From Georgia to Montana

Chapter 12

I lay in bed, thinking about how good things are here. I think I have finally found a place where my family and I can be safe. Where we don't have to worry about our father or our past. For the first time in a long time we can start to build a new life, a normal life, and I couldn't be happier.

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I must have fallen asleep because next thing I know I'm waking up from a nightmare.

This nightmare was different from the others. Peter had gone missing, our father had taken him and left a note warning me that he will come for me. I had gotten too comfortable. I wasn't paying enough attention and my father was able to take Peter from me without me even knowing.

I have become to content. I have been too busy with school and my friends and haven't paid enough attention to my sisters and brother.

After going to check on Peter, Maisy, and Lennon I head into the kitchen to get something to eat. It's already five in the morning and the kids will wake up in just a couple more hours. Until then I decide to check Facebook. I keep thinking about deleting my profile but something stops me every time I'm about to hit the delete button. I guess it is my way of staying connected to my old life, because as bad as it was it was something familiar.

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By the time I have dropped the girls and Peter at there schools I have decided to distance myself from Lila, Luca, and the rest of their small group of friends. So instead of meeting up with them at the small coffee shop I head strait to class. Of course there was no way I would get away with skipping out and not getting asked questions.

"Hey, where were you this morning. We thought you might be sick or something." Willow asks.

"Yeah we were worried." Lila adds, sitting down next to me. Blith sits next to Lila while Willow, Sebastian, and Jerin sit in front of us and Luca sits on my other side.

"Oh. I, uh, had to drop my siblings off at school and I thought I would be late. So I just decided to come strait to class." I ramble as they turn to look at me.

"Oh, well thats cool. We missed you though. Jerin laughed so hard milk came out his nose." Blith says with a chuckle. I guess keeping my distance is going to be harder than I thought.

Luckily I am saved by the professor starting his lecture.
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"Em, would you like to come hang out with us." Lila asks.

"I can't I have a lot of work to do. Sorry." I say and start to walk away.

"Did she just blow us off again. She has been acting like this for more than a week now and its getting really old." I hear Blith say from behind me. Its true, I have been ignoring them ever since my nightmare. Each time they ask me to do something I make an excuse, 'I have to work' or 'I have to pick Peter up from school early cause my dad can't', I sit away from them during classes, and I haven't been going to the coffee shop anymore. I know it's not fair to them, they haven't done anything wrong, but it's what I'm good at. I did the same thing to my friends back home once my dad started drinking and I had to take care of everything, and they eventually forgot all about me. It will be the same here, if i can hold out long enough.

****

I'm just finishing up with the horses when I see Luca. I duck into the tack shed in the hopes that he didn't see me. Unfortunately luck isn't on my side, because a couple seconds later Luca comes into the tack shed.

"Hey, I have been looking for you. I wanted to talk to you." He says with a frown.

"Um... I'm a lil busy right now. Maybe some other time." I say trying to duck past him, but he manages to block my only escape.

"No. I will help you finish with the horses and then we will talk."

"Fine." I say with my chin held high, "Now can you move."

"Alright show me what to do."

I only had half a dozen horses left to grain and water, so it doesn't take long for us to finish.

"Alright. So what's been up with you? Why have you been ignoring us.?" Luca starts.

"I haven't been ignoring you guys. I have just been really busy." I say furiously.

"Bull."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. That's bull and you and I both know it. You just blew Lila off again. Now answer my question. Why have you been avoiding us?"

"I don't owe you an explanation. Now excuse me, I'm going home." I say turning on my heals and start to march to my truck. However Luca follows me and when I don't stop he reaches for my arm. On instinct I flinch back and I know he can see the fear in my eyes. My hands start to shake and I back away from him, my heart beating ten times faster than normal. Immediately his face is apologetic and he takes a step toward me, and I take two steps back.

"Em... I'm sorry. I just. I want some answers." Luca says, softer this time, but now I watch with wary eyes. Watching his every move to judge if I should run or not. "Please, I don't know what I did wrong. But you could at least give me some simple answers? Maybe why you always run from me?" At this I'm back to being angry and I forget my fear.

"Why do you care so much? Huh! Why do you care so much about me?!? You don't know anything about me! You! Don't! Know! Me!" I yell at him. "So why do you care. What do you want from me!!!" By now I can no longer hold the tears, even though I know it makes me look weak and stupid. "I knew I shouldn't let myself get close to you! I knew I would end up getting hurt, but I went against my better judgement and trusted you. I trusted you!" I go to run to my truck again but not before arms wrap around my waist, causing me to gasp and let out a small scream.

"Emerald. You can trust me. I want to help you but I can't do that if you wont tell me what is wrong." Luca whispers while turning me to face him. "Please. Let me help you. I swear, I will never do anything to hurt you."

"I... I'm scared." I sob into his soft blue shirt, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I'm so scared."

"Shhh. Its ok Em. Its ok. Give me your keys, I'm gonna drive you home. Okay?" He asks hooking a finger under my chin and lifting my face up so my eyes meet his. We are so close that I realize that his eyes, while being the same blue-grey as my moms, his eyes actually have green flecks in them whereas my mom had gold flecks.

"Okay." I whisper but I can't seem to move myself from his strong, protective arms. So I lay my head on his chest one more time, just listening to his heartbeat and letting myself enjoy this sense of safety and comfort.

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Finally finished this chapter I had a difficult time writing it but I am so happy with it. Yay! Enjoy :D