PREVIOUSLY:
"You ready, Angel?" Lucas voiced the question in his twin's mind.
"Yes! No! Maybe! I don't know maybe I'm not ready for thi–" Lena was cut of by Lucas's hand over her mouth.
"Listen to me. You can do this. It's only been 3 years. She still has that picture of the two of us above the fireplace."
"She does?" Lena's eyes shone with unshed tears as her brother nodded in confirmation. "I thought she would've taken it down after I ran away."
"She never did. She still loves you. Now come on, let's bring you back to Momma."
When the pair had made it up the porch stairs, Lucas knocked on the door before his sister could stop him.
Lena looked unsure and said, "Um, I'm just gonna . . .".
Lucas caught her before she ran down the steps. "Nope. Not gonna happen, Little Miss."
"It was worth a shot," Lena grumbled before the door opened.
"Who's your friend, Lucas?" Annamae asked before taking a closer look at the girl. "Lena?" She gasped, shock written all over her face.
"Hi, Momma."
"Lena Keighlyn Taylor, where on earth have you been?! I missed you so, so much, my darling little girl. Why did you leave? You never run away like that again, d'you hear me?" Lena stiffened slightly as her mother pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Annamae didn't notice, but to Lucas, it was clear as day.
"I'm sorry, Momma. I couldn't take it anymore." Lena replied, tears streaming down her face.
"Take what?" Her mother asked.
"Austin. He hurt me. All those times I got hurt weren't accidents. He did them."
"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch," Annamae said with a voice like steel.
"Don't. He can't get to me anymore," Lena begged.
"Tell me everything," ordered the young mother. "And don't even think you can get away with not tellin' me somethin'."
"Hate to interrupt, but maybe we should take this inside," Lucas interjected. "The neighbors are startin'a stare."