Animal Attraction

My mom had a job now; she owned a book store.

We got the keys from the lawyer, and we went to the book store immediately after the meeting. I showed them around the place. I told them where everything was… except the back.

I couldn’t go back there. I had a flashback of what I saw. Landon and my mom understood. They went back there alone. I stayed at the front of the store.

I heard tapping from the window. It was Jared.

I opened the door for him and I hugged him tightly around the neck.

“Hey, it’s all right,” he told me.

“It’s hard to be here.”

“I bet,” he said as we pulled away from the embrace. “Where are your mom and dad?”

“In the back, I couldn’t go back there. How’s Paul?”

Jared grinned. “A few weeks ago I would’ve never thought you would ever ask me that.”

I chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Paul is… preparing,” he said shortly.

“I really want to be there, Jar.”

“I agree with Paul, Erin, he won’t be able to concentrate if you’re right there. He doesn’t want you to see him… like that. I wouldn’t want Kim to know just the kind of monsters we are.”

“Monsters? Jared, you’re hardly monsters. Monsters don’t eat Lucky Charms for breakfast,” I said, and he chuckled.

“Right.”

“Jared,” my mom’s voice came. “How are you?”

“Good, Ms. Stone.”

“How is your mother?” she asked.

“Well.”

Landon appeared behind her. “This place has a lot of potential.”

“It’s wonderful,” my mom said.

I felt instant relief to know that she liked the store.

When the sun set, and I was home, and I heard the howling in the distance. My heart pounded. I moved my leg up and down as I watched TV with Sean.

He placed his hand on my knee.

“Stop it, please, it’s annoying as hell,” he growled.

“Jeez, sorry.”

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked.

I looked over to him. “Nothing. What the heck makes you think there’s something wrong with me?” I snapped.

“Maybe because you almost bit my head off,” he retorted.

I sighed deeply. “Sorry. It’s… ugh… Paul.”

“Are you fighting?”

“No,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “C’mon, I’m your brother, just tell me.”

Brother? I never heard him say that.

“All right,” I said sitting to face him, “so, there’s this guy who has… threatened to hurt me and Paul is kicking his ass today… right now, actually.”

“You’re worried that he’s going to lose?”

I nodded.

“Paul looks like he can kick ass,” he said. He was being supportive.

“He can, but the guy is… dangerous.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Sean and I just had a brother-sister moment.

“Angie and I are going to get food,” Maggie announced.

“All right.” Sean and I said at the same time.

“Tell your mum and dad,” Maggie said as she walked out with Angie.

Maggie and Angie returned later with boxes of food. I went upstairs to call my mom and Landon. I opened her bedroom door, and I swear I saw them inches from kissing. My intrusion without knocking startled them and they jumped away from each other quickly. My eyes moved back and forth between them.

Neither said a single thing.

Landon cleared his throat. “Uh, Erin.”

“Maggie brought dinner,” I spoke softly.

“Oh, wonderful.”

No one moved though. It was a bit of a stare down until Landon moved past me. My mom and I stared at each other. I shook my head and gave her a disapproving look.

“Let me explain--”

“He’s a married man, mom,” I hissed lowly at her.

“You’re too young to understand,” she gave me a hard look.

“I understand the basics, all right? He has a ring around his finger, and it’s not because he’s married to you!” I walked in the rest of the way and closed the door behind me.

“You have no right to talk to me that way,” she hissed back at me.

“I’m not the one committing adultery!” With that I opened the door and stormed to my room.

My mom tried to talk to me, but I told her to leave me alone. She finally gave up after about half an hour.

I got my sweater and sneaked out the window.

“Erin!” Jared hissed from below. “Get back inside!”

“No, now either catch me or get the hell out of my way,” I hissed back.

He looked torn for a second but finally put his arms as a cradle to catch me. He caught me pretty easily. He glared at me.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t be inside there,” I answered. “Please, tell me the fight is over.”

“Actually… it is,” Jared said with a look in his eyes.

My heart ached. “And?”

“We won.”

I felt instant relief. But Jared’s face was still sad.

“What?” I asked. He placed me on my feet.

“It was an ambush, there were a lot of newborns, and… Paul--”

“Paul what?!” I asked. “Jared, what? Is he dead?”

He shook his head.

“Then he’s okay?”

“He’s not dead, but he’s not okay either,” he said solemnly.

“You better take me to where he is right now!”