either. Which, I grudgingly
admitted, meant that he cared about Oliver and he probably wasn't a total asshole.
If
Ethan admitted that it was a total jerk move and asked for forgiveness, I'd
probably let it go and we could move on, maybe tolerate each other in a less
hostile way. But he never brought it up and we never talked, so nothing
changed.
CHAPTER 5
Almost
two weeks into my move there, I asked Brooks what they did for fun away from
the cabin.
"We
don't really leave the cabin unless it's to run to the store or on an
assignment," he said.
I
screwed up my face and asked, "Is that a rule? Are we not allowed to
leave?"
He
shrugged and said, "It's not a rule, but we don't really need anything
from the outside. We have books, movies, TV, internet, friends to talk to and
play games with. Shit to learn, practice, perfect, etc. Gwen cooks all of our
meals and she's good enough that the only food we ever really go out for is
Chinese, and even then we usually bring it back to the compound. What else do
you need?"
"I
know I'm not a social butterfly, but I would like to associate with the outside
world. Make sure it's still functioning without us," I said a touch
sarcastically.
"Cabin
fever?" he asked.
"God,
yes. I like it here. Really, I do," I assured him. "But I need a
little dose of annoying, crying babies and children spilling applesauce in the
aisles of a store. Of fresh faces I've never seen on people I'll never talk
to. I need to drive in a fast car and maybe mouth off to someone."
"You
want, you can go to the store," he said on a laugh. "Gwen has a list
in the kitchen of stuff she needs to cook this week. I usually send out two at
a time and Ethan was already planning to go, so you can go together."
My
face morphed to show my horror at that idea. Ethan and me? Alone? We were never alone together, and that's the way it would stay!
I
opened my mouth to argue and show him the enormous error in his thinking, but
his gaze shifted to look over my shoulder and he called out, "Ethan, Alex
is going with you to the store! She said she needs to get out of the house or
she'll go crazy."
My
eyes bugged out and I said hurriedly, "I did not say that!"
"Your
eyes. They were speaking to me," Brooks said. He was in a playful mood,
but I wasn't.
I
persevered. "I'm not going to the store with him! We'll kill each
other," I gritted out.
Brooks
sobered and stared at me for a second. "Ethan's an excellent driver.
He'll get you there and back safely."
I
glared at him. He was purposely being obtuse. I started to argue again when
Ethan moved into our space.
"Ready
to go?" he asked me indifferently. Like he couldn't care less that we
were about to take a step in the very wrong, potentially violent direction. But
if he wanted to play, I wasn't about to admit defeat. And I really did want to
get out of the cabin before I became more stir crazy.
I
ground my teeth together and moved only my eyes to him. I barely parted my
lips to say, "Yes."
He
said, "Great," but it sounded more like, "I'd rather have teeth
pulled and please, skip the drugs."
Ethan
turned on his heel and left the room without another word. I gave Brooks a
look that promised vengeance, and ran up to my room to change clothes. I
pulled on my black jeans, tucking them into my boots and topped them with a
charcoal gray racerback tank and a jacket. I touched up my eyeliner and left
for the garage, knowing Ethan would leave me behind if I took too long. I ran
my fingers through my loose waves and walked out into the cold mountain air.
Ethan was already waiting near the door in a dark colored, non-descript SUV. I
climbed in the front, though I was sorely tempted to sit in the back just to be
difficult, and away we went.
I
stared out my window and thought about telling him he had nice biceps. And
then I almost laughed, but that would have seemed either bizarre or like a cry
for
admitted, meant that he cared about Oliver and he probably wasn't a total asshole.
If
Ethan admitted that it was a total jerk move and asked for forgiveness, I'd
probably let it go and we could move on, maybe tolerate each other in a less
hostile way. But he never brought it up and we never talked, so nothing
changed.
CHAPTER 5
Almost
two weeks into my move there, I asked Brooks what they did for fun away from
the cabin.
"We
don't really leave the cabin unless it's to run to the store or on an
assignment," he said.
I
screwed up my face and asked, "Is that a rule? Are we not allowed to
leave?"
He
shrugged and said, "It's not a rule, but we don't really need anything
from the outside. We have books, movies, TV, internet, friends to talk to and
play games with. Shit to learn, practice, perfect, etc. Gwen cooks all of our
meals and she's good enough that the only food we ever really go out for is
Chinese, and even then we usually bring it back to the compound. What else do
you need?"
"I
know I'm not a social butterfly, but I would like to associate with the outside
world. Make sure it's still functioning without us," I said a touch
sarcastically.
"Cabin
fever?" he asked.
"God,
yes. I like it here. Really, I do," I assured him. "But I need a
little dose of annoying, crying babies and children spilling applesauce in the
aisles of a store. Of fresh faces I've never seen on people I'll never talk
to. I need to drive in a fast car and maybe mouth off to someone."
"You
want, you can go to the store," he said on a laugh. "Gwen has a list
in the kitchen of stuff she needs to cook this week. I usually send out two at
a time and Ethan was already planning to go, so you can go together."
My
face morphed to show my horror at that idea. Ethan and me? Alone? We were never alone together, and that's the way it would stay!
I
opened my mouth to argue and show him the enormous error in his thinking, but
his gaze shifted to look over my shoulder and he called out, "Ethan, Alex
is going with you to the store! She said she needs to get out of the house or
she'll go crazy."
My
eyes bugged out and I said hurriedly, "I did not say that!"
"Your
eyes. They were speaking to me," Brooks said. He was in a playful mood,
but I wasn't.
I
persevered. "I'm not going to the store with him! We'll kill each
other," I gritted out.
Brooks
sobered and stared at me for a second. "Ethan's an excellent driver.
He'll get you there and back safely."
I
glared at him. He was purposely being obtuse. I started to argue again when
Ethan moved into our space.
"Ready
to go?" he asked me indifferently. Like he couldn't care less that we
were about to take a step in the very wrong, potentially violent direction. But
if he wanted to play, I wasn't about to admit defeat. And I really did want to
get out of the cabin before I became more stir crazy.
I
ground my teeth together and moved only my eyes to him. I barely parted my
lips to say, "Yes."
He
said, "Great," but it sounded more like, "I'd rather have teeth
pulled and please, skip the drugs."
Ethan
turned on his heel and left the room without another word. I gave Brooks a
look that promised vengeance, and ran up to my room to change clothes. I
pulled on my black jeans, tucking them into my boots and topped them with a
charcoal gray racerback tank and a jacket. I touched up my eyeliner and left
for the garage, knowing Ethan would leave me behind if I took too long. I ran
my fingers through my loose waves and walked out into the cold mountain air.
Ethan was already waiting near the door in a dark colored, non-descript SUV. I
climbed in the front, though I was sorely tempted to sit in the back just to be
difficult, and away we went.
I
stared out my window and thought about telling him he had nice biceps. And
then I almost laughed, but that would have seemed either bizarre or like a cry
for
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