by K. Anne
“Yeah. I run after school every day for an hour. You’re welcome to join me.”
“An hour? You can’t be serious.”
“I am. We’ll start out slow for you though. We’ll try half an hour and see how you do. Once you can handle that, we’ll do more.”
“I feel like I’m going to regret this idea.”
“You will at first, but you’ll be glad after you get used to it,” he assured me.
“Fine, but if you laugh at me, I’m going to kick you—hard.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He started the motorcycle.
I clung to him the entire way home. I pretended it was because I was cold, but the truth wasn’t quite that simple. Cain was definitely growing on me.
Asher was waiting on my porch when we pulled up to my house. The moment Cain saw him, I felt his entire body tense up. I gave him a questioning look as I pulled his helmet off of my head and climbed off the bike. He ignored me as he took the helmet and put it on his bike.
“Thanks for the ride home,” I said. “And for everything else.” I started walking toward my house.
When he didn’t reply, I turned to look back. Cain was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, thinking that he was playing a joke on me, but he was truly gone. I shook my head. I’d never seen someone move as fast as he did.
“Where did Cain go?” I asked Asher as I stepped up onto my porch.
“Inside our house. Why?” he said.
“Because he was at his motorcycle one minute and gone the next. I swear, that boy has wings.”
Asher frowned, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he changed the subject. “Where did you go today?”
I sat down on the swing next to him and stared out across my yard. “I had to get away, so I left school. Cain caught up to me and took me for a ride.”
Asher raised an eyebrow. “When I got home from school, I stopped by to check on you, but no one answered. When Cain wasn’t in gym class, I figured he was with you. I hope he didn’t bother you too much. I know he’s hard to handle.”
“Not at all. Truthfully, Cain’s not as bad as I thought he was. He’s kind of growing on me.”
Asher snorted in disbelief. “Cain’s an asshole.”
I frowned. “Sometimes, but he’s also a really nice guy when he wants to be.” I took a deep breath to calm my rising temper. “So, I assume you wanted to talk to me since you’re sitting on my porch. What’s up?”
“I wanted to check on you after what happened at lunch. That girl had no right to say those things about you and your mom. I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble by offering you a ride to school.”
I shook my head. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I was mean to you for no reason. The truth is, I haven’t been myself for a long time. The things Jenny said about my mom are true. She did try to kill me. That was six months ago, and since then, I’ve been hiding from everyone. So many things were said about me after it happened, and I didn’t want people to talk about me anymore, so I kind of disappeared. I was weak. You and Cain standing up for me made me realize that I shouldn’t hide. Not everyone is going to make fun of me, and if they do, they aren’t worth my time. You and Cain barely know me, yet you’ve been kinder to me than the kids I’ve known since kindergarten. So, thank you for what you did. It meant a lot.”
Asher frowned. “I’m sorry about your mom and everything you’ve had to deal with since it happened. People can be really cruel when they want to be. I’ve never understood how some people can act the way they do.”
“Me neither. Even when I was friends with Jenny, I never picked on anyone. I didn’t see the point. I always knew Jenny had a mean streak, but she didn’t really show it in front of me. When I came back after everything happened, the way she changed was like she was a completely different person. I’ve felt so alone these last few months.”
He pulled me close and wrapped his arm around me. “Well, you’re not alone now. You have me.”
“And Cain and Amanda,” I said as I grinned up at him.
He frowned. “I don’t mean to sound like a jerk, but I really think you should avoid Cain. He’s not what he seems. He’s bad news.”
The grin disappeared from my face. “I like Cain, Asher. I’m not sure what’s going on with you guys, but I’m staying out of it. I like both of you. I’m not asking for you two to get along, but I am asking you both to respect my decision to be friends with each of you.”
He ran his hand down his face in aggravation before sighing. “All right, I won’t push the subject, but I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful around him. I don’t want him to convince you to do anything stupid.”
“I’m not an idiot, Asher. No one, including you, can convince me to do something I don’t want to do. I wish one of you would tell me why you dislike each other so much.”
“Cain’s always hated me, Ella. I tried for years to steer him in the right direction, but he refused to listen to me. Finally, I gave up and let him make his own choices. They’ve led him down a path that he can’t come back from. He’s not a good person anymore. One day, you’ll see that for yourself and understand why I can’t stand to be around him.”
“Whatever happened between you two, you can still fix it. I know you can,” I said.
He shook his head. “It’s out of our hands now. Cain chose his path, and I chose mine.” He pulled away from me and stood up. “I should probably head home. I’ll see you tomorrow. I can give you a ride to school if you want.”
“I’d appreciate that. My uncle won’t have a chance to look at my car until this weekend to see what’s wrong with it.”
He nodded. “You can ride with me for as long as you want. I don’t mind.”
“Thanks, Asher. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I called after him.
He walked across our yards and disappeared inside his house. Then, I stood and walked into mine.
I headed straight for the kitchen and started on dinner. Usually, I would have had dinner finished already, but my trip with Cain had thrown me behind.
