by K. Anne
It took me fifteen minutes to finally reach the side road leading to my house. I climbed the steep hill, cursing as I went. I still had another ten minutes of walking to go. My bad mood intensified at that thought.
I tensed when I heard a motorcycle pulling up beside me. I was in the bad part of town, and anyone stopping around here probably wasn’t friendly. Wary, I glanced over as the rider pulled off his helmet. I stopped dead when I saw that it was Cain. Of course he had a motorcycle.
He shut off the engine.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Hop on. I’ll give you a ride.”
I shook my head. “I don’t take rides from strangers.”
“Oh, come on. I’m not a stranger. You look like that hill just kicked your ass. You’ll pass out before you make it to your house.”
I bit my lip as I debated. I really didn’t want to walk anymore, but I’d never been on a motorcycle either. They kind of scared me.
“I don’t like motorcycles,” I finally said.
“Have you ever been on one?” Cain asked.
“Well, no.”
“Then, hop on. I promise I won’t kill you. You’ll be perfectly safe with me. Nothing will happen.”
“Famous last words,” I muttered as I walked over to the bike and climbed on. It took two attempts, but I finally made it.
Cain handed me his helmet and then started the motorcycle back up. “Hold on tight. And by the way, we’re not going home just yet.”
Before I could protest, he took off. I yelped as I flew backward. At the last second, I grabbed Cain’s shirt to keep from falling off. I swore I’d heard him laughing at me. Once I was settled, I wrapped my arms around his stomach and hung on for dear life. He turned and headed back down the hill.
When he turned onto Saltwell Road, I leaned forward and shouted in his ear, “Where are we going?”
He shrugged. “You’ll see.”
I frowned, but I didn’t question him further. I didn’t know Cain very well, but I didn’t think he’d hurt me.
I clung to him as he sped down the winding road, dodging the massive potholes as he went. I had to admit, being on a motorcycle was exhilarating. I let my fear slip away as excitement took hold. I felt free for the first time in a long time. More than that, I felt safe with Cain in control. I wasn’t sure why, but he had a calming effect on me when he wasn’t annoying me.
When we reached the end of the road, he turned onto the interstate and headed north. I tried to shield myself from the wind by huddling against his back. It was warm out, but the wind felt like ice as his speed increased.
I sucked in a shocked breath when Cain rested one of his hands on my knee. The heat from his hand seeped through my jeans, warming my whole body with just his touch. He didn’t move his hand until after he took one of the Fairmont exits. It was only ten minutes, but to me, it felt like an eternity.
I studied the back of his head, wondering where he planned on taking me. I noticed the tip of a tattoo peeking out of the top of his shirt. The urge to pull his shirt back and peer inside to see the rest of his tattoo was almost overwhelming, but I kept my arms wrapped around him instead. If I looked, I was sure he would make some kind of perverted joke.
I stared around as we passed through town and turned down a road that led us farther away from civilization. The ride would have been beautiful if the trees were green. Instead, they were the dull brown color of winter. While the weather was definitely getting warmer, the trees were still sleeping. We drove through a thick grove of pine trees, giving us a splash of green against all the brown.
My eyes widened in surprise as we turned onto a road marked Valley Falls Park. I’d never been here, but I’d heard that it was beautiful. I had no idea how Cain even knew about Valley Falls since he’d just moved to the area.
Cain slowed down as we drove through the park. After a few minutes, he pulled into a parking lot and shut off the motorcycle. I released him and pulled the helmet off of my head as he climbed off the bike.
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I found this place online and wanted to check it out. I figured you might want to get away for a while, so I brought you along.”
“Oh, um…thanks.” I climbed off the bike and looked around.
Despite the mostly brown color of the landscape, the scenery really was beautiful. That was one thing I’d miss when I left West Virginia. I’d always loved the trees and the hills that my state was so famous for. If I attended Texas State, there was a good chance I’d never see them again.
“Come on. I want to show you something.” He started walking toward a trail.
I followed closely behind. Neither of us spoke until the parking lot disappeared from sight.
“Are you planning on taking me out here to murder me?” I asked as I tripped over a rock.
His arm shot out and caught me before I fell. I looked up to see him grinning at me.
“I’d never murder you. I might assault you, but you’d be willing.”
I rolled my eyes as I pulled my arm out of his grasp. “Doubtful.”
We walked for a few minutes before I heard the sound of water hitting against rocks. I knew there were small waterfalls in Valley Falls, but I’d never seen them. When we rounded the corner of the trail, my mouth dropped open. Not even a thousand yards away from us was one of them. I watched in amazement as the water cascaded over the falls and into the stream.
“Oh, wow. It’s beautiful,” I said.
“That’s nothing. Follow me,” Cain said.
I raised an eyebrow, wondering how he knew so much about a place he’d never been to, but I said nothing as he continued up the trail.
I stared at his back, studying him. The cocky walk from school was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his whole body was relaxed. It was as if being out here with nothing but nature calmed him. His black shirt was tight, showing off the muscles in his back and arms. My eyes traveled further down, and I found myself blushing. Cain was an ass most of the time, which meant I shouldn’t be looking at his. I shook my head to clear it.
