Never Again.

Chapter Eighteen

"Dani? What's wrong? She just wanted to make sure you were okay. She's just worried."

"I know." But I didn't care that she had done it. I had just thought his concern was because he cared, not because he was told to care. 'Don't blame him, you shouldn't care anyway. It was going to end eventually.'

I kept walking until I got to the balcony, 'I forgot a blanket.' I turned, walked around Kane and headed to the living room. I grabbed a blanket and headed back to the balcony, wrapping the blanket around myself, I laid down. He sat on the chair beside mine, and I rolled over facing away from him. I just wanted him to say he hadn't done it because of Lily. That he would've done it anyway, but I knew that was false hope. He probably couldn't wait until the diner closed so he could leave.

"Dani?"

"What?" My voice was cold. I knew I shouldn't blame him, but I was mad at myself for caring so much, when he didn't care at all. I wanted to spend time with him. He was just stuck with me.

"Talk to me. Please?" His voice was quiet and pleading.

"About?" My voice was still cold. 'It's not his fault.' And I knew it wasn't, I just didn't want to care this much about him, especially when I knew it was only one way, but I couldn't help it.

"Why you're quiet."

"I don't talk much."

"Dani," he said it as a sigh. I wanted to look at his face to see if there was any real concern, but knew it was there earlier and hadn't meant anything.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong, Dani?"

"Nothing. I just want to be outside, but this is as close as I can be. Considering I'm locked up."

"You can leave whenever you want. No one would lock you up."

"Too late."

"Is this about, ummm, is this about him?"

"No." 'Yes! I was locked up no different. Stuck with a man who couldn't care less about me.' And in so much pain I had a tear rolling down my cheek, my hip was throbbing.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No." 'Just mad at myself, because you don't care.'

"Lily?"

"No."

I slowly sat up, put my legs over the side and walked inside to my room. I left the door open, but only a couple inches. I grabbed my coat, shoes and mittens before walking back out.

"Where are you going?"

"I thought I wasn't locked up."

"No, that's not- I just-"

"I'm just going for a walk, Kane, not a marathon."

I said his voice with a bit of sadness to it, knowing it would probably be one of the last times. I made sure my face wouldn't give anything away before turning and walking downstairs. I heard him slip his shoes on, and grab his coat. He still caught up to me, since it took me double the time to make it down the stairs as usual. At the bottom, I slipped on my shoes, coat, mittens and walked out.

'My last trip to town was much better than this one,' I thought. I was walking pretty slowly and felt bad as Kane shortened his strides so he wasn't walking ahead of me.

This time, the silence was unbearable, rather than the comfortable silence I had grown used to with him. There was no easy conversation, chatting, or joking. Just an awkward silence. We walked all the way to the other end of town, and usually I would turn around, but I didn't want to head back. I knew this was the last time I would see him, and I wanted it to last, even if he didn't want to be here.

{Kane's POV}

'You're such an idiot! You don't even know what you did wrong, you're so dumb!' I had been scolding myself since she had sat on the balcony. I wasn't used to talking, even Dave, my closest friend, thought I was quiet. Dani was the first person I talked to, really talked to. It just seemed natural, easy, and I loved just being around her.

'What did I do?'

We had been walking a while, I thought we would turn around when we got past town but she hadn't missed a stride, just kept going. I was still gathering my thoughts, having no idea what to say. I knew she was mad at me, I just couldn't figure out why. I was glad she hadn't turned around because I needed more time. More time to think and just more time with her.

I was so sure we were getting closer, she didn't even flinch when I put my arm around her after lunch. She even snuggled up closer, as I put my head on hers. But then, after I mentioned that Lily told me to keep an eye on her, she closed up again. I kept asking myself 'why,' but I couldn't figure it out. I had told Lily I was going to anyway. She had asked why but I didn't answer, I didn't know what to say. 'Because I need her, even though I've only known her two weeks,' or, 'Because she makes me the happiest I've been in years.'

The sidewalk had ended after the last store and when a truck came down the road, I moved over further onto the shoulder, and Dani followed beside me.

Then she froze. She was completely still, until I looked up again and realized why. 'Not again, not now. This time I just might kill you!"

{Dani's POV}

'Not again! Never again!' I had finally convinced myself I was safe earlier, that he was gone. But I swear the man in that truck was him. Charlie. 'No, it can't be! They would have let me know if he was out, no?"

It went passed but I heard it slow down behind me. I turned my head to see him looking back at me. 'Oh God no! It can't be.' Kane pushed me behind him as Charlie got out of the truck, slamming the door. I held onto the back of his coat, squeezing my hands around fists of his coat. Charlie had stopped about fifteen feet away, but I stood there frozen. I wanted to run but he would catch me, with my hip and knee being sore. Not to mention, my back hurt every time I moved.

I stood there frozen, praying he would leave. 'Just like the first night in his house,' I thought. I had sat there forever crying, hoping he would just leave, just get up and walk out, but he hadn't. And I knew he wouldn't now either.

"Well, I told you I would come back, Ella." I hated that name. The way he said it, the way it sounded so girly and weak. I hated everything about it.

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