By the time I finished making barbeque ribs, Uncle Jack made it home. He dropped his suitcase off in his office before heading into the kitchen. I set the table and brought the ribs and mashed potatoes to the table as he grabbed two glasses.
“How was your day?” he asked once we were sitting.
“It was…okay. Jenny was her usual loving self at lunch.”
I never hid what the other kids and their parents said about me. More than once, Uncle Jack had listened to me cry over their cruelness.
His brow creased in worry. “Do I need to call the school?”
He’d asked me that countless times, and I always told him no. I didn’t want to involve the school any more than I had to. I could handle things on my own.
“No, I’m fine. Our new neighbors took up for me. It was kind of funny to watch them put Jenny in her place.”
“New neighbors?” he asked.
“Yeah, they’re twin brothers. They just moved here from Colorado with their mom. Didn’t you notice the For Sale sign was gone?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. I’ve been swamped at work though, so I’m not surprised. Are these boys nice? Or should I worry about leaving you by yourself?”
I laughed. “I can handle Cain and Asher. Cain is a little rough around the edges, but once you wear him down, he’s not so bad. Asher is super sweet. I really like both of them.”
He relaxed a little. “It’s good to hear that you’ve made two new friends. I hate that you’re alone most of the time.”
I shrugged. “I’m used to it. Mom left me alone a lot more than you do.”
“Have you thought about what I asked you? About your mom, I mean.”
I looked away. “The answer is still no. I’m not ready to see her again.”
Over the past month, Uncle Jack had repeatedly asked me to go see my mother. I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t ready to see her again, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be.
What did he think would happen? I doubted if she would welcome me with open arms. The woman hated me enough to try to end my life. There was no way that she’d greet me with a hug and kiss.
“I’ve talked with her doctors several times. She refuses to speak about that night, but they said she’s doing really well otherwise. She hasn’t had a drink since she attacked you, and it seems that sobriety has changed her for the better. I think if she saw you, it would help. She probably assumes you hate her.”
“I do hate her, Uncle Jack. How could I not?”
“Your mother wasn’t well, Ella. She wasn’t thinking clearly. I know you haven’t had the best life, but you can’t turn your back on her when she needs you.”
“I can, and I will.” I pushed my plate away and stood. “I’m suddenly not very hungry. I’m going to my room.”
He called my name as I hurried out of the kitchen, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t want to talk about my mom anymore. Even the mention of her was painful to me. The thought of seeing her again made me physically ill.
I showered and climbed into bed, cursing myself for leaving school without any of my books. I had homework in all three of the classes I’d shown up for, and I had no way of completing it. Hopefully, I could get it done in first period.
Just as I was drifting off, I heard a motorcycle starting up outside.
Cain.
I shot out of bed and walked to my bedroom window. I caught a glimpse of him just before he disappeared down the road. I had no idea where he was going this late at night.
Cain was a mystery I was determined to solve.
The next morning, I dressed and headed downstairs. Uncle Jack was sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee and looking through the papers spread out across the kitchen table. I grabbed a granola bar and started munching on it as I sat down across from him.
I glanced down at the papers, curious to see what he was working on. After a few seconds of staring at graphs, I gave up.
“By the way, my car won’t start. It just clicks when I turn the key over.”
He looked up at me. “I’ll look at it this weekend. It might be the starter or the battery. Do you want me to give you a ride to school?”
I shook my head. “No, Asher is driving me.”
He set his pen down and studied me. “I’m not sure how I feel about you being in a car with a boy.”
I rolled my eyes at his attempt at parenting. “Trust me, Uncle Jack, you have nothing to worry about. I’m leaving in a few months. Boys are the last thing on my mind.” Kind of. I wasn’t so sure anymore. Two days with the Collins brothers¸ and I felt like my world had been turned upside down.
Satisfied with my answer, Uncle Jack turned his attention back to the papers in front of him. “Good. I’d hate to have to put the fear of God in a horny teenager.”
I laughed as I stood up. “Now, that’s something I’d like to see. You’re too nice to be mean.”
I kissed him on the cheek before heading outside.
I didn’t see Asher or his car anywhere, so I walked across our yards and up the steps to their front door.
I always loved this house, but I’d never been inside. The woman who had owned it before was mean. As horrible as it was to say, I had been glad when her daughter forced the old lady to move in with her. Since she’d moved almost four months ago, I hadn’t had to deal with the woman giving me the evil eye from her living room window every time I stepped outside.
The three-story house was huge compared to the other houses on this street. It even made Uncle Jack’s two-story house look like a child’s plaything. The layout worked so that the house was U-shaped. Just before my mean neighbor had moved, she’d paid someone to paint the exterior bright white color, and the fairly new shingles on the roof were black.
I knocked on the door and stepped back to wait for Cain, Asher, or their mom to answer. I examined the porch as I waited, noticing the potted plants hanging every few feet. A couple of pieces of porch furniture sat near a grill that my uncle would kill for.
