Chapter 3

The busfinally came to a stop in Hope’s Ridge, and this time I was awake and ready to step off. I’d known the town was tiny from the drive in, but to step onto the picturesque Main Street, full of small-town charm was surreal. The stores, boutiques, and other businesses were all squished together, and each had a vintage feel, with weathered awnings, handwritten chalk signs relaying the sales or specials of the day, and locals bustling from place to place, greeting each other like they were family. I was filled with a sense of optimism and courage. I hoped I would find a safe place to start over.

I still couldn’t believe I’d actually done it—left. Escaped. The freedom still didn’t seem real.

As my newfound optimism reached its peak, it quickly crashed, along with the pit in my stomach. I’d been so on edge with the adrenaline of making a getaway and finally taking action that I hadn’t really thought much further than that. Now, I was in a new town I didn’t know, and I needed to form a plan of action to get back on my feet.

Looking up and down the street, I noted the grocery store, a Greek restaurant called Elpízo, and a charming little café on the corner. The café was singing the siren song of caffeine. I needed a place to sit, gather my thoughts, and hopefully grab something to eat. As I approached, I checked out the business sign—Jolt. Cracking the first smile I had in a long time, I opened the door to a jingling sound, glancing up at the bells attached. I stepped farther inside and nearly froze in place as almost everyone turned to look at me. My heart raced as I quickly approached the weirdly vibrant yellow counter, avoiding everyone’s gaze. The person waiting to take my order greeted me with a pleasant smile, and thankfully, he gave off a chill vibe. I relaxed.

“Don’t worry about that. They’re all friendly. We don’t get many new people in here.” He chuckled softly. “What can I get you?”

He wasn’t wearing a name tag or uniform, and he was dressed in a plain black polo shirt and jeans, but he seemed close to my age or maybe a few years older. I was never very good at guessing ages.

Smiling back at him, I shrugged. “Downside to a small town, I guess, if I’m the only new person around here.”

Chuckling, he nodded. “Yes, but this weekend there might be a few more.”

“Good to know.” I quickly scanned the menu on the wall behind him. “Can I just grab a latte and B.E.L.T.?” I didn’t actually know what time it was, but it felt early.

“Sure, I’ll get that ready now.” He sent me a genuine smile. “Eat in or to-go?”

“I’ll eat here, thank you.”

I quickly handed over some cash and went to take a seat by the window so I could look out onto the street.

That was the most interaction I’d had with someone other than Derek in a long time. I smiled. Now to think of my next steps. What could I do with my life?

The prospect of sleeping on a park bench didn’t really faze me, since I’d done that a few times before when I’d needed to get away from a foster family, but I really didn’t know what the temperatures were like here. I’d never been this far north. And in a town this small, I doubted I could get away with sleeping on a bench unnoticed. The last thing I needed was to be arrested. That would be a surefire way for Derek to find me.

I was really glad I’d packed a change of clothes and my hoodie. Hopefully, that would be good enough for now. Otherwise, I would need to buy some warmer clothes, and soon. For that, I needed money, which meant I needed a job. I didn’t have a resumé or any notable skills. I’d never finished my college degree. The stab of regret and subsequent guilt over Derek talking me out of something I’d worked so hard for still gutted me, sometimes even more than his punches. I just had to hope someone somewhere might be willing to take a chance on me. Even if the job paid under the table, it might be enough to get by for the time being. I just needed to be prepared to interact with people again and try to find the person I was before Derek took over my life.

I was distracted from my thoughts as the guy who served me at the counter dropped off my latte and the biggest B.E.L.T. I’d ever seen. He must’ve noticed something in my expression because he chuckled.

“We make everything big here.” He smirked, flashing me a dimple as he smiled.

Was he flirting with me? No way, not possible, he was just being nice.

Feeling my cheeks heat, I smiled up at him. “Thanks, I just don’t think I’ll be able to eat it all.”

“No worries, it happens all the time. I’ll bring over a paper bag and you can wrap up the rest.”

“That’d be great thanks.”

“I’m Kay, by the way.”

“B-Bodhi.” Was using my real name a good idea? Too late now.

“It’s great to meet you Bodhi, enjoy.” He left me to my extra-large sandwich and churning thoughts. I watched him go, wishing I had half of his confidence.

