Chapter 2
Avidya
Did I do the right thing? Was running going to be worth it? Would Zachariah hate me forever now? Would he try to find me? Would he succeed? What would happen if he did?
So many questions plagued my mind as I lay on the bed and stared out the window. The rain pelted against the panes of the glass, creating little rivers as the drops ran down the window pane. It felt like the sky was just as sad as I was.
I knew in my heart that I did, in fact, do the right thing. It was the only thing I could do to make sure the life inside of me would have a chance at life.
I knew logically that I had a few months before anyone would know that I was pregnant. I could have stayed with my husband longer. Maybe even get him to change his mind, or at least think about what the options were. But I was never good at keeping my worries to myself. Zachariah knew me too well. He’d either find out because my mouth splattered the news, or he’d have noticed my body changing. He was always too in tune with my body and my thoughts.
It didn’t help that I tended to speak my mind without thinking first.
It would only have been a matter of time either way. I wouldn’t be able to hide it from him. He was my world, and I never would keep such a thing from him, if I knew he wouldn’t make me get rid of the issue.
With space, by all ways possible, I hoped—no, I prayed—that he’d see that I was doing the right thing. I wouldn’t change my mind, no matter what he wanted.
I had no desire to be found anytime soon. That was the entire point of leaving with only a few belongings. I even left my wedding ring. It may have broken my heart to do so, but what other option did I have?
Behind me, the hinges of the door groaned in protest as it was pushed open. I remained staring off out the window, wondering about my choices as silent tears fell from my eyes. I felt as though that had been the only thing I had been doing the past week. It’s all I could do as my heart tried to keep on beating.
“You need to eat,” the man grunted awkwardly. I could picture him fidgeting in the doorway.
This man, although only welcoming me into his small house because of who I happened to be, tended to keep to himself. I wasn’t sure if it was because of me keeping myself pretty much locked in this room, or because he didn’t know what to do with a stranger in his home.
Carlos had brought me here with little talk as I pretty much kept to my own thoughts the entire drive. We had only stopped a handful of times in the ten hours since I made that dreaded phone call to him.
He had made sure to keep all calls to his phone short and to the point when he happened to answer. He ignored the calls from his son and wife, knowing what they wanted. Who knows what would have happened if he’d have answered those.
I was positive that Zachariah was livid. At least we had a really good head start on my husband, despite what Zachariah was capable of.
When we arrived at the small tan colored house with a fairly greenish lawn, despite the late fall and crunchy leaves covering the ground, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The lone leafless tree stood in the middle of the front yard.
A run down red pickup sat in the driveway. The paint was beginning to rust in places and looked like it was on its last leg of life.
“You should be safe here,” Carlos stated as he shut the car off, pulling the keys out of the ignition.
“Where are we?” I asked. I hadn’t been exactly paying attention.
“Auburn, California,” he answered. “Only Kent and myself know this man, or about him being here. This man here saved my life a few years back from someone that wanted me dead. He’s very capable of keeping you safe if need be, along with helping you find everything you need.”
“Okay,” I yawned out.
It didn’t take long to exit the car, Carlos carrying my bag as he led the way up to the front door. Less than a minute later, the door was pulled open, revealing the man that lived here.
Before his eyes landed on either one of us, they looked around the road and yard. After a quick second, they landed on Carlos. His dark black hair was pulled up into a top bun, a few pieces left out on purpose. Although his skin was clean shaven, this man was pretty much all muscle. He reminded me of a farmer or woodworker with how he held himself. He was dressed like a farmer with the cotton button-up, checkered long sleeved shirt and jeans he wore.
His dark eyes looked at Carlos through slits, as though he wasn’t sure what our business here was.
“What do you need?” he asked darkly. His voice was rough, matching his exterior.
“I need your help,” Carlos said as though he expected this man to do just that.
“Why would I want to do that?” the man asked, folding his arms over his chest. His entire frame filled the doorway.
“You owe me a favor,” Carlos shrugged out as though it was that simple.
The man grunted, thinking the words over for a moment before finally stepping aside, letting us enter the house.
