Family Comes First

Chapter 13: The End Was Near

 It was like I was waiting forever before Jimmy's breaths became rhythmic. I looked at him to see that his eyes were closed. I turned in his hold so that I was laying on my other side. My fingers curled around the key under the pillow. I could not believe that I was about to get out of here.

I waited five minutes before I attempted to get out of bed. I was watching the clock. The bright red numbers slowly counted down.

I was going to have to get up in a way that was not going to wake Jimmy. I could not go too slow or too fast. The bed would creak and that would wake him.

I went to get up, but there was weight holding me down. Jimmy's arm was across my stomach, and like usual he was curling me in toward him.

Fuck.

I bit down on my lip. Did I say that out loud? Jimmy's breaths were still at a calm even pace. Either I did not say it or he did not hear me.

One by one, I wrapped my fingers around his arm. I lifted it off of me and slid forward. I set his arm down on the piece of the bed between us. I lifted the covers enough for me to slip out. The key was in my tight grip.

When my feet were planted on the floor, I turned to look at Jimmy. He was fast asleep and my body tensed. If he woke up, I would lie and say that I was going to the bathroom.

I scanned the floor for clothes. All that I could find was Jimmy's T-shirt and my underwear. I did not have shoes nor pants, but I did not care. I would run away barefoot.

I tiptoed toward the door. The floor was squeaking under my feet.

What if Jimmy woke up?

My fingers tightened around the doorknob, and the door creaked open. My teeth were biting on my lip so hard that I could taste blood. I crept through the doorway and closed it behind me.

I let out a deep breath and continued down the hall. My feet wanted to take off running, but I stopped myself. I tried to keep myself calm and quiet. The stairs came into view and I smiled. I was almost out of here.

A door clicked behind me. My heart jumped in my chest. It had to be my imagination. I could not be caught already. I had barely left the room. I could not turn around to check. My body was frozen.

Footsteps came closer to me, and it was not my imagination.

I turned on my heels to see that it was Tommy. He walked closer to me and I stepped back closer to the steps.

"What do you think you are doing?" Tommy asked.

It was dark in the hallway and shadows were cast across his face. He raised an eyebrow at me. I looked down at my feet. I put my hands behind my back.

"I was just going to get a drink of water," I said.

"Me too," he said. "Come to the kitchen with me."

I nodded and Tommy stepped past me. I followed him down the stairs. I was holding onto the key so tight that it was tearing into my skin. I would have headed straight for the door if Tommy did not keep looking over his shoulder at me. I kept my gaze on the floor.

In the kitchen, he grabbed two glasses and filled them full of water. I grabbed the glass with my free hand and took a sip. Tommy chugged his glass before setting it down on the counter. He smirked at me.

"What's in your hand?" he asked.

I struggled not to choke on the drink of water I was taking.

"It's water," I said. "You gave it to me."