Chapter 6
The flash back left as fast as it came, leaving Lucia afraid and uncomfortable. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she woke up from her nap. She quickly wiped them away and forced herself back into the real world. She was here in the Patton’s house, in her bed. She had no bruises on her chest, nor blood on her legs. A shiver was sent down Lucia’s body.
When they’d gotten home, Lucia had decided to take a nap; she regretted it now. She always tried to push away the bad things and think about the good. In Lucia’s mind, there were many good things about Joshua Kenneth; in reality, there was little good in him. She knew that deep down.
As Lucia walked down the stairs, she smoothed back her messy, black hair and made her way towards the front yard. She was still in the clothes she’d warn to the Court House.
The season was slowly making its way towards autumn, which meant that Lucia’s flowers would soon die off. She knew this, but she was determined to keep them alive. There was a cool breeze that blew past Lucia as she walked out of the house. She shivered a bit, but kept walking. Her blue eyes brightened when she caught sight of the purple Mums that had sprouted. Lucia ran to them and dropped to the ground before them.
Their violet color was pure and beautiful, almost as gorgeous as the red Mums. Lucia stroked the baby petals gently. There wasn’t a scent to the small flower just yet, Lucia had noticed when she leaned down to sniff it.
“You should really wear a jacket,” a voice came from behind Lucia. “You’re going to get a cold; it’s freezing out here.”
Lucia stayed calm as something was draped over her shoulders. “Thank you,” she replied. She glanced back, expecting to see her brother, but instead the same guy she’d ran from not too long ago was in his place. His jade eyes gazed at Lucia, as if he were trying to see through her. His mixed blonde hair blew his scent towards her as it fluttered from the wind; she could smell cinnamon.
The girl pushed away her midnight hair and slipped her arms into the too-large jacket sleeves. They stared at one another for the longest time before Lucia turned back to the small Chrysanthemum. Her heart thumped in her chest, she wondered if she could really trust him as Vance said. Why was he here again? Lucia didn’t know, but she decided that if Vance could trust him, she could, too. She wouldn’t give him too much trust just yet, though.
“I’m sorry about the other day,” Mason said in his deep, husky voice that sounded so much like Vance’s. “I hadn’t meant to.”
Lucia simply nodded at the man, sprinkling water over the flowers. “What kinds are those?” Mason asked, gesturing towards the bloomed flowers. It was odd that he’d given Lucia his jacket, considering he was wearing khaki shorts and a long sleeved gray Aeropostal shirt.
Hesitant, Lucia pointed at the small flower. “It’s a purple Chrysanthemum. Those,” she pointed at the already grown ones in which Lucinda had bought, “are Irises and Daisies.” Mason, to Lucia’s surprise, seemed interested. Not even Lucinda could force herself to be interested in her flowers.
“That’s nice. They’re very pretty. I think it’s because you tend to them so well,” Mason smiled.
Lucia couldn’t tell if she’d blushed or if her cheeks burned from the wind slashing against her face. She returned to watering the flowers. Lucia heard Mason sit down beside her and she wondered why he’d done so. In her chest, her heart jumped a bit. There was no doubt that Mason wasn’t your typical deep-voiced man. He was handsome – not a pretty boy like most. He had a bright smile which was almost too big. His walnut-shaped face went perfectly with his hazelnut skin.
“Why are you so interested in flowers?” Mason wondered quietly aloud.
Lucia smiled slightly, placing the tin down on the ground. “There are so many different kinds; so many different colors, some more than one color. I just think it’s fascinating,” she admitted.
“You know, we use to play together – you, Vance, and me,” Mason claimed, watching Lucia as she stared at him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember,” she frowned; there was little she remembered about her life before Joshua. Lucia could remember her mother’s young face before the time; so gentle and loving. She could remember the smell of the house – always of chocolate chip cookies and croissant rolls. It was little things like that in which she remembered.
Mason let out a shaky laugh. “You use to follow us around all the time and we thought you were a bother,” he smiled at her, “but, I’m sure you’re not anymore, the way Vance talks about you. You’re like a God to him,” he teased.
A small giggle left Lucia’s lips. Her hand flew over her mouth quickly. She noticed that it had been the first time she’d laughed in years. Here was this mysterious guy…and he made her laugh? A blush appeared on Lucia’s pale cheeks – she hoped that it wasn’t noticeable.
“You shouldn’t cover your mouth, your smile is nice, you know.” Mason said. Lucia looked away and shivered. She was beginning to get cold. “Would you like to go inside?” He wondered, obviously noting Lucia’s actions.
The girl shook her head; she wanted to stay with her flowers. Instead, she got up and walked towards the back yard instead, knowing that Mason would follow her. She smiled at the red Mums and white Lilies that blew with the wind. She wondered if flowers got cold.