As suspected, I couldn’t finish the food, so I carefully wrapped the sandwich in the bag Kay had provided and placed it in my backpack. It would be perfect for later and would help me stretch my money. With that thought in mind, I considered what else I might need for tonight and went back to the counter for a bottle of water.

There was a large decorative cake stand that caught my eye, stacked full of massive muffins in every flavor imaginable. Even though I was full, my mouth watered at the sight. What I would give for something sweet. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d even had something sweet. Derek never let me, saying it would make me fat, and he wouldn’t touch the stuff with his workout regime. Sighing, I knew I couldn’t afford one anyway. With that horrible memory fresh in my mind, I made my way outside to start exploring this little town.

At the end of Main Street, I turned the corner and spotted a park. I found a bench under a large pine tree and sat for a bit, taking in the crisp fall air and dappled sunlight through the trees. It must’ve been nearing lunchtime because the park filled up with a few people here and there. Some were having picnics. Others were spending time with young children. Some just seemed to be workers on their lunch break. As I gazed around there was a good range of ages, some families and older couples, and while everyone seemed to keep to themselves, there was still an air of familiarity in this town, and that filled me with a sense of hope.

I hung out in the park for most of the day, wandering around getting the lay of the land. As the sun started to sink lower on the horizon, I knew I needed to find a safe place for the night. Heading back down Main Street, the lights switched off in the little boutiques and the streetlights came on. As I passed the restaurant, Elpízo, a woman with long curly brown hair flipped the sign on the door to open and waved at me. I returned the wave and smiled at her. The sight of the warm family restaurant was inviting, but I didn’t have the time or the money to go inside. My smile fell as I turned away and continued down the street.

I needed a phone at some point, but it had been so long since I’d had one. I’d gotten used to life without one. As I walked past the grocery store, peeking through the front display window at the cluttered front counter, I could see they had a variety of cables, headphones, chargers, and other technological products. I was sure they would have some cell phones. Determined to take control of my life, I decided I would come back tomorrow and buy one before starting my job search. The grocery store would probably be the best place to start anyway.

I continued back down the street toward Jolt and kept on wandering. The farther I went, the more industrial the businesses got and the larger the buildings and space around them became. I passed a car repair shop, what looked like a rundown tractor lot that had obviously closed down at some point, and a farm feed store and supplier. There wasn’t much else after that last business, so I went around the back of the buildings looking for an alcove, alley, or even a hidden doorway where I could rest for the night.

The old tractor lot was fronted by a big barnlike building with rusted holes up the side and chains over the extra-large roller doors. None of that was helpful. There was, however, a large junkyard out back with a whole bunch of tractors, trucks, and car parts. Massive wheels were slung all over the place. Checking around to make sure the coast was clear and I wasn’t drawing anyone’s attention, I slipped down the side of the dilapidated dark red building and behind a wheel almost taller than me. I glanced around in the fading light for somewhere I could safely sleep. Moving around the six or so tires with grass, mud, and weeds growing around them, I found a rusting old pickup truck, which must’ve been dumped there at some point, since it had no wheels on its chassis. The side was leaning against a mound of sheet metal, which was also rusting and had things growing in random places.

Approaching cautiously, I peered inside. It was clean enough and in relatively good condition compared to the other things around the lot. I reached for the handle and pulled. Nothing happened. I put down my backpack and carefully tried again with two hands, yanking as hard as I could. The door gave with an almighty screech. I froze, listening carefully to see if I’d alerted anyone. When nothing happened and no one came running, I picked up my backpack and slipped inside before carefully closing the door behind me. I sat in what would’ve been the passenger seat of the truck and glanced around. There was a bench seat behind me, and while it was too short to stretch out on, it looked pretty good after the last few days.

Climbing over the console and into the back, I got settled before pulling out my sandwich and water bottle. Here’s to being free. I nibbled my slightly soggy B.E.L.T. and sipped my water. Once I’d finished, I wrapped my hoodie around myself and laid my head on my backpack on the bench seat. I was almost curled into a ball in the small space, but it was better than other places I’d slept. And this would keep me safer from the elements than an open park bench.

Looking out the cracked back window, I could almost make out the stars starting to appear in the sky through the murky glass. It was still relatively early, but after multiple nights of travel and the anxiety of my escape, my body was exhausted. I thought I would fall asleep quickly, yet my mind wouldn’t turn off. I didn’t know what would happen next, even with the beginnings of a plan. It would be an uphill battle. I continued to gaze out the window as the sky turned dark and the breeze kicked up over the creaking metal sheets. The melody of crickets chirping was the last thing I remembered before sleep finally claimed me.

