3 Chapter 2

Emily

I woke up, but my clothes were different, and I smelled fresh. The odor in this house isn't filled with alcohol and smoke either. It smells really nice. It Smells like... breakfast? I walked down the stairs of the big farmhouse and was greeted by the dog from last night. Storm, I think. I petted her, thinking was just us, until I looked up. My gaze met the eyes of the man I met last night, Hunter. His black hair and green eyes, and fit body was attractive to anyone. His skin was sprinkled with freckles and he was really tall. I stood up nervously.

"Um, thank you for everything, but I can't-"

"You must. My mother cleaned and dressed you. She was okay with it."

"Oh, well thank you."

"Are you hungry?"

"I don't want to worry you."

"I'm already making brunch."

"Oh, then yes. Please. Um, it would be nice?" I felt so awkward and out of place.

"You can sit at the table if you want."

"Thank you." I did as I was ordered, and waited awkwardly. He set the table with all sorts of things that looked taken care of. "Oh, um are you sure?"

"Dig in." He smiled at me and began to eat. I joined him in the breakfast feast of bacon, eggs, toast, and hashbrowns. I drank the hot cider and hummed. My outfit, and the cider put me in my fall mood. The greatest season ever.

"Do you like cider?"

"I love it! I love fall! It's the best!" I said happily.

He smiled, "Well, I love the season of winter."

"That's my close second."

He laughed and cleaned up after us.

"Oh, thank you."

"It's no trouble."

"I'm sorry about last night, and for waking you up."

"It's alright, no need to be sorry."

"Did I wake your parents?"

"Nope. Just me. They're heavy sleepers."

"That's good then."

"What were you doing out?"

"I got in a fight with my dad after he came home because I was eating cake."

"Does he not allow it?"

"No, we can't afford it. So I used my money to buy myself a birthday treat, and he was drunk and…" I stopped for a second and left a part out of the story. "So I just ran, and fell, and landed here."

"Ah, I see."

"I'm really sorry again."

"Hey it's alright, like I said, no need to feel guilty." He walked up to me and I froze, then he patted my head. It felt different from my dad's touch.

"Not used to affection?"

I shook my head.

"Well I would never hurt you, so you don't have to be scared. You're safe here. You are my soulmate after all."

"Are you sure I'm the right Emily Youngblood?"

"I'm positive."

I looked up at him and he smiled. So he knew, good. "Well I should head home."

"I thought you didn't want to go back."

"I don't, but I have to. I can't let you go with me either. It's complicated."

"Very well. But could you join us for dinner?"

I walked to the door, opened it and smiled as I turned to look at him, "I'd be delighted." Then I closed the door and ran to the fall forest. With the changing leaves, bringing out the colors of red, orange, and yellow. I looked back once I was in the forest and he was outside, watching me leave. I turned back and ran to my broken home.

I entered the house quietly as not to wake my black-out drunk dad from the couch. As always the places reeled of alcohol and smoke from cigarettes. I did my best to clean up around him and left again to go to work at a gas station, because only gas stations hire people like me. People who are poor and messy. I worked my shift and got a huge amount of seventeen dollars per house. I headed home and put the money on the coffee table because if my dad doesn't see the hard earned money he worked so hard for, he'll take his anger out on me, like the usual.

"So! The bitch is finally home. Where the hell have you been!? And what the fuck are you wearing!?" he shouted.

"It was free. It cost nothing." I said weakly.

"Nothing is free these days! Get over here, now!"

I complied, and in a few seconds his empty beer bottle had been smashed against my back, but for the first time I didnt bleed. Was something protecting me?

"Now go and clean this shit up."

"Yes dad." I did as I was told and cleaned up the shattered glass, slowly because we couldn't afford protection.

"Could you go any faster? God, you're such a waste of space."

I held back my tears, it's the only talent I have. Masking my emotions.

"I'm sorry dad."

"You better be." He turned on the TV and scrolled through the channels. "Damn, nothing good is on. Stupid peice of shit."

I made dinner for him, which is also my food because he eats alot and we can't afford much. "Here you go dad." I handed him his food and left to go to my room.

I waited until he drank himself to sleep and I cleaned up after him. He never leaves the couch. It's been like this since I was ten. My mom was diagnosed with pneumonia and eventually died from it. Dad got so depressed that he lost his job and now acts like this. I left the house discreetly, and walked through the woods this time. Our house is in the middle of a forest. So I'd have to walk everywhere, we don't have much heat in our old, moddly, broken home, and hopefully I don't get sick. I reached the end of the forest and Storm ran to me, but didn't bark. She left soon after and returned with Hunter.

"Am I too early?"

"No. I just finished. You're right on time."

"Okay, good."

Hunter helped me through the grass to his house. "Liking the boots?"

"Yes thank you." Then I froze, and felt my back. Something was bleeding, I could feel the warm flow. I had to take care of it and fast!

"Everything alright?"

He said he wouldn't hurt me right?

"Can you help me?"

"Of course, with what?"

"I need a bandage, my back."

"Mind if I touch?"

"Go ahead."

He gently touched my back and felt the blood too. Then he picked me up and carried me to the bathroom. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Guess a tree scratched me or something."

Lies.

He unzipped the dress and dabbed the blood with a towel until it stopped. Then patched me up.

"Sorry about that."

He hugged me from behind. "What happened to you really? What's wrong with your family?"

And for the first time in ten years, I finally cried. Someone finally cared about me. I'm not letting him go.