The Lost Roses

Chapter Seven

When I wake up he isn't next to me anymore. And I don't hear anyone in the house. Where is he? And Michael? Did they leave me? "Lucas!" When he doesn't answer I try calling him again. And then once more. When he still doesn't answer I realize he left me. He really did it. But instead of trying to leave I stay where I am. And after a while I contemplate dying again. Maybe then all the pain and anger and every other feeling I have swirling inside of me right now would disappear. Only I don't want to. I realize I don't really want to die. I just don't want to be with someone I know can kill me. I decide to call him again. "Lucas!" I thought you weren't going to leave me... The bedroom door is open. I don't understand why he can't hear me. Unless he's at the main house with Michael. God I hope so. I hope he didn't really leave. I hear something back further in the house and call for him again. This time I hear footsteps approach. Very angry sounding footsteps. Realizing I'm probably in trouble again I slip out of bed and into the bathroom locking the door behind me. Someone attempts to open the door and when they see its locked they bang on the door.
"Zoey! Open the damn door!" Lucas does not sound happy. I don't know what I did this time..But he isn't happy.
"Not if you're going to hurt me." I mumble through the door hoping he can hear me.
"I have no interest in hurting you. Yet. If this door doesn't open in the next 5 seconds that may be different." He sounds extremely serious about it. I know he won't be happy if I don't listen. So I unlock it and go sit at the furthest point from the door. He tries opening the door again and walks straight to me and instead of slapping me like I expect him to, he picks me up and carries me to bed. "I'm sorry. I know I said I wouldn't leave. But I had to get rid of my brother. He'll be staying in the main house for obvious reasons. I really am sorry. Why did you run when you heard me coming?" He's laying on the bed next to me. Playing with my fingers.
"Because you sounded angry. Your foot steps were really heavy."
"I got new boots. They were a gift from Michael." Sure enough he does have different boots on. "They're steel toe and heavier than my old pair." I cringe away from him. Steel toe? Is his brother trying to kill me? God one kick with those and I'll be dead. I try getting out of bed but he grabs my hand and stops me. "Hey. I'm not going to hurt you. Especially not with these. Why don't you come eat? It's almost noon now." He pulls me after him into the kitchen. "Put your shoes on. We're still going to eat with Michael."
"What? I..I don't want to."
"Just come on. Or I'll make you go." I cross my arms in front of me daring him to try. "Fine. Have it your way." And no sooner than the words are out of his mouth I've been thrown over his shoulder.
"Lucas! Let me go! Seriously! What are you doing! I don't even have my shoes on!" He doesn't answer me he just walks straight out the door and through the yard to the other house. This one is way bigger than the guest house. This one has two floors. And I'm pretty sure a basement. Hopefully no one is hidden in this house. "Put me down."
"Only if you don't try to run."
"I don't plan to. I have no shoes on." He hesitates a moment then puts me down in the grass. It really is hot out here. "Where are we?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well I know we were in Louisiana. But I don't remember it being quite this hot. Like dry heat. It was just really humid there." I say sitting in the grass.
"We're in Colorado.  I was visiting some friends and one of them needed me to fill in at that pottery shop that day."
"What's your real job? I know you disappear sometimes. And you know a lot about medicine. But you're still pretty young."
"I went to med school. Then decided to be a Paramedic."
"Oh. An ambulance guy. You must have a lot of money then. For med school."
"My parents did. They were both doctors. My mom was a pediatrician and my dad was a neurosurgeon."
"They were?"
"They died in an accident last year. They had already given me the house of course. They were retired in Florida. I got most of their money after they died. Which is why I've been around more."
"Where did this ring come from?"
"It was the ring my father proposed with. My mother never took it off. Right before they left she gave it to me. Told me to keep it until the right girl came along. She knew about you. She was the only one. Of course she never would have known if she hadn't have seen you sleeping in my bed. You wouldn't believe her shock. That was the night she gave me the ring. She thought we were a couple. Of course I didn't tell her differently. You know...I feel sort of bad about how I've treated you. And I do plan on releasing those girls. Of course when I do it will be far away from here. And I won't leave any of them in the same state. I'll need your help. They'll all need to be cleaned and they'll need new clothes. And of course none of them know where they are. I'll leave them all on the east coast. That's very far from here. How does a roadtrip sound?"