“Just a little farther,” he called from up ahead.
I’d been so lost in thought that I didn’t realize that he’d picked up his speed, and he was now farther down the trail. I started walking faster, trying to catch up with him. The trail started winding uphill, and I fought to keep up with him. I obviously needed to spend less time in my room and more time working out. Since I’d quit cheerleading, I’d stopped exercising altogether.
I struggled to breathe when we reached the top of the hill. I leaned over and rested my hands against my knees as I willed my heart to stop beating out of my chest.
“You’re out of shape,” Cain pointed out the obvious as he stopped in front of me.
“Thanks for noticing,” I wheezed.
“I’m not being mean about it. I run and lift weights all the time. You’re more than welcome to work out with me.”
I held up a finger until my breathing returned to normal. Once I was standing again, I looked up at him. “Are you kidding me? If I tried to run with you, I wouldn’t last five minutes.”
He shrugged. “So what? I’ll go slow until you build up your strength.”
“You’re serious about this?” I asked, still unsure as to whether he was being nice or making fun of me.
“Well, yeah. What would you do if you had to run from an axe murderer?”
“Trip the person next to me,” I deadpanned.
He laughed. “Somehow, I think you’re talking about me.”
“Depends on whether or not you were being nice to me prior to the murderer chasing us.” I finally cracked a grin.
He smirked at me before holding out his hand. “Come on. You’re about to see the prettiest waterfall around. Granted, that isn’t really saying much since there aren’t many in West Virginia, but still.”
I hesitated before putting my hand in his. He turned and led me through a group of pine tree
s. When we emerged, I saw what he had been talking about.
The waterfall I’d seen earlier was now directly below us. My mouth dropped open in awe as we walked over to a cluster of rocks. I shrieked in surprise when he lifted me up onto one of them. His hands lingered on my hips for a second before releasing me, and then he climbed up himself. I pretended not to notice his lingering hands as I looked around.
“It’s…magical,” I whispered as I stared at the waterfall.
I stepped closer to the edge of the rock and looked down. I gulped before backing up a few steps. Below us were more rocks. The drop was at least thirty feet—enough to shred me if I fell.
“It’s magical and dangerous,” I corrected myself.
“I won’t let you fall. I promise.” Cain sat down on our rock.
I slowly lowered myself and wrapped my arms around my knees. The only sound was the water crashing into the rocks below. I closed my eyes and let the noise drown out everything else around me.
My head jerked up several minutes later when Cain started talking. I had almost forgotten that he was with me.
“When I was younger, Asher and I lived next to a small waterfall. We would go out and play by it whenever we could.”
“That’s cool. What’s it like, having a sibling? I always wanted one, but my mom told me no. I understand why now, but I didn’t know how babies were made when I was little.”
Cain laughed. “Well, when a super sexy guy takes a girl to a waterfall, clothes start to disappear, and then—”
“Cain,” I warned.
“I just thought I’d help you out in case you were still unsure.”
“Anyway,” I said, unable to hide my grin, “tell me about you and Asher.”
“There’s not really much to tell,” Cain said quietly.
“I call bull. You two can barely speak to each other without shooting death glares. Aren’t twins supposed to be super close to each other or something?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Asher and I have a complicated relationship. We’ve never been on the same side. We’ve spent so long being enemies that it’s all I can remember about him most of the time.”
“You guys are in high school. I’m sure that once you graduate and start your own lives, you’ll realize how stupid you’re both being.”
“I doubt that. Asher and I will never see eye to eye. We chose different paths, and there’s no coming back from that.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused. “Like, you’re going to different colleges when you graduate?”
He laughed. “Something like that. Asher’s always been the good brother, the one who does what he’s supposed to. I’m the one no one wanted. I was too rebellious. I made my own choices instead of simply doing what I was told.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t even matter. What’s done is done.”
“I still don’t understand,” I said softly.
“You will eventually.” He glanced over at me, and his expression turned dark. “You’ll wish you didn’t once you know.”
“You’re so strange. You know that, don’t you?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It’s all part of my charm.”
I snorted. “Sure it is.”
I turned my attention back to the waterfall, wondering what had happened between Asher and Cain. It wasn’t any of my business, and I shouldn’t care, but I did. I really liked Asher despite the Jenny drama he’d brought into my life today. I was starting to like Cain, too. The more I talked to him, the more I realized that he wasn’t what he seemed. And both of them had taken up for me today. I hadn’t even bothered to thank either of them. Instead, I’d run away, just like I always did.
Amanda was right. I needed to grow a backbone and stop hiding from everyone. No matter what I did, the rumors about my mom would still be there. I couldn’t hide from them. There was no point. Everyone already knew. I’d been judged over and over by people who I had thought were my friends. I had nothing to lose.