Excited to show someone her flowers, Lucia gestured towards them. “These are-“
“Lilies,” Mason nodded towards them. He smiled at the girl as her eyes brightened even more; he even knew some of his flowers. Lucia smiled right back. Joshua would have stomped on any flowers that she planted.
“What do you like to do?” Lucia blurted out. She didn’t really know why she was interested.
“Me? Well, I play baseball, I guess I like that,” Mason shrugged his shoulders.
“Baseball? What’s that?” She’d heard about it, but she’d never really watched a game.
Mason laughed quietly. “Well, it’s where all of these crazy guys are in uniforms. There are two different teams and basically one person throws the ball to another person on the other team and they hit it with a bat.”
Lucia pursed her lips. “I think I get it now. I’ve never really watched it,” she mumbled, a blush on her face. She hoped that Mason didn’t think that she was stupid because of the fact she didn’t know very much.
Then, to Lucia’s surprise, a memory began to fade into her view.
**
It is a nice day outside; the sun is shining brightly on a warm, summer day. Five year old Lucia Patton is giggling as she runs after a Monarch butterfly. “Come back!” she calls to it, attempting to catch it in her hands. Of course, she fails, but this is expected and she doesn’t stop trying. Finally, the Monarch flutters out of her reach and off through the sky.
Lucia sits on the grass in the front yard, her arms crossed over her little chest as she pouts. Lucinda Patton strides out of the house and into the yard. She frowns when she looks at her daughter. “What’s wrong, Lu-Lu?” She wonders when she sees Lucia’s face.
“The butterfly went away, mommy. Go get it!” She yells as a reply. She points to the sky, but there’s nothing there but clouds.
The woman lets out a quiet laugh as the wind blows her black hair back. “I don’t think it’s there anymore, Lu-Lu. Why don’t you ask your brother if you can go with him and Mason to the park?”
Lucinda knows that her daughter will be happy when she hears this, and she’s right. Lucia stands up, her blue eyes bright as she runs towards the backyard. “Vanny! Vanny!” She yells until she catches sight of her brunette brother. She grins at him and Mason, his blonde best friend. They are playing with a soccer ball that Mason brought over.
Lucia decides to run after the ball. “Ball!” She yells, trying to grab it. Vance narrows his hazel eyes and kicks the ball right as she tries to grab at it. The ball hits her in the face and roughly and bounces off. Lucia screams and begins to cry; her eye is bloody from the impact of the ball.
“Vance! Why’d you do that? You hurt her!” Mason yells at his friend, kneeling down beside the other boy’s sister. He screams when he sees the blood, yelling for Vance to get his mom.
He doesn’t. Vance stands there, staring at his sister in shock for the longest time. “Fine, I’ll go get her!” Mason yells, but before he can, he hears someone running towards them. He looks up and sees Jon Patton, Lucia and Vance’s father. Jon looks at his daughter and picks her up easily.
“What the hell happened here? What’d you do this time, Vance?!” Jon yells at his son. “I’ll deal with you later,” he hisses and runs into the house with Lucia, yelling her that it’ll all be okay.
Lucia clings onto her father, trying to wipe away the blinding blood that pours into her eyes. She wonders why her brother is always so mean to her. So far he’s pushed her down the stairs, shut the door on her hand, and much more. She is starting to think that Vance doesn’t love her. What if he doesn’t?
**
The memory faded quickly, but Lucia could still feel the pain in her face that had been pulsing that day. She reached up and touched her left eye, staring at Mason in horror. He’d been the one to help her that day, when she was just five years old.
Suddenly, Lucia trusted Mason. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all; but her mind seemed to always trail back to Joshua and going to her real home. She couldn’t deny that she hated being cooped up all night and day, but it was better than facing the real world. More people could hurt her in the real world – she didn’t want that at all. Lucia just wanted to go somewhere that she could stay, by herself. Now, she couldn’t even trust the one person that she’d been trusting ever since she’d been taken to the Patton’s house. What was she supposed to do? Who was she supposed to rely on?
“Lucia? Are you all right? Why don’t we get you inside?” Mason’s deep voice rang in. She looked up at him as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up. She shuttered at his touch, but she didn’t refuse. Her head felt light as she leaned her head against Mason’s shoulder. Lucia wondered why life couldn’t be easy.
Mason walked into the house and into the living room. Vance and Jon sat on the couch, watching a basket ball game. Tears welled up in Lucia’s eyes as Mason sat her down on the empty couch. “What happened, Mason? You shouldn’t have come here, we-“
“No,” Lucia mumbled. “It’s not him.” She took glances at Vance and tears, once again, poured over and onto her cheeks. It may have been when she was only five, but it meant something to her. Vance had wanted her gone and he hadn’t really cared about her at all. It broke her heart. Had he even cared that she’d been taken, or had he been glad that she was gone so that he could play with Mason alone?
Gently, Lucia closed her eyes and leaned against Mason. She didn’t know why her heart told her to trust him, but s