Exposure

Chapter 21

What does he want me to see? I see my red rimmed eyes because I want to cry, but I can't. I'm in pain, but scared shitless at the same time.

"You're a beautiful, smart, young lady Ivy. You're going to screw all that up. For what? Fucking drugs?" Dad's eyes lock with mine in the mirror.

"No, I won't. I stopped!"

"But you lied to me." He forces my face to the mirror again. The impact makes my knees go weak, but the mirror doesn't break.

"Open the fucking door!" Peter yells from outside. I don't want the door to open. I don't want dad to hurt him too.

"Dad, you're hurting me," I whisper. He suddenly releases. I lean over the sink clutching my face.

Dad unlocks the door and rushes out of the room. I feel soft hands on my back.

"You okay?" Peter asks. I slowly shake my head yes.

"Let me see," he lightly says, turning my face towards his. He strokes my slightly red cheek. His touch is extremely comforting and I almost break down in his arms.

"Where's he going?" My voice is strained from trying to hold back from crying. I feel a tear fall down my face and I stare at the bathroom light to prevent more.

"Don't worry about that right now. Is that your blood?"

"No, it's Adrien's." A holler cuts through the house. It's dad, but I've never heard him yell quite like that before. A low prolonged cry. I break Peter's hold and follow the cry that continues.

"Ivy, wait!" Peter is right behind me this time. I stop dead in my tracks when I enter the living room. Dad is on the ground clutching his shoulder. The place still reeks of alcohol, but that's not where my attention is. There is a growing circle of blood under his shoulder.

"Ivy, get the hell out!" He keeps repeating this and I don't understand. Peter is violently tugging at my shirt but I can only focus on dad. Until I see him. Adrien darting towards Peter and I. His hair is straggled across his face, and he's bleeding profusely out of his nose. His knife is in his right hand.

"Shit, Ivy! Come on!" Peter's commands snap me into action. We are up the stairs to the bedroom in seconds. I can hear Adrien's feet pounding up them. Peter leads us to my bedroom. He quickly but silently closes my door and locks it.

"Your dad took my money, bitch! Where is it?" Adrien's voice echoes down the hallway sending chills through my body.

"The closest!" I manage to squeak out. Before we can take another step, my bedroom door opens. I jump because it wasn't supposed to open. But Eve is standing in the doorway, with the key to my door. I once told her where it was. I latch onto Peter's hand and pull him back when Adrien and another person enter my room. I've seen him before. He was always around when Adrien and I saw each other. I thought it was coincidence, but now I know they knew each other.

"I'm sorry, Ivy. But that money is mine too." Eve says apologetically. She doesn't look me in the eye. But I want her too. I thought she was my friend. But our friendship was all about money. She walks away never making eye contact with Peter or I.

"Where's the money, Ivy? Don't tell me you don't know because your dad fucked up my face then took it from me." I don't know what to say. I have no idea where dad put the money. I didn't even know he took it from Adrien.

"Adrien I've been gone. I just got back from New York today. I don't know where it is."

"We need to get her dad to a hospital," Peter cuts in.

"No one is leaving until this fucking money is found!" The guy standing next to Adrien slams on the wall knocking down a picture frame that smashes on the ground.

I hear dad cry out again. In desperation I dash through Adrien and his friend. I briefly turn around to see Peter being held off by him and Adrien's hand reaching out to grab me.

I scream when my shoulder is tugged back.

"Shut up!" I do as I'm told when I feel ridged metal against my neck. I stop struggling afraid any move will end my life. I don't think Adrien would kill me. That's extreme. Even for him, but he's erratic right now. Who knows what he will do.

He walks me back to my bedroom still holding the small knife to my throat. My breath comes out in short puffs of air. Peter is being forced to kneel down at the end of my bed. His upper body bent over on top of it, his face turned towards me.

"Adrien don't hurt her. She has no idea."

"Matt, shut him up please," Adrien snaps. So that's his name. Peter curses out loud when Matt roughly nudges his rib cage. I have to do something. If I can just distract Adrien for a second, to get that knife.

"How much?" I ask despite the fact that the knife is still on my throat.

"At least-" Before he can finish, I turn my right hand up and ram my knuckles into his already broken nose.

"Fuck!" he hollers, but he doesn't lose his grip. Instead, he spins me around to face him and swipes the knife across my left cheek. The impact immediately sends me to the ground.

I whimper in pain holding my hand to my face. It feels as if it's on fire and I blink continuously to keep from passing out. I can feel blood dripping down my hand. I can hear Peter yelling things but I can't decipher what he is saying. All I can really hear is the pounding in my head. Matt is yelling too, but soon enough I don't hear any of them.