There comes a stage in your life that you question everything. Why have you been placed here walking the path that you are walking? Is it by your own doing or by someone else? Did your path get chosen for you, or did you choose it? Did you meet the people you met by chance or by fate?
You fall in love, and none of this seems to matter; there is nothing that can burst that bubble. Life is perfect, everything has fallen into place, and it all is perfect. You walk into a relationship with trust, you give it, and you earn it. No secrets, no half-truths, honesty, and love all the way.
Then you meet Ava Brown, also known as Madison Owens.
And your bubble is burst in an instant.
Trayton ~ “It is bad. Very bad.”
Dominic ~ “What does it say?”
I do not even want to utter the words and let Dominic and Joseph read for themselves.
Joseph ~ “My fuck Trayton, that is bad.”
Dominic ~ “What the fuck are you going to do?”
Trayton ~ “I need to confront her. I can’t just keep quiet. Not about this”
Dominic ~ “She is going to be pissed that you checked on her.”
Trayton ~ “I don’t give a fuck. I need to know the truth.”
Joseph ~ “Fuck bro, I am so sorry.”
Trayton ~ “Just keep the girls and my mom out for a bit tonight, so I can talk to her.”
Dominic ~ “We will stay here at the club.”
Joseph ~ “Just let us know if you need any help.”
Trayton ~ “What is the worst that she can do to me.”
Joseph ~ “I can give you a list.”
Trayton ~ “Shut the fuck up. You not supposed to answer that.”
Joseph ~ “Then don’t ask the question.”
PUNCH
Joseph ~ “What the fuck.”
Dominic ~ “You were starting to irritate me. Go pick up the girls and Traytons’ mom.”
Trayton ~ “I will message her to meet me at home.”
I am furious, I don’t lose my temper easily, but I think I am going to tonight. I would never hurt her; she is just going to see a side of me that she is not going to like.
…………………………
Later with Trayton at his house…
I see she is waiting outside on the patio, looking all sweet and innocent. I don’t even know what the hell to call her, Ava or Madison.
Ava ~ “Hey baby.”
Trayton ~ “Hey.”
Ava ~ “Where is everyone else?”
Trayton ~ “At the club.”
Ava ~ “Aren’t we going?”
Trayton ~ “No, I thought we could stay in tonight”
Ava ~ “In that case, let me show you how much I have missed you.”
I know what she wants, but that is the very last thing on my mind.
Trayton ~ “Not now baby girl. Let’s get something to drink and relax.”
I grab a beer from the fridge and go sit down in the lounge. After I down half of it she speaks.
Ava ~ “Is everything okay?”
I get up and get another beer, bringing the whole pack with me.
Trayton ~ “Are you okay?”
Ava ~ “Yes, of course, baby.”
Trayton ~ “Do you know what I realized today?”
Ava ~ “No, I don’t.”
Trayton ~ “I really don’t know you.”
Ava ~ “What do you mean?”
Trayton ~ “Your family, where you grew up, that sort of stuff.”
Ava ~ “My parents are dead; they died in a car accident.”
Trayton ~ “I’m sorry to hear.”
Ava ~ “And I grew up here.”
Trayton ~ “Any brothers and sisters?”
Ava ~ “No, I was an only child”
Trayton ~ “No other family?”
Ava ~ “We have never been close.”
Trayton ~ “Any boyfriends.”
Ava ~ “No nothing special.”
I can see her getting more and more nervous the more questions I ask, maybe because she is blatantly lying to my face, but that is not my biggest problem here.
Trayton ~ “Are you still cross that lied to you about what I did?”
Ava ~ “No, not at all anymore”
Trayton ~ “I don’t want us to ever have secrets from each ever.”
Ava ~ “I promise I won’t.”
I down my beer and slam it down on the table; I want to be there for her, I need to help her, but she cannot lie to me.
Ava ~ “What is wrong?”
Trayton ~ “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me Madison?”
Ava ~ “What did you call me?”
Trayton ~ “Madison. That is your real name, after all.”
Ava ~ “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Trayton ~ “So it’s not Madison Owens?”
Ava ~ “How?”
Trayton ~ “You forget what I do for a living.”
Ava ~ “Why?”
