It doesn't take long before Jason comes back, his eyes glaring at me as I take a bite of the warm bread i was given.
"Get out of here." He says, simply.
I stop mid-chew, "What?"
"You heard me." Jason answers, in a low tone, "Come on, get up."
"You're kidding right?" I give a humorless smile, "Last time I checked you wanted to 'know everything about me'."
He scoffs, his arms folded tightly on his chest. "If you really want to stay here-"
"No, no." I grin, flatly. I stand up immediately, wincing with the effort but trying my best not to show as i say, "By all means, lead the way."
Rolling his eyes, he walks out of the room, not even turning back to check if I'm following him. But, before he looked away from me, I can almost swear that his lips had curved into a slight smirk.
I walk behind him, cautiously, my eyes steer around, a part of me still trying to catch a chance to find another exit. No luck. Not even surprised.
We descend downstairs, turning left, into what i guess is the living room. There house isn't small. It's cozy and spacious, with the lights dimmed, which I'm guessing is because they are the type of people who keep their window's open for the sunlight. Not that it matters right now, due to the cloudy weather outside.
Sitting on the couch is Ed, seeming the complete opposite of a tentative Emma, standing in a corner, quietly observing the situation in such a precarious way that anxiety starts rising in my throat. Ed crouches, slightly, trying to adjust his demeaner so that he looks more confident and bold.
My gut clenches, as I stay in my position, right in front of Ed, like a criminal facing a judge about to announce his punishment.
"So," He speaks up when no one else bothers to, "How are you feeling...uh?"
"It's Joey." I say, without my voice breaking, impressing myself.
"Right, of course. Joey." He nods, testing out my name. "Joey..."
"Is there reason why you called me here?" I try my best to act nonchalant.
Jason moves away from me, sitting on a chair nearest to him, a smile on his lips that definitely doesn't seem genuine. Or pleasing.
"Yes." Ed folds his arms, "This won't sound pretty."
"I'm not expecting it to."
His eyes widen at my blunt reply, amused. He looks over at Jason who bobs his head knowingly, then at Emma.
"Em, don't you have some chores to do?" He asks her.
She shakes her head, red hair flying, "Nope. I did 'em this morning."
Ed sighs, clearly wanting her to take the hint. "Uh...Emma, I'd like it if you leave."
Emma scowls, her brows stitched so close together that i think it may have hurt.
She looks at me briefly, and I know what she's thinking. She's wondering if I was actually right when I told her:
"Sounds like your lovely family keeps you away from a lot of information."
I want to tell her that I didn't mean what I said; that is was only meant to be a distraction. But I can't bring myself to speak up. And I don't think i need to anyway, as she glares at her brother and dad, hissing,
"I'm not going. I want to hear what you have to say."
"Emma-" Jason starts.
"No, Jason. I said, I'm not leaving." Emma interrupts, "So, don't try and make me."
Jason looks baffled, but Ed stares at her for a long time, before saying,
"Ok. Just stay out of my way."
Returning her dad's serious look, her eyes take a glimpse towards my direction, being with, what looks like, triumph.
"Anyway," Ed continues, "As I was about say," Awkwardly clearing his throat, "Joey. Tell me, kid. Exactly where did you come from?"
My hands sweat nervously, suddenly realizing why Jason has that spiteful look on his face. He convinced his father to ask me questions. To 'interrogate' me.
"I...I thought you said I don't need to talk about this." I say, coolly, ignoring Jason's smirk.
"Well, due to some reasons, I'd like to know a bit about you now." He says. gruffly, "Besides, considering we saved your life and took care of you, shouldn't you be grateful and tell me if not all, but just a little bit about yourself?"
"You said, 'due to some reasons'." I mumble, "Do these reasons have something to do with your son persuading you to question me?"
"That's not the point." Jason speaks up.
"Oh yeah?" I snap, "Then what is the point?"
"The point is, that you- you petty brat - have to tell us, who the hell you are and what the hell did you do to run away from home?" Jason yells, threateningly. "I mean it's obvious you escaped right? What else would a fool like you do."
