by T. R. Graves
I jump guiltily when I hear a quiet knock on my door. I know it's Alex. I leave the phone on the stairs and head over to the door. After a small amount of effort, I have every lock unlocked and the chain unhooked. As soon as I swing the door open, Alex steps awkwardly into the entryway.
"Do ya know anythin' about what he's sayin', Emily? Ya know about the two of ya bein' promised?" Alex asks. She looks like she feels sorry for me... like she's as worried as I am that he's telling the truth.
"No. If Owen agreed to his request, he didn't tell me before he left. In fact, I hadn't heard anythin' about it 'til Lorenzo tried to rape me in the bathroom at the union hall this mornin'. It didn't even matter to him that I was throwin' up from a stomach virus at the time. I hope he’s lyin' 'cause I'll die before I live the rest of my life with him," I swear.
Alex has known me my whole life. She understands perfectly how profound my pledge to die before being with Lorenzo is. I've never refused to do anything, and I've never once complained no matter how horrible, uncomfortable, or degrading the request. This was one mandate that I would not take lying down.
"We'll all talk to Owen when he gets back. Until then, me and Bobbi'll do our best to keep him away from you."
I nod. "Thank you, Alex. He really scares me."
"I'm gonna hunker down on the front porch for the next hour. Then, I'll head back over to the check-in station. I don't expect to have any more problems from him tonight." Alex very casually reaches into her belt. "How 'bout you shoot this flare gun outside if you need us."
I grab the cold metal of the gun. It feels exactly like a real weapon. "This is perfect. If he comes back, I'll definitely use this."
My shoulders relax now that I have a plan should Lorenzo show back up and because I know Alex is going to help me stay away from him until Owen gets back.
"You can go on back to bed. I'll be out on the porch, Emi," Alex says before patting me on the shoulder. It's a silent show of camaraderie, one I need more than I realized.
I lock the deadbolt and hook the chain after Alex leaves. I slink my way back upstairs, grabbing Levi's phone on my way up. In my room, I reattach it to the charger and tuck it beneath my mattress. I can't wait for the next few hours to pass so I can see Levi again.
I'm so pumped up on adrenaline from the encounter with Lorenzo and happiness from the emotions I have growing for Levi that I assume it will be impossible for me to go to sleep. I'm wrong.
The second my head hits the pillow, I'm sound asleep and dreaming the most wonderful dreams of Levi. His touch. His kiss. His kindness.
CHAPTER 6
From The Heart
Tope
I wake as soon as my computer pings, letting me know I have a new email. I jerk the lid open and squint as the bright screen glares back at me.
.
From: Herbert, Alex Andria
To: Bryson, Elijah Tope
CC:
Subject: Nightly Update
Tope,
Per your request, I'm sending your nightly update.
There was a disturbance at Owen's house tonight. Lorenzo was drunk and tried to get in. I handled it and got Lorenzo back over to Tess's. Emily is fine, and I stayed on the porch for an hour to make sure he didn't come back. Me and Bobbie will keep an eye out on the house every night.
Alex
.
I run my hand through my hair. She's been alone for one day, and she's already breaking out of the commune and fighting to keep Lorenzo out of her house.
I decide to text Tess. I sneak over to Levi's tent and see the phone lying on the tent's floor next to him. I grab it and walk toward the lake.
Me: Is Lorenzo in for the night?
Tess: Let me check.
I'm not patient while I wait. I pace up and down the banks of the lake and wait for Tess's update. Finally, I hear the ping I was waiting for.
Tess: Yeah. He's in. Sleeping it off.
Me: Great. Thanks.
It's going to be impossible for me to keep her safe if today is any indication of how the summer is going to go.
Emily
Just like every other day, my eyes pop open before the sun comes up. Excited, I jump up and dress quickly, hiding my swimsuit under my T-shirt and shorts. I have every intention of enjoying an entire day of swimming and snubbing my nose at Owen and his rules by wearing my bikini without a commune chaperone. In fact, it warms me all over when I think about Levi seeing me again in my swimsuit.
