Chapter 20 #2
I wanna ask what Cell said to them to get them to agree to let us come, and what “briefed” means.
Did Cell tell them Dee’s a psychopath? Probably.
I just hope they don’t judge her too harshly for that.
Dee can’t help who she is. Trust me, she’s tried.
It’s always ended with a self-harming shame spiral.
The one time she tried to off herself, it was horrible.
Dad was pissed. Called us weak. Then beat us both.
We were forced to sleep in the woods for two days.
When Sola notices the puncture on Creature’s shoulder, I explain what happened in detail, so she doesn’t have to ask. I half expect her to be angry or turn up her nose at how violent Dee is, but all she does is laugh.
“Let’s meet this sister then, shall we?” With her hand still in mine, Sola guides me to the house and waves to Mia, still standing on the grass, as we step onto the porch.
The house smells of vanilla and lavender as we enter, and the air is cool. Deliciously cool.
I suppress a sigh as it washes over me.
Air conditioning is the best.
There’s a dream catcher on the wall just inside the door, with crystals and feathers hanging down in various lengths, almost touching the floor.
“One of my sisters made this,” Sola comments as we pass.
Pressing my lips together, unsure of what to say, I settle for a constipated smile. It’s not pretty or welcoming, but I’m out of my element here.
In the living room, Sola finally releases my hand. It’s damp from her touch, so I wipe it on the side of my shorts.
Doug’s voice carries from somewhere in the house.
The screen door opens and closes as Rot joins us, but keeps his distance, standing in the entryway, arms loosely folded over his chest, his stance relaxed. I can tell he’s trying not to be imposing, and that would work if he wasn’t a tall, shirtless guy who kinda resembles Dark.
Oh. No. No. Hell no. I’m not going there.
Sola’s cheery voice breaks through my thoughts. “I’m glad you’re here. We need more women around. This house is yours and Dee’s for as long as you like. I’m not sure how much Cell told you…”
“Nothing. She told me nothing.”
Her kindhearted chuckle is music to my ears.
“Right. That tracks. Well, as I’m sure you could see, this town doesn’t have much.
But you have Wi-Fi. There’s a TV in every bedroom.
All I ask is that you take care of your house.
If you need anything, there are numbers on the fridge to text or call.
” She points to the open-concept kitchen.
“None of the men wear shirts, so don’t be surprised when they’re always bare-chested.
Hmmm.” Sola taps her lips as if she’s trying to think of what else she might need to add.
“Stay on this road or the main road only,” Rot fills in for her.
“Are the others not safe?” I ask him.
“If your sister hates men, that’s where most of the brothers live, besides the church,” Rot explains, with an even tone.
“Unless you want a run-in with them, don’t go there.
They won’t come here unless they’ve been given permission to.
That’s why Doug and Creature are here. They’re friendly enough.
As is our VP, Mama, who I’m sure you’ll see a lot. ”
Doug. Creature. Mama. Got it.
“Picture a big, bald teddy bear, and that’s Mama,” Sola says with fondness and a little smile. “The basket on the porch is from him.”
I nod, trying hard to soak up everything they’ve said, to pull from later, when I’m not overwhelmed by the last week.
And Dark…
I wonder how he’s doing…
Nope.
Not again.
I can’t go there.
This is about Dee. Finding her a safe space to land.
Needing to know how she’s gonna get her needs met, I address the room. “Soooo, I know it might not be the right time to talk about this, but I’m sure Cell told you that Dee has… erm…”
“She needs to kill men,” Sola fills in.
I nod like an idiot. “Uh. Yep. That.”
“Yes. We know. We have a plan for that as well. Once you settle in, Creature will walk you through how that will look going forward.”
“Oh. Um. Okay. Sure,” I blather, unsure what to say. Thank you? That’s cool, so glad you’re not mad my sister likes to chop men’s dicks off.
“Hey.” Sola steps forward and rests her hand on my shoulder.
Giving it a squeeze, she stares at me with a kindness I’d never been shown before.
“We know this is a lot. So why don’t you write down whatever questions you might have for us to answer later, and we’re gonna leave you to get settled.
