Chapter 18

 

I STARED AT the sink for what felt like forever. Its shiny silver taps taunted me. I’d promised Renee that I wouldn’t do this alone. Heck, I’d sworn to myself that I would never do this again for any reason. The bathroom was bigger than I expected with white nondescript tiles and a green-and-white tiled floor. A medicine cabinet with a mirror next to a frosted glass window. It was all basic but well cared for. It suited what I’d learned about Martha and Earl so far. They didn’t spend out on luxury. They liked things and kept them. There was even a clump of something on the wall that I guessed had once held a toothbrush holder. It comforted me, if only a bit, that their energy was so ingrained in every inch of the place.  

The perspiration dribbled down from my throat and I caught the droplet with my finger and stared down at it. Why was I doing this? Maybe I should just hope that it would disappear some other way.

The sink beckoned me unrelenting, I had to do this or I’d hurt somebody else. Although there were some folk I wouldn’t mind poking in the eye, I would never wish affliction on nobody. Maybe if I sat on the floor first it would stop me crashing into the wall? I eyed the room like every surface was a lethal weapon. The toilet was a couple of steps away from the sink so I wouldn’t crack my head on that at least.

Behind me was the shower, the corner of the tray looked painful and I was tall enough that I could remove my brain cells on it should I fall backward. I walked to the cupboard in the corner, pulled out all the fluffy towels I could find, and laid them over the tray, over the floor in a circle.

I would have locked the door too but there wasn’t a lock. Hopefully Martha wouldn’t find me crashed out on her bathroom floor. How would I explain that one?

Again, the sink sat there like it was grinning at me. The inanimate object felt like it was a snarling monster ready to snap my hand off. I looked down at my hands now pumping with the pain I’d taken from Ronny. That’s if the damn water healing didn’t drown me first.

Knowing I needed to hurry up before Martha wondered what I was doing, I took a step forward.

“Baby steps,” I muttered. When I’d left the institution, I’d only made it through the bus ride home because of Renee’s one-step-at-a-time method.

The funny twinge in my chest at the thought that she wasn’t around to talk to made me drop my chin. I hated the thought of her in that cell. She was a hero. More than that, she was my hero.

“So prove it.”

I took another step and touched the cold tap. That wasn’t so hard. I turned it anti-clockwise and the clear water gushed from it. With one last look at my hands and a silent prayer to whoever was listening, I shoved my mitts underneath the cold water.

 

Touchdown. The crowd roared and a celebration was demanded. Wish Mom was here to see this. She never comes to watch me play.

“Hey, Ronny, how’s that greaseball of a mother?” Seth Jewel, so much like his dweeb of a brother, walking round like they own the fricking place.

 

The edge of the sink caught my chin as I dropped to my knees but the pain was nothing compared to the vision.

 

“Hey, greaseball!”

Oh crap, it’s Seth, what does he fricking want from me? I’m a fricking hero to everybody else. What is his deal?

“Ronny-o!”

Ugh, there’s a group of them. Just keep walking, keep walking like you don’t see them. Maybe he’ll leave you alone then.

“You got snow in your ears, bronco boy?”

Why has he got to smoke? Great, blow it in my face, that’s just great, like I want your fumes.

“You got a problem?”

Yeah, I hate you, you fricking loser. “Nah, Seth . . . just got to get to practice.”

“Think you’re better than me, greaseball?”

Better, no. Intelligent, yes. I want out of this place. Losers like him don’t understand that. “Course not.”

“I think you do.”

Oh back off, I just want to forget you exist. “I got to go, Seth.”

 

The water numbed my hands. Its cold grip made my fingers ache. I tried to pull my hand free before I got weaker but the water held on tight. I nearly bit through my lip as a blinding pain hit my knee. I swung to the side, unable to stop myself. Rooted fast to the sink by the unyielding water.

 

“You think you’re better than me!”

Cold hard asphalt. The pain. My jaw, my knee. Swollen cheek. Stinging palms. Oh God, he drove right into me. My leg. He took out my leg—

 

I winced as I relived the same vicious beating Ronny had received. Then the roar of the avalanche shattered his memories and mine took over.

“I gotta stop,” I pleaded with the water. “I can’t . . . not strong enough to heal myself too.”

The water didn’t listen to my begging and I slammed into the side of the cliff for the second time. The pain stole my breath. The room got darker. I was gonna pass out. I couldn’t pass out, Martha would find me.

My blood screamed in my ears as my heart tried to keep up. My sharp breaths turned to pants. I couldn’t breathe. I was drowning.

“Martha!”

The bathroom darkened as I tried to pry myself free. The cold seeped into my body like creeping tentacles.