"Won't we need a big enough car? And won't it take forever?"
"I've already got it all planned. I've thought about it a lot. Of course in my version they were all dead and so were you."
"What made you change your mind? I wouldn't mind dying."
"I won't let that happen. You know I won't."
"I don't understand why..."
"Maybe you haven't noticed but you aren't being held captive anymore. You're outside right now. Laying in the grass and feeling the sun on your skin. Do you know what those other girls would do to be where you are right now?"
"Of course I know. You know I love you? I don't want to. And I don't know why I do. But I do."
"Stockholm syndrome. The captive falls in love with the captor. I agree that you shouldn't. I haven't done anything to earn your love. But I think I can change that." I snort in response.
"Yea. Right. Okay. Lets see that happen." He looks at me. And then takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. He leads me into the house and calls for Michael. "I'm not even hungry."
"You could have fooled me. Isn't he feeding you? Well obviously not. Stupid question." Michael says walking down stairs.
"I have plenty of food. That doesn't mean she wants to eat." 
"I do eat. I'm just not hungry frequently."
"Babe, you never eat. Not unless you've made it or opened it."
"Well after that time I got food poisoning I don't really trust other people cooking for me."
"Food poisoning? Wow. That doesn't happen a lot you know."
"Yea. I do know. But I've gotten it twice."
"I keep telling her asian food and seafood are not good choices."
"Oooh. Yea. Those two are definitely the worst." I want to tell Michael that Lucas is the one who poisoned my food twice. Although he claims the second time was an accident. How do you accidentally make someone so sick they're bedridden. For weeks.
"What are we eating?" I ask. Already tired of this.
"Actually,  I thought we'd go out. When I did leave I bought you a sweater. A thinner one so you shouldn't be as hot." He pulls out a Jc penney bag and hands it to Lucas.
"You didn't have to do that." I say.
"I actually told him to." Lucas speaks up. He pulls out the white quarter sleeve cardigan and hands it to me. "See. I'm sure that will feel a lot better than mine."
"I'm cold." I say pouting a little. 
"Well then lets get going." Michael says. Lucas grabs my hand pulling me back outside. "I think we should walk. Its nice out and the main part of the city isn't too far."
"Good idea."
"Uhhh. I'm not wearing shoes."
"Well then lets go get them." When Lucas says that I get the feeling I should've just walked barefoot. He pulls me along behind him and back to the guest house. When we make it inside he locks the door and shoves me against the wall next to it.
"What did I do this time?" I ask
"Nothing." He pushes me harder against the wall and rubs the bulge in his shorts  against me before claiming my mouth as his. We continue until we hear a knock on the window and see Michael. I laugh and Lucas just gets annoyed. He grabs my shoes and opens the door letting me out first.
"It's like every time you two are alone you've got it goin on. Damn you're one lucky dude Luke."
"Yea. Lets go." Lucas says handing me my sandals. He grabs my hand once they're on and we start walking. None of us talk much for the first ten minutes or so. All stuck in our own thoughts.
"Hey, I never did see the ring." Michael says looking at me. I stick my hand out reaching over Lucas and show him. "Is that moms ring?"
"Yea. She gave it to me before they left for Florida. She told me to wait for the right girl, and I think Zoey is the right one." Huh. Yea, 'cause I have no choice.
"What was that?" Michael asks.
"Hmm? I didn't say anything."
"It sounded like you said you don't have a choice. A choice about what?"
"I seriously didn't say anything.  I swear. I mean I was thinking about where we are going and about how it was always my choice where we went to eat when I was with my parents and older brother. Maybe I started to think out loud."
"I didn't know you had a brother?" Uh oh.. I'm gonna be in trouble.
"Well I didn't know you had one either until he burst into the bathroom and caught us fucking. So." I almost regret saying that. And then I remember he won't hit me. Not in front of his brother.
"True." He looks like he wants to hit me. Fortunately he does nothing.
"He died. He was in the army. He got deployed to Afghanistan.  They ended up in a mine field."
"Damn I'm sorry. I'll be your new big brother."
"Thanks Michael. That was actually his name. Of course we called him Mikey. Except sometimes we would make fun of him and call him Mickey. He loved Mickey Mouse when we were little. We'd randomly sing that one really old song. The one that goes 'hey Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey, hey hey, hey Mickey'."
