Trapped

"Can I help?"

I sat there explaining my story to the two of them for a while. Telling them how I met Michael and how I didn't quite see the red flags with him before we got married. Explaining how before we got married, he hid just how abusive and terrible he was, and after we got married, how he ever so suddenly started pushing boundaries, starting the emotionally abuse in such a way that I didn't even realize it was happening until it became so much more severe. I pulled some cover up out of my pants pocket and started to layer it on my neck once again and put my cardigan back on while I continued on to tell them about how he had made me cut contact with my family and isolated me in any way he could, and how things just continued to go down hill, but I couldnt leave, even though I had wanted to for years, because he would never allow it. I had gotten pretty good at applying the makeup without any mirror whatsoever, so having the small mirror still helped a lot. I was confident I hid everything well, and neither of them commented on missing a spot, so I felt it was safe to assume that I hadn't missed any spots. I explained how Michael inherited a very successful title and job from his father as a lawyer and how there really is no escape from him. "Well, there's no way he will find you here," Zane commented. His comment surprised me. I had expected them both to change their opinions on helping me, and not want to get in the middle of Michael and I, or to maybe even know him some how, and then to make me call him to come get me or just toss me out on my own to eventually be found anyways. Michael will use his contacts to search street cameras, to have the police keeping an eye out for me, and even investigators to locate any clues to where I went. He will threaten those who can't harm his reputation to get what he needs and use those who believe he is just the greatest guy to ever exist to his advantage. He isn't afraid of anyone or anything other than losing his status or reputation, such as being shamed and embarrassed. So he isn't afraid to go to great lengths and extremes to find me, and I know this because I'm not the only person he keeps tabs on or has searched for. I've seen what he's willing to do on that side, just as well as being the one he's looking for. So I had a clear imagine in mind of what I thought would happen if and when my secret would be exposed here about what would happen next, but what I thought would happen, doesn't appear to be what's actually happening. I let out a somewhat pathetic laugh at his comment. It seemed naive in a way. "I dont know about that. You don't know Michael, "I replied, unconvinced. "If he did find you, it would cause a scene, and we wouldn't be under the radar anymore." Danny said. I shook my head, "No, causing a scene isn't Michael's style. He likes secrets. It helps him keep up his good guy image, " I replied. Zane shook his head,"either way, it doesn't matter. We have a higher place of power than most people he would know anyways because of the job we're in, so he wouldn't have much control in this situation, because if he's as secretive as you say, then bringing too much attention here could debatably be as detrimental to him as it would for us", Zane explained hopefully. I still wasn't convinced by far that I'm out of his reach, but Zane did have a good point. "Yeah, we might have to stay under the radar and keep our real job titles a secret, but any lower ranking officer will realize that getting involved with us isn't allowed. We're not above the law of course but to get to us he would have to go through the right chain of command, and doing so would be pretty far out of his range and he would have to have a really good reason as to why he was getting in touch with the people he would have to contact, and that would bring a lot of unwanted attention to him" Danny explained equally as hopefully. I stayed quiet for a moment and just looked at the two of them who were awaiting my response. With a look of confusion washing over my face, I hesitantly ask, "I don't understand... why... why do you guys seem to care so much about what happens to me?" My question caught them both off guard, it seemed, so they stayed silent for a moment, both thinking of the answer. "Well..." Danny started, "for starters, no one deserves to be treated that way. No one deserves to lose their life over information they weren't supposed to find out or over what was once love, "Danny continued to explain. Zane nodded. "Not to mention the fact that you seem like a good person, and honestly, I think we both just care what happens to you." Zane added. "But you dont even know me... I could be the worst person ever and you wouldn't even know because you don't know me." I replied. Both of them simultaneously shook their heads aggressively in disagreement. "We may not know the details, like what all you've experienced in life or what your favorite color is, but we knew what type of person you are immediately. You don't just grow up the way we do and go through what we've been through without learning how to trust your gut and getting an accurate reading off of people. I'm sure that's a skill you've developed as well with everything you've been through." Zane explained. His words threw me through a mental loop for a moment. I thought for a moment about the overall content feeling I've experience in my short time of being here, and how I didn't sense any bad intentions from Danny when he first came into the room I was in, despite the fact that I was technically kidnapped and literally in hand cuffs at first. Everything he explained was beginning to make perfect sense. Although I have my doubts as to why anyone, let alone two or more complete strangers, would care about me. "That makes sense, I can understand that." I started to say and paused for a moment, unsure if I should continue. "To be honest though, it's hard for me to completely grasp exactly why a group of strangers would care about someone like me," I decided to finish saying. "Well, it's as hard to fully explain as it is to fully understand, but theres just some people that you get an instant connection to. The day you caught us, there was just something that told us we had to try to help you. None of us fully understood exactly why, either, but we just needed to... We have to." Zane explained seriously, and Danny nodded along in agreement to every word. I'm not quite sure what the appropriate response would be, if a response is required at all, so I just simply let a smile escape and say, "Thank you." They are taking a risk to try to help me. So, at the very least, they deserve a thank you. There's no guarantee that their efforts will be met with the outcome that we all seem to hope for, but I'm forever grateful and in their debt for trying. It's hard for me to simply accept that they don't have alterior motives behind the questions they ask or them wanting to help me, since I've been so conditioned to that being the case with Michael, but I do remember a time long ago, or at least what feels like a lifetime ago, knowing people who were genuine. I was one of them. So I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt. For the first time in four years, I feel a glimmer of hope being reborn.

