Chapter 9 #2
I looked up at Forrest. “We should go home, get ourselves sorted, and be ready to leave. It’s only going to be a matter of days before the Children come knocking down my door. I would prefer not to be unprepared when that happens.”
Forrest wrapped me in his arms, our foreheads touching. “Whatever may come at us, we will fight it together. You are not alone in this, Aurelia. I am here for you, as long as you’ll have me.”
I took a moment to compose myself, wiping away the tears that had escaped after Forrest’s emotional declaration.
We walked out of the alley behind the store and into the main thoroughfare, our arms wrapped around one another, fingers entwined.
Whatever remaining moments of freedom we had left in this village would be spent proudly loving and supporting one another.
We were both so enveloped in each other that we didn’t notice we were being followed until a deep Southern drawl I could place anywhere shouted angrily behind us. “Who the fuck is he, Lia?”
This day had just gone from bad to worse to utterly catastrophic and had now somehow found its way around to downright hilarious. A nervous laugh left my mouth before I knew what was happening.
“This is fuckin’ funny to you?” Wyatt snarled at me.
“No, Wyatt, it’s not. It’s just …” More anxious giggles made their way out. “It’s just I’ve had a really bad day, and this is the icing on the cake. From my perspective, it’s kind of funny.”
Wyatt stared at me with nothing but contempt in his stormy brown eyes.
“You are un-fuckin’-believable. You know that, Lia?
You tore my heart out of my chest and stomped all over it because you didn’t want to be in a relationship.
” He gestured at Forrest and me, standing there holding hands.
“Which I can clearly see was not the actual issue for you. I guess I’m just havin’ a hard time seein’ what’s so funny here in light of all that. ”
I looked around us. Everyone in the village had stopped what they were doing and focused in on what was happening between us. I didn’t need any more attention than I already had. This conversation had to move somewhere else and quickly.
“Wyatt, can we talk about this somewhere more private?”
“No. You’re goin’ to tell me what’s goin’ on right now.” He stomped his foot on the ground like a tired toddler.
“I don’t mind having a conversation with you about this, but it doesn’t need to be a public spectacle,” I pleaded.
“Oh, so now you’re comfortable talkin’ about it? Fuck off, Lia. We’re havin’ this out right here, right now, so this entire village can see what kind of disgustin’ whore you really are.”
A shocked gasp rippled through the crowd that had now formed around us. Any love I had once held for this man evaporated into nothingness as he uttered those last few words. By now I had dropped Forrest’s hand. My own hands balled into angry fists, my fingernails digging into the flesh of my palms.
Forrest responded before I could, stepping in front of me to put space between Wyatt and me. “Apologize to Aurelia right now,” he ordered.
Wyatt glared at him. Hatred and jealousy emanated from him. He took a few steps until he was standing toe to toe with Forrest. “You need to mind your own fuckin’ business right now, son. This doesn’t pertain to you. This is between Lia and me.”
“There is nothing between you and Aurelia,” Forrest snarled as he stepped into Wyatt. “I think she’s made it pretty clear that she’s done with you. So take the hint and walk away while you still can.”
“Is that a fuckin’ threat?” Wyatt challenged.
“No. It’s a promise,” Forrest growled.
It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion.
Wyatt cocked back his fist, ready to sucker-punch Forrest. Forrest was much quicker and stronger than Wyatt, though.
He intercepted Wyatt’s jab with one hand and punched him square in the face with the other.
Wyatt fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, his nose busted and bleeding everywhere.
Forrest picked him up by the collar of his shirt, facing Wyatt toward me. “Now, apologize to Aurelia.”
Wyatt tried to get away, but Forrest’s grip was unyielding.
“You have five seconds to apologize before I break one of your arms,” Forrest threatened. “After that, it will be a leg.”
Wyatt spat blood onto the ground and looked up at me. His gaze was filled with nothing but contempt. “I’m sorry you’re a whore, Lia.”
Forrest, a man of his word, grabbed Wyatt by the arm and twisted it back forcefully. A sickening snap soon followed. Wyatt started screaming, and Forrest grabbed his face. “Apologize now, or your leg is next. And it had better be a proper apology.”
Snivelling, Wyatt looked up at me and whimpered, “I’m sorry, Lia.”
Forrest threw him to the ground, leaving him to wallow in the pain and misery he had caused himself.
Forrest walked toward me, grabbed me by the waist, and dipped me as he planted a sizzling, passionate kiss on my lips.
When we came up for air, he looked around and smiled to the crowd still standing there.
“Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Aurelia slander of any kind will not be tolerated.”
The crowd murmured and dispersed shortly afterward.
Wyatt was struggling to get up off the ground with his only functioning arm.
Instinctively I moved to help him, but Forrest gently grabbed me by the waist to stop me.
“He needed to learn a very hard lesson today, Aurelia. Let him suffer. He’s earned it. ”
After the crowd had returned to their previous activities, two members of the Cult of Children came over to assist Wyatt. One of them, a short, round, bald man with a hawk nose and beady eyes, got uncomfortably close to me. “Stay away from him, witch!”
I stepped back, my arms held up in submission. “Gladly. Prayers to Vikteriya,” I said, as he and the other cult member helped Wyatt up off the ground.
Wyatt turned his head toward me. “You’re going to regret this, Lia,” he hissed through his bloodied teeth.
The three of them walked off toward the sanctuary together.
I turned to look at Forrest, anxiety and fear already snaking their way through my body. He held me tight, kissing my forehead, as if he could sense it. I leaned into the warmth of his body, letting his touch ground me and consume me entirely.
“We’d better head home,” I said, “before we cause any more trouble today.”