"That's cute. But please don't do that to me."
"I won't. Trust me. I miss him though. And my parents."
"Where are they?"
"They died."
"I'm sorry. I know how that feels."
"It's hard. I've gone through a lot. Lucas is quite literally the only reason I'm alive." I leave out the part how they would be too if It weren't for him.
"I'm assuming you're referring to your scars?"
"Unfortunately. He found me right before it was too late. He nursed me back after that."
"Aww. Look at that. My brother can be a sweet heart." Lucas punches him in the arm in response.
"I was just reacting the way I was taught."
"Riight. Being a Paramedic and all."
"Hey, at least I did something. Last I checked you were still a bartender."
"Yes I am. And I get tons of ladies. Unfortunately none have been quite as attractive as yours." He winks with the last statement and I feel Lucas tense up as he walk next to me. Of course I just blush like an idiot.
"Given the fact you've seen me naked and making out with him twice, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say things like that." Hopefully Lucas will be happy with that.
"Sorry. You know, I've heard him call you babe. But you've called him nothing but Lucas or referred to him as 'he' or 'him'. Why is that?"
"She doesn't really like using terms of endearment. And she has yet to find one that fits for me anyway."
"How about 'caveman'?" I say. Michael bursts out laughing and with one look from Lucas I know that wasn't a good response. "It's a joke. Stop looking at me like that."
"Well I didn't think it was very funny."
"I'm sorry. " I kiss him hoping that will diffuse some of his anger. It appears to work. After that none of us really talk anymore. Maybe after ten minutes we reach the city center. There are tons of people moving about. Couples of all ages and families. The boys decide on some locally owned diner called Freddy's.
"They have the best burgers and milkshakes here." Michael says reading the menu.
"I'm Dani, what can I get yous?" A short, older looking, waitress walks up to our table.
"I'll have the double, no, triple, cheeseburger with everything on it, a large cheese fry, and a large chocolate shake." Michael must have quite the appetite...
"What about you hun?"
"What do you want zoe? I still haven't decided."
"Ummm. How about the crispy chicken sandwich. The one with avocado. No lettuce. A medium fry. And...a medium shake. The nutella one?"
"Alright. Do you want me to come back for you?"
"No.. I'll order now. How about the western style burger. Heavy on the barbecue sauce, a large fry and a small vanilla shake."
"Alright. I'll be back with your shakes shortly."
"I didn't take you for a vanilla guy." I say to Lucas.
"There's a lot you don't know."
"Can I see your wallet?" I ask curiously.
"...Why?"
"Just curious." He looks at me questioningly before leaning to the side and handing it to me. Of course he has a black leather wallet. Typical dude. I open it and find his driver's licence.  He never told me what his whole name is. If I'm going to marry him I would like to know. Lucas Eugene Wolf. Huh. His last name is quite fitting. But Eugene? Jesus, this poor kid. "Eugene?" I say not being able to hold in my laughter. He snatches his wallet back but I take his ID and put it under my leg the furthest from him. I want to keep it. Just in case I ever get away I want to know who it was that ruined my life. After another five minutes the waitress brings our shakes. "Wow..a medium is not as small as I thought it would be..."
"Yea I should have warned you." Michael says sucking down his shake big enough for all three of us.
"Yours is the most normal looking one." I say looking at Lucas. I take a sip of my shake and instantly fall into Nutella heaven. Jesus everyone should get one of these. I look up from my shake and see both guys staring at me. "What? " I say swallowing more ice cream.
"You just made a noise like you were having an orgasm. A deep moan kinda thing." Michael explains laughing. I blush harder than I think I have all day. "God she's really easy to embarrass too."
"Ha. Ha. Now hush." I say hiding behind my shake and my hair. After maybe ten more minutes of stupid banter our food comes. We all chow down. I manage to drink half my shake and sandwich and most of my fries. The rest I take home. Of course Michael and Lucas have nothing. Men. They eat like starving bears. On the walk home I get so sleepy Lucas ends up carrying me for the last 5-10 minutes. He carries me to bed when we get home and removes my sandals , tucking me under the blanket. He kisses my forehead and walks away. But for once I'm too tired to care what he's doing. Or where he's going. I just drift into sweet, dark, nothingness.