The mute witness

Chapter Six

Chapter 7

Zsolt's POV

Just sitting here, holding Avalon is the most at peace I have allowed myself to be in in a while

When she starts shivering is when I speak again. "Do you want to head back"

She shakes her head in response, I stand up anyway, pain seeping in a way that put pressure from my mother's last beating

She noticed and gave me a commiserating look "I'm okay, Av" I say as if I'm also trying to convince myself of the statement I just said.

"I don't believe you" she signed

I stood up fully and helped her up, holding her waist because she was losing her balance. "Hummingbird, I promise I'll be okay" I smiled sweetly at her

She puts her hand on my stomach, me wincing a little, she took her hand back quickly,

"Sorry," she said, rushing her word.

"It's okay hummingbird, I promise," I said, putting my hand at my ribcage to try and get the pain to go away a little, it worked a little bit.

"Um- I can probably do something for them at the house- I mean Hadley might be wondering where I am anyway," she says kind slowly trying her best to talk.

I do need to get something to help these stupid bruises and I don't know what else I can do "fine" I say after a minute

She intertwines our fingers and lets me lean on her a little bit as we walk back to Hadley's

Although I'm in a little pain, the walk to Hadley's was halcyon, a crisp November night, the leaves still having the fall smell in the air.

I see Avalon shivering, though, so I grab the hoodie that I had in my bag, when she put it on and held me tighter, I smiled one of the most genuine smiles that I have had in a while

When we get there, we are greeted with a relieved Hadley and some of the kids, Jade and Jax would be in bed at this hour.

Harper brings Avalon into an embrace and when I was looking at her face, as Harper was doing so, Avalon's face just dropped, almost scared, but she quickly hid it and turned it into a weak smile and hugged back.

The other kids are kind of just watching us as we all walk in, a couple of their faces lighting up with the sight of me.

Except Harper's her face is at an indifference, rightfully so. She had taken the brute of trouble when selling caught up to me, she was one of only a few that knew about it, but she kept it a secret and helped me not get in as much trouble I didn't deserve it.

I just ignore this and give the little kids a small smile "Avalon and I will be right back, there's something we have to clean up" I tell Hadley and then take Avalon's arm and have her lead me to the bathroom and as we are walking away, I see out of the corner of my eye, Adam being scolded after jumping on the couch.

We get to the bathroom and Avalon has me sit on the toilet and she bends down, moving stray hair behind her ears and lifting up my shirt to have the bruises and maybe a cut, I don't know, be visible for her. I hold my shirt up so she can just do what she needs to without having to worry about it

I watch her go into the cabinet and grab some sort of ointment and squeeze some onto her finger and spread it on my side. She stops for a second after I wince a little bit "H-how when did this start?" she asked me.

I stay quiet for a second and then I respond "I- don't really remember, I know it was a while ago though."

"Oh-" she stands straight up again and puts the ointment back and she looks for something else, some sort of KT tape I'm guessing based on what she takes out and comes back to me with.