Chasing Redemption (Book 2 of Chasing Series)

Sixteen | Road Trip

I'm sitting in the passenger seat of Xavier's car in silence. He's driving me to the cabin. 

Like I really had a choice. 

Davina's giving me the week off work. I think she was so encouraging about having time away because she is afraid I will break again at any moment. 

I know it's going to be hard for people to let that go. Sometimes I think it's still valid. I really could break again at any moment. 

"Are you really going to be silent the whole way there?"

I continue to stare out the window watching as the suburban neighbourhoods slowly turn into city skyscrapers before filling the sides of the roads with lines of trees.

 If I was willingly going to this cabin, I know I'd enjoy it. I used to have weekends away with my family all the time as a kid. Back before things changed. 

Being sentimental must be getting to me because I text my brother asking him how he is. I haven't seen him in a while. I know I should be making more of an effort but life seems to be getting in the way lately.

The car suddenly comes to a stop and I'm shaken from my thoughts. Xavier parks the car and I realise a 24-hour diner sits ahead of us. Through the window, I spot only a few customers seated at tables. There only seems to be one waitress serving everyone. 

We are literally in the middle of nowhere. Trees fill the road for miles ahead and behind us. I can't see any other buildings. 

"Why are we stopping?" 

"She speaks!" he deadpans. "We're getting food. What else?"

He shuts the door before I can respond, entering the diner without bothering to look back. He knows I'm going to follow. I always do, don't I?

I am craving a burger, though. That's the excuse I'll go with. 

I step out of the car, spotting Xavier through the window. He's already seated and beginning to order. Nice that he waits for me. Dick.

The bell chimes above my head and I freeze for a moment, taken back to a memory I'd rather forget.  

He's on the floor, I'm holding him. Blood everywhere. So much blood. I can feel the life leaving him but I pretend to ignore it. He'll live. He'll be fine. His eyes stop blinking. 

"Rhea?" 

My head snaps towards Xavier whose watching me with a frown. I look down to see my hands shaking. 

The diner has a near identical layout to the one I watched Casey die in. I wonder if Xavier realises that as he watches me with concern, tilting his head for me to walk over to the table. 

I'm not sure how my legs even move. They don't feel connected to my body. 

It's like it's happening all over again. The way the police had escorted me out of the diner that day. The way they'd spoken to me but the ringing in my ears had been too loud to ignore. I'd watched them wheel the body bag towards the ambulance. 

"What just happened?" Xavier asks, grasping my arm as he pulls me into the booth opposite him. 

"Nothing," I whisper, staring at the menu in front of me. "It's nothing."

"That wasn't nothing," he whisper shouts. "You just froze in front of the doorway like you'd see a fucking ghost."

"Why does it matter to you? You're shipping me off alone to some cabin in the goddamn woods. I'll probably get murdered."

"The cabin has more security than you'll ever see in a suburban household," he grunts. "It's the safest place for you."

I scan the menu for something to eat as the waitress brings over Xavier's coffee. "Nice that you ordered me something," I mumble to him.

He chooses to ignore me as he gets his food order taken. I quickly order a burger and a hot chocolate before the waitress scuttles off, clearly aware of the tension between us.

"Have much longer before we get there?" 

"Not long," he says vaguely. 

"How long is not long?" I retort. 

"I think I liked you better when you were silent." 

"I think I liked you better when you weren't kidnapping me."

I glare at him as our food is delivered. Again, the waitress barely stays one second before she's off like a rocket. I almost feel bad for her. Didn't realise we were both that obvious. 

"You better hope she didn't hear you say that because the last thing we need a visit from the police."

"It was a joke."

"How would she know that? You didn't sound like you were joking."

"Well, I mean if we want to get techniqual you actually have—"

"You are here willingly," he whispers. "Stop saying otherwise." 

"Did I have a choice, though? Not really."

He shoves his burger into his mouth, chewing aggressively. When he swallows, he takes a long sip from his coffee.

"Aren't you tired of this conversation? Because I fucking am. Walk out this door right now if you really don't want to be here." 

"You know I can't. Besides, what would I do? Walk all the way back along the road?" 

"Up to you," he shrugs, pulling out a few notes from his back pocket. 

"I can't wait to never see you again," I snap. "When that day arrives I'll be fucking celebrating." 

I grab his keys, walking out the front door. He's quick to catch up to me, gripping my arm as he grabs the keys. 

"Think you can just drive away without me, huh?" he growls. "Quit this act, Rhea. You're always gonna be apart of this family and you know it." 

"I was never apart of your family. You always kept me out. You never told me what was really going on—" 

He suddenly cups the side of my face, forcing me to look at him. "You are in this family. Whether you like it or not, as soon as you entered our lives you became one of us." 

"I killed your brother," I croak suddenly. 

The admission causes Xavier to startle as he looks down at me. The hand holding my face grips the back of my head as he holds me against his chest. 

"That's why you went all funny when you walked into the diner, wasn't it?" he whispers, stroking my hair. "You didn't kill Casey. A fucking asshole did. You didn't do anything wrong, alright?" 

When I don't answer him, he pulls me away placing his hands on his shoulders. "You didn't do anything, okay? Say it."

"Okay."

"No," he sighs. "Say you didn't do anything." 

"I didn't—I didn't do anything."

"Say it like you believe it," he retorts. 

"But I don't believe it."

He rakes a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Do you really think Casey would be happy with you thinking that? Do you know how upset he'd be knowing that you're blaming yourself? Don't do that, Rhea. You've been through enough."

He leans back against the car, watching me. I feel something tug in my chest, like my heart learning how to restore itself.

"You're really suprise me sometimes. I think I understand you, but I really don't at all."

He shrugs. "Guess I'm not as predictable as you think then." 

"Guess not."

Something passes behind his eyes but it's gone within a flash. 

"Come on, we should get going."