I wince, at the word 'home', but do my best to hide it, saying with contempt, "I have nothing to tell you. That's all I can say."
"I see..." Ed says, in such a small voice that it would have been hard to hear if not for the pin-drop silence. "You may go to your room then."
I sigh in relief. "Gladly."
I'm just about to leave, thankful that this conversation is over, when, Jason decides to try and bring me down once again, "If you don't tell us about yourself then you're going to have to do something to compensate."
Such a stubborn bastard.
"What?" Emma and I say at the same time.
Jason's bloodshot eyes look uncertain but he still keeps talking. "Yes. Yeah- I mean we paid for your medicines. And the extra food. We barely make ends meet and now we have to take care of a stranger. If you can't tell us about yourself, might as well pay for the expenses, right?"
Ed scowls, "What in the world-"
"I'm not messing around here." Jason scoffs, "This brat needs to know his place. So, now you have two options. Tell us who you are or pay us the money we spent on you. It's fair. You choose."
"I....don't have money." I swallow the bile down my throat.
"The you have to pay."
I look at Ed, hoping for him to object but who am I kidding? Why would a man miss an opportunity to earn? Honestly, I don't blame him.
"So, Joey?" Jason smirks, "What option are you going to choose? The first choice isn't hard you know."
But I can't tell them who i am. Not even a bit. No matter how much of a jerk Jason is, I can't risk putting them in danger by telling them about myself. More importantly, I can't risk getting caught. They may search up my name. Or contact the police. Miller will find me in not even two days.
But I don't have money either... what am I going to do?
Should I make up a story?
Should I tell them a little about myself that isn't too revealing about me?
"I..." Licking my dry lips, I muter out, "I choose the second-"
"You don't have to choose anything." Comes a new voice.
I know this voice, in fact everyone else in the room does too.
Charlotte stares at us, standing next to the room's entrance. Her eyes, the ones just like the woman in my dreams, are blank and gaunt. Lacking all emotion, except for exhaustion and sadness, both she tries best to hide.
"He shouldn't be choosing anything." She says, "He's not obliged to."
"'Obliged?" Jason repeats in disbelief. "Obliged? Of course he's 'obliged to'. We saved him after all! We have the right to-"
"Give me a break!" Charlotte snaps, "You never saved him. I'm the one who found him. And that still doesn't mean we have the right to be told anything about him, ok? Give it up already, Jason. You're pissing me off."
"Wha- What are you-" Jason splutters.
"Charlie's right." Ed announces, reminding us his dominance. "Let's not speak of this anymore."
"I agree!" Emma shouts, like her opinion made a difference.
I look at Charlotte, wanting to figure out her real intentions but her expression remains as dull as ever.
"I don't care, ok?!" Jason roars, "He needs to pay back in some way and no one can make me say otherwise!"
"Fine then." Charlotte says, "he'll repay you by working in the farm for sometime. Will that be enough?"
Ed nods, "That's not a bad idea."
"You're ok with it aren't you, Joey?" Charlotte asks me, voice flat and uninterested.
"Uhh..yeah- sure" I say, grimacing in confusion.
"Right." She motions upstairs, "You can go rest now. You can start working when you feel like it."
I watch Jason, mouth wide open and beaten. Speechless.
As I move to walk past Charlotte, she stops me by saying,
"You must be wondering why I did this." She keeps her voice low.
"You think?"
She pinches her brows, "Consider it an apology."
"For?"
"For putting the idea that you're a suspicious guy in their minds." She shrugs.
I smile tightly, "Oh."
"Yeah." She says, awkwardly, "Anyways, just tell me when you're ready to work?"
"Alright." I'm just about to turn away from her when I say. "And thanks."
"For what?" She asks.
For not letting me choose the first option.
"For stopping your brother from talking."
She grins, but it doesn't seem like she feels like smiling, more like relieved to feel another emotion other then what she felt before, "No problem."