Safe

Chapter 1Rey I had never thought that I’d one day fly on a private jet, but here we were. I’d also never imagined that if I’d get to do this, I’d be curled up in fetal position, doing my best to keep breathing while I hid inside one of my friend Lake’s hoodies. “Not long now,” River murmured, petting my back. I knew he was nervous too, but that was the normal kind of nervousness for someone who hadn’t flown before. I’d been on regular planes, but flying wasn’t my issue. Feeling a tremor go through my body, I tried not to think how much I’d once enjoyed the view out of a plane window. Hell, I was trying to ignore the fact that we were on a plane at all. What felt like hours later, the captain told us we would start the descent, and I forced myself to sit straight. I still couldn’t even glance outside, but Lake’s encouraging grin made me give him a wavery smile. Lake’s lawyer, Hudson, sat with him. They’d talked business a little, but not much. We were here, because about a month ago, Hudson had come to the apartment we’d shared in New York City, and he’d told Lake his aunt Ruth had passed away. Lake hadn’t been close to Ruth, only ever meeting her once when he was a kid, but she’d still left her life’s work to him. It consisted of a horse rescue and book rights to her career as a bestselling author. It felt wild even to me, and I didn’t have a horse in this race. Or rescue. Hah. Either way, Lake and his best friend River had made it clear that where they went, I’d go too, so here I was. Maybe that means I’m one of the horses in their race. The thing with the guys was that they were in their mid-twenties, and I was seventeen. They had careers—although both were on hold as they figured out what to do in Illinois—and I was a runaway. I hadn’t told them anything but my name, and I hadn’t been honest about that, either. I was still running, and I had a year more until I was a legal adult and could start living my life freely again. Once my family, my dad especially, had no control over me legally, I’d be free. I hoped. It wouldn’t be that simple, but right now the guys and Hudson were respecting my wishes and had promised not to try to figure out who I was or why I was running. It hadn’t been until they’d scooped me up from a frozen sidewalk last November that I’d realized the true meaning of family. Now, in May, I felt completely safe in a way I hadn’t ever before. Except whenever I had to go outside. No, the trip from New York to the rescue in Illinois wasn’t easy. At. All. * * * * Everything blurred together once we landed. At least Hudson had gotten hold of the jet from someone he knew, so the fact that I didn’t have an ID didn’t come into question. It would, eventually, but not today. The big black SUV Hudson drove was kind of funny for a lawyer, but the tinted windows gave me some buffer between the endless sky that made my skin crawl, and I could even occasionally check out the view. That was right until we got to the part where we’d be living outside Joliet. It was all flat, all big sky over fields that Hudson said would mostly be either corn or green carpets of soybean, and every now and then a house or a farm dotted the vastness with a tree or actual strips of woods here and there. I was shaking again by the time we got to the rescue. Hudson parked near a low building of some sort. “That’s the office, and on your right is the house.” He got out of the car. River had opened the window a bit at some point, just enough that I had a view out now that we had stopped. I could see some cabins across part of the yard. “Okay, you hang in here and we’ll figure this out,” River patted my thigh and slid out of the car. As soon as he was out and the door closed, I heard him ask, “Who’s Hottie McEyebrows?” Hudson let out an amused sound. “Boys, this is Theo Fenton, he’s the foreman.” Ah, this was the guy who we needed to get along with. Ruth’s will said that if after the three months’ sort of a trial period Lake chose to sell the place, Theo would get most of the money for the sale. I heard Lake and River introduce themselves in their usual playful way of adding “no relation” to the introductions. A voice I hadn’t heard before, likely Theo, sounded amused. “Lake and River, huh?” I leaned to the side to look out, just as he glanced at the car. We made eye contact, and something about that made me panic. I quickly pulled back. I doubted he was intimidating or dangerous. It was just that I was built different these days. “That’s our friend Rey. He’s agoraphobic and this has been hard for him,” River told Theo in his