“You. Come here, Night!”
I run to hide behind Lucas. His brother doesn’t let him come closer to me. I giggle behind the similar masculine back as they both wrestle. I leap to run to my room, but unsuccessfully, as a reeking Leif catches me around the waist and drags me upstairs to his bedroom.
“You’re going to fix me, sister!” There is an “or” attached to that threat, so I follow him, calling for Lucas to come save me.
“You should start learning how to set the washing machine on your own, and stop leaving the mess behind. You know it drives me nuts!” I wiggle from his hold, but unsuccessfully, as he is far stronger than me. “Leif, let go!” I try to bite his fingers, but he throws me over his shoulder and hits my ass.
Before I can chew his ass for abuse on my bottom, he throws me on the bed. Then he gets handcuffs from the chest of drawer, and my eyes widen in horror. I run for my life as he catches me, laughing, and then cuffs me to the radiator. Turning around, I give him you-better-uncuff-me expression, but it bounces off him like water from the goose as he goes to the bath to wash off the offensive perfume.
“Take spare clothes, and put the other ones in the laundry basket!” I can’t help but order him around.
When he disappears, I pull out my phone and dial Lucas. “Coast is clear, I repeat, the coat is clear. Can you please come and free me from the hostage situation?” His amused chuckles tell me he is not too keen to get between Leif and me. “Please! I will owe you an extra piece of cake. I’ll bake it today.”
He exhales loudly, letting me know that favor might be too much of bother, but he comes anyway and grabs the key off the nightstand.
“Wait, I have a gift. It will take a minute. Distract Leif.” I sneak into his room and blow up his celebratory balloon, cuffing it to the radiator. I stand up to admire my work, happy with myself. Before I leave, I find Lucas watching the gift, his mouth gaping open.
“You will get into trouble bigger than before,” he whispers to me, making us both run to hide as we hear the bathroom door open.
“He wanted to have a hot date, so I cuffed it to the radiator.” We round the corner as we hear Leif roaring my name. He curses repeatedly at the companion left for his enjoyment.
“A blowup doll, really?” Lucas chuckles, his eyes sparkling in amusement.
By the time Leif comes into the kitchen, we are both working on the cake. I try not to smile to further aggravate him, pressing my lips tight to keep silent.
“How was your hot date, brother?” Lucas asks, snickering. My eyes round in horror, and I gasp, knowing Lucas just ratted me out. Curses coming from Leif make me look at him as I see his wicked eyes determined to do some damage. I run around the island as he chases me.
“Come here, little mouse, I won’t bite!” Leif sing-songs and I am thrusted back to the day we met with Logan. The longing squeezes my heart and I lose my breath.
“Hey, Cassandra, please, come back. You’re scaring me!” a distressed voice reaches me, as if from faraway, while I sit with my back resting against the tall window. Lucas orders me to breathe, but the sobs rock me. I haven’t felt like this for a while, and it’s hard for me to accept that I deserve love.
“I would have never hurt you, you know that, right?”
With a shaky voice, still struggling to breathe, I explain, “It wasn’t that. The mouse comment reminded me of Logan and me.”
“Want to go and play with my blowup doll?” That makes me laugh and weep at the same time, as I lose it in front of the man who doesn’t know what it’s like to be at the bottom.
“Shhhh…sweetheart…don’t cry.” Although Leif is an infuriating tease that antagonizes until you break, he also has a sweet, soft heart. “Come on, let’s go watch a show while Lucas finishes cooking.”
“I need to finish the cake.” I stand, and like a robot, I finish baking, then preparing the frosting. An assembled cappuccino cake stands proudly on the island, as I clean up the mess and Lucas sets our food on the table. This time, the brothers don’t try to get me involved in their discussion as we eat. Instead, they engage in their own conversation, not bothering with me.
Perhaps they know by now that I must have my space to reflect on things. I can’t stomach telling anyone about this day. It’s the anniversary of their deaths. My sisters either forgot, or they also don’t want to cause any distress.