Once inside, I took an attentive look around. The wood floor was well worn but clean. The off-white walls of the living room held no pictures or personal mementos. Along one wall, next to the window, sat a light brown sofa. Across from it, was a fireplace with a TV mounted not far above.
The place felt homey, which I was not expecting. I hadn’t been sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.
The man shut the door behind us, still basically not looking at me.
“So, what can I do?” he asked bitterly.
“I won’t take much of your time,” Carlos said. “Avidya, this is Taylor. Taylor, Avidya.”
The man, Taylor, nodded at me before returning his eyes back to Carlos.
“She needs to stay low for a while,” Carlos stated.
“How long is a while?” Taylor asked. “I have things to do and can’t be held up. You know I don’t want to be dragged into your messes.”
“Until she is ready to return,” Carlos stated. “It’s not my place to tell you her reasons. But she’s not safe with my family.”
“Why?” Taylor asked, glancing at me. His look was different than when he looked at the man that had brought me here. It almost looked like Taylor felt sorry for me.
“I’m pregnant,” I stated. Surprisingly, my voice was even and didn’t break, despite how much I’d been crying. “I can’t stay there anymore.”
“So, it’s not his, then?” Taylor asked, almost knowingly.
“My son is the child’s father,” Carlos stated, a threat to his words. “He’s not happy with his wife’s choices. But Avidya doesn’t want to do what Racheal did.”
“Good,” Taylor stated as though he didn’t want that either. “She is welcome to stay for now. You make sure he doesn’t show up here.”
“He won’t,” Carlos said, a sigh of relief with his words. “If so, you can deal with him how you like.”
“Wouldn’t do it any other way,” Taylor grunted out. “I have a spare room. It’s not much, but should work for now.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“It’s what family is for,” he shrugged. Then, turning back to Carlos, he asked, “How likely is it that he will show up here?”
“Not likely,” Carlos said flatly. “You know I am one of only two people who know who you are, or where you are. You will both be safe here.
“Here,” he stated, pulling a brown envelope from the inside of his coat pocket. “To cover any costs.”
“That’s not needed,” Taylor said, waving it away.
“Fine,” Carlos said, setting it atop the fireplace. “Just in case.” He paused, thinking over his words as he turned to me. “You are doing the right thing, Avidya. Just do what you need to. When you are ready, you know where to call.”
With that, Carlos left without a goodbye.
“I’ll show you the room,” Taylor croaked. I didn’t argue as he showed to me the guest room.
And now, I found myself still in the bed barely leaving it but for bathroom breaks as I was hardly eating anything.
“I’m not hungry,” I muttered.
“If you want to waste away, go right ahead,” Taylor grumbled. “You ran to keep that thing, you shouldn’t give up on that. If that’s what you’re going to do, you might as well head back to that man you left.”
“He’ll kill it,” I whimpered.
“And you will too if you don’t get up and eat. You gotta take care of yourself if you expect to keep it,” he huffed before leaving me alone once more. Unlike the last few times he had told me to eat, he left the door open. A clear sign that he expected me to get my butt up and take care of myself. Maybe he did care about my wellbeing.
He was right. I ran to keep this baby, I had to take care of myself to do so.
With a sigh, I pushed myself up and out of the bed. I couldn’t let my efforts for running be wasted. I had to get things figured out, at least for a chance of life for the baby. It didn’t matter if my heart was broken into a million tiny pieces. What mattered was keeping this little one safe and alive.
Once in the kitchen, Taylor already had a bowl of oatmeal set out, waiting for me.
“That wasn’t so hard,” he muttered, pleased that I finally was doing something.
“You have no idea,” I said, slowly starting to eat.
“Oh, I think I do,” he said. “A story for another time though. You, eat. Then we talk.”
That didn’t sound too good.
~oOo~
A huge yawn escaped my mouth as I finished off a second bowl of oatmeal and a side of strawberries. I was tired, but I guess crying almost nonstop for over a week would do that to anyone. Add on being pregnant, too, didn’t help matters.
“So, who did you marry?” Taylor asked as he took the empty bowl and set it in the sink.
