My Safe Haven (BxB)

Chapter II - The Project

Andrew's POV – 17 June 2019 (Monday).

I was woken up on Monday morning by my stomach grumbling in desperate need of attention. "God, I regret going to bed on an empty stomach" I said before sliding the covers off my body, stretching briefly. As I walk out of bedroom, I look down the hallway, so I don't bump into the monster who is my father. After yesterday's events, I want nothing to do with him.

Once I confirm that the coast is clear, I trudge down the stairs making my way into the kitchen, only to stop in my tracks when I see my mother sitting on one of the stools, drinking her coffee.

"Good morning, Andrew. You're up early" she smiles sweetly.

I can't help but think of what happened the previous day. She just stood there as my father, chewed my head off, simply because I went home early because I was hungry. She said she was going to cover for me, did she even try? But there wasn't much that I could do, what's done is done.

"Morning Mom" I said with a small smile.

"How are you feeling this morning? You've already missed your father, he left a few minutes before you came down" my mother says, looking at me.

"Oh, that's really unfortunate" I state, with a small smile playing at my lips. Truth be told, I was glad he had left. "But if Dad already left for Michigan, what are you doing here?" I ask.

"Well I just wanted to make sure that my one and only son is well" she says smiling brightly.

Here's the thing about my mother. She is the most caring individual when I'm alone with her, but when Dad is around her, she forgets that I'm her son.

"Oh, well thanks for caring, but as you can see I am doing just fine" I respond.

The expression that my mother gave me showed me that she wasn't expecting what I said, but she needs to hear the truth.

I make my way over to the pantry, pulling out the cereal and fixing myself some breakfast. After pouring the milk into the bowl, I try to make my way upstairs only to be stopped by my mother's voice.

"Take an ice pack with you, it will help with the swelling" she says, her voice laced with concern. "And I'll be heading out soon, so don't stay here for too long. You know your father will not be pleased to learn that you came late to school."

Crap, I totally forgot about school.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to make the beast mad, so you don't have to worry about me arriving at school late" I said truthfully, seeing my mother shake her head at the name I had given to her husband. I open the freezer and pull the ice pack out, shaking it for my mother to see "Thanks, I guess" I said weakly. "I'll see you when I see you."

And with that, I ascend the stairs with one goal in mind, to see how bad my face looked.

I enter my bedroom, placing my breakfast on the desk and heading straight for the bathroom. When my eyes landed on my reflection, I groaned at the sight of my face. "My goodness" I said with a sigh.

My father truly left a mark this time around.

The right side of my face is not only swollen, it's also heavily bruised. I feel my eyes begin to tear up, not out of pain this time, but out of fury. I mean, I am no stranger to my father's abuse, but this has to be the first time he has done something like this.

The grumbling of my stomach reminds me of my abandoned breakfast forcing me to make my way back to my bedroom. I sit on the bed, munching at the cereal slowly, and before I know it, I had wiped the bowl clean.