big brotherly warning tone I’d grown familiar with. Suddenly I heard the door of the low building and then a female voice joined the conversation. Her name was Sierra, and I zoned out because I remembered her being the person in charge of running the rescue with Theo now that Ruth was gone. I was sure I’d get to know her better later. In short order, it was decided that Hudson could move the SUV closer to the house so I could basically step inside the house without having to cross any open space. It had been Hudson who asked how they could help me, and I appreciated it more than I could say right then. I vaguely heard them talk about someone called Cook, and then Hudson was in the car and we were moving a ridiculously short way. It felt stupid to feel this sort of relief for not having to walk, but I was also starting to feel the strain from the travel. I guess I kind of zoned out, and the next thing I knew, I was walking into the house, and River was holding my hand. River pulled me up the stairs while Lake snarked with Theo. My brain had barely the energy to find that amusing, but Lake had told us to go upstairs so I could pick a room, so I was following orders. “Wish you’d taken the Valium?” River asked when we got to the long hallway. “Nah, it’s okay. I can do this.” Maybe. I could maybe do this. River looked to the left and frowned. “Probably not that side.” I glanced over and swallowed hard. Yeah, that side had the room doors too, but there was a railing opposite of the doors, and there had to be some sort of a high ceiling living area downstairs. I nodded toward the right. “Let’s see this side.” “Okay, so Hudson said that the small bedrooms share a bathroom, and that the left side one is that Cook guy’s.” I nodded and moved past the bathroom, opening the door next to it. “I don’t mind sharing. Didn’t he say the guy isn’t here much anyway?” “Yeah. He sounds interesting, Cook I mean,” River murmured absently as he walked into the room behind me. “It’s bigger than Lake’s room at the old place.” I didn’t like the windows, but at least there were tall trees in front so that the sky wasn’t that intimidating. Then I promptly started to have trouble breathing and had to sit down. At least the bed was right there, and River sat next to me. He pulled me to his side and started to count my breaths for me. I hated the way my heartbeat picked up, my whole upper body felt tingly, and my ears started to ring. Knowing it was just anxiety, a release from the stress of the day coming out in a f****d-up way, did nothing to calm my brain down. And so, we sat there for who knew how long, waiting for my body to follow the program my brain was ignoring. I didn’t feel bad anymore, having to rely on River like this. He and Lake were my best friends and big brothers, and they’d never let anything bad happen to me if they could help it. Besides, the fact that River was a nurse helped some part of my brain because I knew a medical professional was right there. There was some sort of commotion outside, and River let go of me to go to the window. I felt better, so I just sat there. “No idea what that’s all about,” he mumbled, then turned around to lean his butt on the windowsill. River was a lean guy, taller than my five foot and seven measly inches, and he was sort of…pretty. In a masculine way though. Sometimes, he liked to put on makeup, and he had his hair bleached blond. Now, he just looked tired and worn out, but when he realized I was looking, he grinned slightly. “Do you think it would be okay if I just vacationed for a bit?” he asked, then yawned. “Yes. You just quit your job a month ago, and ever since we’ve just been working on this move. Now that we’re here, take some time off for real.” “Is that sirens?” he asked, turning back to the window. The door was open, and Lake stepped inside. “Oh, nice, all the tall trees are right there!” he exclaimed with cheer I knew was for show. “And you can see the pond if you look right here,” River added, pointing through what I thought must’ve been a gap in the trees. Lake turned to me. “So, you’re picking this one?” Maybe I should’ve asked his opinion first. “Yeah, if that’s okay?” I smiled. “Of course. That’s why you came up here.” “There’s a bathroom through here, but it’s shared with that Cook guy whenever he’s here.” River opened the door to show it bathroom to Lake. “How about you, Riv?