Remembering Levi and Tope's military rations the night before, I run down to the kitchen and begin preparing a breakfast fit for a king. I bake homemade biscuits, fry ham steaks, scramble eggs, and whip up red-eye gravy. I store the food in separate containers and carefully stack it all into the basket I normally use when collecting food from the union hall. While I pack the basket, a pot of coffee brews. As soon as it finishes dripping, I fill Owen's favorite Thermos to the brim with the steamy black liquid.
Loving the smell of coffee and craving a sip, I can barely wait to make it to the lake and grab a piping hot cup of my own. I'm used to staying up late and reading. Coffee's caffeine has become a necessity in order for me to make it through my day of housework, cooking, and teaching.
Once I have everything gathered and I'm ready to go, I peek out at the front porch and see that Alex has already gone and Lorenzo is nowhere in sight. Taking advantage of my reprieve, I grab the basket, exit through the back door, and make sure the extra key is safe and secure in its hiding place.
Stalking through the woods and glancing back periodically to make sure I'm not being followed, I notice the sun is just about to burst from the horizon. The combination of stress (worrying I'll get caught) and humid heat has my hair sticking to the sweat that coats the back of my neck.
Unable to stand it anymore, I stop halfway through the forest and take the band from my wrist and pull my thick brown hair into a high ponytail. It's so long it still grazes my shoulder blades, but at least it's no longer sticking to my neck. Soon, there's a breeze brushing my neck and making everything seem better.
I pick the basket back up and resume my journey toward the graveyard. There, I find the cemetery's giant wrought iron gate wide open. This alarms me because it was only slightly ajar when I passed through it with Becca, Kira, and Patti yesterday morning and when I came back last night. Someone's been through here between midnight and now. That is concerning for me because they could still be around and a single person could derail my plans for the entire day.
I step through the giant opening, making sure I don't leave any clues behind. As soon as I'm on the other side of the gate and heading toward the fence's hole, I hear the crack of a twig. I know it would be awful hard to explain to anyone my presence in the cemetery, especially since I’m holding a giant basket of food.
I look around and see the toolshed. It's filled with mowing, weeding, and planting equipment as well as the shovels and pulleys used when burying the commune's deceased. Without thinking twice, I dash toward it and duck behind it.
"Stupid ass Phil! Making me do his grunt work instead of lettin' me go with him an’ Owen. What they don't know is that they've left the fox guardin' the hen house, and I'm gonna take full advantage of it. Once I'm married to Emi, I'll take care of him and make sure I'm the one Owen trusts. Once I'm finished with Phil, Owen won't have any choice but to make me his next in line."
I may not have a clear line of sight, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bitching and moaning is coming from Lorenzo. It occurs to me that he must have hardly slept last night. At least he no longer seems drunk, which makes him a little less dangerous. Only just.
I have no choice but to wait him out. The last thing I'm up for this morning is a scene with him. I've planned a perfectly lovely day, and an assault at his hands would ruin everything.
He goes in and out of the storage shed a half dozen times before I hear the squeak of the cemetery's gate. I very quietly and very carefully poke my head out in time to catch a
glimpse of his back as he heads back toward the forest and Tess's house or the union hall.
When I'm sure he's far enough away he can't hear me and before he decides to come back, I run as fast as I can through the cemetery, dashing from headstone to headstone and using them as shields to hide my path toward the fence's hole.
I breathe a giant sigh of relief when I finally make it to the fence's breech. There are unquestionable differences between yesterday's escape and today's. Yesterday, it was about being free and having fun. Today, it's all about getting back to Levi.
I shove the basket through the opening, making sure not to spill anything over. As soon as it's safe on the other side, I bend down and crawl through the hole. Standing, I dust off my clothes, grab the men’s' breakfast, and run toward Levi's campsite... toward Levi. As soon as I arrive, I feel less anxious and worried. Levi's nearness is as calming as I suspected it would be.
