Rellik(56)

Ella’s expression softened as her fingers rubbed lightly over my arm. “That’s great, Ryder.”

“It’s excruciating. We should go. It’s getting late, and we need to eat.”

She nodded, unsure, but followed behind me as I took the path from the woods to my father’s car. There was no way I was going to escape what I had to do. I couldn’t let Ella go down with me. The least I could do was put an end to her nightmares so she could have some semblance of a normal life.

We didn’t speak the entire ride back to my parent’s house. My mother had cooked meatloaf and was setting the table as we walked through the front door. She did a double take when she saw Ella.

“Ryder, what are you doing here?”

“I came back earlier, but you weren’t here. I decided to take Dad’s car for a drive and show Ella around.”

She nodded, setting down a plate in front of her chair. “You know that’s your car, Ryder. That’s what your dad wanted.”

“That’s what you wanted. It was his car.”

She shook her head as she grabbed two extra plates from the cupboard. “Ryder, he was fixing up that car for you. It was going to be a graduation present. He used to go on and on about how you had to look the part if you were going to be a rock star.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“You never came around, never answered calls.”

I struggled not to show my anger. My mother was the reason I was gone for so many years. I always assumed she wanted me to stay gone.

“You knew where I was for years. You could have come to visit.”

Sighing heavily, she used a spatula to cut the meatloaf into slices. “I couldn’t look at my son in that place.”

“Did you ever think of how it felt to be there, alone?”

“Ryder, you had plenty of friends. Look at your band.” She smiled, and I realized I wasn’t the only one who wore a mask, pretending I was someone else. “Now sit and eat some food. Tell me how you met your…friend here.” She gestured to the other chairs as Ella looked to me. I nodded, pulling out a seat for her and waiting for her to sit before sinking down into my own.

“Ella, this is my mother, Kirsten. Ella and I have mutual acquaintances.”

“Ahh…well, it is nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Ella blushed as my mother dished a slice of the meatloaf onto her plate. “Thank you.”

I knew my mother was dying to say something about her resemblance to Katie but was biting her tongue. The front door opened, and Mr. Thomas walked in, grumbling about a late meeting. When he stepped into the kitchen, he stopped, his mouth hanging open.

“Ryder?”

“The one and only.”

He smiled, genuinely happy to see me. “Good to have you home, son.” I rolled my neck, cracking it as I struggled not to correct him. Nodding, I took a bite of my food.

“Well, this is not such a bad day after all.” He leaned down, kissing my mother on the cheek before taking his own seat and dishing out his food. “Who is your friend?”

“Ella, this is Stephen.”

Dinner conversation was minimal. My mother asked questions about the band and where I had been since I’d gotten out. All I could think about was Bryce. Ella helped my mother clear the table as I disappeared into my old bedroom. It hadn’t changed since I’d left, except there was no dirty laundry on the floor. Sinking down on the bed, I tried to sort through my thoughts. My eyes went unfocused as I stared at the dream catcher that hung next to my bed. This small, mass produced trinket had meant the world to Ella.

There was too much information to process. It was impossible to sit next to Ella, knowing she wasn’t going to forgive me after I did what I needed to do. But I had no other choice. There was only one way I could make all of this right, and it was to eliminate all of the evil from her life.

I composed myself and went back out into the kitchen to let my mother know I was exhausted but I would visit again soon.

Driving down the winding back roads, Ella sat beside me, her hands in her lap, not saying a word. I reached into my pocket and pulled the dream catcher from my bedroom out, handing it to her.

“That one has his name on it.”

She turned it over in her hands, running her fingers along the small webbing of the center. “How are you going to do it?”

I stretched the muscles in my neck as I turned onto Interstate 95, northbound.

“I’m not.” I glanced over at her as I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out the old pocketknife I’d found in New Orleans. It was similar to the one that belonged to my father. I’d always planned on killing Bryce the way his actions ultimately ended Katie’s life. But Ella still had to live with the scars and the nightmares that plagued her.