After a cold and fitful night, I was jerked awake in the early hours of morning by a loud metal bang right next to me. My first thought was someone had discovered my hiding place and was here to arrest me for trespassing, but no human words followed the cacophony, only a metal creaking and scratching. I cautiously peered out the side window and saw a large hawk. It had brown feathers, a white chest, and a sharp hooked black beak. It seemed to be looking right at me from atop the metal sheeting. It shifted while a large rabbit wriggled in its talons. That must’ve been the bang that had awoken me. I was safe inside the truck’s cab, but it was disconcerting to be greeted by a bird of prey first thing in the morning. Looking out the back window, I couldn’t see much, except an early morning fog hanging close to the ground and the light of the predawn highlighting the ridge in the distance.

I cautiously stretched as much as my body would allow and took stock of my healing ribs and wrist. I was no sorer than before, so I took that as a good sign and carefully climbed out of the truck. I grabbed my backpack and made sure the coast was clear before heading toward the main road without knowing what time it was. I had no watch, phone, or convenient clock tower in sight to orient me. It was maybe around five in the morning or a little after.

When would people in this small town start to wake up? What time would the businesses open? To keep this place as a sleeping option for later I thought it was best to move on so I wasn’t caught here. I walked slowly back around the debris and broken tractors, car parts, and the building onto the main road into town.

The fog was everywhere and added a crispness to the air. My breath misted as I breathed out and my hands and nose were so cold. Quickly, I pulled my hood up, then tucked my hands under my arms to warm up. I hadn’t been anywhere this cold before. If this was early Fall, then the temperature here must get freezing and would likely be snowing before winter even hit. I needed to make sure I had a job and shelter before then or I wouldn’t survive.

I made my way down the street and was pleasantly surprised to see Jolt had lights on in the distance, beckoning me with the classic red neon open sign flickering through the mist. I was in desperate need of coffee to chase the cold out of my bones and start my day.

Screech! Thud!

My heart leaped into the back of my throat, and I just about jumped out of my skin as a mechanical door opened right next to me. It was so startling that I slipped off the sidewalk and twisted my ankle in the gutter. I let out an indignant shriek as I fell to the ground and stupidly used my bad wrist to catch myself, since my other hand was holding my backpack. As I fell, the pain lanced up my arm. I tried my best to roll with it and take the weight off my wrist and onto my shoulder, but my foot was caught in a drain grate. Excruciating spasms radiated through my foot and up into my ankle. Cursing up a storm as pain-filled tears leaked out of my eyes, I froze suddenly as I heard footsteps behind me.

“Shit! Are you okay?” a deep, masculine voice asked.

Before I could catch my breath and respond, a large man appeared in front of me. He crouched down and looked me over with a panicked expression, moving his hands in the air over me like he was going to touch me but didn’t know if he should.

Sucking in a breath, I tried to think through the pain. “I-I’m okay,” I rasped out while holding my hands up as I lay awkwardly on my side with my foot wedged in the storm drain’s metal bars. “But I think I’m stuck.”

The man looked at me, then my foot twisted at an odd angle, and blanched. “Shit, okay. Can you move your foot?”

I shook my head, biting my tongue and squeezing my eyes shut as the pain radiated up my leg with even the slightest twitch of my toes.

“Here, let me take a look.” He moved toward my foot and the metal grate. “This might hurt,” he said gently. With a grimace, he braced my ankle with one of his large hands and the drain grate with the other. Pulling carefully, he freed me, and the pressure released. I fell awkwardly onto my back, breathing hard. The man was still holding my ankle and was now touching my toes through the thin fabric of my canvas sneakers.

“Hmm, this looks broken. We’ll need to get it fixed,” he added absently as I gasped in shock.

“What!” Alarmed, I tried to move to look at him. I’d had broken bones before, but this didn’t feel the same.

“Oh no! I’m sorry, I mean the storm drain. It’s missing part of a bar. That’s probably how your foot got stuck,” he answered quickly, trying to reassure me as he did. “Although, it did look like a nasty fall, and I’m no doctor....”

Catching my breath, I tried to sit up, but nothing really happened. I just flopped back down and squeezed my eyes shut. I was freaking out. This couldn’t be happening right now. I needed to get a job. I needed to get my life back. I couldn’t afford to be injured. What was I going to do?

