Page 45 of Infinity Chronicles 1
Without another word I make my way over to the stairs. I’m so done with letting everyone else decide how I’m going to live my life, for as long as I can remember I’ve been taking care of my mom. She left me without as much as a goodbye. I’m not going to give these guys the chance to do the same.
Neither of them stop me as I head outside and down the long lane that doubles as Dante’s driveway. The lengthy walk home is exactly what I need to finally make some decisions about my life. I’ve been driven here a few times now. I’m confident I can find my way back to school and from there it’s an easy walk back to Turtle Creek. I should never have stayed there last night anyway, what if my mom came home and I wasn’t there?
I shake my head and clench my teeth—she left me. I’m not going to let myself fall back into the same role of easy acceptance. Once I make it to the road I keep on the gravel shoulder, my pace is a little rushed, so bits of dirt and pebbles fly with each step.
Each mailbox I pass makes the anger in my stomach rise. I shouldn’t have to walk home. What a fucked up situation I’ve gotten myself into. I’m mad at myself for letting them convince me I could be someone important to them, no, they don’t even know me. They just want what they think I can give them. Well fuck them. I’m not anyone’s battery. They think they can hide me away like I’m some basement troll? That they can go on doing whatever they please while I wait around for them to think I’m good enough?
I force down the scream that wants to claw its way up my throat. My eyes water, but it’s definitely not tears pooled on my lower lashes.
The purr of Dante’s engine revving up the street warns me they’re coming far before I even see his car. Apparently they finally noticed I’d left. It probably took Milo and Ollie five minutes to realize I wasn’t just sitting in the car waiting on them like a good little pet, and another five to round up Dante.
Luckily, I’m already to the neighborhood surrounding the school so it won’t be any trouble to detour down a side street. I jog up the sidewalk to the first house with a car parked out front. I duck down and pretend to tie my shoe, waiting for them to pass. Once they do, I keep heading in the new direction, bypassing the school altogether. I’m being childish, I know I am, but I can’t pretend to care. It actually gives me a slight thrill to think they’re looking for me.
Once I make it to the next block I make a left, hoping I can follow it down and find the street near the diner. I need to hustle. I don’t want them waiting for me like yesterday.
* * *
When I enterthe camper is empty, just like I’d assumed it would be. The heavy drapes are blocking out most of the sun, but it’s stifling hot. I can barely draw a breath. I leave the door open to let some of the hot air out and make my way over to the little controls on the wall near the fridge to turn the air unit on. The clock on the microwave tells me I have less than an hour to shower before I need to leave to make it to work on time. I gather my shower caddy and a fresh set of clothes, locking the door behind me as I go to the bathhouse.
Pushing open the heavy red door, I peer around to see if I am alone. I haven’t really had much company back here, so I don’t feel guilty when I throw the deadbolt, locking myself in. It’s a stark reminder at the differences between the guys and me. I couldn’t see Ares stepping foot in a place like this, not with his fancy vest and shoes. Ollie would find some way to make it into a joke.
The first stall doesn’t work, I know because I tried it already, but I push back the yellow rubber curtain anyway. The floor is dry, as are the walls.
I set my stuff on the tiny wooden slats that make up a bench just outside the shower area of the next cubby. The curtain makes a loud screech as I pull it closed behind me. I always check the roof vents and floor grates for any sign of cameras before stripping out of my worn clothes. You never know what kind of creeps hang out in these places.
At least the water is hot when I finally dip into the spray. I’m relieved this isn’t one of the places you have to buy a token for the shower to work, or where you have to keep pressing the button every five seconds so the water keeps coming out.
My dollar store flipflops slap against the tiled ground with every move I make, echoing through the room. It doesn’t take me long to shampoo and condition my hair, scrub my body, and rinse.
I’m wrapped in a threadbare towel when I hear the handle of the main door jiggle. “Sorry, I locked it! Just a minute,” I shout to be heard. Dropping the towel, I shove my damp legs into my jeans. I have to jump several times to get them all the way up, then I throw my shirt on, I tuck my clean underwear back into my basket, intending to finish getting dressed at the trailer. Lastly, I gather my dirty stuff and wrap it in my used towel.
