Abused {ACM}

Chapter 25

I smiled through my tears as they finally tumbled down my cheeks.

"Yes, now. This isn't the end of us, Parker, Dustin." Clary and Zoe piled up behind us. I turned around and smiled even bigger. "Clary, Zoe. We will meet again, someday."

Clary smiled. "Is that a promise?"

I hugged the four of them tight, showing all my love with my eyes.

"That's a fact."

Abby's POV

3 months later

I sat up quickly, panting. Bruises littered my skin and a scrape down my left arm was starting to bleed again. Dirt was smeared all over my clothes and I groaned as I tried to sit up, leaning heavily against a tree. Bark was pressing into my fingers and opening new little cuts - not that I cared.

"You thought you could hide from me?" A voice came from my left. I shrieked and whirled around, positioning my body towards the familiar sound. Alarm and fear was filling me, from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes.

"You thought you would get away from me?" It was closer now, more threatening. Louder.

Footsteps came in a flurry and I shouted again and scurried backwards, running into another tree.

"Dad! No, I -"

"Shut up!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" My brain was desperate, my body not wanting to get hurt again.

An excuse can save your life, somebody had said to me.

"I didn't have a choice! I - I love -" I couldn't choke it out. Whether it would save my life or not, saying 'I love you' to the man who hurt me for most of my life was impossible. My voice caught in my throat and it was silent as he waited for me to continue. Saying the same line I said to Austin to my father seemed like I was betraying him. So I held my tongue. Let me die with my pride, with Austin on my mind.

"You what?" he hissed.

I stayed silent.

"Abby?" A new voice now. Sweet and light and gentle - a girl's voice.
"Aunt Amy?" I sobbed. I ran blindly towards her voice, reaching out for her soft arms and the scent of her perfume. "Aunt Amy, help!"

"Abby, where are you? Come here, baby, come here!" She talked to me like I was 7, but at the moment I didn't care. I yearned for her sweetness, her gentle fingers, her nice singing voice.

"I can't find you." I sobbed.

"Abby." My dad's voice sneered.

"Abby." Aunt Amy shouted.

"Abby."

"Abby."

"Abby!"

"Shit!" I gasped, sitting up, hitting my head onto Aunt Amy's jaw.

"Jesus, Abs, are you alright?" I saw her shiny eyes in the dark, her hand brought up to her jaw and rubbing it, the other on my head and trying to find any bump that had been produced by the collision.

I looked around, sweat falling into my eyes. I wiped it away and inspected the dark room - my room. In New York City, with my familiar bed sheets and the scent of Aunt Amy.

"It...it was a dream?" I whimpered.

Aunt Amy smoothed back my hair and kissed my forehead. "It was a dream, Squirt. It was only a dream."

I sat on my hands to stop them from shaking. "Oh..." I whispered. "Sorry."

The moment I had arrived at Amy's place - she showered me with hugs and kisses and apologies for never being there. I was wary at first - thinking it was all an act. I reflexively flinched away from her physical affection, only used to Austin being so close to me. But after about a month of that I learned that she was truly the most snarky, gentle, beautiful woman in the world. It was hard with all of this change, but the life I was living now was wonderful. It was marvelous. I had food and love and a good home and I could wake up in the morning without any worry about how I was going to hide my bruises that day.

The only thing missing was Austin.

It's always Austin that's on my mind.

"Scoot over, Squirt, or do you need all of this room for yourself?" Aunt Amy tapped my butt and giggled.

I rolled my eyes and scooted over, positioning the two pillows up so that we could lean back against my headboard. She held my hand and rubbed smooth circles with her thumb, her skin soft and cool.

"Amy?"

"Squirt?" She teased.

I took a deep, shaking breath. "You know that boy I told you about? Austin?" I still wasn't used to opening up to anybody. It was hard for me, talking to Amy at first. She was a talker, though. She wanted to know about my friends and my loves and my passions and just everything that she missed in my life. She didn't know that I was alive until the police researched deep into my family and realized that she was related to me.

"Mmmhmm, he's your loverboy." Amy nodded knowingly.

I chuckled. "I...do you think that I could write him? Or call him? I miss him...I miss him so much."

Amy was silent. "Now, Abby. I know that you know that the police are highly against any phone calls from you. Phones can be traced, emails can be traced. The only hope we're living off of now to catch your father is the element of surprise. We've talked about this."

Tears rolled down my cheeks. Flashes of Austin's eyes, his jaw, his hair, his fingers flew through my mind. "I know...but please? Just...please."

It was silent, save for my ragged breathing and her calm one. Hope raced through my veins like blood - she was considering it. It seemed a little too good to be true, just the thought of hearing his voice again. It seemed as though Amy was thinking - thinking of the consequences that would lead up to this action. I grasped her hand.

"What are the chances of him finding us here? The chances of him tracing my phone call to New York City? He could be anywhere in the world by now! It would make me feel so much better." I kept rambling on about the 1% possibility of him finding us, and I guess Aunt Amy got sick of it.

"Okay, Abby, okay! You can call Austin! But you get 10 minutes."

I was silent, and more tears spilled down my face. "...R-really? I get to talk to him? Please don't be lying, Aunt Amy."

Aunt Amy looked over at me and smiled gently. "Really, Abs. You really miss him don't you? You can call him."

A sob ripped through my lips and I put my head down on her shoulder, nodding. "Yea, I really do. Can I call now?"

"It's 11 at night, Abs."

"Please. I won't be able to sleep until I do."

Amy sighed and got up, giving me her cell phone. "Ten minutes starts the second I get out of this room. Choose your words wisely, Abs. Don't give away our location."

My heart was beating so fast I couldn't answer her. This was actually happening. I could call him. I could hear his voice again. The minute the door clicked shut, my fingers started shaking so hard I could barely dial his memorized number.

It started ringing. And another sob wracked my body. It rang again. And again. And again.

"Pick up pick up pick up." I whispered, rocking back and forth.

"Hello?"