7. The Hansens #2
I felt a wave of relief sweep over me, knowing the door was secured. It was a cop out for sure, but one more moment that I would have before needing to face my fears.
But what about my mother? Was she being tortured as I stood there like a dumbass, terrified by my own father?
“Fucking girl. Is that what you are, Noah, a pissy ass girl?”
I was weak.
“Father, please let me out of here! I’m scared!”
“Suck it up, pansy.”
“P-Please! I don’t like the d-d-dark!”
So weak.
“Heh. You will now.”
I roared in fury, slamming my elbow into the glass at the top of the door, shattering it. Slowly reaching down, I found the lock from the inside and turned it.
I raised the gun. It was now or never.
“Noah? Are you back here?”
I gasped at the sound of Delane’s voice and tucked the weapon back into my jeans. She turned the corner rather abruptly, jostling into me.
Her green eyes were shining with wonder. “Where were you? I’ve been waiting in the front for a while.” She glanced from side to side. “I’m not going to lie, I was starting to freak out.”
My chest was rapidly moving in and out as her question seemed to fly right past me. “I told you to stay put.” I rasped out.
I could tell by the way she eyed me, that she suspected something. “You never came back,” she said softly.
“I was on my way.”
She looked down. “Well, I thought so, it’s just...after the thing with...you know...” She shuddered. “Look, I have no cell and no one else but you. Can I just wait here?”
Her words caused me pause. I wanted so badly to ease her panic, to calm the trembling of her body. I didn’t even know this girl and yet…
Her eyes blinked up into mine and I was startled by the sheer innocence within them. She took the literal breath out of me.
A movement from inside the house caused a lump to quickly form in my throat. “No,” I answered. “Go back. Now.”
“But–”
The light next to us flicked on, its bright rays causing Delane to squint. Someone was coming to the back door.
“Just go!” Heat rushed into me. Delane was about to witness a part of me that I wasn’t proud of.
She took a step back and then stiffened, as if she was frozen without a clue what to do.
“Noah, I–”
Too late.
I pivoted on my heels as the door flew open, ripping the gun from its concealment and aiming it at the face in front of me. When Delane saw what I was holding, she clasped her hands over her mouth, letting out a little scream. She stumbled backwards.
I was seconds away from firing. My heart skipped a beat when I saw how closely the man favored my father. A striking resemblance, really. But soon I realized that it was my brother Damian, not the man I hated the most.
Even though my entire hand was trembling, I kept the gun raised.
“Damian,” I whispered, relieved.
Damian glared at me intensely. The gun was still inches from his face, and my hand was sweating.
“Put that thing down,” he said slowly.
My cheeks flushed with shame. My authoritative display didn’t even slightly faze him. I wondered if Damian knew he was very nearly shot.
The gun held steady. “And David?”
“Asleep,” he answered, bluntly. “Now, do as I say.”
Slowly, the gun descended. I didn’t fear Damian, but I didn’t trust him either. Over the course of our lives Damian had repeatedly made excuses for David’s heinous actions, despite seeing the impact it had on our mother and family. I knew he had his reasons, but it was still hard for me to forgive.
I should’ve known that I wasn’t out of the woods yet.
Damian threw a punch into my gut, causing the gun to fall loose from my grasp.
With one swift motion of his fingers, Damian snatched the revolver out of the air.
With his other hand, he removed the round of bullets, leaving them on the ground.
He placed the empty weapon in his jacket pocket.
I groaned and clutched my abdomen, while Damian fingered the pattern of broken glass at the top of the door, sucking his teeth. “You destroyed Mother’s imported glass,” he scorned.
I learned the hard way that when Damian was stating the obvious, it was best not to question him. Besides, I had already been punched once.
His eyes flicked to the right. “And who might this be?”
Delane visibly flinched at his scrutiny.
“Her name is Delane.” I spoke clearly as I steadied myself, enjoying the way her name felt on my tongue. “She’s staying here tonight.”
Damian raised an eyebrow, but did not turn back to look at me. His eyes traveled up and down the length of her body, surely noticing her scantily covered form. “Is she now?”