I wonder if Nate will come to visit me today as his little brother did. Dreading the nighttime to come to find out the truth, the ringing cell phone startles me.
“Hello? Yeah, we’re eating, why?” Leif leaves the table to speak.
“You all right?”
I nod at Lucas as I shove a forkful of food into my mouth.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
I look at Leif, who finished the call and has returned. I realize someone told him. I was holding up pretty well all day, but not anymore. Not even registering what information both brothers exchanged, I feel Lucas pick me up and take me to the living room. Then Leif clears the carpet, pushing the coffee table aside, and sits down, inviting me to join him.
“Let’s meditate, ok?”
An hour later, I’m much calmer as we watch TV. Leif cancelled his date, and both brothers lounge with me on the couch, making me feel safe and cared for. I pull out my phone and start the long email to Logan about my day. Leif pulls my phone from my hands, reading it and sending me photos to include with the description I made.
“Maybe we should watch that TV show called SEAL, so Lucas will look less bored?”
“Wait, there’s a show about the Navy Seals?”
Oh dear, we need to fix him ASAP!
Chapter 12
The magic of winter chills
~Cassandra~
A very chilly December has made us all pull out our warm coats and boots from the wardrobes, and layer up to keep warm. The white frost covering the ground is the only indication that winter is here and once in a while, a lonely snowflake landing on my face reminds of the icy artists falling gracefully to the ground.
This morning, we found frozen windows and the ground crispy with iced motionless grass. The enchanting nature brings the exhilarating magic to people. This inspirational scenery makes us all feel the Christmas spirit, enthralling our moods into shopping sprees.
Affected by the holiday mood, Aisha drives us to the shopping mall. I let the warm interior of the car and the passing scenery lull me with the soothing motion. I watch people with colorful coats and parkas walk the streets, and chattering children rush to the schools.
I look back at my youngest sister, who is driving a cheap Volkswagen. She wears a vivid-red parka, and tall charcoal boots, and her glossy red lips and shimmery eyes look back at me with delight and excitement. I have on a grey-green coat paired with brown-grey boots. I put on some mascara and eyeshadow to match the scheme.
“She will bite our heads off either way. Relax, I want to be alive to actually buy something. The mall is not a fan of zombies, you know?”
That makes her laugh. “You’re all right?”
I nod at her, as I am not anxious today, for some reason.
Raine is meeting us at the mall. I agreed to doll up and embrace the festive atmosphere, determined to have fun. Actually, I am experiencing the excitement of buying gifts for the people I love and care about. Inspiration fills me with joy.
Leif and Lucas went hunting for the Christmas tree, and we were informed to buy loads of decorations for the monster tree they are looking for. So far, they haven’t found one big enough.
“Do you think Raine is already there?” Aisha bites her lip nervously as she tries to navigate through the busy Monday roads. At least most of the traffic will disappear after rush hour, and we will be able to do shopping, as most people will be at work.
We arrive at the mall after parking her antique car and run in to find an irritated Raine tapping her foot.
“Hey, we were stuck in the traffic. Have you waited long?”
S
he opens her mouth, probably to shout at us for being twenty minutes late, so I quickly make a peace offering. “Let’s get you some coffee, with a delicious muffin, for suffering our tardiness?”
Raine smiles and shakes her head at me, then gives me megawatt smile. “Lead the way, and make sure that it’s mocha with double cream and chocolate sprinkles on top!”
“You’ll get a stroke from the sugar you consume today. We promise!” Aisha bounces to the coffee shop to flirt with the barista as we take our seats. I notice her colorful, bright coat with faux fur and shiny black boots. She looks fantastic in her winter gear. Five minutes later, Aisha brings our coffees and sweet treats to enjoy as we catch up.
