The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (237 page)

“
Confused
? What is that supposed to mean?” I yelled and ran to the window again, the phone clutched in my hand.

Pasha sat where she did before, but now there was a small, black-and-white cat rubbing itself against the dog. The dog seemed to ignore the other animal.

I told Ethan what I saw, and he said, “See? She won’t even hurt a cat. You’re safe. Open the door and let her smell your hand. When she does, pet her gently and slowly on the head. Walk outside and straight to the backyard. You know what to do next.”

“And she won’t chase after me?” That couldn’t be so easy. There must have been a catch.

“She most likely will but not to hurt you. To play.”

I sighed in frustration and rolled my eyes. That was a weird dog and probably not very smart. But I didn’t want a smart dog here now. I was glad this one wouldn’t make a hamburger out of me.

“Okay, but it’ll be your fault if she bites me,” I told him. “I’m going there, so if you don’t see me in a few minutes, you better come to the rescue.” I hung up and put the phone back in its cradle.

“This is insane,” I said to myself and opened the door just a crack, ready to slam it shut in Pasha’s face.

She opened her mouth, and her long tongue rolled out. She looked as if she was grinning at me. Slowly, with my heart beating like some insane drum, I reached my hand toward the massive black muzzle. “I’m not going to hurt you, Pasha,” I said, my voice shaky.

The dog sniffed me, and it’s wet nose pushed onto my palm. I carefully ran my hand to the spot between Pasha’s ears. Her fur was soft and slick, and she felt pleasantly warm.

“You’re so friendly,” I whispered. “My name is Gloria... well, I will tell you the truth: it’s actually Lisbeth.”

Pasha licked my wrist as if to show that she appreciated the trust and would keep my secret.

“Ethan is waiting for me out there.” I tipped my chin toward the woods in the back. “You know Ethan, right?”

Pasha squealed quietly.

“You do!” Wow, she understood everything I was saying. Maybe she was smart after all. “Okay, so I’m gonna walk to that gate there in the back. Will you let me go?”

Pasha nudged me with her muzzle again. I guessed it was her way of saying “yes”.

The cat appeared from nowhere again and went around my legs, rubbing himself—or maybe herself—on my pants.

I bent down and patted the animal’s soft head. He looked at me and meowed quietly.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said quietly to the cat. “But now I need to go.” I slowly stood up, careful not to make any sudden moves. After all, I couldn’t be sure of Pasha’s reaction, no matter what Ethan said about her being unusually friendly.

I locked the door behind me. Should I leave Chris’s key somewhere around here? Maybe behind that large flowerpot. She didn’t mention anything about it, and with Pasha letting everyone into the house I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the key here. So I put it in the pants pocket. Chris said Juno would get her anyway. And Juno must’ve had another key.

I walked fast toward the back fence. Both animals trotted next to me, like my own private escort party. It was kind of funny. And cute. And reassuring. I felt like they cared about my wellbeing, and I was amazed since I’ve never owned an animal, so I didn’t know how affectionate and clever they could be.

I also realized something else: from the moment Ethan dropped me off in front of Chris’s house, I didn’t think even for a split second about my difficult situation, the gang, poor Helen, or the FBI. This puzzled and amazed me—in a good way. All I was concerned about until now was to follow the plan.

As soon as I got to the gate leading into the woods, I turned to my furry escorts. “Thank you for everything. You two are something else. Maybe one day I will see you again?”

The kitty meowed. Pasha looked at me with sad eyes. Her mouth was closed, unsmiling. I touched the side of her head.

“Don’t worry about me. Go play,” I said, looking into those gentle, brown eyes. They were fixed on me, making me warm inside. I squatted down and put my hand out for the cat to sniff. He let me rub his head and then scratch behind the ears. He purred softly, half-closing his eyes.

“Happy home, happy residents.” I sighed, stood up, and pushed the gate open. I made sure it was firmly closed behind me. Resting my hands on the metal spikes, I looked at my furry companions one more time. And then I turned around and raced through the woods.

