Fifty Four

Mila

It's amazing how when you need something you can't find it. I had spent the past two days looking for something to end the pain…quickly. It took about two days for my body to stop hurting and that's what I decided that I was done with this. Lira had tried to help me but that was a joke. She hadn't come back since the day she tried to get me up. I was just glad that she finally accepted my fate like I had. I was going to die here. But I was going to make sure it was on my own times.

I didn't want to go painfully so drinking bleach or detergent or even the liquid plumber was out of the question. I just wanted to cut my wrists or something. I had unsuccessfully tried to unscrew a nail and breaking the small basement windows required a level of strength that I did not have. It was beyond frustrating. I had to figure out something though.

The sound of yelling, crashing and a door slamming snatched brought me back to the present. I could hear the footsteps heading towards the basement door. After being down there so long, I was pretty good at telling what was about to happen. The door opened and I quickly went over to small make shift bed that sat in a corner. The steps creaked loudly. Hal stepped into the basement and walked over to me.

"Get up," he said before turning and walking back towards the steps. It had been so long since I had been out of the basement, I didn't question him. I quickly jumped up and followed him up the steps. When we stepped into the kitchen, it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the light. I looked around and felt like I was looking at a new house.

"Mila, get in here," Hal yelled for me. I walked into the living room and found him sitting in a recliner chair. That was new. Lira laid on the couch with her eyes closed. "Mom," I whispered. I ran over to her and kneeled down in front of her. My heart slowed down when I could hear her breathing. Hal took a swig from his beer.

"Don't worry about her! She's fine. Go get me more beer."

I didn't know if this was a joke or not. He had to know if I got the chance to get out, I was going to run again. I turned and looked at Lira then back at him. Suddenly it made sense. I could see the bruises on her face. The sounds from earlier, it had been him. There had been no screaming because Lira figured out long before I got there that Hal got off on the screams. He loved to hear the screams and the begging, it made the beatings last longer. Lira never screamed and eventually I stopped screaming and crying. No matter how hard it was.

"Monies on the counter. And I know how long it takes to get to the store. You don't come back; she'll be the one to pay."

I stayed kneeled by the couch, staring at Lira. I didn't want to leave her. I wasn't moving fast enough for Hal because the bottle flew from his hand to the wall. Beer and glass fell to the floor. I quickly jumped up and grabbed the money from the counter. I went to open the door and found myself frozen in fear. The door was the only thing stopping me from getting away. I pulled the door open expecting Hal to come and grab me back with every small step I took.

Slowly I walked off the porch. Each step away from the house was heavy and I was scared. As I walked towards the store, my mind was running a mile a minute. There had to be a way out of here. But where could I go? I knew that nobody was going to help me. After the fiasco that happened at the store, I asked Lira why she never called the cops. All she told me was Hal's family owned the town. There was nobody who could help us. I made it the corner and paused for a second. I wanted to run, I needed to run, but I couldn't run. How could I leave my mom? No matter how bad she had been with me, she was still my mother. I decided I was going to get the beer and then go back. I would eventually figure out a way for us to get away.

As I walked, I kept my head low and my eyes away from the road. I didn't want to draw any attention to myself. I didn't know if I would be able to keep it together if someone tried to talk to me. And then there was the whole issue of not knowing who I could trust and who I couldn't. I heard cars drive past; I could hear kids laughing as they played. Another car drove past but the sound of brakes screeching made me jerk my head up. The kids were still in their yard so I kept walking. Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around me, stopping me from walking. I closed my eyes and clawed at the arm.

"No I wasn't going to run! I promise I was coming back. Please…" I whispered over and over. I wanted to scream but held it inside.

"Mila…babes it's me!" I kept shaking my head no. "I promise I was coming back. I promise I wasn't going to run." I felt the arms release me and them two cold hands on my face.

"Mila open your eyes! It's me Caleb!"

I stopped shaking my head and opened my eyes. Caleb and Jake stood in front of me. I looked at the two of them, not saying anything before wrapping my arms around Caleb. I would have felt to the ground, had he not been holding me up. I couldn't believe it, my best friend had found me. My back was suddenly warm, very warm. I turned my head and saw Jake had his arms wrapped around me.

"Stop hogging her," Sam said. Jakes stepped away and he hugged me. It was great that Sam and Jake were there but the one person I wanted to see...needed to see was nowhere around. "Embry is back at the hotel Mila. I told him to stay back with Nessie. I wasn't sure how we would find you."

"Yea how could you even think about killing yourself!" Caleb asked me. I looked confused as to how he even knew that.

"But how did you guys know I was here?"

"Not that it's important, but somebody called Embry. We've been here for a week looking for you," Jake said. A week? Lira tried to get me to leave a week ago. Had she called Embry?

"Come on, we are getting you out of here. I know Embry is going crazy wanting to see you." Caleb grabbed my hand.

"NO! I can't leave Lira."

