Spring slipped deftly into Summer as time went on. I had been living with the Bondurant brothers since escaping my Uncle's home some months ago, and was all the better for it. If I had stayed with him one more day, there's no doubt in my mind that I'd have been buried some time ago. My body was slowly on the mend, thankfully. I'd received a few broken bones and torn muscles, but all were healing the less I allowed myself to move. It was unlike me to be still for such a long length of time – though I knew it was absolutely vital for my health this time around.
The brothers were the only people I trusted now. I hadn't made many friends or even been given the chance to go outside after I moved in with my Uncle. It had been a hellish life from the age of sixteen onwards, and only in my early twenties had I begun to defend myself. Now, I was safe and sound, surrounded by three of the most dangerous men in the county.
"Morning, Bell" Jack called, hopping down the stairs with a towel around his neck and shaving foam all over his face.
I giggled softly and swatted him away as he pecked my cheek, covering me in the god awful white fluff. He often called me Bell when we were younger. He'd had some trouble pronouncing my first name, and could not for the life of him pronounce my surname, so he opted to shorten it instead. I'd grown rather fond of it over the years – and it just kind of stuck.
"So, what's the occasion you big stud?" I asked, receiving a questioning look as he reached for a piece of toast from the centre of the table.
He looked at me in silence for a moment, before it dawned on him what I was actually asking. He knew as any other did that he never bothered to look all prim and proper unless he was taking a girl out on a date of some sort. I grinned, knowingly, and waited patiently for him to fill me in on every detail.
"Well.. she's just a friend, but a beautiful friend. She's blonde, smart, kind, future wife material.. you know, that kind of thing" he said, jokingly.
"Does this lady friend have a name, Jack?" I asked, now incredibly curious.
We all used to hang about with every other child in the county when we were kids, so it crossed my mind immediately that I may very well know the girl. Though I doubted it. I hadn't been given free rein of the grounds after moving in with the Uncle. He kept me indoors from morning till night, only allowing me to go outside once my wounds had healed and he was tagging along with me. Any other time, I wasn't allowed to set foot outside at all.
My skin was almost as pale as snow because of this. I'd not been out in the sun in a long time; and it seemed to burn just a tad recently. If I lived long enough after such torture, I would figure out a way to pay back that horrid man for what he had done to me.
"Bertha Minnix" he said, quietly. His head dropped down a little, but I noticed his ears turning red.
I recalled a pretty little blonde hanging around with us when we were small. It all made sense to me now. He had been crushing on her all this time, or perhaps he had only recently developed such a fascination. Mind you, she was quite the beauty and could put any girl in these parts to shame with her princess-like looks. Including myself – for I was not a good looking girl at all, at least not in my eyes. My childhood crush had always been kept a secret, especially back then. The thought of having made it known bugged me a little. I knew if Jack had squeezed it out of me, he would never let me live it down.
"I remember her.. the pretty little blonde who wandered around as your shadow when you weren't really paying much attention." I said, a smile growing on my lips as his cheeks darkened.
Jack and I used to share tales of those we were fond of back in the day. I had missed those moments between us. I realised then and there that I'd missed out on a whole lot over the last few years. I had missed the opportunity to watch the brothers grow up and mature into handsome young men. I had missed all the gossip of the local beauty queens and whatnot. Small things like that seemed few and far between.
"Yea.. well.. I better finish up here. I don't have long left" he said, jumping up from his chair and racing off into the upstairs bathroom.
I chuckled quietly to myself as I heard a few curses tossed about. He must have tripped numerous times as he ran up the stairs; clumsy old Jack. He really hadn't changed at all. Forrest was right about that.
My thoughts now on Forrest, I wondered where he was, as it was closing in on midday and I hadn't seen or heard him since I woke up this morning. Jack hadn't mentioned him either; and Howard was being his usual grouchy self, so I hadn't thought to approach him for answers. Perhaps a walk would clear my head of all my worrisome thoughts. Of one thing I was certain – he wasn't in any kind of trouble.
"Jack, I'm just popping out for a stroll" I called, as I stood at the bottom of the stairs.