The canopy of trees was thick. It blocked the sun, providing a much-needed shade. The woods seemed to emanate some special force. It made me happy, careless almost. I grinned to myself while running on the skinny path, the ferns brushing the bottoms of my pants.

The path meandered, turning right, and then left, and right again. I spread my arms out, smiling and I ran, feeling as upbeat and carefree as I haven’t felt since my friend’s horrific death. Nothing negative existed at this moment; nothing could make me sad or scared. I felt free and connected to whatever strong energy ruled over this place.

I stopped at the large boulder with two handprints in gold paint. I put my palms on the cold surface of the boulder, fitting them over the markings. The stone felt smooth to the touch. Reluctantly, I pulled away from it and went around it, toward the road where Ethan’s truck was already idling.

The passenger window was rolled down, so I could see him. He was watching me, one hand on the steering wheel and the other arm draped on the back of the passenger seat.

“Hey,” he said when I got close. “No bite marks?”

I rolled my eyes. “That dog is really sweet, but she scared the living crap out of me at first.” I got into the truck.

One corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted up. He found the whole situation with Pasha humorous! I wanted to punch him. He put the truck in drive, and we took off.

“Chris just texted me. Everything is going as planned, so far,” he said.

“She’s safe. Thank God.” I exhaled with relief. “Did she say anything else? Where is she now?”

“No, but she will contact me soon. I’ll let you know.”

I pondered upon that for a minute or two. I wanted to know more details, but getting anything out of Ethan was like pulling teeth. So I decided to wait.

“Why didn’t Chris warn me about the dog? If I was prepared, I wouldn’t have gotten so scared,” I said.

Ethan glanced at me. “Maybe Pasha was supposed to be at the neighbors’ as she often is when Chris and Juno are away at work. Chris was doing the night rotation shift. I’m not sure about Juno, but maybe she was away too. It happens often.”

“So why was Pasha in their yard and not at the neighbors?” I was more curious than mad. Remembering the dog’s cute face with her tongue lolling and the kitty’s affection, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Beats me.” He shrugged. “They have a small gate between their and the neighbors’ property, and maybe it was left open.”

“Wow, they must be good friends with the neighbors to have a gate for such an easy access,” I mused.

“It’s Juno’s sister and brother-in-law. They are all very close.”

Sister
—that beautiful word didn’t exist in my life. I pushed that thought away. The positive energy from Chris and Juno’s place still kept me upbeat, and I sure as hell wanted to hold on to that feeling for as long as I could.

––––––––

E
than said it would take us about two hours to get to Lincoln City where his cabin was. Once he referred to it as his family’s cabin.

I longingly thought about how wonderful it would be to have a family, not even as large as Ethan’s, but any, even a two-person family. He mentioned his four brothers and several cousins, most living within a driving distance from one another. Their Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations must have been huge.

I wanted to talk about his relatives. I didn’t really know why I suddenly had such an urge to hear about people I’ve never even met before. Maybe it was just to keep my mind off my own sad and lonely existence. I didn’t want to think about that now. I also didn’t want to think about the FBI, the gang, or the murder, because if I did, I would most likely have a panic attack again.

So I quickly asked, “Tell me about your brothers. There are five of you, right? What’s your family like?”

Ethan looked at me, and his face relaxed. His dark eyes seemed to lighten, and there was a ghost of a smile on his full lips. I gaped at him, which allowed me to take in his features.

He was really good looking, in the predatory kind of way. His confident pose and speech defined certain dominance. Strength of character emanated from him in waves, putting me at ease and then making me uncomfortable in turns. Being around Ethan was so confusing. He came across as a man highly capable of helping someone in need, like myself, but at the same time, his personality seemed to loom over me, making me feel like some silly damsel in distress.

“We grew up in Portland, and most of us still live in the area. I guess it’s because the whole family, including the cousins and all their parents, seem to make one another stay,” he said. “My parents have a house in the suburbs. A beast of a house, really, that can easily sleep twenty or more people.” He laughed.

