Nova Grey's life is full of ups and downs. The up's always included her best friend Rowan and sometimes his older brother, they often spent their time doing illegal racing. But the downs... They were the worst and consisted of her abusive mother and...
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"R-Rowan I-is w-was my best friend."I stutter out willing myself to not cry as my lip wobbles.
This has to be a joke, how can he know Rowan, this doesn't make sense.
"Your best friend?" He mumbles with a far away look.
"Yeah," I half nod and start bouncing Nia in my arms. Whether I'm trying to settle her or myself I don't know. "How do you know him?
His brow ticks, "I don't believe you, do you think this is funny? Playing games?" his fists screw up and he looks as though he's holding himself back as he glares holes into the carpet.
"Dante! Calm down, do you really think that low of me?" My voice cracks and I move back to sit on the bed, laying Nia down with her bear.
Dante starts shouting again, saying more crap about how I'm a horrible person and ruining someone's memory. My breathing gets laboured. It's starting already, it's barely been two days since me being here and things are already beginning to spiral. My fingers twitch for my knife again and my mind flashes back to Rowan. His smile, his laugh, and his stupid 'swag' walk.
My hands shake.
My eyes burn and I take a sharp breath, trying to calm myself but a sharp stabbing pain in my ribs sends me flashing back to five nights ago... my mum had her friends round again. I was utterly helpless, I'd barely been able to get Nia into my room before they started pounding on my door, I had to go out or they would break the door down. There were two fully grown men and my mother, they wasted no time. Kick after kick, I was knocked down, bottles were thrown at me and then I was hurtled into a wall or maybe it was the stairs. I still couldn't remember. I couldn't see what was real and what wasn't.
I couldn't tell if Dante was shouting, I couldn't see, was I even breathing?
I tried to calm myself, playing with Rowan's ring, and taking deep breaths.
But I couldn't get a grip on reality, one second I'm in that house, being attacked and then I'm drawn into Dante's chest as he tries to calm me.
Focus. Focus. Focus.
I chant it over and over in my head and concentrate on the sound of Dante's heartbeat, I match my breaths to his and nudge him away.
"Finally, I thought you'd never stop crying. Pathetic." Dante scoffs.
He didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out, every time he looked at her he couldn't help but be jealous of the fact he wasn't good enough for his mom to take instead. But deep down he has missed her, his shadow.
Seconds go by as I just sit on the edge of the bed, unmoving, staring at the floor.
My hands clench painfully, filled with my frustration.
I was trying to keep a handle on myself, but I'm so done. Done with stupid fucking people who think they know best and can walk all over me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dante turning for the door, like fuck.
