Pulling up to the next house I needed to go to, I almost turned around. I didn’t really want to do this, but it was for the best. Right now it needed to be done, no matter what the both of us thought.
Readying myself, I ran my hand through my hair once more before leaving my car. Going to Gage’s was easier than this, and going to Gage’s was definitely not easy. Setting my pride aside to go and see him was something I never thought I would do.
Going to the front door, I rang the doorbell and impatiently waited for the door to open. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Breaking up with someone was always hard. Normally it wasn’t too hard for me because I never really let myself get too attached to the girl, but Amy was different. The two of us actually loved one another, which just made this harder.
The door opened a minute later and Amy came into view.
“Ethan? What are you doing here?” she asked, confused.
“I came to talk to you about something.” Confused, she nodded and let me brush past her.
As I entered her house, I noticed there were boxes near the front door. Raising an eyebrow, I turned to Amy.
“Is everything okay?” It was then I noticed her eyes were red and she didn’t look too good. “Amy, are you okay?” I stepped toward her and grabbed her hands in mine. She started to nod, but suddenly started to cry instead. She launched herself into my arms.
I held her against me as she cried. I didn’t know what was going on, so I just held her, letting her know I was here. It took a good ten minutes before she calmed down enough to tell me what was wrong.
“M-my mom is leaving.” She hiccupped.
“Wait? Why?”
“S-she’s been cheating on my dad for a while now, and he finally found out. She decided she was leaving to be with her boy toy.” She wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Your mom cheated on your dad?”
“He wants to work it out, but she doesn’t want to.” I pulled her back into my arms. Amy never really talked about her parents. I knew her dad worked at some big company but that was about it. When she did mention him, she would rapidly change the subject.
“Ethan.” She hiccupped against my neck. “I’ve known for a few months now.” Now it made sense. Why she never brought her mother up; why she would talk about cheating as if it were a crime. And it even made sense why she changed from who she was before.
Even though I didn’t know her well when I was in high school, I knew she was the kind of girl who went out with a lot of guys. Hell, I mean, that was how we met. The two of us were drunk, we ran into each other, and next thing you know we were sleeping together.
One day she just stopped wearing revealing clothing and started being a little more conservative. Everyone had noticed how different she had been acting these last few months, but even I could say I didn’t think anything of it. Nothing like this.
“You haven’t told anyone?” I asked softly. She shook her head and cried harder into my shoulder.
In a way she was like me. I knew about Gage and me for a good week before I finally told Carter. Amy had known about her mother cheating on her father for a few months. I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like. A week felt like forever, I couldn’t imagine what a few months would do to a person.
“I-I went to go meet her at work one day. I wanted to tell her about you and how we were dating, but when I walked in, she was…she was screwing her fucking boss on her desk!” Her body shook against mine. “I left before she saw me.”
“Oh, Amy.” I breathed out, pushing my face into her hair. I said sweet nothings in her ear as she cried. I had no clue how to comfort a crying girl, but what I was doing seemed to be working. I actually felt a little proud for calming her down a bit.
“How could she do this to us, Ethan? How?” I asked myself that exact same question not too long ago. I had no answer for her, or for me. The universe is just a bitch, I guess.
“It will be okay, babe.” I ran my hand down her hair as she gripped onto my jacket. After standing there for another few minutes, I picked her up in my arms and carried her to the living room, which was to the left of us. I gently sat down and set her on my lap. Her legs were wrapped around my waist, my arms around hers.
She quietly sobbed into my shoulder and I sat there letting her. Clearly this wasn’t what I thought would happen when I came here. I was going to break up with her. Try to figure some things out and get my head straight. But now sitting, with Amy wrapped around me, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to break her any more than she already was.
The thing is, the two of us were broken. We both had things going on that had broken us into pieces, things our own parents have done to us. Sitting here with her and knowing she was going through almost the same thing as me, I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to let go.
Amy didn’t know it, but being here was actually helping me. Helping me get my mind off my own messed-up life. She made me feel like I was needed, and that I wasn’t alone. She knew about this whole thing with Gage; she even held me as I cried to her the night of the Christmas party.
That night I got super drunk at a bar and found myself here at her house, crying. Crying like a pussy. I hadn’t cried since I was a little boy, but the moment she pulled me into a hug, I broke down. I cried for my parents never being around, cried for my dad doing this, and I cried for how alone I felt.
She made me feel better and helped me pick up some of the pieces. So now it was my turn. My turn to make sure she didn’t fully break, and that she got pieced back together. Cause you know…sometimes when you are broken, you just need someone there to help put you back together.
A good fifteen minutes later Amy calmed down and pulled away from me. She wiped her eyes and sent me a shaky smile. I gave her one back and reached up, wiping one tear she didn’t get. She closed her eyes and leaned into my hand.
Staring at her made my heart swell. Her sitting there looking so vulnerable, I never knew she could be any prettier. The thing about Amy is, she is beautiful on the outside and that is all people see. But she is more than you think. She is smart, funny, sweet, and kind.
