Love offenders

Chapter ten

“It started when I was eight. My mum and my dad had just split up from her affair. She didn’t end it there though, oh no, she invited him to live with us, the love of her life Mr Donavan Price, a doctor, a brilliant doctor, a well respeted man.”

“Tell me what happened Lily?”

“It wasn’t till I was ten that things started happening.” I can see Daniel stiffen at my words.

“What kind of things?”

“First it was the incident with the cupboard.”

“I never did get to ask you Lily, what did your mum say to Donavan?”

“She was angry of course, the man had treated her daughter like a prisoner, though she gave him leverage said if I had behaved myself it wouldn’t of happened. I guess that’s when she started to change.”

“What do you mean by change?”

“She always used to be a good mum, used to put me before anything – even her own life, but as the years went on she would put him first, and it got worse once they got married.”

“How did it get worse Lily?”

“He began to beat my mother, I could hear it at night the yells they used to cause, I was twelve at the time, I could hear him hitting her it was that bad.”

“You don’t seem upset when you talk about this, why is that?”

“I was at first, I used to cry myself asleep when it happened, never did I dare to go in there though. My mother used to pretend everything was fine and dandy the next day, though you  could see the bruises. The reason I’m not sad about it is because she began to let him beat me, just the way he beat her. She would sit there and watch, not even move one muscle as he did it. Just before my father had died he told her to take the last of his money and run, do you know what she did?”

“What did she do?”

“She threw it in his face and told him that she loved him and that nothing would ever make her leave him. After he had over heard that he knew he had no limits and soon – soon he began paying me visits mostly at night. I was only fourteen.” I feel a tear slip down my face, I wipe it visioucsly. “It got worse much worse as the years went by.”

“Did – did your mother know what he was doing?”

I laugh as harsh as I could, my stomach hurting as I do. “What do you think?”

“I – I – I don’t know.”

“Of course she knew, she could hear my pleads and yells even my step brother knew what was happening. He was the only one who ever stood up for me.”

“And how did he stand up for you?”

“The first time was when we was in the kitchen, his father had me pined up by the wall, he walked in and couldn’t help but interfere he wasn’t like my mother he couldn’t just walk out and pretend it never happened, he hit him hard in the face, he got a paying for it don’t get me wrong but it stopped me from having another bad memory to put away.”

“You said that was the first time?”

“Yes, there was many more times but ….”

“Was he there that day?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me what happened that day Lily?”

I close my eyes breathing deeply. “I had just come home from a party, they were supposed to be out for a play in London, he never went though.” I can feel tears run down my face. “He was just lying there waiting for me to come home, he jumped me, pinned me down, it was the worst he had ever done it, he was so ruff and … and I can’t even describe how much it hurt, he was no longer just – just doing that, but he was beating me while doing it. He began to strangle me and I could feel myself slipping away, and than he was there behind me, and soon Donavan’s hands began to loosen till he was slumped on my bare battered chest, not moving, not breathing. Jamie was behind him, a lamp in his hands, blood driping from it. He left scared and frightened from what he had just done, the police found me soon enough. I couldn’t run far in my state.”

“Did you ever tell the police it was Jamie?”

“No, I just couldn’t he was protecting me. I told my mother though, she didn’t believe me.”

“What about self defence, I’m sure that would cut it.”

“Nobody believed me, my mother made sure they made no tests she knew some people, told them I had done them myself, that I’ve been planning this since he replaced my father.”

We sit in silence for what seems like forever, I had finally silenced Martina.

“Could you give us a moment please?” Martina nods leaving the room, Daniel scoots his chair over to the bed and moves my hair of my face.

“Lily, I – I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything, okay?”

“I’m glad he’s dead you know.”

“What?”

“Donavan, I’m glad he’s dead because if he wasn’t I would have to go finish the job myself.” I stare at him and see he’s deadly serious.

“Don’t say things like that.” He takes my hand and holds it firmly.

“Lily I’m being serious a man like him shouldn’t be able to live, what – what he did to you makes my skin crawl and that most probably doesn’t even come close to how you feel. I hate seeing you like this, I hate what he has done to you.” Tears begin to glisten in his eyes. “I’m just glad your okay.” A tear leaks out and he begins to move away, trying to hide it. Getting up I take his hand and turn him to face me, I wipe away the tear my hand lingering on his cheek. We both stare into eachother’s eyes and as i begin to move forward to make our lips meet, the door opens to reveal a blonde bombshell at the door.

“Oh sorry to enterupt, Daniel you ready the cars running outside.”

“I – I will be out in a moment Hannah.” She swaddles in on classy black high hells, kisses Daniel where moments ago my mouth would of wondered too.

“Don’t be long.” The sight of a silver diamond ring makes my heart drop.

“Sorry about that.” Daniel says once she is gone, I smile hiding my pain.

“She your fiancé?”

“Fiance? Where you get that idea too?”

“Oh, just the ring on her finger.”

“You have a very good eye.” He smiles happily, “Just don’t tell anyone yet, we haven’t announced it.” My heart feels like it has dropped from the sky.

“Will you be okay?”

“Yes, yes I’m fine you go.” I force a happy smile on to my face and as he leaves, I can’t help but let the tears fall out.