“Hey, easy now.” The man sounded alarmed. I must look worse than I thought. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The man was leaning over me assessing. Again, he seemed unsure if he should touch me or not. His pale green eyes, filled with so much worry, mesmerized me for a second.

“Where does it hurt? Can I help you sit up? Should you move? Can I move you?” He rambled these questions so quickly that it all sounded like one word, and it took me a while to translate what he’d said.

Shaking my head, I cleared my throat. “Can you just help me sit up on the curb?”

He hesitated, like I was broken or fragile, but eventually moved behind me and easily lifted me onto the curb with his arms under my shoulders. I cautiously attempted to move my leg and ankle and grimaced at the pain. Well, shit, this was going to be a problem, especially if I couldn’t walk. Resting my head on my other knee, I took stock of the rest of my body. My ribs were no worse, so I hadn’t landed on them, but my hand stung, and my sore wrist ached so much more.

Still breathing heavily, I jumped when a large hand touched my shoulder. Glancing up into the face of my helper, I almost fell over again. How had I not noticed he was stunning? His tall frame towered over me, like a larger-than-life god. I was surprised that I wasn’t scared. His olive skin still had a summer glow and he had nearly black hair that curled around his ears and fell over his forehead. He kept brushing the strands out of his eyes, which was endearing. His irises were a hypnotizing pale green that I’d never seen before, and while his nose was a little big, it fit his square face. He had a neat and tidy beard covering his chiseled jaw, which was darker than his hair. Now wasn’t the time to be checking out my injurer-slash-helper. What is wrong with me? Pulling myself together, I tried to focus on what he was saying.

“Sorry, what?” I said with a little shake of my head. Focus, Bodhi, focus.

“I’m so sorry I startled you. This old door needs to be greased, and I forget how loud it can be first thing in the morning,” he said with a tentative smile. “I own this garage. I’m one of the brothers,” he said quickly with a self-deprecating chuckle as he waved at the now open garage behind us. I was completely lost. “Let me help you inside, and I can clean up those cuts and call Doc to come look at your ankle. Or I can call someone for you....” He waited expectantly.

I started to panic. I couldn’t have anyone calling Derek. “No! Please!”

He looked taken aback at my outburst, eyes going wide. “Okay.... Can I at least help you inside? It’s cold out here.”

“O-o-okay, yes. Help... inside. Yes... please.” I stopped talking and hung my head, feeling my face heat. I was an idiot for shouting and babbling nonsense to a person trying to help me.

Chuckling, he glanced at me. “So, that was a yes, right? I can help you inside?”

Nodding, since I didn’t trust myself to speak, I tried to rise on my one good leg, but then I was swiftly thrown off-kilter when I was lifted by big, strong arms and held bridal style against a solid chest. Being jostled onto my bad ribs had me hissing out a breath and turning toward the nice chest as he quickly carried me inside the spacious garage workshop.

He walked through the open-plan work area and into a back room, which must be the break room, and carefully placed me down on a black leather sofa. He then went to the cabinets on my left and came back with a first aid kit. He made quick work of dragging a chair from the nearby table over to take a seat. As he rifled through the contents of the first aid kit, I took a moment to look over the man in front of me. He really was gorgeous and tall, but not bulky like those gym-obsessed people, like Derek had been. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but he was in a battered white tank top and rolled down overalls, the kind mechanics wore to protect their clothes.

I remembered he’d said something about being one of the brothers and that this was his garage. Glancing around, I noted a Greek flag hanging on the wall above a large framed photograph of four boys and an older man in front of this garage, smiling proudly and holding up a Greek Brothers Autocare sign. Oh, that must’ve been what he’d meant by brothers. There was also a coffee mug on the counter that said YayaKnows Best.

“You’re Greek!” I exclaimed far too loudly.

His head popped up to look at me with a chuckle. “Yes, yes I am.” I could get lost in those eyes.

“Sorry,” I muttered, shaking my head. My cheeks heated yet again. What was wrong with me?

“No worries. If the flag on the wall didn’t give me away, then my name probably would. I’m Atticus Papadakis,” he said as he reached for my hand. I thought he was offering it to shake, so I went to do the same, but instead he took my wrist, turned it over, and dabbed my palm with an alcohol wipe.

