Chapter 8

Elena

“I thought you couldn’t make it,” I nearly cry again as I hug Rachel for like the millionth time since she showed up at the burial site.

She nods uncomfortably while stuffing an extra pillow into a pillowcase that Carol loaned her for the weekend. “I wouldn’t have been able to suddenly fly down here if it wasn’t for Mike and Paul,” she hesitates to inform me how helpful my ex and his buddy has helped her. “Mike figured you could use a friend and Paul paid for my ticket.”

Damn him. Damn Michael and his perfectly, unperfect brown luscious locks of hair for still trying to take care of me behind the scenes. A small piece of my heart clenches with a death grip to the fact that he seems to still care for me.

I quickly shove the feeling aside. He’s probably just full of guilt for lying to me, nothing more.

“Well,” I sigh heavily. “I don’t care how you got here.” I give her another hug that could possibly strain her lungs. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

“Me too. Elena, I’m so sorry for what happened.” We take a seat on my new bed and I grab Mr. Snuggles – the little squeaky bear – and hold him tight to my chest. “Do you know anything? How it happened?” Clearly my best friend was left in the dark as well.

She made me promise not to keep things from her ever since that awful party; perhaps I should tell her the truth. Maybe Paul didn’t know what Michael was up to after all…

******

            “Holy shit.” Rachel whispers in shock with her eyes bugging out.

            Yeah, I told her. I’m not for secrets anymore, not if they can hurt someone in any way. I’ve been on the receiving end of a secret – I’m not going to keep secrets and I don’t want secrets kept from me.

            “I can’t believe this!” She bellows, “I’m gonna kill him.”

            A halfhearted chuckle makes its way out of me. “Not before I kill him first.”

            Her hand reaches for my arm. “Elena. That is so awful. I honestly can’t believe it.” Tears begin to leak down her face. “You are so strong. I would be in a fetal position in dark corner somewhere. Why am I only hearing about this now?”

            I shrug my shoulders and fight my own tears – again. I am so sick of feeling like this. So sick of seeing faces like Rachel’s which show pity and sadness for me.

            Yes, what I went through was horrific and just awful, but this is my life now. Having people feel sorry for me, no matter how good their heart is, will not help me move on.

            My heart has been shattered in two of the worst ways possible. I don’t think there is a way to move on…

            “I just never got an opportunity to tell you,” I mumble into Mr. Snuggles’ fuzzy, matted brown head.

            Rachel scoots closer to me. “Whatever you need, for the next couple of days, I’m all yours okay? When I go back home, I’ll still just be a phone call away, alright?”

            I nod into her embrace.

            “But, Elena… I don’t think he’s necessarily to blame for your father’s death,” Rachel whispers against my ear.

            Sitting back from the hug, I eye her with slits.

            “I’m serious. Have you heard his side of the story?” I shake my head at her question. “I think you should. I refuse to believe that he never had feelings for you.”

            A sigh escapes me. “It’s too soon –“ Before I can finish my response, the phone rings. Again. I grab it from the nightstand and look at the caller ID, then show Rachel and silence the call to set it back on the nightstand. “He’s been calling me every day so far.” I inform Rachel’s unasked question.

            She nods her head. “Like I said, I think you should hear him out. I think he could really help you cope with everything.”

            My nose scrunches. “A minute ago, you wanted to kill him.”

            “Oh, I still want to kill him, maybe even kick him in the balls -but,” she pauses in thought. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you could really use him right now.”

            “What about Paul?” I ask to flip the script. Enough about me. I don’t think I can take it anymore.

            “What about him?” Rachel asks a little defensively.

            I clasp my hands together around Mr. Snuggles while repositioning myself on the bed making the springs groan. “He was probably in on everything. I doubt Michael kept it all to himself. After all, the club got their slates cleaned at a price for protecting me.” I look Rachel in the eyes. “I bet Paul was a part of it.” My bottom lip gets sucked in between my teeth for a moment, waiting for her reaction.

            Her gaze breaks away from mine to study the shaggy carpet. “I’ll have to have a talk with him then.”

*****

             “You knew?” Rachel squeaks at Paul who came to visit. She didn’t want him inside this fortress of solace without knowing the truth. This is a sanctuary place, no liars allowed.

            “Rachel, please, just let me explain –“ Paul tries to reason at the front door to Rachel. I shake my head. Poor Paul. His loyalties rested with the wrong person. My heart aches for Rachel; she must be feeling heart broken.

            There will probably be a picture burning ritual tonight.

            “I don’t think I can listen to you right now-“ Her salty voice gets cut off by the sound of a diesel engine.

            Oh, no.

            My pulse is racing, and I can hardly catch my breath. The cool corner of the wall in the hallway is not enough to turn my body heat down through this tank top.

            I peek around the corner to the front door. Just beyond the cherry oak piano and through the huge front window, is Michael walking up the brick path to the front door to join Paul.

            Rushing out of view back behind the corner, I think of an escape route. Michael will shove his way in here. He barrels through front doors… it’s his signature move.

            “What are you doing here?” Rachel asks with ice on her tongue.

            “Where is she?” Michael sounds just as cold. “I need to talk to her.”

            “You aren’t going anywhere near her.”

            “Rachel-“ Michael sounds very impatient.

            “No, you are trying to get to her through this opportunity because you know your mother isn’t here. Just because she isn’t, doesn’t give you the right to march over here and demand to talk to Elena.”

            “Let me through,” Michael barks.

            “Don’t you come any closer, Michael; I will cut you,” Rachel warns.

            An exit. How can I get out of here without him seeing? I quietly sneak back to my room and retrieve my keys from the nightstand. Once I’m back at the corner of the hallway, I look across to the kitchen area. Maybe I can get through the kitchen and slip through the back slider then run to the front to get in my car and get the hell out of here.

            Sounds like a good plan. Right?

            “Michael! Don’t.” I stretch my neck to check on Rachel. Crap. He’s getting past her!

            I don’t think. I just run. With keys in a vice grip, I run through the kitchen and nearly trip over one of the chairs at the table. Frantically, I open the slider and as I close it, we make eye contact while he’s still at the front door. Those green eyes are wide and filled with something I can’t even comprehend at the moment.

            So, with a sharp intake of the warm Georgia air, I run like my life depends on it.