For seconds, neither of them spoke. Silence reigned, much like many of the hours spent locked in a room together.
They didn’t always have much to say to each other, unless they were talking about what they wanted when they got back home. This was different.
Their parents wanted to keep them apart. It was almost as if they wanted to pretend it didn’t happen.
She couldn’t pretend forever, nor did she want to leave Noah alone. He understood her.
Last night was the first time in so long that she actually felt alive again. Having Noah’s arms around her gave her comfort in ways that they would never understand.
“This is fucking bullshit!” Noah exploded.
“Now, son—”
“No, not ‘now son.’ Not now fucking anything. This is all fucking bullshit. You think because you’re our parents you have any idea what it’s like to be us. What it was like to be taken. To be forced to do the shit we had to do. You think this is easy for us? Being here after it all happened. The only person who truly understands me right now is Skye. I can’t go back to how I was. I’m not that guy anymore. I’m not the kid that hadn’t experienced bad shit. I’m the kid that was strung up and weakened so I couldn’t fight back. I had to watch them beat her. I was fucking beaten. Throughout it all, we only had each other.”
“You can’t take that away from us,” Skye said, speaking up. “We’re not doing anything wrong. Why are you treating us like we have?”
“Oh, honey,” Lilly said, getting to her feet as if to come toward her.
Skye didn’t want to touch her. She didn’t want to have anything to do with her. Not right now. Not with the way they were looking at them. She’d never felt so … dirty before.
“We just want what is best for you.” Her father stopped Lilly from moving forward by holding her
hand, but her mother kept on speaking.
“No.” Noah took a step back.
Skye followed him.
“You can try and keep us apart, but this is fucking bullshit!”
As Noah turned to run, so did she. They were so attuned to each other. They made it out of the door and into his car.
Cops got out of their cars and were heading toward the house where clearly Denison had them ready.
“I don’t give a fuck.” Noah turned over his engine, bringing the car to life.
Their parents came out of the front door.
She stared at them and felt nothing. No remorse. Nothing.
They had done nothing wrong, and yet they were being forced to stay apart. It wasn’t going to happen. The only person she trusted in this world was right beside her.
She looked behind her to see the cops lined up, stopping them.
“Fucking move,” he said.
“Keep going.”
“What? You want me to run them over?”
“No, I want you to keep going so they know to run. They don’t think you’re going to do it. We’re being treated like children. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it. Drive hard. They’ll move.”
She hoped they would.
Noah did as she asked, and when they realized they were going to keep on moving, the cops jumped out of the way.
He spun out of the driveway, twisting his steering wheel, and she stared up at Denison. There was always something off about him, and she didn’t know what. Lifting her finger, she smiled as Noah pulled away.