Beautiful Boy

malfunction

⚠️TW⚠️
mentions of assault

amara haven

Kinsley nearly jumped into my arms, holding me tight.

I pulled back from her and Valeria ran into my arms, I lifted her and kissed her head.

Kinsley gave a short, sweet hug to Nic before Lillian entered the room.

I didn't want to call her 'Mum' after what she'd done to my Dad.

"Amara!" She said, approaching me.

I put Val down and stepped back, "Hello."

Her mood dropped a little, "Come in, come in."

Kinsley and Valeria helped Lillian by setting the table.

Rick insisted that Nic and I sit with him at the table while Lillian finished cooking.

We sat quietly while Rick gushed about some stock business.

Kinsley and Valeria sat down as well, simply listening.

I saw him eyeing Kinsley as he spoke, making me sick.

He was a man that thought women were made to serve them.

Nic could somehow tell I was becoming more and more anxious because he took my hand under the table.

"So, Nic, can I just ask how the addiction started?" Rick asked.

"Rick!" I scolded, "That's entirely inappropriate, are you joking?"

"It's okay, Amara," Nic whispered against the shell of my ear.

"Sorry, Amara, I don't believe I was talking to you," Rick mocked.

"Don't talk to her like that," Nic seethed.

"And why not?" He countered.

"Because she's a person and she deserves respect, asshole," Nic insisted.

I leaned into his ear, "Don't bother, Nic, he's not gonna stop."

Lillian brought the plates of food out and gave one to each of us before sitting down with her own.

I hesitated, suddenly robbed of my appetite.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Lillian asked.

I panicked slightly, looking at Nic.

He caught my eye and I silently begged him to speak.

He rolled his eyes, "We're going to Los Angeles."

"Oh that's a lovely idea, you two could use a bit of a holiday," she said.

"No, like, we're moving there for a while," I muttered.

I felt the exact moment that the aura around us dropped.

Silence hung in the air on a string, like a decoration for the season.

Rick cleared his throat, "So, I'm sorry, but are you two like- running off to elope or something?"

Nic and I both snapped our heads at him in sync.

"Excuse me?" Nic countered.

"Oh, come on, we were all thinking it," Rick insisted, looking to my sisters and Lillian.

"I wasn't! I promise I wasn't, Ammy," Valeria vowed.

"It's okay, sweetie, I know you weren't," I promised, looking at Kinsley as well.

She offered me a half smile, "Where in LA are you guys going?"

"We're staying with my Mum for a while," Nic said.