“Zachariah,” I answered. A pang of guilt set in my gut at the mention of him. My voice broke over the one word.
“He’s a bit old for you,” Taylor said. He still had that roughness to his voice, but I think it was just who he was.
“I love him,” I said. “I didn’t pick him, exactly.”
“Let me guess, Cody had something to do with that,” Taylor stated, not surprised.
“How do you know him?” I asked in way of an answer.
“He’s my cousin. Well, was. I ain’t got nothing to do with that family no more,” he stated with haste. “I tried to get Racheal to let me have you, but yeah. That didn’t work out well.”
“Yeah, well . . . not like I had any say over any of it,” I muttered. “Cody is dead. So is Racheal.”
“Shame,” Taylor said with a shake of his head. “I’d love to have a few words with that man. Anyhow, how was it that that boy got you, then?”
“He saved me, actually,” I said. “Cody and Lynn had both been planning to have me kidnapped, but didn’t know they were working against one another until it was too late. I got handed to Zachariah, and the rest is history.” I summed it up. It didn’t really matter what happened from then to now, did it?
“Huh,” he huffed. “I never saw the youngest son to be soft, but I guess you are the one girl that causes fights in all families.”
“Don’t remind me,” I said with a half laugh. “I’m tired of it all.” I still had no idea why everyone kept fighting over me. I was just a simple girl that had been handed one crazy life.
“Don’t blame you there,” he replied. “So, why are you running from him if you love him?”
“He doesn’t want kids,” I said sadly, looking at my hands. “He said as much, and I know he’d do anything to make sure I didn’t have any. I can’t risk it.”
“For you, he may change his mind,” Taylor said. He seemed to think as though my husband would do that like switching a light on. It wasn’t that easy; not when it came to my wants.
“A fat chance in hell on that,” I said. “He thinks killing an unborn baby is right. I can’t allow that to happen. Cody may have forced God on me, but I still believe killing is wrong. Even within a mafia family.”
“Sorry to break it to you, kiddo. But mafia families kill. They don’t care who you are,” Taylor stated flat out.
“The less I know, the better,” I yawned.
“I work the night shift. Will you be okay on your own?” Taylor asked.
“I’ll manage,” I grimaced.
“Here’s an extra cell I have. I have my number entered,” he said, pushing a black flip phone my way across the table to me. “There’s a gun in the safe under my bed and it’s left unlocked if you need it.”
“I don’t know how to use one,” I said, my eyes wide. Was he expecting something to happen?
“No worries about that,” he shrugged. “Anyone that comes by won’t know that. I’ll be back by six in the morning. Keep the doors locked, shades closed. No one will know you are here. Not like my neighbors like me much as it is.”
“Oh, why’s that?” I asked.
“I don’t like them,” was his answer.
“You don’t like anyone, do you?” my mouth ran off again.
“No,” he stated. He seemed to want to say more. Instead, he turned and put coffee in a thermos.
He didn’t seem like the talking type, but maybe he just had a soft spot for his chosen family. I was, after all, put into this mess by fate. I didn’t have many choices in anything.
I watched him from the table as he got everything ready for work. I almost wanted to ask what he did, but decided against it. I didn’t want to make him mad.
“You sure you’ll be okay?” he asked again.
“I can take care of myself,” I grumbled. “I’ll just go back to bed.”
He grunted through his nose as if he was afraid to leave me here. Should I have been more afraid to be left in some stranger’s house? Surely Carlos wouldn’t have left me here if it wasn’t safe for me to be left entirely alone.
Five minutes later, I was left alone in the house. I felt out of place being here. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. Maybe I should have just stayed and faced the consequences with Zachariah.
It was too late to doubt that now. I was here, after all. And somehow, I was able to find the will to get my lazy butt up and take a shower. I couldn’t remember the last time I took a shower, as the days had all blended together in the past week.
In the shower, I let all my worries, for now at least, be washed away. My heart may be broken, but I had to do what was right. I had to take care of the little baby, to give it a life that it needed to survive in this world. I refused to let this choice be the end of my life, or the one inside of me.
I just hoped that my emotions didn’t take over and make me second guess everything.