Interwoven (18+)

22

-Laurel

Mr. Green sits across from me, the glossy dinner menu is slippery as I try to decide what to eat. The truth is I have no apatite. I miss Bethany, I miss her so mush I feel like my heart is truing to stone. Soon I fear I'll be nothing more than rubble. 

He seems kind and warm, even though he is hurting himself, he is trying his best to comfort me. I know why Bethany loves him as mush as she does her brother. I can't imagine his pain, not only  is his wife in a coma but Bethany and Sutton are missing.  Its been almost three weeks since Bethany disappeared. She was holding onto so many secrets I wasn't sure if she could ever survive her web. 

The server approached and I gave my order; a coffee, orange juice and toast. Mr. Green followed my lead ordering the same. As soon as she left I spoke softly before I lost my nerve. " She never once told me that Colin was abusing her." I found out as I held her in my arms, bruises speckled on her shoulder as I moved her hair to the side. I couldn't voice to him how I had found the bruises. "She tried to deny it but I knew the truth. I called the campus police, they questioned all three of us." I felt the tiers begin to fall. 

_______

-Dash

This poor girl sat across from me pouring her heart out about Bethany's abuse by Colin. I could feel my blood begin to boil. My jaw clenched as tight as my fists. If I ever saw him I would beat him to a pulp. No man should ever lay a hands on a woman especially if that woman was my family. 

Laurel's face contorted as she recalled all the times she suspected Colin of hurting her. She never divulged how exactly she found out but I could guess. I didn't blame her for not telling me, I didn't want to hear the details of their intimate times. 

Before Laurel could continue the waitress brought over our dry breakfast. I knew I would not be able to stomach. 

_______

-Laurel

"After Colin was arrested Bethany was angry with me. I didn't understand. He was hurting her, why would she be angry with me for trying to help her?" My question lingered in the air for only a moment as Mr. Green spoke, "because she loves him too." 

"Yeah, she does," I admitted and it pissed me off. How could someone love someone who would hurt them? How could she be mad at me for helping her? My head hurt as a pounding began. Pushing my emotions to the side I took a bite of my toast.  The warmth doing wonders for my stomach and head. 

______

-Dash

Laurel was ragging a war against herself. I remembered how Anna went through the same thing with her ex-husband. She refused to see the truth, she put on rose colored glasses. The same ones Bethany wore. 

"I'm sorry about your wife and Sutton Mr. Green," she spoke softly trying to distract herself. "Thank you Laurel and please call me Dash." I gave her a small smile trying to lighten the mood for her but maybe it was more for me. 

"Right, umm...Dash," she smiled matching my own. She was a small creature, a little shorter than Bethany. Her blue eyes similar to Brooks were rimmed with red. Her hair was a light shiny brown under the florescent lights in the dinner. Her skin was pale and she wore layers of black topped off with a blue flannel and boots. Definitely Bethany's type I thought. 

"Mr.-Dash," she quickly corrected herself. "What happened?" She asked. I tried not to dwell on the accident, but at some point I knew I would have to delve into the deep end. "You mean the accident?" I quizzed. I knew full well that was what she wanted to know.

"Yes, if its not to painful for you to tell?" her response was a question not a demand. My mouth felt dry, taking a sip of my water I recounted the events. " Kiddy hadn't returned any of Ven's calls for almost a week. He tried to reach out to the administration of the college. It took him three days to get a hold of someone. I guess there was fire in the building. They told Ven that she had not been to classes in a week. The next morning we were all packed and heading to GSU. Ven was in the front seat, Brook was in the back passenger seat.  It was raining and the roads were icy. We were coming up to Hobs curve. I was coming to a slow but the breaks were not working. At first I thought it was because of the ice but I had the break pedal pushed as far down as I could. There was no slowing us." Laurels faces pales and I realize there are tears sliding down my face.