Lynne stiffened at the hard words of her daughter. Nicole turned to walk away, but Marvin grabbed her arm.
"Where do you think you're going?" he sneered jerking her back to him.
She tried to snatch out of his grip but he held tight.
"I think you should come into the house," he said pulling her towards the door of the house.
Nicole desperately tried to get away without making a scene for the crowd that was now dissipating. She looked back over her shoulder to see if Ethan had left her.
"Come Nicole, you can go to the hospital with us."
She knew Marvin had no intentions of letting her out the house again. If he had his way, she would forever be locked up in that room for the rest of her life. She didn't want to go through that again. Lynne only stood there watching, not doing anything. Nicole began to struggle more.
"I think you should let the girl go," a voice came through to them.
Marvin stopped his dragging and looked in the direction of the voice.
Ethan stepped up on the curb lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.
"Mind your own business, mister," Marvin seethed.
Lynne gasped, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Ethan came up to the porch. "I think he should let her go."
"Get the hell off of my property." Marvin swung Nicole behind him holding her wrist still very tight.
"And I think Nicole can let us know where she wants to go, because I don't think she wants to go in that house." Ethan stepped up to Marvin.
"This has nothing to do with you," Lynne cried.
"As long as he's got his hands on Nicole, it has everything to do with me."
Lynne looked from Ethan to Nicole. "How do you know him?" she demanded of her daughter.
Nicole wasn't paying much attention to her mother's words. Ethan's words brought so much encouragement inside Nicole and she brought her knee up and hit Marvin between the legs, then elbowed him in the spine. He let her go and fell to the ground. Nicole jumped over his body and moved to Ethan's side. Marvin made a weak attempt to get to Nicole, but he was in so much pain he couldn't get up. He ordered Lynne to not let her go. Ethan took her hand and they began to walk away.
Lynne called for her daughter following them, but Nicole continued to walk towards the truck. "Ethan, what are the two of you doing together?"