Twelve Steps Forward

Chapter 10

Aurora's Pov:

He stills has me. I thought he'd have given up on me by now. He refuses to fuck me so he must be dead set on his soulmate crap. Still, I thought telling him about all my experience would be a deterrent.

I huff out a sigh. Staying here isn't so bad, it's not anything like what I'm used to running away from at least. Eros seems like a good guy, too good in fact, and this is a nice place.

I've met a lot of 'good' guys, though. Foster care is full of them. All those good Christian husbands, sons, and family friends. The type that wants to show everyone how virtuous they are but, then decide you owe them for it. When they're found out it's always the poor little orphan's fault for being too tempting. Then they're sent away to another or worse, they aren't.

Eros's watchful eye had become a blessing as well as a curse. He always knows what I'm doing but, I know what he going as well. He keeps to a very strict routine that I've memorized in its entirety. I've also realized he gets migraines. My talk may have not chased him off but, it can help to instigate a migraine.

All he needs is a good push. I tried a couple of days ago when I started entertaining myself in his office. I did feel a little bad at how defeated he seemed.

I am confident now that tonight is the night. His grandmother has been particularly belligerent all day. I've been exceedingly difficult myself. He's exhausted.

The three of us sit around the table eating the dinner Eris graciously made for us. It's a fish soup with rice. It's incredible as all his cooking is. It's rich and flavorful, spiced with ginger, garlic, chilis, and something savory I can't quite place. I look to his grandmother who's struggling with it.

  "What are all the tattoos for?", I ask. She takes no notice of me or my question. Eros looks up though.

  "They're batok, they're tied into her identity", he says.

  "Do they mean anything?", I ask.

  "They mean plenty of things", he says.

  "Why are you being so snippy?", I ask. He stares at me.

  "Are you always this short with people?", I ask, " why do you always give me one-word responses, it's like you're trying to speak to me as little as possible".

  "I'm tired", his jaw sets. I snort at him. He's losing his patience already.

  "If you've got so much going on in your life you could just let me go", I say.

  He sighs, "no".

  "Why?", I ask, "are you afraid I'll go out and find someone with some balls to come fuck me?". He stands and slams the chair into the table. He rounds the table to his grandmother.

  I watch as he helps her eat. He's desperate to put distance between the two of us as soon as possible. He helps her finish and cleans her face and hands. Then he helps her to stand from the table and walks her out.

  I wait a long while. I wait until I know he must be trying to focus on his paperwork. I know he must be too pissed off, focused on his work, and likely in pain to worry about me.

  I stand from my seat and start towards the stairs. He's put alarms on all the lower-level windows and doors. I'll need to jump through a second-story window. I come to the first one I see and pry it open. It's a bit of a struggle as it's frozen closed. Eventually, I manage to get it without too much noise.

  I lift my left leg over the threshold. I poke out my head being careful to keep my grip on the sil. I pull up my other leg so now I'm only sitting on the edge. I push my weight forward and the cold air rushes up around me.

  I hit the ground on my feet but, bend them immediately and roll forward covering my neck with my hands. When I stop rolling I push myself up from the ground. I've got maybe half an hour before he comes to get me and realizes I'm gone.

  I take off into the woods being sure to keep the driveway and later, the road in view.

  Twenty minutes into my trek I realized I was right about him coming to find me. Luckily I hear him before he sees me and can get down in time. I lay flat in the dirt behind a log as his car slowly creeps by.

  I stay there until I can no longer hear his car and continue walking. It's hours before I reach town and I know he'll be looking for me in my usual haunts. I need to stay away from my apartment and usual corners.

  Luckily, I know back alleys fairly well throughout most of town. I weave through damp dirty pathways feeling at home again.

  I find my way to a pharmacy that I know doesn't dispose of their drugs properly. I'm searching through the trash when I hear footsteps approaching. I shoot up ready to run.

  "Woah, easy there", he says. I was expecting Eros or the cops but, instead, I'm greeted by a strange man. Blond hair spills from his hood cut only an inch above gray soulless eyes. Everything in me is screaming that this guy is very wrong.

  "What do you need?", I ask. He smiles at me, I'd almost think it was friendly if my gut wasn't screaming of predation.

  "Oh, I heard you were a friend of a friend and I wanted to introduce myself, maybe offer you a little something", he takes a bag from his pocket and tosses it to my feet. I look down to see it's full of pills. Despite my addiction screaming at me to, I don't dare go near them.

  "I don't have any friends", I say backing away from him.

  He follows, "maybe you don't but, I've really been wondering about why the virtuous Eros Panganiban has been running around with a sex worker. Care to explain?". He knows way too much about me.

  "No, I wouldn't", I say stepping further away. The light of a street lamp falls over my illuminating my features. I can see his eyes widen for a second.

  "You look just like someone I used to know", he says, "about those introductions what might your name be?".

  "You first", I say.

  He snorts, "fair enough, my friends call me Breuer, and you are?".

  "I'm Eveline".

  "You're a shit liar", he says, "who are you really?". How does everyone keep catching that?

  "Aurora".

  "Well I'll be damned", he says, "you look just like your mother, a shame you've just about got your daddy's eyes".