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SUKIE
Sunday is the one day a week I have off. It’s also the day I take for myself and escape to my special place in the woods behind my house. Every Sunday morning, I pack a lunch, snacks, a small blanket, and a towel in my backpack before making the short trek to my personal oasis.
I still remember the day my grandmother showed me this place. I was thirteen. I had ridden my bike through town to her house after sneaking out of my bedroom window during one of my mom’s and stepfather’s many arguments. I couldn’t stand to hear him criticizing my mother for the millionth time about how the house wasn’t clean enough, or how what she cooked for dinner wasn’t good enough.
When I showed up at my grandmother’s doorstep, visibly upset, she had somehow known exactly what I needed. She took me to the place she used as her escape.
Sitting atop a large rock, I look at the water. Tucked back behind the trees and brush, about half a mile from the house, sits a lake. This place is another thing that makes my home so unique. It’s mine. The lake came with the house. Meaning, I don’t have to share it with anyone. I can spend hours out here and not be bothered by a soul.
The truth is, I’m not sure anyone even knows about this place. With that thought, I smile, climb to my feet, and slip out of my dress, leaving me in my bra and underwear. I’ve been waiting weeks for the water to be warm enough to dip into. I enter the lake, and my skin prickles at the cool water lapping against it, but it doesn’t take long for my body to become accustomed to the temperature.
Once submerged to my shoulders, I fall to my back and relax, letting the water carry my stress away. Letting out a deep sigh, I tip my head back toward the sky, close my eyes and relish the warm sun beating down on my face.
I get lost in my ritual as my mind drifts to the events that have overtaken my life these past few weeks. I feel happy for the first time in… I don’t know how long. That is in large part due to Luca. Being with him gives me a sense of security. How he cares for me and his unspoken vow to never let anything or anyone harm me fills me with the hope that allows me to believe someone like me can be happy. I’ve been walking through life on autopilot for a long time. I’ve spent so many years focused on trying to survive that I never entertained the idea I could have happiness.
I’m so lost in my blissful thoughts that I’m taken off guard by the strong arm that wraps around me, jerking me backward. I panic and let out a blood-curdling scream. The band across my chest gets tighter as I kick and flail my arms. Blood rushes to my ears, and I can only hear my cry for help and my rapidly beating heart. Fear, as I’ve never felt before, washes over me. My flight or fight mode kicks in as my elbow connects with my assailant’s midsection, causing him to grunt.
“Jesus fuck, baby, it’s me.”
At the sound of a familiar voice against my ear, I freeze.
“Luca?” I choke out.
Luca shifts, bringing us face to face. I sag against his chest and bury my face in the crook of his neck. I will my racing heart to slow as he picks me up and carries me out of the water. When we reach land, he takes me over to the rock where my things are and sits. A moment later, I feel my towel against my back.
“What the hell were you doing in the middle of the lake?” Luca rumbles, his voice laced with anger.
Wait a minute! Why the hell is he mad? I’m the one who should be angry.
Pushing off his chest, I narrow my eyes at him. “Me? Why the heck did you sneak up on me like that?”
“I’ve been calling you for over a fuckin’ hour.” His nostrils flare. “So I came over to check on you, and your mom said you’ve been out here all day. Then I walk up to find you floating on top of the goddamn water, not moving.”
It’s then I notice Luca’s soaked from head to toe. His tee is plastered to his chest, and his jeans and boots are drenched. Now that I think about it, I can imagine what the scene must have looked like to him. Beneath the anger etched across his face is sheer terror. I lose my previous irritation, my face softens, and I cup his cheek.
“I’m sorry I scared you.”
Luca’s anger melts away at my touch. “Don’t ever come out here again without tellin’ me.” His jaw ticks. “On second thought, don’t fuckin’ come out by yourself.”
I cross my arms over my chest. Just like that, my annoyance is back. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah, but I think I misunderstood. I’m a grown woman, Luca. And I’ve been coming out here on my own for years. Nothing has ever happened to me before.”
“Don’t be naïve,” he growls. “Shit happens all the fuckin’ time to unsuspecting women. And here you are, a sweet, clueless woman, swimming in a secluded lake in her goddamn underwear.” Luca roars the last part in my face, making me flinch.
“I’m not naïve, Luca,” I say, my voice small. “I know too well about the evil in this world.”
Luca’s expression morphs into something other than anger. He goes to open his mouth, but I shake my head, cutting him off.
“I’ve been wandering through life not living because of the evil I speak about. So don’t sit here and talk to me like I’m stupid.”
Luca swallows, and his eyes search mine. “I didn’t mean it like that, baby.”
“I know how you meant it, Luca.” I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling cold.
“Baby.” Luca pulls me into his chest.
