no savior.

no hiding

And here I was going back.

The pump clicks just as Vin comes back with some more refreshments, "Ready?"

"Yeah," I remove the pump and get back into the truck, this time in the driver's seat.

Vin directs me back onto the highway and I look up at the sign. WELCOME TO MISSOURI.

"Hey almost home," I comment. He nods, "Yep."

"Where are we going?" I continue, "Since I'm driving and all I'm guessing I should know?"

"You're fine," he replies, "I'll tell you where to go."

"Okay but maybe--"

"Nope," he cuts me off, "You good."

I shut up, years of friendship with this douche having taught me that what he says goes. End of story.

"How have you been?" he breaks the silence, "I mean really. And don't even think about bullshitting me, Baby girl."

I start to tell him, then stop. "You don't need to know," I reply smartly.

"Ah so we're back the the fake enigma bullshit," He scoffs, "Should've known better."

I shrug.

"Are you at least gonna explain the sleeve," He gesters to my left bicep, which is covered in tattoos from the elbow up.

"I have one for every mistake," I respond.

"Am I on there?"

I chuckle dryly, "Not yet, kid. We'll see how this move goes."

********************************************************

Layne's POV

"So we're locking doors now?" I announce at dinner. Dil and Dru snap their heads in my direction. I wasn't gonna bring it up at dinner (I figured on fight a week was enough) but seeing them so happy was pissing me off. They could loss everything tomorrow and still be fine. Shit, they were brought together by almost losing me.

"What were you doing in our room?" Dil asks.

"I couldn't get in," I reply, "Don't change the subject! So we're locking doors now?"

"Hey!" Dru cuts both of us off before things can escalate, "Look, we aren't locking the door because of you."

"Are you locking it because of Mira? Because she has a key too."

Dil's face goes blank and then reverts back to anger, "What do you want from me, Layne?"

"If you don't know by now than I don't know what to tell you," I stand up and head to my room.

On the way I slam into a thin woman with blonde hair. Aunt Saf.

"Where are you headed so fast, Alayna?"

I stop in my tracks and bite my tongue, "No where."

She puts a tight grip on my shoulder and we head back to the kitchen. "What's for dinner, Dillion?"

"I wasn't expecting you, Aunt Saf," his eye twitches, and I can tell he isn't in the mood to deal with her bullshit.

"Hello, Saf," Dru, always the bright ball of energy, jumps up to get her a plate, "Did you want something? We have chicken, roasted potatoes..."

He drones on about the meal he'd prepared while Dil and I stare at each other in disdain. Dru continues to entertain Aunt Saf, even though it is common knowledge they don't even like each other. I don't understand the logic of hanging out at the apartment of a bunch of gays, and you know you're homophobic, but Saf was here so much that at some point Dil actually gave her a key. Or at least that's what he said.

Really, she stole mine and had it copied.

However, God bless the dumbass brave enough to tell Aunt Saf that we was "wrong" about anything.

"So Alayna how was you day, dear?" I turn to Aunt Saf belatedly, not use to her insistence of always using someone's proper name.

"I can't remember," I lie. I've used that line since I got out the coma. It's simpler than "I fucked our maid and found out my brother is keeping hella secrets from me."

"That's a shame," she pats my shoulder, "I assure you it was fine."

"Was my past fine? So fine that I put myself in a coma?"

Her gentle pat turns into a death grip and I wince as her manicured nails sink into my skin, "Excuse me?"

"Forget I said anything," I take it back and she also removes her hand, "Dillion what about you?"

He talks about school and his class, dragging Dru into most of his stories, his own personal protest against Aunt Saf's presence. If she is going to make us uncomfortable, then he's going to fight back.

"May I be excused?" I ask, already standing.

"Sure sweetie," Aunt Saf responds, even though it's not her house, and she doesn't ask for permission to enter.

I run myself a bath, taking care and washing my ass long hair. I lower myself into the water, rinsing my hair. I stay under dangerously long, exhaling all the air from my lungs, and wait. I wonder how painless drowing would be. How poetic it would be to be found dead and smelling of vanilla and roses. No.

I pull myself from the water, gasping. No. Bad Layne.

I dry off and blow dry my hair, combing it out into it's natural waves. By the time I'm finished, it's time for bed, and I pull my long hair back into a ponytail, before heading to bed. There's a scratch at the door and I crack my door just enough for Max to sneak in.

Max immediately crawls into bed and I close the door again.

***

I wake up to Max pawing at the door to be freed and see something I must've missed last night.

I look down and see a padded envelope blocking it. I grab it, looking at it, inside finding a key and a note.

"It's time you knew."

No way...

I rush to Dil's room and carefully unlock it, as if opening a tomb. I peer in, before stepping in entirely, closing the door behind me.