AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The new me knows what she wants and refuses to apologize for it.
Which means I’ve traumatized my mother. When I confessed that I loved Chase, she nearly had a heart attack. My dad was smart enough to figure it out after observing Chase and me in the hospital for about five minutes. But my mom stuck her head in the sand.
Leaping from the chair so fast she knocked it into the wall, she screeched that Chase was my brother, and I couldn’t possibly be in love with him. I angrily retorted that Chase wasnotmy brother. He is my foster brother, and we are not biologically related.
It took my dad and the hospital staff five minutes to deal with her hysterics before a nurse injected my mom with something to calm her down.
My dad pulled me aside later and suggested that Chase and I keep our feelings on the down low. He said he’ll talk to my mom, but I know that look on his face. She can be really stubborn, and the loss of my brother hit her so hard that she looked at Chase as a substitute for Gavin. Which is why I believed Chase was my enemy when he first moved in. I sensed it and saw the way my mom acted toward Chase, treating him much like she did Gavin. She even slipped and called him my brother’s name a few times before correcting herself.
For now, Chase and I are back to hiding our love for one another. It frustrates me, but I have bigger issues to deal with at the moment.
The trauma we endured is never far from my thoughts. It haunts me, day and night. If I manage to suppress the memories during the day, it comes out in the form of nightmares that are so vivid, so real, I can’t distinguish between the past and the present.
Chase has been my saving grace. As though he has a sixth sense, he’s in my bedroom at the first sign of my nightmare, waking me up and holding me tightly, telling me everything is going to be alright.
Eventually, I’d like to believe it will be.
Three weeks post-captivity, I’m not okay.
And neither is Chase.
Pulling myself from my thoughts, I lift my head from his chest, studying his pale face in the nightlight.
“Chase. Do you ever wonder what happened to Rosario?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I drift back to the aftermath of killing Orpheus and the last time we saw Rosario.
I clung to Rosario’s hand with my left one, while clinging to Chase’s hand with my right as the three of us headed toward the big, black car that brought us to this hellhole. It is now our escape from it.
Stopping in front of the car, the three of us turned toward the massive house, watching as the flames leaped higher and higher. Smoke billowed into the air, the gray fog from the aftermath of the storm fitting as we watched our prison burn.
I hoped my nightmares and trauma would go up in the smoke and flames with it.
We remained there as long as we could, watching the house burn, as though we needed to ensure the monster was really gone.
Finally, Chase helped me into the passenger side while Rosario crawled into the back seat before Chase dove us away. I clung to his right hand as he drove, still in disbelief that we were finally escaping.
When I looked into the side view mirror, I saw the tears streaking down Rosario’s face as she twisted the rosary between trembling fingers.
Twisting in the seat, I looked at her, sympathy churning in my heart for the beautifully broken woman sitting in the back. Someone who took care of us, even as she went along with Orpheus’s nefarious plans. But in the end, she helped save us, and that’s all that mattered.
“It’s gonna be okay, Rosario. Eventually.”
Bloodshot eyes met mine, a smile on her quivering lips. “I hope so, Mackenzie.”
“Change is always scary. But you’ll be able to start a new life now.”
Her pale face lifted to mine. “I don’t know how, Kenz. I’ve never been on my own. Never had to make decisions.”
“You’ll learn, Rosario. We’ll help you.” I reach back, patting her knee beneath the long black dress.
Gratitude is in her eyes. “That’s very kind, especially after what I did.” Her voice cracks and she bows her head, remorse heavy in her crumpled body posture.
“But you came through in the end, Rosario. You helped save our lives.”
Her eyes lift to mine. “The two of you are worth saving. I know it’s going to be hard, but I think you both have a bright future ahead of you.”
I nodded, emotion clogging my throat as I turned around in my seat. Chase and I exchanged a look, and I could tell he was just as affected by her words as I was.
