The Scars Between Us

by Schiller, MK

  I break down, my cries quiet, covered by the sound of moving water. He takes me in his arms while I sob against his chest. When I can cry no more, I lift my head. “I’m ready.” I undo the lid of the urn, which I’ve been clutching like a life preserver. I can let you go now, mom. But you are always with me.

  “Okay, Emma.”

  We stand at the railing. My hands shake so hard I’m afraid of dropping the whole urn. Aiden puts his hands over mine, steadying them. The ashes blow away from us, scattering in all directions over the shimmery water. I feel her presence. I can even hear her once more, whispering Love you, Sunshine, just as she did whenever we said good-bye over the years.

  I undo the clasp of the watch. I hold it up, the second hand moving too fast. “Aiden, I love that you fixed this for me. You have no idea how much it meant, but I don’t need to wear it anymore. You were right. I have the memories of them. I need to move on.”

  He kisses my temples. “Well then, let it go, Emma.”

  I throw it in the water. We watch it disappear down into the depths. He pulls out a note from his pocket. It’s the same one he clutched the night he cried in front of the urn.

  “This is the note she wrote the day she met with me.” He takes a deep breath and rips it. The pieces fly away. “I forgive you, Amy. Rest in peace.” His voice is thick, but he swallows back his emotion. I take him in my arms and comfort him.

  “You can cry, Aiden. There is no weakness in sorrow.”

  He does. We hold each other for a long time.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Emma

  Aiden pulls the boat up to the dock. He leaves the keys as Sid instructed then jumps off and offers me his hand to help me onto the dock.

  “Go ahead to the car. I’ll be there in a minute,” he says as he goes to tie up the boat.

  “Let me help.” I place the empty urn on the edge of the dock and take the other rope, copying Aiden’s knot on the opposite post.

  “Let’s get the hell out of Linx, Cooper.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Aiden turns around. The transformation in him happens so quickly I think I might be dreaming. His stare turns so cold that I shiver, and his green eyes glitter with a strange combination of restrained fury…and maybe fear. I can’t describe it any other way. It scares the shit out of me. But he’s not looking at me. I follow his gaze to the man approaching the dock.

  “Aiden, you really planning to leave town without saying hello?” The man says in a raspy voice. He is tall, but not as tall Aiden. His face is wrinkled, his hair thinning, but beneath that there is a muscular frame.

  “Who is this, Aiden?”

  “No one. Go to the car and wait for me.”

  But I am frozen. I am afraid to leave him.

  The man keeps walking until he is a few feet from us. He lets out a low whistle. “Hell, I wouldn’t have even recognized you if I passed you on the street.”

  “We don’t want any trouble. But if you take one more step, I will kill you.”

  My stomach sours trying to digest Aiden’s words. His jaw is taut as the rest of his body goes rigid.

  The man narrows his eyes, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening. “You didn’t have the guts to do it the first time. You had a gun, but you still couldn’t pull the trigger.”

  Aiden’s fist clenches. “Things are different now. I don’t need a gun.”

  I blink with the realization this is Aiden’s father. But he’d told me his father was dead. The man juts his chin toward me. “And who is this? Your girlfriend?”

  “She is not your concern. You don’t talk to her. You don’t look at her.”

  “I’ll do as I please.” He walks toward me. Aiden moves to block him. His aggressive stance stops the man, who shrinks back from it. But Aiden marches forward. The man takes a backward step with Aiden’s every advance.

  “Are you really going to dishonor that uniform?” the man asks, but Aiden isn’t listening. He’s somewhere else. I call his name to snap him out of whatever nightmare he’s living, but he doesn’t respond.

  “You willing to test me?”

  The man raises his hands in surrender. “I just want to talk, son.”

  “I’m not your son. I’m done listening to your poison, Harlan.”

  The man is edging to the dock. I go to grab Aiden’s arm because he is not threatening. He will kill this man.

  Harlan takes one more step back and trips over the urn. The water splashes as he crashes into it. He surfaces once, his arms flaying as the current carries him away.

