enough answer to me.
“Don’t give me that. I’ve seen the posters. I’ve seen the news. You are apparently missing, but it doesn’t look at all like that.” He said. “Give me an explanation.”
I stood up and stomped my foot, which is something I never normally do. But I had a reason now—he was pissing me off. “I’m looking for the explanation too!”
His eyes bulged out, waving his hands around in defense, “Okay. Don’t get all crazy-girl on me. I already get that enough with Shannon.” His eyes shifted to the ground, thinking. He placed his hand on his chin, using his other hand to motion me to sit. “I know its Eric. It has to be.” He looked into my eyes.
I nodded in agreement. Okay, so he got that much.
“He kidnapped you?” Yes. “And you’re around all these people…without a hold.” Yes. “What is wrong with you?”
“I don’t get it myself. I know what I should do but I can’t.” I said, truthfully. Bobby nodded, understanding. Thank God too, like I needed someone against me.
“Eric is disturbing. Always has been,” he said. “But he’s like a brother to me. I don’t think I can do anything for you.” He held one of my hands with both of his clammy ones. “I can read your face. You obviously will never say a word. Do you like him?”
Nobody ever really asked that. I can’t say that I haven’t given it much thought. Eric was different, that much was true. But if I wasn’t for the situation I was in now, I probably would have broken up with Kade eventually and hang out with Eric. Maybe even date him…but that would go horribly wrong.
“Dottie, Eric won’t do anything.” He reassured me.
I felt my eyebrows rise. “So you’re just going to lay here and…let me continue being missing?”
He leaned his head back on the pillow, putting his hands behind his head. “Did he give you a reason?”
“No.”
“Then what do you want from me? I’m stuck in a bed right now.” He smirked.
“How about feeling something for me? I can’t contact anyone to tell them I’m fine. Eric won’t let me do it! Come on. This is crazy. You said it yourself! I can’t continue on like this if he hasn’t given me a reason to stay.”
“Dottie, let me ask you something,” He arched, leaning towards my face, “Does he feed you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you get to take showers?”
“Yes.”
“Any death threats?”
I thought for a second. “Not any that I know of.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about.” He said, “You’re in the best hands, even if it is your kidnapper’s.”
I wasn’t satisfied. “That’s it?”
“Fine. You can march out to the front, maybe even yell some, and tell everyone that you’re Dorothy Fane. But you chose not to. Why?” He eyed me, suspicious.
I let my hair fall in front of my face, too afraid for him to see my burned cheeks. Shannon and Eric stepped in, saving me, and told us the nurse was kicking us out now. Bobby gave me a tight hug and hopes to see me again. Shannon said that she’s going to leave soon, so it’s better that we go now.
“See you guys later.” She waved off.
After we drove back to Eric’s house, the lights were off so he snuck me through the front door instead of the window. He pushed me onto the bed as soon as we went inside his room.
“I did tell you that you could sleep on my bed,” he said. “So go ahead.” He settled in the closet, grabbing the blankets around him.
I smiled lightly, falling onto his bed and wrapping the blankets around my cold body. The slumber was warm and peaceful, and I just loved the scent around me, familiar to me now.
I heard a slight scratching of a pen though. But that didn’t stop me from snoring softly.
I woke up refreshed the next morning, which was a Sunday. I took one glance around the room, and frowned. Eric wasn’t there. I checked the guest room and Aaron wasn’t there either.
So I was left alone in this house, all by myself. No one to stop me. Huh. Options were endless at the moment. But my stomach growled and I somehow wanted to deal with that first.
I headed my way down to the kitchen, finding a cereal box. I grabbed the milk from the fridge, pouring it over the cereal in the bowl. Then I went to the living room to turn on the TV. There was nothing better to do, after all.
A couple of minutes into the news, the cereal in my bowl disappeared. Today I found out the weather, the news in the government, and some more famous people. But you can never forget the new people that died…or missing. Oh, the same news again just with different information.
I sighed and turned the TV off. I washed my bowl in the sink and carefully placed it back where I found it. I didn’t want Macy to see something different.
