❛❛I spy with my little eye, a little lie.❜❜
Catherine Moore's courage to leave a cruel and abusive Maxwell Kelvin led her to the unforgiving streets with no roof over her head. Just when things couldn't get any worse, fate deposited her at the doors...
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FIVE YEARS AGO
I cancelled Damon and opted to stick with Lucy. I'm attempting to teach her addition, but she shakes her head, unable to grasp it. "Now take a look at these apples. I have four on the table; if I remove two, how many do I have left?"
My father sat in front of us in the living room, his feet kicked up on the leather chair, two bottles of beer on his side table. My mother is back at the hospital working the night shift.
"I-I...one?" I chuckle softly.
"How many apples are in front of you?" I whisper.
"Two."
"Good! So, four takeaway two gives you?"
"One?"
A shift of movement happens, I look up and see my father learning against the wall frame of the open living room. His arms folded over his chest, "what's four takeaway two!" He raises his voice at Lucy, Lucy's lips quiver and she shrugs her shoulders. "What's four takeaway two! Are you that fucking stupid?"
"Dad stop-"
"Four takeaway two!" His voice raises as he moves beside Lucy, Lucy looks at me as tears begin falling from her eyes.
"I-I don't know." I pick up two fingers.
He grabs onto Lucy's hands; she begins crying as he takes out four of her fingers. I stand up, "four fingers takeaway two!" He screams, Lucy shakes trying to yank her hand away.
"You're hurting her!" I raise my voice; my father slaps the back of Lucy's head roughly. Her cries grow louder, I grab my father's wrists as he tries to go for another and push him away. "What the hell!"
My father's eyes flare, and he screams angrily, "How the fuck can you..." He holds the back of my head, knowing his own strength in comparison to mine. He knew. Lucy continues to cry loudly, and I clutch the back of my father's hands, hoping to relieve the pain.
He hurls me to the ground, taking his beer bottle and throws it square at my head. I can feel glass fragments slamming into my face.
"Remember who the man of the house is. I give you everything, including a car, food, and money!"
Footsteps and the slam of a door tell me he's gone, "Cathy..." I can feel blood seeping from my nose. I need to inform Alex that I require her assistance.
I get to my feet, pulling a sliver of glass from my cheek and tossing it on the ground. I grasp Lucy's hand and race up the stairs, tears streaming down my cheeks. I pushed open my bedroom door and let go of Lucy's hand.
I grab onto my phone, dialling her number.
Rushing my fingers through my hair, tears leaving my eyes uncontrollably.
She does not answer the phone, I push my curtain with a finger. Her lights are on. "Stay here." I whisper, Lucy nods. I go back down the stairs, opening my front door and jumping onto her driveway. I knock onto the door, please answer. Please. Please! I look through the living room windows.