  Aiden stares after him.

  “Aiden!” I scream. I push against his chest. But it’s like I’m not even there. “Aiden, he’s going to drown.”

  “Let him.”

  A chill runs down my back. I don’t think about all the psychological ramifications Aiden is going through. All I know is that if we don’t do anything a man will die. I throw off my shoes and jump in the water.

  The current is much stronger than I imagined. I swim with it, but it drains my energy quickly. The river is cold and deep and dark. By the time I reach him, I’m struggling to stay afloat. I wrap my arms around him and bring his head above the water so he can breathe. Water gurgles from his mouth, but he is alive. He blinks at me.

  “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

  He puts his arms around me. It drags both of us down. He’s like an anchor tied to my waist. The water covers me. I am in the darkness. I lift my head; the sun skims the surface but it looks miles away. I try to swim up, all the while he clasps me so tight I can’t hold my breath or move my limbs. It occurs to me I will die. I will die in this fucking river. Just as the thought enters my mind, the weight is gone and I’m being lifted toward the sun. I gasp for breath. Aiden has me in one arm and Harlan in the other.

  I cough out a lungful of water. “Emma. Emma, look at me.”

  My body acclimates to breathing air again. “I can swim. I’m okay.” I look at Harlan, whose eyes have closed. “You take him.”

  I start back toward the dock, my arms burning with each stroke. I look back to make sure Aiden is following me. He isn’t. He’s right beside me with Harlan in his arms.

  I must weigh a million pounds because I can barely lift myself onto the dock. It takes two tries, but I manage it. I put my arms under Harlan’s shoulders as Aiden lifts him. Aiden comes out of the water, dressed in nothing but his boxers. His discarded uniform lays on the dock.

  We are both on our knees, breathing heavily. Harlan’s body is completely still. His face has a bluish tint. A man and woman in fishing gear stand in shock. But they don’t offer to help. They just watch like we are some kind of freak show.

  “Call 911,” I scream at them.

  I place my ear over Harlan’s heart. The pulse is faint but it’s there. “Aiden, Aiden, listen to me.” I grip his shoulder to get his attention because talking is difficult. “We have to do CPR,” I pant. “Do you know how?” Aiden nods, but his eyes still hold the same rage when he looks at the helpless man. Aiden is still living in some nightmare. I need his help. I slap him to wake him from it. “Can you do this, Sheffield?”

  He blinks, but his eyes are normal again. His teeth clench, but he nods. “Yes.”

  “You do the compressions.” It’s funny the things you remember in the middle of panic, but the lifeguard course at the YMCA comes back to me with a precise clarity. I tilt Harlan’s head back, sweeping my fingers around his mouth to remove any debris. There is no water, though. I pull out a wad of what appears to be chewing tobacco. I try to fling it off but it sticks to my fingers like glue. I wipe it against my dress. I lower Harlan’s jaw to open his mouth. Plugging his nose, I take a deep breath readying to breathe life into him. But before I can do anything Aiden’s hand clamps over my shoulder.

  “I’ll do that part. You do the compressions.” Aiden’s expression of disgust silences any objections. We trade places. I keep my arms straight, clasp my hands together and place them on Harlan’s ch
est. I force my whole weight into the act.

  Aiden seals the man’s mouth with his own, blowing air into him. It takes three tries before he coughs up water. Aiden turns him to his side.

  I’m so tired, I almost collapse, but Aiden lifts me off the ground. He picks up his jacket and puts it around me.

  “Listen to me, Cooper. Listen good. My keys are in here.” He takes my hand and places it over the pocket. “You take the car and you drive. You don’t stop driving until you get at least fifty miles outside of this fucking town. My cell and wallet are in the car. You check into a hotel. Then call Carson and tell him what happened here.”

  I shake my head, clouds of confusion circling me. He shakes my shoulders. Somewhere in the distance I hear sirens. “You have to go!”

  “What the fuck did happen here?”

