Drew and his family ended up staying in the two guest rooms down the hall from my parents. My room was on the other side of the house. Weird but somehow I think my parents like it better that way. Me away from them.
I changed into my pajamas; a white tank top with plaid shorts. I was laying in bed listening to music when someone knocked quietly.
I turned my face and looked at the clock. It was a little after midnight. "Come in." I said.
The door opened and Drew slipped inside. He was in basically the same thing I was, plaid and all. "Are you awake?" he asked quietly.
I nodded. "Are you?"
He smiled and walked to my bed. "Maybe." he looked at the ceiling. I had the twinkle lights on and the music was background noise.
I scooted over and he looked at me. I raised my eyebrow and pulled the blanket back. "We match."
He laughed quietly. "We do." he climbed in the bed beside me and we stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.
Help! I'm Alive-Metric started playing and I looked over at Drew. His eyes were closed and he was softly smiling. I leaned over and kissed his cheek softly before laying back on my stomach.
I smiled and flipped my pillow so the cool side was touching my face.
I felt Drew shift and put his hand on my back. I suddenly felt his breath on my neck.
"Did you kiss me?" he whispered.
"Maybe." I whispered back. I was still facing away from him but I could tell he was smiling.
"Good." he kissed my shoulder and laid back down. He kept his hand on my back though.
***************
I was in my room getting ready for my date with Drew. The wedding is in a few weeks but after that night in my room we have been seeing each other all the time.
I'm falling hard for him and I think he is falling for me too.
My parents don't know I have been seeing him constantly. It's like playing with landmines, trying to sneak behind my parents' back.
Technically we aren't supposed to see each other every day. We have to take it slow, for the safety of the secret. The secret being my parents have been getting angrier every day and I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. AKA: bruises and cuts.
Like right now, for instance. I am in my bathroom trying to figure out how to hide my busted lip.
Drew is going to see and feel it when I kiss him.
I sighed and tossed my makeup sponge in the sink. My phone rang and I went into my room to answer it. The ID said Drew.
I smiled and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you ready?" he asked.
"Almost." I reached up and touched my lip.
"Well, I have to tell you something really important tonight. And I can't wait to see you."
"I cant either." I went back in my bathroom and dabbed more cover up on my lip.
"Do you want me to pick you up or are you still going to drive?"
"I'll drive. My parents, you know."
"You didn't tell them you were going out?"
"No, they should be leaving soon and then I'll meet you at the parlor." I sighed. "Sometimes I wish they would let me out more often so I wouldn't have to sneak around."
"So do I."
"I'll see you soon."
"Okay." he hung up and I put my phone on the counter.
The bathroom door slammed open and I jumped at the noise.
"Get in here." my dad glared at me. The look on his face tells me that he heard everything.
I nod slowly and walk into my room reluctantly.
"So who were you going out with tonight, after your mother and I left?" he said calmly, which is a death sign basically. He was drumming his fingers on the desk.
"Drew." I mumbled.
He nodded and picked up the laptop on the desk and slung across the room. It shattered and I stared at the floor.
"Were you going to tell us you were going out with him?" he moved closer to me and flexed his fingers.
I shook my head. "No."
He slapped my hard and I felt the cut on my lip re-open. "You lying slut." he growled and pushed me backwards. I fell into the wall and tear were pushing their way to spill over. I blinked them away and my dad walked closer.
"I'm sorry." I whispered.
He put his hand around my throat and squeezed. I wasn't breathing, he was like a python and I was the deer. "You're always sorry." he glared at me and squeezed harder. I clawed at the wall and curled my toes. He pushed harder and lifted me on the wall. I could feel the blood from my lip trickling down my chin. "I'm sick of you being sorry." he spit.
The door opened. My mom stood there with a look of regret but she quickly covered it when my dad looked at her. "Thomas, let her go, we need to leave." she said quietly.
He glared at her and squeezed harder. "Go wait downstairs." he threatened.
She sighed sadly and went downstairs.
He looked back at me. "If you see him anymore behind my back, I swear you'll regret ever being born." he dropped me and wiped his hands because some of the blood dibbled onto his hand.
I fell on my stomach and curled into a ball.
"Cancel your plans." he walked across the room and slammed the door behind.
Something outside the door broke, most likely the vase of flowers Drew sent me a few days earlier.
I gently touched my neck and the tears spilt over. I crawled into the bathroom and stopped crying before I called Drew.
He picked up after a few rings. "Alex?"
"Hey, listen I can't go out tonight, I'm sorry." I pulled my knees up to my chest.
"Why? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just don't feel very good, I puked just a second ago. I think it's the stomach bug."
"Oh. It's okay, maybe some other time then. Do you want me to bring something over for you?"
"No, I'll be fine. Bye." I hung up the phone and cried for hours until someone came in the bathroom.
I looked up and it was my mom.
She helped me up and into my pajamas. She touched my shoulder.
"Why are you helping me?" I whispered.
"I hate it when he hurts you." she whispered back. "I know I yell at you and hurt your feelings but he will hurt us both if I don't. Your father is....."she trailed off and shook her head.
"Why don't we leave?" I looked at her pleadingly.
"He'll kill us." she led me to my bed and pulled the comforter to my chin. "Do you remember when you woke up one morning and I was in the hospital, and we told you a homeless person tried to kill me?"
I nodded.
"I was trying to leave with you and Thomas saw me." she stood up. "It wasn't a homeless person that tried to kill me." she turned off the light and closed the door.
I laid on my back and stared at the dim twinkle lights until I fell asleep.
YOU ARE READING