The shopping mall is bursting with blinking, shimmery lights and decorations hanging from the ceiling. We enforced the rule that no one can receive more than one hundred pounds’ worth of presents, eliminating the billionaire boys’ overspending. We begin our search for the perfect gifts, but I have no idea what to give Logan. He seems to have everything he wants. Is there anything he needs?
“Have you decided what you’ll buy for Logan?” Raine asks me, as if reading my mind. She looks at a belt with the Harley motorbike buckle for Rider.
“Not yet.” At least kids are sorted. I’ve got the books, dolls, and superheroes, as well as a few other preschool toys to play. Even distracted by bling and glitter, I manage to buy clothes and jewelry for Arianna.
“Hey girls, look what I found!”
We both turn to find Lucas and Leif standing by Aisha, looking sheepish. Both men, for some reason, chose to wear similar shade khaki-color parkas with faux fur hoodies, and different shade blue jeans paired with black shoes.
“How did you know where we were?”
At my question, they start to fidget, as if they feel uncomfortable, and it hits me that they somehow have us under surveillance.
“You followed us?” Lucas holds his solid mask better than Leif, whose guilty grin gives him away. “How?”
“Don’t get all freaked out! We tracked you with the app that’s installed on your phone. We had to wait and see where you’d finally meet, and voila, we’re here!” Leif tries to make it sound as if it is not an outrageous idea. That boy needs a good whacking. I look at my sisters, and they both are impressed instead of weirded out. What is wrong with this bunch, really?
“We need some advice about shopping because you placed a limit on the valuable ideas. Now it’s your turn to teach us to shop on a budget.”
I look at Lucas. “You know that you are not allowed to buy anything else, right?”
They nod like good boys and take my sisters to look around the mall. Exhaling, I pay for my stuff and text them.
R and A: Keep a tight rein on their wallets!
Hopefully, they won’t go overboard. Somehow, I am left on my own, so I use the opportunity to find another shop for my sisters and brothers’ gifts. I walk into a sweater heaven, as warm, cozy clothes are displayed in an eye-catching way. The outside wooden benches have pillows decorated in winter designs and there is garland hanging from the ceiling, with fake snow.
I look around for the perfect gifts as my head starts to spin with an upcoming headache. I was never a fan of the shopping experiences because the lighting and rush of people always made me feel drained and tired. I take a seat on the bench to relax, holding my head in my hands, and try to let the dizzy spell pass.
“Do you want some water?” A concerned female voice reaches my ears as the bottle appears in front of my eyes.
I lift my face and crane my neck to look at the Good Samaritan. An older, wrinkly-faced woman sits next to me, her cloudy blue eyes looking at me. Her bleached curly hair is nicely done in a short hairdo, and she wears a lime-green coat with fur sewn on the collar.
For some reason, I feel like I’ve seen her before. I watch her kind smile as she offers me an unopened water bottle.
“Take the water, sweetie, from the woman who doesn’t wish you any harm.” She smiles with amusement as I finally accept the gift from her. Gulping the water, I can feel the clarity return and I start to breathe easier.
“Have you found your way back home, lost one?” With a shiver running down my spine, I turn to look at her.
“Excuse me? Do I know you?” She sits, watching me, until her nonchalant look changes into a determined one. She makes the decision to talk and her expression becomes serious.
“We met on the bridge once. You were lost and told me that you was going home to wait for your boys and husband to come home. You had those autumn leaves stuck to your hair and clothes, and the smell of outside and mud stains everywhere. But your eyes were like black pools, the horror stuck in their depths. I felt an unexplainable desire to aid you. So, I helped you home, don’t you remember?”
Tears start to fall like rain from my eyes as I look at her, as if receiving a puzzle piece I didn’t know I was missing. Shaking my head, I take her old hands into mine.
“Please, tell me.”
“I was sitting near the small bridge, on a bench like this one, as you walked past me, a wild expression on your face. Suddenly, you began to run and your legs tangled. You fell and hurt your side. It was bleeding, but you barely noticed it. There were no people around, just me and the pigeons. I asked your name, but you were in shock. Taking you home was the most sensible thing to do at the time. I needed to clean and bandage your wound.