  “I am going to be arrested.” Aiden says it with such certainty I don’t doubt him, but it still doesn’t make sense to me.

  “For what? You saved his life.”

  Aiden looks down at the man. He’s got his eyes open and is staring at us. “That’s not how he’s going to tell it.”

  “But there are witnesses,” I say, gesturing to the man and woman, but they are gone.

  “This town works differently, Emma. You have to go.”

  “I’m not leaving you. Besides, I’m a witness, too.”

  He shakes his head. “This has nothing to do with you. I’ll be fine as long as you do what I ask. Please go.”

  I grip his arms. “I’m not leaving you, Aiden.”

  He pushes me. The gesture is so shocking I stumble back. The sound of the sirens is getting closer. My heart is beating even faster than when I first emerged from the water.

  “Go. Go now. And don’t fucking look back.”

  His plea is desperate, but he is also calm, as if he’s accepted a fate I cannot see.

  I turn and run away. I get into the car. I look at him once. He mouths the word “go,” and I turn the ignition.

  I pull away from the pier, but I don’t leave. I park some distance away where I can still see him through the leaves of a huge sycamore tree. The police and paramedics descend on the scene, surrounded by a few gapers. Harlan’s voice is even raspier than before, but it’s loud enough to carry to me.

  “He tried to kill me. I told you he would come for me and finish the job.”

  “Who?” an officer asks.

  “My own fucking son. That’s Aiden,” he says, pointing. “He looks different but he’s still the same kid…the same monster.”

  They all look unsure for a moment until he confirms his identity. Three officers push him to his knees and cuff him. It happens just as he said it would. Everything has happened so fast, I cannot even grasp it all. But I do know this. Aiden needs me. I won’t abandon him, not even when he asks me to.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Emma

  I follow the ambulance to the hospital, its siren mimicking my beating heart. I scrounge through my bag until I find a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt. I can’t exactly show up dripping wet. I empty the pockets of Aiden’s Marine jacket before carefully sealing it up in the garment bag. If there is any piece of clothing which deserves respect, it’s this. I change in the bathroom, throwing my black dress in the trash. I wring out my wet hair and comb through the tangles before I twist it into a bun. I wash the dirt from my face. My hands grip the basin as I lean my forehead against the cold glass mirror.

  I’m going take care of this, Aiden. I won’t leave you.

  I take a deep breath and walk to the hospital information desk with a confidence I don’t feel.

  “Can you tell me where Harlan Sheffield’s room is? He was just brought in.”

  The woman glances at me curiously. “He’s in emergency right now. Are you family? Only family can go back there.”

  “Yes,” I lie.

  “And who exactly are you?” There is something more than suspicion. She lowers her glasses, gazing at me in a way that makes me feel exposed. Her smile is wry and calculated. She wants the information, but not because she needs it. She wants gossip.

  “I’m Amy’s daughter,” I say, hoping the admission will get me through the doors.

  She quirks an eyebrow, her jaw dropping so far, the lines around her mouth smooth out. “Well, isn’t that quite something.”

  “May I see him? I’m in a hurry.”

  She clicks a few strokes on her computer. “Exam room 106. I’ll buzz you through the doors.”

  This is the smallest hospital I’ve even seen. Only one story, yet the corridors are very long. My flip-flops squeak on the tile floor, and the flicker of the fluorescent lights causes my head to pound. I pass a few people, who all give me curious, unwelcoming glances, but for the most part the hospital is vacant…almost eerily so. There is something very wrong about this town.

  But I march on because this is ridiculous. Aiden needs me. I need to talk to the one man who can set him free. Aiden said he’d rather go to hell than Linx. But he did…for me. Now, it’s my turn, even if it means reasoning with the devil.

  Oh my God, we saved the fucking devil! The thought nauseates me. I swallow down the bile and square my shoulders. We had to do it. After all, isn’t that what makes the two of us stand on the right side of the judgment line?

  Exam room 106 has a curtain around it.

  “No good deed,” I mutter before I open it.

