Next evening at seven we see it worked just fine. The fucker has all the boxes by the door ready for us. Wade gives him his charming fake smile then turns to Lana who is nervously fidgeting by the door. Not looking at the guy at all. What's up with that?

"Hey sweetheart, go look around, see if he didn't forget anything, he doesn't mind, right?" Wade directs the last part to the guy.

Lana glances at Wade and then to her ex, who's staring at her, not looking pleased, at all. But he gives her a nod regardless. She moves to the apartment and we start to carry the boxes to my truck. Between the three of us, it doesn't take that much of a time to get it all down. I have to say, when she said a book collection, I didn't expect a whole town library. But whatever.

While Trevor and Wade are taking down the last two boxes I go look for Lana to let her know we are done. I find her in the bedroom, the door is slightly open but she doesn't see or hear me coming. She's moving around, packing some books from a shelf by the bed, she looks furious. I'm about to go in when the guy comes to the view. I find myself actually wanting to find out what's going on with them. So I stay hidden.

"...You know Anthony, I don't expect much from you these days, but to hide these, just to spite me? What the hell are you twelve?" She has the same tone she used when I pissed her off the first time I tried to talk to her about herself.

He laughs at her. "Me? I'm the immature one here? You left without a word, without a note, without a fucking text? Very adult Lana, very adult!"

"You know very well why I left, don't you try to pretend it came as a surprise to you!"

"Oh please, you should be thankful, not running away. Besides, I bet you secretly like a little rough play."

"Stop it! Even if I did, there is a difference between little rough and what you did!"

He snorts at her reply. "Ha, as if you would know that? But hey, seeing the charmers you get yourself now, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough just how rough you like it. Both of those white trash assholes there look like they can do the job just fine. So which one is it? Which one is the one you live with now?"

"None of your business!"

"Ha, so it is true, that's just precious! Do you all live together? You left me for some redneck hicks? You like playing their trashy wife. Hard to believe, if you ask me, with how prudish you are."

"No, I left you because you've been treating me like shit lately. Do you even listen to what you are saying? You changed," she snaps back. I'm starting to get an idea what happened here. With the drugs and all. I'm starting to get an idea about what a snobby asshole he is too. Keep talking you piece of shit, see where it'll get you.

I hear his sarcastic laugh. "Oh really, well let me laugh at you up front for what's waiting for you with these guys. Do you even know who you live with? You've been avoiding looking at me the whole time so you might somehow miss the state of my face? Their work! They even put a knife to my neck and for what? Some stupid fucking books? Get real! I have an important family dinner this weekend and because of you I'll have to cancel or go like this!"

"Stupid Fucking books? Are you serious right now? You know what those books mean to me. You know what Anthony? I actually felt bad about letting them help me when I saw you. I wanted to apologize, but hearing you now? I don't care what they did to you. I almost wish they did more because it looks like this still wasn't enough to knock some sense into you!"

I hear a dull sound and a yelp, then him hissing something at her. Okay, time to go in. The first thing I see is him pointing his finger at... Lana who's against the wall by the door.

"... just stupid fucking bitch with daddy issues, I'll show yo-" He stops talking when he notices me standing in the door.

"You ready to go? We got everything in the truck." I ask Lana while staring this Anthony guy down.

She takes a deep breath, it sounds a bit shaky, but she doesn't move otherwise.

I look down at her. "Lana?"

The dipshit doesn't say anything more with me in the room, he just snorts again and leaves. At that point, I hear Wade calling for us. "All ready! You coming?"

She points at the bed. "Just this one bag. Then it's all."

I nod and call back. "In here, we're coming!" I take the bag and grab Lana by her elbow to lead her out since she still looks a little shell-shocked.

Outside Trevor asks if we need the help with unloading it all from the truck too, but we send him home. To his wife. I still find it as believable as Clyde's little girl.

