Didn’t take me long to figure it out, you goddamn traitor.”
I laugh at him, but I don’t find any of this funny. “So, you decided you’d just come on over here, do a little breaking and entering, and what, talk to her or something?”
There’s no worry about confirming that she’s here. This move just bought me a new job assignment from Cooper. After this, I’m going to be on Mina’s detail like a fly on shit. Hopefully, this will be enough to get his ass put back in jail.
“I’m going to fucking destroy that-” he begins to rage, but I find that I don’t want to hear another word from him.
“Fuck right off with that shit. You’re not going to do a thing besides sit your ass down right there on the floor.” I use my gun to point down briefly before aiming at his chest once more. “I’m going to call this in. Really, really bad fucking idea.”
Danny shifts like he’s going to run. I smirk when he gets the courage to spin around and he comes face-to-face with Ethan. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my friend look so pissed off in his life. Ethan is trembling with undisguised hatred for the man standing in front of him.
Moving to slide my gun back into its sleeve, I realize a second too late that Danny was hiding a long thin pipe in his hand before he’s swinging it at Ethan’s head, connecting it with his temple.
“Fuck!” I shout, diving to catch my friend before he hits the floor. He didn’t see it either since the entry light was off.
Danny shoves his way past Ethan and out the back door. I quickly check on Ethan to make sure he’s okay and thank God he is.
