Freed

31

When we got home, the driveway was empty. Elijah's car was gone, and I allowed myself to breathe a little easier when I realized I was safe from trouble now. Even if it was temporary.

"Caleb's home, I'll be back in a few hours," Ethan said, finally speaking to me after a tense car ride filled with silence. I unbuckled my seatbelt and lingered in the car for another moment, staring at the back of his head.

"Are you mad?" I asked in a small voice. He was acting off.

He chuckled bitterly, and shook his head, staring out the window. "Izzy, stop wasting my time. Go inside. Elijah will deal with you later."

I scowled. "Why are you even mad? You went out all the time to these places."

"The fact that you even have to ask why I'm pissed shows me how stupid you really are," Ethan scoffed and my lips parted in disbelief. He turned around in his seat, letting his glare find mine. "Tell me something. Do you ever think before you go off and do something? Huh? Or does being a naive idiot come natural to you?"

"Mia was with me, Ethan," I snapped. "'I had fun. Do you expect me to stay home all the time and lay around in bed all day like I used to?"

"Do you understand how dangerous that was?" Ethan gritted out. "A strip club at seventeen. Do you get that fucked up shit happens at places like that? One wrong move and someone could've taken you. It happens all the time, Izzy. Some fucking predator sees a young girl or two and decides he wants to act for some money. Some of the girls who go missing are never seen again. They're taken overseas half of the time or shipped off to someplace no one knows of. It's fucked up, but it's the truth. If something like that had happened, do you understand that even Elijah wouldn't be able to get you back?"

I stayed quiet, shifting my gaze out the window.

Ethan sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to be a dick. I know you could use some fun after everything you've been going through, but fuck, Izzy, at least be safe about it. At least tell one of us before you wander off like that so if something happens, at least we wouldn't have to waste time trying to figure out where you are in the first place. Elijah used to say the same thing to the rest of us when we went out. It's how it is for everyone."

"Okay, I got it," I breathed, and bit back the apology resting on the tip of my tongue.

Ethan went silent, before he turned back around. "Go inside," he commanded and I sighed, but shoved open the door. Without bothering to look back, I closed it and walked up the driveway. Ethan waited until I got inside and closed the garage behind me, before I heard his car drive away.

The house was silent, and I was hungry, so I made a beeline to the kitchen because I was craving ice cream.

Grabbing an ice cream sandwich, I shoved the freezer closed and trailed towards the stairs to head into my room. I quickly changed out of the dress into more comfortable clothes, before I grabbed the ice cream and headed towards Caleb's room.

He was doing something on his laptop when I entered, and he looked up when he saw me come inside. Instantly, an amused smile shaped his lips and I rolled my eyes as I marched towards the bed.

"You already know," I muttered and he laughed as I took a seat next to him, leaning against the headboard. "They ruined my fun," I whined, letting my head fall back as I peeled off the wrapper. "Elijah's stupid friend found me."

"You had to know it was gonna happen," Caleb murmured distractedly, his eyes glued to the computer screen.

"Still wished it didn't."

"That was stupid on your part."

I glared at the side of his face, but he pulled his hoodie up and avoided the intensity of my gaze, ducking his head to hide a smile. "Everyone keeps calling me stupid," I grumbled. "I know I am sometimes, but you don't need to say it."