Hush

15

Valen

Today was the day. Specifically right now. I was going to go into town by myself and they were going to hopefully believe me. "I can do this." I say, chewing on my lip. I walked from the house and walked away. I felt like I was walking away forever. And I could see in Braden's eyes that he still doubted I wouldn't run away. It hurt. A lot.

Braden, after all they'd been through still thought I would run. I bit my cheek. I mean, I could. I could totally run and he wouldn't be able to stop me. I mean they'll take me to the police station and I'll be there for ages. But I'm over eighteen now so they can't do anything. But... If they find me mentally unwell which I'm sure my parents will bring in the depression and the anxiety I had. They'd say I just broke and needed to be taken care of.

Once I arrived at town I just walked around. I bought a snack and all. It was almost an hour before the police showed up.

"Are you Valentine Smith?" The man asked me. I just nodded and frowned.

"Yes sir. That's me. How come?" I asked him nonchalantly. I'd become a very good liar and very goof under pressure over the years of being constantly not okay.

"I'm going to need you to come with me." He said, to which I just nodded. He walked me to the car and let me get in without cuffing me thankfully. When I looked around I saw Braden and frowned. 'He said he wouldn't interfere. He couldn't be seen around me. He said that. Why is he here?' I thought, before it occurred to me. He's just making sure I don't rat him out. To that I wanted to cry.

'He really doesn't trust me.'

"So where've you been?" The officer asked.

"Around. I ran off, didn't tell anyone. Listen if this is about me going missing then I'm sorry but... Fuck. I hated it there. And they can't make me go back if I'm over eighteen. This is useless." I said, seemingly exasperated.

"Yes it is about that. It's been a while. Your family was looking for you."

"Was. They don't care, they never did." I said, sighing as we drove off.

Once we arrived at the department he set me in a room and he and a few others came back in and sat before me.

"Valentine, we need you to tell us where you've been and who you've been with since you disappeared." The lead said. "I know it may be scary to be out now and all but if you were kidnapped it's important to tell us who it was and where they are and what they did to you."

I just laughed. "I wasn't kidnapped. I left. Willingly. On my own. There was no way I was going to be staying in that house any longer. I didn't want them knowing where I was and honestly I still don't want them knowing. I hate them. After all they've done to me I hope they think I'm dead for the rest of eternity." He said harshly, crossing my arms and just scowling.

"And what did they do to you?" The lead asked, arching his brows.

They were all pretty old. They all had gray hair but the man in the middle reeked of 'obey me'. It honestly put me on edge the way he looked at me, his eyes scanning my body to look for any signs I may be lying.

"Well how about the fact that they drove me to trying to commit suicide a few times. My parents are drunkards with no care for their children. They'd yell and scream and make me do everything. They'd hit me sometimes and same with my sister. But she's got her head shoved so far up their asses that she thinks it's for her own good or because she deserved it. Or hell, she might not even admit it." He started, scoffing. I couldn't believe how calm I was with all this. "I was barely fed, I never was allowed to have friends. I couldn't go out and do anything. I was their slave. I waited for a night my sister was gone and my parents were passed out drunk before leaving. The notes left? Yeah I wrote those." I told him, sighing as if bored.

He scribbled down what I was saying and nodded. "Mhm.. And... Where did you go? Where have you been staying?" The man asked.

Shit.

"With a friend. Boyfriend actually. They'd never accept I was gay so there was no way I'd ever let them know of him. He didn't want me to run away like I did but I told him I had to. Took me three days to convince him. Tell me, would you want to go back to parents who drove you to do this?" I asked standing and lifting my shirt to show various scars from the razors, then my sleeves. The men grimaced and I put up some tears for them too, which seemed to really do the trick.

This kept up for a good three or four hours, me refusing to tell them my boyfriends name before my parents showed up. They'd been immediately informed.

"Valen my poor baby boy!" My mother yelled, enveloping me in a hug. She smelled of booze and I'm sure the cops could smell it too by the looks on their faces.

"Don't touch me. Get the fuck off." I demanded absently.

"Valen! Language!" She hissed, trying to seem motherly. I just shoved her away.

"I hate you, both of you. You can see I'm fine. Now leave. I'm over eighteen so I don't have to go with you." He said, obvious hatred in my voice. Over the year I'd realized they were not at all what I'd made them out to be in my mind. I'd thought I deserved and there was reason for what they did. But now I'm grown, I've come to realize they were wrong.

"But... Valen bab-"

"Don't. Leave, now. Before I get locked up for showing you exactly how much I hate you for everything. The woman held a furious look and so did my father. She raised her hand to slap me but the cops put her and my dad in cuffs.

Then... We were there another long while. The sun had gone down by the time they finally let me leave. But... I needed Braden to come get me.

The cops and Braden talked for a while before finally they believed us, for the most part, and let us go.

I laughed and cheered once we got home.

"I can't believe we actually did it!" He squealed, looking up at him. He just laughed and shook his head. "No, you did it. And I'm so proud." He then pulled me close and kissed me a way he'd never kissed me before. It was tender and loving but passionate and dizzying at the same time. I, of course, kissed him back.

Then I did something I knee he'd been waiting for. Something I've been scared to do.

"Braden... Make me yours." I asked him, looking up at him. The look in his eyes told me everything. He was shocked, happy, ecstatic.

"Hush... Love... You didn't even have to ask." He said, before kissing me again and making my head spin into oblivion.