It was the first time I ever saw him laugh. And when he did, his face changed from that of a strong, unwavering male to a more approachable guy. Well, definitely not
sweet
or anything, but at least less intimidating guy. It was as if some dark, heavy curtain lifted, unveiling his gentler side. Or maybe I was just seeing things that didn’t exist.

“Are your brothers younger? Older?” I prompted.

“Three are older, and one—Colton—is younger. Brooklyn and Ryley are twins. Then there is Nash, then me, and finally Colton. Nash is only thirteen months younger than the twins, and I am exactly fourteen months younger than Nash. Seems like our parents didn’t rush that much with Colton though.”

“You must be close with your brothers,” I said, hearing so much longing in my voice. I felt hot scarlet slide over my face and I pressed my palms to my cheeks.

Thankfully, Ethan wasn’t looking at me, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. The traffic wasn’t too bad, and we were driving fast.

After a moment of silence, he said, “We are close. All of us: the brothers and the cousins. Sometimes it’s just too much, you know, because some of them get in trouble. So then the rest of us have to get those idiots rescued.”

“How about what you’re getting into now? With me? Isn’t that
very
possibly trouble?” I asked.

He glanced up at me and shrugged. “The possibility is always there. But don’t worry; I’m one of the most responsible ones in the family. Besides, if I tell them I need help, they will come. Most of them owe me for one thing or another.” He chuckled.

It was so foreign to me to actually hear about such a close-knit family. I never experienced anything like it. I started to wonder, how wonderful it would be to start fresh, completely untarnished by my past. Why did my father have to leave us before I was even born? Why did my mother have to die? Even my grandparents were gone too soon. Everyone who was supposed to love me has disappeared from my existence before I was even old enough to fully comprehend what it meant to be loved.

I inhaled deeply and turned my head to look at the passenger window. The sun shone brightly in the clear, blue sky. It reminded me of Florida, where I grew up and always lived. The Pacific Northwest was so different from what I knew. It was much greener and cooler, even now in the summer. The air was dryer, which I welcomed with relief. I didn’t miss Florida’s humidity.

“Are you okay?” I heard Ethan’s voice. I looked at him.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You went very quiet all of a sudden.”

“I’m not much of a talker. Unless you know me well.”

He nodded. “I’m not either,” he said and then added, “unless you know me well.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It just came out funny. I guess that was his intention. Ethan reached behind his seat and produced a gigantic bag of potato chips. My mouth watered immediately.

He dropped it in my lap. “Open it.”

He wasn’t used to saying “please” and “thank you”, but now that didn’t matter. I was hungry, so hungry that I started to fantasize about stuffing the whole bag in my mouth. I quickly ripped the seal, licking my lips in anticipation. I dug in, lifting a handful of chips out. I tilted the bag to Ethan. He put his hand in and withdrew his fist clenched around a bunch of crispy, salty chips.

I was already done with my first batch, so I quickly grabbed more. Worrying about the fact that I ate like a pig in front of him was the last thing on my mind now. The last meal I had consisted of a small dinner in the warehouse hideout last night. I wasn’t hungry then, so I just nibbled on some chicken pasta. I ended up leaving most of it in my bowl.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and dug in for more. “God, I’m starving. Didn’t even realize until you took this bag out.”

“We’ll stop by a grocery store soon. There’s one about ten miles from here. I usually pick up stuff there on the way to the cabin,” Ethan said.

I stuffed more chips in my mouth.

“There should be a bottle of water in the glove compartment.” He tipped his chin toward the spot in front of my knees.

I opened it. There was one plastic bottle of water, lying on top of what looked like the truck manual and one of those multiuse Swiss Army knives. The manual wobbled a little when I removed the water bottle from the top of it, so I suspected there was something under it.

I shouldn’t have snooped, but the curiosity took a better of me, and I peeked very quickly before Ethan realized what I was doing. It was a walkie-talkie of sorts, but it looked more solid than just a kids’ toy. Maybe it was a two-way radio? I didn’t see anything else in the glove compartment. It looked very neat. The whole truck was immaculate, and so I started to wonder if that’s how Ethan kept everything around him.

“Is there more, or just this one?” I took the bottle out.

“Just one. We’ll share,” he informed me.