Page 21 of Justice
“Ok well, we need to get some rest before this all goes down,” I said. “We’ll be here at 8 AM sharp.” I gave them a nod and then led Scarlet out.
As we walked toward the house, we both remained quiet. This would be a nerve wracking, balls to the wall run into town. Anything and everything could go wrong. Even though I argued about Liberty coming along, it would be good to have someone at my back. Scarlet and I would need any help we could get. I ran different scenarios in my head all the way up the steps and tothe stairs then down the hall. If this was Deacon, it could all go wrong in an instant.
Suddenly, we were at her room door and I halted as if I hadn’t been present for the last few minutes, which I hadn’t been.
“Justice?”
I looked over at Scarlet. “Sorry, I was preoccupied.”
“I was too,” she replied. “I keep wondering what this will be like. And I can’t say this thing doesn’t scare me, but at least I won’t be alone.”
I opened her door and ushered her inside. “I wasn’t going to allow that anyway.”
She smiled as she nodded her head. “I know. And your brother had the same idea concerning you.”
I chuckled a bit as I shut the door. “He has this crazy notion.”
Scarlet went over and sat down on her bed. “Notion?”
I shook my head as I sat down next to her on my bed. “I was ten and he was eight. He was planning yet another stupid stunt that I told him he shouldn’t be doing. He was always telling me that I was like an old grandma when it came to fun.” I laughed.
“So what happened?” Scarlet asked.
“We were at this lake. He prided himself on being king of waterskiing. He was into skateboarding, you know with the whole Tony Hawk craze going on at the time. So he came up with this idea on how to do skateboard stunts, only on skis.” I shook my head. “And no matter what I told him, like they were two very different sports, he wouldn’t listen. So without telling Dad what he planned and he made me swear a blood oath not to tell Dad either, by the way. He was all set to try his theory out. Hewas a really great skier even at that age, like he aced everything physical that he ever tried...Well, until this.”
“Why this?” Scarlet looked concerned.
“He did the stunt then one of his skis actually flipped up and hit him in the head. I saw it and jumped into the lake. Dad had to turn the boat around and I didn’t want to wait for that. So I swam out and Lib wasn’t on the water, he was somewhere under it.”
“Oh, no.” Scarlet stared at me.
Nodding, I went on, “I kept going under and searching for him. Damn, I was scared that…” I let out a breath. “...I wouldn’t find him in time. I finally did and Dad helped me to get him onto the boat, he did CPR on him and got him to spit out some of the water he’d swallowed. Liberty had to be in the hospital for a week. He had a severe concussion.”
“So, he thinks he owes you?” she asked. “And that’s why he insisted on coming with us?”
I laughed at this. “No, despite our many arguments about the Chinese tradition of when you save someone’s life you are responsible for them, forever. Liberty chose to believe thatheis responsible formysafety for the rest of my life. Of all the ego, man!” I chuckled.
Scarlet laughed with me. “He is a character. So funny too. But I can tell he really loves you.”
“Yeah?” I shook my head. “Talk about being smothered by brotherly love. The only time I got away with being on my own was when I was in college. But every break, if I didn’t come home, he was right there in my dorm room. He was zeroed in on this problem too, if you didn’t notice. As soon as he got a vibethat I was worried about you, he did not let up on it until he got the truth from me.”
“I think it is so sweet.” Scarlet reached for my hand. “And what you are doing for me is more than sweet. I don’t think I’ve ever had such support before you came along.”
Looking into her eyes, I told her, “I’m in love with you, to be honest. I intend to be here for you for as long as you’ll let me, Scarlet.”
Her eyes rounded a bit. “I…” She swallowed heavily.
“You do not have to say it back,” I told her quickly. “I know now is not the right time for any of that. I just needed to say it now, before we go on this trip to town.”
She lowered her head. “You mean because we could die.”
I reached out and raised her chin up with my finger. “You won’t be dying tomorrow, Scarlet.”
“How do you even know that, Justice?” She gazed into my eyes.
“Because I won’t allow that. You will come out of this alive, Scarlet. No matter what I have to do.”
Tears formed in her eyes as she replied, “I didn’t want you to know about this. You know that, right? And that was mostly because I did not want you to be hurt.”