The door swung open, and I turned back around. My mouth dropped open in surprise as I stared at a shirtless Cain…or Asher. I wasn’t sure whom I was staring at, and I really didn’t care. My eyes traveled down his body, taking in the hard muscles of his chest and stomach before following the deep V that disappeared into a pair of jeans that were almost low enough to be indecent. I blushed when I realized that I’d been staring for a solid minute without saying anything. My eyes quickly traveled back up his body to his face.
“Um…hi,” I finally managed to say.
He grinned, the amusement in his eyes letting me know that I’d been caught staring at him. “Morning. I’m almost ready. You can come inside for a few if you want.”
Asher.
If it were Cain, he would have mercilessly tortured me.
I sighed in relief before nodding. “Thanks.”
He stepped aside, so I could walk into the house. I stared, taking in every little detail. I’d wanted to see the inside of this house forever.
“You can wait here or in the living room. It’s on the right. I’ll be back in just a minute.”
I watched as Asher turned and headed up the stairs. My eyes locked on the tattoo on his back. That surprised me. Asher didn’t seem like the type of person to get a tattoo. I couldn’t see it well, but what I could see was impressive. The tattoo covered his entire back. I could make out the form of an angel’s silhouette surrounded by heavenly light and other angels. It looked like the angel was holding a sword, but I wasn’t sure.
Asher disappeared once he was at the top of the stairs, leaving me to wonder what the tattoo meant. With the angel tattooed across his back, it seemed pretty obvious that Asher was religious. Religion wasn’t something I really thought about. My mother had always been too drunk to attend church on Sunday mornings. It shocked me to realize that I had no idea if she was religious or not. Since she never mentioned it, I assumed that she wasn’t. As for my beliefs, I really didn’t have any. If some higher being were out there, he or she had obviously forgotten about me a long time ago.
I remembered seeing the tip of a tattoo sticking out of Cain’s shirt yesterday. I couldn’t help but wonder if his matched Asher’s. If so, the brothers obviously had something in common.
Asher returned a few minutes later. I was in the living room by that time, sitting on the couch and taking in the room. It was nice but sparsely decorated with no pictures hanging on the walls. It looked more like a display home living room rather than an actual living room. Besides the couch, chair, end tables, and television, the room was completely empty.
“Ready?” Asher asked.
I nodded and followed him outside. We walked side by side to his garage. The door lifted, and Asher’s car came into view. I’d expected Cain’s motorcycle to be inside, too, but it was noticeably absent.
“Did Cain leave already?” I asked.
Asher nodded. “He’s usually gone by the time I wake up.”
“Where does he go? Somehow, I doubt he’s at school already.”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. I’m sure he’s getting in trouble wherever he is,” Asher said.
We climbed into his car. I frowned but said nothing as he backed out of the garage. I hated how Cain and Asher acted toward each other. Asher was always so nice, except for when I mentioned Cain. I had expected him to at least be civil with his brother. That obviously wasn’t the case.
“Did you understand the math homework last night?” Asher asked.
“I didn’t bring my book home with me, so I didn’t even get a chance to look at it.”
“You can copy mine if you want. I think I got most of them right. Same for our science homework.”
“Thanks,” I said sincerely. “I wasn’t really thinking when I took off yesterday.”
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”
When we arrived at school, I suddenly felt nervous. I had no idea if Jenny would try anything today. Hopefully, her lit
tle showdown with Cain and Asher would keep her from her usual antics. I squared my shoulders as I climbed out of Asher’s car. I wouldn’t let her intimidate me any longer. She’d made me miserable for the last six months. That was far too long. From now on, I would hold my head high, and I’d stop hiding in the shadows.
“You okay?” Asher asked as we walked toward the school.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I just thought after yesterday…” He trailed off.
“I’m fine. I told you last night. I’m done hiding. From now on, I’m going to stand up for myself.”
He smiled. “Glad to hear it.”
I linked my arm through his just as we reached the school. Once we walked inside, I led him to a table and sat down. Since we were here a few minutes earlier than normal, I wanted to check over his homework and copy it. It wasn’t my proudest moment, but it was better than getting an F on two assignments.
People turned to look at us, but no one said anything. I ignored them as Asher pulled his notebook and books out of his bag and handed them to me. We went over each problem together, double-checking to see if he had them right. Quite a few of his math problems were wrong. I showed him his mistakes and helped correct them, and then I wrote out my problems.
“I thought I was helping you, but I think it’s the other way around,” Asher joked.
I frowned. “Not at all. I really appreciate you doing this with me. I’m really good at math. If you want, I can help you out if you’re having trouble.”
He looked relieved. “Math is something I don’t understand. I’ll take any help I can get.”
I patted his shoulder before closing his math book and opening his science book. “It’s way easier than science.”
“I’m good at science. We can work together to survive our classes.”
“Cool.” I copied his science homework without even checking it.
“Want to meet tonight? I have some stuff to do after school, but I can come by your place around eight.”
“That’s fine. I think I’m going to start working out with Cain. That’ll give me plenty of time to exercise and then shower. I’d hate to force you to sit next to me if I smelled bad.”
