Chapter Twelve
“What is going on?”
There was Bill and my sister, sat in a room which appeared to be a study. There was a sofa at the end of the room and that was where they were both sitting. Bill was clutching a pile of old photographs. It looked like he had been showing them to her.
“You know what’s going on,” I snarled. I stepped forward and grabbed my sister’s wrist, pulling her towards me.
“Rach? What’s wrong?” asked Bella surprised.
“Bella, Bella,” I said to her, focusing on her.”Are you okay? Did he hurt you…?”
“No, why would he do that?” Now Bella was even more confused. I took that as a very good thing.
“Now come on,” Bill said standing up. “Let’s be proper about this and stop being silly…”
“I remember you know!” I bellowed at him. “I remember every stinking thing!”
I could see something flicker in Bill’s eyes. “I still don’t know what you are talking about,” he lied.
Bella searched our faces, and kept looking as us back and forth. “Rachel! I don’t understand!” she wailed.
I wasn’t in a hurry for her to understand.
I leaned as close as I could towards Bill without physically being sick. “You’re disgusting!” I spat. “My parents let you in the family, thinking you were a friend! But all this time…”
It was then when I realised something. That I wasn’t afraid. There were times when I cowered into the room when he came over. I hid and flinched away whenever he dared to greet me with a pat on the head. I was terrified. But now, that was nothing. Because now, I had the upper hand. I had the ultimate weapon. My word against his.
And Bill was frightened. He put on a poker face but beneath his pathetic hide, I could see that he was trembling.
And it felt great.
“Bill? Rachel?” Mum’s hysterical voice could be heard at the foot of the stairs.
“We’re here,” I said loudly, my steely stare still fixed upon Bill.
A few seconds later both my mother and father burst in, with Toby close behind. Then they all started talking at once.
“What is going on? Louise is in a state down there!”
“We left Louise with that nice girl, she’ll be fine Bill.”
“Um I tied my dogs to the fence in the front garden. But they broke it. Am I trouble?”
“Everybody stop!” I shouted, clutching Bella even more now. “We need Louise up here!”
“No!” growled Bill.
“Who made you in charge missy?” began my mother.
“I’ll get her,” said Toby.
“Honey, why don’t you just tell us what this is about,” said Dad rather uncomfortably.
Everybody, including Bill turned to look at me. This was the moment I had been dreading.
I hesitated. This was the moment I could get my dreaded secret out. I would never feel lonely again. Louise will be safe again. But it was still so hard.
“Come on,” prompted Bella. I looked down at her and I wondered if it was a good thing to tell her as well. Did I want to protect her from the truth about outrageous things that men can do to children; even ones that they treat like or even are their own child?
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