Aftermath

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱

I spend the entire day in my room until there's a knock at my door.

"Yeah?" I call, not willing to open the door.

"It's your father. Can I open the door?"

I sigh, "Sure."

The door opens and I stand up, sitting feels too vulnerable for me, at least standing I can have an advantage. Even the thought is ridiculous, he's a giant.

He remains in the doorway thankfully, that surprises me a little. John would always just come in, take what he wanted and leave, never respect my wishes. And the father I just found out existed is respecting one of my smallest non-verbal requests.

"I know you aren't really feeling up for it," He says, "But I need you to come down and eat."

Aaaand, he ruined it. "I'm not hungry."

"It's not a question, Bianca," He says, "It's been 2 days, and I'm not allowing you to starve."

I exhale, I'll figure out how to avoid it once I get downstairs. He closes the door behind him and I walk over to my small bag.

I dig through my lackluster collection of clothes. I really don't have much, and out of the little I had back home, Nancy only packed a few of those items.

I pick out a pretty basic outfit, just a tattered hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. As I switch from one shirt to another, I feel the bile rise in the back of my throat at the sight of the bruises adorning my torso creeping down beyond sight. I quickly cover it back up with the hoodie and switch my bottoms.

I open my door quietly, and tip-toe down the stairs. I end up in the foyer and hope I'm remembering correctly as I turn right and end up in the kitchen with a breath of relief that I did.

My father is standing at the stove, a pan in his hand. There's a grilled cheese in the pan that he slides onto a plate and sets at one of the places on the table. I hesitate in the doorway, he's not gonna let me avoid eating it.

"Come and eat, tesoro," He says.

I venture hesitantly to the table, my heart is racing, he's not even going to give me a choice? John would make me pay, but he wouldn't force me to do it, in his own cruel way, he enjoyed forcing me to make that choice.

"I'm really not-"

"Bianca," He says firmly.

I grab a half and take a bite of it, the anxiety settling in my stomach doesn't leave much room for food and I feel the need to throw it up. The queasiness brings my attention to the pain in my chest where I'm not certain it isn't fractured in addition to the various pain from the bruises caused within the last week.

My light grip on the sandwich tightens, I begin to feel the hot cheese on tips of my fingers. Suddenly, someone grabs a half and eats it.

I look up and see who I think is Giovanni sitting a few chairs down from me, I hadn't even realized he came in.

"Giovanni," My father says sharply.

"I was hungry," He says with a slight shrug. But when I make eye contact with him, I can tell that isn't true. He's trying to make it easier for me. But why?

"Just eat half, Bianca," My father says, his voice is gentler, "That's all, and then you can go." But that's a lie, isn't it?

By some miracle, I finish the half, attempting to draw it out for as long as possible, but at some point, of course I have to finish it at some point.

When I'm finished I sit there for a moment, I expect the worst and it doesn't come.

"Are you alright?" My father asks.

I hesitate, "I, um..." I'm confused. "What do you want me to do now?"

He looks confused, "I'm sorry?"

We're both confused. But I'll take what I can, especially when I'm in this much pain. I stand up, "Sorry, it's nothing. Thank you for the food," I say, walking back upstairs.

On my way to my room, I realize the door to the right of my room is open, it's been closed since I arrived. I chance a peek inside and I spot a boy, he has light brown hair and looks incredibly similar to Tiago. I haven't met this one yet.

He's leaned back in his chair, a guitar in hand as he strums absently. The music is amazing and for a moment, I forget my surroundings. Suddenly, he looks up and his eyes land on me in the doorway, "Bianca?" He asks unsurely. I panic, "Yeah, I um..."

He looks shocked, awe-struck, like if he looks away I'll disappear, "I'm Lucas. Dad had said you were here but I never got the chance to see you. Nice hoodie," He says. He looks almost as off-guard as I feel.

I look down at my tattered hoodie, it says Fall Out Boy on the front, I'd gotten it from the thrift store by my old school a couple years ago, "I was thinking about burning it," I say honestly, out of the 4 hoodies Nancy could've grabbed, this one holds the worst memories.

He nods. My ribs overwhelm we with pain, I curse to myself and nod awkwardly to Lucas before walking into my room and shutting the door.

Once in the safety of my room, I lift my hoodie enough to see that the skin around where I'm presuming my chest was fractured has begun to turn an ugly yellowish, accompanied by purple tinted bruising, it's infected I'm certain.

I don't know if I can hide this much longer.