Because of people only liking her for her looks, I think she decided to just become the person everyone thought she was. Someone she really isn’t. So sitting here seeing her this way—no makeup, baggy clothing, hair everywhere, red nose and eyes—she never looked more beautiful to me.
“W-what did you want to talk to me about?” she asked, sniffling. I looked at her and smiled.
“Nothing. Nothing important.” I grabbed her and hugged her once more. Breaking up with her was definitely not the right decision, and I wasn’t going to do it. Instead I was going to let her fix me while I did the same to her.
Chapter Seven
Carter
“You are still sulking, aren’t you?” Macey asked, coming into my room. I was stalking Gage’s Facebook. He didn’t have much on it other than a few pictures, but nothing from this year.
“No, I’m not,” I muttered, shutting my computer and setting it aside.
“Yes, you are. It has been a week. You need to get out of the house.” She came more into my room and looked around.
It had been days since I heard from Gage, and I may or may not have been going crazy. Who knew I was so dependent on the damn boy? I hadn’t done much but sit around the house, eating or watching TV. I was pretty sure my parents were getting sick of me by now.
“I don’t need to get out of the house.” I flopped back against my pillows.
“Yes, you do. Have you even showered in the last seven days?” I stayed silent, not answering. “Okay, that is it. You are going to get your ass out of bed and shower. You stink!” I felt a hand on my arm before I was yanked upwards. I looked at Macey, only to be met with angry green eyes.
“Up. Now.” Macey looked very angry. With wide eyes, not sure what she would do, I nodded. While she watched me, I finally got out of bed and headed for the shower. I glan
ced over my shoulder to see her standing there, hands on her hips, staring after me with a hard look on her face. Not wanting to face her wrath, I picked up my pace and shut the bathroom door behind me.
Glancing in the mirror, I groaned. I looked like crap. My brown hair was falling out of its bun and looked disgusting, since I hadn’t washed it since the night of the party. My face was pale, and I had bags under my eyes. No wonder my brother and Ethan kept giving me weird looks.
Sighing, I started the water and took off my sweater and sweats, the two things I had been living in lately. When I stepped into the warm shower, I closed my eyes. I stood there under the water for a few minutes, already feeling better.
It took me another good fifteen minutes to wash my hair and body before I finally got out. My fingers were pruned, but I felt a lot better. I dried off and wrapped the towel around me before I left my bathroom to get dressed. When I came out of the bathroom, I noticed Macey was still there. She sat on my bed texting.
“Feel better?” she asked, not even looking up from her phone.
“Actually, yes.” I nodded.
“Good. Now let’s get you dressed and we can go.” She set her phone aside and went over to my closet.
“Go where?” I asked.
“Anywhere. You need to get out of the house for a few hours. Fresh air will do you good.” She leafed through the clothing that I left in my closet, which was still a lot.
“Here, wear these.” She tossed pieces of clothing in my direction. I caught them just in time. Knowing not to argue, I shook my head, going over to my dresser to grab some underwear. Once I had what I needed, I went back to the bathroom to change.
I didn’t really want to admit it, but I was kind of excited to get out of the house. I had been cooped up for seven days, and I was missing the outside world, although that was my fault. I guess I just needed a push to get me going. If not, I’d spent my entire winter break staring at my phone, willing for it to buzz, or drowning myself in food.
I slid on the black leggings, jumping up and down for a good minute. Once I had them on, I pulled on a really cute sweater that had hearts. I had forgotten about this sweater, honestly; it was one of those that I wore nonstop last year, then forgot about it months later. That was all Macey gave me, so once I was done, I walked out of the bathroom.
Macey stood next to my vanity, turning a curling wand on, and she already had makeup out on the table. I raised an eyebrow at that.
“Are we going somewhere fancy or something?” I found myself asking.
“Carter, you look like you came back from dying. We need to get some color back into you and cover those bags up.” I tried not to be offended and knew she was right about my complexion. I wasn’t looking my best.
Not arguing, I plopped down in the seat and let Macey do her thing. I needed a miracle to cover up these bags. About twenty minutes later, and with of cursing from both me and Macey, we were done. I finally looked presentable. My hair looked clean and my face had some color back in it.
“Okay, now that you aren’t going to embarrass me, let’s get out of here.”
“Thanks for that,” I muttered, rolling my eyes at her.
“You are welcome. Make sure to put the jacket and boots on. It is really cold outside.” While Mace fixed her own makeup, I finished getting dressed. Once the both of us were ready, she led me out of my room.
When we got downstairs, my mom was coming out of the kitchen. The moment she saw us, she stopped in her tracks and stared wide-eyed at me.
“You are up!”
“Mom, it isn’t like I just came out of a coma.”
“With the way you looked, you did.”
“Hey!”
“Just telling you the truth, honey.” My mom sent me a smile. “Anyway, where are you girls off to?”
“I’m taking Carter out for a bit. We won’t be too long,” Macey said. I noticed her sending my mom a wink.
“Okay, well, have fun and be careful!” My mom suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. I didn’t have a chance to hug her back before she pulled away and moved past us.
“That was weird,” I commented to which Macey just shrugged.
