Falling for the boy next door

Chapter 3: Unsafe

Original: June 1, 2023? Update: August 31, 2023

I woke up in Johnny's arms. He seemed to still be asleep. I just lay there for a bit, waiting for him to wake up. He looks so peaceful when he's asleep. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I took it out, and Johnny woke up. It was my father calling me. I answered the phone.

"Hey, father." I said, my voice still raspy from being asleep.

"Ellie Dakota Allen, where the fuck are you?! " My father screamed into the phone.

"Calm down! I'm at Johnny's place."

"Get home right now! "

"But, father!"

"No buts, except yours home! "

"Yes, sir."

I hung up the phone.

"Your dad really needs to chill." Johnny said.

"Yeah... lucky you live in your own house." I replied.

"You could live here, too, you know."

"Yeah, no. My father would flip his shit."

"Ellie, you're 18."

"He still controls me..."

"He shouldn't. I don't know why you listen to him."

"Y-yeah..."

What Johnny didn't know was that my father was... not the greatest man. He would hurt me when he got angry. Believe me, he was angry every day. That's why I always wear hoodies. It didn't matter what the weather, I didn't want Johnny worrying about me. That's why I can't let him see my bruises.

I didn't realize it, but one of my hoodie sleeves was rolled up from sleeping, and Johnny stared directly at the bruises on my arm.

"Ellie, does he... hurt you?"

"W-what? N-no."

"You're always wearing hoodies, and there are bruises on your arm. Ellie, take it off."

"Huh? Wait..."

Johnny looked at me, concerned.

"Please. I don't have an ulterior motive, I promise. Just... I need to know."

I nod, and remove my hoodie. Johnny's eyes widened when he saw all the bruises covering my torso and arms.

"You are not going back home." Johnny told me.

"Johnny, I have no choice."

"No, you know what, I'm coming over there. He's gonna have to deal with me."

"Johnny, you can't..."

"Too bad. He tries to lay a finger on you and I'm calling the fucking cops."

"Fine... but if the cops show up, he'll kill me."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Then let's head over there, I suppose."

I put my hoodie back on, and we both got up and walked next door to my house. It was only around 7 in the morning. I used my key to open the door, and walked inside, Johnny right behind me. He closed the door behind us. I tried to be quiet, but my dad was waiting on the couch, in the dimly lit living room. I couldn't avoid him even if I tried. My father looked over to see me. I don't think he saw Johnny.

"Ellie, you're finally home." He said.

I walked over to the couch, motioning to Johnny to stay where he was. My father caressed my face with one of his hands.

"Hi, father."

"Ellie, you know I don't like it when you call me that."

"Sorry, Papa..."

"Good. Now why were you at that boy's house? Did you do something with him? Something immoral? Something I wouldn't approve of?"

"No, sir. I didn't."

He examined me, stopping at my neck, seeing the marks.

"You're lying, Ellie. I don't like it when you lie."

"No, sir. I just fell."

"You know what I told you would happen if you did..."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

He took his hand from my face and slapped me. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but hard enough to hurt. I winced. He grabbed me by the neck and choked me, lifting me up off the ground.

"You were supposed to stay clean... you're just a dirty whore."

Hot tears streamed down my face.

"STOP CRYING YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! NOBODY LOVES YOU! ESPECIALLY NOT THE BOY WHO DID THIS TO YOU! IF YOU WERE SMART, YOU'D KNOW THAT! BUT YOU'RE JUST A FUCKING IDIOT!"

Suddenly I heard someone run up behind me and hit my father with something. It sounded like metal. He dropped me and I fell to the floor, struggling to breathe.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH! HOW DARE YOU BRING THAT BOY INTO MY HOUSE! YOU ARE GONNA P-"

Johnny whacked my father again with what looked like my father's metal baseball bat. He fell on the floor, now bleeding and unconscious. Johnny dropped the bat and ran over to me, pulling me into his arms.

"Ellie, are you okay? I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I would've intervened sooner, but I called the police. I'm so sorry."

"Calm down, pretty boy, I'm fine."

"Pretty boy? That's a new one..."

"When are they gonna get here?"

"I don't know... but we have to stay here until then."

"As long as I'm with you, I'll be okay."