Apprehended Ch. 10

To say that the ride back to the cabin was awkward would be an understatement. It was downright torturous. The silence was so thick, it almost created its own aura. It was heavy. It was heated and electrified.

I sat in the backseat of Tony's pick-up, the lights above igniting the road ahead in an eerie glow. Red and blue. Blue and red. Ethan was up front in the passenger seat while Tony had a lazy hand on the steering wheel. They didn't glance at each other. They didn't talk to each other. The only vocals exchanged were with me, concerning my comfortability in the backseat, where Ethan insisted I rest. Alone. When I asked him to sit with me, he said that he was too big, and it would cause more discomfort.

Which was somewhat true. The passenger seat alone was straining under his weight. If we sat together in the back, Tony's pick-up would've probably ended up in the junkyard.

I smiled and covered my mouth with my hand thinking about how large Ethan was.

"What's so funny?" asked Ethan, turning his head back to get a quick glance at me.

I cleared my throat and let the smile falter. He didn't need to know what I was thinking. "Nothing," I said.

He cocked a brow.

Tony looked at me through the rearview mirror, switching from that and the road as he spoke. "How you doin' back there, cupcake?"

Ethan growled, his upper lip curling into a feral snarl. "Call her that one more time, meat-boy and you'll be driving with your legs after I rip off your goddamn arms."

I gulped. Meat-boy? Perhaps the silence was better than the conversation. Could I even diffuse something of this magnitude? They had a past. Did I even want to know what that consisted of?

"Hey, um. How about we turn on the radio?" I suggested.

"No," they snapped simultaneously.

I stared between the two. WTF was going on here? Maybe another approach would help. I just didn't know what that approach was. I decided to just fill in the space with some talk. Questions, maybe. I could at least obtain some information. It was a long drive.

"So...uhhhhh...how do you um...guys...know each other?" I realized that that came out all sorts of wrong. But I couldn't bear the quiet anymore.

Ethan didn't answer, merely grunted in response. Tony, however, was more than happy to answer. "Ethan didn't tell you?"

I looked at Ethan quickly, who was difficult to read. His gaze was focused ahead, the lines of the road passing by at a frequent, steady pace. "No. He doesn't tell me much."

"For good reason," Ethan replied.

Tony glared at him. "This is your so-called mate, and you refuse to tell her things?"

"You don't know anything about me, Sheriff."

"I'm sorry," said Tony, his lips curving into a smile. "I don't know you? Since when did that happen? I'd like to think we were friends once, Dom."

"Don't call me that."

"Wait," I said, confused once more. "Dom? Who is that?"

"Shut up," snapped Ethan, taking his eyes off the road to look at Tony.

Tony smiled and answered anyway. "Dominique. That's his middle name. Ethan Dominique Dune."

"I'm warning you, you piece of shit-"

"Is that true?" I asked, cutting of his tirade. "You have a middle name?"

He grumbled something unintelligible before answering. "Yeah."

"You didn't tell me that."

"It was and still is unimportant."

"Not when it was your go-to name in High School," said Tony. He was still smiling.

Ethan was not amused. "That's enough, Anthony."

This time, my head whipped to the Sheriff. I stifled a laugh. "Anthony?" I squeaked.

The Sheriff lost his mirth. "Yeah," he grumbled.

It was Ethan's turn to smile, revealing his dimples. "Anthony Michael Matheson."

"Shut up, Dom."

"What?" snapped Ethan, bitterly. "You can do it, but I can't?"

I interceded. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," they snapped in unison.

My brows shot up. "Clearly it's something. What happened?" I was rewarded with silence. I waited patiently, staring between the two as they glared and mumbled their disdain for each other. I persisted. "So, who is Cheryl?"

Ethan barked out a laugh. "That's what you want to know?"

I shrugged. "It's a start. You two aren't answering my questions."

"It's his beloved truck," replied Tony. "The love of his life."

I stifled another laugh, covering my mouth with my hand. "I didn't know you had a truck."

"You didn't need to know. I get along fine without her," said Ethan.

"Yes," said Tony, dryly. "Because four legs is always better than four wheels."

Ethan growled.

More silence.

"Neither of you said how you know each other," I pointed out.

"That's not a question," said Ethan. "That's a statement."

I shot him a look. "Nonetheless, I'm pointing out the missing information."

"What is this, fill in the blanks?" asked Tony.

This time, I shot him a look. "Does it matter? Answer it."

Silence.

I folded my arms over my chest and got comfortable. "Well? I'm waiting."

"It's none of your business," spat Ethan.

"High school," replied Tony at the same time.

Ethan sighed. "You talk too much, Matheson. That's always been your problem."

"And you don't talk enough. That's always been your problem," Tony countered.

"If I did, I would put my clan at risk."

"Oh believe me, I know," said Tony. "Always focusing on the good of the clan."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means," said Tony.

"Enlighten me," said Ethan.

Tony slammed a fist on the steering wheel. "You disappeared. You left."

"We had to."

"No, you didn't. You act like we couldn't protect you. Like I couldn't..."

Ethan's golden gaze never faltered on Tony. They stared at each other, a silent conversation of pain and regret.

Unfortunately, I was in the middle of it.

I cleared my throat, not really wanting to here any more of this. "So, uh. How about that radio?"

***

The rest of the ride was quiet and uneventful. Tony and Ethan were now no longer on speaking terms. At least the arguing was some form of communication.

Right?

Tony stood in the truck, muttered goodbye to me, scowled at Ethan as he picked me up from the truck and once the door was closed, he zoomed off into the night, leaving skid marks in his wake.

Ethan carried me silently, my body barely moving as he smoothly moved along. Gracefully, he treaded through the thickets, fallen branches, snow, ice and dirt. He looked at me a few times. No doubt gauging how I was. I was too lost in my own head, however.

They knew each other in High School. Were they friends? It didn't look like they were. In fact, they loathed each other. But what Tony said sounded pained. It sounded like a deep mourning of something lost.

My eyes went wide as a thought occurred to me and I must have made a sound because Ethan stopped mid-stride and looked right at me. "What?" he asked, he voice husky.

I couldn't help it. It was like word diarrhea. It came tumbling out without control. "Were you and Tony lovers?"

The look on Ethan's face went from serious to hilarity in five seconds. He barked out a laugh so deep and booming, my body shook with the severity of it. When he was done, he had tears. "Is that what you think, female?"

"I don't know," I muttered. "It sounded like that."

He continued to walk, his pace steady. "Do you think I'm into males?"

I looked him over. "Umm...no?"

His face grew serious. "Surely, you jest."

I shrugged, snuggling closer into him for warmth. "What is it then?"

"He was my friend, actually. My best one."

I focused on him. He looked ahead; all mirth gone. He looked just as pained as Tony sounded. "What happened?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he continued to walk in silence. I didn't press. Some things were meant to be left alone. I mean, sure I was curious...maybe a bit nosey...but Ethan's mysteries were just that-his. I was not going to impose on those secrets. Maybe-in time-he'd tell me confidently. In his own space. Whenever he was ready.

I thought about that for a moment: time. I didn't realize that it was of no consequence to me. When did that happen? When this whole thing began, I couldn't wait to leave, to escape. Now? Now, I was thinking ahead; of a future where Ethan would still be around, telling me things. Important secrets of his past.

I didn't know how to feel about that.