“Come on.” She waved me on, and we left the house and started for her car in the driveway. I wanted to ask where we were going, but the cold, fresh air made me stop. Mace was right; it was cold out. But it was almost refreshing as I stood in the driveway taking deep breaths. The cold was a telltale sign that Christmas was just around the corner.
Hearing Macey calling my name, I shook my head and quickly walked over to her car. The moment I got in, I realized I was a lot colder than I supposed. The two of us huddled in the car as we waited for it to get warmer. When it finally did, we started on our way. Even though I had no clue where we were going, I smiled looking out the window. It felt nice to get out.
As we drove, I found myself relaxing and forgetting about everything. Mace and I sang along to the radio, having our own little mini concert. It wasn’t until Macey pulled into a familiar parking lot did I sit up in my seat.
“Why are we here?” I asked, looking around the empty parking lot. Macey didn’t answer. “Macey. Why are we here?” I tried to see if I could find the familiar car, but I didn’t see it.
“Because I want to be here.”
“Well I don’t.”
“Carter, come on.”
“Macey, no. I do not want to go inside.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared stubbornly out the front window. I didn’t want to go in. I knew what, or more like whom, was inside waiting for me.
Sure, I missed Gage and wanted to see him, but I was angry. I was angry that he accused me of sleeping with Ethan, again. Accused me of things I never would do, and for getting mad at me over this whole Ethan and him being half-brothers thing. I was angry that he hadn’t tried to get in touch with me in the last seven days! He could have at least called or texted me, but he didn’t. So that was why I didn’t want to go in.
I was also scared about going in. I knew the minute I saw him, I would forgive him and go running into his arms. I didn’t want to forgive him so easily either. I wanted to stand my ground for once, but seeing Gage’s face would just dissolve my plan.
“Okay. Fine then.” Macey got out of the car, but I sat there. After a minute or two I peeked over to the driver’s side, wondering where she went. I didn’t see her, making me lean over to see if I could see her.
Next thing I knew, my door opened and multiple pairs of hands came out and grabbed me. Somehow my seatbelt was undone, and I was dragged from the car. I started to kick and yell in the person or person’s hold. Whoever had me, though, had a strong grip; I wasn’t going anywhere.
I was lifted up and placed on a very hard shoulder. I grunted as the shoulder went right into my gut. I pounded my fists against the muscular back in front of my eyes.
“Let me go!” I yelled. The person didn’t reply. I lifted my head up to see who was holding me, but I couldn’t see who it was other than a head covered with blonde hair. There was a guy next to the person holding me, but he didn’t look familiar.
“Who are you? What the hell do you want from me?” I demanded. If I were getting kidnapped, I wasn’t going to go quietly, I tell you.
With each step, I was bounced on the shoulder as we headed toward the building. I squirmed in the guy’s hold and tried to kick my legs out, which only resulted in them getting restrained with an arm. This guy was really strong.
“Seriously! What the hell is wrong with you people! You do not grab innocent girls from their cars and take them somewhere. I will call the cops on you,” I ranted. Maybe I could convince them to let me go.
“Come on, you don’t want to go to prison for this, do you? If you let me go right now, I will not tell anyone and we will all be happy. What do you say?” I tried to reason. Neither of them responded, which pissed me off even more.
“Let. Me. Down!” I kicked and screamed at the guy. We were now inside the old gym, which made m
e think something bad couldn’t really happen, right? Carter, you have seen horror movies. You know nothing good comes from being kidnapped and brought into an empty building!
A thought struck me as we bounced down the steps.
“Wait? Where is Macey? Did you hurt her? I swear to God, if you hurt my best friend, I will haunt you after I am dead and chop off your balls. I won’t be nice about either! I’ll come into your room in the middle of the night and use scissors! Imagine the pain! The moment I am free, I am going to inflict so much pain on you two, you won’t know what hit you,” I rambled. I was getting into it too.
“I am going to rain hell down on you!”
“Will you just shut up?” the guy walking next to me said. “God, we aren’t going hurt you.”
“What?” I stopped moving and looked over at him. He didn’t bother saying anything else as we came into the room where I’d watched Gage fight multiple times before.
It was dark, and from my position on this guy’s shoulder, I could only see flickers of something on the walls. At first it was quiet, then soft music started to play. I raised an eyebrow at that. Okay, this was weird. Kidnapping me and playing music?
I was about to say something when I was suddenly swung around and set on my feet. The quick movement made my head spin and I stumbled. Arms wrapped around my middle to keep me steady.
When my vision cleared a bit, I looked up and noticed it wasn’t the two guys who’d grabbed me. No, it was none other than Gage Harper. Upon seeing him, I jerked out of his hold and took a step back.
“What the hell, Gage?” I found myself cursing at him, something I rarely did. I glanced around and noticed the two guys heading back in the direction we came from. Once they were gone, I looked around and saw all different kinds of candles lit around the room. A table sat in the middle with more candles and what looked like lilies, my favorite flower.
“Did you literally lure me here and have two guys kidnap me?”
“I wouldn’t call it kidnapping…” he started to say, but I interrupted him.
Silent Love Part Four_Forbidden Series Page 10