“Martha!”

“Are you al—Oh, Aeron!” Martha pulled me from the sink as the convulsions shook my body. “What happened?”

“Fit,” I managed. “Need warmth.”

My teeth chattered so hard that all I could hear was the blood and them clattering together. I felt Martha leave me, and I lay on the tiles, my head on soft fluffy towels.

“I’ll call the doctor,” she said when she came back with a blanket. “Do you have medication?”

“No,” I blurted through the agonizing shuddering. “No . . . I’m fine . . . I’ll be fine.”

“Aeron,” she said. “You’re like ice.”

She touched her hand to my forehead and the room disappeared.

 

Oh Earl! I’d better get this to him, the boys’ dinner, they love their ketchup and mayo. Goodness, that man would forget his own head if it wasn’t attached.

“Earl, honey?”

He’s favoring his arm again, wish he’d go and see the doctor. Lord knows he could do with it getting checked out.

“Earl!”

“What is it, honey?”

Why does he always look at me like I’m going to scold him? You’d think I was the witch in the tower the way he looks at me sometimes.

Ouch!

What a rude man, don’t even turn around and say sorry. “Excuse me!”

Oh, don’t bother to turn around, don’t mind me! Rude. So rude. There he goes not even noticing. No doubt he knows the Jewel boys by the look of him.

“You forgot ketchup.” Don’t put out your right, Earl, we both know you can’t grip with it properly. “Left.”

“It’s fine.” Yes, you can look at me all you like with those eyes. We both know it isn’t.

“Just hold it in your left.” Goodness, it’s like having another child sometimes.

“Hey, Martha!”

Hal? Ah, Hal . . . Oh Lord, I forgot his burger. “I’ll get it for you, hun, just wait a second.”

Poor boy hardly eats. Wish that Marie Salter would tell him how she feels. Both of them could do with some sunshine.

“Thanks, Martha . . . I just got to hurry.”

Such a sweet boy. His head is screwed on backward sometimes but there’s a good heart inside.

“No problem.”

Oh look, there’s Serena. “Serena, sweetheart. How are you this morning?”

Glad she taught that idiot Brad Jewel some manners. It’s about time someone stood up to him.

“Serena?”

Tsk, so lost in thought that she can’t even hear me. Must be trying to call the conference. Wonder if she has family, maybe that’s why she’s so alone . . . She seems close to Aeron though. Ah, she’s stopped.

“Serena, sweetheart, you alright?”

“Hey, Ice Queen, where’s your knight?”

If it isn’t that idiot. She’d be in her right mind to show him a thing—

Is that a gun?

Bang.

Bang.

“Earl? Earl!” Where is he? Lord, let him be okay.

“I’m here. Martha, you hurt?”

I adore you so very much. “No . . . is Serena . . . did he hurt her?”

“I don’t know.” A warm arm so needed, strength. “Let’s get back to the café.”

“What about Aeron?”

“She’s got enough on her plate.” The man on the ground unmoving, Hal over him, Aeron walking up the steps. “Let’s take care of Zack for her . . . we’ll see her later.”

 

The pain in my head actually turned into a blinding rainbow of colors as I fought the flashed memory. If this was how painful finding the truth was going to be, I would need to start drinking.

“Aeron, are you alright?” Martha’s voice was somewhere beyond the nebulous haze. “Can you move?”

“M’okay,” I mumbled, pulling myself up to sit. The room swayed as I did so. “You okay?”

I had no idea what flashes did to the people I touched. I knew that Renee often complained of static shocks when it happened.

“I’m just fine, honey,” she said, helping me to my feet. “Let’s get you somewhere to lie down.”

As I got into the living area, Zack launched himself at me and attached around my leg like a starfish.

“Hey, buddy,” I managed. “How you been?”

With my limpet in tow, I made it to the sofa and flopped down into the squishy leather.

“Ronny!” Martha called. “Ronny, shut up the door downstairs and come and help us!”

“I’ll be okay in a minute,” I said, not believing my own words. I felt drained. “I just need a second.”

“You are staying right there,” Martha told me.

She hurried off to bellow at father and son while Zack snuggled up to my side. He didn’t need anything from me, he was happy just to be near me. I took comfort from that as I shivered. Then he clambered down from me and returned a second later, blanket in hand.

I grunted as he wriggled back into position, kneeing me in the stomach as he did so.

“You ain’t feeling so well either?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“You hurting?”

His sniffles made me squeeze him closer. No wonder the little guy had a cold after nearly freezing to death with Charlie.

“You’ll be better after a good sleep.”

His soft breathing told me that he was doing just that and I thought it would be impolite not to join him.