Page 45 of Sparks of Insanity
They seemed to confer again, finally sighing in sync with each other.
“One month, but we get a weekly check in, just to make sure he’s not hurting you, and if I see one single fucking mark on you, he dies in so much pain, he’ll beg for death.”
Holy shit. I nodded rapidly, because a month with Ethan would be a dream, even if our first time together had been harrowing and traumatic, it could only get better, right?
“I’ll need art supplies, and we’ll need-”
“We’ll take care of everything. Let’s just get you settled. Former Teach, we’re not giving you an option here. You get that, right? It’s help our daughter, or fucking die right now. And don’t try doing a runner, once we leave you there. We’ll know the second you try, and you’ll die that same day.”
Holy shit, somehow, don’t ask me how, but somehow I think I just won against my dads. They’re the most stubborn men you can possibly imagine, and I just got them to back down. I mean, it was the most important conversation of my life, because if I got it wrong, Ethan would die, and I didn’t want that. I couldn’t live without him, but I needed to make him see that too, so that he wouldn’t keep trying to push me away again.
“I need to secure this place,” Ethan said firmly, suddenly on more steady ground, and determined to fix the damage done to his cousin’s property.
Blaze sighed, standing up and digging out his phone.
“Give me the keys. I’ll get the repairs done, and make sure it’s secure before I leave.”
“Thank you, Blaze,” I said as I got up again, wanting this to happen, so they’d all leave us in peace again. We had so much to work out between us, but I felt like suddenly we had a chance. We wouldn’t be on the run, I wouldn’t be isolated from my family, and we’d be able to just be whoever we are together.
“Former Teach, get your shit together. You have five minutes,” dad Gray muttered, striding out of the house, and leaving us staring at my other dad warily.
He groaned, standing up too, jabbing a finger in Ethan’s direction.
“Just give me a fucking reason, got it? She so much as sheds a single tear, and you die.”
After he left, and while Blaze was already negotiating with someone for the repairs, I led Ethan up to get our things.
“How the fuck did I just survive that?” He asked, dropping heavily onto the bed with his head in his hands. I sat beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder, and realised I could feel him trembling. He really understood that he'd survived by the skin of his teeth.
“I think they understand that you matter to me, Ethan. They’ll be watching you like a hawk though. We can get through this together.”
He lifted his head, his face troubled, exhausted, making him look older than normal.
“Em, I shouldn’t have done what I did last night, and I can’t ever undo that, but I promise I’ll never touch you like that again.”
What the hell?
Ethan
SHE LOOKED SO MUCH like her brother Blaze, as she suddenly stood up and towered over me with her hands on her hips; even with the black hair, I could see it. I briefly wondered how she’d look with her hair blonde like her brother, because I knew it was naturally that colour.
“Are you shitting me?”
I stood up too, because I was done with people towering over me, and trying to intimidate me, especially any member of the Cross family.
“Em, what I did was unconscionable. I’m an asshole for fucking you, especially when you were crying like that. I hope you realise just how much it hurt me to hurt you. It’s not-”
“You’re a stupid fucker, aren’t you?” Blaze said from the doorway, arms folded as he glared at me.
Fuck. “Yeah, I heard every word. So you really forced her, did you? I figured you guys meant it wasn’t as bad as that, but you’re saying my baby sister was crying, and begging you to stop, and you ignored her?” He unfolded his arms, cracking his knuckles menacingly at me.
“Blaze! Go away, this isn’t your business.”
He sent a sad look in her direction.
“Chill, Em. It’s not your fault you don’t realise how evil that was, because you’ve been sheltered ever since you realised what assholes teenage boys could be. Men are no better, trust me. We’re all animals at heart. All evil. All willing to take what we want, no matter the consequences. People get hurt, and we just don’t even give a fuck.”
“I do give a fuck, you twisted piece of-” Em’s hand over my mouth silenced me, until I pushed her away. “I do give a fuck. I’ve lost so many pieces of myself since I first met your family, and now I’m just as bad as the rest of you.”
