He picks up a large food container and then we’re out of the house through the back door.
His hand is still wrapped around mine as we walk through the trees surrounding the house. It’s a forest, basically.
The entire way, I watch my smaller hand in his bigger one and I can’t help thinking how safe it feels to be with him.
Like in that basement.
Although it was dark and smelled awful, our breathing calmed down the moment we touched each other.
His face appears normal as if yesterday didn’t happen.
We come to a stop in front of a lake with a deck and a few old boats in sight.
My gaze bounces between him and the lake as if he brought me here to drown me.
Wait. Is that why he brought me here?
“W-what are we doing here?”
“Eating.” He tugs me down to sit at the foot of the tree and opens the food container.
I remain rooted in place, shivering. “I don’t like it here.”
He continues pulling toast and juice and loads of food that I have no idea when he had the time to put together.
“Let’s go back,” I plead, avoiding direct contact with the lake.
He motions at the food. “The faster you eat, the faster we go home and I’ll give you your birthday present.”
I finally rip my gaze from the lake to focus on him. “Why are you doing this?”
“This?” He passes me a toast with jam. “I only made you breakfast.”
I take the toast from him and sit carefully on the ground as if expecting it to shift and I’ll find myself inside the lake.
Aiden watches me as I take tentative bites from the toast. It’s hard to eat when there’s a demon in the form of a lake right in front of me.
Eli died in a place like this.
I lost my brother to the monster of the lake.
The need to throw up assaults me.
“Alicia used to read to me here,” Aiden chews on his eggs slowly.
“She did?” I ask.
“She liked it here. It was away from people and interruptions. We spent most of our time in this place.”
“Did Jonathan join you?”
“Sometimes. He doesn’t like being cut off from his business world.”
I swallow the bite of toast and study him closely. “What else did you do with Alicia here?”
“We had picnics and mostly read.” He grins. “Then we’d go for a swim.”
The toast nearly falls from between my hands when he abandons his eggs and stands to his full height.