by Tiger Hill
Nearly all of the men pulled out a blade of some kind, sawing into the thick rope. When Tula was freed, Rhett swiftly took her into his arms and held her. Something felt a bit unnatural about the way she held him, as if she were barely a spirit inside of her own body. A man with an oxygen tank swooped in to wrap a mask around her head, breathing life back into her small frame. She held the plastic to her face, concentrating as she tried to regain herself. Rhett stared at her sympathetically, wanting nothing more than to wrap her in his arms for eternity. She reached for him, slipping as she tried to hold him. He caught her by the sides, pulling her to his warmth.
“I love you so much,” he whispered. “I was so worried about you. I had to get you out of there.”
It was muffled, but he could have sworn that she responded, “I love you, Rhett.”
The men surrounding them, happy to see the separated couple reunited, began clapping one-by-one until the entire group were in a round of applause. They let Tula and Rhett have their moment before Tula was gathered towards a stretcher, and later, an ambulance of her own. Rhett, in turn, was escorted to the police station for questioning.
It took a good week before the whole matter was settled. Mr. and Mrs. Florian were beyond enraged about the whole situation, first pointing fingers at Rhett before eventually coming to terms with the fact that Max was the piece of work they needed to be ashamed to be associated with. Rhett visited Tula at the hospital as soon as he could, avoiding her parents whenever that was humanely possible. When they finally got their first stretch of time alone together, the moment was as close to bliss as when Rhett had opened the safe. All that they could mutter to each other in those first few minutes was that they loved each other to pieces, and couldn’t imagine a world in which either of them weren’t there.
Rhett lifted himself on the bed, cradling her body next to him. She buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around him.
“Are you okay now?” Rhett asked, passing his fingers through her hair. “They’ve checked you out, and you’re not in any danger?”
“I’m okay,” Tula responded weakly, keeping herself tucked towards his body. “It’ll just… take time for the bruises to heal. That’s all.”
They both let out soothing breaths.
“Rhett,” Tula began with some trepidation, “Is my brother still alive right now? No one told me anything about his status.”
“He’s alive,” Rhett said simply.
She made no motion to comment.
“Are you glad that he’s still here, or sad?” He asked.
“I don’t know. I love him because he’s my brother, but he scares me, Rhett.”
“After what he did, I’m sure he does. Don’t worry, Tula—he’ll be put away for a long time. And when he gets out, if he even thinks about coming near us…”
“Can we move away?” She asked, nearly pleading. “Far, far away where he’ll never find us?”
He pulled her up closer to him and kissed her gently on the mouth. “Whatever you want, Tula. I’d do anything for you. We’ll go away, and no one will ever be able to find us.”
This answer seemed to gratify her, and she smiled gently before closing her eyes for some rest.
Tula was eventually released and continued working at the bakery for a time. Rhett kept up his work at the garage as well, saving his money until the two of them would be released from the looming court case involving Max. Tula hated the thought of having to see him again in court, but with no way out of it, she showed up and did her best to make sure that she drummed up some pity for herself from the jury. Max was ultimately sentenced to ten years in prison for his crimes, which sent a lurching through both Rhett and Tula’s stomaches. The sentence could easily be stacked down to half the time with ‘good behavior’ while in prison.
They made their move to leave the country as soon as the verdict was called. Taking some darts in hand, they blindly threw them at a map on the wall to let fate help decide their future together. They ultimately settled on living in Thailand for a time, deciding to figure out how to make money and get their bearings while on the road. It didn’t really matter to either of them where they ended up—they only wanted to feel secure in the knowledge that they had each other, and were safe.
The marriage did happen, though it was much more simple than Layla or Tula’s mother might have liked. Rhett and Tula showed up to court one spring afternoon along with anyone who would have liked to witness the ceremony, said their vows, and then kissed in holy matrimony. They couldn’t have been more hopeful about the future at that moment, full of youthful abandon and joy. That night they left on a flight for Bangkok, not telling a soul where they were going.
As Rhett sat in his seat next to Tula on the flight, he held her hand as he gazed at her. She was sleeping, her reading light casting a strong beam on her features. There was a tired look to her, as if she had been carrying the world on her shoulders for the past two years.
Soon, thought Rhett, you won’t have to worry at all. The most we’ll be thinking about is whether to have mai tais or mojitos to drink at night. I love you, my darling. Max will be a distant memory, and we’ll live happily ever after.
Notes
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