Brand New Eyes

8. Repeating History

8. REPEATING HISTORY

As soon as Asher saw Marcus take the right in front of him, he pushed his foot down, zooming past and weaving in and out of traffic, his pulse igniting his veins. He couldn’t wait to get home, to get away from all of it, all the pretence. He didn’t really want part of any of this from the start and after meeting Scarlett and somewhat saving her life, he just wanted out. But he had no choice. He knew his orders.

“So what do we do now?” Slater asked, looking to his brother. Asher just continued staring ahead, not looking to meet his little brother’s face.

“I don’t know” he half whispered back. He didn’t know. He’d been going along all this time hoping- praying - it wouldn’t be true. That this wasn’t the girl.

Slater looked out his side of the window. “At least we can now confirm our suspicions. Their suspicions.”

Asher just pursed his lips into a thin line, staring straight ahead at the road. “Did you really have any doubts that it was her?” he asked, glancing at his rear view mirror.

“No,” Slater paused, inclining his head to meet Asher’s, “but you sure did”.

Asher didn’t reply. He didn’t know how to. His brother was right. A part of him, a big part of him wished it wasn’t true. That today along with the previous events wouldn’t all add up to this. He still had a shred of hope that it wouldn’t be true. That he could wake up from this nightmare and find out that it wasn’t Scarlett they’d been looking for all this time. That it was a mistake. And they’d move on to the next person in line.

But of course, what Asher really wanted, Asher never got.

“Well, we know what we have to do now.” he said, taking another deep breath.

“Did you give her the gift?” Slater asked and Asher just nodded, abruptly overtaking the car in front. Driving – more like speeding – calmed him down, especially the fresh air escaping through the pulled down windows.

“Y’know, I kinda thought it would happen today, at the party. I mean, it did for you and me on our eighteenth.” Slater thought aloud.

“Everyone’s different I suppose” Asher muttered under his breath.

“Well whatever happens, whenever it happens, we know what we need to do. Are you sure you can do it?” Slater hesitated.

“Do you even have to ask?” Asher spat back, frustrated. He blew his horn at the car in front, speeding his way out and overtaking him. His eyes were almost ice.

“Alright man, I’m just saying. It’s better to do this without feelings attached”. Slater said, cautiously looking at his brother, hoping he hadn’t wound him up the wrong way.

“There are no feelings. And there won’t be.” Asher replied in a monotone. But Slater just narrowed his eyes at him, not believing him before looking away.

There was silence for a moment in the car.

“We gotta keep a close eye on her from now”, Slater said, breaking the silence as they neared their house. “We gotta stay prepared; we don’t know how strong she is or will be”.

“We’ve got it covered. Just remember the plan”. Asher finished, not hesitating a moment longer as his car came to a halt and he leapt out, shut the door and somewhat stormed inside the house.

Slater was in front of him in a moment, his face mere millimetres away. “You gotta be discreet Ash, I know this isn’t the way you wanted things to work out but there’s nothing we can do. It is what it is.” and Asher let out an exhausted sigh followed by a laugh, of course, it’s always what it is.