Trayton ~ “Cause I knew something was up.”
Ava ~ “You had no right, no fucking right at all. It is none of your business; you should learn to mind your own fucking business.”
Trayton ~ “It is my business if I share my bed with you. When I love you.”
Ava ~ “Why did you not ask me.”
Trayton ~ “I would have never known if I did not look for you.”
Ava ~ “You don’t fucking trust me.”
Trayton ~ “I don’t know what to think when you hide this from me. I told you my secrets even when I know you can rat me out.”
Ava ~ “I would never rat you out; I am not that fucking low.”
Trayton ~ “Then why can’t you tell me your damn secret.”
Ava ~ “Well, I don’t have to anymore, do I? Seeing that you go behind my fucking back. And putting me into fucking danger”
Trayton ~ “What do you mean?”
Ava ~ “Maybe read the file to the end.”
I pull out my phone to read the mail I got from Riley, this time reading the entire file to the end.
Trayton ~ “Fuck. For fuck sakes, Ava. Why the fuck did you not tell me.”
Ava ~ “Because I knew how you would react, exactly as you do now. Are the photos there?”
I open the next attachment, and I am horrified at what I am looking at.
Trayton ~ “My god Ava.”
Ava ~ “Now tell me if this is the kind of secret you just tell.”
I take her hands, and that is when I see them for the very first, perfectly hidden underneath all her tattoos.
Trayton ~ “Do you want to talk about it? I need to know.”
Ava ~’ “The file says it all.”
Trayton ~ “Sometimes the file does not tell you everything.”
I see her hesitate; she grabs another beer and starts to talk.
Ava ~ “Please don’t judge me.”
Trayton ~ “I never will. Please trust me, baby girl.”
Ava ~ “I was twelve. My friend and I were just sitting at the playground. We were riding bike and was just resting for a bit. My friend left because she had to be home for supper.”
Trayton ~ “Why did you not go with her?”
Ava ~ “I still wanted to ride bike because I knew my mom and dad was not home yet.”
Trayton ~ “Your sister and brothers?”
Ava ~ “They were also out playing with their friends. He came from the back when he grabbed me. I kicked and screamed, but I could not getaway. Nobody heard me scream either. He tied a thing over my eyes and taped my mouth shut. He tied my feet and hands up so I could not move.”
Trayton ~ “Did he put you in the boot?”
Ava ~ “No on the floor by the front seat. He said he wanted to keep an eye on me. We drove for a very long time.”
I hold her hands tighter and move a bit closer but giving her enough of her space she needs now.
Ava ~ “When we finally stopped, we went into a house that had about seven locks to open the door.”
Trayton ~ “Where your eyes open?”
Ava ~ “No, I was counting them. I saw in a movie how a girl got away because she paid attention to everything around her. He took me downstairs to what I knew was a basement. Then he tied my hands to a pole. Then he took the thing off my eyes, and I could see the monster that took me for the first time. He was fat and damn ugly.”
Trayton ~ “Do you want to carry on?”
Ava ~ “Yes. He put a mattress for me to sleep on, he did not give me a blanket, he told me that I must earn it. I did not know what he meant at the time, but I soon found out. He put a bucket there if I needed to use it instead of the bathroom. He only fed me bread and water once a day.”
Trayton ~ “What did he do to your arms?”
Ava ~ “He cut me; he said, watching the pain turned him on.”
Trayton ~ “Did he touch you, baby? ”
Ava ~ “He did a lot of horrible things to me.”
Trayton ~ “For fuck sakes.”
Ava ~ “He did this every day. If I were good, then he would give me an extra slice of bread, or if I am lucky, the blanket. I always tried to get the blanket because it was very cold down there. The basement did not have windows, so there was no sun coming in.”
Trayton ~ “Did you ever get to go upstairs?”
Ava ~ “Only when I started to smell really bad, then he took me upstairs to a bath.”
Trayton ~ “I don’t even want to fucking know what he did.”
Ava ~ “He kept me chained to him, so I can’t try to get away. Once he let me sleep in his bed, but it was only caused the basement got flooded with water.”
