How Not to Fall In Love

Chapter 34

Tuesday morning came faster than I wanted, and I stared up at my ceiling, contemplating skipping school, which would result in a phone call to Dad. The last thing I needed right now was for him to come home and get mad at me for not going to school. But I also didn't want to face Austin at school either. I grabbed my pillow, threw it over my head, and yelled into it, hoping it would make me feel better. I didn't feel better; all it did was hurt my throat. I tossed my pillow off to the side and slid my feet out from under the comforter, letting them dangle off the side of the bed. After a few minutes of letting my toes brush against the plush area rug, I forced myself out of bed and went to the bathroom before Jules got up to get ready for school. I stood there in the bathroom, looking at this deranged version of myself in the mirror. She looked like me, but the girl had dark circles under her eyes from not getting much sleep, and her hair looked like she got caught in a windstorm from tossing and turning so much in her bed. I got in the shower and let the hot water run down over the top of my head, covering my entire body in warmth. A warmth I was hoping would melt away the guilt from yesterday. Unfortunately, nothing worked; the guilt reminded me of what I did to Austin. 

I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around me, and then walked over to the mirror to see if the other girl was still there staring back at me. There was a hint of her still there, but I was slowly starting to look more like myself. I opened the door right as Jules was about to knock on it. 

Her eyes were drowsy until her gaze met mine, then they shot open. "Go get dressed and dry your hair. I'll be in there soon to help you with your eyes." She leaned in closer, looking at the dark circles under my eyes. 

"I didn't sleep well last night." I sighed, stepping around her to head to my room. 

"Well, lucky for you, I can help. Go get ready, and I'll be in there in about forty-five minutes." She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. 

I went to my room, closed the door, and got ready, hoping Jules could cover the circles under my eyes without much trouble. I wanted to pick up my phone and text Austin, but I knew that would only worsen things. After what I did to him yesterday, he may not want to hear from me. 

"Rylee, are you ready for me to do your makeup?" Jules asked, prying my door open. 

"Yeah." I sat down on my vanity bench. "What have I done, Jules?" I looked back at her in the mirror. "Why did I do that yesterday?" I wiped a tear away. 

"Oh, Rylee. You were protecting yourself from the drama of being with Austin." She leaned down, wrapping her arms around me, resting her head against mine. "I have a feeling everything's going to be fine." She stood up, telling me to turn around so that she could get started on my makeup. 

Fifteen minutes later, she put down the makeup brush on my table and told me I could look in the mirror. I shifted my body to the left, hitting my leg on the vanity table, throwing me off balance when I heard the front door slam shut. My wide eyes shot toward the doorway. 

"Rylee!" Our dad screamed, stomping up the stairs. 

"Don't leave me," I whispered. 

"I won't," Jules whispered back, moving closer to me. 

"What the hell is this? I hear you've been seen with Austin Hayes!" He yelled, storming into my room. "He's NO GOOD!" His hand slammed against my wall. "You're NEVER to see him again! DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. ME!" He grabbed my arms, lifted me off the bench, and glared into my eyes. There was an uneasy craziness about them. Also, the distinct odor of alcohol wafted under my nose, letting me know that he'd been drinking already this morning or was left over from last night. 

"Dad, she..." Jules's voice quivered. 

"You stay out of this." His eyes flashed over to her. "This is between your sister and me." 

"I'm not leaving her." Jules grabbed my hand. 

"What did you say to me?" He let go of my arms and moved to the side toward Jules. 

I tightened my grip around Jules's hand and yanked her toward my door. I glanced at her over my shoulder as I whipped her past me out into the hall and slammed the door shut. I quickly locked the door so she couldn't get back in, knowing I was about to get the full impact of Dad's rage. My body slammed against the wall as I heard Jules pounding on my door, screaming to get inside the room. My head whipped to the side, causing my body to buckle under me a little bit. I knew I was hit, but I couldn't tell if he hit me with his fist or hand. No sooner did I lift my head than it was struck with another blow, whipping it to the other side. Before I could lift my head, my body slammed onto the floor. I learned over the years it was better to stay down and not try to get up right away, so I stayed still while he flung my door open and staggered past my sister and down the stairs. I stumbled, trying to get up; Jules caught me, helping me to my bed. 

"Oh, my god, Rylee." She brushed my hair away from my face. "Don't move; I'll be right back." Then, she rushed out of the room and down the hall. I wanted to walk over to my vanity table but was afraid to look at my face. More importantly, I was more afraid of falling between my bed and vanity table, hurting myself worse. 

She returned with a wet washcloth and the first aid kit a few minutes later. "This may hurt a little bit." She dabbed the corner of my mouth. I winced in pain, closing my eyes. "I'm sorry, Rylee. I'm trying to be easy." She dabbed the corner of my mouth again. "He got in his truck and left. Hopefully, he'll be gone for another couple of days." She brushed the hair away from the right side of my face. "Rylee, you can't go to school today." A tear streamed down her cheek. 

"I've got to go, or he'll come back home." 

"I don't know if I can cover any of this up. Your lip is swelling; you're going to have a black eye by the end of the day. I can try..." Her voice cracked as tears started to stream down her cheeks. She got up and grabbed a tissue off my vanity table. "I'm sorry, Rylee." 

"Don't be sorry, Jules. He would've gone after you if I hadn't thrown you out of the room. I'm not going to let him hurt you." I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her lightly. 

"Let me call the school and let them know we're going to be a little late." Jules walked out of my room to get her phone. "I'm going to try my best. Here, let me help you over to the bench." She hooked her arm around mine, easing me up off the bed. 

Author's Notes:

Rylee needs to get away from her dad. She saved her sister from being abused by their Dad. 

If you like this chapter, please consider giving it a vote. Thanks! A.L.