He popped his head around the corner and tossed me a cheesy grin, nodding his head to let me know it was alright, "Be careful though.. don't want you getting into fisticuffs with anyone" he said, laughing as he walked away again.
I laughed as well as I decided to leave my coat behind and stepped out onto the porch. The sun was burning brightly in the sky and I smiled. Its warmth seemed to ignite something within me, but before I could take a single step, a low groaning sound stopped me in my tracks. Turning around, my face scrunched up as I could not find the source of the noise. It was dull and droned out, but seemed to grow louder as I walked toward the track parked just a few feet from the Station. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I'd find a dying animal under its wheel, but my heart jumped up into my throat when I caught sight of a pair of all too familiar brown boots.
My scream couldn't have been louder if I were being murdered. It garnered the attention of a few birds in the trees, but more importantly, both brothers as they came bounding outside, almost knocking the door off its hinges.
I dropped down to my knees before Forrest, who was clinging tightly to his neck as a deep red liquid poured through the gaps between his fingers. Whoever had done this would surely pay; of that much I knew. The brothers would not allow anyone to get away with such a vicious act, and nor would I. It was a sickening sight to see. I reached out my hand and shifted a little, propping Forrest's head up on my lap as Jack and Howard rushed over to us.
Jack let out his own frightened scream, sounding almost like a bear. Howard growled as I watched the pure anger build on his face. My own face was soaked with tears as I tried in vain to comfort a slowly dying Forrest. Had it not been for the wiser older brother, he may very well have died right there.
"Get him into the truck, now" he half yelled, not quite knowing what else to do.
I couldn't control my emotions as we all heaved him into the back of the truck. Howard wanted me to stay behind and guard the station, but Jack wanted me to tag along with them to the hospital. I wound up staying behind, unfortunately. Someone had to keep their business running for the next few hours – and neither brother wanted to leave Forrest. I didn't much like the idea of leaving him either, but understood he was in good company as the two people who meant the world to him were by his side.
My inability to remain calm was fairly obvious to those who stopped by at the station throughout the rest of the afternoon. I wondered how long it might be before I'd hear from the boys. Forrest would clearly be staying in hospital for a few weeks at least; but I didn't much like the idea of being on my own so much. I had after all come here for protection of some sort. I knew the brothers would be more than pleased to look after me. Now, it was the middle brother who needed looking after. I wanted nothing more than to abandon the place so I could spend some time at his bedside.
A few more hours passed and the sky began to darken. Neither one of the brothers had called to check up or let me know how he was coping, and I was worrying so much that I'd started on the Moonshine. It was not good for me, that much I knew, but it was keeping me sane.
"Don't ye know that stuff will kill ye?" a deep voice spoke, as yet another customer staggered through the doors.
It seemed they looked drunk enough already; too drunk in fact, to be stopping here for another drink. It wasn't until they lifted their head that I realised who it was. I had prayed he would forget all about me and not bother to come looking for me, yet here he was. He looked worse than he had the last time I saw him. His hair had grown and was slightly curled at the ends. It would have framed his face nicely had he bothered to wash it and brush it every day. His beard made him look as though he had been living on the streets over the last few months, and his yellow teeth made me sick to my stomach as he leaned on the counter, trying to get a little closer to me as he spoke up once again.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find ye? ye really are a stupid one, Stella" he said, his breath almost knocking me out quicker than his fists used to.
Panic coursed through my veins but my body refused to move on its own. I was silently willing myself to make a run for it and not stop until I caught sight of someone; anyone. There was no doubt in my mind that he had come back to collect him, to take me back to his house, to beat me all over again. I felt anger slowly creeping over my fear and before he could say another word, I stepped around the counter and swung my fist toward his nose.
A loud crack echoed around us and I knew I'd succeeded in breaking it. After all those times he had broken me, I'd finally gotten my own back. Though – he was and always would be much stronger than me, and the thought of what he might do to me now frightened me all over again. My fear built back up by the second, and as he discarded the blood pouring from his nose, he grabbed me forcefully and flung me against the far wall. My back hit the solid wood so hard, I cried out in pain. Before I could even think to move, he was standing right in front of me, his hands reaching up to wrap themselves tightly around my neck.