The fire that had burned so vividly the night before has fizzled out and become a giant pile of ashes. Neither Levi nor Tope are out and about. I assume they are still fast asleep. I tiptoe over to Levi's tent, squat down, and very carefully pull his flap back.
My heart races at the sight of this beautiful man. He's peacefully sleeping and deeply breathing. He has one arm resting on his forehead and the other palm splayed out on top of a composition book that covers his very bare and magnificently rippled stomach. Everything about him—his unruly blond hair, his flawless skin, his five o'clock shadow—is more striking than I remember. I sigh dreamily.
When he moves the tiniest bit, I blush and pull quickly out of his tent. Out of sheer politeness, I decide that I should check on Tope also. He, too, is asleep. I stare at him and still can't believe how much he looks like Levi. The only real physical difference between them is the darkness Tope brings to their features. There are plenty of other unseen differences, though. Levi's personality is as bright and golden as his hair and skin color. Tope's personality is as dark and intimidating as his own coloring. Both men are stunning, but with Levi, I'm smitten with a capital S.
I've no idea how long they will sleep. Stifling impatience, I stroll over to my and Levi's log, sit down, and grab the Thermos and a mug from the basket. I don't care about the food. I want—need—coffee. As soon as I have my hands wrapped firmly around my first cup, I sit and enjoy the wonderful roasted bean fragrance and the morning's orange sky. Its contrast against the lake's black surface is magnificent.
With an unexpected excitement, I scan the pond in search of Mandi. In many ways, I'm learning to maneuver a new world a lot like the duckling is, and I'm curious about how well she's doing. A few seconds later, I see her. I know it's Mandi because of her different colored legs. Despite being a hatchling, she's separated from her siblings. They're waddling along behind their mother while Mandi makes her way, depends on no one, and searches for her own food. I snicker at how much we really are alike.
When I hear a tent flap open, I twist around and see a sleepy-eyed Tope exiting his tent. As soon as he sees me, he perks up and comes my way.
"I'm shocked you came back, Emily. You really must have a death wish," Tope says teasingly.
"Well, you know girls. We don't have a bit of common sense," I say, rolling my eyes.
"You're putting words in my mouth. Levi may not know what goes on in your commune, but I have a very good idea. The boundaries you push impact us all. I don't want Levi mixed up in The Community's shit. Every outsider who's publically taken on the cause of the women of your commune has ended up dead. That's the last thing I want for my cousin. He's like a brother to me."
I look over at Tope. His stare is determined, and it's directed squarely on me. This time, I don't just think Tope knows more about The Community than most outsiders; I know it. He's right. I'd seen and heard a lifetime of stories about outsiders who've fallen in love with the women of the commune only to have their lives cut short when they tried to free them. Their only crime was that of trying to give these women a life where they were loved and respected.
I watch the steam billow up from my cup. Around the lump in my throat, I whisper, "Maybe it can be different for me and Levi."
Tope's chuckle is sardonic. "Yeah, and maybe there will be an end to famine and a beginning to world peace. Your leaders are not willing to lose one woman to an outsider... especially if it's not on their terms. They take the ones they shun and trade them away, but they will never let one of their women go without getting something in return or taking someone's life."
I sit silent, breathing in the black coffee and trying to decide if I should leave before Levi awakens.
Tope continues. "Though... I now understand why some men are willing to give their lives to win the prize. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I'm sure Levi feels the same. You're almost irresistible to me, and I know the consequences. I can't imagine how it is for someone like Levi who has no clue what he's walking into."
With my mouth open in amazement, I stare at Tope and try to decide if he's honestly praising me or offering me some sort of backhanded compliment. I'm just about to challenge him when I hear the flap of Levi's tent. I glance over and see by his ear-to-ear grin how happy he is that I've come back. Nothing in the world feels better than being wanted by this man. The level of adoration is not something I ever expected to have in my life.
Levi dashes toward me, ignoring the hot coffee in my hand, and lifts me into a hug. "Em, I was worried you wouldn't come back after last night."