I’m out of breath when I unlock the door, pulling it open seconds later. Ares is standing in front of me, with his arms folded over his chest. The white button down shirt and vest are gone, replaced with a fitted black t-shirt, dark jeans and black boots. If I hadn’t met him yesterday, I’d probably be slamming the door back in his face and locking it. His narrowed eyes scan me from head to toe then back up again. When his eyes meet mine, his nostrils flare and his lips pinch tight. The darkness starts to creep over his irises, concealing the pretty orange flecks.
“What?” My hands are full, so I can’t give him the same pissed off pose he’s giving me, but after the shock of seeing him wears off, I give him the best fuck off face I can muster.
Ares’s hands reach out and he grabs my bundled up towel from me. He goes for the bath caddy too, but I don’t release the handle. We have a mini stare down during the tug of war that has him baring his teeth at me. He finally lets go and I almost stumble backwards from the force, I was pulling that hard.
“Why are you here?” I question him again when he shows no sign of answering my first question. I look around behind him, making sure Mike, the camp host, isn’t witnessing our exchange.
Ares closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Apparently, my brothers aren’t capable of keeping track of you.”
I lean forward my voice tight. “No one will be keeping track of me.” I reach out with every intention of stealing the towel back, but Ares grabs my wrist and pulls me forward. I collide with his torso and bounce back a step. He doesn’t release me.
My mouth falls open in outrage, and I can’t believe he thinks he can manhandle me. I drop the caddy, uncaring that all my stuff spills out, and use my fingers to pry his hand from my wrist. “Let me go, you big asshole.” It’s useless; I can’t budge his hand from mine. I stop struggling and look up to meet his eyes. In that moment I want nothing more than to have control. “Let me go.” The command is soft, barely a whisper, but Ares immediately drops my hand. I look down to see welts forming around the bones of my wrist. I wrap my fingers around the redness and gently twist over the area.
Ares steps back. His eyes on my hands and he peers down at his own as if he doesn’t recognize it. “Cara, I’m sorry.” He shakes his head slowly. “I shouldn’t have…”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have.” I’m in disbelief. I can’t believe I trusted this guy enough last night to sleep next to him. All because I was worried about his comfort. I’m an idiot.
I shove past him. Ares falters back a step or two like he’s off balance. I’m in a full out sprint when I get to my RV. I pull the handle and let my head slam forward on the flimsy door. For the second time I’m locked out. My keys are probably on the ground with all my other stuff back at the bathhouse.
I tilt my face to the sky, anger, fear, and frustration warring inside me. My thoughts are racing, I feel trapped. I want to run from Canton. Pretend I never stepped foot in this shit town. But I can’t, I can’t leave without knowing what happened to my mom.
“Laura.” There’s a hesitancy in Ares’s voice when he calls my name. I turn around letting my back hit the door before sliding down to land on the step. He’s standing off to the side, keeping several feet of distance between us. I don’t look at him, instead I let my eyes gaze focus out in the distance. In my peripheral vision I see Ares scrub his hands over his face a few times.
“No one is supposed to come here.” My voice wavers. I don’t know how much more I can take, I’m close to losing the thread of sanity I have left. I want my mom, I want her to tell me everything is going to be all right. I snort out loud. Who am I kidding, that’s never been my mom. I’ve always been the one that had to keep her from falling apart. I want to let it all go for just a little while, I thought that’s what I was doing yesterday, but it’s all still there. My mom is still gone, I’m a few hundred dollars away from being homeless, and I have four guys trying to convince me I’m somehow destined to be part of their group. Yet, they can’t manage to be nice to me for more than five seconds. Oh yeah, sign me up for a lifetime of servitude to a bunch of assholes who want me to stay hidden like some Quasifuckingmodo.
“Oliver told me we weren’t allowed to disturb your mom.” Ares examines his hands flipping them back and forth a few times. “Cara, I’m so sorry I grabbed you.”