“I made tea and gave you a cookie, telling you stories as I cleaned you up. Later, I escorted you home. We had to enter through the backyard where you had hidden the spare key. Before I turned to go back, you gave me a stained, lime-green coat and told me that you must repay me for my kindness. This is actually your gift I wear today.”
I recall her poor and cold harbor she called home. Knick-knacks cluttered her small living space and there was a mildew smell in the air.
I look at her beautiful kind face, overwhelmed by the kindness I received that day. “Do you mind if I buy you something for your compassion and kind heart?”
I remember the heartfelt stories she told of her family she lost and the friends who died of an old age. The tears were falling down my cheeks as she worked on my bleeding injury. Later, she took me home, using her savings she kept in a porcelain teapot.
“Please, let me give you something that will keep you warm this chilly winter.”
“Oh, child, my bones no longer feel the cold of the winters, but the chill of coming death. Don’t bother. Instead, tell me how your family is.”
I shake my head, not knowing how to tell her the truth, yet needing to take care of my savior.
“I’ll tell you, only if you allow me to return the warmth you gave me with warmth of my own.”
She chuckles, finally agreeing. We both begin to look for a warm sweater and socks in the shop where magic brought us together once more. Later, I tell her the truth about my trauma.
“Oh, my child, I had a feeling that something terrible had happened to you. I just couldn’t make you speak to me. When I got you back, you looked so lost, looking for something familiar to grab and hold onto. I wasn’t sure if I should leave you alone. All the way back home, I wondered if it was the right thing to do.”
The shop assistant found her the perfect boots, socks, and sweater. Then I quickly write a thank you card and stuff some cash inside, hiding it inside the bag for the kind lady I met on the bridge.
After treating her to lunch, I kiss her on the cheek and help her to the bus stop, where she turns around and looks at me. “You used to come to that bridge pretty often, darling.”
Confused, I try to understand her question, then I realize it wasn’t one. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t remember that clearly now, but you used to jog there. You never acknowledged me. I thought you didn’t want to know me, so I didn’t try to bother you. Once you climbed the railing, as if you considered jumping off, but then you lowered yourself down and walked away, as if you weren’t ready. I used to come there the same time e
very day, hoping I would not witness it.”
As if from a haze, I recall the visual of what she is telling me, but something nags me. “What time would I pass by?”
“Always the same time, seven forty-five p.m. Find your peace, child, and cherish life. That is my advice to you, don’t waste it.”
Her hand touches my face goodbye, and she jumps into the red bus, waving farewell. I stand there with my mind still spinning.
7:45 p.m. was the time of the crash, as the receipt I retrieved from the ATM showed me the time of the transaction. The piece of paper had been lodged between my fingers as I started walking towards the collision I heard. With that recollection, my memory is rising, as if from a deep sleep. The tremors are running up my body.
Suddenly, Lucas’ hands wrap around my shoulders from behind and he whispers in my ear, “Let’s find some privacy.”
The black spots begin to build behind my eyes, as that day from the past manifests in front of me. The horrifying images shake me as invisible waves torture my lungs. The painful spasms stab as my screaming soul shatters my heart to pieces. Knives pierce my body as the shock of the realization makes me numb.
The strict command issued by a familiar male’s voice startles me into gear and automatic response to comply. I inhale and exhale. The person counts down slowly, and my vision clears up.
“Lucas…” I whisper, shaking with emotion. I grab his wrist as his hands hold my face enveloped in his warm, calloused palms. “How did you find me?”
All of a sudden, I pull him to me as I try to escape the chilly memories that visited me after I spoke with the old lady. Resting my head against his chest, I listen to his steady heart through his top. I’m desperate to regain my footing, but the past is pushing against my walls.
“The app on your phone,” but before I can further question him, my sisters and Leif find us, interrupting my train of thought.
Entwined IN YOU (In You #2) Page 10