"Are you serious? She's the reason you are here! Your arms are covered in bruises. I can only imagine how the rest of your body looks. Fuck her!" Caleb angrily said.

"Lira didn't do this. Hal did. Hal made her bring me back. Hal is going to kill her if I don't go back. I can't leave her here."

"Hal? Who the hell is Hal?"

"Her husband."

"And he did this to you?" Jake asked while pointing to my arm. I didn't even have to answer before Caleb shook his head.

"Which house is it?"

"He's not going to let you guys in."

"Don't worry about that" Jake said "Just tell us which one it is."

I told them the address and climbed in the car. As soon as I slid in the back seat, I noticed there was someone else there. He was making it a point to look down at the floor. I stared at him, knowing that I knew him for somewhere else. He looked up, quickly, and it all came flashing back. I remembered that day when I asked him for help and now he was in front of me. I was so mad, my hands started to shake. It was his fault that I was stuck here! He let Hal come in there and take me.

Before I could really understand what was happening, my fists shot out. His arms went up to block his face but he never stopped me from hitting him. The door he was pushed up again flew open and he was yanked out. I leaned over trying to get him but felt warm hands on my waist.

"Mila...ease up. He helped us find you."

"Helped you? Did he tell you how he didn't help me the first time I went to him?! Did he tell you how he watched Hal drag me back?" I asked Jake.

"Look here," Caleb said staring in his eyes "You're going to go home, eat a nice meal, and go to bed. You will not remember seeing me, Jake, or even Mila. You don't know anybody name Hal. When you wake up in the morning, you will continue your life as normal but you will never mention Hal, Mila, or anybody you've seen today. Understood?"

"Yes," the guy whispered. Caleb smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Go home." The kid quickly turned and ran away from the car. Caleb slid into the door he had just opened. I looked at him confused by what I just saw.

"The art of complement…it's my thing."

I nodded at him. Jake climbed in the driver seat and followed my directions to the house. We pulled up and my body instantly started to shake. I couldn't understand how just looking at the house brought so much emotion. Jake stopped the car and he and Caleb got out. I held my breath as they walked up the steps. Jake knocked then stepped to the side. The door opened and as fast as I blinked they were inside the house.

Minutes passed although it felt like hours. The door opened again and Jake stepped out. He was carrying Lira and Caleb came out behind him. He shut the door and followed Jake towards the car. Jake eased Lira into the car and took his seat. Caleb climbed in the front.

Caleb turned and looked at me.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore."

And just like that…everything was taken care of.

We pulled up to the hotel and the guys helped me and Lira out of the car. Nothing was said as we past the counter and headed towards the elevator. The higher we went, the more anxious I got. We stepped off and the guys made a left. Lira walked next to me, not saying anything or asking any questions. I was surprised she was taking being away from Hal as good as she was. We reached the room and Jake went to open the door but I stopped him.

"Wait a minute," I said. Jake looked at me confused. Was I ready to see him?

"Everything will be fine Mila trust me. He's just as much a wreck as you are but you know as soon as you with him, everything will be fine."

I nodded and he opened the door. We all stepped inside and Caleb shut the door behind us. I looked around the room. I could tell they had been here for a while.

"Follow me Mila," Jake said turning to the right. I started following him and Lira was behind me. Caleb stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"How about you come with me Lira? Mila needs to be alone for this."

Lira looked at me then back at him before turning and following him. Jake nodded and continued down the hallway. The suite was huge. I followed him to a closed door. I could hear music playing from the other side. Jake opened the door and then stepped aside. I smiled at him and made my way inside. I hadn't been this scared before in my life. The door shut and suddenly I was alone in the room. The curtains were drawn tight, so the room was dim. I didn't move from my spot.

I noticed a door was shut with a light behind it. It was then I could hear the shower running. I walked over to the door and hesitated before opening it up. Steam hit me in the face as I stepped inside the bathroom. I looked at the fogged glass and started to smile. His back was too me but I knew he knew that I was there. I pulled the door open and stepped inside. He'd stopped moving by now but he knew I was there.

I stepped closer and slowly wrapped my arms around his waist. My face went on his back and I could hear the breath he had been holding. Suddenly he snatched my arms off him and turned around. I froze, not knowing what was going to happen. Embry stepped up and put his hands on my face, forcing me to look at him. I was glad we were in the shower and he couldn't see my tears.

"Embry…I'm so sorry…I should have never-"

My words were cut off when his lips came crashing down on mine. My hands went to his arms as I tried pulling him closer to me. We pulled away finally, only because we had to breathe.

"Mila…I-"

I cut his words off with my lips. We didn't need to say anything for everything to be understood.

"I missed you so much Mila."

"I missed you too Embry."

"Are you really here?"

"I'm here and I'm not leaving…ever again."

"Good," he said before kissing me again "I love you."

"I love you too."

We stayed there…in the shower saying it over and over; until the water went cold. Then he carried me to the bed were we stayed with each other until the sleep I had been fighting took over.