In this together

Chapter 9: Not Again

(Sorry for keeping you guys waiting but here is the long awaited update! Enjoy!
TW: mentions of blood. )

(Luz's POV)
"It's okay Luz, he won't find us here." I squeeze him closer as pain throbs in my shoulder. "If he does, I won't let him touch you." He gently hugs me as a sniffle escapes my mouth.

"But Lucia said the same thing, and she hasn't come home yet."

His eyes soften and he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, "I know hermanita, but I'm not going anywhere. Okay?" I nod my head, "Ok." A sudden thump erupts from the hall and the door crashes into the wall. I bury my head into his chest, and he tightens his grip. Light thumping follows as our mother shouts in Spanish. "Sé que te hizo enojar, pero no la castigues así!"

"I punish her how I want. You just make the food and take care of them! I enforce the rules!"

I nuzzle into him as he gently whispers soft words. It goes quiet and he shifts so he sits Infront of me. The closet doors violently whip open. There stands our infuriated dad, belt in one hand and beer in the other. He grips my brother's shirt and tosses him out of the closet. Raising his arm, my dad looks to me and grits through his teeth, "Watch closely Mija, this is what happens when you are selfish and put others before you. This is all your doing. He will suffer because of you." His arm swings down, bringing the belt with it, and strikes my brother's back. I try to crawl over, but my mom grabs my arm and pulls me back into the closet.

"LUCA!"

My body shoots up as sweat runs down my face. I look around for the alarm clock on Willow's nightstand and I read the glowing numbers.

5:36 am

My body slowly rises out of the blankets and out from under Amity's arm. Carefully, I open the door and make my way to the bathroom, trying my best not to wake anyone. I shut and lock the door with shaky hands and look at myself in the mirror.

'It's all your fault, her leaving and their suffering. You deserve this, all of it. Do you really want to put Amity through this?'

Guilt is all I feel as the memory refuses to leave and the events from earlier creep into my mind. Slowly, my hands reach out and turn on the water faucet. I shove my hands under the rushing water and squeeze my eyes as hard as I can to get tonight out of my head. Resting my hands on the sink, I take a deep breath and stand up straight.
I walk over to the wall and slide down, so I am sitting on the floor, since I have decided that I won't be sleeping anytime soon. Pulling out my phone, I put in my passcode and the brightness illuminates my face. The text from my dad from earlier still sits on my screen. I stare at it for a while, part of me hoping it will just disappear if I stare long enough, but it doesn't.

"I don't want to go back," I whisper to myself, "I can't handle it anymore, but if I leave, Mami will be alone with him. I can't do that to her, that would be selfish.........and that's all that I am."

My thoughts start swarming and become hard to control. Soon enough, the static is back but it doesn't cancel out the thoughts, in fact, they just get louder. Deep down I know this is what he wants. He is like a Cobra; he seeks out his prey and injects his venom to make them weak. It always works. He knows what hurts me and what doesn't, but if I'm being honest, nothing he does hurts anymore, physically at least. He always gets what he wants. No matter what it takes, he will do anything if he gets what he wants.

As I spiral deeper and deeper into my thoughts, the burning starts to come back the more I think.

"No, no, no, no, not again"

I start rubbing my chest, trying to calm down, but it only seems to make it worse.

"Just breath Luz"

As I let out shaky breaths, my eyes start to blur with hot tears.

"No, stop. Why does this keep happening?"

Everything goes quiet as the burning spreads to my throat and ears.

Shit

I cover my ears in hopes the burning will go away, but it doesn't. My body starts to rock back and forth as the burning only gets worse and a sudden tightness forms in my throat. I know I am breathing but that doesn't stop the gasping or the dizziness from taking over. I grab onto the counter to pull myself up but struggle to as I become more and more lightheaded. Stumbling to the door, I try to unlock and open the door. My vision becomes more blurred, and I can hardly see straight which makes opening the door more difficult. I just barely get it open before the lightheadedness hits me.

As I reach out to grab onto something to steady me, I slip, and everything goes black.

(Amity's Pov)

My eyes slowly open and I move my hand to feel for Luz. My body rolls over as my hand finds nothing but blankets in her spot. She probably went to the bathroom. I let out a soft sigh, whispering to myself.

"You have been through so much Luz. I just want to help."

"You can't do that unless she lets you."

A soft, familiar voice coos out. I sit up, facing her.
"I know, but I can see that she is going through something. It's so frustrating Willow! She isn't telling me anything!"

The girl's expression turns soft but stern.

"Now you know how she feels."

I look at her, slightly taken aback by her harsh demeanor. She softens her expression and moves out of her bed onto the slightly deflated blow up mattress. "Listen Am, you both are terrible at expressing feelings of pain and suffering. You both don't want the other to know so you don't worry the other and end up keeping secrets and hurting each other. That's what makes you two perfect for each other." I let out a small laugh as she continues. "What I'm saying is, you both care so much about each other. While that's great, you both need to be honest. Yes you will worry her with your issues and she will worry you with hers, but that's how you know that it's real. That you both genuinely care."

Her hand finds it's way to my shoulder and she gives me a somber look. "I don't know what going on with you Amity, but I can tell it isn't good. You have all of us worried, even Boscha." My eyes widen as the unfamiliar name comes up.

Why would Boscha be worried? I mean yea we are friends but not terribly close.

"My point is, just tell Luz. I'm sure you want to and I'm sure she wants to tell you what's going on with her. You both just need time." I nod my head and she gives me a small smile. Suddenly, a loud thud erupts from the hallway. Only one thing pops into my head.

Luz

Adrenaline rushes through me and I find my way to my feet. My body rushes over to the door and when I step into the hallway, my heart stops. I freeze, hearing Willow gasp behind me as the image of my girlfriend laying on the floor, blood rushing out of her forehead, sits in-front of us.

(Hey guys, I'm sorry this one isn't as long as the other ones. But I hope you enjoyed it! I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible. You can expect more chapters soon. <3)