the teawitch (the tea-series part one)

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23-04-2021  leonards house, Rue's room

P O.V. Rue

Someone walked in and I became silent immediately. I was laying on the ground. It was the only place I could still feel safe. Rex' arms were warm, but only pulled me close so he could touch me, the bed was the place guys took me and hurt me, so the only place left was the cold and hard ground.

"Rue?" Someone kneeled down next to me. "Are you okey?" 

It was Finn, luckily.

I rubbed the tears away 

"It's okey, you can cry. Take your time."

I nodded, sobbing again. 

The fear became too much. Alex had decided to do it without protection. It was against Rex' rules and it had been horrible. I couldn't get pregnant, because I didn't eat, but still. Rex would probably get angry on me, and not his friend. It always worked like that and I hated it.  But my opinion wasn't important, so I didn't even say it out loud. I didn't dare to. The only thing that could happen was making the people around me angry.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

I shook my head, staring at the brick wall. 

"Do you need something? Food? Tea..."

"N-no," I muttered with a raspy voice from crying.

"I can fix anything... I am a good friend of Rex."

I scoffed, feeling bad about it immediately after. He was the only one that was being sweet to me. He even warned me about what Rex was gonna do, and told every step of their plan. Every step but the last one, but I knew already it included dying. 

"Rue... Did something happen? Tell at least someone..."

"Y-you will b-be angry and t-tell him."

"If you don't want me to, I won't. I promise."

I imitated him before breaking down again.

Finn rested a hand on my shoulder calmly and I knew he wanted to show me he wasn't angry.

I pushed it off, not wanting any physical contact. Rex had took everything away I cared about, my whole life was a mess. No one should care about me, was the only thought that went through my mind when I was supposed to sleep. I would loose him too, or he me. If Rex would have came in while Finn had a hand on my shoulder...

He stayed silent now, but I could hear he was still there. Not touching me nor saying anything.

I wanted a hug badly, but the fear was too big, my courage already gone just after I met Leonard and the other guys.

"F-finn?" I asked after more then 30 minutes silence. I had finally calmed down a bit and had found the strength to sit up. 

Finn smiled softly at me, leaning against the bed crossed legged. "Yeah?"

"Is he always... Rude to girls?"

I saw him think, obviously doubting something.

"We tought his obsession with women younger then 16 stopped after we were angry on him for using an eleven year old girl. He always was sweet after that to kids."

"Till me... Why haven't you left yet?"

He was silent again, "well... I have nowhere to go at the moment. I am 19, did no study, no school, no friends outside this house and a way too big criminal record..."

"Oh... Right..."

Finny smiled a little and pulled me suddenly against his chest, hugging me tightly. "I am here for you..."

I nuzzled my nose in his neck. Now I was in his arms I felt safe again. My body relaxed and I curled up.

He kept repeating his words softly, trying to make me feel loved by the words, but his embrace was enough.

Silent tears streamed down my face again.

"Are you sure you don't need anything? You can sleep in a different room maybe..."

I shrugged.

"Then this place is just for the bad stuff and the other is a safe room no one can touch you."

"R-rex won't like t-that..."

"Rue... I don't care about his opinion... You aren't eating and I can see in your eyes you gave up already... Let me help you."

"Don't g-give me hope... He w-will just p-punish me for y-your ideas... D-don't worry about eating... And w-who cares about my f-feelings?"

"I care, Rue... I care about you and I will tell him that if he dares to do his cruel-"

"You are n-naive... H-he will just do it... Just l-let him..."

He shook his head, "I won't. And about about the food... I can count your ribs, girl... You should eat..."

"No..." I pulled back from the hug, "I don't w-wanna become pregnant..."

"What do you-" he stared at me with wide eyes, "You gotta stop that. You are ruining your body even more then it already is- Rex has a little patience, but not longer then a half year... He will just kill you..."

I swallowed, hugging him again, "I don't w-want a kid... Not f-from him... I d-don't want it to g-get killed."

Finn stroked my back soft. "I know... But then you survive at least 9 more months..."

"W-why? I don't w-wanna live t-that long anymore..."

"Do you wanna die, Rue?" He sounded even more worried then before.

I didn't answer.

"Do you wanna die?"

I looked up, straight into his scared eyes. "Don't... Please..."

"Why not?" I whispered, "m-my life is messed up..."

"I know it is... And I know it sounds like the best option... But two of his girls came out alive... You can be the third..."

My eyes traced down to the ground again. "And then? I am like you... I c-can't go anywhere."

"If you... Get out alive... Then I will come after you, deal? If you are still under 18 I will adopt you and we will move somewhere happy."

I rubbed my eyes, "I am traumized, Finnie... I w-won't live a happy life."

"We can try... We will get a psychologist for you... You can go to school and we will forget everything..."

"T-they are mafia..."

"First focus on a happy end... We will see that when we have escaped..."