"Please.." I whimpered, knowing I could not escape this time.
My weak efforts were futile. His hands only gripped my neck harder and harder, until the room began to spin around me. My own hands clung to his wrists and I tried in vain to shove him away.
My eyes were flooded with tears, so much so that I could no longer see a thing, but could hear the sound of raised voices and heavy footsteps come bounding into the station. I recognised them to be the two who had left hours ago with their brother; my saviours. I opened my eyes briefly and spotted Howard rushing over to me and my uncle. He grabbed both his hands and bent them back, causing him to shriek as his wrists snapped. The sound was horrible – but I felt absolutely no sympathy for him at all. How could I, after all he had done to me. He was supposed to be family, yet he treated me as though I were nothing but a burden to him. Even now, I was no longer in his way, but he seemed to believe I was still trouble, because I was still very much alive. He stumbled away from me and Howard, cowering in a corner as he looked upon his broken body with shock. Perhaps now he would know what it felt like, and perhaps now he would leave me alone and never return. The Bondurant brothers were no longer children, surely he knew that.
As soon as he ran out of the station, his hands flailing about before him, Howard nodded his head a little in my direction before leaving the room with a bottle between his fingers. His drunken physique indicated he was not in the mood for conversation, but I was just glad he had been there.
"Bell.. are you alright?" Jack said, approaching me cautiously.
His eyes wandered from my face down to my neck; twisting as he noticed the bruising that had already begun to show.
"I'll be fine, Jack. If you boys hadn't come back.." I said, not knowing how to finish that sentence.
I knew Jack would not have been able to fight back against my uncle, which is why Howard had opted for brutal force as soon as they set foot in the station. He was much more prone to violence, as was Forrest, though he seldom bothered were it was not necessary. I think Howard enjoyed a good fight every once in a while – unlike his two much more sensible brothers. But under the circumstances, I was thankful.
Jack smiled sadly as he walked over to me. I stood with my back pressed up against the wall for support. I knew he didn't believe me, but he was aware there'd be no arguing with me over it. All I wanted now was to never be parted from them again.
"How's Forrest?" I asked, breaking the tension.
"Stable" he said, a relieved sigh passing through his lips, "He can't talk much at the moment, but I seemed to do enough of that for the both of us back at the hospital. The nurse said he'll be alright to come home in a few days, but his wound will need dressing every evening."
I nodded my head after a small giggle slipped through at the idea of Jack being a chatterbox. It often got him into trouble, but he couldn't quite help it. It was only when he found himself in uncomfortable situations; whenever he was nervous. It was a feeling I could understand pretty well, come to think of it.
"That's wonderful news. I suppose I am to tend to his scars each night then?" I asked, though it was more of a statement than anything.
"Could you..?" he asked, almost afraid that I might decline.
"Of course, Jack. You and your brothers mean more to me than you'll ever know, and I've so much to repay you for. It'd be a delight to help in any way I can" I said, smiling cheerfully as I pulled him into a hug.
Jack, without any knowledge of what he was doing, wrapped his own arms around my waist and cried softly into my hair. The overwhelming emotions were understandably too much for him to take, and as I rubbed his back gently, he apologised over and over again for looking like a fool. His brother and best friend had almost been killed, all in one night, so it was surely difficult for him to bear.
"Shh.." I cooed, continuing to rub his back until he calmed down.
It took him a while, but he eventually pulled away and wiped at the remaining tears that sat upon his cheeks, waiting to fall. His eyes were now bloodshot; tired looking.
"Perhaps you should turn in for the night, both of you. I'll close up and head to bed myself shortly" I said with a warm smile.
He nodded his head in agreement and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. Tipping his hat up, he placed it onto a nearby chair and headed on upstairs. Howard must have already passed out by the sound of it. All I could hear was heavy snoring and an empty bottle rolling about on his bedroom floor. I had to laugh at the sound – he was indeed a handful.
