Haunted

m o r n i n g

*TW: MENTIONS OF ABUSE*

𖤣𖥧𖡼𖤣𖥧 Gabriella 𖤣𖥧𖡼𖤣𖥧

Opening my eyes a crack, I took in the familiar surroundings of my room. Except something was different.

A strong arm was draped across my waist, and my back was pressed against a hard chest.

What?!
What.

Feeling panicked for a moment I then remembered back to last night. Joey sneaking into my room high on cocaine and then passing out in my bed.

I didn't exactly know what to make of the situation. That was two times I'd seen him off his trolley on drugs, and I was concerned. Cocaine was no joke, that was a drug that could lead you down a very dark path.

A path that I wanted to stop him from going down. But I didn't know how.

His arm pulled me closer to his body as he stirred in his sleep. As weird as it was, I felt completely comfortable in his arms.

I slowly rolled over so that I could see his face. He was breathing softly and his facial features were relaxed. He almost looked sad. I also noticed fresh brushing in the shape of finger prints on his throat and another black eye.

My heart broke for him and all his siblings. My mam might be fucked up but she'd never hit me before. I couldn't imagine the trauma and pain that would cause.

Reaching out to touch the bruises, his eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," I smiled.

"Hi," His voice came out gravelly, a clear sign of just waking up.

Why was that hot?

"Did we, uh, you know," He asked awkwardly.

My eyes widened and I blurted out, "No! No! You just passed out here and I was worried so I let you sleep."

"Oh, okay. Good," He nodded, relief washing over his features.

Taking a deep breath, I began to say the words I had been thinking, "Joey, I'm really wor-."

But the door knob to my room began to rattle.

"Gabriella?! Why is your door locked?" My mam's voice came from the other side, as she continued to rattle the doorknob.

Shit.

I immediately shot out of bed and dragged my hands across my face.

"I'm getting changed," I called back, "Give me a minute."

Joey looked at me with distress in his eyes, and he sat upright in my bed.

"Shit," I mouthed, yanking on his arm to pull him out of bed, "Get in the closet!"

He nodded and slipped into the closet.

"Don't say a word!" I mouthed before shutting the door in his face.

I scrambled to unlock my bedroom door and open it, revealing my mother clad in a long black dress and pearls in her ears, on her neck and wrists.