Anger flooded my body as I thought about the last six months. I’d done nothing to anyone. I’d been a victim. I hadn’t deserved the torture I received. When I’d needed the support of my friends the most, they had turned their backs on me. They’d enjoyed my pain, relished in it.
I hated my mother for what she’d done to me. She was supposed to love and protect me. Instead, I’d always been the one to protect her. I’d taken care of her so many times in my short life. When she’d stumble through the door, so drunk she could barely walk, I’d been the one to get her to bed. I’d been the one to put the headache medicine and water on her nightstand. I’d loved her regardless of whether she loved me back. In return, she’d tried to hurt me in the worst possible way.
“You okay over there?” Cain asked.
I clenched my hands in anger as I nodded. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
“Want to talk about it?” He scooted closer.
I shook my head. “Not really. I do want to thank you for today though. You and Asher didn’t have to defend me, but you did. No one’s ever done that for me before.”
“That girl deserved it. It’s as simple as that.”
“You don’t know me. You have no reason to take up for me, yet you did. That tells me a lot about you, Cain.”
He shrugged. “I can be nice when I want to be.”
“I’ve noticed. I think you’re a good guy.”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“No, you really are. I’ve spent the last six months hiding from everyone. I lost every friend I had. If I hadn’t found Amanda, I probably would’ve lost my mind.”
“What happened? I heard what Jenny said, but—”
“It’s true—well, the part about my mom at least. Six months ago, I came home from a football game and found my mom waiting for me in our kitchen. She freaked as soon as she saw me. She started shouting how I had to die because it’s what the Gods wanted. I mean, what kind of wack-job says something like that? Anyway, she pulled a knife out of the drawer and came after me. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I fought her off, but I ended up with a concussion and bruised ribs. The only reason I survived is because I knocked her out with one of her beer bottles.”
Cain pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arm around me. I shivered at the close contact, but I didn’t pull away.
“Hey, don’t cry,” he said quietly.
I hadn’t even realized that I was crying. I quickly wiped away my tears. “Sorry. It’s stupid to cry over it. Crying doesn’t change anything. I just wish I knew what I had done to make her snap.”
“You didn’t do anything,” he said firmly. “I’m sure your mom loves you.”
“Right. Normal moms try to stab their daughters. I really felt the love.”
“I know for a fact that your mom does love you. Something must have happened to cause her to do that.” He hesitated. “Is your mom psychic?”
I glanced up at him. “Why would you ask me something like that?”
“It doesn’t matter. Never mind.” He looked away.
I gave him a questioning look, but I didn’t say anything. My mom wasn’t psychic, not that I believed actual psychics even existed. I had no idea why Cain would have said something like that. The question was just…strange.
“I know it doesn’t seem like it, but everything happens for a reason. One day, you’ll look back and understand why things happened the way they did,” he said.
“One day, I’ll look back and laugh at everyone who abandoned me. As soon as I graduate, I’m leaving West Virginia. I have so many plans for my future, and none of them involve the people who hurt me.”
Cain tensed for a second. “What kind of plans?”
“I’m moving away, probably to Texas, and starting college. I want to be a teacher, silly as it sounds. I want to get married, have a bunch of kids, and just be happy. I have my entire life in front of me, and I’m going to make the most of it, starting now. Amanda was right. I shouldn’t hide. I haven�
�t been living since everything happened. From now on, I’m going to live. I’m not going to cower from people just because they think the worst of me.”
“Sometimes, plans change, Ella,” Cain said softly. “Sometimes, our futures aren’t ours to control.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m in control from now on. If you and Asher want to be my friends, I’m not going to try to stay away. I was horrible to Asher this morning, and it was all because I was scared of what Jenny would do.”
“Jenny is nothing compared to what you’ll have to face. You might as well prepare for it.”
“You really think college will be that bad?” I asked.
He hesitated. “Not just college. Everything is going to be harder from now on.”
“Being an adult stinks,” I muttered.
“You have no idea.”
For almost an hour, we sat together on the rock and watched the waterfall. I had no idea why I was so comfortable around Cain, but I was. It had nothing to do with the way he looked. It was just him. Sure, the fact that I had a super hot guy holding on to me was a plus, but more than that, it was just Cain himself. He was always so sure of himself. He had so much confidence that it made me feel confident, too. Maybe being friends with the brothers would help me deal with my shitty life until it was time for me to leave Shinnston.
Cain finally pulled away, and I instantly missed his touch.
“We’d better head back. It’ll be dark soon, and without the sun, our ride back won’t be fun,” Cain said as he stood up and stretched.
I grabbed the hand he held out and pulled myself up. “Agreed. It was cold enough on the way here.” Until you put your hand on me. Then, I warm right up.
We walked to the edge of the rock, and Cain jumped down. He turned and helped me clamber my way down. Once we were back on level ground, I followed him back down the trail. The walk back to the parking lot was much easier than the one earlier since it was now all downhill.
When we reached Cain’s motorcycle, he handed me the helmet and then climbed on.
“Did you mean what you said about me running with you?” I asked before pulling the helmet over my head.