I'm embarrassed by Levi's unfiltered happiness when I see its impact on Tope and his mood. Watching Levi and me, Tope lets the darkness consume him, and he stares at me like he considers me a threat to Levi. With a pang of guilt, I know he's right,
I would give anything if I could ignore the hope blossoming in my heart. The one that keeps convincing me there's a chance for Levi and me to live long and happy lives together. All I have to do is figure out a way to get away from my father and The Community.
"How long have you been here? Why didn't you wake me right away?" Levi asks. His questions come quicker than I can respond.
I shake off the guilt I had from talking to Tope and say, "I've only been here for a few minutes. Tope's been keepin' me company by tellin' me what a wonderful person you are. Of course, I already figured that out. And... I didn't wake you because you looked so peaceful. I didn't want to interrupt what looked like wonderful dreams just so you’d know I was here."
Levi leans over and speaks softly into my ear. "Every dream I had last night was of you. You were in my arms. We were kissing. We were... ah-hum... doing other things. You've controlled my every thought since I met you, Em."
I blush. Not because of what Levi said, because that just makes me want to kiss him like we're back in his dreams. It’s the fact that Tope hears him, and Tope's grinding teeth and wrinkled brows tells me he's not happy that Levi and I are getting even closer.
When Levi kisses me—not caring that his cousin is there to witness—I feel self-conscious. At least I do at first. The longer he kisses me... the deeper we kiss... the more I can think of nothing beyond Levi. I need him like I need oxygen.
When I drop my cup to pull him closer into me, the warm liquid splashes up on my legs and shakes me from the daze Levi put me in.
"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry," I say, instantly picking up the cup and frantically wiping the splattered coffee off Levi's bare feet.
He grabs my hand and says, "It's only coffee, Em. It's not a life and death situation. No one here is going to beat you. Stop cleaning. Later, you and I'll go for a swim. That'll take care of it."
I look up into his face and realize he really is different than the men I know. The men I've been raised around would’ve smacked me at least once for the spill even if it was an accident. He means what he says. The accident really doesn't matter to him. I nod.
Then, I hear Levi's stomach growl. "Man, I'm starving. Do we have anything but those damn rations, Tope. Those are disgusting."
My gri
n spreads as wide as Levi's was when he came out of his tent. "I brought you breakfast."
Levi looks at me with a whole new level of respect. "My God, woman! I think I love you!"
I laugh at Levi, but Tope gets angrier, which, of course, I ignore. I spread the quilt out and begin pulling the warm containers from the basket. I've packed everything tight and nestled hot mitts between each dish in order to keep them as warm as possible.
After opening each container, I pull out a plate and stack it high with biscuits covered with red-eye gravy, a ham steak, and eggs. The first plate is given to Levi. He looks at the food like he wants to inhale it but hands the plate to Tope instead.
Tope stares at it with as much disbelief as Levi. I ignore them and go to work making Levi a new plate.
"This smells amazing, Em. We've been hiking a few days. The last thing I thought we'd ever get out here is a home-cooked meal," Levi says, reaching for a fork and digging in.
He eats heartily, stopping periodically to tell me this is the best food he's ever eaten. Even the usually disgruntled Tope looks like he's thankful for the reprieve from the military rations.
With a wrinkled forehead, Levi says, "Aren't you going to eat, Em?"
I suddenly realize I've not tasted a single bite of food in over twenty-four hours (the cereal yesterday morning my last meal), but I shrug and shake my head. The commune women never eat with the men.
Levi puts his half-full plate down, silently refusing to eat unless I eat. I glare at him. "What are you doing? You may want more. If I eat, there won't be any left."
"You've filled our plates with enough food to feed a small army. It's great, but I won't be able to eat any more than what I have. If you don't eat, neither of us will take another bite," Levi says, looking to Tope for his support.
Tope rolls his eyes and puts his plate down, too.
I groan and snatch a biscuit and pour myself another cup of coffee. Biscuits and coffee are my favorite breakfast anyway. Levi grins, picks up his plate, and begins shoveling food into his mouth again.