"That went alright!" Wade announces after getting in the truck, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Lana stays quiet. I catch her looking at Wade's bruised knuckles when he gets in. She then turns her head to look at mine but she sees my eyes on her and drops her gaze to her lap, where it stays for the rest of the ride. She seems to be lost in thought and Wade has been giving her strange glances all the way to the house. I'm not sure what's up with her either.

We are almost at the house when she turns to Wade and speaks for the first time since we left the apartment.

"You staying for dinner, right?" Her voice sounds okay but she doesn't look higher than his chest.

I park the truck but don't move to open the door. Neither does Wade. He turns in his seat as much as he can to face her. He's eyeing her for a moment and then reaches for her, making her look up at him. "What is it? What did I do now?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing!"

Wade looks at me then, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

I let out a snort. "It's the guy. He said some shit back there, about how we'll treat her badly to scare her. Looks like it worked."

Her head snaps to me, her face turning red. "You heard that?"

"Yup." I confirm with a nod.

Wade starts to laugh. "You scare way too easily. Just like the first time I saw you here? You looked at me like I was going to carve you up along with those deer. Really, what do you think we'll do? Chain you to the stove and never let you leave?" he finishes, still chuckling.

She shakes her head again. "No, it's not that. I just- I really am thankful you got my books back. They mean the world to me so I didn't want to give you the impression that I'm ungrateful." She sighs. "I just didn't expect you to beat him up like that. I don't think that was really necessary."

That makes Wade sneer at her. "Is that so? What did you want us to do then? Send him a mean letter?"

She shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. I didn't really think about it. My brain wasn't working properly yesterday. The hangover was awful, my head hurt like hell. I was just glad someone was going to handle something for me for once and I didn't give it many thoughts. I don't know what I expected. Maybe that you'd just ask, you know because it would come stronger from you guys. I don't know..." She trails off.

Wade sighs. "These things don't work that way, sweetheart. You want something someone doesn't want to give? You have to say it clearly enough for them to listen!" He raises an eyebrow, daring her to disagree. When she remained silent he rubs his hands together happily. "Alright then, I'll just go and start with the boxes. And yes, I would love some of that dinner you were talking about." With that, he leaves the truck.

Lana starts after him, but I grab her arm to stop her.

"You good?"

"Yeah." She gives me a weak smile. "I guess I'll just have to think harder before asking you two for a favor again, huh?"

"I don't see why. It worked just fine." I let go of her arm but she grabs mine before I completely pull away and locks her eyes with me.

"Thank you! I know we had an awkward start, but I like living here. I'm not sure why you are being nice to me or helping me, but I want to thank you. I really do appreciate it." She falls silent after that but didn't let go of me. She then leans closer and says quietly, as if telling me a secret, "You know, between the two of us, it felt a little good to see him like that after the things he said and done." And after a small squeeze, she lets go. "I'll start the dinner?"

I nod and on that note, she's off to the house. I watch her bounce into Wade in the door, I see him smile at her and hold it for her to enter.

Why indeed. I look down at the arm she was holding moments ago. People usually irritate me, some more, some less, but they all do at some level. It takes a big amount of effort to deal with most of them.

The only time I didn't feel that annoyance and that anger in other people's presence have been the time in the woods, where I hold all the power. Besides those moments I just turn my brain off whenever I am around people. I never gave a flying fuck... until her.

I can't explain it but toward her, I don't feel that way. Even Wade gets on my nerves most of the time but not her. She doesn't irritate me, she doesn't annoy me. Save for that first argument we had when she moved in, everything goes so smoothly with her, and even then I forgot why I got mad in a matter of minutes.

I don't think there is any point in guessing what it is. It's just there. It's like I can breathe freely around her. And I'm not the only one to feel that way apparently because I didn't see my brother take care of anyone besides me since... well ever.

It looks like she's ours to look after now. And weirdly enough, I find myself being okay with that.

I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, feel welcome to push that little star to let me know, or better yet, leave me a comment ;)