“Son of a bitch, warn a guy!” I exclaimed at the heated sting and pressure on my hurt wrist, quickly pulling my arm back.

“Sorry. We’ve got to get the scratches clean so I can assess the damage, but yes, I guess I could’ve warned you.” He held out his hand expectantly this time, clearly waiting for me to willingly offer mine when I was ready. I quickly complied because I didn’t want him to think of me as a wuss or anything. I had a high pain threshold—thanks, Derek—but I’d been surprised. Maybe his eyes were hypnotizing after all.

Silence settled between us as Atticus meticulously cleaned the scrapes on my palm. When he pulled my hand closer to get out an embedded piece of gravel, I flinched at the pain in my wrist. Atticus glanced up at me with an apologetic look.

“Sorry,” he mumbled and returned to working on the scrapes more gently. “I’m finished,” he said, then carefully placed a bandage over the deep cut the gravel had made on my palm.

Sitting back, he studied me. “Is it okay if I call the doctor now? I would really like him to look at that ankle. We need to know if you’ll need X-rays. The nearest urgent care or hospital is over an hour away.”

Shaking my head, I started to panic again. What should I do? “I don’t think it’s broken. Maybe just some ice and rest and I’ll be fine,” I said hesitantly, not making eye contact. “I don’t need to see a doctor.” I can’t afford to pay for it anyway. There was something about this man that made me feel like my usual excuses or placating responses wouldn’t work, though.

As if on cue, he huffed out a breath. “I’m sorry, but I insist. I witnessed your fall and wouldn’t feel right not having Doc look at you. If it makes you feel any better, I need to talk to the old geezer about his beloved car anyway.”

Fuck. What am I going to do? I tried moving my foot and it barely twitched before fire lanced up my leg. Shit, maybe it was broken. This would use up all my cash and then some. How was I going to get a job if it was broken? Panicked tears sprang to my eyes as dread and nausea settled in my belly.

Glancing at Atticus, who was studying me intently, I didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like I could run away.

“Please, I think it’s important for a doctor to check you over. It would really ease my mind.” He gave me such an imploring look, so I gave in and nodded. I watched as he got up and went into another room. Coming back with a cell phone pressed to his ear, he was already talking animatedly.

I tuned him out and again took stock of my injuries, noting how bad the pain was and how tired I felt. All I wanted to do now was fall asleep and pretend this accident hadn’t happened. This was going to set me back. What was I going to do? How would I pay for this? How would I get a job after this? I couldn’t keep thinking about it right now or I would panic.

“Take a deep breath for me.”

I began to breathe deeper, then realized it wasn’t my thoughts telling me to breathe, it was Atticus. He was finished with his call and his steady presence was right next to me on the couch as he gently rubbed my back. When did he get so close? How did I not notice his touch until now? My thoughts began to spiral again, and Atticus was right there moving to his knees in front of me. He gently lifted my chin with his forefinger so I would look him in the eye.

“Hey now, breathe with me. In one, two, three. Hold. Out one, two, three. That’s it, now again.” His voice was so deep and soothing that I couldn’t help but obey, following his instructions. After a while, we were staring into each other’s eyes as we breathed together.

“I’m okay now. Thanks,” I said, shaking my head slightly as I broke eye contact.

“No worries. You sure you’re, okay?” he asked hesitantly, moving to the seat to give me space.

“Yeah,” I answered, glancing at him from the corner of my eye.

“Okay. Doc will be here in about fifteen, so how about you lie back? I’ll get some ice for that ankle.” He stood and reached out in a silent offer to help me shift positions, but I didn’t accept as I carefully moved sideways to lie back on the old couch. He adjusted course and went to the battered fridge on the opposite wall and pulled out some ice cubes, placing them into a dish towel lying on the countertop. After bringing the ice bundle back over, he moved his chair to the edge of the couch by my feet, then lifted my leg to place my injured ankle on his knee. Carefully, he added the ice pack to the side and held it there.

Hissing at the change in temperature and somewhat painful pressure to my injury, I glanced at him. I took a deep breath. “Thank you?—”

“I didn’t?—”

We both chuckled, and I gestured for him to go first.

“I didn’t catch your name,” he said solemnly.

“Oh, right. I’m Bodhi,” I said with a little wave of my hand. Oh my God, why did I do that? Silently, I cursed my awkward genes for showing up now, after all this time.

Atticus just smiled at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Bodhi.” Silence settled between us again.