Safe Place

Chapter Twelve

Dominic

I watched her unbuckle the sleeping girl in the backseat and carry her over her shoulder. Her hand stayed on her back as she stepped into her apartment. Her hands were shaking as she pulled out her keys and when I tried to help her, she stepped away from my touch. 

She went inside and I placed my hand over Ollie who was trying to get inside. She closed Lizzy's bedroom door and came back outside. I watched her slump down on the couch and reach over for a cigarette. I walked inside and Ollie sat down next to us on the couch as I went over to her.

"I don't want her going there." She spoke after a while, her words coming out with her exhale.

"Okay," I said, not wanting to fight about something I had no right to fight with her about.

She was her daughter. She wasn't mine. I had no right, no relationship, that allowed me to speak out of turn. She stayed quiet, her head tipping back on the couch, her eyes closing as she took another deep inhale. I hated how far away she felt from me. 

She felt like she was miles away from me even though she was just at arm's length. Sienna had her strong and confident moments and she had moments like this. Moments that showed just how vulnerable and weak she actually was. 

It was evident across her facial features what upset her, and I wanted to speak, to reassure her, but she looked so tired, so drained from all her thinking that I knew it would be useless speaking. 

She wouldn't listen. Especially when she was like this. Decided. Ollie sat up and rested his head on her lap and she patted the top of his head.

I watched her blow the smoke to the side so she could sit up and look at him. She ran her fingers down his fur with a sad smile and a distant look on her face.

"Such a good boy." She murmured. "So sweet."

I felt something lodge in my throat at the mere pain and heartbreak that shined in those cobalt blue eyes. They screamed for salvation, for freedom, for happiness, and when she turned to face me I wanted to murder the person responsible for hurting her, for allowing her to doubt herself, for leaving her so alone in this world. 

I wanted to take her pain away and leave her without any memory that dared upset her, only leaving her with happy and joyful memories. I wanted to hold her in my arms and keep her there forever. I usually hated when women cried, but when Sienna cried it broke me. 

It fucking broke me, tore me into pieces, and left me out to bleed. She leaned over Ollie's head and crushed the cigarette, and I saw her let out a shaky sigh.

"When we were sixteen, Scarlet ran away from home." She spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "She wanted me to come with her, but...but I couldn't. Too much of a coward." 

Her eyes stayed down in her lap where her fingers were nervously playing with the hem of her shirt. 

"I wanted to run away. I wanted to leave that place and never look back, but we were kids. Just kids. Our parents.... fuck.... our parents were horrible. My father he...the things he would do. He'd use whatever was closest in reach or whatever he had on him. Usually his belt or a hanger. My mother wouldn't do anything to stop him, it. Too busy getting drunk or telling us to stop pissing him off.

Somehow it was worse than getting beat. She made it seem like it was our fault, but we were kids. You never imagine the people you're closest to, the people that are supposed to protect you to harm you so much, but they did."

My heart ached, broke, and shattered inside of my chest and I forgot how to breathe as she told me this. She was abused as a child and of course, I'd come into her life and tell her I want to belt her. Fuck. Fuck me for being so stupid.