Connect Us ✔

Chapter 56

I couldn't just smuggle Maddie into the police station. Before that, I had to pass my parents. And David. Maddie walked slowly after me when I ran down the stairs. The first who looked us up and down was my father who was in the living room. „Where are you two going?" I wished this could just pass him. All this. I didn't even know what I was going to say, but I was determined.

I didn't answer my father. I walked to the corridor with Maddie and asked her to take on her jacket and shoes. That was when my mother came out of the kitchen. „Oscar?" she said with panic in her voice. Of course she panicked. „Where do you think you're going without asking me?"

Save Maddie, I thought, but didn't know what to say when David came out of the kitchen too. Silently watching the scene before him. „Maddie and I are going to the police."

„Are you out of your mind now??" my mother asked. My father joined us from the living room. „Stop," she said when Maddie wanted to put on her scarf. „Stop it. Take your shoes and jacket off, Maddison. You're not going anywhere."

Maddie listened to her mother and I kind of panicked. I took a deep breath. Don't be scared, I remembered, not knowing why it calmed me so much. I'm not a weak kid anymore.

„Maddie, can you tell Mom why you're crying?" I looked at Maddie, but of course she was silent. Yes, Maddie. Me neither. 

„Why don't you tell us, Os?" David asked, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were angry. „It's you who wants to take her to the police station."

I took a step towards him. Don't be scared... „Why don't you tell us, David?" I really didn't wanted to look at him, everything in me was screaming as I fixed my angry eyes at him. „Why don't you tell us what you did when we watched movies together on the weekends, when I was still a kid?"

David looked me straight in the eyes. „I didn't do anything," he said. „You d–"

„I did it?" I interrupted him. „Right, a nine years old kid suddenly felt like satisfying his brother because that's so. Much. Fun. And Maddie surely wanted you to rape her." It was like back then when I yelled at Blair and Felix because I was so angry that I forgot the world around me. But this time I yelled at someone who was fully aware of what he did. And talking about it openly didn't only do something good for Maddie. As scared as I was, it felt like someone took a burden from me.

„What is wrong with you??" My mother pushed me away from my brother. „David is a good and respectable person. But I wonder why you always say something like that. Are you gonna twist the whole situation again, just to push away what you did? I swear, Oscar, if you dare to touch Maddie ever again then I will be the one to call the police!"

I looked helplessly at my mother. The lump in my throat finally brought the tears to break out. I was twelve again. A twelve kid hoping for the help of his mother. My voice was just a croak. „What?" I swallowed to get my voice back. „Mom, I would never do this." I looked at my father who looked shocked. Not at David. At me. Because I said that? Because what my mother said? No, I thought, Please not you too... „Dad?" None of them said anything. I was alone in this.

I wiped away my tears and looked at Maddie. Her eyes were red, carrying dark circles. „I'm not the best son." My voice was still shaky, but I had to do something. I had to say something. „Maybe not the best brother. And I know that I don't have my life under control. But I would never hurt Maddie."

„Oscar," my father said slowly. I didn't dare to look at him again. It hurt me too deep. „Maddie told us you asked her to take off her pants when she was at your place."

Maddie wrapped her arms around her body. „I wanted to help her," I said in a weak voice. „She suffered from her itching. My friend is a doctor. He wanted to look at her legs."

„Are you listening to yourself?" my mother asked. „You asked her to take off her pants in front of a stranger who wanted to see her naked?"

„I..." Did I do that? Why did it sound so horrible? Was Maddie scared of me? Was I the bad one? No. I haven't done anything wrong. Besides forcing her to take off her pants... „I wanted to help..."

„You're not helping at all," my mother said. „I already told you a thousand times, Oscar. You're not part of this household anymore. You should be happy I didn't call the police because you're still my son. Just go home, think about what you did and sort out your own pathetic life instead of spreading terror here."

„Okay," I whispered and nodded. Pressing my lips together. „Okay." Then I left.