Page 5 of All Your Firsts

“You’ll be safe here. Vic will watch over you. Don’t run. Enjoy your freedom,” he says with a smile.

“That’s quite contradicting, don’t you think?”

Frustration bubbles inside me as he remains silent again, his gaze distant and uninterested. “How long will I be stuck in this place?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“What will happen after here?”

“Haven’t decided that either. We need to wait for the dust to settle. I’m sure Alfonso has woken up by now and alerted our father to what happened, which means they probably know you’re gone and will be scouring all of Chicago for you. Take this.” He reaches into the pocket of his suit and pulls out a card.

As he hands me the card, I can feel its weight in my hand, a tangible symbol of limitless possibilities and funds. I stuff it in my pocket, knowing my dear brother, who has returned out of nowhere, will pay heavily for interfering with my plans of freedom. The credit card in my pocket feels scorching hot as I turn around and flash him a smile.

“Anything else?” I say with a sneer.

I’m so over everyone dictating my life.

“Give me your phone so I can program my number in.”

I reach into my bag and hand it to him.

“Shit, I’ll send you one. It’s probably for the best, anyway.”

“What?”

Gage turns the phone over, and the whole screen is cracked beyond repair. Alexa instructed me to use a burner phone and leave mine behind, so I don’t have much on it, but still.

Not having a phone is like losing a limb. Dramatic but accurate.

“Lovely. This night keeps getting better and fucking better. Anything else before I get in my cell?”

“I missed you, Ro, and I’m sorry for not coming back sooner.”

“Everything’s been fine,” I say, my words laced with bitterness at how not fine things have been over the years since he’s been gone.

There were small slices of happiness, such as college with Alexa and my pen pal, Rush, and I lost both. Out of survival, we’ve kept our circle small, so when you start losing loved ones, it affects you more than one would think. It leaves you with a sense of desolation as if you’re the only one left in the world.

Abandoned. Empty. Forgotten.

I reluctantly fix my eyes on the house that will become my captivity under Gage’s rule. Even as I’m cursing Gage’s horrible timing and the demise of my freedom and plans, my heart aches to wrap my arms around his waist like I used to do when I was younger.

I want him to tell me everything will be okay, but I’m too upset to have this heart-to-heart now. He’s different, and he screwed up my plans. Now, depending on how tightly the reins are drawn here, I am barely freer than I was at home.

“I only ask one thing of you besides staying here and not running.”

I direct my gaze toward him but opt to remain silent.

“Don’t tell anyone I’m back yet. I’m not ready.”

“Whatever you say, brother dearest.” With a swift motion, I slam the door shut, its force causing a slight tremor as his irritated grunt barely registers in my mind while I walk around the house to the back.

I’m greeted by the shimmering pool just before the small guesthouse. With a sigh of relief, I slip off my shoes and socks, eagerly dipping my feet into the glistening water. It’s deliciously warm and calms some of my nerves.

I love to swim, or rather, peacefully float in the calm waters. Experiencing the feeling of weightlessness, with half your body gliding on the water’s surface and the other half submerged, is pure bliss. It feels as if you’re simultaneously existing in two separate realms.

I walk toward the adorable bungalow-style guesthouse, with oversized windows and cascading plants adorning the front. I can already imagine drinking tea while sitting on the small porch. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

The unlocked door protests with a loud creak as I enter the small living room and kitchen, only to find a surprisingly nice and impeccably clean space. The idea of sharing a house with a stranger fills me with a sense of unease, but being back here, I doubt I’ll cross paths with this Vic guy.

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