Together From the Start

NINE

Chapter Nine| Destiny

I jump up out of my sleep when hearing the front door slam. 

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE ELLIS," my mother screamed from the other room. 

I wiggle myself out of my mother's bed, opening the door slowly. Peaking out into the hallway, trying to see the commotion in the living room. I slowly creep to the end of the hallway noticing my brother trying to look into the other room. 

I try to see what he is looking at, but for some reason, he's hit puberty at nine years old. And his tall frame doesn't compare to my short one. 

"I'm serious if you don't get out of my house. I will call the police. Leave." my mother said sternly.

"You really think putting a restraining order on me would keep me away from you and our kids," my father said. 

"I'm not about to argue with you. Get out of my house."

A brief pause occurred before I knew it my brother ran into the room. Gave me a clear view of what was going on. My father standing over my mother with his hand raised to hit her. 

"GET THE HELL OFF OF HER," my brother screamed, lunging toward our father.

"Really, Dahlia, you got my own kids against me," he barked down at her.

Our father slapped Tyler down. Making my mother get up and push him into the sharp edge coffee table. Scratching his leg pretty hard, it started to bleed.

"You fucking bitch," he cursed. 

He then pulled out a pocket knife, sharp end facing my mother who crawled to my brother on the floor near her. My eyes widen in shock, I run quickly to the center of the room before my father lunged out toward my mother. 

"NOOO," I screamed putting my hands up in front of me. Trying to block his charging body to get to my mother. 

I gasped as I felt the sharped edge knife slice into my lower abdomen. And my body hit the floor. I look up as I saw the knife still stuck on my body, my breathing gets heavier as I flicked my eyes between my mother and brother staring at me in shock. And my father's fleeing body leaves the apartment. 

I screamed as I woke up in shock, clucking my lower stomach, sweat-drenched face. I lift up my hiked-up nightie to get a better look at the scar on my lower stomach. As the years went by the scar got smaller, but the fear instilled in me that night never went away. 

I remove the covers from my body, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Checking the time on my nightstand, it's one a.m. I decide to get up and go get a drink from the kitchen. 

Walking out of my room, I check on Jayda before heading downstairs. She is knocked the hell out. Walking down the stairs, I noticed light coming from in the living room. 

Trev sitting on the couch, playing 2k. And Nick next to him passed out. 

I fold my arms over my chest, "Uhh, don't you have a house that you could play that at?"

His attention shifts to me, standing at the doorway, "Nini, you scared the shit out of me." He said, "I was playing with Nick. But, he dropped dead. And I'm waiting for Tyler to text me. He and Marcus went out to some party and I know their asses gonna be drunk."

"Why you up?" he asked me.

"Couldn't sleep," I respond.

He hummed and tapped the seat next to him. I walked around Nick's sleeping body and sat down. And Trev handed me a controller.