Safe With Me

Chap. 4: This Is Your Life Now

•  Elle Bradley wearing Brody's plaid shirt above •

When Elle ran back to her new bedroom, she picked up the dirty clothes from the floor and the empty liquor bottles. She made the bed and snooped in Brody's dresser. She found t-shirts, flannels, jeans, socks and underwear. She took her torn t-shirt off and put one of his flannels on, its felt texture giving her warmth.

A knock at the door makes Elle jump. She gulps as she slowly goes to the door.

"Who is it?" Elle calls through the door.

"Open up, Blondie." The sound of Molly's voice gives Elle relief.

Elle opens the door to see Molly standing there with a big stack of clothes. The two blonde exchange a look before Elle steps aside to let Molly in.

Molly snarls her nose at the smell in the room. "It smells like a man in here."

Elle shrugs, "That's probably because a man sleeps here."

Molly spots the trash can filled with trash and empty liquor bottles. "No, Brody sleeps here."

"Are those clothes for me?" Elle sees a new pair of shoes. "How do you know my size?"

"We're about the same size." Molly sighs, "I want to apologize for snapping at you earlier."

"Is it true?" Elle's voice is low, cautious. "Were you raped?"

Molly's silence screams loud. Elle nods her head, deciding to try and push past the awkward conversation.

"Thank you for the clothes." Elle nods to the blonde.

"This is your life now." Molly crosses her arms, anger in her eyes. "And even though you don't want to believe it, you have to. You will never have He life you had before so stop fighting."

"They killed my brother!" Elle exclaims angrily, "Jackson was murdered—"

"Jackson is never coming back!" Molly says coldly, her eyes fiery. "Get over it because things will never be the same no matter how hard you fight."

"How can you just give up so easily?" Elle says coldly, "If we could get get away—"

"You think that you're the first one to come up with that top notch plan?" Molly's eyes begin to form tears but her anger rages on, "I lost my best friend because she was stupid enough to think she could outsmart Ira....but no one leaves Ira. He simply has you killed."

Elle suddenly realizes the deepness of Molly's rage and pain. Unfortunately, Ira is too the cause of Elle's pain. She begins to speak but Molly cuts her off.

"Come help up make dinner at 5." Molly turns away from Elle, "The guys usually come home around 6:30 or 7 o'clock if Ira's job wasn't too bad."

Molly quickly leaves, making Elle feel cold inside. She sits on the bed and stares at the wall deep in thought, feeling hopeless and trapped.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

After half an hour was spent staring at the wall in thought, Elle put away her clothes in the dresser and changed her denim skirt for black, ripped skinny jeans. She scrubbed Jackson's dried blood off the bottoms of her shoes.