"I have to start getting ready for work", Danny sighed as he looked at his watch, "we will pick back up tomorrow", he continued to say as he stood and picked up the books to put away for the night. I nodded with a smile in acknowledgment. Zane stood up next and extended his hand out to me as he said, "Well, that means it's time for me to get started on dinner for everyone since it's my turn to cook. Do you want to accompany me in the kitchen?" I accepted the offer silently by grabbing his outstretched hand and using it to help me stand up from the couch. We separated our hands, and I followed behind him towards the kitchen. "What are you planning on making?" I asked him curiously. "Admittedly, I'm a pretty terrible cook, so I'm probably going to choose a safe option like instant Ramen or something like that," he confessed. We shared a little chuckle over his confession. "Well, I'm a decent cook. Can I help? I know a few ways to spice up instant Ramen, "I asked hopefully. "If you want to help, then I will gladly accept, but you don't have to help. You're more than welcome to just keep me company and be my talking partner while I try not to mess up the easiest meal to ever exist," he explained with a chuckle. "Oh, no. I really don't mind helping. I wouldn't enjoy just sitting there watching anyways, "I explained. "Okay, chef Alethia, what's your idea to spice up the ramen then?" He asked cheerfully. "Well, I'm far from a chef, Zane, " I said with smirk, " but if you're dying to know." I joked. He clasped his hands together and bowed slightly forward to mimic begging for the sake of my joke. I started laughing first, and then he resumed his normal posture and joined me in laughing. "Okay, it's pretty simple really, you make the Instant Ramen the same as you usually would, and then you add a little soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, onion powder, and paprika. It completely changes the meal, and you can even add some soft boiled eggs and minced green onions or some kind of meat to help add to the flavor and make it a little more nutritious and filling", I explained happily. "That sounds delicious!" Zane said, almost drooling from the thought. "Can you help me learn how to make it all? I think we have some pork tenderloin. Would that go okay with it?" He asked. "Yeah, of course. That should work with it, "I replied with a reassuring smile as if to silently say he didn't even have to ask for my help. We washed our hands, and he got the ingredients while I started prepping the meat. "Do you have some flour? I'm going to cook the meat in the sauce mixture for the Ramen, " I requested as I stepped over to the island counter to grab the soy sauce. He grabbed the flour and began opening it before he was going to set it down, and I mis-stepped as I went to turn back around to the pan, colliding with him and the bag of flour simultaneously As we collided, a big puff of flour flew up and covered us in the white powder. I felt my heart stop from my mistake. "Sorry, that was my bad," Zane suddenly said as he started to crack up laughing. "It's Greysons turn to clean up the kitchen after dinner." He chuckled out. Almost as if on cue, Greyson comes walking down the stairs and in our direction with Tara. "Ah, come on, guys, it's my turn for kitchen duty tonight," he groaned out, and Tara started giggling beside him. My anxieties began to relax as I realized that no one was actually mad over the accident. I started laughing along. "You look like a mess," I tell Zane in between giggles. He smiled, "I look like a mess? You should see your hair right now", he retorted with a laugh as he grabbed a small piece of my hair and lightly whipped it up, causing some of the flour to puff back into the air. Zane, Tara, and I all continued to giggle for a few minutes, and soon enough, Greyson was smiling too. "Someone is helping me clean this mess," Greyson chuckled out finally. Zane and I both nodded simultaneously, to silently agree that we would help clean the mess up. "Don't worry Alethia, I will get you some more clothes so you can take a shower," Tara said with a giggle.

"I like it here," I thought to myself as we all continued to joke and laugh while Zane and I cooked, "I like it here a lot.