I seethed at his hidden suggestion.
“She has nowhere else to go.”
Damian extended his hand to her as though he were a royal prince and not some prick just tried to lay me out. “Damian Hansen,” he said, in the silky smooth voice that I inherited as well. Delane looked back and forth from both of us and then stared at his outstretched hand. She was nervous.
“I truly am sorry for this…” His gaze snapped to me. “...incident.”
He shook his head. “I am Noah’s older brother. Of course, you are very welcome to stay in our home tonight, Miss… Delane is it?”
She nodded and placed her hand in his. Ever so gently, he placed a kiss on it, causing her to blush. “Oh, umm...”
I found myself tapping my foot, impatiently waiting for the Damian Show to end. I hated the way my brother acted so polite around people that were not his family. Especially women. Damian wasn’t big in the dating department, but whenever a girl caught his eye, he swooped in, capturing her.
If he wants to keep his eyes, I thought angrily, he’ll place his gaze elsewhere.
I shocked myself at the mental outburst.
“Shall we go inside then? Aren’t you cold?” I questioned, urgently.
Delane’s reddened face shot up from Damian’s presentation and she nodded vigorously, trying to compose herself.
“Y-Yes, let’s go inside. If you don’t mind.”
Damian gallantly opened the door for her, his flawless smile and gesture leading her gaze away from the destruction of broken shards that I caused. “Ladies first,” he purred.
She held her arms closer to her body and walked through the door. “Be mindful of the glass, sweetheart,” Damian added, turning to me with a wink before following straight after.
I clenched my fists, irritated at the jealousy that radiated upwards through my chest. I wasn’t used to feeling like I needed to stake a claim on something I wanted. Tonight was no different. Delane had piqued my interest from the moment I’d set eyes on her. Now, she was in my house.
Could be my bed soon, I thought, knowing I was perfectly fucked up for considering it yet again.
Damian led us through the house, rounding the corner of the kitchen into the sitting room. My mother sat on the sofa a few feet away.
My heart sank when I saw her. Her beautiful face was covered with bandages, swollen. I saw where Damian must have patched her up; dried blood was smudged all over her cheeks and forehead.
“Mom,” I breathed her name as I walked into the room, running to her and cradling her face in my hands.
“Noah, sweety, when did you get here?” she asked quietly. She was calm, gently cupping my hand closer, and I knew that she had been crying. Her eyes were not quite dry yet, the wet streaks stained her face along with the fresh bruises.
“My god, I’m so sorry,” I whispered into her ear. “I should have been here.”
She pulled me into a hug and patted my back. “I’m fine dear,” she lied.
Her eyes fell to Delane. “Who’s your friend, Noah?”
Delane stepped forward with a pitiful little wave. She was completely out of place here, and I felt for her. Instantly, my mother noticed Delane’s wounds and her disheveled presentation. She leapt to her feet to assess.
“What happened to this poor girl?” she exclaimed, touching Delane’s swollen eye softly.
Delane bit her lip from the pain and looked at me. “Well, my name is Delane,” she said first.
Her words seemed to catch in her throat.
I watched, in near amazement of her bravery.
She had entered my home without a second thought, introduced herself to complete strangers, walked with a strange tallness, despite her bruises and her scantily clad form.
I observed her, awestruck. From across the room, Damian stood, crossed arms, spectating as well.
I could tell he felt the same as I did.
“Your son saved me today,” Delane finally managed, with only a slight quiver.
Damian seemed to lean in a bit closer at that comment.
My mom’s eyes widened, and she turned to me, searching for an answer that I couldn’t give. Even if she had asked, I couldn’t tell her why I did. I didn’t know what made me turn around tonight. Maybe it was her screams. Or maybe, I wanted to make up for what I couldn’t do long ago.
So that history wouldn’t repeat itself on a never ending cycle.
My mom’s hand inched forward, tentatively, and rested atop Delane’s. She gave me a brisk nod, saying nothing, but understanding everything without further elaboration. Because she had been there before. This was a scene from her playbook she knew too well.
“Let’s get you more comfortable, and then you can tell me what happened if you want to.”