Just the Beginning

55

ANA

I wake up in bed, my head still hurting. I don't think it's stopped. I slowly sit up, wiping my eyes and rubbing my temples. I look around.

No Matt.

Chases' house.

"Matt?" I ask, "M-Matt?"

I stand up slowly and walk into the bathroom. I turn on the light, nothing. I walk in a few more steps and turn to face myself in the mirror.

"Wow," I shake my head, "God. How gross." I sigh and turn towards the shower. The hot water calls my name. So I turned it on. If anyones downstairs, they'll know I'm up now.

Just like clockwork I hear footsteps come running into the room, "Ana?"

"In here," I say quietly.

I hear him walk into the doorway and stop, "--what are you doing love?"

"I-I need to shower," I shake my head, "I feel disgusting. I-I can still see glass in my hair-"

"Okay," he nods, "alright I'll umm- I'm gonna get you some clothes and then I'll take the sheets downstairs to be washed. No need to sleep with shards of glass, you need any help?"

I shake my head, "n-no." He walks closer to me and sets his hand on my back. I close my eyes.

"I love you and I'm so relieved that you're okay. I-I know I didn't say it last night and I'm so sorry, my head was everywhere-"

"I love you too," I turned to face him, "I was never holding anything against you. It's okay. I promise."

He nods, "okay- okay I um- I'll be back, okay?" I nod my head and he walks out of the bathroom. I turn the shower head on, take off my clothes and slowly climb into the tub.

I wince as the hot water hits my body. The steam rises to the ceiling.

"I hate myself," I whine, "I hate myself. I-I got my mom fucking killed. It-it's all my fault-- all of it is my fault. What am I supposed to do now? My mom is dead. My dad isn't around. I have no one. I really have no one."

"That's not true," Matt catches me by surprise, "you're not alone and none of this was or is your fault. None of it, Anastasia. None of it. I fucking promise you, none of this is because of you. It's all because of me and I- I took care of it. At least some of it."

"What do you mean?"

"My dad and brother won't mess with us anymore," he explains, "last night, when I came and got you, I left almost half of that money I had. I told them to leave us alone, not come near us, not talk to us-"

"They went for that?"

"Sort of. My dad wasn't there but Jack took it without thinking. So I'd say we have a start."

"Why-why would you do that?" I ask, "I mean won't you need it? Isn't it technically the big guy's money?"

"Because I'll do whatever I have to. Clothes are on the sink love. I'll be downstairs. If you need me, call me up here. I'll be listening."

When the door shuts I finish washing myself off before spraying around the tub to get everything down the drain. I plug it up and sit down, allowing the water to hit my body and fill up the tub. The steam helps me clear my head. I lean against the wall of the tub and shut my eyes.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

I spring forward, "yeah? Yes? Sorry I-"

"It's okay, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Matt says, "it's been like two hours-"

"Yeah- Yeah sorry I um- I fell asleep," I wipe my eyes. The water sitting around me is cold now. The tub is millimeters from spilling over the edge. I turn the water off and climb out shivering. "I'll be out in a second." I dry myself off and quickly grab the clothes Matt laid out for me. I put them on and lean over the sink. I breathe in and out deeply before turning and walking out of the bathroom.

I instantly smell the smell of eggs, bacon, toast... all sorts of things that make my stomach growl.

I head for the bedroom door and walk out.

"ANA!" Jada hurries to me, "oh my god I'm so happy you're okay." She wraps her arms around me tightly, "how are you feeling? Are you hungry? The boys have been down there all morning."

"Oh yeah?" I laugh a bit, "and yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just um- sore and-- well..."

"I know," she hugs me again, "I know. I'm so sorry. She wasn't in pain though. The cops said it happened so fast it was immediate." I cry into her shoulder. "I know, I know. Shhh." I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. "She's okay," Jada whispers behind me, "it's okay. We'll be down in a minute. You, Ana, come on." She pulls me into Chase's room and shuts the door. "Sit down. Tell me what happened to you."

I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath in through my mouth since my nose is no longer helpful, "umm well we-we went to the landlord. She paid and then we started driving to the house. Jada we were minutes away. We had like two more turns left to make. And-and then we- I don't even know. Someone hit us and the car just spun and spun and spun. It-it went over the edge and I-I remember it tipping. It rolled I don't know how many times down the hill. I remember being pulled out of the car. I-I didn't even look for my mom. I just- I just closed my eyes and screamed for help. I didn't- I didn't try to fight them. I--I let it happen, Jada. I let it happen."

"No. No no no you didn't let anything happen Ana," she shakes her head, "you couldn't have stopped that. There was nothing you could have done."

"I could have taken a different way or-or could have gone under the light faster-"

"This is not your fault. It's not your fault. It is Matt's family. You KNOW that. What did they do to you? When you got to that house?"

"Um well I- I only remember waking up outside after that. I- I was tied up in a tree. My-my hands, I couldn't feel them anymore they were so cold. He came outside and talked to me, told me he was going to kill me when Matt showed up so Matt would learn his place."

"What's that mean?"

"It means they want control over him, I think. I-I'm not really sure. They say some really mean shit to him, treat him like nothing. But then um- then he showed up. I don't know when. I just remember him coming outside and I was able to hear him. He found me, cut me out and put his jacket on me and-and that was basically it. He carried me out to the car and-and we came here."

"He didn't hurt you? He didn't hit you or-or swing on you with anything?"

"No- no he didn't, not this time. Matt gave them thousands of dollars to leave us alone."

"What? That's what the black bag was? Did they go for it?"

"I don't know," I shake my head, "he said his dad wasn't there but Jack took it so I guess it's a start, at least that's what he says."

"And you believe it?"

"No. I don't. I think he did what needed to be done right then and there but-but I don't think these guys are gonna stop. I mean come on... if they were going to, they already would have."

"But maybe that plays in on actually taking you too," she says hopefully, "as in maybe if they were going to come get you or him, they would have already."

"Yeah... yeah maybe. Um- you hungry?"

"Yes! Yes come on," she stands up, "I'm sorry-"

"No-no that's okay," I stand with her, "I just- I'm fucking starving."