Dandelion

Twelve

Briar sat in the back of her mother's car with Eli, feeling numb. Her mind was in shock, but also relieved. Detective Winter's had showed up to the flea market looking for her. Lani sent him her way and she couldn't have been more grateful. He had apologized for not answering her call, but he did get her message and he looked into the matter.

"He's not out, but he did manage to pay off a guard to send you the rose. He's now in solitary confinement and the guard was dismissed immediately. Outside of that, there wasn't much I could do," he told her.

Briar's hands threatened to tremble as she sat in the back, wanting to vomit. He knew where she lived, even if he weren't out, he could still get to her.

"Briar?" Jane-Anne's voice broke through the icy thoughts that ran from her mind and down her spine. Briar looked up to see her looking in the review mirror.

"Are you ok?"

"Yea, I just need to get home and get some rest, I need to go into work tonight. Mara called in sick," Briar said softly as she looked back out the window. The sky had gone from bright and beautiful to gloomy in a matter of moments it seemed. Rain started to slowly pour as they pulled up in front of the trailer and all got out.

Joe had called right as Detective Winter's left asking her to come in. For once, she gladly said yes, needing to get away for a while. Her mother instantly offered to watch Eli, letting Briar be with her thoughts not long after.

Briar walked up her steps and unlocked the door, letting Cookie out to use the bathroom and setting her keys and phone down on the table. She walked back to her room and shut the door, the numbness slowly fading as she slid down the door and began to cry. The tears were a mixture of hate and relief, as she covered her mouth to keep anyone else from hearing her. Growing up in a church home, Briar learned that hell was always a place that bad people went when they sinned, however, the older she got, the more she believed that hell was more than that. It was also the actions and the malicious intents of others that made it people as much as a place. It caused her nightmares; it caused her trauma she still didn't know how to deal with. It caused her pain even on her best days. She felt as if there was this hole surrounding her, and the moment she got close to getting out, the hole grew and swallowed her in more.

After Briar arrived at work, she didn't say much. Joe was back on the grill, cooking and listening to his music. Lani was waiting the only table that was in there. Briar noticed several of the tables and booths needed to be bussed so she started cleaning without being asked. The night was long, but it was much needed. She needed to be away, she wanted to have her mind somewhere else. Joe took his bit of tips and left for the night after they closed. Lani asked Briar if she wanted help cleaning, but Briar declined, wanting to lose herself. After Lani locked the doors behind her, Briar took off her apron and walked over to the jukebox, shoving in four dollars' worth of songs. The rain started to come down outside as it thundered loudly. She walked to the back and got the mop bucket and came back up front almost jumping out of her skin when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up to see Greyson there, getting soaked. She quickly ran over to unlock the door and opened it pulling him inside.

"Are you crazy? It's storming! What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's storming? Huh, I didn't notice," he chuckled. Briar rolled her eyes as she walked behind the counter and grabbed a clean towel for him. She threw it at his stupidly handsome face as she walked over and locked the doors back.

"What're you doing here?" She asked and walked back over to the mop bucket as the music played slow.

"I came to check on you," he said softly. Briar looked up surprised.