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t pick the one on the far left. “Which room will you take?” “I think I want the corner one next to yours. I liked the windows looking out to the pond, too.” The relief I felt was immense, and I tried not to show it. “Sounds good.” “I guess mine will be the master downstairs. The office is there as well, where she used to do her writing.” Lake looked so sad suddenly. “f**k. I wish I’d known her.” I got off the bed and went to hug him. River joined me in smothering Lake a little. He needed us as much as we needed him. I tried to make myself useful by cleaning at the old place, but I didn’t know my agenda here yet. It wasn’t time for that conversation now, though. Dogs barked outside and car doors slammed. “The cops, probably,” River said calmly when I tensed. I’d forgotten all about the sirens that had been coming closer steadily. They must’ve turned those off at some point when they got to the last stretch of road or something. “Let’s go get some lunch downstairs.” Lake looked at me. “You want to come with, or should we bring you some here?” I felt twitchy and unable to decide. “I’ll bring you a plate, okay?” River patted my shoulder. Lake stepped after him, then asked, “How about you come get your last bag from the bottom of the stairs and unpack?” “Okay.” Instantly relieved, I followed them and waited on the landing while Lake handed me the last of my luggage. I rolled my eyes when he winked at me. I carried it upstairs and started to unpack. When I took my toiletry kit to the bathroom, I realized I hadn’t checked it out yet. Yay for anxiety attacks. The bathroom was small but not stiflingly so. See, apparently there was such thing as too small spaces too. Helpful, brain, thanks so much. When I went to put my shower gel and shampoo in the cubicle, I noticed there were bottles there already. “Must be Cook’s,” I murmured, moving them to the little windowsill high up. Then I picked up the shower gel again and opened it, sniffing. “Minty and woodsy.” Huh. Not a bad choice. Mine was orange peel and cedarwood. Basic, cheap, and I really liked it. Since the guys bought me everything, I rarely got anything expensive, and if I wanted to get something that cost more, I certainly wouldn’t start with hygiene products. They gave me a sort of allowance, which was both a bit humiliating and handy, and definitely nothing like my life had been before November. I frowned at the thought. At least I was farther away from Brooklyn now. Less chance that anyone would find me here. As far as I knew, nobody had reported me missing, either, which was…telling. * * * * I had put away my clothes into the small closet and the dresser when River knocked on the door. “I come bearing foodstuffs,” he said, holding a plate with an incredible looking sandwich on it to me. I grabbed it, realizing I truly felt hungry. The stress must’ve been getting less then. He gave me a glass of ice water, too, and I took them to the little table in the corner. Sitting on the armchair, I angled myself so that it didn’t bother me as much that I was right by the windows. “So, Lake is already in the office. The whole cop thing outside was about some guy appearing because he wanted his goat back or something.” I chuckled. “Well, that certainly didn’t happen back in New York.” River grinned. “Definitely not.” He pulled something from under his arm. “Here, there’s a pile of these in the office. It’s the story of the rescue.” “Put it on the bed; I don’t want to get sandwich fingers on it.” Shaking his head fondly, he dropped the brochure on the bed and looked around. “You think this could be home?” I looked around and compared it to how I’d lived in the before times. “Absolutely. How’s your room?” Biting into the sandwich, I made a happy sound and shimmied in my seat. He smiled. “It’s good. Really cozy. I like this IKEA-meets-country a lot.” Nodding, I reached out for my drink. “Go. Unpack. Makes Lake happy to see we’re settling.” River looked at me as if he was trying to read me or something. “Huh, I guess you really know us by now.” Then he saluted and left me be. I scarfed down the sandwich and went to wash my hands. I dried them carefully, then slumped on my bed to take a look at the brochure. There was a round logo, a horse looking up at two stars in the night sky, with the words Twin Star Rescue written underneath. The photo itself was horses on a pasture. Must’ve been part of the yard outside. Sighing, I settled more comfortably, opened the thing, and started to read. I sank into reading about Ruth’s first rescue horse and the foals she’d lost. The happier stories were great, too. Maybe one day I could actually go outside to take a look at everything. Today was not that day and neither was tomorrow.