Trayton ~ “And he chained you”
Ava ~ “Yes, to the bed. But it was so nice to sleep on a real bed. On my birthday once he made me soup. Sometimes he was nice.”
Trayton ~ “He is a fucking animal. He is not nice.”
Ava ~ “I know he was horrible. But after six years spent with the same person tied up in a basement, you start to appreciate the smallest things.”
Trayton ~ “How long did you say?”
Ava ~ “Six years.”
Trayton ~ “Six fucking years. Did your parents not look for you?”
Ava ~ “Everyone did. I just guess after a couple of years; they gave up hope.”
Trayton ~ “You don’t fucking give up hope. Ever!”
Ava ~ “He did not go out much. He was always there with me. I was like his toy that he played with.”
Trayton ~ “Baby, the tattoo on your leg there underneath your shorts.”
Ava ~ “Yes, he cut me there too.”
Trayton ~ “If I can get my hands on this fucking monster. I will do more than fucking cut his leg.”
Ava ~ “There were many nights that I wish the very same thing. I wished that he was dead.”
Trayton ~ “Did he never take you out?”
Ava ~ “Once when it was not too sunny cause the sun hurt my eyes.”
Trayton ~ “Why did you not scream?”
Ava ~ “He was holding a knife by my back. Then one day he was upstairs, he forgot to tie me to the pole causing his food was burning in the kitchen. I sneaked upstairs, and the door was open; I ran straight to the neighbours.”
Trayton ~ “How did the police get hold of him?”
Ava ~ “I saw his name on some mail one time. He was trying to cross the border when they caught him.”
Trayton ~ “Why did he not go to jail?”
Ava ~ “The day that the first hearing was supposed to take place, he managed to escape.”
Trayton ~ “Then they put you under protection.”
Ava ~ “Yes. They told me I am going to have to change my name and start a new life. I had to leave my family behind and not talk to them.”
Trayton ~ “Do they think he will come after you?”
Ava ~ “Yes they do.”
Trayton ~ “But he can’t find you.”
Ava ~ “Baby, he was a cop.”
Trayton ~ “A fucking cop. And they fucking let him getaway. They fucking let him go he did not escape.”
Ava ~ “Baby, I am scared that he is going to know where to find me now.”
Trayton ~ “Which station did he work at? I can find out if he is still around.”
Ava ~ “I don’t know; all I know is his name was Seth Williams.”
Trayton ~ “I will find out if he is still here.”
Ava ~ “What if someone saw you pulled my file.”
Trayton ~ “It was a friend that did, and I am sure she was careful”
Ava ~ “It still does not make me feel better. I have made sure not to draw too much attention to myself. This is drawing attention to myself.”
Trayton ~ “Sorry baby, but I had to know. I am so sorry for what happened to you. I promise you that I will make it better.”
Ava ~ “You have already made my life better.”
I pull her into my arms and lay her down with me on the couch. She cuddles her fragile body in my arms, and she starts to cry, and for once in my life, I can honestly say that I don’t care if I cry when I am crying with and for her.
Trayton ~ “I love you, Ava.”
Ava ~ “I love you too, baby.”
My heart warms to finally hear her say that word, but it upsets me that such an awful story is what brings us together. I will, and I am going to do everything I can to protect her.
Much later on, while she is fast asleep, I pick her up and carry her to bed. I want to speak to Dominic, but that will have to wait until the morning; she needs me now more than anything.
As I get into bed, it hits me. I have never seen her sleep under my blankets. This guy is going to wish he was dead.
…………………………
Next morning in the kitchen…
Dominic ~ ‘”How did you sleep? I heard you up and down the whole night.”
Trayton ~ “Dominic, it is even worse than what that damn file says.”
Dominic ~ “Did she tell you everything?”
Trayton ~ “Every little fucking detail. This guy was a monster. Six fucking years.”
Dominic ~ “What the fuck. That is fucking sick. I hope he is rotting in jail.”
Trayton ~ “No, he is not.”
Dominic ~ “You fucking kidding me.”
Trayton ~ “He is an ex-cop. They fucking let him go.”
I know my next decision is one that I need to make carefully. I can’t stand to really lose her if she knows that I am going to keep a secret from her.
Trayton ~ “Dominic find me, Seth Williams”