Don’t worry about dinner. Mama’s cookin’ enough.
I’ll have either Doug or Creature deliver the food. ”
When I open my mouth to say they don’t need to go to the trouble, Rot waves me off. “They do it for Mia every night. Adding two extra plates isn’t a problem. Just save the Tupperware it comes in, so he can reuse it,” he explains.
Like some caricature of I-am-out-of-my-element, I bob my head. “Yes. Um. Okay. We can do that. Yep. Thank you.”
Rot winks and waves for his wife to go. Sola pulls me in for a tight hug that damn near brings tears to my eyes before joining her husband.
He dips his head to kiss her hard on the mouth, and I have to look away.
On their way to the door, Sola yells, “I’m glad you’re here, Dee,” and offers me a little wave before they depart.
Searching for my sister, I find her and Doug in one of the two bedrooms. He’s standing by the door, and she’s next to the bed, which now has four opossums passed out on top of the buttercup-yellow comforter.
Great.
They’re in the house.
We do not need this.
They do not need this.
Doug offers me a kind, patient smile as I step into the room with them.
“I’m gonna build these guys a house by my cabin, so they have a place to live,” he says, talking about my sister’s pets.
Dee glares at him and steps in front of the bed, arms wide, daring him, without words, to try and touch her furry friends.
“You live in a cabin?” I ask to defuse the tension.
“In the woods behind the church, I garden, keep bees, and care for Sola’s chickens. There’s plenty of forest to keep these guys happy.”
That sounds perfect, but I don’t say it aloud. Dee wouldn’t like me choosing sides, even if I secretly am. We’ll make it work. The opossums will be well cared for one way or another.
Slotting myself between my sister and our visitor, who smells a lot like wood smoke, I face Doug and give my sister my back to protect him from her, should she get another burr up her crazy ass and try to attack him for offering a solution.
“Thanks, Doug.” I play the even, diplomatic tone to a T.
“That’s very nice of you. I’ll talk to my sister about it, and we’ll get back to you. ”
A cocky smirk claims Doug’s lips as humor dances in his eyes, and he, taking the hint, bids us goodnight with a slight bow before he leaves my sister and me alone in our new home.
Moving to stand in front of Dee’s door, I melt against the wood and breathe a loud sigh, relieved it’s just us again.
Meeting new people is exhausting. Meeting them as yourself, not playing a part, is even more so.
You don’t care what someone thinks when you’re fake.
It’s not really you they’re bonding with.
It’s a facade. But when you’re you, that’s… rough.
Sitting on the edge of her mattress, my sister looks up at me with tired eyes. Not anger or fear, just bone-deep exhaustion.
I get it.
It’s been a long, emotionally messy week.
But we’re here now…in an air-conditioned house that’s far nicer than anything we’ve lived in, apart from my latest apartment, which I’ll have to return to at some point to pick up my plants.
That won’t go over well with Dee when I have to make a pit stop in our former life to tie up loose ends.
Sure, I’m gonna stay here to support her and see what this place has to offer.
If Cell gives it a ringing endorsement, then I have to trust this is a solid place to lay our heads.
After meeting Sola and Mia, I’m confident I made the right choice for Dee. Even if she doesn’t think so yet.
“Why don’t you shower first? I’m gonna get my bedroom set up. Then we’ll find a place for the opossums before they bring us dinner.”
All out of fight, Dee nods, gets up, and we go our separate ways. My new bedroom has olive-green walls and a solid cream comforter. Dark, moody floral art hangs in a collection on one wall, while another features a black dresser with a flatscreen television on top.
As the shower turns on, I collapse onto the bed, rip my wig off, and sprawl out like a starfish while I smile up at the ceiling fan that blurs at high speed. The toggle, a green glass orb, does a little swivel dance on the end of its chain.
To think this could be where Dee settles down, eases something inside me, giving me a sense of peace I’ve never felt before. To have my sister accepted by people other than me. People who understand her and treat her well. People who don’t want to use and abuse her.
It’s a far cry from where we started.
Change isn’t always a bad thing.
It can be transformative.
Let’s hope I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life.