Here With Me // Daniel Ricciardo

5

*Sophia's POV* TW- Domestic Violence

I took a deep breath and shut the door behind me.

"Alice why don't you go up to your room, shut the door, I'lol come upstairs soon."

I kissed her forehead, took her jacket and hung it up with her backpack at the door. She skipped upstairs, her long hair swishing side to side as she took the stairs.

"I thought you took a shift?" I said quietly, walking in to the kitchen.

I purposely turned the radio on that was in the counter top. I didn't particularly want to listen to it, but I also didn't want Alice to listen to anything other than herself playing in her bedroom.

"You know I didn't have work today, I had to leave because you made me out to be a fool." Jack replied, his arms crossed as he stood with his back to me staring out the window.

"I made a fool of you? You made me out to be a whore to my brother and-"

"Your ex. You're fucking ex, Sophia. Your ex that you said wouldn't be there. You lied."

"I lied? I didn't know. I would have told you if I knew he was going to be there, I didn't I swear!"

He slammed his fists on the table.

"Not only is he your ex but he's also a very famous f1 driver? He's a known person, he made me look tiny, do you know how much I hate for people to make me look tiny?"

"Since when have you liked f1 enough for you to care how someone else makes you look? I think you're overreacting."

I quietly shut the kitchen door behind me.

"What does it matter what my interests are? The point is, I wasn't prepared and you lied."

He came right up to my face. His stature was significantly taller than me and extremely intimidating.

"I've told you before about lying. Did something happen in that night out is that why he's sniffing about like a dog?"

He took hold of my wrist and twisted it behind me back. "Tell me if something happened."

"Nothing happened I swear! I promise! Let me go, nothing happened between us I wouldn't do that to you."

"You embarrassed me by making me out to be a liar when I told them that story!" He spat.

"And you embarrassed me by referring to me being a whore Jack and then you stormed out, I had to cover for you because you made me look like an idiot!"

I tried to push him off me but he just gripped on to me wrist tighter. He lifted his finger to underneath my chin, holding it up so I was looking directly at him. "You'd think you'd learn by now, I do everything for you, I gave you everything and you're an ungrateful bitch in return." I shut my eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks, "Look at me when I'm talking."

I opened my eyes in time to feel the sharp slap across my cheek. He let go of my wrist and I clutched my cheek, trying not to scream and cause a scene."

"I'm going to the gym, I'll be back later."

He wasn't going to the gym. I worked out weeks ago he was sleeping with someone else but I didn't care, I had no escape because he was right he did give me everything.

Years ago I was young and alone, Jack came along with his perfect smile and his policeman's uniform and promised me the world. He promised me he'd look after me, I got my car, I got a house, I was in an affluent enough area that my daughter went to a good school, not all of my wages went towards rent or bills or shopping to make sure my child was fed. The controlling and violent behaviour happened after we got married, by then it was too late. For the sake of Alice I decided to put up with it, I decided to put up with the occasional anger streaks so I could afford to send my daughter to school in a nice uniform, we both got fed our three meals a day and I didn't have to make my single wake last.

She'd never been exposed to it, she didn't know what was going on, she was in a purely innocent dream land away from it all. He wasn't always tolerant with her but he's never been close to laying a hand on her, never even lifted a finger. That would be my final straw, that would be the straw where regardless of how little money I had we would be gone.

I tried it once, one time I was left in so much pain I packed a bag for both of us and packed us both in my car. I sat in the driveway for an hour, worried about the consequences that would follow if he caught me bailing. I decided in that moment that him finding me would be worse than just staying so we went back inside. The bags I packed are hidden in my work locker. Half my wages go in to a savings account every month, when I have enough we'll be gone. When I have enough money for a divorce lawyer that won't strip me of everything that should be mine, we'll be gone. Until then, I'll grin and bear it. I'll take the slaps, the twisted wrists, the downgrading and the controlling. It's not that bad, I can see it coming and prepare myself.

I want Michael in my life but I can't expose him to this. The less he knows the better. I want to be around Michael and Daniel, I want to feel their love and protection but I can't. Not yet.