freedom taste like you

Chapter 4

"Come on, April, get up."

My father’s voice echoed faintly in my ears, pulling me from sleep. I stirred, blinking against the morning light that filtered through the windshield. My neck ached from sleeping in the car seat. Slowly, I sat up, rubbing my eyes as the dull ache of reality returned.

When my vision cleared, I turned my head, and there he was, sitting beside me in the driver’s seat, smiling.

That smile. Too calm. Too pleased.

Okay… why is he smiling?

“Why are you—” I began, but he cut me off sharply.

“No one will know we’re here,” he said, his grin widening.

A chill ran down my spine. I swallowed hard and glanced around through the window. Trees. Miles and miles of trees. No houses, no roads, no people. Just emptiness. He was right, no one could find us here.

No scratch that. No one could find me here.

I forced a shaky smile. “Y-yeah... It’s a p-pretty good location,” I said, trying not to let my voice tremble.

He nodded once, satisfied, and stepped out of the truck. That’s when I noticed the house, half-hidden behind tall pine trees. It wasn’t old or falling apart like I’d expected. In fact, it looked... decent. Maybe even nice.

For a second, my thoughts betrayed me, imagining what it would be like to live somewhere peaceful, normal. Then his voice shattered the thought.

“We don’t have all day, Annie. Get in here!” he called from inside.

Dang it. I’d forgotten he was waiting. And the last thing I needed was to make him mad. Not on the first day here. Not again.

I got out of the car, locking the door behind me, and made my way toward the house. The air smelled like damp wood and soil, the kind of smell that should feel safe, but didn’t. Nothing could feel safe where he was.

Inside, the house looked warm, even cozy, a small living room, wooden floors, a faint smell of fresh paint. But the word cozy didn’t belong anywhere near him. Wherever he was, fear followed.

“How’s it?” he asked, grinning as he came closer.

“It’s... good,” I said softly, avoiding his eyes.

“Just good?” His tone sharpened. “No ‘Oh, it’s great, Dad! I love it so much!”

My stomach dropped. His grin was fading, replaced by that dangerous quiet that always came before the storm.

“N-no! It’s great! I l-love it, Dad,” I said quickly, forcing the fake smile I’d perfected over the years.

He tilted his head, studying me like a cat watching a trapped mouse. “And you expect me to believe that?”

I nodded, my throat dry. “Y-yeah, of course! I mean it, Dad. It’s... It’s cozy.”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he smirked and stepped back, hands sliding into his pockets.

“Really? You think it’s cozy?”

I nodded again, trying to look relaxed. Inside, I was praying he wouldn’t snap.

He let out a low chuckle. “Okay then. I guess we’re on the same page.” His eyes scanned the room as he spoke. “When I first saw it, I knew it would be perfect for both of us.”

A cold shiver crawled up my spine. Perfect for both of us never meant anything good.

“You know, Amy,” he continued, his tone oddly casual, “this house used to be me and your mum’s hideout.”

I froze. Slowly, I turned to face him. There was a flicker of something dark in his eyes — something I didn’t want to understand.

“R-really? I... I didn’t know,” I said, stepping away toward the kitchen, pretending to look around.

“Yeah,” he said softly, following me. “We used to come here when things got too much for us. Just to get away.”

Every word made my skin crawl. His footsteps behind me were too quiet, too careful, like a predator trying not to scare its prey just yet.

I glanced toward a narrow hallway leading deeper into the house. Probably the bedrooms. Maybe I can check it out later, I thought. Then again, wandering off might just give him a reason to explode.

“Um, I asked you a question, Anna,” he said suddenly, breaking into my thoughts. His tone was calm, too calm.

Oh no. What did he just say? I hadn’t been listening.

“Uh... s-sorry, I wasn’t actually—w-what were you saying?” I stammered, fingers twisting nervously.

He gave me that look, the one that made my chest tighten. “I said, Why don’t you start schooling? You’re supposed to be in school now, right? So why don’t you just start again?”

My heart skipped a beat. School? He was suggesting school?

I turned so fast my neck almost cracked. “S-sorry, what?”

He just smiled. That same dangerous, knowing smile.

And in that moment, I couldn’t tell if he was offering me a chance... or setting a trap.