  He’s lying in bed in a hospital gown. He’s just an old man. He looks weak and helpless. Get your shit together, Cooper. He may be the stuff of Aiden’s nightmares, but he isn’t dangerous. Not anymore.

  “You’re Aiden’s girlfriend?”

  “My name is Emma Cooper.” He stares vacantly as if it doesn’t mean a thing. Of course, he wouldn’t know her by her married name. “I’m Amy’s daughter,” I blurt out.

  His jaw drops. “Amy’s daughter?” he repeats. “Your name is Emma Cooper?”

  “Yes, after she got away from you, she rebuilt her life and married a good man. If my father knew what you put her through, he would have gutted you like a fish.” My voice is cold and distant as if someone else is pulling the strings. But I have to keep it that way because I can’t unleash the real fury building in me.

  “Calm down and have a seat,” he says, gesturing to the chair. I take it. “Why are you here?”

  “I want you to tell the police the truth. Aiden saved your life.”

  “He pushed me into the water.”

  “It didn’t happen like that. You tripped.”

  “And why did I trip? Have you thought of that?”

  A nurse pulls the curtain back, the rings scraping against the metal track. The sound might as well be nails on a chalkboard.

  “How are you doing, Harlan?” she asks.

  He pulls back the cover, lifting his leg. A monitor device is around his red, swollen ankle. “Please Margie, this really hurts. You need to take it off.”

  “I have to call your PO, first. I can’t get a hold of him.”

  “Margie, you know me, sweetheart. Although the law failed me, I will never fail it. Please, dear, help me.”

  I watch her face. His sales pitch has hooked her. Her expression is one of sympathy. “Of course, Harlan. Let me get the doctor.”

  He turns back to me, using the same tactics. “They let me out of prison early.” He gestures to his leg. “But they gave me this parting gift.” He lifts himself, wincing in pain. “How is your mother?”

  The way he assesses me as if he’s trying to memorize my features sickens me. But there is something about his gray eyes that is oddly familiar, almost comforting in a twisted way. That sickens me even more. “I’m not looking to have a friendly chat with you. I want you to make the call and tell the truth.”

  “Your truth?”

  “There is only one truth. We were both at the dock. We both know what happened.” My fists curl around the arms of the chair. “All his life, you’ve tortured him. You got punished, but it was better than you
deserved. Whatever sick, twisted revenge you have in mind isn’t going to happen. This ends now. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Aiden.”

  “I wouldn’t have spent twelve years in prison if it wasn’t for Aiden. I wouldn’t have lost the only woman I ever loved. I loved Amy with everything I had. It’s Emma, right?”

  His words shock me so much that I almost forget how much I hate him. But I only have to conjure the image of Aiden’s body to remember. I nod in answer to his question.

  “Who is Aiden to you? You must care about him very much to be here. You may not be here for a social visit, but you’re asking me to do something mighty huge. I need to have a few questions answered for myself. Where is your mother, sweetheart?”

  “My mother’s dead. We were spreading her ashes. She had a great life after she left you. She met a man who treated her the way a woman should be treated. My father gave her enough love and courage so she could rebound from the horror of her life with you.”

  I almost think I am having a hallucination as a fat tear rolls down his cheek. “I need you to tell me how you met Aiden. Don’t leave anything out.”

  “I’m not telling you a damn thing.”

  “Then I can’t help you.”

  I give him a few short sentences about my parents dying and going to find Aiden.

  “I’m so sorry about Amy. I did love her. It was a horrible life for her. I don’t blame her for leaving me.”

  “You don’t beat people you love.”

  “Did Aiden tell you I beat her?”

  “Your handiwork is written all over his body. Don’t you feel any remorse?”

  He leans toward me. “Emma, I need you to listen to what I’m saying.”

  The nurse pulls back the curtain and holds up a drill. “I’m ready to take it off, Harlan.”

  “Not now, Margie. Come back. I need a moment.”

  She looks between us. “But you’re in pain.”

  “I can live with this pain. There are some things I cannot live with. Please…give us some privacy.”