And just in the nick of time too. Her car pulled up in the driveway. I retreated back to Eric’s room, while Frankie barked at my sudden movements from the laundry room. I forgot about Frankie, he’s been so quiet.
The front door opened with a loud conversation flowing through the individuals. They talked about the things that were going on in church. I realized then that they were probably at church this morning.
Eric opened the door to his room, a smile pulled on his face. “Hello.”
I giggled. “Why are you so happy?”
“Well…you didn’t run away,” he said. “You want some breakfast?”
“I already ate.” I answered quickly. “Wait…what were you going to offer?”
“My mom was making pancakes—”
“Mm. That sounds delicious.” I exclaimed. “Is there any way I could find a reason to come over this morning?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
So he gently helped me out the window, telling me that Aaron will signal when I’ll be ready to come. I only waited just a couple of minutes hiding behind the tree when Aaron opened the window and said, “READY?” Not directly looking at me, but there was someone on the sidewalk running.
The woman pulled out her earplugs and looked up at Aaron, confused.
He used up a terrible excuse, “Hey hottie.” He raised his eyebrow in an inferring way.
The woman scoffed and put back on her earplugs, continuing to run along.
“You are hot.” Aaron said again, she was long gone.
I rolled my eyes at him. I walked over to the front door, knocking in slow strokes. Macy answered.
“Oh, hello Dora! Welcome back. I was just cooking, but you don’t have to help. Please, come in!” The hair tie held her hair up in a loose ponytail. She looked like a teen again. A blue apron wrapped around her skinny body, while white powder smudged her face, indicating she was working very hard.
Eric stood behind her, leading me into their dining room. He sat me on the seat next to him. “You may have come a little too soon.” He said.
“Well I would have come later but Aaron was busy getting a girl’s attention. I’m sorry.” I said to him.
Speaking of the devil, Aaron stepped in. “Well hey Dora! What a surprise! I didn’t know we were having you over again today.” He sure was forcing the words though. And saying them in a loud, exaggerated tone. “What brings you in this neck of the woods?”
I folded my hands politely. “I like pancakes,” I confessed.
He snickered. “What happened to the health freaky side of life?”
“I have joined you in the dark side.” I said, seriously. But staring at Aaron’s ridiculous I-knew-it face made me burst out laughing.
Eric laughed softly next to me, his hush tone soothing.
“Pancakes are ready!” Macy came in with a platter full of round lightly-brown food. Aaron was about to stab his fork into the biggest one, but she said, “Ladies first. You should know how it works by now.”
I stabbed my fork into the one he wanted, sticking my tongue out at him in the process. He glared. Macy took a medium sized one, while Eric quickly took another big one. And Aaron wa
s last, taking any available.
Suddenly I felt like a pig—I already had cereal, why am I eating more? But one bit into that soft, mushy piece of fluffy white pancakes and I stood at the gates of heaven.
“These are amazing!” I said to Macy. I’ve never had a pancake like this before, it tastes absolutely homemade. “How’d you make it?”
She smiled. “Honey. That’s from the box.” She pointed at the food with her fork.
“They taste like you made it from scratch.” I said.
“That’s the power of the box!”
“Yes. The box is everything. You want the box.” Aaron said in his booming voice.
“Alright. I think we get that you like the box.” Eric said back.
We resumed eating while Macy filled the air with her conversation. I really like Macy. She’s the type that likes to make things less awkward than they already are.
After breakfast, Macy got a called in for work. She hugged me lightly, telling me I could stay as long as I wanted. Little did she know that I was forced to stay either way.
Eric offered to wash the dishes, while I followed Aaron to the living room.
“I saw you.” He said, snickering.
“What?” I said. He always acted so ridiculous when it come to things nobody understands.
“You were sleeping in Eric’s bed.” He said in a teasing tone, “So much for that.” He stared off into space.
“He didn’t sleep with me.” I told him.
“I’m not talking about that.” We set ourselves down on the couch. “I’m talking about how real you guys are getting.”
“Real…?” I motioned for more information.
“Don’t play stupid with me, that’s my role.” He smiled. “It’s